BCS leagues expanding - yeah?

Yes, but that's one of many ways that reports on the profitability (or the lack thereof) of athletic departments can be misleading. A university "charges" the athletic department for a scholarship, but there is little cash flowing as a result. Were a school to drop down to I-AA, the fewer scholarships wouldn't necessarily reflect any fundamental shift in financial position. The athletic department might actually wind up being more "profitable" at the expense of the university, since it'd be transferring less in the way of revenues via scholarship payments.

 

Right now their 2013 schedule looks like this

Week 1 -- at Ole Miss
Week 2 -- at Wyoming
Week 3 -- Northern Illinois
Week 4 -- at Washington State

They'll have Notre Dame, BYU and Army as permanent independent schools. Notre Dame will likely never play them, except every so often as a guarantee game. BYU might be interested in a series since there's Mormons in Idaho. Army would at least be a possibility.

Charlotte and Old Dominion will be transitional FBS schools in 2013 and 14 (though they're supposed to play full CUSA schedules in 14). So that's two likely games for 13 at least. Navy will have two more years of independence until they join the Big East in 15.

New Mexico State is likely to follow Idaho into forced football independence, possibly trying to hook up with the Southland for its other sports. They'll obviously play each other. Hell, they can probably play home-and-home every year until it's no longer necessary.

So that's six games that you can play in the second half of the season, because they'll not be dealing with conference schedules. Add an FCS home game and another FBS team and you have a theoretical schedule that looks like this:

Week 1 -- at Ole Miss
Week 2 -- at Wyoming
Week 3 -- Northern Illinois
Week 4 -- at Washington State
Week 5 -- Idaho State
Week 6 -- at Navy
Week 7 -- New Mexico State
Week 8 -- at BYU
Week 9 -- Old Dominion
Week 10 -- at Army
Week 11 -- Charlotte
Week 12 -- at New Mexico State

So at least for next year, they would be OK. Not great, not ideal, not even above average, but they'll survive.

Charlotte and ODU are supposed to play full conference schedules in 14, but I don't know if that's a sure thing. If not, they might be available for one more shot before becoming full members in 15. By then you may have other transitional programs (Appalachian State, Liberty, Jacksonville State, etc...). And in 2014 they're already hosting Western Michigan while visiting Florida and Ohio.

New Mexico State would follow the same blueprint, but they're in a slightly better spot because they have UTEP and New Mexico as long-term OOC opponents.

It's not an especially pretty picture, but at least for the next few years, they should be able to avoid 3-4 FCS schools on the schedule.

 

SEC teams play non-conference games in November fairly regularly. I could see Idaho popping up in Gainesville, Auburn or Knoxville on a fairly regular basis.

 

Why would Conference USA and the Mountain West be lining up to help the Big East?

And why would the Big West give up its name?

 

Why did you forget North Texas?

 

I ... don't know. I guess kick Rice out or something. Damn, though it was all nice and squared. That's what I get for thinking.

 

'Cause no one cares?

 

NBC sports can line up and give us a full day of crappy football. Starting on the east coast with FIU and ODU, followed Tulsa and UTEP and San Diego State taking on SJSU in the nightcap

 

For sure. But where is that going to get you other than a payday? Probably get beat 65-6.

 

Unless your traveling secretary knows where all the skeletons are in every team in the league, good luck finding approx. 100 rooms in the same hotel and airline seats on short notice.

 

The Southland Conference grows by one ... and Abilene is a Division I town again.

http://m.reporternews.com/news/2012/aug/20/just-acu-invited-join-division-i-southland-confere/