Challenging the wisdom of the need for large conference "footprints"

[Maroons]

Whenever the topic of conference realignment comes up on this message board (which is frequently), there is always an extended discussion of the need for a "large footprint" to "extend the brand" of the conference into new markets.

This was never more evident than during the Pac 10/Big 10/Big 12 shuffle this year when media members slobbered all over "the Northeast market" that Syracuse and Rutgers could provide the Big 10 or "the Southwest market" that Texas could offer the Pac 10 or SEC.

The rationale for the need for a dominating footprint has been readily documented by people touting the success of the Big 10 network and all of the money it makes for the member schools. More TVs=more revenue!

However, this argument always struck me as absurd when applied to FCS conferences. How large are the revenue streams flowing out of TV money for FCS games? How much does it really help recruiting to play a game once every two years at Georgia State? How much "in roads" has the OVC made into southern recruiting by adding Samford and JaxState? Conversely, how much has it helped Jax to travel to Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri?

As transportation costs continue to rise, expansive conferences may not even make sense for the big boys for much longer (An SI article this year about the waste of the bowl system said something like only 20 athletic departments are self supporting!).

Why is smaller better? I would contend that local rivalries do more for your school and program than far flung affiliations.

And maybe Major League Baseball sees it the same way?

http://espn.go.com/blog/the-gms-office/post/_/id/363/mlb-needs-geographic-realignment (MLB Needs Geographic Realignment)

[Hammerhead]

I would prefer conference members to be closer together which makes it an easier road trip to watch your team play on the road. UND's closest conference opponent (assuming the Big Sky doesn't change it's mind) will be 826 miles away with an average and median distance over 1,200 miles.

[Go...gate]

One of the good and practical things about the Patriot League, NEC and Ivy is that everyone is relatively close. IMO, it is a much healthier situation for a conference.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Whenever the topic of conference realignment comes up on this message board (which is frequently), there is always an extended discussion of the need for a "large footprint" to "extend the brand" of the conference into new markets.

This was never more evident than during the Pac 10/Big 10/Big 12 shuffle this year when media members slobbered all over "the Northeast market" that Syracuse and Rutgers could provide the Big 10 or "the Southwest market" that Texas could offer the Pac 10 or SEC.

The rationale for the need for a dominating footprint has been readily documented by people touting the success of the Big 10 network and all of the money it makes for the member schools. More TVs=more revenue!

However, this argument always struck me as absurd when applied to FCS conferences. How large are the revenue streams flowing out of TV money for FCS games? How much does it really help recruiting to play a game once every two years at Georgia State? How much "in roads" has the OVC made into southern recruiting by adding Samford and JaxState? Conversely, how much has it helped Jax to travel to Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee and Missouri?

As transportation costs continue to rise, expansive conferences may not even make sense for the big boys for much longer (An SI article this year about the waste of the bowl system said something like only 20 athletic departments are self supporting!).

Why is smaller better? I would contend that local rivalries do more for your school and program than far flung affiliations.

And maybe Major League Baseball sees it the same way?

http://espn.go.com/blog/the-gms-office/post/_/id/363/mlb-needs-geographic-realignment (MLB Needs Geographic Realignment)

I couldn't agree more with your assessment, but I'd add more to this analysis as well. You can make the case that geographic conference expansion is pushed heavily by basketball, where travel costs are much, much lower and can spawn rivalries that aren't regional in nature (e.g. Georgetown/Syracuse, Duke/Arizona). Football has always had stronger regional attraction, especially at the FCS level, than basketball, which is more of a travel-hungry revenue sport.

Having said that, don't underestimate the allure of recruiting areas. A school like UNH, for example, recruits Pennsylvania extremely hard and is successful, thanks to conference games vs. Delaware and Villanova, so I would refute your claim that it doesn't help recruiting.

[Jacked_Rabbit]

I would prefer conference members to be closer together which makes it an easier road trip to watch your team play on the road. UND's closest conference opponent (assuming the Big Sky doesn't change it's mind) will be 826 miles away with an average and median distance over 1,200 miles.

Nice work getting the UND jab into this thread! xlolx

[Maroons]

Having said that, don't underestimate the allure of recruiting areas. A school like UNH, for example, recruits Pennsylvania extremely hard and is successful, thanks to conference games vs. Delaware and Villanova, so I would refute your claim that it doesn't help recruiting.

But how much of that is connections with high schools, familiarity with the area, and effort instead of visibility from playing games in that area? I admit I'm a little out of my depth here, but I don't get the impression that many FCS programs get much media attention in away markets and how much kids growing up in those away markets pay attention.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

But how much of that is connections with high schools, familiarity with the area, and effort instead of visibility from playing games in that area? I admit I'm a little out of my depth here, but I don't get the impression that many FCS programs get much media attention in away markets and how much kids growing up in those away markets pay attention.

The media attention I think is a part of it, but I think a larger part of it is the allure of having family and friends seeing them play every once in a while. I can't speak for other areas, but I see a lot of that at Lehigh with kids who were well-regarded at the local level having large contingents coming to room for their family and friends. This also played out on the road in a funny way last year for Lehigh: they booked a regular-season game in Iowa last year, and two teammates on last years' team from Kansas brought something like fifty family and friends to the game.

My guess is that while writeups in the local papers are nice, it's a much bigger selling point that your mom and grandmom can see you play big-time footbal in your local area.

[Maroons]

The media attention I think is a part of it, but I think a larger part of it is the allure of having family and friends seeing them play every once in a while. I can't speak for other areas, but I see a lot of that at Lehigh with kids who were well-regarded at the local level having large contingents coming to room for their family and friends. This also played out on the road in a funny way last year for Lehigh: they booked a regular-season game in Iowa last year, and two teammates on last years' team from Kansas brought something like fifty family and friends to the game.

My guess is that while writeups in the local papers are nice, it's a much bigger selling point that your mom and grandmom can see you play big-time footbal in your local area.

That hadn't occurred to me and that makes a lot of sense.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

Nice work getting the UND jab into this thread! xlolx

What's gonna be interesting to see is that if UND and NDSU are recruiting a player from Colorado, Oregon, California, or Washington which school he would choose. UND/NDSU will be a good test to see if the footprint matters at all cuz I couldn't say if it does or doesn't. I see why it could be argued that larger is better and also see the merit of the smaller print.

[eiu1999]

I would prefer conference members to be closer together which makes it an easier road trip to watch your team play on the road. UND's closest conference opponent (assuming the Big Sky doesn't change it's mind) will be 826 miles away with an average and median distance over 1,200 miles.

Agreed, they should be close together for travel purposes for the universities and the fans.

[Redhawk2010]

Well having Jacksonville State hasn't helped SEMO recruit Alabama kids. Not a single one on the roster from Alabama. A handful from Tennessee and Kentucky. Many of our players are from Illinois and Missouri. 13 of players listed on the roster are from California or Arizona. A handful from New Jersey and a handful from Florida.

[eiu1999]

Well having Jacksonville State hasn't helped SEMO recruit Alabama kids. Not a single one on the roster from Alabama. A handful from Tennessee and Kentucky. Many of our players are from Illinois and Missouri. 13 of players listed on the roster are from California or Arizona. A handful from New Jersey and a handful from Florida.

EIU's roster is filled with Florida kids.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

Agreed, they should be close together for travel purposes for the universities and the fans.

They should be close together if there is a conference with close together schools that fits you. That ain't how it is out West and they haven't had the MVFC come knocking so it was not an option. You do what fits ya.

[Redhawk2010]

EIU's roster is filled with Florida kids.

Always has. Spoo has already recruited from Florida. I grew up wearing that blue and grey. My point was that the locations probably don't have much to do with recruiting. Many of our players come from areas nowhere near the OVC footprint.

[SF State Gaters]

The recruiting some states argument has always kindof bugged me... like, if you play 1-2 games somewhere in Texas or California or Florida, that's going to make the kid want to go to flippin' whereever? it never made much sense to me. I mean, if you're a big deal than you can recruit those places. Half of Boise State is from California- for the most part it's probably not because they play in Fresno or San Jose every other year, but that they get kids who fit and who got spurned by somebody and want to show them up.

Having a tight-knit conference is a big deal. The problem is, it's really hard to do out west where pretty much every school anybody went to disbanded their football team in the '90's.