Here's one to try. If you could create a 12 team (east and west) G5 super conference who would be in it?

East:
S Fla
Navy
W Kentucky
App
Troy
Stink

ECU??

West:
W Michigan
Boise
San Diego St
Houston
Ark St
Ohio ??
Toledo??

That covers a lot of geography.

ed62 wrote:That covers a lot of geography.

Yep that's kind of the point. Who makes the cut of 12 teams?

I'd take a longer view rather than just who's good this year, which would mean including teams like Marshall, ECU and Cincinnati. Maybe Air Force as well. A-State and Western Michigan would be out.

If we're strictly looking at this year, Temple would definitely be in while GS wouldn't even be considered.

EastHallApp wrote:I'd take a longer view rather than just who's good this year, which would mean including teams like Marshall, ECU and Cincinnati. Maybe Air Force as well. A-State and Western Michigan would be out.

If we're strictly looking at this year, Temple would definitely be in while GS wouldn't even be considered.

Yes good point. I wasn't strictly looking at this year alone and was thinking more broad picture. It's definitely not cut and dried. That's why I included ECU as a question. There are schools more inclined to be sustainable programs and some who are either a flash in the pan or are a product of having experienced players this year. Again, not an easy or straight forward thing to do.

If you are starting a P5 super conference you obviously include Alabama, Ohio state, probably a Clemson as they appear to be on a track of sustained success.

I would use recent success and probability of sustainability over the next few years as a measurement.

That would be the true test to our fan base. 6-6 would be excellent.

Not exactly on topic, but since we're discussing, thought this tweet was interesting:

https://twitter.com/SmittySBJSBD/status ... 7841159168

It's not a new idea, of course - we've been kicking it around for a couple years here. What got my attention was who retweeted this - Doug Gillin.

EastHallApp wrote:Not exactly on topic, but since we're discussing, thought this tweet was interesting:

https://twitter.com/SmittySBJSBD/status ... 7841159168

It's not a new idea, of course - we've been kicking it around for a couple years here. What got my attention was who retweeted this - Doug Gillin.

Interesting and I promise I have never seen that. I count 24 schools and the ones in the east side could make some kind of good conference. My topic is by no means a suggested conference but simply a hypothetical one that includes THE best 12 G5 programs.

Here's the link to the story he referenced. ADs from stAte and ODU and Ga. State quoted.

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Jour ... nment.aspx

Really needs to happen. I don't believe that the AAC will participate, but as the article suggests at the end, they really should.

EastHallApp wrote:Here's the link to the story he referenced. ADs from stAte and ODU and Ga. State quoted.

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Jour ... nment.aspx

The conference realignment based on geography makes total sense...lower costs, increased gate revenue, regional rivalries developed, less toll on the players having to travel great distances (especially for non-football sports).

Rick83 wrote:

EastHallApp wrote:Here's the link to the story he referenced. ADs from stAte and ODU and Ga. State quoted.

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Jour ... nment.aspx

The conference realignment based on geography makes total sense...lower costs, increased gate revenue, regional rivalries developed, less toll on the players having to travel great distances (especially for non-football sports).

That's the issue, it just makes too much sense for the Worldwide Leader to allow it to happen.

This needs to happen! I really like the 4 division idea with conference championship!

There are a lot of rumors and info leaks about realignment coming from people at many different schools right now. I think its just a matter of time before it happens.

App91 wrote:

Rick83 wrote:

EastHallApp wrote:Here's the link to the story he referenced. ADs from stAte and ODU and Ga. State quoted.

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Jour ... nment.aspx

The conference realignment based on geography makes total sense...lower costs, increased gate revenue, regional rivalries developed, less toll on the players having to travel great distances (especially for non-football sports).

That's the issue, it just makes too much sense for the Worldwide Leader to allow it to happen.

Perhaps the WWL's influence declines as they start paying chump change for the rights to the existing product.

If the TV money continues to dry up or the non-P5 conferences then the budget-miesters of the G5 schools will force realignment and (speaking as a financial professional) it's better to be ahead of that curve than behind it. Speaking non-financially, the geographic realignment would be better for fans and players...I'd likely go to Greenville every other year to see App play ECU but may never go to Lafayette or Monroe...etc.

This is the best idea I've seen to date and any ADs and presidents that resist this are just being fiscally irresponsible. No institution shown on that map is so far up on any other that they should not want to be a part of this. I even like the super-conference idea also, with the 4 divisions. It creates a mini-playoff that might be of interest to some of our fans that are still butt-hurt over us leaving the FCS.

I like the first scenario better myself, but honestly, either would work better. Interesting observation that I had, almost all the east schools were FCS (or non existent) in 1988 when I started at App.

A few other scenarios that won't relegate a FBS program:

Not that I'm totally against JMU, always enjoy hating purple but why not have ULM in the western conference and bring Troy or UAB east instead of JMU?
or
Let UTEP and NMSU go to the MWC while ULM goes to the west with JMU in the east.
or
Go to 14 in each conference by adding ULM and NMSU in the west and bring 2 of 3 in UAB/Troy/USA east with JMU.

moonshine wrote:A few other scenarios that won't relegate a FBS program:

Not that I'm totally against JMU, always enjoy hating purple but why not have ULM in the western conference and bring Troy or UAB east instead of JMU?
or
Let UTEP and NMSU go to the MWC while ULM goes to the west with JMU in the east.
or
Go to 14 in each conference by adding ULM and NMSU in the west and bring 2 of 3 in UAB/Troy/USA east with JMU.

This would be my preference. Obviously the schools have a say too, but selfishly as a fan of a team that would be in the eastern conference, trading Troy for JMU seems like a downgrade.