Conference Realignment: What Next?

[xusandy]

Hard for me to imagine that there's ANY enthusiasm for musical chairs among Mid-American conference members. They're remarkably stable and geographically compact. Some other lower level midwestern conferences (Summit, Horizon, Mo Valley) might like some reshuffling among themselves, but that doesn't touch G5.

[SamElliott]

Northeast
Akron
Army
Buffalo
Kent State
Ohio
Temple
UConn
UMass

The problem with these realignments is that Temple's new AAC deal makes more money than the entire conference payout of those other schools.

[ArmyVet]

Atlantic Sun looking to expand so they can go to divisions:

ASUN Expansion Plan: Public Statement

The ASUN Presidents’ Council has unanimously approved a plan for exploring ASUN membership expansion. The plan allows for consideration of new members that would provide a divisional ASUN alignment.

There is no definitive timeframe for decisions on expansion. There is no default outcome that the ASUN must expand at all. Consistent with our longstanding position statement, there will be no public statement by the ASUN on any institution that may be, or may become, a school of interest in this plan. Consistent with the ASUN Speaking Agent policy, there will be no comment, public or private, made by ASUN delegates related to membership expansion.

The plan is built on an “Added Value” approach. Any expansion candidate must meet ASUN academic standards and must provide added value to our current members. In turn, to attract new members, ASUN membership must provide added value to any institution under consideration as an expansion candidate.

"The ASUN includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Liberty University, Lipscomb University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, University of North Alabama, University of North Florida and Stetson University. The addition of Bellarmine University in Louisville, Ky., will bring the ASUN membership to ten for the 2020-21 academic year. "

[admin]

NJIT to American East which is a better geographic fit. Robert Morris looks like they are heading to the Horizon League.

[Django]

Well okay. Nova gets expelled for "competitive" reasons from the BEast? Dixon is causing a "shortage" of Dunkin Donuts in the Mid Atlantic states.

You’re handing the trophy to Nova? Cmon Git Z has something to say about that.

[gtmoBlue]

dJango, dJango, my man, What the heck are you doing up at zero dark hundred? Go back to bed.

Commenting on an 8 month/old post, hmmm. Damn, you're bored. I play X4 Foundations when I get bored.

I was merely snarking on that St Thomas, MN comment ico being axed from their D3 conference. Figured it would be great for the BE to axe the Radnorites in the name of competitiveness as well. That would open up the BE champeenship for SH, Gtwn, DePaul, and Prov (heh, heh).

Admin quote-

A Division III school that was "involuntarily" removed from its league because it was too dominant has been invited to make the jump to Division I athletics.

The University of St. Thomas, which was expelled from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in May for "competitive" reasons, has received an invite to join the Summit League, a Division I mid-major conference, officials announced Friday.

Schools are barred by NCAA rules from making the leap from Division III to Division I, but St. Thomas has applied for a waiver. If granted, the school would begin to compete in the Summit League in 2021, following its final two years in the MIAC.

[gtmoBlue]

Emmon Brennan's "Mailbag" article (on the Athletic) got to talking about realignment.
So this guy Heath B. (in the comments section) got out his pencil and sketched this:


https://theathletic.com/1882737/2020/06 ... =creighton

Heath B.
10h ago


I like your alignment choices. I’d keep every one but add some more.

Starting with the SEC:
-You jettisoned Missouri back to the Big12; smart.
-I’d boot Vandy while you’re at it. They, along with Missouri don’t really add anything to SEC football or basketball on a consistent basis.
-South Carolina; gotta go, sorry. (Mostly bc pairing up with Clemson.)
-Arkansas, you’re out, too. (Not bc you’re not a good fit in the SEC, but others are a better fit and being with Missouri and Texas & OU in the Big12 is just better.)

The replacements: UNC, Duke, UofL & Memphis.This would be a net gain in football, and that can’t be completely ignored. The academic swaps are, mostly neutral. But now you’ve got a real basketball league with 4 of the greatest programs of all time playing each other 2x every year. Yes, please! Also, can we not agree that Memphis/Tennessee 2x a year in basketball and 1x a year in football would be WAY better than UT/Vandy? Same with making UK/UofL play playing 2x as conference foes in basketball? Oh man... this realignment would be awesome.

ACC:
Out - UNC, Duke, Syracuse, UofL
In - SC, UCF, Cincy, Maryland

Admittedly, this league loses a lot in basketball, but Maryland and Cincy have had some good success in the past, and frankly, Maryland back in the ACC makes sense to me. The big gains here are in football. Clemson/SC takes on added meaning as a conference game and now they have to play each other 2x a year in basketball. UCF, SC & Cincy are football upgrades, which actually could elevate the conference profile. Miami and FSU now have to play UCF in football... yes, please. Perhaps that even helps Miami? I think Maryland, UVA, Cincy & FSU could make for a decent top portion of the basketball league.

Big 12:
Out - WVU, TCU
In - Arkansas, Missouri.

This just feels right for that league. Old rivalries restored. Pretty neutral in on-field and on-court performance. But the rivalries, make this a win for them.

Big East:
No outs
In - Vandy, UConn, Syracuse.

This is all about basketball and academics.

Uconn is already here. Would I take S'cuse n Vandy? Certainly. Syracuse needs to return to sanity and the BE. Vandy would make a nice doorstop down there with DePaul. Of course, I'd rather have Duke than Vandy.
All in all a nice little exercise in "what if's".

[DeltaV]

Emmon Brennan's "Mailbag" article (on the Athletic) got to talking about realignment.
So this guy Heath B. (in the comments section) got out his pencil and sketched this:


https://theathletic.com/1882737/2020/06 ... =creighton

Heath B.
10h ago


I like your alignment choices. I’d keep every one but add some more.

Starting with the SEC:
-You jettisoned Missouri back to the Big12; smart.
-I’d boot Vandy while you’re at it. They, along with Missouri don’t really add anything to SEC football or basketball on a consistent basis.
-South Carolina; gotta go, sorry. (Mostly bc pairing up with Clemson.)
-Arkansas, you’re out, too. (Not bc you’re not a good fit in the SEC, but others are a better fit and being with Missouri and Texas & OU in the Big12 is just better.)

The replacements: UNC, Duke, UofL & Memphis.This would be a net gain in football, and that can’t be completely ignored. The academic swaps are, mostly neutral. But now you’ve got a real basketball league with 4 of the greatest programs of all time playing each other 2x every year. Yes, please! Also, can we not agree that Memphis/Tennessee 2x a year in basketball and 1x a year in football would be WAY better than UT/Vandy? Same with making UK/UofL play playing 2x as conference foes in basketball? Oh man... this realignment would be awesome.

ACC:
Out - UNC, Duke, Syracuse, UofL
In - SC, UCF, Cincy, Maryland

Admittedly, this league loses a lot in basketball, but Maryland and Cincy have had some good success in the past, and frankly, Maryland back in the ACC makes sense to me. The big gains here are in football. Clemson/SC takes on added meaning as a conference game and now they have to play each other 2x a year in basketball. UCF, SC & Cincy are football upgrades, which actually could elevate the conference profile. Miami and FSU now have to play UCF in football... yes, please. Perhaps that even helps Miami? I think Maryland, UVA, Cincy & FSU could make for a decent top portion of the basketball league.

Big 12:
Out - WVU, TCU
In - Arkansas, Missouri.

This just feels right for that league. Old rivalries restored. Pretty neutral in on-field and on-court performance. But the rivalries, make this a win for them.

Big East:
No outs
In - Vandy, UConn, Syracuse.

This is all about basketball and academics.

Uconn is already here. Would I take S'cuse n Vandy? Certainly. Syracuse needs to return to sanity and the BE. Vandy would make a nice doorstop down there with DePaul. Of course, I'd rather have Duke than Vandy.
All in all a nice little exercise in "what if's".

No-one is getting 'booted' from any major league unless there is a complete overhall of the conference/D1 FBS system. If the big boys decide to have their own division, on an invitation only level, I could see teams getting left behind, but no one is getting a Dear John letter.

Now, would I love to see a little more southern representation in the Big East; Vandy, and maybe Davidson? Sure. But with UConn joining and bringing us to 20 conference games round robin, I'm against expansion, unless the Golden Domers came calling or the Hyperloop connects Spokane to NY Penn Station.

[Bogg]

Nashville would potentially be an interesting metro area to add to the conference's Midwest footprint, but I'd want to pair a Nashville school with Saint Louis rather than an East coast school. It'd create a Cincy-Indy-StL-Nashville group that's relatively coherent in terms of road-trippable games.

That being said, Belmont pulling some version of a Butler is more likely than Vandy ever calling the conference office.

[kayako]

No-one is getting 'booted' from any major league

Yeah. Only way I can even entertain this is if the B12/PAC12 merger is for real, wvu heads to the ACC, and we end up with a couple of schools like wash st and oregon st left out. But even then, the rejects can probably poach whatever combination of byu, mwc, aac, and gonzaga and remain somewhat relevant.