The American to push for NCAA Subdivision Inclusion

[Water Pony]

Candidly, it is hard to imagine that this is realistic at this time. My sense is the American has to perform on the field and deliver fans in the seats and TV first.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootbal ... -inclusion

[Tx_Mustang10]

Agreed, especially b/c if paying players becomes legal there could be a new threat in Texas that has laid dormant for a quarter century

[JoeKidd]

There is no way that the Big 4 can break away from the NCAA within a year, it won't be that simple. With that being said we have to continue to move forward as a program so we are viewed as able to complete with that crowd-beating TTech will be a good start.

[RE Tycoon]

They touch on it in the article, but my thought when this division 4 idea first came out was to set a financial bar, and regardless of conference affiliation, let in any school willing to meet it. This will probably knock out a dozen or so of the public fund dependent current BCS schools that have been riding the coat tails of their more powerful conference brethren, while at the same time allowing the few schools not currently in a BCS conference with the financial resources, like SMU, decide if they want to fully commit.

My fear is we get this opportunity and decide to pass.

[SMUfrat]

I am honestly getting really scared about this.

If there were to be a new division, controlled by the p5 conferences... the line would be drawn. This line could never be erased. If there is no governing body and it is just the p5... Our football / athletic program will completely die. Our whole school dynamic would be different. No boulevarding, no national presense, no nothing. I mean, seriously...

We cannot be left behind; but if we are, SMU will be in the shadows and all hopes for our institution would be gone.

[StallionsModelT]

Seriously, people need to chill out. If the Power 5 did try to do this we are likely looking at years of litigation. What will ESPN have to say about this? What impact will Title 9 have on such an undertaking? Will Congress get involved? What about the service academies?

If the Power 5 broke away today AS IS, you are leaving out the following programs:

Cincinnati
UConn
South Florida
Boise State
San Diego State
Fresno State
BYU
SMU
Houston
Memphis
Tulsa
Central Florida
AFA
Army
Navy

IMO, those are the "best of the rest" schools that have achieved success on the field and have the financial capabilities to still compete at the highest level. Schools like Texas State, UTSA, UTEP, UNT are probably finished at the highest level. IMO, SMU has too much money and potential to be left out in the cold.

[StallionsModelT]

RE Tycoon,

If there was a financial bar to be met, SMU would most certainly meet it. You can say what you want about our BoT or RGT, but if its a money issue then we will answer the call. The university has invested far too much money into the football program to let it die without a fight. SMU had the second highest non-BCS athletic budget in the country last year behind BYU. We'd be fine.

[ponyinNC]

I will ask again - why would the P5 accept more schools?

Who would force them to? Why set objective criteria (even if the standards are very high) that may force schools in when the P5 doesn't want them? Did anyone happen to read MACK BROWN's quotes yesterday? We are all "the guys who can't afford it" to him!

I see 3 possible scenarions -

1.) 5 conferences of 14, where a few conferences cherry pick the AAC/MWC programs they want. ND and BYU get in as indys. The P5 decide amongst themselves to break away from NCAA, or form their new D4. 70-74 teams total.

2.) The P5 set criteria that makes it almost impossible for any G5 school to meet (especially when they receive 20x less TV money). Criteria includes - at least 24 sports programs (this was brought up by UNC AD Bubba Cunningham yesterday), average attendance of xxx, athletic budget of $$, full cost of tuition stipends to ALL athletes, etc. This way, the P5 don't have to "force" anyone out. If you can't meet the standards, you don't get in.

I think scenarion 2 is unlikely - b/c most G5 programs will see this as their last shot, and will "pony up" whatever is necessary (even endowments) in order to get in. This forces P5 to take teams in that they do not want. It would also force many current P5 lower-level teams to increase budgets, costs, etc. (think wake forest, Northwestern, duke, wsu, isu, kansas, et al).

3.) This is done on a conference level, P5 conferences still have autonomy to set their own numbers (minimum of 12 teams for CCG) , but P5 forms D4 or their own league, and there is no way to get in for any G5 teams not already included.

[dcpony]

Can some one tell me why there aren't caps, ceilings and or floors on athletics spending for the various NCAA divisions? It seems like this is something that should be put in place going forward if there is going to be reform.

[dcpony]

I am honestly getting really scared about this.

If there were to be a new division, controlled by the p5 conferences... the line would be drawn. This line could never be erased. If there is no governing body and it is just the p5... Our football / athletic program will completely die. Our whole school dynamic would be different. No boulevarding, no national presense, no nothing. I mean, seriously...

We cannot be left behind; but if we are, SMU will be in the shadows and all hopes for our institution would be gone.

Kind of dumb. SMU can be left behind and thrive in different ways. Things change. There are plenty of academically elite schools without football or D-1 football. Anyway, if SMU makes it in it will have to buy its way on the backs of the rich alums who will approve and finance the move.

[StallionsModelT]

I guess I'm just not as worried about this as I should be? I'm sorry I think more teams will need to be added and yes, I believe SMU will be one of those teams. I think you say with a great degree of certainty that the following schools should be included:

Cincinnati
UConn
South Florida
SMU
Houston
Boise State
BYU
AFA
Navy
Central Florida


These programs are probably 50/50:

Memphis
Tulsa
San Diego State
Fresno State
Colorado State
Nevada
Temple


Not so great odds for these:

ECU
Tulane
La Tech
Hawaii
UNLV
New Mexico

Everybody else has virtually no chance at all.

[ReedFrawg]

I guess I'm just not as worried about this as I should be? I'm sorry I think more teams will need to be added and yes, I believe SMU will be one of those teams. I think you say with a great degree of certainty that the following schools should be included:

Cincinnati
UConn
South Florida
SMU
Houston
Boise State
BYU
AFA
Navy
Central Florida


These programs are probably 50/50:

Memphis
Tulsa
San Diego State
Fresno State
Colorado State
Nevada
Temple

Not sure SMU is any more of a sure bet than Memphis or San Diego State.

[GRGB]

I will ask again - why would the P5 accept more schools?

Who would force them to? Why set objective criteria (even if the standards are very high) that may force schools in when the P5 doesn't want them? Did anyone happen to read MACK BROWN's quotes yesterday? We are all "the guys who can't afford it" to him!

I see 3 possi

Because if they all play each other, the days of 8 of the 10 12 Big12 teams being bowl eligible, or Vandy going 7-5, or 11 of the 14 Big10/ACC having non-losing records, are OVER.

[ReedFrawg]

I will ask again - why would the P5 accept more schools?

Who would force them to? Why set objective criteria (even if the standards are very high) that may force schools in when the P5 doesn't want them? Did anyone happen to read MACK BROWN's quotes yesterday? We are all "the guys who can't afford it" to him!

I see 3 possi

Because if they all play each other, the days of 8 of the 10 12 Big12 teams being bowl eligible, or Vandy going 7-5, or 11 of the 14 Big10/ACC having non-losing records, are OVER.

They could still play teams from other divisions like they do today...

[StallionsModelT]

Reed Frawg,

San Diego State is facing HUGE budget cuts across the board. Athletics are at the forefront of these discussions as they are a state institution in California so no I do not think SDSU and SMU face similar budgetary pitfalls.

Again, in 2012 SMU had the second highest athletic budget of any non-BCS school in the country behind BYU. We have the financial commitment needed.