How the basketball conferences are shaping up for 2013-14
It's been difficult enough keeping up with the changes for the 2012-13 season. With the latest round of conference shuffling, as of today here's how D-I basketball is likely to look in 2013-14.
America East (9) -- no changes
Albany, Binghamton, Boston, Hartford, Maine, New Hampshire, Stony Brook, UMBC, Vermont
ACC (14)
Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami-Florida, North Carolina, NC State, Pitt (from Big East), Syracuse (from Big East), Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
Atlantic Sun (10) -- no changes
East Tennessee, Florida Gulf Coast, Jacksonville, Kennesaw, Lipscomb, Mercer, North Florida, Northern Kentucky, SC-Upstate, Stetson
Atlantic 10 (14)
Butler (from Horizon), Charlotte, Dayton, Duquesne, Fordham, George Washington, LaSalle, Rhode Island, Richmond, Saint Bonaventure, Saint Joseph’s, Saint Louis, UMass, Xavier
Big East (18)
Cincinnati, DePaul, Georgetown, Houston (from Conference USA), Louisville, Marquette, Memphis (from Conference USA), Notre Dame, Providence, Rutgers, Saint John’s, Seton Hall, SMU (from Conference USA), Temple (from Atlantic 10), UCF (from Conference USA), UConn, USF, Villanova
Big Sky (11) -- no changes
Eastern Washington, Idaho State, Montana, Montana State, North Dakota, Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado, Portland State, Sacramento, Southern Utah, Weber
Big South (12) -- no changes
Campbell, Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, Gardner-Webb, High Point, Liberty, Longwood, NC-Asheville, Presbyterian, Radford, VMI, Winthrop
B1G (12) -- no changes
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin
Big 12 (10) -- no changes
Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, TCU, Texas Tech, West Virginia
Big West (10)
Cal Poly, Fullerton, Hawaii, Long Beach, Northridge, San Diego State (from Mountain West), UC-Davis, UC-Irvine, UC-Riverside, UCSB
Colonial (11) -- loses Georgia State to Sun Belt
Delaware, Drexel, George Mason, Hofstra, James Madison, NC-Wilmington, Northeastern, Old Dominion, Towson, VCU, William & Mary
Conference USA (12)
East Carolina, FIU (from Sun Belt), Louisiana Tech (from WAC), Marshall, North Texas (from Sun Belt), Rice, Southern Miss, Texas-San Antonio (from WAC), Tulane, Tulsa, UAB, UTEP
Great West (4) -- loses Houston Baptist to Southland
Chicago, NJIT, Texas-Pan American, Utah Valley
Horizon (9) -- loses Butler to Atlantic 10
Cleveland, Detroit, Green Bay, Loyola-Chicago, Milwaukee, UIC, Valparaiso, Wright, Youngstown
Ivy (8) -- no changes
Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, Yale
Metro Atlantic (10) -- no changes
Canisius, Fairfield, Iona, Loyola-Maryland, Manhattan, Marist, Niagara, Rider, Saint Peter’s, Siena
MAC (12) -- no changes
Akron, Ball, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent, Miami-Ohio, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Toledo, Western Michigan
MEAC (13) -- no changes
Bethune-Cookman, Coppin, Delaware State, Florida A&M, Hampton, Howard, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Morgan, Norfolk, North Carolina A&T, NCCU, Savannah, South Carolina State
Missouri Valley (10) -- no changes
Bradley, Creighton, Drake, Evansville, Illinois State, Indiana State, Missouri State, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois, Wichita
Mountain West (9) -- loses Boise State to WAC; loses San Diego State to Big West
Air Force, Colorado State, Fresno, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State (from WAC), UNLV, Utah State (from WAC), Wyoming
Northeast (12) -- no changes
Bryant, Central Connecticut, Fairleigh Dickinson, Long Island, Monmouth, Mount Saint Mary’s, Quinnipiac, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, Saint Francis-NY, Saint Francis-PA, Wagner
Ohio Valley (12) -- no changes
Austin Peay, Belmont, Eastern Illinois, Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State, Morehead, Murray, Southeast Missouri, SIU-Edwardsville, Tennessee-Martin, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech
Pac 12 (12) -- no changes
Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Colorado, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Utah, Washington, Washington State
Patriot (8) -- no changes
American, Army, Bucknell, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh, Navy
SEC (14) -- no changes
Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
Southern (12) -- no changes
Appalachian, Chattanooga, Citadel, College of Charleston, Davidson, Elon, Furman, Georgia Southern, NC-Greensboro, Samford, Western Carolina, Wofford
Southland (11)
Central Arkansas, Houston Baptist (from Great West), Lamar, McNeese State, Nicholls, Northwestern State, Oral Roberts, Sam Houston, Southeastern Louisiana, Stephen F. Austin, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
SWAC (10) -- no changes
Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Alcorn, Grambling, Jackson, Mississippi Valley, Prairie View A&M, Southern, Texas Southern, UAPB
Summit (9) -- no changes
IPFW, IUPUI, Nebraska-Omaha, North Dakota State, Oakland, South Dakota, South Dakota State, UMKC, Western Illinois
Sun Belt (12) -- loses FIU & North Texas to Conference USA
Arkansas State, FAU, Georgia State (from Colonial), Louisiana, Louisiana-Monroe, Middle Tennessee, South Alabama, Texas-Arlington (from WAC), Texas State (from WAC), Troy, UALR, Western Kentucky
West Coast (10)
BYU, Gonzaga, Loyola Marymount, Pacific (from Big West), Pepperdine, Portland, Saint Mary’s, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Clara
WAC (5) -- loses Louisiana Tech & Texas-San Antonio to Conference USA; loses San Jose State & Utah State to Mountain West; loses Texas-Arlington & Texas State to Sun Belt
Boise State (from Mountain West), Denver, Idaho, New Mexico State, Seattle
Independents (2)
Bakersfield, New Orleans
4 Things Stand Out
(1) Without Memphis, Conference USA basketball is up the river without an oar.
(2) All things considered, the Big East did yeoman's work replacing Syracuse and Pitt with Memphis and Temple. Nevertheless, the "Big Easy to Get Into" becomes an even bigger monstrosity with 18 teams. Am very curious to see how the Big East is going to handle its conference tournament. One suggestion? Even with all the new nametags, they should not leave Madison Square Garden. MSG in so many ways defines the tradition of the Big East.
(3) Look for the Mountain West -- already a solid basketball conference -- to be more of a factor in the NCAA Tournament. Nevada (joining in 2012-13) and Utah State (2013-14) are nice additions, and I expect Fresno State to make a significant jump once it gets out of the WAC. And don't be surprised if Boise State reverses course and decides the expected move to the Big East (for football only, with all other sports to the WAC) was ill-advised and asks to remain in the MWC.
(4) The WAC is in serious trouble with only 5 schools for 2013-14, and one of those (Boise State, see #3 above) may decide to bolt before ever playing in the conference. Just a thought. ... in survival mode, think there's any chance the WAC would pursue the Dakota schools (UND, NDSU, USD, SDSU) and maybe even Northern Colorado, all relatively new to D-I but perhaps willing to consider a conference with the WAC's history (and perhaps eventual football FBS status)? It's not a stretch for any of those schools to be considered western.
