OT - College Realignment June 2019 edition

[chrisattsu]

Looks like more realignment shakeups are occurring now that summer is upon us.
In the last six month, Augustana (South Dakota), Dixie State (Utah), and now Bellarmine (Kentucky) have all decided to move up to Division 1.
Metro State and Colorado Mesa were linked to the WAC but neither moved.

Now, UConn is backing out of the American Conference to rejoin their friends in the Big East Conference.
Missouri-Kansas City has informed the WAC that they are bailing out next year and will join the Summit (Dakotas, Nebraska, and Colorado).

Now that the WAC is light another member, What other changes lay in store?

[Vulpes88]

Re: OT - College Realignment June 2019 edition

Wouldn't be surprised if UConn went FCS.

[Herb Street]

Re: OT - College Realignment June 2019 edition

Wouldn't be surprised if UConn went FCS.

They have been before.

[Inkblot]

Re: OT - College Realignment June 2019 edition

Wouldn't be surprised if UConn went FCS.

From all indications, they're not even considering it.

[Vulpes88]

Re: OT - College Realignment June 2019 edition

From all indications, they're not even considering it.

So they'll keep football in the AAC?

[Techster88]

Re: OT - College Realignment June 2019 edition

Looks like more realignment shakeups are occurring now that summer is upon us.
In the last six month, Augustana (South Dakota), Dixie State (Utah), and now Bellarmine (Kentucky) have all decided to move up to Division 1.
Metro State and Colorado Mesa were linked to the WAC but neither moved.

Now, UConn is backing out of the American Conference to rejoin their friends in the Big East Conference.
Missouri-Kansas City has informed the WAC that they are bailing out next year and will join the Summit (Dakotas, Nebraska, and Colorado).

Now that the WAC is light another member, What other changes lay in store?

[Inkblot]

Re: OT - College Realignment June 2019 edition

So they'll keep football in the AAC?

They'll probably end up as an independent.

[ctrabs74]

Re: OT - College Realignment June 2019 edition

Looks like more realignment shakeups are occurring now that summer is upon us.
In the last six month, Augustana (South Dakota), Dixie State (Utah), and now Bellarmine (Kentucky) have all decided to move up to Division 1.
Metro State and Colorado Mesa were linked to the WAC but neither moved.

Now, UConn is backing out of the American Conference to rejoin their friends in the Big East Conference.
Missouri-Kansas City has informed the WAC that they are bailing out next year and will join the Summit (Dakotas, Nebraska, and Colorado).

Now that the WAC is light another member, What other changes lay in store?

UConn to the Big East, in my opinion, is a Big Mistake. Granted, they'll renew rivalries with St. John's, Villanova and Georgetown, but I would think that the ACC would've been a better fit, especially since they'd be reunited with Boston College, Syracuse, Pitt, Virginia Tech and Miami (more so the first three than the latter two).

[ctrabs74]

Re: OT - College Realignment June 2019 edition

So they'll keep football in the AAC?

Since they're leaving the AAC, they can't keep their football program in that league. The only viable option other than being an independent (ask UMass how that's working out; it doesn't look too good up in Amherst) could be the MAC.

[Vulpes88]

Re: OT - College Realignment June 2019 edition

Since they're leaving the AAC, they can't keep their football program in that league. The only viable option other than being an independent (ask UMass how that's working out; it doesn't look too good up in Amherst) could be the MAC.

https://watchstadium.com/news/how-uc...6-24-2019/amp/

Seems that the MAC isn't interested in football only.

[chrisattsu]

Re: OT - College Realignment June 2019 edition

https://watchstadium.com/news/how-uc...6-24-2019/amp/

Seems that the MAC isn't interested in football only.

Yeah, the MAC wants full members not football only. In any event, UConns football isnt great anyway.

[BlueBlood]

Re: OT - College Realignment June 2019 edition

I keep wondering if FOX (who owns BE basketball rights and a decent percentage of B1G football rights), the B1G, and BTN (Fox/B1G jointly owned) have something up their sleeve that everyone is missing. Maybe the B1G guarantees a certain number of out of conference FB games to UConn. Maybe BTN gets to air the games --even the UConn home games. Maybe there are some B1G/UConn BB games negotiated too. The B1G has certainly been trying to increase its presence in the NYC and eastern markets. Could this present a way of doing it and making money on it without adding a member?

I haven't thought this all the way through, but feel like there should be some kind of a fiscal and scheduling win-win-win for UConn, the B1G and Fox here.

[UCObluejay]

Re: OT - College Realignment June 2019 edition

I'm working with the assumption that UCONN goes FBS independent in football.

Then what does the AAC and Big East do?
Standing pat at 11 is an odd number, no pun intended, but it has precedent B1G and the Southland Conference.
AAC-simplest answer would be to add Army as a football only member (as is Navy), and poach an A-10/MVC team? SLU? VCU?
Big East-Saint Louis comes to mind (Catholic Jesuit school to boot.)

Other options for the AAC would be to poach another CUSA, Sun Belt team, and see if those conferences would take another team, NMSU, a SLC team etc.
That would be fun to discuss but I think it won't happen.

[Vulpes88]

Re: OT - College Realignment June 2019 edition

I'm working with the assumption that UCONN goes FBS independent in football.

Then what does the AAC and Big East do?
Standing pat at 11 is an odd number, no pun intended, but it has precedent B1G and the Southland Conference.
AAC-simplest answer would be to add Army as a football only member (as is Navy), and poach an A-10/MVC team? SLU? VCU?
Big East-Saint Louis comes to mind (Catholic Jesuit school to boot.)

Other options for the AAC would be to poach another CUSA, Sun Belt team, and see if those conferences would take another team, NMSU, a SLC team etc.
That would be fun to discuss but I think it won't happen.

All indications are the AAC will stay with 11.
The best team I've seen affiliated with a conference change is Appalachian State.

[Herb Street]

Re: OT - College Realignment June 2019 edition

From all indications, they're not even considering it.

I don't think any member of a P5 conference is going to be leaving a P5 conference. That would be like an NFL franchise leaving the league to join Arena league.