Would UConn fans be interested in a Northeastern football-only conference?

[Kolumbo]

Hear me out:

My theory assumes three things:
1) The NCAA will allow a football-only conference (with the Convention coming up in September, this may happen)
2) The Big 12 adds BYU, UCF, UH, and Cincy
3) The MW adds Memphis, SMU, and Wichita State (Olympic sports)

We would be part of an 8-team 7-game/year football-only conference. It would allow us to schedule up to 5 P5 home and home series a year.

Here's the line-up with the Olympic sports conferences they would be in:
UConn (Big East)
UMass (A-10)
Army (Patriot)
Navy (Patriot)
Temple (A-10)
Buffalo (America East)
ECU (CAA)
USF (CAA)

There would be no CCG so as to allow Navy and Army to play their yearly game after the CCGs are finished.

Our prospective schedule could look something like this:

1. Syracuse (H)
2. Vanderbilt (A)
3. Boston College (H)
4. Purdue (A)
5. Duke (H)
6. USF (A)
7. Buffalo (H)
8. Temple (A)
9. Army (H)
10. ECU (A)
11. UMass (H)
12. Navy (A)

What do you think?

UCONN Absolutely needs something more than Independence to help with recruiting, fan interest, and rebuilding this program.

I still really like this 8 team football only conference. The 6 state universities would all benefit by playing similar level competition in a conference format while remaining fairly local. It would help all with recruiting while building for a better future. The Academies, not sure if they would care. Other options are Liberty, Marshall, or a couple others out of C-USA or Sunbelt, depending on what happens with CR. Football and basketball, you gotta keep 'em separated.

 

[ScottVib]

Football only conferences are already allowed (there are a few in 1AA and technically the Big East Football Conference was a separate entity from the main Big East Conference when it was initially founded).

In your scenario this could be done without the formality of a conference (except for Buffalo who likely would not leave the MAC for a downgrade in the rest of its sports programs). If those schools were independents UConn would end up playing most of them, most seasons. No reason to have a conference for a conference's sake... your not going to be more likely to attend UConn-ECU because both teams are members of the Eastern Football Conference. Of that list of schools UConn would be the third most valuable TV property, arguably their value (even for football) is greater separately without being tied to UMass & ECU. Inarguably Army & Navy would have more value with an independent schedule where they control their home TV rights rather than the conference value.

 

[NTXCoog]

Football only conferences are already allowed (there are a few in 1AA and technically the Big East Football Conference was a separate entity from the main Big East Conference when it was initially founded).

FBS confereces have different rules than FCS and lower. NCAA bylaws require at least 6 men's and 8 women's sports for FBS conferences.

Unlike the OP, I don't see the NCAA changing this restriction because of the potential impact on women's sports and Title IX