Conference realignment benefitting us

[FalconTurf]

FF90 - I agree we should tell them to go pound salt. Does BG and the rest of the schools in the same boat have guts enough to do it? We (BG, other mid-majors and DI-AA schools) seem much too willing to run like fools for the money to play those 1-and-done games in the big stadiums. If only 64 teams in 4 mega-conferences remain and nobody outside that elite group will play them some of the Indiana's, Northwestern's and such could really suffer playing that type of schedule.

[1987alum]

Academically, that works.

But the reality is, the Have Nots need those money games. BG cannot afford to just pass them up, nor can most any other non-BCS conference school.

[Sidejudge]

Just as a side note, Boise State just announced its move to a new conference:

BOISE, IDAHO (AP)
Boise State University has accepted an invitation to join the Mountain West Conference in 2011. Boise State, currently a Western Athletic Conference member, would become the Mountain West Conference's 10th member. The move would be effective July 1, 2011.
Mountain West Conference commissioner Craig Thompson says BSU was invited to join the 11-year-old conference to boost its strength.
BSU President Bob Kustra says this shows Boise State University has demonstrated academic and athletic success.

[BourbonFalcon]

With the advent of mega conferences, won't certain programs within those 16-team conferences suffer? The simple percentages point to less teams with winning records, and less teams winning conference championships. Given enough time in these highly competitive leagues, won't recruiting and overall quality of play suffer for the bottom half? Will the Indiana's and Colorado's of the mega conferences become more inconsequential while allowing room for new mid-major powerhouses from smaller conferences to emerge. (on the basis of being able to post more winning seasons) Anyone have any thoughts on this or am I way off base? I realize that the money flow is not likely to change.

[bgsukid]

Academically, that works.

But the reality is, the Have Nots need those money games. BG cannot afford to just pass them up, nor can most any other non-BCS conference school.

Bingo! It's not realistic, we need them WAY more than they need us because we need the payday. You'd never get all the non-BCS schools to agree to not play them because the majority would not pass up the money, I'd be surprised if even one school would be dumb enough to try this. Any school that did try it would just fall further behind because of the revenue hit. Staying on this point, if you want to tell the BCS schools to "pound salt" or whatever then more power to you, I just hope you're cool with saying goodbye to more sports not called football or basketball. Those payouts from the BCS schools are essential to helping support the other sports that are non-revenue or don't make enough to sustain themselves. The Big Ten has already brought up going to an extra conference game. That means one less non-conference game which means there will be mac schools losing games and big payouts already thus widening that gap.
Sorry, there's no way around it, we need them. The gap is just going to get bigger and mac schools have zero leverage in stopping it. Being proactive is a nice thought, but what can the mac do? They could try and poach other schools from the Big East, ACC or Big XII, but who would accept that's going to propel the mac toward being in the bcs conversation? The only thing we can do is sit back and watch.

[Falconfreak90]

Academically, that works.

But the reality is, the Have Nots need those money games. BG cannot afford to just pass them up, nor can most any other non-BCS conference school.

Unfortunately, this is so true. I am so sick and tired of the BCS hogging everything. At this point, I have to agree with my dad and say it is probably time for the non BCS conferences to form their own division. I'd rather play for a National Championship with a playoff system than fight for the measly table scraps that fall from the BCS table.

[FalconTurf]

I agree none will be able to turn down the money. The threat and some hold out may drive the payday up though. If the mid-majors would simply block out 8 conference weeks, 2 or 3 cross-conference Mid-major weeks and 1 or 2 BCS weeks this would stretch the opponents for the 4 weeks they will be looking for easier games. Ultimately someone would schedule 4 big money beat-downs but how goes the rest of the season?

[NWLB]

Academically, that works.

But the reality is, the Have Nots need those money games. BG cannot afford to just pass them up, nor can most any other non-BCS conference school.

Unfortunately, this is so true. I am so sick and tired of the BCS hogging everything. At this point, I have to agree with my dad and say it is probably time for the non BCS conferences to form their own division. I'd rather play for a National Championship with a playoff system than fight for the measly table scraps that fall from the BCS table.

You complain about the BCS hogging everything, then say you want a playoff that your favorite team can't win, won't ever win, and that has no point including the very teams you complain are suffering.

Circular argument, we've been over it, and I still haven't seen a shred of evidence why a playoff actually would help anything for the MAC or BGSU.

[daspollak]

Academically, that works.

But the reality is, the Have Nots need those money games. BG cannot afford to just pass them up, nor can most any other non-BCS conference school.

Unfortunately, this is so true. I am so sick and tired of the BCS hogging everything. At this point, I have to agree with my dad and say it is probably time for the non BCS conferences to form their own division. I'd rather play for a National Championship with a playoff system than fight for the measly table scraps that fall from the BCS table.

You complain about the BCS hogging everything, then say you want a playoff that your favorite team can't win, won't ever win, and that has no point including the very teams you complain are suffering.

Circular argument, we've been over it, and I still haven't seen a shred of evidence why a playoff actually would help anything for the MAC or BGSU.

I believe he wants to see the lower FBS schools and some of the top FCS schools form their own division and have a play-off. With the right recruits and coach we could possibly do well at that level.

[SB-50]

It's becoming very apparent and realistic that financial and competitive prudence dictates assuming I-AA status. Essentially we've been I-AA. MAC schools only go to tie-in bowls, or receive at-large bids to 2nd and 3rd tier games. We do not have a favorable profile Nationally. We continue to be the runts of the litter, not taken serious by the lead dogs. I would rather continue to seek league championships, qualify for the I-AA playoffs all while saving the athletic department and the University tons of cash. I too am tired of looking for those BCS scraps.

[60yearsofsicsic]

Whats interesting to me is that it looks like that Power 4 Conferences may end up being Power 5:

Pac 10
Big Ten
SEC
EAC ( East Atlantic Conference ACC/Big East Adding and Subtracting Teams)
MWC (They are adding Boise and now rumors of Kansas, Kansas State, and Missouri)

To me in this equation the MWC is one the 3 best conferences and one would assume would be part of the BCS restructuring and simply take the place of the Big 12.

That leaves some interesting happenings with the 4 Conference below and some BCS school that might be forced to or choose to change conferences. Remember this is football only and my stream of thought:

CUSA
MAC
WAC
Sun Belt

I will take a gander and say teams like Baylor (WAC), UCONN (CUSA), DUKE (CUSA), Northwestern (I would say MAC, but really doesnt fit the academic profile), Iowa State (MWC or WAC or CUSA) and then I think Memphis and Marshall would be make a great fit in the MAC. In this senerio the Big East is essentially defunct and a new conference is created merging some of the ACC and Big East teams and leaving some out to dry. I also think teams like Northwestern, UCONN, Duke, Iowa State are probably great candidates to get pushed out or choose to leave.

Just my to Cents

[bgsukid]

I agree none will be able to turn down the money. The threat and some hold out may drive the payday up though.

Wouldn't work. The BCS schools know we need that game so what leverage would a non-BCS school have? They can say take it or leave it and we're really left with no choice. If you turn it down you risk ending up with an Eastern Kentucky on your schedule and losing tons of money and on the other hand the BCS school will just find some other non-BCS or 1-AA school that will take the money.
Also it's completely unrealistic to think you'd be able to get all the non-BCS school to agree on setting aside certain weeks for playing BCS schools. If Texas has an open date in late October there will be non-BCS schools fighting for that huge payday and they'd be stupid not to.

[BGFalconfromCincy]

I will take a gander and say teams like Baylor (WAC), UCONN (CUSA), DUKE (CUSA), Northwestern (I would say MAC, but really doesnt fit the academic profile), Iowa State (MWC or WAC or CUSA) and then I think Memphis and Marshall would be make a great fit in the MAC. In this senerio the Big East is essentially defunct and a new conference is created merging some of the ACC and Big East teams and leaving some out to dry. I also think teams like Northwestern, UCONN, Duke, Iowa State are probably great candidates to get pushed out or choose to leave.

I realize that football sucess is the reason for all the changes, but why would the Big 10 get rid of Northwestern, they fit perfectly in the Big 10 both academically and geographically, and why would the ACC just decide to get rid of Duke, and why would a the ACC not want UConn and its up and coming football program, they would be a better football choice then Syracuse. How I think its going to play out the is that once the Pac-10 officially has 6 teams coming in the SEC will seek out four ACC schools to get to 16 teams as well. Then the ACC brings in the 8 Big East football schools to join the 8 remaining ACC schools for a 16 conference, and the Big East returns to being a non-football league

[Globetrotter]

Academically, that works.

But the reality is, the Have Nots need those money games. BG cannot afford to just pass them up, nor can most any other non-BCS conference school.

Unfortunately, this is so true. I am so sick and tired of the BCS hogging everything. At this point, I have to agree with my dad and say it is probably time for the non BCS conferences to form their own division. I'd rather play for a National Championship with a playoff system than fight for the measly table scraps that fall from the BCS table.

You complain about the BCS hogging everything, then say you want a playoff that your favorite team can't win, won't ever win, and that has no point including the very teams you complain are suffering.

Circular argument, we've been over it, and I still haven't seen a shred of evidence why a playoff actually would help anything for the MAC or BGSU.

Why would we never win?

[Globetrotter]

Baylor really makes not too much sense geographically but they are out in the Big 12 and apparently TCU is pushing not to let them into the MWC. They are not great in football but would be a boon for basketball for sure.

PS, every post in here seems to indicate that it is inevitable and we have nothing we can do. There really isn't anything we can try? Adding some bigger name schools, adding some bigger market schools, adding some D2 schools. Just seems like we should do something and not let everything be dictated to us.