Conference Realignment Updates

[metrolax]

CUSA, as an aside, has morphed into a sort of allegiance of non-aligned schools. Meaning, schools who would be independent in normal times but live in a time when belonging to some sort of conference has more weight. It serves two purposes, unofficially, but is integral. First, it serves as a welcoming league for FCS schools looking to move up, and it can also serve as a feeder league for teams wanting to go for a more concrete league. Granted, its not exactly the sexiest existence a league can have, but it could be more of a purpose than some leagues have at the moment.

 

[disco]

OK. Then we're satisfied to be chronically in the lower half of the conference? To lose the majority of our games to our rivals? To pay coach after coach with no improvement in outcomes? To spend loads of money on facilities with no better results? Or does someone have a feasible plan to raise the program out of its six decade slump?

Until something happens to fix all the NIL/paying player/transfer issues, I don't think anything major happens with Minnesota or similar programs, which, to be honest, includes the majority of the B1G. At some point there has to be a handle on this mess.

 

[disco]

CUSA, as an aside, has morphed into a sort of allegiance of non-aligned schools. Meaning, schools who would be independent in normal times but live in a time when belonging to some sort of conference has more weight. It serves two purposes, unofficially, but is integral. First, it serves as a welcoming league for FCS schools looking to move up, and it can also serve as a feeder league for teams wanting to go for a more concrete league. Granted, its not exactly the sexiest existence a league can have, but it could be more of a purpose than some leagues have at the moment.

Yeah, it's the league that will take basically anyone in order to stay afloat. Hence NMSU, who nobody wanted, in part because they have a historically awful football program (the Kill era aside) and Liberty, who nobody wanted because of who owns/runs the school and the politics involved. I wonder if Idaho had stayed FBS if they wouldn't have ended up there as well. For a long time, it seemed that the Sun Belt was the bottom feeder conference, but it turned out they actually play some good football there.

 

[disco]

Hawaii has signed a grant of rights with the MWC through 2032 for FB so that option is off the table for the PAC-7. I think Sac St would pay an entrance fee if it would get a PAC invite. NDSU maybe too. Beyond that, the options are getting very small for the PAC-7 and they are going to have to dig deep and part with a good chunk of that "war chest" it ended up with when the P4 programs left the conference.

This morning the report is that MWC is putting the hard sell on Texas State. I'm sure right now Texas State admin is on the phone with Sun Belt, AAC, MWC, C-USA and PAC taking bids.

This is weird, wild stuff.

But Hawaii is still football only for now. So both the MWC and the PAC need two additional full members. I still think we see UTEP, NMSU, Texas State as most likely to move, but then there still needs to be one more move to fill both conferences unless Hawaii becomes a full member. I can't remember - did UTSA say they're not going anywhere?