WAC/CAA Realignment

April 6, 2011 by William.

The WAC is expected to announce new members next month as it tries to rebuild itself as a FBS (nee Division I-A) conference.  Meanwhile, the strongest conference in FCS (nee Division I-AA), the CAA, seems to be in great danger of falling apart.  Why not work together?

Step 1:  The WAC still needs another full member.  We’ll volunteer Lamar, currently of the Southland conference, to move up from FCS to FBS alongside fellow Southland schools Texas State and Texas-San Antonio, who have already announced their moves to the WAC.

Step 2:  The WAC invites James Madison, Old Dominion, Georgia State, Delaware, and Towson, all of the CAA, to join for football only.  The WAC also invites Charlotte (Atlantic 10) for football only.

WAC Football West - San Jose State, New Mexico State, Utah State, Idaho, Texas State, UTSA, Lamar
WAC Football East - Louisiana Tech, Georgia State, Charlotte, James Madison, Old Dominion, Towson, Delaware

If the MAC does not add UMass as its fourteenth football member, they could be in play for the WAC as well.

This arrangement lasts for five seasons, which is long enough for all of the football-only members to complete their FCS-to-FBS transitions.  In all likelihood the 6 incoming affiliates for football would likely play one season as an independent prior to beginning WAC conference play, as those schools would not count as FBS opponents for scheduling purposes their first year.

Step 3:  The CAA invites Georgia State, James Madison, Old Dominion, Towson, and Delaware to move their football membership from the WAC to CAA.  The CAA also invites Charlotte, Temple, and Massachussets to leave the Atlantic 10 and join the CAA for all sports.  The CAA also adds an upgrading Stony Brook to balance out at 9 football members and 16 for all sports. (*non-football member)

CAA North - UMass, Northeastern*, Hofstra*, Stony Brook, Temple, Drexel*, Towson, Delaware
CAA South - Georgia State, Charlotte, UNC Wilmington*, James Madison, Old Dominion, George Mason*, VCU*, William & Mary*

WAC - San Jose State, Idaho, Utah State, New Mexico State, UTSA, Texas State, Lamar, Louisiana Tech, Denver* (and possibly others)

Atlantic 10 - St. Louis, Xavier, Dayton, Duquesne, St. Bonaventure, Richmond, George Washington, St. Joseph’s, La Salle, Fordham, Rhode Island

The CAA balloons to 16, but keeps or improves its presence in significang East Coast markets (Boston, Philadelphia, New York, etc.), has at least 9 for football (VCU is considering starting a team, which could give them 10), and adds some schools with some history of success in basketball.

The Atlantic 10 is left with only 1 public school (Rhode Island), still has a noticeable geographic outlier in St. Louis, and loses a strong Temple basketball program.  If Rhode Island stays the Atlantic 10 probably looks at adding Butler of the Horizon League.  If Rhode Island leaves it is possible the Atlantic 10 stays at 10 schools.

The WAC gets time to get back on its feet, extra conference games (even if they are halfway across the country), and exposure on the East Coast.  After the football affiliates leave, WAC schools can leverage their existing intersectional rivalries against CAA schools in non-conference play and in bowl games.

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