Recent realignment rumors/discussion

[Black Saturday]

Our loyalty to the Sun Belt should last as long as it takes to get a phone call from another conference.

[appchicago]

Our loyalty to the Sun Belt should last as long as it takes to get a phone call from another conference.

Yes, to an extent, but only if that conference is the AAC or a P5. CUSA is a step down in almost every way at this point, as is the MAC, and the MWC obviously makes zero sense.

The Sun Belt was the pits when we first got the invite, but that's not the case at the moment. At this point, we're in a good spot and I wouldn't mind raiding a few of the teams that make sense, geographically while also hoping that a full regional realignment happens at some point.

[mike87]

I'm not all that down on the belt. It's been good to us, competition is good and getting better, with a decent commissioner it's a pretty good G5 conference.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

The most likely SBC scenarios in order:

1) Nothing this year.
2) G5 conferences are passive and wait for the BIG12 moves, then AAC responds, then other G5s, this takes 12-18 months.
3) SBC is aggressive and pursues two CUSA schools (Marshall first, likely UAB with UAB waiting on the AAC first so they decline, so USM is next)
4) Eastern SBC/CUSA members push for an eastern split

For fun let's play this out (highly unlikely situation FWIW). The BIG12 takes four from the AAC (Houston, UCF, Cincy, Memphis).

Would you prefer a new AAC:

Temple, Navy, ECU, S. Fl., Tulane, Tulsa, SMU, App, Marshall, UAB, ULL, +1 Texas school

OR

Current SBC plus Marshall and S. Miss.

OR

SBC/CUSA Eastern conference:

Marshall, App, ODU, UNCC, CCU, GA St, GS, FAU, FIU, MTSU, WKU, Troy

Some of those schools have some very good academics that I would be proud to associate with in a academic/conference affiliation that many conferences maintain.

I wonder how PhillyApp would feel about being in a conference with Temple?

[PhillyApp1]

PhillyApp1.... the original PhillyApp... thinks Temple is about to be a Penn State minor league ... free agency is gonna kill the Owls, already started

[spacemonkey]

I think/believe ESPN is about to make a run at making the SBC the East league and the AAC the west league. 16 teams each.

AAC east teams to the Belt and Invite the best of the rest. ODU, Marshall, UAB, maybe others.

Belt 16 East
App
Georgia St.
G. Southern
Marshall
ODU
JMU
Liberty
Coastal
FAU
Coastal
ECU
USF
UCF
Charlotte
Southern Miss
WKU
MTSU

AAC 16 west
Rice
Ark St
Louisiana
Lou Tech
Texas St
Tulsa
Tulane
North Texas
UTEP
NMSU
UTSA
Whatever is left of Big 12

Unfortunately, I think ESPN really likes Liberty and I think JMU will not pass this last opportunity. I would like to add Marshall and Southern Miss. and keep the current lineup. I would love to be with ECU, UCF and USF but I hope we don't get stuck with the F_Us, WKU or MTSU. I would like to have Charlotte because they are close but I hate to give them a hand up. I feel we have earned it...Them (Charlotte) not so much!!!!!!

My favorite scenario is this 12 team league
North
APP
ODU
Charlotte
ECU
Marshall
Georgia St
South
Georgia Southern
Louisiana
Ark St
UAB
Southern Miss
USF (UCF if left behind)

[AtlAppMan]

I didn't think ODU plays football

[BambooRdApp]

I didn't think ODU plays football

Neither did the Hokies a few years ago

[AppStateNews]

I think/believe ESPN is about to make a run at making the SBC the East league and the AAC the west league. 16 teams each.

AAC east teams to the Belt and Invite the best of the rest. ODU, Marshall, UAB, maybe others.

Belt 16 East
App
Georgia St.
G. Southern
Marshall
ODU
JMU
Liberty
Coastal
FAU
Coastal
ECU
USF
UCF
Charlotte
Southern Miss
WKU
MTSU

AAC 16 west
Rice
Ark St
Louisiana
Lou Tech
Texas St
Tulsa
Tulane
North Texas
UTEP
NMSU
UTSA
Whatever is left of Big 12

Unfortunately, I think ESPN really likes Liberty and I think JMU will not pass this last opportunity. I would like to add Marshall and Southern Miss. and keep the current lineup. I would love to be with ECU, UCF and USF but I hope we don't get stuck with the F_Us, WKU or MTSU. I would like to have Charlotte because they are close but I hate to give them a hand up. I feel we have earned it...Them (Charlotte) not so much!!!!!!

My favorite scenario is this 12 team league
North
APP
ODU
Charlotte
ECU
Marshall
Georgia St
South
Georgia Southern
Louisiana
Ark St
UAB
Southern Miss
USF (UCF if left behind)

Is this coming from a source or you just have a gut feeling this is happening?

[spacemonkey]

I think/believe ESPN is about to make a run at making the SBC the East league and the AAC the west league. 16 teams each.

AAC east teams to the Belt and Invite the best of the rest. ODU, Marshall, UAB, maybe others.

Belt 16 East
App
Georgia St.
G. Southern
Marshall
ODU
JMU
Liberty
Coastal
FAU
Coastal
ECU
USF
UCF
Charlotte
Southern Miss
WKU
MTSU

AAC 16 west
Rice
Ark St
Louisiana
Lou Tech
Texas St
Tulsa
Tulane
North Texas
UTEP
NMSU
UTSA
Whatever is left of Big 12

Unfortunately, I think ESPN really likes Liberty and I think JMU will not pass this last opportunity. I would like to add Marshall and Southern Miss. and keep the current lineup. I would love to be with ECU, UCF and USF but I hope we don't get stuck with the F_Us, WKU or MTSU. I would like to have Charlotte because they are close but I hate to give them a hand up. I feel we have earned it...Them (Charlotte) not so much!!!!!!

My favorite scenario is this 12 team league
North
APP
ODU
Charlotte
ECU
Marshall
Georgia St
South
Georgia Southern
Louisiana
Ark St
UAB
Southern Miss
USF (UCF if left behind)

Is this coming from a source or you just have a gut feeling this is happening?

Nothing but gut. And lots of reading articles. ESPN is trying to create a league. The one (smoke) that seems legit is ODU and Marshall are looking at going independent (Football) and moving all Olympic sports to A10. I think that report is legit. I also believe the AAC is in trouble. They are either going big or going home. ESPN is the cause. They don't need to make a new conference. They need to get the conf USA and Big12 leftovers to one of their conferences. 16 team conference with 8 east and 8 west...or 8 north and 8 south would be all you need to feel like a regional conference.

[AppStateNews]

Nothing but gut. And lots of reading articles. ESPN is trying to create a league. The one (smoke) that seems legit is ODU and Marshall are looking at going independent (Football) and moving all Olympic sports to A10. I think that report is legit. I also believe the AAC is in trouble. They are either going big or going home. ESPN is the cause. They don't need to make a new conference. They need to get the conf USA and Big12 leftovers to one of their conferences. 16 team conference with 8 east and 8 west...or 8 north and 8 south would be all you need to feel like a regional conference.

I know Sun Belt has already flirted with Marshall and ESPN basically owns the TV rights for AAC so it would make sense.

[APPdiesel]

No one has confirmed that Keith Gill was in Huntington. This idea came from a 5 page rumor thread on CSN. No one KNOWS Marshall if is a legitimate target of the Sun Belt. It makes sense, sure. But it the flight tracking nerds haven’t even come out of the woodworks then there’s nothing to see here.

[bcoach]

At some point they need to have football and basketball conferences and then regionalize the Olympic sports conferences. Athletic revenues are about 80% football and 20% basketball, it doesn’t make a ton of sense to continue to allow non-revenue generating sports to handcuff these athletic departments.

You need to investigate that a little better.

[AppStateNews]

No one has confirmed that Keith Gill was in Huntington. This idea came from a 5 page rumor thread on CSN. No one KNOWS Marshall if is a legitimate target of the Sun Belt. It makes sense, sure. But it the flight tracking nerds haven’t even come out of the woodworks then there’s nothing to see here.

It has all but been confirmed by multiple Marshall sources. Of course Gill is keeping it quiet -- because he keeps everything quiet.

One source I really trust was the one that told me the new head coach would be Huff even when everyone else (media included) thought it was going to be Ledford.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

PhillyApp1.... the original PhillyApp... thinks Temple is about to be a Penn State minor league ... free agency is gonna kill the Owls, already started

But would you like to have App State visit the Philly area every other year for a football game and every year for basketball and other sports?

Maybe someone could even send you another SEPTA card for some free transit to a game?

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

No one has confirmed that Keith Gill was in Huntington. This idea came from a 5 page rumor thread on CSN. No one KNOWS Marshall if is a legitimate target of the Sun Belt. It makes sense, sure. But it the flight tracking nerds haven’t even come out of the woodworks then there’s nothing to see here.

It has all but been confirmed by multiple Marshall sources. Of course Gill is keeping it quiet -- because he keeps everything quiet.

One source I really trust was the one that told me the new head coach would be Huff even when everyone else (media included) thought it was going to be Ledford.

This is exactly the time to stay quite. If this does not pan out then the SB never has to lose face as nothing was ever said in public to start with.

[Yosef10]

At some point they need to have football and basketball conferences and then regionalize the Olympic sports conferences. Athletic revenues are about 80% football and 20% basketball, it doesn’t make a ton of sense to continue to allow non-revenue generating sports to handcuff these athletic departments.

You need to investigate that a little better.

What do you mean? It’s been rumored for years that at some point college football could separate entirely from the NCAA umbrella, the playoff is already not controlled by the NCAA for example. That’s about all you need to happen to allow football conferences to be completely separate from the Olympic sport conferences.

[bcoach]

At some point they need to have football and basketball conferences and then regionalize the Olympic sports conferences. Athletic revenues are about 80% football and 20% basketball, it doesn’t make a ton of sense to continue to allow non-revenue generating sports to handcuff these athletic departments.

You need to investigate that a little better.

What do you mean? It’s been rumored for years that at some point college football could separate entirely from the NCAA umbrella, the playoff is already not controlled by the NCAA for example. That’s about all you need to happen to allow football conferences to be completely separate from the Olympic sport conferences.

I am talking about your revenue stream.

[Yosef10]

At some point they need to have football and basketball conferences and then regionalize the Olympic sports conferences. Athletic revenues are about 80% football and 20% basketball, it doesn’t make a ton of sense to continue to allow non-revenue generating sports to handcuff these athletic departments.

You need to investigate that a little better.

What do you mean? It’s been rumored for years that at some point college football could separate entirely from the NCAA umbrella, the playoff is already not controlled by the NCAA for example. That’s about all you need to happen to allow football conferences to be completely separate from the Olympic sport conferences.

I am talking about your revenue stream.

What does football leaving the NCAA umbrella have to do with anything revenue related? The only real money the NCAA makes is from the basketball tournaments and Omaha. Not sure what point you are attempting to make here.

[Yosef10]

At some point they need to have football and basketball conferences and then regionalize the Olympic sports conferences. Athletic revenues are about 80% football and 20% basketball, it doesn’t make a ton of sense to continue to allow non-revenue generating sports to handcuff these athletic departments.

You need to investigate that a little better.

What do you mean? It’s been rumored for years that at some point college football could separate entirely from the NCAA umbrella, the playoff is already not controlled by the NCAA for example. That’s about all you need to happen to allow football conferences to be completely separate from the Olympic sport conferences.

I am talking about your revenue stream.

And right on cue, here’s a thread from a pretty plugged in ACC media member:

Again, not sure what point you’re trying to make by painting a pretty logical idea as outlandish.