The Five Conferences Significantly Impacted by Formation of WAC & ASUN

[TexasTerror]

I have been trying to get a clearer picture of what the FCS landscape looks like - particularly in the five conferences that were 'shaken up' or 'added' to the FCS map in these first few weeks of January.


For purposes of this, I am not including the Big Sky (they simply lost Southern Utah at this point for '22) and the two HBCU leagues (the MEAC recently lost Florida A&M and Bethune Cookman to the SWAC).


Keep in mind as it relates to the ASUN and WAC, these leagues won't be "complete" until '22 but this is essentially what we are looking at for '22 barring any additions to the WAC, ASUN or quite frankly - any of the conferences below!


===



ASUN (5)
Central Arkansas
Eastern Kentucky
Jacksonville State
Kennesaw State
North Alabama


BIG SOUTH (7)
Campbell
Charleston Southern
Gardner Webb
Hampton
Monmouth
North Carolina A&T
Robert Morris


OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE (7)
Austin Peay
Eastern Illinois
Murray State
SE Missouri State
Tennessee State
Tennessee Tech
Tennessee-Martin


SOUTHLAND (6)
Houston Baptist
Incarnate Word
McNeese State
Nicholls State
Northwestern State
Southeastern Louisiana


WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (7)
Abilene Christian
Dixie State
Lamar
Sam Houston State
Southern Utah
Stephen F Austin
Tarleton State

[Laker]

The next question is- who will be the next team to move?

[ST_Lawson]

The next question is- who will be the next team to move?

If twitter is to be believed...

https://i.giphy.com/media/9rhNJScGSlneHpLtnz/giphy.gif

[katss07]

WIU to OVC is next

[clenz]

If twitter is to be believed...

https://i.giphy.com/media/9rhNJScGSlneHpLtnz/giphy.gifI've been calling that the move is inevitable for a couple years.

The way the Summit has been expanding, budgets, now Covid and the OVC changes WIU isn't long for the Summit/MVFC/D1

[mmiller_34]

I've been calling that the move is inevitable for a couple years.

The way the Summit has been expanding, budgets, now Covid and the OVC changes WIU isn't long for the Summit/MVFC/D1

Some more possibilities??

- Youngstown State to Horizon/OVC
- Northern Colorado to Summit/MVFC
- Augustana College to Summit/Pioneer (Hope not)
- SDSU / NDSU to MVC (xlolxxlolx - wish)

[Laker]

Some more possibilities??

- Youngstown State to Horizon/OVC
- Northern Colorado to Summit/MVFC
- Augustana College to Summit/Pioneer (Hope not)
- SDSU / NDSU to MVC (xlolxxlolx - wish)

I sure haven't heard anything from the Augie fans about this lately. Their Summit hopes took a huge hit when D3 St Thomas got let into Studio 54 and they were left out in the rain. The next rumor was the WAC- with all of those Texas schools coming in and Chicago State leaving that poured cold water over them again. Just talked to some friends in Sioux Falls and the silence has been deafening.

[WestCoastAggie]

Some more possibilities??

- Youngstown State to Horizon/OVC
- Northern Colorado to Summit/MVFC
- Augustana College to Summit/Pioneer (Hope not)
- SDSU / NDSU to MVC (xlolxxlolx - wish)

If Youngstown is leaving, I think the Big South would be knocking on their doors, with the proximity to Robert Morris.

[Keeper]

If Youngstown is leaving, I think the Big South would be knocking on their doors, with the proximity to Robert Morris.

I believe that RMU is BigSouth associate member football only.
So YSU makes sense only if needed for AQ minimum.
OVC makes so much better sense, probably never happen.

[OhioHen]

Some more possibilities??

- Youngstown State to Horizon/OVC
- Northern Colorado to Summit/MVFC
- Augustana College to Summit/Pioneer (Hope not)
- SDSU / NDSU to MVC (xlolxxlolx - wish)

Youngstown State is already a full member of the Horizon League. No football in the league, thus the need to play football elsewhere.

[WestCoastAggie]

Youngstown State is already a full member of the Horizon League. No football in the league, thus the need to play football elsewhere.
I don’t see them leaving the Horizon to join the OVC either. Which is why I think following RMU to the Big South could be a possibility if they ever wanted to leave the MVFC, though that’s probably unlikely.

[iBOsbu]

I can see Big South approaching NC Central and SC State. These two schools might be tempted to join more a compact conference for all sports and to leave the instability of MEAC. Then NEC may take in DSU and MSU. Howard to Patriot perhaps. Coppin and Umes to Div2. Norfolk state who knows!

[caribbeanhen]

I can see Big South approaching NC Central and SC State. These two schools might be tempted to join more a compact conference for all sports and to leave the instability of MEAC. Then NEC may take in DSU and MSU. Howard to Patriot perhaps. Coppin and Umes to Div2. Norfolk state who knows!

UMES ever going to play football again?

[Laker]

UMES ever going to play football again?

I've always thought this was a major problem for conferences that had several non-football schools while also having football. I keep hearing about ones that are talking about adding the sport but never seem to pull the trigger. The WAC reinvented itself. Now the ASUN is too.

ASUN- Bellarmine, Florida Gulf Coast, Jacksonville, Lipscomb

MEAC- Coppin State, UMES

Southland- New Orleans & TAMUCC

Sunbelt- UALR, UTA

WAC- Cal Baptist, Chicago State, Denver, GCU, Seattle, UTRGV, UVU

[DFW HOYA]

I've always thought this was a major problem for conferences that had several non-football schools while also having football. I keep hearing about ones that are talking about adding the sport but never seem to pull the trigger. The WAC reinvented itself. Now the ASUN is too.

ASUN- Bellarmine, Florida Gulf Coast, Jacksonville, Lipscomb
MEAC- Coppin State, UMES
Southland- New Orleans & TAMUCC
Sunbelt- UALR, UTA
WAC- Cal Baptist, Chicago State, Denver, GCU, Seattle, UTRGV, UVU

UTRGV will add football.

The MEAC schools would probably like to but they're already on shoestring budgets as it is.

UTA should, but the leadership isn't there.

Bellarmine could be in the Pioneer someday.

Chicago State will be going to the NAIA when all is said and done.

[WestCoastAggie]

UMES ever going to play football again?

Nope. They don't have the enrollment and student fees available to sustain it.

[caribbeanhen]

Nope. They don't have the enrollment and student fees available to sustain it.

that’s what I kind of figured, Nice area in the summertime but after Labor Day they board everything up....

[DFW HOYA]

Nope. They don't have the enrollment and student fees available to sustain it.

Some additional numbers on UMES:

1. Undergraduate enrollment is just above 2,000, down 40% since 2016.
2. Just 73% of students return for sophomore year and 40% graduate within six years.
3. UMES had the lowest yield (accepted students that commit to attend) in the University of Maryland system.

All that said, football would be a great add to that school. Not much to do in Princess Anne, MD in the fall.

https://www.usmd.edu/IRIS/?view=UMES

[clenz]

Some more possibilities??

- Youngstown State to Horizon/OVC
- Northern Colorado to Summit/MVFC
- Augustana College to Summit/Pioneer (Hope not)
- SDSU / NDSU to MVC (xlolxxlolx - wish)
YSU, sadly, isn't going anywhere. They left the OVC 40ish years ago. I don't see them going back, especially a destabilized OVC and giving up their Horizon/MVFC life.

UNC? At this point with the WAC being a thing if they are going anywhere I have my doubts it is the Summit/MVFC.

Augie is dead - I hope

SDSU/NDSU won't happen. Not even in a "I rail against them" kind of way. It just won't happen. I don't think either side wants it. Honestly with the OVC falling apart I think WIU to the OVC is far more likely moving the MVFC back to 10.

[Professor]

Some additional numbers on UMES:

1. Undergraduate enrollment is just above 2,000, down 40% since 2016.
2. Just 73% of students return for sophomore year and 40% graduate within six years.
3. UMES had the lowest yield (accepted students that commit to attend) in the University of Maryland system.

All that said, football would be a great add to that school. Not much to do in Princess Anne, MD in the fall.

https://www.usmd.edu/IRIS/?view=UMES

And who is going to fund it

[walliver]

It is interesting that the 5 conferences listed all have 7 or fewer members.
This means that each team will have 5 or more OOC games every year. This may be challenging for many schools. The current line-ups appear somewhat unstable, and I suspect there will be movement among these schools in the intermediate term.

What does this do to the playoffs. Since current rules require that half the field in call D-1 championships be at-large teams and 2 new auto bids potentially being added, does the field expand to 32 teams? Does the NCAA give the ASun ands WAC immediate auto bids or wait a year or two. I believe current rules require teams to have been together for a certain period of time to qualify, but could easily see the NCAA giving in to these "new" conferences.

[TexasTerror]

It is interesting that the 5 conferences listed all have 7 or fewer members.
This means that each team will have 5 or more OOC games every year. This may be challenging for many schools. The current line-ups appear somewhat unstable, and I suspect there will be movement among these schools in the intermediate term.

What does this do to the playoffs. Since current rules require that half the field in call D-1 championships be at-large teams and 2 new auto bids potentially being added, does the field expand to 32 teams? Does the NCAA give the ASun ands WAC immediate auto bids or wait a year or two. I believe current rules require teams to have been together for a certain period of time to qualify, but could easily see the NCAA giving in to these "new" conferences.

Re: teams being together a certain period of time - that's for men's basketball and women's basketball where there's big time $$$ at stake.

In football, you just need six automatic bid eligible school(s) in order to get an automatic bid. In the case of the WAC, there's the issue that they only have five in '22 as Dixie and Tarleton are still going through their transition but the general thought is that the league will be granted a waiver particularly since it will be at seven Division I counters including five full counters. There's still the possibility that the WAC could add another Division I school but that remains to be seen.

And yes, there's plenty of OOC dates that need to be scheduled. The good thing in the case of the WAC, is that you have some significant overlap with the Southland which will also need games and the OVC/ASUN/Big South have similar situations there as that situations unfolds. Lamar and Northwestern State have already scheduled future games and it would not surprise me to see SFA hook up with the Demons, McNeese with Lamar and perhaps more along those lines. Some of the SLC schools could even be "bought" for home games by the WAC schools (happening in hoops already!)

[caribbeanhen]

And who is going to fund it

nobody!

pretty good article right here about what would take to start a football program at FCS level

https://www.extrapointsmb.com/p/so-whats-in-a-football-feasibility

[Baron Sardonicus]

There are multiple avenues for Augustana to get into the Summit League. Augie cannot be stopped. Augie can only be contained.

[WileECoyote06]

I can see Big South approaching NC Central and SC State. These two schools might be tempted to join more a compact conference for all sports and to leave the instability of MEAC. Then NEC may take in DSU and MSU. Howard to Patriot perhaps. Coppin and Umes to Div2. Norfolk state who knows!

They've been approaching for years. *shrug*.

The MEAC's major hurdle will be maintaining the baseball auto-bid. Even still, I don't see that as enough of a reason for NCCU to jump. SCSU doesn't offer baseball and their brass seems okay with the new look MEAC. Both NCCU and SCSU are founding institutions, so it would take a complete collapse to force our departure; especially with the travel issues now solved with the departure of FAMU and BCU.

I am not in favor of helping the Big South survive. With the announcement of two more schools leaving their football-only status, and the tenuous position of Monmouth; the Big South is every bit as unstable as the MEAC if not more so.

[WileECoyote06]

It is interesting that the 5 conferences listed all have 7 or fewer members.
This means that each team will have 5 or more OOC games every year. This may be challenging for many schools. The current line-ups appear somewhat unstable, and I suspect there will be movement among these schools in the intermediate term.

What does this do to the playoffs. Since current rules require that half the field in call D-1 championships be at-large teams and 2 new auto bids potentially being added, does the field expand to 32 teams? Does the NCAA give the ASun ands WAC immediate auto bids or wait a year or two. I believe current rules require teams to have been together for a certain period of time to qualify, but could easily see the NCAA giving in to these "new" conferences.

I've wondered about these policies myself. After forcing the Big South, Pioneer, and NEC to wait around for years; it seems pretty unfair that The Atlantic Sun and WAC can receive an auto-bid in less than one academic year. With basketball, I believe the teams have to play together for a number of years before they a conference can qualify.

[Laker]

There are multiple avenues for Augustana to get into the Summit League. Augie cannot be stopped. Augie can only be contained.

https://memegenerator.net/img-preview/Instance/PreviewInstanceData?instanceDataJson=%7B%22instanc eElements%22%3A%5B%7B%22instancePicture%22%3A%7B%2 2imageID%22%3A12973635%7D%2C%22instanceTexts%22%3A %5B%7B%22text%22%3A%22Here%20comes%20Augie!%22%2C% 22placeholder%22%3A%22top%20text%22%2C%22horizonta lAlign%22%3A%22center%22%2C%22verticalAlign%22%3A% 22near%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22%23ffffff%22%7D%2C%7B %22placeholder%22%3A%22bottom%20text%22%2C%22horiz ontalAlign%22%3A%22center%22%2C%22verticalAlign%22 %3A%22far%22%2C%22color%22%3A%22%23ffffff%22%7D%5D %7D%5D%7D

[Herder]

I've always thought this was a major problem for conferences that had several non-football schools while also having football. I keep hearing about ones that are talking about adding the sport but never seem to pull the trigger. The WAC reinvented itself. Now the ASUN is too.

ASUN- Bellarmine, Florida Gulf Coast, Jacksonville, Lipscomb

MEAC- Coppin State, UMES

Southland- New Orleans & TAMUCC

Sunbelt- UALR, UTA

WAC- Cal Baptist, Chicago State, Denver, GCU, Seattle, UTRGV, UVU

MVC is the poster child for FB/non-FB being a problem. God forbid anyone spend too much on FB in that league.

[dgtw]

If a NE league offered Monmouth a spot they would be gone in a heartbeat. Bob Morris just joined, not sure why they did.


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[WestCoastAggie]

They've been approaching for years. *shrug*.

The MEAC's major hurdle will be maintaining the baseball auto-bid. Even still, I don't see that as enough of a reason for NCCU to jump. SCSU doesn't offer baseball and their brass seems okay with the new look MEAC. Both NCCU and SCSU are founding institutions, so it would take a complete collapse to force our departure; especially with the travel issues now solved with the departure of FAMU and BCU.

I am not in favor of helping the Big South survive. With the announcement of two more schools leaving their football-only status, and the tenuous position of Monmouth; the Big South is every bit as unstable as the MEAC if not more so.

The Big South also doesn't to be the one responsible for killing off the MEAC. I won't expect the Big South to take any teams from the MEAC in the event Monmouth or Robert Morris leave. If anything, we'd see a partnership between the Big South and MEAC for a football conference.

[WileECoyote06]

The Big South also doesn't to be the one responsible for killing off the MEAC. I won't expect the Big South to take any teams from the MEAC in the event Monmouth or Robert Morris leave. If anything, we'd see a partnership between the Big South and MEAC for a football conference.

A partnership? For what? To be nice? We've got six and those six seem to be committed. We're good.

Merge with the Atlantic Sun.