Two more?

[TheMoody1]

Seems like the NFL and MLB kind of figured out that some of their divisions were geographically stupid. The Reds used to play in the NL West with LA and SF. The NFL made their divisions better as well. College athletic conferences are so stupid especially at our level. It might also be my age talking but that whole brand thing gets way overblown. Outside of the school fan bases who cares about any G5 level school? Are there pockets of Coastal fans in Ohio? The answer to lots of the issues is really simple. Keep all G5 level conferences geographically centralized. We really have no business flying to south La or Texas for conference games. How many App fans travel to La or Texas for a basketball game? Same for those teams coming to Boone.

Until the early 90's the Atlanta Braves were in the NL West.

And the Falcons and Saints were in the NFC west.

[Bootsy]

Conversations should begin shifting from who we would love to see join the SBC to where we would love to see App go.

This right here. If regional rivalries is what we are interested in, we are a regional brand. We should be focused on remaining as a national brand and growing it further. Not looking to going back to the socon

Gill’s desire to add two more schools to the Sun Belt is a much about his job security as anything else. I’m unconcerned about which additional schools actually join. Like many of you, I think the viable scenarios in the next 5 years are

• SBC splits in two, or

• The top-tier schools get poached by other conferences

Or…maybe we get a black swan where the SBC merges with the American to form a super conference. Given the current landscape, anything could happen and it probably wouldn’t surprise any of us.

We’ve watched other schools adopt the perspective that their best interests may/may not coincide with those of their current conference. App and other top-tier SBC programs are now embracing this reality. So, we have to trust that Gillin/Norris/BOT will explore the options thoroughly and do what’s best for the university.

[AppWyo]

If the American was all that great it would not have been raided by the Big IX, it would have raided the Big IX when it was on the verge of collapse. Even the ACC in North Carolina would not be the same if we were to join without NC State, UNC-Ch, Duke or WF. If they were really interested in stabilizing the conferences the way you do that is giving every conference an automatic bid. Like is done in all other sports. Win the conference or conference tournament you get to compete for a national championship.

Maybe I feel this way because the first team I followed in college was Appalachian and we always seemed to be in the playoffs. It was fun to see where App was going to go play and more often than not who was going to come to play in Boone. Having the best teams in the playoffs is just a load of BS to keep the non-autonomous conference teams out of the money.

[Stonewall]

The Sunbelt has too many weak brands to merge with the AAC. The East minus the Georgia schools could perhaps. If the Sunbelt decision makers want there to be a Sunbelt there apparently is a path as I understand it but getting there is like herding cats .

[Saint3333]

Who from the AAC gets added to the ACC when they lose 4-5 members?

[Stonewall]

If they lose 4-5 , I see everyone bailing. I’m told others are having B12 conversations. Interestingly no one seems to want Miami except perhaps the B12.

[JTApps1]

We could very easily see a PAC 12 scenario where only a handful of ACC teams at the bottom are left.

[Seattleapp]

If we’re with Furman athletically that would be a bad sign.

I figured that hot take would Unite the board.

[Saint3333]

Well played sir.

[Seattleapp]

Im here to help

[Yosefus]

Don't want to be a Debbie downer but I'm not sure any 2 other schools would bring value unless they were from the AAC, AC. Also, I dont think it's likely many SBC schools would be attractive additions to a gutted AAC or ACC. I believe affordability for App at least we would struggle financially in another conference with more travel costs. With NIL on top of that we are better off where we are for a long time. What schools have more spend than App? TX St? They are leaving for a very travel heavy endeavor. JMU may, don't know who else?

[AppWyo]

Don't want to be a Debbie downer but I'm not sure any 2 other schools would bring value unless they were from the AAC, AC. Also, I dont think it's likely many SBC schools would be attractive additions to a gutted AAC or ACC. I believe affordability for App at least we would struggle financially in another conference with more travel costs. With NIL on top of that we are better off where we are for a long time. What schools have more spend than App? TX St? They are leaving for a very travel heavy endeavor. JMU may, don't know who else?

I can remember when UNCC made fun of us when we got a bid from the SBC and they got a bid from C-USA. They bailed the first chance they got. I really do believe that the SBC is the best conference to be in geographically and competition wise. We all have seen how far C-USA has fallen in the time that App has been in the SBC and that the American is just a shell of what they once were with the four teams that they lost. Even Memphis is trying to leave that sinking ship. The former C-USA schools that are now in the American I imagine feel as though they got a bait and switch. If we did somehow manage to get an invite to the ACC it would not be the ACC of our youth.

The ACC is not going to collapse because UNC-Ch is not going to go to a conference they cannot control... They are not going to compete with Alabama or Texas. They are not going to compete with Michigan or The Ohio State. Heck, they cannot even control Notre Dame, nor anyone else.

[Bootsy]

If any type of merger was possible, it would be something along the lines of the SBC East breaking off and joining the American. But who knows where all of this will end?

[AppWyo]

If any type of merger was possible, it would be something along the lines of the SBC East breaking off and joining the American. But who knows where all of this will end?

Conferences saving conferences never ends well. Just look at the mess that is going on with the PAC-12 and The Mountain West. The ACC dismantled the Big East, because the Big East wanted more money. Conferences historically have collapsed for the simple reason they got too big or their anchor schools left.

https://www.nytimes.com/newsgraphics/20 ... index.html

Think about all of these hopes and dreams...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_d ... onferences

[AppfaninCAALand]

I am inclined to think the SBC, AAC, and CUSA need to be reorganized into 4 smaller (10-12 member) regional conferences.

[Saint3333]

I am inclined to think the SBC, AAC, and CUSA need to be reorganized into 4 smaller (10-12 member) regional conferences.

We don’t need to be with any CUSA teams not named WKU.

[BambooRdApp]

I would like to see us breakout with 9 or 10 teams in a conference (maybe the 9 or 10 are not all current SBC teams)... collaborate with PAC 12 having like 9 or 10 teams ...do not play other side until championship game..so regional until championship game. Better conference record determines who hosts. If same record, highest ranked team.hosts

So 3 or 4 OOC games depending on how many teams conference has.

This is football only idea of course.

[Saint3333]

Marshall
JMU
App
ECU
CCU
GS
Troy

Then pick from ODU, UNCC, GA St to round it out.

[AppfaninCAALand]

I am inclined to think the SBC, AAC, and CUSA need to be reorganized into 4 smaller (10-12 member) regional conferences.

We don’t need to be with any CUSA teams not named WKU.

In general, I agree. What I mean by dividing the 3 conferences into four smaller conferences would be a sort of higher and lower tier conferences on both the east and west. App and most of who we would want to play form SBC and AAC would likely be in the High Tier East Conference.