Conference Realignment Board

Joined: 01/01/2005 Posts: 33818
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Given the current requirement that divisions must play a round robin

schedule, I am not sure 18 members would work in football. I believe the reason that most "experts" place the cap at 16 members is because not every conference is willing to play more than 8 conference games in football. Regardless whether a conference decides to play 8, 9, or even 10 conferences games in football, the conference schedule will include at least 1 cross-division game. If an 18 member conference decides to only play 8 conference games, then that conference will not have any cross-division games on its schedule.

A common defense used by the "experts" to support the cap being at 16 is the idea that once the divisions stop playing each other during the regular season as conference games, then the CCG would be the only thing to tie the two divisions together. As a result it would make it easier for people to view the divisions as being (more or less) their own conference. Once that happens then it could lead to instability within the conference and make it easier for 1 division to decide to break away to form their own conference.

Even though the WAC had other issues going for it when it decided to expand to 16 members and within a couple years 8 schools decided to leave to form the MWC, I do believe the power conferences use it as a reference point because they don't want to see history repeat itself with their conference. I believe DII and DIII may have a conference with 16 members. However, I don't think either division level has a conference with 18 or 20 members.

(In response to this post by SoCloseHokie)

Posted: 03/03/2017 at 12:07PM

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Current Thread:

Mike Slive: Expansion for P5 on back burner w/ very low flame. -- HOO86 03/02/2017 6:04PM

There should be 1 conference. Not 4 -- 4x4hokies 03/03/2017 6:58PM

I love how easy it is to give away other people's money. -- OBX 03/04/2017 2:32PM

They may lose it anyways if the federal government steps in -- VTHokie2000 03/04/2017 4:58PM

3 conferences are at 14, 16 is not a lot bigger. 20's bigger & easier sched -- Stech 03/03/2017 08:01AM

Re: 3 conferences are at 14, 16 is not a lot bigger. 20's bigger & easier sched -- Old Line Hokie 03/03/2017 11:29AM

Re: 3 conferences are at 14, 16 is not a lot bigger. 20's bigger & easier sched -- 33laszlo99 03/03/2017 6:43PM

Regardless whether the power conferences form their own -- VTHokie2000 03/03/2017 12:16PM

Re: Regardless whether the power conferences form their own -- Stech 03/03/2017 12:33PM

I do believe what Silve said because I have always believed -- VTHokie2000 03/03/2017 12:53PM

I don't think having 4 divisions within a conference will.. -- Old Line Hokie 03/03/2017 12:32PM

What you are talking about is the rotating divisions model -- VTHokie2000 03/03/2017 12:41PM

Rotational divisions is better than what we have right now... -- Old Line Hokie 03/03/2017 1:58PM

Depends on what you mean by "better." One of the main issues -- VTHokie2000 03/03/2017 4:08PM

Re: Depends on what you mean by -- Old Line Hokie 03/03/2017 7:03PM

If VT and UVA are not in the same pod, which is likely -- VTHokie2000 03/03/2017 10:42PM

Test -- PhotoHokieNC 03/12/2017 10:36AM

You lost me at Uconn and Navy ** -- Byting Gobbler 03/04/2017 08:42AM

Right now Notre Dame is the 15th member and could be -- VTHokie2000 03/04/2017 4:44PM

Re: Mike Slive: Expansion for P5 on back burner w/ very low flame. -- SoCloseHokie 03/03/2017 07:17AM

I wonder what he means by "very, very large" -- OU_Sooner 03/03/2017 12:01AM

One big question is will Stanford and UCLA -- goldendomer 03/03/2017 09:00AM

I could be wrong, but isn't the State of Washington one of those states? -- Calamitous 03/03/2017 8:22PM

Good point. I hadn't considered that angle. ** -- OU_Sooner 03/03/2017 10:17AM

Re: I wonder what he means by -- Stech 03/03/2017 08:04AM

Agreed -- OU_Sooner 03/03/2017 10:15AM

Re: I wonder what he means by -- SoCloseHokie 03/03/2017 08:13AM

An intriguing idea -- OU_Sooner 03/03/2017 10:10AM

Re: An intriguing idea -- HOO86 03/03/2017 12:25PM

Re: An intriguing idea -- SoCloseHokie 03/03/2017 10:52AM

Re: Mike Slive: Expansion for P5 on back burner w/ very low flame. -- nebraskafaninwi 03/02/2017 7:15PM

It's reasonable speculation that if B1G expands, will be from Big XII. -- HOO86 03/02/2017 8:00PM

If the conferences expand, then I am not sure they expand -- VTHokie2000 03/02/2017 10:24PM

18 is # for football. Bball may get hit though! ** -- SoCloseHokie 03/03/2017 06:44AM

Given the current requirement that divisions must play a round robin -- VTHokie2000 03/03/2017 12:07PM

Given the current requirement that divisions must play a round robin

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