I figure Navy will help convince them to join and Army will not be able to complain about "too much competition" because there really isn't.
Here's a wildcard, one that I've not heard anybody bring up, but who could probably do pretty well: Appalachian State
Every time somebody from the media asks Appy State if they will move up to FBS eventually they say NO every time. Appy State does not want to move up.
Southern Miss is a very small school with too small of a fanbase.Id still go with Southern Miss, its in the south east part of the country, college football (even lower levels) means something to people in the region, UMass and Boston area? The northeast in general for what the BE will now have to offer? Good luck.
I agree with the UMass thing. Geographically it makes sense. Plus it cements in that Boston Market.
Every time somebody from the media asks Appy State if they will move up to FBS eventually they say NO every time. Appy State does not want to move up.geneh,
Yup...vthokies1977 is correct about Georgia Southern, Appalachian State, Liberty, and James Madison. If one does a little digging on the web pertaining to which FCS schools might soon move up to the FBS, those four schools get mentioned....along with two Texas schools---Lamar and Sam Houston State.
Remember, after the upcoming conference changes, the Sunbelt is going to be left with only eight remaining football members (Arkansas State, LA-Lafayette, LA-Monroe, South Alabama, Texas State, Georgia State, Troy, Western Kentucky).....so I would guess that at least two of those six schools mentioned above will get invites to the Sunbelt....and perhaps four invites if the Sunbelt wishes to create two divisions and hold a conference championship game.
If the Big East can somehow corral UCF, USF, FIU, and FAU it gives them that needed footprint in one of the big 3 college states.
They could parlay that presence in Florida into an identity of sorts.
It would take spending some marketing dollars in the state, but it is at least possible in theory.
Neither the SEC, nor the ACC, nor the Big East has ever tried to be the "Florida Conference."
California is the linchpin of the PAC-12.
Texas is the domain of the Big 12.
Florida never really seemed to be associated with a particular league.
Even the relatively new (2005) marriage of FSU and Miami seems disjointed.
It has always been more about the individual schools identity (Miami, FSU, Florida) than the league indentity.
The Big East has nothing to lose by aggressively taking their shot to be the "florida conference"
Yup...vthokies1977 is correct about Georgia Southern, Appalachian State, Liberty, and James Madison. If one does a little digging on the web pertaining to which FCS schools might soon move up to the FBS, those four schools get mentioned....along with two Texas schools---Lamar and Sam Houston State.I have heard Lamar and Sam Houston State's names mentioned too in addition to a few others (i.e. Delaware, Youngstown State, Florida A&M, etc). I have also heard that there could be more non-football schools (i.e. AR-Little Rock which is a Sun Belt member now) could decide to start a footbal program with the goal of eventually moving to a FBS conference. If there are enough FCS schools that want to switch subdivisions, then sooner or later at least one of them will try to challenge the FBS rule (that a FCS school must be invited by an existing FBS conference) in court. If the schools win in court, then you could see a whole bunch of FBS Independent schools or schools switch and create a brand new FBS conference. I have a feeling that Conference USA, MAC, MWC, and Sun Belt will find that a conference of 12-members is the most ideal. If that turns out to be true, then you could see more schools leave to form a new conference while making sure that it added enough new members so the conference could earn an automatic bid to the NCAA basketball tournament (6 schools must play together in a conference for 5 years to qualify).
Remember, after the upcoming conference changes, the Sunbelt is going to be left with only eight remaining football members (Arkansas State, LA-Lafayette, LA-Monroe, South Alabama, Texas State, Georgia State, Troy, Western Kentucky).....so I would guess that at least two of those six schools mentioned above will get invites to the Sunbelt....and perhaps four invites if the Sunbelt wishes to create two divisions and hold a conference championship game.
