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Conference Realignment thread

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The American Athletic Conference will add UAB, Rice, UTSA, North Texas, Charlotte, and Florida Atlantic as members, per release.
 

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This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.

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5 hours ago, utgrizfan said:

So I've been browsing the AAC, Sun Belt and C-USA forums and from what I've gathered:

-The Sun Belt has formally reach out to Southern Mississippi. Most are saying it's a done deal and they're headed to the Sun Belt.

-Marshall is waiting to see what develops. They're waiting apparently on if the C-USA will invite JMU and Liberty. If those 2 are invited along with ODU they will become the "Power Block" of the Conference which might convince them to stay. As mentioned before the Sun Belt is also rumored to be looking to add JMU, ODU along with Marshall and USM. Seems to be a race and also may hinge on what Marshall and to a smaller extent JMU wants to do.

-If Marshall stays in C-USA the Sun Belt will try to add 1 more team from WKU, MTSU, LT (Should be noted there is alot of bad blood about these 3 teams) Liberty (apparently some beef between Liberty and C-USA) and JMU. All have been mentioned.

-NMSU has been mentioned as a replacement if the C-USA loses only one more team along with USM. 

-The MAC is only rumored to be talking to MTSU and WKU. Chances are those schools would only move there if and when C-USA implodes.

It looks like LaTech, UTEP and FIU are absolutely screwed. LaTech did it to themselves by massively overvaluing their worth and spending the past 20+ years burning bridges with everyone around them, so it's hard to sympathize too much with them (even as a former WAC conference mate), but I do feel bad for the other two.

FIU's failure to launch is especially puzzling when they're in Miami. There's no good reason why they didn't take off like UCF, especially now that The U is barely a shadow of what they once were. Their entire administration should be fired. 

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4 minutes ago, BoiseStateOfMind said:

It looks like LaTech, UTEP and FIU are absolutely screwed. LaTech did it to themselves by massively overvaluing their worth and spending the past 20+ years burning bridges with everyone around them, so it's hard to sympathize too much with them, but I do feel bad for the other two.

FIU's failure to launch is especially puzzling when they're in Miami. There's no good reason why they didn't take off like UCF, especially now that The U is barely a shadow of what they once were. Their entire administration should be fired. 

I feel UTEP would be better off moving all their Oly sports to the WAC and follow NMSU and play football as an Independent. Would enable them potentially a much more affordable schedule in terms of travel. For Football both UTEP and NMSU could be OOC games for several MWC schools and UTEP could arrange games with the multitude of other Texas teams.

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316 pages with nothing happening west of or even close to the Rockies. I figure around page 512 we’ll get around to the Big Sky hopes for realignment maybe with the RCMP. Other than the P5 all other realignment is just reshuffling a pile of tired old cards and has about as much chance for success as…

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4 minutes ago, BoiseStateOfMind said:

It looks like LaTech, UTEP and FIU are absolutely screwed. LaTech did it to themselves by massively overvaluing their worth and spending the past 20+ years burning bridges with everyone around them, so it's hard to sympathize too much with them, but I do feel bad for the other two.

FIU's failure to launch is especially puzzling when they're in Miami. There's no good reason why they didn't take off like UCF, especially now that The U is barely a shadow of what they once were. Their entire administration should be fired. 

Not that surprising.  There's 3 D1A programs in Miami, Miami is still the big dog there and FIU did the least to try and build a program.  FAU isnt exactly a big deal either, but AAC needed one of them (so they think) and FAU is in better shape.

In the beginning the Universe was created.
This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.

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5 minutes ago, utgrizfan said:

I feel UTEP would be better off moving all their Oly sports to the WAC and follow NMSU and play football as an Independent. Would enable them potentially a much more affordable schedule in terms of travel for football. I mean both UTEP and NMSU could be OOC games for several MWC schools and UTEP could arrange games with the multitude of other Texas teams.

It seems like this is a very strong possibility. It's good to see the WAC slowly come back to life, and adding UTEP would be huge.

They'll actually be a pretty solid basketball conference.

 

It looks like the Atlantic Sun already has 12, I wonder if they'd take La Tech and FIU? 

 

While life as an independent isn't great at least there are enough now that scheduling shouldn't be too difficult. 
 

UMass
UConn
Army
Louisiana Tech
FIU
UTEP
NMSU
Liberty(if the Sun Belt doesn't take them)

Between all of these there should be plenty of October/November games to schedule. 

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2 minutes ago, quickdraw said:

316 pages with nothing happening west of or even close to the Rockies. I figure around page 512 we’ll get around to the Big Sky hopes for realignment maybe with the RCMP. Other than the P5 all other realignment is just reshuffling a pile of tired old cards and has about as much chance for success as…

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It really is bleak if you step back and think about it. A bunch of schools trading places for the leftover crumbs while we get closer and closer to the P5 leaving the NCAA.

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Wonder if Aresco will quote the Statue of Liberty at his presser.

 

"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore..."

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In the beginning the Universe was created.
This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.

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10 minutes ago, bigd said:

It seems like this is a very strong possibility. It's good to see the WAC slowly come back to life, and adding UTEP would be huge.

They'll actually be a pretty solid basketball conference.

Also the WAC has stated they want to become an FBS Conference eventually, granted that's years down the road if it will happen at all. If it does happen would give them and NMSU a home if no other shenanigans happen before then.

However the only way I see that realistically happening is if they pull in some Big Sky schools as well...which I'd not be to big a fan of.

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2 minutes ago, RSF said:

Not that surprising.  There's 3 D1A programs in Miami, Miami is still the big dog there and FIU did the least to try and build a program.  FAU isnt exactly a big deal either, but AAC needed one of them (so they think) and FAU is in better shape.

Boca Raton is like an hour away from Miami. Calling FAU a Miami school is like how the Angels call themselves a Los Angeles team when they really play in Anaheim.

FIU is actually in Miami proper, had 33 years to distinguish themselves at the D1 level (including 16 years as an FBS football program) and failed miserably.

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11 minutes ago, BoiseStateOfMind said:

Boca Raton is like an hour away from Miami. Calling FAU a Miami school is like how the Angels call themselves a Los Angeles team when they really play in Anaheim.

FIU is actually in Miami proper, had 33 years to distinguish themselves at the D1 level (including 16 years as an FBS football program) and failed miserably.

46 miles.  People are calling North Texas a 'Dallas school'.  It's 40 miles.  No difference.  It's the Miami metro area, the Miami media market.  It's a Miami school every bit as much as UNT is a Dallas school.

In the beginning the Universe was created.
This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.

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11 minutes ago, RSF said:

46 miles.  People are calling North Texas a 'Dallas school'.  It's 40 miles.  No difference.  It's the Miami metro area, the Miami media market.  It's a Miami school every bit as much as UNT is a Dallas school.

actually FAU is in the West Palm Beach media market to be precise :)

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4 minutes ago, An Admirer from the East said:

actually FAU is in the West Palm Beach media market to be precise :)

Fair enough.  Weird to have 2 media markets in one big metro area.  Does appear that folks in Boca get both stations, though.  Kinda makes sense - Boca's a bit of a distance from WPB, too.  There are cities here like that.

In the beginning the Universe was created.
This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.

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49 minutes ago, BoiseStateOfMind said:

It really is bleak if you step back and think about it. A bunch of schools trading places for the leftover crumbs while we get closer and closer to the P5 leaving the NCAA.

The P5 break happened a long time ago.   The gap has just continued to widen with conferences like BiG and SEC distributing an insane amount of cash per school from cable deals.  I don't think that makes things bleak.  MWC fans like the rivalries they have and enjoy playing each other.  There is nothing P5 about most of the G5 schools in terms of budget, revenue, fan base size, facilities, population, or some combination of those.  SDSU can make the argument at least of being in San Diego.  Outside of that,  the schools are in a stable conference at the G5 level and have good regional rivalries.  With the pay to play,  the old college model is officially gone and top P5 schools will be basically playing in another league, whether it's officially recognized with a different name or not.  I don't think that's bleak.  The MWC is in a good position.  For fans that don't like G5 football, or still think their schools can make the jump, well more power to them.  

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10 hours ago, utgrizfan said:

Really the only hope for UTEP is if the MWC adds them, which for some reason seems out of the question. What did the Miners do to be so despised by the MWC leadership?

I'm unaware of any animus towards UTEP (or NMSU for that matter) by MWC schools. They just don't offer enough in terms of bringing in additional TV $$ and they are a bit of an outlier geographically to a good chunk of the Conference. 

I could see the MWC adding them and NMSU if something like the proposed move by 4 schools to the AAC had actually happened. 

Thankfully we are all standing pat for now. No need to add anyone. No where for any of us to go. 

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30 minutes ago, RogueStout said:

I'm unaware of any animus towards UTEP (or NMSU for that matter) by MWC schools. They just don't offer enough in terms of bringing in additional TV $$ and they are a bit of an outlier geographically to a good chunk of the Conference. 

I could see the MWC adding them and NMSU if something like the proposed move by 4 schools to the AAC had actually happened. 

Thankfully we are all standing pat for now. No need to add anyone. No where for any of us to go. 

From an NMSU standpoint,  the fact that MWC stayed at same number of teams is good news in short term.  First, I don't think we would have been invited if there was change.  For the next several years,  MWC schools are helping fill out the indy schedule.  That should continue.  As far as CUSA,  i have no idea if the losses will reach NMSU and/or the WAC.  8 schools are gone it sounds like.  The issue is are more losses still to come.  If so,  could CUSA even survive with NMSU and others?  No idea, but things will probably clear up in next couple weeks.  I think NMSU is in about as good a position as possible for being indy with solid schedules thru 2025 and a stablilized WAC that added multiple Texas schools and the 2 Utah schools.  It's actually a decent men's basketball conference and will be fun for the top 4-5 schools this year.  NMSU has been picked to win it, but we'll see.

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CUSA needs to be put out of its misery.

WKU and MTSU should join the MAC

Marshall, So. Miss, ODU, and LT to the SBC

UTEP to MWC (yes I said it)

FIU drops football to FCS or goes indy

14 is the new normal and can actually provide additional regional rivalries to existing conferences. I think the G5 needs to learn from the AAC and SBC recent examples. Time to let NMSU and UTEP into the MW to get to 14.

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1 hour ago, RogueStout said:

I'm unaware of any animus towards UTEP (or NMSU for that matter) by MWC schools. They just don't offer enough in terms of bringing in additional TV $$ and they are a bit of an outlier geographically to a good chunk of the Conference. 

I could see the MWC adding them and NMSU if something like the proposed move by 4 schools to the AAC had actually happened. 

Thankfully we are all standing pat for now. No need to add anyone. No where for any of us to go. 

This.  It isn't personal, it's business

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