Bus ride only conference

[bigdaddyg]

I realize this topic has been discussed several times but in light of the awful times we are currently living in I thought it might be interesting to see what guys come up with. Could we restructure the landscape and generate a bus ride only conference with 9 schools? Assuming that we all play each other once with 4 non-conference games each. For the sake of argument the top 2 play for the conference championship at seasons end.

App
UNCC
ECU
ODU
Coastal
Stink
Marshall
Georgia State
??

[AppSt94]

I think that the 8 that you have are fine. In my opinion, if you add 1 more, then you need to add two more for travel purposes. Basically, pair them up for travel for non football sports. In this scenario it would seem logical to have the following: ECU/ODU, Stink/GSU, Coastal/CLT, APP/Marsha. Adding two more would shift the travel partners a bit, but nothing that would cause a major problem. The teams that you list form a tight nucleus, but for teams like Coastal, Stink and ODU, you start to create the need for different options the farther you stray from the nucleus. Maybe a WKU/MTSU add is viable.

[MAD Doctor]

Makes sense geographically, but ECU and most likely Marshall, would never go for it (unless things get much, much worse for them). It's a fact that most programs have a highly inflated opinion of themselves, and nobody is looking to move down. Take those two out of the equation, and you just have US and lower-middle level Sunbelt and CUSA teams. (But... if you consider the potential of Concord and ODU, it would be a P5 conference).

[Appstate88]

I’m in favor of the “BRC”

[EastHallApp]

I am all-in on regional realignment. I don’t think you have to be so focused on bus travel only that you limit yourself this much, though. I think just taking the eastern halves of CUSA and the Sun Belt makes more sense. (ECU would be fine but, as Mad Doctor says, there’s no reason to think they’d want in on this.)

[/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09]

Bus ride for App State maybe. No way Marshall makes a bus trip to Coastal, Georgia Southern or State. Even ECU would be a 7 hour car ride. Those buses won't go fast through the WV mountains. Of course same would apply for the reverse trip.

[AppSt94]

I am all-in on regional realignment. I don’t think you have to be so focused on bus travel only that you limit yourself this much, though. I think just taking the eastern halves of CUSA and the Sun Belt makes more sense. (ECU would be fine but, as Mad Doctor says, there’s no reason to think they’d want in on this.)

Given the shortfalls that nearly all athletic budgets are feeling with this, I think that many academic leaders are going to be humbled. Granted, there are many factors, outside of athletics that play into conference affiliation, but a “stepping down” per say is an ego mentality of fans that I would think aren’t holistically shared with the educational leadership of individual schools.

[bigdaddyg]

I wonder how much we spend every year in transportation costs- namely flying to far off lands for games? The premise behind the “bus only” conference is to assume that every school in the theoretical conference would save huge amounts of money in transportation cost but an upside would also include probable full stadiums for games since fans in the geographical region could get to away games. I’m in Fayetteville so day trips to Charlotte, Greenville and Myrtle Beach would be easy. Trips to Louisiana and Texas aren’t happening.

[Appstate88]

BRC would save on team travel costs for all sports and increase revenue with more visitors in the stands especially for school that don’t regularly sellout their venue. You could also sell package deals that gives you seats at all games (home and away).

[/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09]

I've actually emailed this proposal to D.G. as always he took some time to send a nice response and said he likes it. He did however say at that time there weren't even whispers about conference realignment. I did however send that months ago, and things might have since changed

Dream conference would be splitting the C-USA and Sun Belt up into more regional conferences

North Division

Marshall
WKU
MTSU
UNCC
App State
ODU

South Division

FAU
FIU
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
Troy
Coastal

The other conference would be

West Division

UTEP
UTSA
North Texas
Rice
Texas State
La Tech

East Division

South Alabama
Southern Miss
ULM
Arkansas State
UAB
Louisiana

Decided to separate Louisiana and La Tech because I believe La Tech A.D. thinks his school's shit doesn't stink and they're far superior to Louisiana.

[EastHallApp]

I've actually emailed this proposal to D.G. as always he took some time to send a nice response and said he likes it. He did however say at that time there weren't even whispers about conference realignment. I did however send that months ago, and things might have since changed

Dream conference would be splitting the C-USA and Sun Belt up into more regional conferences

North Division

Marshall
WKU
MTSU
UNCC
App State
ODU

South Division

FAU
FIU
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
Troy
Coastal

The other conference would be

West Division

UTEP
UTSA
North Texas
Rice
Texas State
La Tech

East Division

South Alabama
Southern Miss
ULM
Arkansas State
UAB
Louisiana

Decided to separate Louisiana and La Tech because I believe La Tech A.D. thinks his school's shit doesn't stink and they're far superior to Louisiana.

That idea's been out there for a few years, and I don't think I've ever heard anyone argue against it. Yet it seems there's never any movement on it. Wish I knew why.

[/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09]

I've actually emailed this proposal to D.G. as always he took some time to send a nice response and said he likes it. He did however say at that time there weren't even whispers about conference realignment. I did however send that months ago, and things might have since changed

Dream conference would be splitting the C-USA and Sun Belt up into more regional conferences

North Division

Marshall
WKU
MTSU
UNCC
App State
ODU

South Division

FAU
FIU
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
Troy
Coastal

The other conference would be

West Division

UTEP
UTSA
North Texas
Rice
Texas State
La Tech

East Division

South Alabama
Southern Miss
ULM
Arkansas State
UAB
Louisiana

Decided to separate Louisiana and La Tech because I believe La Tech A.D. thinks his school's shit doesn't stink and they're far superior to Louisiana.

That idea's been out there for a few years, and I don't think I've ever heard anyone argue against it. Yet it seems there's never any movement on it. Wish I knew why.

It would literally increase game day revenue, and reduce travel expenses. Makes perfect sense. Usually the things that make perfect sense don't see any movement. I will remain hopeful.

[NattyBumppo'sRevenge]

How about this:

App
Vtech
UVA
UNC
NCSU
Duke
Wake
Clemson
SC

[TheMoody1]

How about this:

App
Vtech
UVA
UNC
NCSU
Duke
Wake
Clemson
SC

Replace Wake and Duke with Alabama and Georgia.

[Seattleapp]

Greenville to Huntington round trip BY BUS? Yikes

[bigdaddyg]

Greenville to Huntington round trip BY BUS? Yikes

Challenging needless to say. Bus ride plus one night hotel plus food still cheaper than air plus hotel plus meals? Do we ever fly up and back the same day?

[Seattleapp]

Greenville to Huntington round trip BY BUS? Yikes

Challenging needless to say. Bus ride plus one night hotel plus food still cheaper than air plus hotel plus meals? Do we ever fly up and back the same day?

That a miserable trip. 8 1/2 hours each way. And if you’ve just played and changed and get on the bus that’s like a 17-18 hour day.

[AppSt94]

I would hope that we aren’t busing down day of and then back.

[APPdiesel]

Everyone always puts together a bus league that serves them the best. What's a bus league for App is not a bus league for Marshall.

For better or worse conferences are what they are because of 100+ years of moves, decisions, results, academics programs and more. 5 months of financial hardship isn't going to all of a sudden convince decision makers to have a change of heart. You might be able to light a fire behind minor changes but not large-scale changes.

[/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09]

I believe I read somewhere that when Boise State first started out in FBS they would fly to games and bus back to Boise after the games. Given the distance of some of their opponents that's one hell of a commitment.