KPI: Coming soon to a D2 sport near you

[Tech Boys]

There is a proposal to add a week to the beginning of the football season; if that is approved then leave the championship game date as is. If the season is extended at the end then it would become necessary to move the championship game to January; but that brings some issues. A January game would be more of an afterthought with the increased attention to the CFP, the end of regular season and start of playoffs for the NFL, and D1 basketball usually starts conference games around that time.

On regional alignment, Carolinas naturally fits in SR2. Move the CIAA to SR1, move the GMAC to SR3, and move the GAC to SR4. I didn't look at numbers to see how balanced that would be on the number of teams but it gets us back to 4 conferences per region.

[GoneBlastin]

There is a proposal to add a week to the beginning of the football season; if that is approved then leave the championship game date as is. If the season is extended at the end then it would become necessary to move the championship game to January; but that brings some issues. A January game would be more of an afterthought with the increased attention to the CFP, the end of regular season and start of playoffs for the NFL, and D1 basketball usually starts conference games around that time.

On regional alignment, Carolinas naturally fits in SR2. Move the CIAA to SR1, move the GMAC to SR3, and move the GAC to SR4. I didn't look at numbers to see how balanced that would be on the number of teams but it gets us back to 4 conferences per region.

I like that idea, but I might also add moving the MIAA to SR 4 and sending the NSIC to SR 3, too. NSIC schools are not drivable for any RMAC schools except Chadron and the SD schools.

This opens up many of the Oklahoma schools as ooc playoff opponents for the perennial RMAC powers and all of the Kansas schools. Even the further outposts of Western and Mesa add Fort Hays as an option when before it was only really WTAMU, ENMU and maybe NW Oklahoma that were drivable. It even opens up possibilities for the SD schools, which are on the rise, that didn’t exist before. Even Maryville to Golden is flirting with the limit. It just opens up some great playoff matchups.

[Tech Boys]

Based on what is known at the time of this post to actually be the 2025 conference alignment.

Option 1

CIAA	12	CC	6	GLIAC	8	GAC	12
MEC	10	GSC	5	GLVC	9	LSC	10
NE10	9	SAC	11	GMAC	10	NSIC	13
PSAC	16	SIAC	13	MIAA	11	RMAC	10
SR1	47	SR2	35	SR3	38	SR4	45

Option 2

CIAA	12	CC	6	GLIAC	8	GAC	12
MEC	10	GSC	5	GLVC	9	LSC	10
NE10	9	SAC	11	GMAC	10	MIAA	11
PSAC	16	SIAC	13	NSIC	13	RMAC	10
SR1	47	SR2	35	SR3	40	SR4	43

[ctrabs74]

Looks like they’re also looking at realigning the super regions. As a big SR1 and SR4 fan, I have no idea why they would do this. Really affects the integrity of our great sport

Because the regions as currently structured appear to be imbalanced (based off the current NCAA D2 Football Pre-Championship Manual):

SR1 (46)
GMAC (10)
MEC (11 - reflects closing of Alderson Broaddus)
NE-10 (9 - includes Post even though they're not officially part of NE-10 football until next season)
PSAC (16)

SR2 (46)
CIAA (12)
GSC (9)
SAC (12)
SIAC (13)

SR3 (40)
GAC (12)
GLIAC (8 - includes Roosevelt, who will not be playing a GLIAC schedule until next season)
GLVC (8 - for some reason, the manual still lists Lindenwood as part of the GLVC when they're now FCS)
MIAA (12 - includes Lincoln-MO, who is technically playing an independent schedule this season)

SR4 (33)
LSC (10 - includes Sul Ross State, who will be not playing an LSC schedule until next season)
NSIC (13)
RMAC (10)

The upcoming conference changes will massively impact the current alignments:

SR1
MEC: UNC Pembroke to Conference Carolinas

SR2
Conference Carolinas: NEW Football Conference - Barton, Chowan, Erskine, North Greenville, Pembroke and Shorter
GSC: Chowan, North Greenville, Shorter to ConfCar; West Georgia to D1/FCS
SAC: Barton, Erskine to ConfCar; ADD Anderson (2024)

SR3
GLVC: ADD Lincoln-MO from MIAA
MIAA: Lincoln-MO to GLVC

SR4
No Known Changes

Once all the changes take place by 2025, the current Super Region structure, presuming no changes, would be as follows:

SR1 (45)
GMAC: 10
MEC: 10
NE-10: 9
PSAC: 16

SR2 (47)
CIAA: 12
ConfCar (presumptive): 6
GSC: 5
SAC: 11
SIAC: 13

SR3 (40)
GAC: 12
GLIAC: 8
GLVC: 9
MIAA: 11

SR4 (33)
LSC: 10
NSIC: 13
RMAC: 10

I'll probably post my suggestions later today once I'm fully awake, but the changes are inevitable in the current Super Region scheme.

EDIT: After reading @Tech Boys' post, I'm still thinking they may have to balance out SR1 a little bit, but that's going to be difficult since the PSAC's 16 teams kinda stick out like a sore thumb.

The other variable is the future of the GSC, presuming none of the remaining five football schools jump to FCS.

[ctrabs74]

There is a proposal to add a week to the beginning of the football season; if that is approved then leave the championship game date as is. If the season is extended at the end then it would become necessary to move the championship game to January; but that brings some issues. A January game would be more of an afterthought with the increased attention to the CFP, the end of regular season and start of playoffs for the NFL, and D1 basketball usually starts conference games around that time.

On regional alignment, Carolinas naturally fits in SR2. Move the CIAA to SR1, move the GMAC to SR3, and move the GAC to SR4. I didn't look at numbers to see how balanced that would be on the number of teams but it gets us back to 4 conferences per region.

The FCS championship game is held the weekend before the CFP title game and, considering the current D2 football championship site (McKinney) is literally the next city over from the current FCS championship site (Frisco), it could end up being convenient to host both the FCS and D2 title games at Frisco's Toyota Stadium (presuming Frisco even submits a bid), so the timing might work out better for D2 in the long run.

[ctrabs74]

In a non-direct way, Notre Dame has a level of earned access in football. Or maybe that was only during the BCS days. That may have been when, but I guess the answer is, kind of?

Notre Dame essentially still has "earned access" under the current CFP scheme, in so far as they have a vote along with the 10 (soon to be nine) FBS conferences.

[Inkblot]

Based on what is known at the time of this post to actually be the 2025 conference alignment.

Option 1

CIAA	12	CC	6	GLIAC	8	GAC	12
MEC	10	GSC	5	GLVC	9	LSC	10
NE10	9	SAC	11	GMAC	10	NSIC	13
PSAC	16	SIAC	13	MIAA	11	RMAC	10
SR1	47	SR2	35	SR3	38	SR4	45

Option 2

CIAA	12	CC	6	GLIAC	8	GAC	12
MEC	10	GSC	5	GLVC	9	LSC	10
NE10	9	SAC	11	GMAC	10	MIAA	11
PSAC	16	SIAC	13	NSIC	13	RMAC	10
SR1	47	SR2	35	SR3	40	SR4	43

The plan I've preferred is the second one but with the CIAA and CC swapped to balance numbers.

[Tech Boys]

After seeing the numbers, I prefer Option 2 also. I can see swapping the CC and CIAA for numbers balance but geography is a big drawback with CIAA members in very close proximity to SR1 members from other conferences.

[EastStroud13]

Would be a shame for SR1 to lose the GMAC... they were becoming a great rival to the PSAC within the region.

[zimmy21]

Option 2 is only logical, especially if you swap CC and CIAA. Most balanced as far as pure numbers go in a long time

[TheBigCat2192]

EDIT: After reading @Tech Boys' post, I'm still thinking they may have to balance out SR1 a little bit, but that's going to be difficult since the PSAC's 16 teams kinda stick out like a sore thumb.

We can solve this PSAC problem by just condensing the two triad sets into one team for each. /s

[ctrabs74]

Option 2 is only logical, especially if you swap CC and CIAA. Most balanced as far as pure numbers go in a long time

The issue might be whether or not CC and the GSC end up in a scheduling alliance, so we'll have to see if that has an effect on the new regions.

[zimmy21]

The issue might be whether or not CC and the GSC end up in a scheduling alliance, so we'll have to see if that has an effect on the new regions.

We'll see if the GSC football exists soon enough. A merging is definitely plausible for them

[ctrabs74]

We'll see if the GSC football exists soon enough. A merging is definitely plausible for them

I hadn't even thought about that, but if West Florida and Valdosta end up in one conference while the Mississippi schools and West Alabama end up in, say, the GAC, that might force a re-draw of the new regions ... again.

[zimmy21]

I hadn't even thought about that, but if West Florida and Valdosta end up in one conference while the Mississippi schools and West Alabama end up in, say, the GAC, that might force a re-draw of the new regions ... again.

Or if they leave for D1