[LU 57]

For some reason I thought Michigan copied Delaware so I looked into it. According to this article it was a Spalding stock design that several teams wore before Michigan, including Ohio State and Michigan State:

http://www.spartanjerseys.com/michigan- ... ed-helmet/

Anyway, I agree that UD would be an attractive target for CUSA.

[LUOrange]

DE would give us a decent nearby rival and put us in the PHL market. So I'm all for them joining CUSA. MO State would probably be the best western FCS call-up to balance out the west as well. If CUSA could add them, I'd hold fast unless we're talking the Dakota's.

[ballcoach15]

Missouri State would be a much better addition to CUSA than Delaware.

[tyndal23]

DE would give us a decent nearby rival and put us in the PHL market. So I'm all for them joining CUSA. MO State would probably be the best western FCS call-up to balance out the west as well. If CUSA could add them, I'd hold fast unless we're talking the Dakota's.

I expect them to try and get to at least 14 teams and add 2 at a time. Mo St, DE, SFA and a Big South/ ASun ( Campbell/Elon/Jacksonville? ) type. 10 is a weird number with 8 conference games and having to scramble to keep a conference together in realignment is easier with more teams. They barely held on with 14 last go around. ( and no, I haven’t researched next best east coast FCS schools, can barely stomach researching G5 football as is ) so will leave it to the pro’s on this board to argue geography, $, tv markets. Kennesaw was a no brainer ( and they could easily surpass LU as an AAC target since they value tv market over all else). Hence my Jacksonville ( yes, they suck - but that doesn’t seem to matter anymore ).

[AATL]

Jacksonville cut football in 2019 in the name of cost and is probably cozy in a conference with so many Florida teams. I agree Missouri State would be an excellent addition, but my understanding is it's more an issue of Missouri State's lack of interest in CUSA than vice versa. Since CUSA has long-since lost hope of regionalization, I'd be excited about Delaware. They're competitive in several sports and probably could have made the jump in a previous round of realignment.

[ATrain]

The MAC should want them. The MAC is viewed by many as "stable", but in the G5 world, that can also mean "stagnant". Many of their teams joined in the 40s and have been there ever since. It's the G5 Hotel California.

Adding Delaware and maybe UMass (and having Buffalo already there) might invigorate the MAC a bit and help shed the perception that its a stale OH/MI conference.

UMass was in the MAC, then got kicked out

[LUOrange]

The MAC should want them. The MAC is viewed by many as "stable", but in the G5 world, that can also mean "stagnant". Many of their teams joined in the 40s and have been there ever since. It's the G5 Hotel California.

Adding Delaware and maybe UMass (and having Buffalo already there) might invigorate the MAC a bit and help shed the perception that its a stale OH/MI conference.

UMass was in the MAC, then got kicked out

The MAC told UMASS to take their lousy football team elsewhere if they didn't become a full member, and obviously UMASS prefers the A10 to the MAC for all sports. I'm sure the MAC would still take UMASS in all sports, as CUSA would as well. Obiously, no one only wants their crappy football team.

[Sly Fox]

Once upon a time, the A-10 was a multi-bid league that was valued by the Minutemen. These days, not near as much.

[ATrain]

Once upon a time, the A-10 was a multi-bid league that was valued by the Minutemen. These days, not near as much.

Yep. The A10 was always the little brother to the Big East. Then Big East football went caput, and the Big East basketball schools got the best of the A10 (Xavier, Butler, etc...). There are enough quality athletic departments for the A10 to get back to being a two-or-three bid league, but they need to stop adding the hottest mid-major of the moment (see: George Mason and Loyola Chicago) and focus on improving their existing product back to what it was.

[ballcoach15]

Liberty and CUSA should ignore MAC, A10 and all northern schools, unless playing Penn State for non conference games.

[LUOrange]

Once upon a time, the A-10 was a multi-bid league that was valued by the Minutemen. These days, not near as much.

Yep. The A10 was always the little brother to the Big East. Then Big East football went caput, and the Big East basketball schools got the best of the A10 (Xavier, Butler, etc...). There are enough quality athletic departments for the A10 to get back to being a two-or-three bid league, but they need to stop adding the hottest mid-major of the moment (see: George Mason and Loyola Chicago) and focus on improving their existing product back to what it was.

The problem with NCAA Conferences centered around football & MBB is that they've gotten too big, focusing on TV money. So gone are the things that made them great- traditional, regional & conference rivalries.

[Sly Fox]

At the last minute yesterday, San Diego State asked to have their withdrawal letter retracted. This is based on the situation where the Pac-12 doesn't want to make any decisions about membership until a media contract is ratified. The next potential moment in that drama in July 21st at the Pac-12 Football Media Day. I wouldn't count on a deal by then.

In essence, this slows down the timeline for dominoes to fall and decreaes the chances they will start falling this summer. If San Diego State couldn't secure an invitation from either the Pac-12 or Big XII, then there is zero chance that SMU will. So the MWC & AAC lineups remain in place for the time being. All other moves predicated on Pac-12 & Big XII moves remain in a holding pattern.

This is ultimately good news from an LU perspective. The longer that this situation lingers, the better positioned we become. The good news is we finally have our (ahem) less than qualified president out the door and a legitimately credentialed leader now in place. That's a huge step forward for us. Sadly the former remains in influence at the moment. Now we also need to step up and deliver on the field this fall. With the massive roster changeover and new systems in place, they is no small order.

No one is buzzing about us nationally as a relates to potential AAC membership in spite of the fact that we make the most sense athleticially & financially. That will change over time. And frankly that league is the best fit for us in the near term.

[Ill flame]

I agree that less movement is ultimately better for us in the long run but I won't complain if SDSU and SMU end up jumping to the PAC 12. I think SMU is going to be in the driver's seat as the G5 CFP representative most years with their NIL money so them out of the picture makes our path that much easier. SDSU jumping to P5 isn't likely to effect us in a meaningful way since the MWC isn't likely to backfill with anyone. I hope hiring chadwell and the inevitable success we will have under him proves to conferences that we weren't just a one hit wonder under HCHF and this program is capable of sustaining success through a coaching change which is very tough to do at the G5 level.

[ATrain]

Arizona State joining a new conference...
https://www.espn.com/college-sports/sto ... -25-season
(for hockey)

[Ill flame]

Arizona State joining a new conference...
https://www.espn.com/college-sports/sto ... -25-season
(for hockey)

I hate to see it. College hockey has really been growing lately with 9 new (or newly reinstated) teams at the D1 level since 2012 and a 10th on the way in a year or two. Since there is a moratorium on new single sport conferences a lot of the new teams have been joining D1 as an independent which has been making it much more sustainable for additional programs to move up and fill out their schedules as an independent. I was hoping to see that trend continue until it made sense for us to move up as an independent but the other 5 independents aren't nearly as stable or a household name like ASU.

[aredd33]

The first shoe drops…how much, if any, domino effect will this have

[aredd33]

[Purple Haize]

Good move by both Colorado and Big 12

[tyndal23]

The first shoe drops…how much, if any, domino effect will this have

Networks asking Big 12 to cap it a 16. WA and OR have reached out to Big 12 ( wouldn’t be shocked if suddenly BIG changes their stance and tries to get at least WA and OR - but for now they are talking to Big 12). PAC has notified SMU, UNLV, SDSU, CO State to be on standby - getting all this from MHver on Twitter...so as for domino effect - count on 1 AAC and 3 MW openings...

[tyndal23]

The first shoe drops…how much, if any, domino effect will this have

Networks asking Big 12 to cap it a 16. WA and OR have reached out to Big 12 ( wouldn’t be shocked if suddenly BIG changes their stance and tries to get at least WA and OR - but for now they are talking to Big 12). PAC has notified SMU, UNLV, SDSU, CO State to be on standby - getting all this from MHver on Twitter...so as for domino effect - count on 1 AAC and 3 MW openings...

OR - a PAC 12 and MW merger ( not from MHVR - but another Podcaster has really been making strong arguments for it - ( if PAC lost 2 or more ).

[tyndal23]

Not to get ahead of things, BUT - if your Ian, do you make a pitch to AAC if SMU bolts? Like the $20 plus million we offered to get in to CUSA a decade ago? Who would we be trying to buy in over? Can’t think of any one else with a great tv market - other than the Kennesaw St, Ga St, types. I would think some reasonable cash could go a long way...

[ballcoach15]

Liberty should stay in CUSA and hold out for a Big 12 or ACC invite.

A PAC 12 & Mountain West merger would be death blow to PAC 12 as a Power 5 Conference. Merging PAC 12 and MWC would make about as much sense as the ACC merging with Big South Conference.
Most college sports fans probably can't name 3 schools in MWC.

[Ill flame]

Not to get ahead of things, BUT - if your Ian, do you make a pitch to AAC if SMU bolts? Like the $20 plus million we offered to get in to CUSA a decade ago? Who would we be trying to buy in over? Can’t think of any one else with a great tv market - other than the Kennesaw St, Ga St, types. I would think some reasonable cash could go a long way...

The AAC is an objectively better conference than CUSA even without SMU but I don't think it's worth buying our way in at this point. Trying to buy our way into every new conference we join is a bad precedent, especially when it wouldn't be a massive upgrade. AAC without houston, UCF, SMU and Cincinnati isn't much better than the sunbelt at that point. We can still accomplish everything we want to out of CUSA.

[tyndal23]

Not to get ahead of things, BUT - if your Ian, do you make a pitch to AAC if SMU bolts? Like the $20 plus million we offered to get in to CUSA a decade ago? Who would we be trying to buy in over? Can’t think of any one else with a great tv market - other than the Kennesaw St, Ga St, types. I would think some reasonable cash could go a long way...

The AAC is an objectively better conference than CUSA even without SMU but I don't think it's worth buying our way in at this point. Trying to buy our way into every new conference we join is a bad precedent, especially when it wouldn't be a massive upgrade. AAC without houston, UCF, SMU and Cincinnati isn't much better than the sunbelt at that point. We can still accomplish everything we want to out of CUSA.

TV networks beg to differ. 800k per school CUSA vs $ 7 million per school AAC. Had we not knee jerked and jumped in to CUSA, an AAC bribe and offer as Independent is a lot smoother ( we all saw that realignment wasn’t over with ). Still G5, but I would rather risk growing my program with better competition , recruits, and 9X the $ for a chance at Future P5 invite. That said, risk goes both ways - losing seasons and rare Conference Championships and not much of a bump in attendance if things aren’t all clicking. However, LU ain’t jumping from CUSA to a P5. So next round of alignment would logically be AAC after dominant success in CUSA - but we get passed over for Kennesaw St due to “tv market” and we are stuck in the future still needing to “buy in” - why waste the years?

[ballcoach15]

Kennesaw State is over rated as a TV Market. Nationwide, Liberty probably has a bigger following than KSU. If my memory is correct, Liberty had more fans at the ASUN softball tournament at KSU in 2021, than the home team did.
I'm confident thousands of people in Georgia are sitting around waiting for the Owls to come on TV.