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Conference Realignments - Take 2


The Sicatoka

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If all 10 FBS conferences continue to be at 85 scholarship and play for a single national title, then no, teams will not be scrambling to move to the FBS. It will cost them $4 million, and for what? What does being FBS position you for if the FBS remains with 1 championship? If there is an FBS separation, some FCS teams will get the call. So . . . what's the rush? There is none.

Maybe JMU is serious, but I really doubt that MO State and Delaware are going anywhere. MO State should worry about attracting some fans and actually winning for a few years before even considering it.

The new playoff agreement guarantees conferences like the MAC and Sunbelt $1 mill / team and that on top of conference TV deals. Delaware's President announced that he wasn't against FBS, which is a big change. Read the MAC board: they want Delaware and JMU for the Washington / Baltimore / Philadelphia corridor that adding JMU and Delaware would give then a small piece of.

If you have a stadium that seat 15,000, and a conference willing to take you, FBS is now a no brainer. That isn't true for NDSU, because no conference is willing to take them. You'd have to sue the NCAA and win to move up.

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Missouri State in just football or all sports? I can't see them leaving the MVC in other sports.

The rumor is that the MAC will take them. The Sun Belt also wants them, but they don't want the Sun Belt.

The MAC isn't the best basketball league, but UMass / JMU / Delaware would make it a lot stronger. If Wichita State leaves, the MVC would be no better than the Horizon most years.

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If all 10 FBS conferences continue to be at 85 scholarship and play for a single national title, then no, teams will not be scrambling to move to the FBS. It will cost them $4 million, and for what? What does being FBS position you for if the FBS remains with 1 championship? If there is an FBS separation, some FCS teams will get the call. So . . . what's the rush? There is none.

Maybe JMU is serious, but I really doubt that MO State and Delaware are going anywhere. MO State should worry about attracting some fans and actually winning for a few years before even considering it.

Maybe you should call and ask all the teams that moved from FCS to FBS the last ten years. They must not know something you do!

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The rumor is that the MAC will take them. The Sun Belt also wants them, but they don't want the Sun Belt.

The MAC isn't the best basketball league, but UMass / JMU / Delaware would make it a lot stronger. If Wichita State leaves, the MVC would be no better than the Horizon most years.

The MVC (w/ WSU) and the Horizon are already on the same level this year sitting at 12 & 13 respectively in the Sagarin rating.

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Wichita is in with a Top 4 seed, but the MVC only gets 2 if WSU loses. Not likely. Nobody else gets in without the auto.

The likely scenario but Indiana State has been hovering around as a bubble team. The Horizon has zero shot of anyone outside of their conference champion making it.

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If Wichita State were ever ripe to be plucked out of the Valley, this would be the year. But i dont seea natural progrssion for a state school from KS like Creighton had with the BigEast. Here are the possibilities

B12 Nope

BigEast No, i dont think so, not private;but possible with Creighton there

A10 Too far west, but possible

MWC Doubtful without FB, but certainly now a higher profile BB conf than the Valley

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If Wichita State were ever ripe to be plucked out of the Valley, this would be the year. But i dont seea natural progrssion for a state school from KS like Creighton had with the BigEast. Here are the possibilities

B12 Nope

BigEast No, i dont think so, not private;but possible with Creighton there

A10 Too far west, but possible

MWC Doubtful without FB, but certainly now a higher profile BB conf than the Valley

The Mountain West has 11 BB/ 12 FB, so it could add another BB only to make 12. Wichita State would be a strong move there, but Gonzaga is another possibity. The MWC probably stands still.

Wichita State has traditionally seen Tulsa as a rival. Tulsa is joining the American next year. The American needs more basketball strength with Louisville and Rutgers leaving. Ideally, Wichita State wanst that league. CUSA is another possibility.

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  • 1 month later...

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/writer/dennis-dodd/24501636/umass-football-program-leaving-mac-after-2015-season

The University of Massachusetts is leaving the Mid-American Conference after the 2015 football season, sources told CBSSports.com. The MAC made the decision official with a formal announcement Wednesday afternoon.

All of UMass' other major sports compete in the Atlantic-10. The MAC will continue with 12 members in football and has no plans to expand in the near future, according to commissioner Jon Steinbrecher.

Bison fans (especially Lakes) is drooling over this opportunity even thought the MAC isn't expanding.

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Every conference that has expanded usually says they have no interest in adding members. A couple candidates out there. Ill. St and Missouri St have recently stated their interest in the past. This could be their opening.

But the goons on Bisonswille is drooling over this opportunity to join the MAC, I can't see that happening while the schools you mentioned is in the neighborhood of the footprint.

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But the goons on Bisonswille is drooling over this opportunity to join the MAC, I can't see that happening while the schools you mentioned is in the neighborhood of the footprint.

Actually would doubt that Illinois St or Missouri St would move due to basketball conferences. Possible I guess. NDSU actually wouldn't be bad although quite a way out of the footprint......

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Actually would doubt that Illinois St or Missouri St would move due to basketball conferences. Possible I guess. NDSU actually wouldn't be bad although quite a way out of the footprint......

NDSU would.have to move their campus to Minneapolis to have a shot. Still believe JMU and Delaware are.talking to the MAC.

UMASS values the A10 over the MAC and why wouldn't they. The A10 had 5 teams make it to.the Dance and Dayton made the Sweet.16. UMAss with try to.get in the American with UConn.

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But the goons on Bisonswille is drooling over this opportunity to join the MAC, I can't see that happening while the schools you mentioned is in the neighborhood of the footprint.

Actually the MAC doesn't excite me at all. I think a more exciting and more likely home would be the Mountain West. Much better in both football and men's basketball.

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Actually the MAC doesn't excite me at all. I think a more exciting and more likely home would be the Mountain West. Much better in both football and men's basketball.

Outside of the Big 10 and Big 12, the MW would be ideal for any Dakota team due to geography. However getting in would be like trying to get into the Big 10/12...just ask Idaho. Now they are isolated in the SB.

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Outside of the Big 10 and Big 12, the MW would be ideal for any Dakota team due to geography. However getting in would be like trying to get into the Big 10/12...just ask Idaho. Now they are isolated in the SB.

I would say its far from ideal geography. UND is fairly isolated in the Big Sky and the MWC skews even further southwest. I have no clue why the MWC would even consider adding a Dakota school. I also threw in a picture of the MAC just to show you how isolated the Dakota schools really are.

Mountain West

800px-Mountain_West_for_2012-13.png

Big Sky

800px-Big_Sky_Map.svg.png

MAC

800px-Mac_States.svg.png

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I would say its far from ideal geography. UND is fairly isolated in the Big Sky and the MWC skews even further southwest. I have no clue why the MWC would even consider adding a Dakota school. I also threw in a picture of the MAC just to show you how isolated the Dakota schools really are.

Mountain West

800px-Mountain_West_for_2012-13.png

Big Sky

800px-Big_Sky_Map.svg.png

MAC

800px-Mac_States.svg.png

There isn't much of a choice in FBS conferences when talking about geography. MAC or MW. The closest MAC school is NIU and the closest MW school is Wyoming, either way we are isolated, but I think the MW would be better off than the MAC.

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There isn't much of a choice in FBS conferences when talking about geography. MAC or MW. The closest MAC school is NIU and the closest MW school is Wyoming, either way we are isolated, but I think the MW would be better off than the MAC.

My hat goes off to NDSU, they had a huge year in terms of national media attention and athletic achievement. But it just doesn't make since for struggling FBS conferences to take on that kind of additional travel expenses in all sports to add NDSU. Not that the Bison wouldn't be competitive in either the MAC, MWC, or CUSA, it just wouldn't make sense from a financial standpoint. What we should really be doing is trying to formulate a new FBS conference with the state flagship institutions in our region. UND, NDSU, USD, SDSU, MT, MT state, UI, ISU, and throw in Denver and Omaha basketball. A conference like that has a lot more potential to grow than the current state of the MAC, MWC, or CUSA.

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If geography was as important as everyone thinks it is, all the Dakota schools would still be Division 2 and the NCC wouldn't have folded. Having said that, I think FBS is a fools errand for all four Dakota schools. NDSU won't always be this dominant in FCS and would struggle if their whole schedule were FBS teams from year to year. FCS is where the Dakotas belong.

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If geography was as important as everyone thinks it is, all the Dakota schools would still be Division 2 and the NCC wouldn't have folded. Having said that, I think FBS is a fools errand for all four Dakota schools. NDSU won't always be this dominant in FCS and would struggle if their whole schedule were FBS teams from year to year. FCS is where the Dakotas belong.

Not sure I understand your first sentence, Division 2 was a sinking ship. Geography is important, but obstacles can be overcome if you can bring something else, such as a large TV market. The jump from Division 2 to FCS is quite a bit different than the jump from FCS to FBS.

I do agree with the majority of the rest of your point though, but FCS may be trending the way Division 2 was. Too much uncertainty right now to know exactly what is going to happen next. Staying the course but having multiple action plans ready to go should be on every AD's mind.

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My hat goes off to NDSU, they had a huge year in terms of national media attention and athletic achievement. But it just doesn't make since for struggling FBS conferences to take on that kind of additional travel expenses in all sports to add NDSU. Not that the Bison wouldn't be competitive in either the MAC, MWC, or CUSA, it just wouldn't make sense from a financial standpoint. What we should really be doing is trying to formulate a new FBS conference with the state flagship institutions in our region. UND, NDSU, USD, SDSU, MT, MT state, UI, ISU, and throw in Denver and Omaha basketball. A conference like that has a lot more potential to grow than the current state of the MAC, MWC, or CUSA.

Isn't that basically what Siouxvolley is saying the Big Sky plan is? Take out NDSU, USD, SDSU, and add PSU, Poly, or Davis. If (and it's a big if) the Big Sky Plan does come to fruition, I would guess that the other Dakota schools, would eventually have a chance to join as well.

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Not sure I understand your first sentence, Division 2 was a sinking ship. Geography is important, but obstacles can be overcome if you can bring something else, such as a large TV market. The jump from Division 2 to FCS is quite a bit different than the jump from FCS to FBS.

I do agree with the majority of the rest of your point though, but FCS may be trending the way Division 2 was. Too much uncertainty right now to know exactly what is going to happen next. Staying the course but having multiple action plans ready to go should be on every AD's mind.

It seemed like a lot of people were obsessed with geography and weren't talking enough about the issues you talked about in this post. Bus leagues are almost a thing of the past across the board, so I think we need to focus on those other issues.

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Isn't that basically what Siouxvolley is saying the Big Sky plan is? Take out NDSU, USD, SDSU, and add PSU, Poly, or Davis. If (and it's a big if) the Big Sky Plan does come to fruition, I would guess that the other Dakota schools, would eventually have a chance to join as well.
When the Big Sky goes FBS, UND needs to remain the only Dakota school in the Big Sky. NDSU has become fat and happy off high FCS recruits and preferred.walk ons from BIg Ten states (Minn and Wisconsin). UND would get first dibs on those recruits and couldn't afford NDSU and SDSU as an FBS competitors watering down the recruiting base. NDSU and SDSU seem pleased with the Slummit: let them.stay there. FBS is a big jump: no need to water down the recruits.
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