Realignment Proposal

[VUGrad1314]

I've chosen to outline the following realignment proposal here because it does not directly affect the MVC  but may affect the HL if they are serious about potentially adding NMSU and Grand Canyon.

There has been some call for the MWC to add these schools in an attempt to increase their hoops profile The problem is that they'd need another football school. This is where it gets fun: The MWC invites UTEP to join  which balances both the football and basketball members count at 14 UTEP and New Mexico State become natural travel partners and I'm sure one can be found for GCU without much trouble.

For their part Conference USA suddenly down a member with the departure of the Miners  goes again to the Sun Belt in search of  members. They need a school that fits in the western division. Enter Arkansas State which would slide very comfortably into the Western division as a program that has won at least seven games every year since 2010 but do very little for their basketball profile which would actually take even more of a hit. Therefore, in order to strengthen themselves as a basketball Conference keep them from falling behind the other conferences  into perennial one bid league status they also take UT-Arlington from the Sun Belt and Florida Gulf Coast from the Atlantic Sun.

The Sun Belt then either takes Valdosta State as a move-up from D2  or admits Liberty as a full member and depending upon the rest of realignment might add some more basketball members as well.

These moves in combination with the moves made by the MVC could signal the return of the multi bid mid major conference as the best teams at this level will be clustered in fewer leagues and the low majors will be more competitive as well

[bbtds]

These moves in combination with the moves made by the MVC could signal the return of the multi bid mid major conference as the best teams at this level will be clustered in fewer leagues and the low majors will be more competitive as well

Now figure out a way for this proposal to benefit the high majors in some way and it might have a chance.

[VUGrad1314]

This isn't about making it work for the high majors They have no say in the realignment decisions of other leagues This is about taking the fight to the high majors by placing more strong teams into stronger conferences to boost their RPI and 1. make teams from these conferences more attractive to higher level teams to play them out of conference and 2. Providing more high quality games for mid majors in conference to boost RPI and strength of schedule while 3. making low major conferences more competitive by taking out there heavy hitters thereby boosting each team's overall metrics because every team will think they have a chance in the new conference climate.

[FieldGoodie05]

This isn't about making it work for the high majors They have no say in the realignment decisions of other leagues This is about taking the fight to the high majors by placing more strong teams into stronger conferences to boost their RPI and 1. make teams from these conferences more attractive to higher level teams to play them out of conference and 2. Providing more high quality games for mid majors in conference to boost RPI and strength of schedule while 3. making low major conferences more competitive by taking out there heavy hitters thereby boosting each team's overall metrics because every team will think they have a chance in the new conference climate.

All that just in time for the NCAA to change the rules.  I don't think you are getting his point.

POWER MAKES THE RULES.

[bbtds]

This isn't about making it work for the high majors They have no say in the realignment decisions of other leagues This is about taking the fight to the high majors by placing more strong teams into stronger conferences to boost their RPI and 1. make teams from these conferences more attractive to higher level teams to play them out of conference and 2. Providing more high quality games for mid majors in conference to boost RPI and strength of schedule while 3. making low major conferences more competitive by taking out there heavy hitters thereby boosting each team's overall metrics because every team will think they have a chance in the new conference climate.

All that just in time for the NCAA to change the rules.  I don't think you are getting his point.

POWER MAKES THE RULES.

Thanks. Yes, my point is every conference is in tune with where the money comes from and the money comes from the P5 football conferences. If you don't think that any D1 school in the midwest wouldn't join the B1G if invited then you're crazy. Who wouldn't accept that TV windfall? Not many would turn it down. That is what shapes the conferences in the NCAA.

[VUGrad1314]

I realize that the table is tilted in favor of the Power 5. What I am trying to do is brainstorm solutions that will allow Conferences like ours to have a fighting chance in this climate. To me the notion of "throw up your hands on surrender because the P5 is going to take all the bids away" is not an option. My thought is they're playing with a heavy advantage but we've still got a chance if we work together and do the right things Now what can we do to combat against and cut into their advantage? That is what I'm trying to devise solutions for.

[bbtds]

I realize that the table is tilted in favor of the Power 5. What I am trying to do is brainstorm solutions that will allow Conferences like ours to have a fighting chance in this climate. To me the notion of "throw up your hands on surrender because the P5 is going to take all the bids away" is not an option. My thought is they're playing with a heavy advantage but we've still got a chance if we work together and do the right things Now what can we do to combat against and cut into their advantage? That is what I'm trying to devise solutions for.

The P5 conferences have the power within the NCAA due to their size and money generated. If the mid-majors come up with a scheme to bulk up the mid-major conferences the P5 members will call on their buddies within the NCAA to change the rules and make it impossible for the conference changes to happen. The problem lies in the fact that the mid-majors and low-majors covet the large amounts of money that the P5 are able to generate through their TV contracts and shoe/equipment advertising contracts. 

You can dream up all the scenarios you want but the P5 will not allow the mid-majors to have that kind of power within the NCAA. 

[Dave_2010]

Getting the power 5 (7 if you count the Big East and AAC) to agree to much of anything is a stretch, but the rest of the leagues need to do something. The timing was terrible, but I️ loved the Bracket Buster concept.

If I were king, every team should get 2 games (home and away) during the week between Christmas and New Years (when the networks are desperate for programming because people are off work). You could do the draw the first or second week of December after exempt tournaments and conference challenges finish. The better programs have separated themselves by that point. Seed teams based on Ken Pom or something similar and give them one last chance to boost their resume before conference play kicks in.

[a3uge]

Getting the power 5 (7 if you count the Big East and AAC) to agree to much of anything is a stretch, but the rest of the leagues need to do something. The timing was terrible, but I️ loved the Bracket Buster concept.

If I were king, every team should get 2 games (home and away) during the week between Christmas and New Years (when the networks are desperate for programming because people are off work). You could do the draw the first or second week of December after exempt tournaments and conference challenges finish. The better programs have separated themselves by that point. Seed teams based on Ken Pom or something similar and give them one last chance to boost their resume before conference play kicks in.

Bracket Busters in 2017 would put teams in a no-win situation. Winning a game vs a 51 RPI team means about the same as winning a game vs a 150 RPI team. The selection committee really only looks at quantity of top 50 RPI wins and quantity of top 25 RPI wins, so playing a game vs a good mid major that is still above 50 RPI would only hurt. Even top 50 RPI wins are somewhat ignored, in favor of top 25 wins.

Valpo wouldn't see any benefit by adding Belmont, Oakland, or UTA to the schedule, since those teams are likely to finish 50+ RPI.

[VUGrad1314]

Would taking the game on the road help  given the new system?

[VUGrad1314]

With the Aggies gaining bowl eligibility today maybe this proposal has some life. UTEP is probably appealing based on history and potential NMSU is a strong hoops add showing signs of life in football that makes sense as a travel partner for UTEP and has natural rivalries with UTEP and many current MWC schools. Just gotta find a basketball add to tie it all together. GCU having a strong year would help. If not I think maybe one of Gonzaga or St Mary's could be convinced though I think Gonzaga belongs in the Big East. The MWC would be a nice step up in in-conference competition for them if a move to the BE is not available though.

[valporun]

The only holdup for Grand Canyon moving to a better conference was their eligibility for NCAA tournament play. I think this year is their first year of eligibility, so they have a better shot of moving to the Mountain West or another conference, if the WAC falls apart.

[VUGrad1314]

Yes, this is Grand Canyon's first year of tournament eligibility. Actually it is not the WAC that controls the fate of these schools but rather as the lynchpins of the conference, these schools control the WAC's fate. And make no mistake these schools want out badly. I believe that the defection of CSU-Bakersfield is the last straw for the WAC, even with Cal Baptist slated to join the conference next year. There are far too many schools in that conference that would be better off elsewhere for me to be confident in its long-term survival.

[VUGrad1314]

NKU to MVC ASAP LOOK at those attendance numbers! Adding NKU would be like adding the midwest's version of GCU. For the record their KenPom rating would be second in the conference only to Missouri State right now.

http://horizonleaguefans.freeforums.net/thread/1084/average-attendance

http://horizonleaguefans.freeforums.net/thread/1079/kenpom-ratings?page=2