Conference Realignments - Take 2

[MplsBison]

I'd trade NKU to the OVC for EIU (plus a spot for them in the MVFC) any day.

[RD17]

When N Alabama announced its move to DI, they stated it wouldn't be for three years until they even attempt a transition due to fundraising issue.

The other league that is likely pursuing NKU is the Atlantic Sun. The ASun needs a travel partner for David Lipscomb (Nashville). The other school rumored for the ASun is Lincoln Memorial, a Tn school right near the Cumberland Gap. LMU would be the travel partner for E Tenn St. The Summit is a better league in most sports and certainly academically, but NKUs alumni probably lean in the ASun direction.

UNA was going to submit its D-I application by 6/1/12 making next year the exploratory year. They need to notify the Gulf South by May of next year if they are withdrawing after the 2012-13 school year. So they need to have another conference invite lined up soon to still go D-I on their timeline.

It will certainly be interesting to see which direction NKU goes. I would imagine they will have their pick between the Summit and ASun. As far as institutional fit, the Summit is better as NKU fits right in with all the other commuter schools. I wonder if Douple will have issues with NKU's nickname and mascot, however. It may be considered hostile and abusive to all of the northern plains Scandinavians that support the Dakota schools :

http://www.nku.edu/about/mascot-tryouts.php

[MplsBison]

Not directly related to conference realignment, but would be a significant change

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7248953/bcs-proposes-only-handling-national-championship-game-sources-say

Basically it means there are no more auto-bids for any conference to the Rose, Fiesta, Orange and Sugar bowls. Those bowls would do their own TV contracts and their own tie-in deals with conferences, like the rest of the bowls do now.

I like the idea, but you have to think that something with the potential to affect so much money is going to be fought hard. Status quo rules the day when it puts millions in your pocket.

[star2city]

NKU had "yes" votes from 8 of the 11 OVC voting members (Belmont can't vote yet), missing out on membership by just one vote.

http://www.therepubl...ference-Search/

School officials say eight of the 11 OVC members, including Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State and Murray State, voted late Tuesday to invite NKU to join. But 75 percent is required for an invitation, leaving the Norse one vote short.

The ASun is at nine members, down three members from a few years earlier (Campbell, Gardner-Webb, and Belmont have left or will leave), so the ASun will definitely add more schools. Kennesaw State is adding scholarship football, so they may leave the ASun for the Big South. Longwood is another ASun possibility, as well as NKU, Lincoln Memorial, and Bellarmine, and possibly Francis Marion.

[star2city]

Surprisingly, no news this week from the Big East. Supposedly, Boise St and / or BYU are reportedly the hold ups.

[vlarson]

According to the HBU website, Houston Baptist has been accepted into the Southland Conference in 2013-14. Football will start for HBU in 2014.

[zonadub]

Surprisingly, no news this week from the Big East. Supposedly, Boise St and / or BYU are reportedly the hold ups.

Not directly related to conference realignment, but would be a significant change

http://espn.go.com/c...ame-sources-say

Basically it means there are no more auto-bids for any conference to the Rose, Fiesta, Orange and Sugar bowls. Those bowls would do their own TV contracts and their own tie-in deals with conferences, like the rest of the bowls do now.

I like the idea, but you have to think that something with the potential to affect so much money is going to be fought hard. Status quo rules the day when it puts millions in your pocket.

a connection, maybe?

[MplsBison]

It does mean that adding Boise and BYU to the Big East is no longer necessary in the sense of the conference maintaining their auto-bid. Every conference would sign independent contracts with bowls to send teams to play in the bowl games.

Then any FBS conference could theoretically produce the #1 or #2 ranked team for the BCS bowl.

However in practice, none of your conference's teams can ever really get to #1 or #2 unless the in-conference games are perceived as difficult enough. So in the strength of schedule sense, it still does make sense for the Big East to add Boise and BYU.

So then, I wonder what the hold-up is about. Is the MWC trying to make some desperate last minute appeal to Boise and BYU, at least for football only - keeping in mind the possible new BCS configuration?

If there is no longer going to be automatic access for Boise and BYU to the Rose, Sugar, Orange and Fiesta Bowls via winning the Big East -- then what good does it do to fly their football teams 3/4 the way across the nation every other week? If BYU and Boise played 4 top quality schools in non-conference and went undefeated, I have to think they would get a fair chance at a #1 or #2 ranking even in the MWC conf.

[star2city]

a connection, maybe?

If Notre Dame really is now serious about a move to the ACC - Seth Davis' tweets are reporting serious conversations - then even the basketball side of the Big East is in question.

http://twitter.com/#...970351253209088

BYU not going to Big East

http://brett-mcmurphy.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/29532522/33459898

“I doubt BYU will happen,” a college football industry source told CBSSports.com. “They are being extremely unreasonable all of a sudden. This is one reason why they did not get into the Big 12. Their general counsel (lawyers) is a piece of work.”

BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe and coach Bronco Mendenhall are said to favor a move to the Big East, but BYU President Cecil Samuelson and the school’s general counsel haven’t been as receptive. That is unless the Cougars can retain their home television rights, which is unheard of for a conference school.

Most of the MWC presidents and admin have had major issues with BYU's admin, so this isn't that surprising. For BYU to basically want to call the shots with the Big 12 and the Big East is hubris to an extreme.

If BYU doesn’t join the Big East, the league could target San Diego State as a football-only member. Two weeks ago, a source told CBSSports.com the Aztecs were pursuing a football-only membership with the Big East.

[the green team]

BYU is definitely an institution of arrogance personified. That's why I'm always thrilled when Utah knocks the cocky right out of em, no matter the sport. And I don't even have a dog in this fight.

I can't believe that HBU got into the Southland considering their facilities.

So exactly where does the Big East stand in regards to membership in the next few years? They want to keep the BCS football money flowing in but in all honesty they don't really have the teams for it. If there is one conference that gets a lions share of the basketball money it's been the Big East. And even with the teams that moved out they still would have plenty of teams getting to the dance and taking a chunk of the pie.

[MplsBison]

It sounds like pretty soon there isn't going to be such a thing as a BCS bowl or a BCS conference anymore. It's going back to the way it was before the Bowl Alliance began - the Big 10 and Pac 10 will each have contracts to send teams to the Rose Bowl every year, the Big XII will contract with the Fiesta Bowl, ACC with the Orange and SEC with the Sugar.

Plus all the contracts for all the bowls and conferences for the lower bowls.

Then all the BCS is going to do is pair the #1 and #2 teams in a game played somewhere each year (not in a bowl) to determine a champion of the FBS division.

[zonadub]

so it sounds very quiet on the realignment front. two questions:

who jumps first now that the football season is (nearly) finished? will this change in light of the possibility of auto qualifiers going away...

are there any rumblings out of Missoula and Bozeman (as rumored by the Texas State board at the end of last summer) of the Montanas going FBS?

[UNDColorado]

so it sounds very quiet on the realignment front. two questions:

who jumps first now that the football season is (nearly) finished? will this change in light of the possibility of auto qualifiers going away...

are there any rumblings out of Missoula and Bozeman (as rumored by the Texas State board at the end of last summer) of the Montanas going FBS?

I am very curious about this as well. Star?

[MplsBison]

The AQ's being eliminated has to be a huge disappointment for the smaller teams and conferences.

There basically is no more such thing as what Boise St has done. Part of their big success was being able to play a weak WAC schedule, be ranked in the top whatever and then go to a BCS bowl because of that ranking.

No more. Every bowl will do its own contracts with conferences like the non-BCS bowls do now. Only the big boy conferences are going to have access to the big money bowls. Boise will be back to playing in the Humanitarian Bowl every year, unless somehow, someway they can get a #2 or #1 ranking. I can't see that happening unless they go independent and have a Notre Dame type schedule, then go undefeated.

[The Sicatoka]

Only the big boy conferences are going to have access to the big money bowls.

Yup. Teams like Boise State and TCU were costing the bowl games and the superconferences too much money so they changed the rules (of their game) again.

[star2city]

so it sounds very quiet on the realignment front. two questions:

who jumps first now that the football season is (nearly) finished? will this change in light of the possibility of auto qualifiers going away...

are there any rumblings out of Missoula and Bozeman (as rumored by the Texas State board at the end of last summer) of the Montanas going FBS?

San Diego State is currently negotiating with the Big East. Still some doubts about whether SDSU/Boise/Air Force/Navy go to the Big East. Houston, SMU, and UCF seem almost certain. If Notre Dame and UConn jump to the ACC, that would definitely alter the Big East's plan, probably causing a split off of Rutgers, Cincy, and USF.

http://brett-mcmurphy.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/29532522/33577375

If San Diego St goes to the Big East, their other sports teams would almost certainly gain a spot in the Big West. San Jose St and Utah St would likely move to the MWC, as well as possibly UTEP. The Big West would need to add another team, and that school could be Sacramento State (if Sac can keep football in the Big Sky). Last month, it was thought that the Big West would like to add UC San Diego (currently DII) and San Jose St, but if San Diego St is available, they would definitely be taken. The only option for UC San Diego would then be the Big Sky (but they would probably have to add football) or the WAC as a non-football member. UC San Diego is similar to UCLA academically, so most presidents lust after that type academics. UCSD also has a student population where a $100 fee / semester could basically pay for an upgrade to DI.

Unless the WAC survives with Utah State and San Jose St intact as members, highly doubt Montana (or Montana State) would jump to a Texas-based league. The WAC may very well gain non-football squads from Boise St and Air Force, but, other than Idaho, the closest WAC football school to Montana could be New Mexico St.

[star2city]

The AQ's being eliminated has to be a huge disappointment for the smaller teams and conferences.

There basically is no more such thing as what Boise St has done. Part of their big success was being able to play a weak WAC schedule, be ranked in the top whatever and then go to a BCS bowl because of that ranking.

No more. Every bowl will do its own contracts with conferences like the non-BCS bowls do now. Only the big boy conferences are going to have access to the big money bowls. Boise will be back to playing in the Humanitarian Bowl every year, unless somehow, someway they can get a #2 or #1 ranking. I can't see that happening unless they go independent and have a Notre Dame type schedule, then go undefeated.

Nothing is final, yet. Some talk that a conference would have to have a top 14 or 16 rating to get an AQ (so this year, the Big East wouldn't get an AQ). UConn going to the Fiesta last year was a total disaster, and the Big East doesn't have any school to offer this year that will give good ratings or sell tickets (except WVU has fans that travel en masse - which is why the Big 12 offered WVU.) The problem the major bowls have isn't with Boise St or TCU, but with UConn and Cincinnati and other Big East programs like USF without national identities. Boise St and TCU had great ticket sales and ratings for the Fiesta and Rose Bowls. Because of that TCU was badly wanted by both the Big East and Big 12. Boise St's problem is that its academics is about like St Cloud States. UConn's and Cincy's capability to earn bowl's money have been atrocious, and nobody wants to touch them. That's why the Big East desperately needs Boise St (it lost TCU to the Big 12), as Boise St is the only real ratings powerhouse not yet affiliated in the BCS.

If the BCS system dies, its unlikely that the major bowls would lock out a Boise St if Boise St was undefeated and still in the MWC. Unlike the lower bowls, which need to lock in conference teams #3 and lower, the Orange (ACC), Fiesta (Big 12), and Sugar (SEC) Bowls would want some level of freedom in chosing opponents for their conference champion.

[star2city]

The Naple News is reporting that the Atlantic Sun and NKU are in membership discussions. Bad news for the Summit and their dearest Commissioner.

[star2city]

Naples News: Atlantic Sun officials had a site visit at NKU this past weekend:

http://www.naplesnew...n-process-with/

On their quest to find a 10th member for next year, representatives from the Atlantic Sun Conference, of which Florida Gulf Coast University is a member, toured Northern Kentucky University over the weekend, A-Sun commissioner Ted Gumbart told the Daily News on Thursday.

It was the first visit to a campus that included talks with administrators.

The Summit League is going to have a real difficult position gaining new members in the eastern Midwest except perhaps in Michigan. Given the option of flying to Fort Myers, Orlando, and Jacksonville, vs flying to Fargo, Sioux Falls, and Omaha, an administration like NKU will chose the Florida option every time. Cheaper fares, better recruiting, more alumni, more potential students.

The Summit League really needs to push for two of Grand Valley St, Saginaw Valley St, and Wayne St (Mi), otherwise its options will be Lindenwood and Minnesota NSIC schools. But all of those options require the MVFC to add two more football teams (or pull an Omaha and drop football.)

[MplsBison]

Nothing is final, yet. Some talk that a conference would have to have a top 14 or 16 rating to get an AQ (so this year, the Big East wouldn't get an AQ). UConn going to the Fiesta last year was a total disaster, and the Big East doesn't have any school to offer this year that will give good ratings or sell tickets (except WVU has fans that travel en masse - which is why the Big 12 offered WVU.) The problem the major bowls have isn't with Boise St or TCU, but with UConn and Cincinnati and other Big East programs like USF without national identities. Boise St and TCU had great ticket sales and ratings for the Fiesta and Rose Bowls. Because of that TCU was badly wanted by both the Big East and Big 12. Boise St's problem is that its academics is about like St Cloud States. UConn's and Cincy's capability to earn bowl's money have been atrocious, and nobody wants to touch them. That's why the Big East desperately needs Boise St (it lost TCU to the Big 12), as Boise St is the only real ratings powerhouse not yet affiliated in the BCS.

If the BCS system dies, its unlikely that the major bowls would lock out a Boise St if Boise St was undefeated and still in the MWC. Unlike the lower bowls, which need to lock in conference teams #3 and lower, the Orange (ACC), Fiesta (Big 12), and Sugar (SEC) Bowls would want some level of freedom in chosing opponents for their conference champion.

No AQ if not ranked high enough doesn't solve the problem they profess trying to solve. They want to stop conferences from grabbing teams for the sake of preserving the AQ.

I do think it makes sense to have the Rose, Orange, Sugar and Fiesta sign their own contracts with conferences. Boise won't get any help even if they go to the Big East. None of those bowls are going to sign deals with that conference.

[Cratter]

Even if NKU goes to the Summit, it is just another school looking to jump ship as soon as possible.

[star2city]

Not a college issue, but sounds like the NHL may realign into four divisions so most division foes will be in the same time zone. Detroit has been agitating to move to the east for years (as well as Columbus).

New proposed divisions

NE - Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Boston, Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Florida

East - NYR, NYI, NJ, Philly, Pitt, Wash, Carolina, Det

Central - Chicago, Minny, St Louis, Winnipeg, Columbus, Dallas, Nashville

West - Phoenix, Anaheim, LA, SJ, Van, Calgary, Edm, Colorado

http://www.usatoday....ment/51640448/1

Florida teams get lumped with eastern Canadian teams because of all the Canadians wintering in Florida.

If this doesn't get approved, Detroit and Winnipeg probably just switch places.

[Smoggy]

Not a college issue, but sounds like the NHL may realign into four divisions so most division foes will be in the same time zone. Detroit has been agitating to move to the east for years (as well as Columbus).

New proposed divisions

NE - Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Boston, Buffalo, Tampa Bay, Florida

East - NYR, NYI, NJ, Philly, Pitt, Wash, Carolina, Det

Central - Chicago, Minny, St Louis, Winnipeg, Columbus, Dallas, Nashville

West - Phoenix, Anaheim, LA, SJ, Van, Calgary, Edm, Colorado

http://www.usatoday....ment/51640448/1

Florida teams get lumped with eastern Canadian teams because of all the Canadians wintering in Florida.

If this doesn't get approved, Detroit and Winnipeg probably just switch places.

Keep in mind that they need 2/3 majority for this to pass. I really wonder if the east teams will go for it.

[darell1976]

Bring back the Norris!!

[homer]

Well, CBSsports and ESPN are reporting that an announcement is coming Wednesday that Boise and San Diego St. will join the Big East for football only. Could the Big Sky benefit from this now seemingly official shakeup?