Now that we’ve had Minnesota fire Tim Brewster and North Texas fire Todd Dodge, the list of openings is ready to grow. Chances are most schools will wait until the end of the season before making any changes. But as we see every year, there is a list of coaches that are seemingly on the hot seat.

The 2010 list has changed some already as coaches who appeared on their way out have put together strong seasons. But others aren’t so lucky and are still on the radar…

2010 College Football Coaching Hotseat:

	1) Tim Brewster - Minnesota
	2) Todd Dodge North Texas
	3) Mike Locksley New Mexico Locksley will return to UNM depite only 2 wins this year. UNM has too much money invested in his contract to cut bait.
	4) Dan Hawkins Colorado
	5) Neil Callaway - UAB
	6) Bob Toledo - Tulane
	7) Stan Parrish - Ball St.
	8) Paul Wulff - Washington St. WSU will retain Wulff for another season
	9) Bill Stewart WVU Stewart will retire after this season
	10) Rich Rodriguez – Michigan Fired, replaced by Brady Hoke

2010-2011 College Football Coach Changes

Steve Roberts – Arkansas State (replaced by Hugh Freeze )

Stan Parrish – Ball State (replaced by Pete Lembo )

Dan Hawkins – Colorado (replaced by Jon Embree )

Randy Edsall – Connecticut (replaced by Paul Pasqualoni )

Urban Meyer – Florida (replaced by Will Muschamp )

Bill Lynch – Indiana (replaced by Kevin Wilson )

Doug Martin – Kent State (replaced by Darrell Hazell )

Rickey Bustle – Louisiana (replaced by Mark Hudspeth )

Ralph Friedgen – Maryland (replaced by Randy Edsall )

Randy Shannon – Miami (Fla.) (replaced by Al Golden )

Michael Haywood – Miami (O.) (replaced by Don Treadwell )

Rich Rodriguez – Michigan (replaced by Brady Hoke )

Tim Brewster – Minnesota (replaced by Jerry Kill )

Todd Dodge – North Texas (replaced by Dan McCarney )

Jerry Kill – Northern Illinois (replaced by Dave Doeren )

Dave Wannstedt – Pittsburgh (replaced by Michael Haywood and then Haywood replaced by Todd Graham )

Brady Hoke – San Diego St. (replaced by Rocky Long )

Jim Harbaugh – Stanford (replaced by David Shaw )

Al Golden – Temple (replaced by Steve Addazio )

Todd Graham – Tulsa (replaced by Bill Blankenship )

Robbie Caldwell – Vanderbilt (replaced by James Franklin )

Bill Stewart – West Virginia (replaced by Dana Holgorsen (2012)

State of the WAC – Part 3:
WAC Winners and Losers

The WAC realignment over the past few months has been filled with all sorts of drama. We’ve had a huge grab for regional power foiled at the last second by WAC members sabotaging from within. We’ve had recovery momentum build, new schools pledge allegiance to the new WAC, while others spurned the invitations to join the new group. And now, it appears that one of the original 6, Hawaii, is ready to move on as well.

And with each move we see, schools go from losers to winners and from winners to losers…and a select few others are left in limbo.

Here’s a look at the WAC members both winners and losers and where the fall on the scale:

Boise St. was on a path to the MWC regardless. So it is actually Nevada and Fresno St. that made the biggest move, as they singlehandedly ended the power grab the WAC was looking to make. If Nevada and Fresno St. remained in the WAC, Boise St. possibly remains as well, and BYU is a non-football member of the WAC. Instead, non-football member BYU has been replaced by Denver and Nevada & Fresno St. have been replaced with UTSA, a school just starting the sport of football, and Texas St from FCS. Meanwhile, Boise St., Nevada and Fresno St. are having good to great seasons and all prepared for bowl games (and a potential BCS bowl for Boise St.).

• Options: appears to have just about finalized deals with the MWC and Big West

• Options: hope for a MWC all-sports invitation
• Possibilities: If WAC folds, Utah St. could participate as a football independent and join the Summit League for non-football sports. The Big Sky would likely invite Utah St. for non-football sports to bring their membership totals to 12.Potential MWC with Utah St if TCU leaves:
  Boise St., Utah St., Nevada, UNLV, Fresno St., SDSU
  Colorado St., Wyoming, Air Force, New Mexico, Houston, * Hawaii

  Potential Big Sky with Utah St., Idaho & Denver (non-football):
  EWU, Portland St., Sacramento St., Idaho, Idaho St., Utah St., Weber St.,
  North Dakota, Montana, Montana St., Denver, No. Colorado, SUU, NAU,

• Options: hope for a MWC non-football invite to offset Hawaii as a football-only member
• Possibilities: If WAC folds, Denver could join the Summit League. The Big Sky would likely invite Denver. for non-football sports to bring their membership totals to 12.Potential MWC with Denver:
  Boise St., Nevada, UNLV, Fresno St., SDSU, * Hawaii (Denver for non-football sports)Colorado St., Wyoming, Air Force, New Mexico, TCU, Houston
  
  Potential Big Sky with Utah St., Idaho & Denver (non-football):
  EWU, Portland St., Sacramento St., Idaho, Idaho St., Utah St., Weber St.,
  North Dakota, Montana, Montana St., Denver, No. Colorado, SUU, NAU

  Potential Summit League with Denver:
  Denver, NDSU, SDSU, USD, UMKC, ORU, WIU, IPFW, IUPUI, Oakland

• Options: hope for a invitations from CUSA or the Sunbelt for all sports.
• Possibilities: If WAC folds, either could participate as a football independents and join the Summit League for non-football sports. The Southland might even reconsider keeping both schools for non-football sports. The Southland might need some membership stability and if their options were Oral Roberts, UTPA, Houston Baptist and then UTSA and Texas St., it would appear that UTSA and Texas St. would have the advantage.Potential Sunbelt with UTSA, Texas St., LA Tech and NMSU:
  FIU, FAU, Troy, USA, WKU, MTSU, Arkansas St., *UALR (non-football)
  NMSU, Texas St., UTSA, No. Texas, LA Tech, ULL, ULM

  Potential Summit League with Denver, UTSA and Texas St.:
  Denver, UMKC, Oral Roberts, UTSA, Texas St., WIU
  NDSU, SDSU, USD, IPFW, IUPUI, Oakland

  Potential Southland with UTSA and Texas St. for non-football:
  same as current lineup

LA Tech has long been on the furthest eastern outskirts of the WAC footprint. And while the Sunbelt has always seemingly been an option, LA Tech chose to remain in the WAC, primarily due to the success of Boise St. and Hawaii in football, and even the superior basketball product thanks to programs like Utah St. and NMSU. And with the football product still seeming better than the Sunbelt thanks to Hawaii, LA Tech remained in the WAC after the Boise St., Nevada and Fresno St. defections, although the school was exempt from the $5 million exit fee in the WAC (the WAC has always left LA Tech open to leave, especially when the WAC actually had other more attractive options).

The additions of UTSA and Texas St. not only added the necessary football members, but also gave LA Tech and NMSU closer conference rivals. But if the WAC is this close to collapsing, why stick around if you’re LA Tech and you have an option? NMSU might not be as much of a lock for the Sunbelt as the conference does have room for (2) schools to get to 12 football members…but might find the lure of the San Antonio market more appealing via adding UTSA.

• Options: LA Tech = hope for a CUSA invite should UCF, UTEP or Houston leave.
• Options: LA Tech = reach out to the Sunbelt about joining
• Options: NMSU = hope for a CUSA invite if UCF, Houston, UTEP leave
• Options: NMSU = reach out to the Sunbelt about joining
• Possibilities: If WAC folds and neither CUSA nor the Sunbelt offer LA Tech or NMSU invitations, both schools could participate as football independents. For non-football sports, the Summit League would be an option, although not ideal. The Southland would be ideal for both as the conference footprint is Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas.Potential Sunbelt with UTSA, Texas St., LA Tech and NMSU:
  FIU, FAU, Troy, USA, WKU, MTSU, Arkansas St., *UALR (non-football)
  NMSU, Texas St., UTSA, No. Texas, LA Tech, ULL, ULM

  Potential Summit League with Denver, UTSA, LA Tech, NMSU, Texas St.:
  Denver, NMSU, UMKC, Oral Roberts, UTSA, Texas St.,LA Tech
  NDSU, SDSU, USD, IPFW, IUPUI, Oakland

  Potential Southland with UTSA, Texas St., LA Tech and NMSU for non-football:
  NMSU, Texas St., UTSA, UTA, SHSU,  SFAU, TAMCC
  LA Tech, McNeese St., Lamar, NWSU, Nicholls St., SELA, UCA

State of the WAC – Part 2:
What Else Could Possibly Go Wrong?

The quick answer: EVERYTHING. 

Mountain West Expansion: If TCU leaves, Denver could be brought in for non-football sports along with Hawaii for football.

WAC loses Denver

Mountain West: If TCU leaves the MWC, the conference could expand by (2) to get to 12 from a pool including Utah St., Houston, UTEP, SMU, New Mexico St.
CUSA: seeks 1-2 replacements from Sunbelt & WAC
Sunbelt: seeks 1-2 replacements from WAC

If TCU leaves, the MWC could remain at 10 for football with Hawaii and 9 for all other sports. But then again, they could expand to 12 with two more schools and stage a conference championship game, as sources today are claiming. Fox recently agreed to a $25 million a year deal with the Big Ten to televise their championship game. If the MWC could get even $2 million from FOX, it might justify further expansion.

If the Mountain West expands, they have a number of options. Utah St. remains high on the list to replace some of the market loss of the BYU and Utah departures. Houston seemed like a top option and remains it as long as TCU is still a member. But without TCU in the conference, there might be less of a desire to expand east. Then again, the MWC could replace TCU with both Houston and SMU, maintaining some access to the Dallas market via SMU and gaining some exposure in the Houston market. And if CUSA loses 1-2 schools, the trickle down starts again. CUSA would again consider Temple, as well as schools like North Texas and LA Tech. And if CUSA brought in North Texas, the Sunbelt might then bring in LA Tech and or New Mexico St. Even UTSA and Texas St. could be on the radar for the Sunbelt or even CUSA at that point.

Result:

WAC could lose 1 school to MWC (Utah St.)

WAC could lose 1-2 schools to CUSA (either LA Tech, NMSU, UTSA or Texas St.). 

WAC could lose 1-2 schools to Sunbelt (either LA Tech, NMSU, UTSA or Texas St.).

Denver to the MWC for non-football remains an option.
Final Tally: WAC could lose 3 of it’s 7 football schools

Mountain West: If TCU remains in the MWC, the conference would have 11 schools and could bring in Utah St., UTEP, or Houston as the 12th member;
CUSA: seeks 1 replacement from Sunbelt of WAC
Sunbelt: seeks 1 replacement from WAC

Result: 

WAC loses a single member to MWC (Utah St.)

LA Tech and/or NMSU say “enough is enough” to the WAC, leave for Sunbelt.

For years, LA Tech has scoffed at the idea of joining what they considered a bottom feeder Sunbelt conference. But overnight, things changed. All of a sudden, even with UTSA and Texas St. joining, the Sunbelt might be more appealing than the WAC. So if Hawaii leaves, perhaps LA Tech reaches out to the Sunbelt and applies for membership. NMSU, seeing the writing on the wall now that Hawaii is leaving, could do the same.

Result: 

WAC loses LA Tech and/or NMSU, football membership down to 5-6 schools.

LA Tech & NMSU say enough is enough and head to Sunbelt; Sunbelt supplies lifeline to UTSA and Texas St.


It might not be so much of a stretch. The Sunbelt is currently set to be 10 football members with the addition of South Alabama’s football program. 14 is not the ideal number, but in adding the (4) WAC schools, the conference would be positioned well for a future CUSA raid. They would also be able to divide into (2) regional divisions:
East: FAU, FIU, USA, Troy, MTSU, WKU, Arkansas St, *UALR (if they aren’t in the Southland or Summit by then)
West: NMSU, North Texas, UTSA, Texas St., LA Tech, ULL, ULM

Result:

WAC loses LA Tech, NMSU, UTSA and Texas St. to Sunbelt

Big East Expansion: Adds UCF or Houston and TCU
CUSA replaces UCF with 1 school from pool of North Texas, NMSU or LA Tech
MWC replaces TCU with Utah St. or Houston from CUSA
Sunbelt: replaces departing school with 1 WAC replacement

In addition to TCU joining the Big East, an upgrade by Villanova as the 10th Big East football member is on the plate. But if Villanova passes on the upgrade option due to the obvious economic concerns, UCF is expected to be targeted as well as Houston. If UCF leaves CUSA, reports 3 months ago said Temple was a likely candidate in either a football-only or all-sports capacity if any members left. This would certainly make CUSA members ECU and Marshall happy. But it’s also likely that CUSA could bring in North Texas from the Sunbelt. If that happens, the Sunbelt might look at bringing in 1-3 from the pool of LA Tech, NMSU, UTSA and Texas St. CUSA might also directly invite LA Tech or UTSA. And of course, the MWC would replace TCU as well as adding 2 new schools to reach the 12 school number reported today.

Result: 

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WAC could lose Utah St. to MWC, 1-3 members from the LA Tech, NMSU, UTSA and Texas St. pool to CUSA of Sunbelt via the trickle down.
Final Tally: WAC down to potentially 3 football members

Big East Split & Expansion: if Big East expanded to 12 after a split from the basketball schools, that might include up to 3 CUSA schools such as UCF, Houston, Memphis and ECU.
CUSA: replaces 3 departing schools with 3 from WAC and Sunbelt
Sunbelt: replaces and departing schools with WAC schools


TCU and Villanova appear to remain at the top of the Big East wishlist in their planned expansion to 10 football schools. But if Villanova passes on an upgrade, the Big East will look at Houston (regional partner for TCU) or UCF. And if the Big East was real bold and expanded to 12 schools, you could see Memphis in the mix as well as perhaps ECU. It would seem that if the Big East expanded to 12, CUSA would have at least 3 openings. And the candidates are all the same names: North Texas, LA Tech, UTSA, Texas St., NMSU, Arkansas St., etc. The WAC would likely lose schools directly to CUSA and indirectly as others flee for the Sunbelt.

Result: 

WAC could lose Utah St. to MWC and 3-4 schools from LA Tech, NMSU, UTSA and Texas St. pool.
Final Tally: WAC down to only Idaho, SJSU and Denver.

There are a number of different scenarios that could play out…too many different permutations to include in one spot. But one thing is clear: there are WAC schools, that even during these dark times, are poised to have future options.

The foundation is being built right now for what seems to be a minor consolidation of schools in various regions with the MWC movement these past few months and the Big East looking to expand from 8 to 10. The new schools added to these conferences might not come directly from the WAC, but the WAC’s placement at the bottom of the trickle down order means they are likely destined to have future membership changes. For schools like Idaho, they’ll just have to hope that the consolidation sticks to the regional trends.

Read More:
An now on to the winners and losers in the WAC shuffle…

They might be thousands of miles off the mainland, but Hawaii is about to shake things up in the conference landscape.

We’re pleased to announce some massive updates to the Conference Realignment Grid. You’ll now find it easier to jump to a specific conference via a new navigation menu.

You’ll also find it visually more appealing as all the school and conference logos are included.

Anyone interested in discussing the grid and providing any worthwhile updates should visit Conference Realignment Grid forum

Take a look and tell a friend!

We’d also like to thank Michael Bazzanella who undertook a big update for the CollegeSportsInfo.com Map of all NCAA Division 1 Schools. You’ll now find all the school logos included for each listing thanks to Michael’s work.

It wasn’t the biggest news yesterday, but the Big West officially lifted their membership moratorium. The conference originally put it’s membership on hold in 2005, a move that took some pressure off the idea of adding   then soon-to-be Divison 1, Cal-Bakersfield.

The Big West, a conference that over the past decade has transformed itself into an all-California group, currently has 9 members. Cal St. Bakersfield has long hoped for an invitation to join it’s California brethren in the Big West. But recent developments in the WAC might complicate that picture.

Since the departure of Boise St., the retreat by BYU to join for non-football sports, and the future losses of Fresno St. and Nevada, Hawaii has been looking to potentially leave the WAC for football independence. The largest problem was not having a home for it’s non-football sports. The Big West has been a top conference that Hawaii has targeted. And it makes sense. Hawaii currently has to transport all their sports athletes to such locations as Logan, UT, Las Cruses, NM, Moscow, ID, Ruston, LA, etc. A move to the Big West would mean having to fly to one of the 4 Los Angeles airports or 3 San Francisco airports. Hawaii would also likely have to offer the Big West schools some travel subsidies to travel to Hawaii. But that amount might be more tolerable as schools would only need to fly from SFO or LAX.

The Big West has set no timetable or set an official expansion plan. Hawaii remains an option, as does Cal St. Bakersfield. Bringing in both members might be less likely as it would mean 11 schools. The longshot would seem to be if Sacramento St. agreed to move to the Big West to bring the membership to 12, a move that would bring the Big Sky to a more manageable 10 all-sports members with 13 for football.

Per Jeff Kolpack, it appears that the idea of Nebraska-Omaha joining the Summit League could be closer to reality. On his site, he gives a recap of the interview Summit League commissioner Tom Douple had on his radio station, WDAY. Douple says he has indeed had discussions with UNO athletic director Trev Alberts about the school joining.

The trickle down of a UNO upgrade would be interesting to watch. The Summit would bring in another member in the region, something that will come in real handy should Oral Roberts ever get approached by the Southland. But it could create some buzz in the MVFC as well. The league passed on the 11 team model, which resulted in North Dakota leaving for the Big Sky. But if UNO is in the mix, North Dakota could move to the Summit League and with UNO, join the MVFC for football.

In such a case, a 12 school MVFC could split into two divisions with UND, NDSU, USD, SDSU, UNO and UNI forming the west division.

As for the Summit, if they can get UNO in the fold, it will further stabilize their conference in it’s newly focused footprint. An added bonus would be for North Dakota to join as well.

It should be noted that while not mentioned in the article, we can assume that UNO would not upgrade to Division 1 unless it had a football conference home already lined up.And the Summit/MVFC option seems the most likely. And that opens the door for North Dakota to join the MVFC as well. Of course the Big Sky could ruin things is they had their own discussions with UNO.

Kolpack as mentions that the Summit League has confirmed some level of discussions with Arkansas-Little Rock. Another school in the mix is St. Cloud State, which has reviewed dropping football not that long ago.

USD had appeared in line to join the Big Sky, following former Great West football partners Southern Utah and North Dakota as full members of the Big Sky. North Dakota and South Dakota both hoped that the Missouri Valley Football Conference, which houses NDSU and SDSU, would extend a lifeline so that they could remain in the Summit with the Dakota St. schools, but gain a football home.

As reported last week, the WAC timetable for expansion seems to be holding and the conference is expected to expand as early as next week.

There does appear to be one potential change of plans.

UTSA and Texas St. are expected to receive formal invitations next week. Denver, a non-football member will also get one and expected to accept. Seattle however seems to be the odd school out. If had appeared that they had finally found a conference home when the 6 team WAC laid out initial plans to invite the two new football schools to get to 8 members, and Denver and Seattle to get to 10 basketball members. However, reports now claim that the WAC will likely expand with the 8/9 model and invite only Denver. In doing so, it would leave an all-sports opening for Montana to upgrade down the road.

For Seattle, it appears they’ll have to cross their fingers and hope for a WCC invitation.