Mandel's Conference Realignment Scenario from Sports Illustrated

[Rizman]

UCF's 22 Million dollar stadium is going to put a hurt on the finances of the football program.  Lets see if it holds them back.

[USFMikeB]

^you should change your sig...you aren't "golden" anymore...

True enough.  I am just too lazy to find some of the new graphics that are out there.

Too busy surfing USF sites to visit ucIF sites?  Yes, we know what your priorities are.

:ROFLMAO

[Paul Wall]

I dont know how someone could have 7118 posts on a fan site for a team they aren't fans of. You live a disturbed life.

[Guest]

Okay, so I'll do something a little different... mostly because there are 119 teams and there could be more... Portland State, for example, has a goal of becoming I-A within the next ten years... Montana and the Dakotas have explored the move up to I-A as well.

So, if I were re-aligning the schools, I would create eight 12-team conferences and two 10-team conferences, allowing Notre Dame, Army, & Navy to remain independent.

Northeast (12)

Boston College, Connecticut, Syracuse, Louisville, Rutgers, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Maryland, West Virginia, Marshall, Temple, Cincinnati

Big Midwest (12)

Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Indiana, Purdue, Northwestern, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Iowa, Iowa State

Mid American (12)

Ohio, Toledo, Akron, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Ball State, Miami (OH), Kent State, Northern Illinois, Buffalo

South Atlantic (12)

Virginia, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Wake Forest, Duke, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Miami, Vanderbilt, East Carolina

South East (12)

Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, South Carolina, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Louisiana State, Arkansas, Florida, South Florida

South (10)

Southern Mississippi, Central Florida, Tulane, Houston, Memphis, Alabama-Birmingham, Tulsa, Texas-El Paso, Middle Tennessee State, Troy

Sun Belt (10)

Florida Atlantic, Florida International,Rice, Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, Louisiana Monroe, Louisiana Lafayette, North Texas, New Mexico State, New Mexico

Great Plains (12)

Nebraska, Kansas, Kansas State, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Arizona, Arizona State, Texas Christian, Southern Methodist,

Mountain (12)

Colorado, Colorado State, Air Force, Brigham Young, Utah, Utah State, Idaho, Boise State, Nevada, UNLV, Wyoming, Baylor

Pacific (12)

Southern Cal, California, UCLA, Stanford, Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, Hawaii, Fresno State, San Jose State, San Diego State

---

Now, if all teams have to be in a conference, we'd need nine 12-team conferences and one 11-team conference (underlined teams moved from above):

Northeast (12)

Boston College, Connecticut, Syracuse, Louisville, Rutgers, Penn State, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Marshall, Temple, Army, Navy

Big Midwest (12)

Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Indiana, Purdue, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Iowa, Iowa State, Notre Dame

Mid American (12)

Ohio, Toledo, Akron, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Ball State, Miami (OH), Kent State, Northern Illinois, Buffalo

South Atlantic (12)

Virginia, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Wake Forest, Duke, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Miami, Vanderbilt, Maryland

South East (12)

Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, South Carolina, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Louisiana State, Arkansas, Florida, South Florida

South (11)

Southern Mississippi, Central Florida, Tulane, Houston, Memphis, Alabama-Birmingham, Tulsa, Middle Tennessee State, Troy, East Carolina, Cincinnati

Sun Belt (12)

Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Rice, Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, Louisiana Monroe, Louisiana Lafayette, North Texas, New Mexico State, New Mexico, Southern Methodist, Texas-El Paso

Great Plains (12)

Nebraska, Kansas, Kansas State, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Arizona, Arizona State, Texas Christian, Northwestern

Mountain (12)

Colorado, Colorado State, Air Force, Brigham Young, Utah, Utah State, Idaho, Boise State, Nevada, UNLV, Wyoming, Baylor

Pacific (12)

Southern Cal, California, UCLA, Stanford, Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, Hawaii, Fresno State, San Jose State, San Diego State

[outrunner]

Jim, if your scenarios happen, USF will be screwed. We will be the black sheep among a bunch of SEC schools.

Re-alignment is not likely to happen because of all the rivalries and politics that already exists between teams and conferences.