For Funsies: Conference Reallignment/Creation

[BradRamFan]

Be careful what you wish for. Since late 1900's, VCU has been in the enviable position of being at or near the top of its conference in terms of financial commitment, attendance and overall resources - that combination spells enduring success.. A bad season for the Rams would be a banner season for others in same conference. I'm not sure VCU's fan base could withstand mediocrity - like a Wake Forest, Boston College, etc., in ACC, or some middle of the packer in Big East/AAC. Current Rams have right formula - go about 10-2 in preseason with one tough tournament and lots of buy games, dominate the conference for a couple months .... and look to wear the Silver Slipper in March.

You can say the same thing about when we were in the CAA for the final decade starting with the Capel era. By your standards we should still be in the Sunbelt conference. Sometimes you just have to take a chance. Had the Metro not imploded, I think we would have risen to the top in that conference also.
I think the real trick is to move to a better conference when you are at the top of your current conference/upper half. Perhaps Butler contradicts that theory but it made basically two conference jumps up the ladder to two better conferences in just two years and then lost their world class coach. GMU is a better representation of what happens when you move to a better conference when you had sunk to the level of mediocrity in your previous conference. We moved to the A10 while at the top of the CAA for multiple years and/or in and upward trajectory for multiple years under Capel, Grant and then Shaka.
However, I think our only/best option is the BE. If we were to move to something like the non-P5 AAC I would worry about P5's scarfing up strong football and/or basketball programs and thus hurting the conference in the long run. The same can be said of the A10 with the loss of Xavier and even Temple. But not sure you would see the same thing in the BE. They are not a P5 conference only because they don't have football. But in reality, basketball consists of the P6, which includes the BE, and then everyone else. I think attrition would be less likely to happen or harm the BE

 

[bighornn]

It would help if schools could congregate for a single sport rather than entire athletic programs. It makes sense to travel distances for men's hoops but not for any other sport. Non revenue sports are better suited for state/regional schedules. VCU and ODU have much in common but can't get together in same conference due to Monarchs' football. Now having said that, doubt it is likely to happen.

 

[BGDragoon80]

We should be happy where we are today. While is not a perfect analogy, all the former coaches who looked for greener pastures, Capel, Grant and Smart were not or have not been too successful right after leaving VCU. I don't include Frank because he cheats and hopefully the VCU name will not be associated to him. We should be like Gonzaga where the WCC is known because of them. I think it was previously mentioned, let's get rid of some of the dead weight at the bottom of the conference and get some fresh blood. I think the A10 has a much better reputation than we think.

 

[squid1622]

Guys. Everyone is talking about the wrong thing. The post question is what NEW conference would you form. Not what existing conference you would join. In other words, my new conference would be as follows.

1. Vcu
2. dayton
3. SLU
4. Rhody
5. loyola
6. buffalo
7. Northern Iowa
8. western kentucky
9. Davidson
10. Bonnies

 

[Mr. X]

Guys. Everyone is talking about the wrong thing. The post question is what NEW conference would you form. Not what existing conference you would join. In other words, my new conference would be as follows.

1. Vcu
2. dayton
3. SLU
4. Rhody
5. loyola
6. buffalo
7. Northern Iowa
8. western kentucky
9. Davidson
10. Bonnies

I like the conference we are in if we can get rid of some of the dead weight. (Fordham, Lasalle)

 

[squid1622]

I like the conference we are in if we can get rid of some of the dead weight. (Fordham, Lasalle)

Then propose your reformation. You must assume vcu is leaving the a10 and propose what teams you would have in the new conference. If that means bringing the cream of the crop, then state the teams. Single one line answers like this aren’t what I was looking for. It was supposed to be a thought exercise.

 

[enonram]

VCU and the other 9 best non-football schools that are geographically close.

 

[Mr. X]

Then propose your reformation. You must assume vcu is leaving the a10 and propose what teams you would have in the new conference. If that means bringing the cream of the crop, then state the teams. Single one line answers like this aren’t what I was looking for. It was supposed to be a thought exercise.

VCU

 

[Mr. X]

Then propose your reformation. You must assume vcu is leaving the a10 and propose what teams you would have in the new conference. If that means bringing the cream of the crop, then state the teams. Single one line answers like this aren’t what I was looking for. It was supposed to be a thought exercise.

I also ask if you could include a "GFY" in your list of response options.

 

[BradRamFan]

VCU and the other 9 best non-football schools that are geographically close.

Georgetown has a stick up their butt and would think they are too good to join.

 

[BradRamFan]

View attachment 9387
VCU

So you are saying we should join the BE.

 

[Mr. X]

So you are saying we should join the BE.

Always, until somebody makes me stop.

 

[wstwrdxpnsnRAM]

West:
Gonzaga
BYU
SDSU
Utah State
Colorado State
San Fransisco
Boise State
Pepperdine
Nevada
UCSB

East:
VCU
Drake
Loyola chi
Dayton
SLU
Belmont
URI
Davidson
St Bonaventure
Buffalo

This is my idea of a nationwide super conference which would be really fun to see. Obviously this is only focused on basketball without respect to other sports. Two 10 team divisions where teams play every divisional member once, and 4 divisional teams twice and 4 cross division teams once for 18 game conference season then the top 5 or 6 teams in each division get seeded for the conference tournament and the rest get to enjoy early off season sadness.

Ncaa tournament earnings 40% kept for schools and 60% to be shared among the remaining members.

 

[Cyniclone]

VIRGILINIA POD
VCU, fur, Davidson, ODU, Marshall

MIDWEST POD
Dayton, Saint Louis, Loyola-Chicago, Northern Kentucky, Belmont

NORTHEAST POD
URI, Buffalo, Bona, St. Joe's, Hofstra

(stretching the rules to get to 15)

Wait-listed (in no order): WKU, UNCG, Charlotte, Charleston, Northern Iowa

Play everyone in your pod twice, everyone else once = 18 games.

 

[BaNgMyPrOgRaM]

Get smart. Stop the travel west of the Mississippi. Say no to SLU, Creighton, Drake, whomever. I'll shoot.

VCU
FURI
Cryers
Bonies
FUMASS
Xavier
Patriots? Colonials? FUR?
davison
villanova