G6 School Pecking Order

[Rufus]

I asked ChatGPT to create a 24 team super conference of the best football teams not in the power conferences, break it down geographically, while keeping the service academies together. Here is what it gave me:

West Division (Mountain & Pacific)​

• Oregon State
• Washington State
• Boise State
• UNLV
• San Diego State
• Fresno State
• Wyoming
• Colorado State

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Central Division (Service Academy Division)​

• Air Force ⭐
• Army ⭐
• Navy ⭐
• Memphis
• Tulane
• Louisiana (ULL)
• UTSA
• Liberty

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East Division (Great Lakes & Atlantic)​

• Northern Illinois
• Toledo
• Miami (OH)
• Ohio
• James Madison
• East Carolina
• Western Kentucky
• USF

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✅ Why This Works

• Air Force, Army, and Navy together create a unique “Service Academy” identity in the Central Division.
• The Central also includes southern programs (Memphis, Tulane, UTSA, Liberty) that are geographically reasonable for inter-division play.
• The East consolidates the Ohio schools, JMU, and USF, while the West remains Mountain/Pacific heavy.

 

[Hogoff]

I asked ChatGPT to create a 24 team super conference of the best football teams not in the power conferences, break it down geographically, while keeping the service academies together. Here is what it gave me:

West Division (Mountain & Pacific)​

• Oregon State
• Washington State
• Boise State
• UNLV
• San Diego State
• Fresno State
• Wyoming
• Colorado State

---

Central Division (Service Academy Division)​

• Air Force ⭐
• Army ⭐
• Navy ⭐
• Memphis
• Tulane
• Louisiana (ULL)
• UTSA
• Liberty

---

East Division (Great Lakes & Atlantic)​

• Northern Illinois
• Toledo
• Miami (OH)
• Ohio
• James Madison
• East Carolina
• Western Kentucky
• USF

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✅ Why This Works

• Air Force, Army, and Navy together create a unique “Service Academy” identity in the Central Division.
• The Central also includes southern programs (Memphis, Tulane, UTSA, Liberty) that are geographically reasonable for inter-division play.
• The East consolidates the Ohio schools, JMU, and USF, while the West remains Mountain/Pacific heavy.

Chat GPT hates UConn.

 

[Rufus]

If it expanded to 30, it added:

Marshall
Middle Tennessee
Appalachian State
Western Michigan
Florida Atlantic
Georgia Southern

 

[Rufus]

Why UConn Was Not Included​

1️⃣ On-Field Performance​

• UConn football has struggled significantly in the last decade:
  • Multiple losing seasons.
  • Minimal bowl appearances.
  • Low SP+ and FPI rankings compared to teams like James Madison, Liberty, or even MAC powers like Toledo.

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2️⃣ Basketball vs. Football Identity​

• UConn is a basketball school first, dominating men’s and women’s hoops.
• Football has not been a priority at the same level as other G‑5 schools pushing for CFP access.

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3️⃣ Market Value vs. Football Value​

• While UConn provides a Northeast market, its football TV draw is limited because of poor performance.
• Teams like Marshall, Appalachian State, and Liberty have smaller markets but much stronger football brands.

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4️⃣ If They Improved​

If UConn invested heavily in football (new coach, facilities, recruiting), they could be an East Division candidate in future expansions because:

• Geographic fit with Army, Navy, Ohio schools, and USF.
• Potential TV market boost from the Northeast.

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Verdict:
For now, UConn would be in the "Tier 3 expansion pool" (teams 31–35) alongside programs like Buffalo, Georgia State, and Coastal Carolina.

 

[Rufus]

I then asked ChatGPT to create a 24-team Super Conference of the worst football teams not in the P5, and it included UConn!

Here is what it gave me:

Conference Structure
We could split them into 4 divisions of 6 teams each to minimize travel:

East​

• UConn
• UMass
• Charlotte
• FIU
• Akron
• Kent State

Midwest​

• Bowling Green
• Ball State
• Eastern Michigan
• Central Michigan
• Rice
• Sam Houston

South​

• ULM
• Texas State
• Georgia State
• Arkansas State
• Jacksonville State
• Kennesaw State

West​

• Hawaii
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• UTEP
• New Mexico State
• San Jose State

 

[Rufus]

I then asked it to create a Basketball Super Conference of non-P4 teams:

.

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32-Team Basketball Superconference​

Elite Tier (1–8)​

1. Gonzaga (WCC)
2. UConn (Big East)
3. Villanova (Big East)
4. Creighton (Big East)
5. Marquette (Big East)
6. Saint Mary’s (WCC)
7. Memphis (AAC)
8. San Diego State (MWC)

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High-Level Contenders (9–16)​

1. Dayton (A-10)
2. Xavier (Big East)
3. Providence (Big East)
4. Seton Hall (Big East)
5. VCU (A-10)
6. New Mexico (MWC)
7. Nevada (MWC)
8. Boise State (MWC)

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Rising Programs (17–24)​

1. Utah State (MWC)
2. Saint Louis (A-10)
3. Loyola Chicago (A-10)
4. Florida Atlantic (AAC)
5. College of Charleston (CAA)
6. Tulane (AAC)
7. Davidson (A-10)
8. Richmond (A-10)

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Expanded Contenders (25–32)​

1. Wichita State (AAC) – Historic program with strong fan base.
2. St. John’s (Big East) – Massive market, improved under Rick Pitino.
3. Drake (MVC) – Recent March Madness success and elite offense.
4. Oral Roberts (Summit) – Tournament darling, efficient program.
5. Hofstra (CAA) – Regular-season powerhouse, NYC-area recruiting.
6. UC Santa Barbara (Big West) – Strong recent mid-major success.
7. Murray State (MVC) – NBA pipeline (Ja Morant), consistent winner.
8. George Mason (A-10) – Final Four history, solid infrastructure.

 

[Rufus]

Since more schools play basketball than football, I asked it to expand the conference to 40, and here is what it gave me:

Next 8 Teams (33–40)​

33. Ohio (MAC)​

• Multiple NCAA Tournament appearances (Sweet 16 in 2012).
• Competitive MAC program with strong fan support.
• Geographically fits with Dayton, Xavier, and other Midwest rivals.

34. Kent State (MAC)​

• 2002 Elite Eight, frequent MAC contender.
• Tough defensive program with a gritty identity.
• Good regional recruiting ties.

35. Toledo (MAC)​

• Regular MAC champion-level team.
• High-powered offense, well-coached, and consistently top of the league.

36. Charleston (CAA)​

• Recent 30+ win season.
• Rising program with strong fan base and modern style of play.
• Brings Southeast market strength.

37. Appalachian State (Sun Belt)​

• Recent success in the Sun Belt.
• Solid recruiting and developing program with passionate fans.

38. Belmont (MVC)​

• Historically dominant mid-major.
• Excellent player development and strong basketball culture.

39. Furman (SoCon)​

• Known for recent NCAA upsets (2023 victory over Virginia).
• Strong mid-major fundamentals and disciplined program.

40. Princeton (Ivy League)​

• Historic program with a 2023 Sweet 16 run.
• Brings academic prestige and an iconic style of play.

 

[Rufus]

The basketball one failed to consider Oregan State and Washington State, so I asked it to recalculate and break into divisions:

5 Divisions of 8 Teams (Original 40 Teams)​

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1. Pacific Division​

• Gonzaga
• Saint Mary’s
• Oregon State
• Washington State
• San Diego State
• Boise State
• Nevada
• Utah State

Region: West Coast and Mountain West heavyweights, anchored by Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s.

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2. Mountain Division​

• New Mexico
• UNLV
• Colorado State
• Fresno State
• Air Force
• Wyoming
• UC Santa Barbara
• Loyola Marymount

Region: Mountain and Southwest, with strong regional rivalries and travel efficiency.

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3. Midwest Division​

• Creighton
• Wichita State
• Drake
• Loyola Chicago
• Saint Louis
• Marquette
• Murray State
• Belmont

Region: Classic Midwest/Great Plains basketball with a mix of Big East-level programs (Marquette) and strong mid-majors.

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4. Great Lakes Division (All Ohio Schools)​

• Dayton
• Xavier
• Ohio
• Toledo
• Kent State
• Florida Atlantic
• Memphis
• Tulane

Region: All Ohio schools grouped. FAU, Memphis, and Tulane slide in for geographic balance (eastern half of the map).

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5. East Division​

• UConn
• Villanova
• Providence
• Seton Hall
• St. John’s
• VCU
• Richmond
• College of Charleston

Region: Northeast and Mid-Atlantic basketball blue bloods with A-10 powers and Charleston from the Southeast.

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✅ Why This Works

• Ohio schools stay united as a single pod.
• Pacific and Mountain Divisions consolidate the western footprint for travel efficiency.
• Midwest Division keeps core basketball powers together (Creighton, Marquette, Wichita State).
• East Division remains the national prestige division.

 

[CL82]

You'll forgive me if I don't find ChatGPT in authoritative source on college athletics.

 

[UConn Dan]

My chatGPT is very favorable to UConn (abridged below) but admittedly some of the facts are fuzzy (not shown: they referenced the Randy Edsall Football Facility as a positive)

1) Is UConn Athletics a better overall program than some current “Power 4” conference schools?

Yes, UConn is arguably a better overall athletic program than several current Power 4 schools, especially when you include Olympic sports and women’s athletics.

Comparison to Power 4 laggards:

UConn’s overall athletic profile surpasses several lower-performing P4 schools, such as:

• Vanderbilt (SEC): Elite academics but mostly underperforms athletically.
• Rutgers (Big Ten): Football and basketball have struggled for decades.
• Boston College (ACC): Declining performance, low fan energy.
• Washington State/Oregon State (Pac-2?): Their programs are now technically outside the Power 4 due to conference collapse.

2) Is UConn the best program not currently in a “Power 4” conference?

Yes. UConn is clearly the best all-around program not in a Power 4 conference.

• Basketball credibility: No Group of 5 or independent program comes close to their basketball pedigree.
• Championship culture: UConn has more NCAA team titles than most Group of 5 schools combined.
• Revenue sports competitiveness: They’re nationally relevant in both men’s and women’s basketball—a rare trait.
• Fan base & brand: Their national following in hoops is real and growing again.

Closest competitors (but still behind):

• Gonzaga (elite MBB but weak everywhere else, no football)
• Memphis (solid basketball/football combo, but lower ceiling)
• San Diego State (good recent FB/MBB runs but less tradition)
• SMU (has money, but not tradition)

Verdict: UConn is the top prize remaining outside the P4.


3) Will UConn be invited to a Power 4 conference, and if so, which one and why?

Most likely path: Big 12

Probability: Moderate (40-60%) within the next 1–3 years.

• Why the Big 12 makes sense:
  • The Big 12 values basketball more than the other P4s.
  • Commissioner Brett Yormark has publicly flirted with UConn and hinted at East Coast expansion.
  • UConn offers access to the NYC/Boston media corridor and a powerful basketball brand.
  • UConn–Kansas in Big 12 hoops would be must-watch TV.
• 
  
• Obstacle: UConn football. The Big 12 is still a football-first league. UConn’s independent football program is improving but still has a low TV draw and limited recruiting footprint.

 

[UConn Dan]

Missing the most recent championships for Men’s and Women’s but this is worse

 

[Rufus]

I have the Plus version of ChatGPT. Not sure if that changes much in terms of what it throws out for realignment.

 

[UConn Dan]

I have the Plus version of ChatGPT. Not sure if that changes much in terms of what it throws out for realignment.

I have Plus too, Greg. Clearly mine knows I'm a UConn fan and keeping me happy and continuing to spend money on the subscription