Realignment among the many Power Conferences has lessened the that means of geography in favor of candy, candy greenback payments.
But that shuffling up high has additionally led to shuffling inside the Group of Five ranks. There, the cash is extra scarce, however regardless of that, Group of Five conferences are beginning to widen their geographic footprints whereas looking for survival. That’s led to this 12 months the place Sac State will play within the MAC and Northern Illinois enjoying within the Mountain West. Meanwhile, Conference-USA spans from Delaware to New Mexico State — two faculties separated by greater than 2,000 miles.
In this new period the place faculties are always shaking out sofa cushions to seek out some spare change, how does it make sense for these faculties already at a monstruous monetary drawback in comparison with their Power Conference counterparts to ship a soccer workforce 2,000 miles throughout the nation for a sport not many outdoors of these two college’s fanbases would have any curiosity in?
Well, it’s the center of summer season and Big 12 Media Days isn’t till subsequent week. So with little occurring, I’ve dived into the Group of Five and provide you with an idea I believe may make that stage of the game much more enjoyable.
The Concept
So, I’m calling this anchor-based promotion-relegation.
There are 61 groups throughout the American, Mountain West, Conference-USA, Sun Belt and MAC. Each of these faculties would have what I’m calling an Anchor Conference in both the Mountain West, Conference-USA, Sun Belt and MAC — which lean closely into geography. Each 12 months, that league’s convention champion could be promoted to the American Conference, as primarily the Group of Five’s Champion’s League. Meanwhile, the underside 4 groups within the American would every be relegated again to their Anchor Conference.
If that vast view continues to be a bit of complicated, let’s break it down a bit of additional.
Here is what I got here up with among the many lively G5 faculties when it comes to Anchor Conferences. There’s some mixing and matching right here, however I stored issues shut regionally. Another rule I gave myself is that each G5 workforce inside a given state needed to have the identical anchor convention — this, hypothetically, promotes regional rivalry and curiosity.
Mountain West (15)
Hawaii
Sac State
San Jose State
Nevada
UNLV
Wyoming
Air Force
New Mexico
New Mexico State
UTEP
UTSA
Rice
Sam Houston
North Texas
Tulsa
Sun Belt (16)
Louisiana Tech
Louisiana
Louisiana-Monroe
Tulane
Southern Miss
Jax State
UAB
South Alabama
Troy
Kennesaw State
Georgia State
Georgia Southern
FAU
USF
FIU
Coastal Carolina
Conference-USA (16)
Missouri State
Arkansas State
Memphis
Middle Tennessee State
Appalachian State
Charlotte
East Carolina
Old Dominion
Liberty
James Madison
Navy
Delaware
Temple
Army
Buffalo
UMass
MAC (14)
North Dakota State
Northern Illinois
Western Michigan
Central Michigan
Eastern Michigan
Ball State
Western Kentucky
Bowling Green
Miami (OH)
Toledo
Kent State
Akron
Ohio
Marshall
You is likely to be pondering these are some massive Group of Five conferences, however none of them will ever be that full as a result of various faculties from every could be within the American.
As for the American, I might be satisfied of both a 10-team convention, the place everybody performs everybody that manner there’s little excuse for why a workforce went relegated. Or, a 14-team convention break up in east-west division the place the underside two from every division get dispersed again to their Anchor Conference.
For the sake of being truthful, a number of groups in a given season might be despatched again to the identical anchor. You don’t keep away from relegation as a result of a workforce near you geographically did barely worse. This would drive the Anchor Conference’s to remain on their toes when it comes to scheduling, however that’s a job that’s price it, I believe.
Nowadays, there isn’t a lot cause for the common faculty soccer fan to care a couple of Group of Five workforce’s season after a workforce loses one sport. That’s primarily already sufficient for a Group of Five workforce to be out of College Football Playoff discussions. But on this system, each sport would imply a ton with regard to climbing up the ladder or being despatched again down.
You may definitely nitpick the divvying up of colleges. I wasn’t thrilled about separating Buffalo from the opposite MAC faculties, for instance, however I wished to observe my rule about groups from the state being in the identical convention. That’s one instance the place I wouldn’t thoughts breaking that rule. I additionally suppose I’d choose to maintain the Carolinas collectively, which might take Coastal Carolina out of the Sun Belt and put it with Conference-USA. I may tinker with that each one day.
What Would This Take?
I’m uncertain of the Group of Five’s relationship with each other. If it’s something just like the Power Conference’s, they’ll’t even determine what to get for dinner.
But this might clearly take some deep collaboration among the many G5 conferences. Dare I say, it will most likely work greatest in the event that they got here collectively underneath some mother or father firm that sells TV rights as one. How’s that for a Super League, SEC and Big Ten?
How the Money Would Hypothetically Work
As against creating that map, I didn’t spend a ton of time totally understanding every Group of Five convention’s TV deal, however in line with my restricted analysis, these 5 league’s pay about $186 million yearly to its members. For simpler math and the truth that TV companions is likely to be extra intrigued by a promotion-relegation system, let’s name it a fair $200 million.
The American ought to get the lion’s share of that, being that it’s the league groups are striving to get to. So, let’s say a 14-team American will get half of that pot, which is a bit more than $7 million per workforce. That’s barely higher than what the American is presently doing.
There are just a few methods we may go along with the 4 Anchor Conferences.
One is that the remaining $100 million will get break up evenly among the many 47 faculties not within the 14-team American. That would come out to about $2.1 million a college. That, in line with my analysis, could be greater than Conference-USA and Sun Belt members presently make however lower than what the Mountain West and MAC are used to. But once more, it will include the caveat of for those who carry out properly sufficient to make it to the American, you 3x your TV cash.
Another approach to break up the remaining 50% could be to base it off an Anchor Conference’s variety of groups within the American. If Conference-USA faculties account for six of the 14 spots within the American, give them extra of a minimize. That would promote competitors among the many conferences.
Does Promotion-Relegation Make Sense with Roster Turnover?
This is a greater than truthful query.
Say Ball State has an enormous 12 months within the MAC, will get promoted however loses all of its stars from the earlier season to greater faculties. Ball State may stink the following season.
All true, however whereas this might be a reward for these Ball State gamers who returned, the actual reward could be for this system. The program would profit with extra money by way of the TV rights. And perhaps that further enhance in income could be the distinction in preserving a number of the gamers from the earlier season.
As issues stand, small applications get primarily nothing for growing a participant who leaves for a much bigger college. This mannequin would a minimum of present some kind of reward for constant applications.
What About the Other Sports?
I say do that in each sport.
Some faculties have already got applications in a number of conferences. So what if a workforce is a Sun Belt college in soccer and an American college in basketball?
Money must be additional damaged down. Ex: a college with groups within the American in soccer and basketball would earn greater than a college with an American soccer workforce and a Mountain West basketball workforce. I believe it’s one other small headache for one thing that’s price it in the long run.
It does get a bit of bizarre with a college like Wichita State. The Shockers play basketball within the American however don’t have soccer. I don’t have a agency reply on remedying that proper now, however it may be overcome, I believe.
What concerning the Pac-12?
Yeah, I believe the Pac-12 in its present type rather more represents a Group of Five convention as a substitute of a Power Five convention. But with so many groups leaving the Mountain West for the Pac-12 this offseason, there needs to be some kind of status nonetheless related to being within the Pac-12, so I don’t know that the league would so willingly run to be part of one thing like this.
Potential Tournament Idea
The Anchor Conferences’ title video games could be so thrilling. A win there not solely provides a convention crown, nevertheless it additionally strikes you to the American.
Those title video games would even be brutal for the losers. So shut, but to date. But what if, the Anchor Conferences’ 4 second-place finishers performed a four-team match for a last promotion spot? Or perhaps the winner of that match performs the fifth-lowest workforce within the American and the winner of that will get the spot within the American.
There are features would may construct off this to make it all of the extra enjoyable.
I don’t suppose this works within the Power Conferences. Too many hoops that wouldn’t make monetary sense for a lot of faculties to leap by, however I believe it may make Group of Five soccer as attention-grabbing because it’s ever been.