The TRUTH of the matter is...Teams like Cincinnati, East Carolina, Houston, Memphis, Southern Miss, Temple etc...COULD compete at the P5 level with the benefits (Exposure, Money etc...), those conferences would give them. Hell, East Carolina has facilities and Fan Support that EQUALS or SURPASSES Kentucky, Vanderbilt and the Mississippi Schools of the Almighty Send Em Cash Conference!!!
ALL of the aformentioned schools are in Good to Great Recruiting area's, but most of 3-5* recriuts want to play in P5 Conferences like the ACC, BIG, Big-12 and SEC.
When the Big-12 FOLDS...And it WILL...The AAC and MWC will be fighting to replace them! We're going to 4 MAJOR 16 Team P5 Conferences...The PAC...Being ANTI Military and ANTI Relegious...Will Poach one of the Kansas(St), and Oklahoma(St) Schools as well as Iowa State and Texas Tech.
The Big Will take the other Kansas and Oklahoma School, while the SEC Will take West Virginia...And if they had ANY sense, East Carolina...The gives them a Home in North Carolina...Or Houston to balance out the East and West Divisions...Baylor and TCU...And MAYBE, BYU...Are headed to the MWC!!!
The ACC Will offer Texas the SAME Deal that Notre Dame has until they HAVE to join Full Time...Or both WILL go Independent...And MAYBE, BYU. If that happens, the ACC will invite Cincinnati and either Connecticut or Temple...ALL three of the schools bring a Good Size Metro Area...AND, Basketball HISTORY...Hey...The ACC is STILL ran by Tabaco Road!!!
I see a future where there are Four 16 Team P5 Conferences: ACC, BIG, PAC and SEC...And Four 16 Team G5 Conferences: AAC, CUSA, MAC and MWC (SORRY Sun Belt, it's FCS for you...Thats where you belong ANYWAY)...They play each other OOC but have Seperate Playoffffs...Using the Bowl System, to Determine a National Champion...The teams ABOVE .500, that don't make the Playoffs in each division STILL play in Bowl Games.
The P5 Playoff Bowls are: Rose (BIG vs. PAC...Hey, it's TRADITION), and Sugar (ACC vs. SEC...It's Bragging Rights), with the Championship Game played at Jerry's World. The G5 Playoff Bowls are: Fiesta (MWC vs. Rotate CUSA and the MAC), and the Orange (AAC vs Rotate CUSA and the MAC), with the Championship Game played at Jerry's World...The week BEFORE the P5 Title Game.
Notre Dame and Texas...And MAYBE, BYU...Get left out...HEY...You wanted INDEPENDENCE...You GOT it!!!