Jump to content

Realignment talk not going away


The Tower

Recommended Posts

3 minutes ago, bolverk said:

Is this pretty much where we stand right now? Am I missing anything? 

image.thumb.png.f06d45fb2ac0f1880f4b6ecacf77f396.png

(had to put this together to get it all straight in my head)

Yeah probably though if you see Southern Miss and Marshall in the Sunbelt then you probably see ODU and James Madison there too. Division wise we have idea yet, but I bet that Memphis ends up in the East and Navy in the West. I love that Big 12 West.

Edited by SimonBolivar
  • Hook 'Em 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, TKthunder2 said:

The WAC was waiting on Tarleton State to finish transitioning to DI and for UTRGV to get their fb program started.

But if NMSU, UTEP, TX State and LA Tech were all committed to a SWC style conference, then SHSU, SFA, ACU, and Lamar could all announce their intentions to upgrade to FBS tomorrow and they’d have 8 members with Tarleton/UTRGV coming in a few years, plus other like Incarnate Word wanting to join.  They could also grab UTA and Arkansas-Little Rock for all sports and split from the far western WAC schools.

Still Texas State would lose TV money by making this move.  Even if it saves money on travel costs they’d still be worse off financially.

Would the 4 Texas WAC schools really only stay for 1-2 years in that conference?

 

Like I said before, I’m wondering if SFA, Sam, Lamar, and ACU regret that decision now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, SimonBolivar said:

Yeah probably though if you see Southern Miss and Marshall in the Sunbelt then you probably see ODU and James Madison there too.

If that's the case, then I guess you switch Troy to the west and CUSA is left with basically nothing (forgot about the speculation about MTSU & WKU into the MAC).

Revised:

image.thumb.png.8cc7125d49ff6451fd088be450ab49d5.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, Pancho said:

Would the 4 Texas WAC schools really only stay for 1-2 years in that conference?

 

Like I said before, I’m wondering if SFA, Sam, Lamar, and ACU regret that decision now.

Given the state everything, I'm staying put (unless invited to the American) if I'm Texas State. A move seems way too risky.

Edit: Someone needs to throw UTEP & La Tech a bone.

Edited by bolverk
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, bolverk said:

If that's the case, then I guess you switch Troy to the west and CUSA is left with basically nothing (forgot about the speculation about MTSU & WKU into the MAC).

Revised:

image.thumb.png.8cc7125d49ff6451fd088be450ab49d5.png

I think Sunbelt would go to 16 with La Tech and FIU. UTEP may be the one fucked here. There would be plenty of indys to play each other annually though I guess. 

UTEP, NMSU, UConn, UMass, and Liberty. Army and NDU have plenty of pull to make better schedules.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, SimonBolivar said:

LaTech is being blackballed because their AD talked a lot of shit about the SunBelt publicly. You know ULM and UL have no issues voting against them either.

I don't understand things like this. So because of something one guy said? Make it an unspoken condition to joining that there is a leadership change prior to applying for membership.

Edited by 'stache
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, 'stache said:

I don't understand things like this. So because of something one guy said? Make it an unspoken condition to joining that there is a leadership change prior to applying for membership.

I'm sure it's really because UL and ULM don't want to help LaTech. Ruston is only 30 miles from Monroe.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, SimonBolivar said:

TX State isn't a loser. The Belt is improved and looks in a good place especially when Southern Miss and Marshall are added. The real losers are UTEP, LaTech, and FIU as it sits right now. 

With Tesla close by, and efforts to become a tier one research institution, wouldn't be surprised to see Texas State become attractive for a move to a better conference in a few years...

Texas State University launches $250M fundraising campaign, aims for Tier One status

"Texas State is one of eight schools classified as an emerging research university by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. To become a Texas Tier One school, it would need to spend more than $45 million on research for two years in a row and meet other criteria, such as having an endowment of at least $400 million for at least two years."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/texas-state-university-launches-24250m-fundraising-campaign-aims-for-tier-one-status/ar-AAPj3Te?ocid=uxbndlbing

Edited by LTtxfan
I suck editing
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, Pancho said:

How? All 3 are part of the same system.

Good point and I guess they'd have to want it. I guess the rest of the belt has had enough of Louisiana. I wouldn't want to be associated with Liberty in anything but adding them to the East and LaTech to the west would make a pretty strong 16 team Belt in football.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 minutes ago, bolverk said:

Added WAC schools as possible upgrades.

image.thumb.png.a45f7dc0053e7ddb7f2f5603b48b07b3.png

(done for now)

I know the WAC has ideas, but for G5 their attendance is terrible. Sam Houston is playing great football and just won a title and they still draw half as many fans as a bad Texas State team or a terrible UNT team. 

 

Per Game 2021-

SMU (7-0): 24,673

Rice (2-4): 20,203

UTSA (7-0): 20,025 

Texas State (2-4): 18,497

UNT (1-5): 16,523

UTEP (6-1): 14,779

Sam Houston State (6-0): 8,782

Abilene Christian (4-3): 8,465

SFA (3-3): 8,097

Tarleton (3-3): 8,094

Dixie State (0-6): 6,114

Lamar (2-4): 5,628

 

 

None of them belong in FBS especially compared to the other rumored move ups from FCS

Montana (4-2): 24,644

James Madison (5-1): 23,124

 

Edited by SimonBolivar
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, SimonBolivar said:

I know the WAC has ideas, but for G5 their attendance is terrible. Sam Houston is playing great football and just won a title and they still draw half as many fans as a bad Texas State team or a terrible UNT team. 

 

Per Game 2021-

SMU (7-0): 24,673

Rice (2-4): 20,203

UTSA (7-0): 20,025 

Texas State (2-4): 18,497

UNT (1-5): 16,523

UTEP (6-1): 14,779

Sam Houston State (6-0): 8,782

Abilene Christian (4-3): 8,465

SFA (3-3): 8,097

Tarleton (3-3): 8,094

Dixie State (0-6): 6,114

Lamar (2-4): 5,628

 

 

None of them belong in FBS especially compared to the other rumored move ups from FCS

Montana (4-2): 24,644

James Madison (5-1): 23,124

 

You won't get an argument from me - completely agree they don't belong. I only added them to the "upgrade? box" since it was mentioned by another poster, which in hindsight doesn't make sense since the original intent on that first iteration was to only add speculation from *somewhat* credible media sources.

 

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did no one learn anything from Texas State at all?  SHSU you just won a Championship wasn’t to jump to FBS and never come close to competing in any sport for anything ever again?!?!  I know money and all but do we really want or need  Tarleton, SFA, SHSU, Lamar, ect in FBS.   Dumb move by those schools. 

Edited by Hook1997
Link to comment
Share on other sites

50 minutes ago, SimonBolivar said:

I know the WAC has ideas, but for G5 their attendance is terrible. Sam Houston is playing great football and just won a title and they still draw half as many fans as a bad Texas State team or a terrible UNT team. 

 

Per Game 2021-

SMU (7-0): 24,673

Rice (2-4): 20,203

UTSA (7-0): 20,025 

Texas State (2-4): 18,497

UNT (1-5): 16,523

UTEP (6-1): 14,779

Sam Houston State (6-0): 8,782

Abilene Christian (4-3): 8,465

SFA (3-3): 8,097

Tarleton (3-3): 8,094

Dixie State (0-6): 6,114

Lamar (2-4): 5,628

 

 

None of them belong in FBS especially compared to the other rumored move ups from FCS

Montana (4-2): 24,644

James Madison (5-1): 23,124

 

Looking at those figures the one that jumps out at me is ACU. That’s not a big number but if you look at it in terms of enrollment to attendance (4,500/8,500) it’s really damn good and similar to what P5 state schools pull. Probably helps to be in football crazy West Texas and a long-ass drive to any P5 game. 
 

Of course jumping to FBS is ludicrous but the move to D1 has probably paid off. Way more fun to be a Cinderella in big March Madness and the payoff is huge. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well rumor is that ESPN helped make it “right” financially for the SB to add 4 instead of 2. Don’t be shocked to see the MAC get the same offer and add 2 more (MTSU and WKU) and then the CUSA is at 3/14 and essentially will dissolve.

 

This is a bigger deal than most really  understand because if the CUSA disbands, then their NCAA units go with them to the new conference. The NCAA pays approximately 1.2M per game played in the 64 spread over 6 years to the conference pool. So as an example the AAC would be getting at a min the 2M from UNTs run last year spread over the next 5 years…

Combine that with the shell game of trying to limit the number of conferences that are around for the playoff split and which is the best G5 team for the playoff pity fuck spot, and there is a pretty heavy incentive to kill of the CUSA.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, 956 Worldwide said:

Looking at those figures the one that jumps out at me is ACU. That’s not a big number but if you look at it in terms of enrollment to attendance (4,500/8,500) it’s really damn good and similar to what P5 state schools pull. Probably helps to be in football crazy West Texas and a long-ass drive to any P5 game. 
 

Of course jumping to FBS is ludicrous but the move to D1 has probably paid off. Way more fun to be a Cinderella in big March Madness and the payoff is huge. 

If only we could convince ACU, Hardin-Simmons, and McMurray to merge into one school. That would be a 9,000 student school.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, Laxtonto said:

Well rumor is that ESPN helped make it “right” financially for the SB to add 4 instead of 2. Don’t be shocked to see the MAC get the same offer and add 2 more (MTSU and WKU) and then the CUSA is at 3/14 and essentially will dissolve.

 

This is a bigger deal than most really  understand because if the CUSA disbands, then their NCAA units go with them to the new conference. The NCAA pays approximately 1.2M per game played in the 64 spread over 6 years to the conference pool. So as an example the AAC would be getting at a min the 2M from UNTs run last year spread over the next 5 years…

Combine that with the shell game of trying to limit the number of conferences that are around for the playoff split and which is the best G5 team for the playoff pity fuck spot, and there is a pretty heavy incentive to kill of the CUSA.

Yep, moves it from P5 and G5 to P5 and G4 voting wise.

Edited by SimonBolivar
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Pancho said:

Would the 4 Texas WAC schools really only stay for 1-2 years in that conference?

Like I said before, I’m wondering if SFA, Sam, Lamar, and ACU regret that decision now.

I mean this happened back when everyone wrote the WAC off as dead ~2012 IIRC, Texas State and UTSA only stayed for a year.

1 hour ago, SimonBolivar said:

LaTech is being blackballed because their AD talked a lot of shit about the SunBelt publicly. You know ULM and UL have no issues voting against them either.

1 hour ago, 'stache said:

I don't understand things like this. So because of something one guy said? Make it an unspoken condition to joining that there is a leadership change prior to applying for membership.

1 hour ago, Pancho said:

How? All 3 are part of the same system.

It’s a very loose system.  LA Tech has been very high and mighty, multiple coaches, ADs, presidents, board members have made statements talking shit about ULL/ULM and the Sun Belt.  They went to the WAC where their closest conference member was in New Mexico instead of playing with ULL/ULM.  When ULL wanted to upgrade to FBS LA Tech and LSU got a law passed stating that they could be “The University of Louisiana” as it would confuse people and then basically forced ULM to upgrade at the same time, but then refused to join their conference.  Lots of bad blood, I’m sure they’d vote in LA Tech but they’ll make them publicly beg.

1 hour ago, bolverk said:

Added WAC schools as possible upgrades.

image.thumb.png.a45f7dc0053e7ddb7f2f5603b48b07b3.png

(done for now)

I mean there are tons of FBS upgrade candidates.  Montana and Montana St, UC-Davis, Cal Poly, Sac St, Eastern Washington, NDSU, everyone in the WAC plus Incarnate Word and McNeese, Tenn-Chattanooga,  Eastern Kentucky, Missouri St, Jacksonville St, Youngstown St, Richmond, Monmouth, and Delaware have all been looking into the FBS over the last 5 years or so.  It doesn’t mean anything until you start hearing rumors as strong as these JMU ones.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 minutes ago, SimonBolivar said:

If only we could convince ACU, Hardin-Simmons, and McMurray to merge into one school. That would be a 9,000 student school.

On the topic of smaller realignment the DII Lone Star Conference is also on shaky ground in football now that TAMU-Commerce has left for the Southland so they are trying to convince Hardin-Simmons, Howard-Payne, and Sul Ross to make the jump to scholarship sports in DII to play with UTPB, WTAMU, Midwestern St, and Angelo St since it makes sense geographically.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, SimonBolivar said:

I've always heard that Sul Ross is about 5 minutes away from shutting down D3 athletics. No idea how they'd fund scholarships at D2.

Note I said “trying” to convince them, hoping to sell a West Texas DII league and lower travel costs, but yeah jumping from non scholarship to scholarships is costly but they are just hoping they convince one to join, like CUSA, they need teams.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, TKthunder2 said:

Note I said “trying” to convince them, hoping to sell a West Texas DII league and lower travel costs, but yeah jumping from non scholarship to scholarships is costly but they are just hoping they convince one to join, like CUSA, they need teams.

Yup, I saw a post on reddit when TAMU-CC announced that predicted that D2 football would be done in Texas.

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Brett saying Southern Miss is signed.  Haven't seen any announcement yet though.
 
pBCHVlJX_normal.png
 
. officially added Southern Miss from C-USA on Friday, sources told . ODU, Marshall & JMU also expected to join Sun Belt, but haven't formally applied for membership. Liberty no longer interested in C-USA, now down to 5 schools
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Peripherally related to realignment-recruiting 2022 vs. 2021.  Top 50 in Texas

2021 Texas 7

2022 Texas 10 and leading in 3 others

2021 A&M 9

2022 A&M 10 and leading in 2 others

2021 OU 5

2022 OU 3 and leading on 1 other

2021 other in state and Big 12 5

2022 other in state and Big 12 6

2021 out of state non Big 12 24

2022 out of state non Big 12 13 and leading in 2 others.

 

So basically 9 of the top 50 have shifted from schools like Alabama, Ohio St., Oregon and random SEC schools to Texas and aggy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I actually like the round robin, because you play each team every year and you don't get to 'duck' schools in the other division.

Something like 6 or 8 ten-team conferences would be sweet. Winner of each is guaranteed a playoff spot. Then you can add in a handful of at large teams depending on how big you want the playoffs to be.

back to reality I guess

 

  • Hook 'Em 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, redswingline said:

Sun Belt, MAC, CUSA, AAC. recent realignment news notwithstanding, I could not tell you 3 schools in each conference

College football is a great sport. You should watch more of it.

Also, buy Phil Steele’s College Football Preview magazine every year. That way you’ll know all the teams, conference affiliations and independents, and all their schedules. And who their coaches are and how long they’ve been there. Plus every issue includes five years of prior W/L records for every team, including point spreads. Over the years you build a library and it’s a valuable historical reference.

Last year’s issue will always be a treasured one because it lists all the schedules that never got played because of the pandemic. 

  • Hook 'Em 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

55 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

College football is a great sport. You should watch more of it.

Also, buy Phil Steele’s College Football Preview magazine every year. That way you’ll know all the teams, conference affiliations and independents, and all their schedules. And who their coaches are and how long they’ve been there. Plus every issue includes five years of prior W/L records for every team, including point spreads. Over the years you build a library and it’s a valuable historical reference.

Last year’s issue will always be a treasured one because it lists all the schedules that never got played because of the pandemic. 

Its got a ton of information.  Plus a lot of Phil Steele saying how great he is!

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, TKthunder2 said:

On the topic of smaller realignment the DII Lone Star Conference is also on shaky ground in football now that TAMU-Commerce has left for the Southland so they are trying to convince Hardin-Simmons, Howard-Payne, and Sul Ross to make the jump to scholarship sports in DII to play with UTPB, WTAMU, Midwestern St, and Angelo St since it makes sense geographically.

The LSC was a really fun conference for a long time and DII football in general is a cool level of the sport. The LSC always had a revolving door of Okie-Arkie- New Mexico schools but the core Texas teams of ACU, Angelo, West Texas, A&I (TAMUK), East Texas (TAMUC), Tarleton, and Midwestern played decent football and had a lot of history and rivalries with each other. It made sense for them to all play.

I think national recruiting really dinged up Texas DII ball. Not a lot of undiscovered high school gems out there anymore and FBS schools across the country are willing to give the benefit of the doubt to a Texas kid that in earlier decades wold have headed to Commerce or Kingsville. 

  • Hook 'Em 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, TKthunder2 said:

Note I said “trying” to convince them, hoping to sell a West Texas DII league and lower travel costs, but yeah jumping from non scholarship to scholarships is costly but they are just hoping they convince one to join, like CUSA, they need teams.

DII is a hard place to make a living. You fund scholarships but get high school size crowds playing high school ticket prices. TV money is marginal.  
 

That’s why FCS is so attractive. As fans we roll our eyes at the payday games but those matchups change the entire finances of the AD. It’s no exaggeration to say they keep lots of programs afloat. And if you can manage to sneak into the tournament like ACU or Sam or Stephen F. every now and again you get the type of payday and exposure that can improve the entire school. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Peripherally related to realignment-recruiting 2022 vs. 2021.  Top 50 in Texas
2021 Texas 7
2022 Texas 10 and leading in 3 others
2021 A&M 9
2022 A&M 10 and leading in 2 others
2021 OU 5
2022 OU 3 and leading on 1 other
2021 other in state and Big 12 5
2022 other in state and Big 12 6
2021 out of state non Big 12 24
2022 out of state non Big 12 13 and leading in 2 others.
 
So basically 9 of the top 50 have shifted from schools like Alabama, Ohio St., Oregon and random SEC schools to Texas and aggy.

Somebody should explain this to Bowlsby the next time he claims he has no idea why Texas and OU are leaving his conference. This, and a list of 11:00 am kicks.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, 956 Worldwide said:

DII is a hard place to make a living. You fund scholarships but get high school size crowds playing high school ticket prices. TV money is marginal.  
 

That’s why FCS is so attractive. As fans we roll our eyes at the payday games but those matchups change the entire finances of the AD. It’s no exaggeration to say they keep lots of programs afloat. And if you can manage to sneak into the tournament like ACU or Sam or Stephen F. every now and again you get the type of payday and exposure that can improve the entire school. 

This why the TAMUK program is dying on the vine.   The aggy system is pumping a lot of time into all of their other system schools to get them to FCs football and D1 everything else.   End game for TAMUK is to merge it with A&M Corpus just like UT did with Pan American in Edinburg and Brownsville….   Sharp wants this done for PUF for the combined school.   I would look for Corpus to be the net benefactor with a combined athletics program including all the facilities being built in Corpus for football. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, TKthunder2 said:

I mean this happened back when everyone wrote the WAC off as dead ~2012 IIRC, Texas State and UTSA only stayed for a year.

It’s a very loose system.  LA Tech has been very high and mighty, multiple coaches, ADs, presidents, board members have made statements talking shit about ULL/ULM and the Sun Belt.  They went to the WAC where their closest conference member was in New Mexico instead of playing with ULL/ULM.  When ULL wanted to upgrade to FBS LA Tech and LSU got a law passed stating that they could be “The University of Louisiana” as it would confuse people and then basically forced ULM to upgrade at the same time, but then refused to join their conference.  Lots of bad blood, I’m sure they’d vote in LA Tech but they’ll make them publicly beg.

I mean there are tons of FBS upgrade candidates.  Montana and Montana St, UC-Davis, Cal Poly, Sac St, Eastern Washington, NDSU, everyone in the WAC plus Incarnate Word and McNeese, Tenn-Chattanooga,  Eastern Kentucky, Missouri St, Jacksonville St, Youngstown St, Richmond, Monmouth, and Delaware have all been looking into the FBS over the last 5 years or so.  It doesn’t mean anything until you start hearing rumors as strong as these JMU ones.

200.gif   Heh, he said WAC off

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, Nueces River Rat said:

This why the TAMUK program is dying on the vine.   The aggy system is pumping a lot of time into all of their other system schools to get them to FCs football and D1 everything else.   End game for TAMUK is to merge it with A&M Corpus just like UT did with Pan American in Edinburg and Brownsville….   Sharp wants this done for PUF for the combined school.   I would look for Corpus to be the net benefactor with a combined athletics program including all the facilities being built in Corpus for football. 

A “Texas A&M-Coastal Bend” makes a lot of sense for the system, the region, and taxpayers but I have a real soft spot for the history and attitude of A&I/TAMUK and would hate to see it fold. Honestly, combining the schools, reviving the A&I name but making Corpus the hub would be the compromise I’d vote for. I don’t think the Islanders have accomplished anything of note but the Javelina brand is old-school legendary. 
 

I didn’t like the Broncs going away or the Pan-American name change, I thought that they should have just folded UTB into the system and left it at that. Lots of people loved and cared about the Broncs and had a connection but approximately no one cared about the Ocelots. (I had to look up their mascot and I lived in the Valley for 22 years). 

  • Hook 'Em 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, 'stache said:

Any chance UTSA gets an on campus stadium out of this?

It’s being discussed but UTSA has more pressing needs.  Their goal is Tier I and they have the faculty and students but they are far short on facilities which are needed to hit the research requirements. Here is their master plan with no football stadium in sight.

https://www.utsa.edu/masterplan/documents/3_main-campus-park-west.pdf

They have a goal to build out campus enough by the end of the decade to get Tier I and then the system is hoping to merge UTHSC-SA and UTSA together (previously the HSC balked because they claimed UTSA’s academics profile would negatively affect their own).

Not saying an on campus stadium won’t happen, a big donor (Red/Frost/Cavender/Valero/USAA) could always pledge a large amount and require the school/system to match it to get it done, but I don’t think it’s a priority. The Alamo Dome and the city need UTSA games as the dome is about to need a major renovation and the Alamo Bowl alone won’t be enough to fund that. They’ll need money from the city and the UT system to finance it.  The most likely way I see that changing is if an NFL or MLB team moves to town and wants the land the current dome sits on forcing the issue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...