[SecretAgentMan]

Part 3: NCFA Conference Selections

You know that all of us here at the Wednesday Morning Quarterback (WMQB) Blog are committed to providing the most lukewarm of college football takes on the hottest news stories...from last week. So in that manner, let's be the 247th article to look at the NCFA Conference Selections and prestige values that were recently announced.

WEST REGION

PAC 12 NORTH
Oregon (82)
Washington (76)
Oregon State (67)
Washington State (64)
California (59)
Stanford (50)

PAC 12 SOUTH
Utah (75)
USC (69)
UCLA (66)
Arizona (60)
Arizona State (57)
Colorado (48)

Teams Removed: None
Teams Added: None

Analysis: Honestly, we just think it's funny that the PAC-12, the conference that the NCAA was willing to let completely fall apart, is the one that the NCFA left completely intact. It looks...like the PAC-12 we've come to know and love in years past. More PAC-12 After Dark, we say!

MOUNTAIN WEST NORTH
Boise State (64)
Air Force (61)
BYU (58)
Wyoming (51)
Colorado State (39)
Hawaii (37)

MOUNTAIN WEST SOUTH
Fresno State (58)
San Diego State (49)
Utah State (48)
San Jose State (45)
UNLV (43)
Nevada (37)

Teams Removed: New Mexico
Teams Added: BYU

Analysis: Sending BYU back to the Mountain West makes sense. To us, BYU just doesn't feel like a Power 5 school right now. Sucks for New Mexico, but we think they'll be happy with their landing spot (more on that in a bit). Our main concern here is the divisions. No, not the fact that the talent looks unbalanced right now (though that is true). It's the silly names. Mountain West North? And South? Really??

BIG SKY
Montana State (44)
Montana (42)
Weber State (34)
Sacramento State (33)
UC Davis (32)
New Mexico State (31)
Idaho (29)
New Mexico (28)
Eastern Washington (28)

Teams Removed: Northern Arizona, Portland State, Idaho State, Cal Poly, Northern Colorado
Teams Added: New Mexico State, New Mexico

Analysis: We're happy to see the Big Sky getting added to Division 1 as an "Entry 5" conference, and we think that fans are going to like the brand of football they play and their passion, especially up in Montana and Idaho. The two New Mexico schools feel like a good fit here, too.

GREAT PLAINS REGION

BIG XII NORTH
Kansas State (76)
Iowa State (68)
Missouri (67)
Texas Tech (66)
Baylor (63)
Kansas (56)

BIG XII SOUTH
Oklahoma (82)
Texas (80)
Texas A&M (72)
Oklahoma State (71)
TCU (68)
Arkansas (59)

Teams Removed: BYU, Cincinnati, West Virginia, UCF, Houston
Teams Added: Missouri, Texas A&M, Arkansas

Analysis: There's a lot of movement here, but it basically amounts to one thing: the old Big XII is back, baby! With the exception of Nebraska (which has committed to scheduling a Big XII foe each year), all of the previous Big 8/Big XII stalwarts are here, and the addition of Arkansas provides some fun Southwest Conference flair. We can't wait! The North division looks a little bit weaker, but that's nothing we haven't seen in the past anyways.

CONFERENCE USA NORTH
Tulane (56)
Louisiana (51)
Tulsa (42)
Arkansas State (36)
Louisiana Tech (33)
UL-Monroe (29)

CONFERENCE USA SOUTH
SMU (61)
Houston (55)
UTSA (50)
North Texas (41)
Rice (33)
Texas State (33)

Teams Removed: Liberty, New Mexico State, Jacksonville State, W. Kentucky, MTSU, Sam Houston, UTEP, FIU
Teams Added: Tulane, Louisiana, Tulsa, Arkansas State, UL-Monroe, SMU, Houston, UTSA, North Texas, Rice, Texas State

Analysis: See, this is the kind of thing we like to see. This conference makes sense, right? You read that list and go, yes, of course those teams are in the same conference as each other. They seems like a natural fit. Except none of them were! The new C-USA is pretty much an amalgamation of old C-USA, the Sunbelt, and the AAC, but it works. Like, well. We are really pleased to see the existence of this conference. Plus, the notion that an entire division of "Conference USA" is made up entirely of teams from Texas is just....*chef's kiss*

SOUTHLAND
UTEP (30)
Sam Houston (28)
Incarnate Word (27)
Missouri State (26)
Central Arkansas (23)
SE Louisiana (21)
SE Missouri State (19)
Nicholls State (17)
Stephen F. Austin (15)

Teams Removed: Lamar, Houston Christian, Texas A&M-Commerce, Northwestern State, McNeese State
Teams Added: UTEP, Sam Houston, Missouri State, Central Arkansas, SE Missouri State, Stephen F. Austin

Analysis: There's a lot of turnover here, too, but less than Conference USA. Again, though, it's a group that feels like a good fit. No standout programs coming up from the FCS, but enough regional matchups that should lead to some fun. The addition of Missouri State from the MVFC should be a good fit as well.

MIDWEST REGION

BIG TEN EAST
Ohio State (92)
Michigan (90)
Cincinnati (62)
Michigan State (59)
Illinois (56)
Northwestern (53)

BIG TEN WEST
Notre Dame (82)
Iowa (70)
Wisconsin (70)
Minnesota (64)
Purdue (59)
Nebraska (58)

Teams Removed: Penn State, Rutgers, Maryland, Indiana
Teams Added: Notre Dame, Cincinnati

Analysis: We have mixed feelings here. On the one hand, Penn State and Indiana leaving the Big Ten feels so, so, wrong, even if there are good reasons in both cases. But Notre Dame to the Big Ten? That feels very, very right, and is something that should have happened a long time ago. The wild card is Cincinnati. Are they going to feel like an afterthought, or a valid member? And was their inclusion worth bumping Indiana down to the MAC?

MAC EAST
Toledo (51)
Miami OH (48)
Ohio U. (47)
Bowling Green (34)
Kent State (31)
Akron (21)

MAC WEST
Indiana (51)
W. Michigan (42)
N. Illinois (41)
Ball State (39)
C. Michigan (39)
E. Michigan (39)

Teams Removed: Buffalo
Teams Added: Indiana

Analysis: This sort of feels like a "whatever shrug" sort of situation. So, "whatever shrug". The conference is basically unchanged except for some division adjustments. Indiana isn't going to move the needle in any sort of way. What we're really looking forward to is Year 2 in the MAC, when two very interesting things will happen. 1) A strong program or two will get bumped down from the Big Ten, and 2) A Dakota program or two will likely ascend from the MVFC. Then things will get fun. This year, though: "whatever shrug"

MISSOURI VALLEY FOOTBALL CONFERENCE*(MVFC)
S. Dakota State (59)
N. Dakota State (57)
N. Iowa (36)
S. Illinois (34)
S. Dakota (30)
N. Dakota (30)
Youngstown State (29)
Illinois State (28)
Indiana State (15)

Teams Removed: Missouri State, Murray State, W. Illinois
Teams Added: None

Analysis: Want some outrage about this whole process? Here's where it should be directed. There is NO way that SDSU and NDSU shouldn't have been put into the MAC. To be honest, they already profile as borderline Big Ten schools, and to see them disrespected like this is a HUGE problem. They should sweep through the conference and both be favorites to get promoted immediately, but it's a shame that they have to take a year to do it in the first place.

SOUTHEAST REGION

SEC EAST
Georgia (95)
Tennessee (74)
Florida State (71)
Florida (67)
Kentucky (67)
Miami (60)

SEC WEST
Alabama (93)
LSU (80)
Mississippi (71)
Auburn (68)
Mississippi State (64)
S. Carolina (61)

Teams Removed: Missouri, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Vanderbilt
Teams Added: Florida State, Miami

Analysis: This is going to be so much fun. So. Damn. Much. Fun. The schools that are really Big 12 schools were sent back, and the current competitive chaff has been cut. And now....Miami and Florida State are finally here. So. Much. Fun. It just means more, am I right?

SUNBELT EAST
UCF (64)
Georgia Tech (53)
Coastal Carolina (47)
Navy (46)
Vanderbilt (41)
S. Florida (39)

SUNBELT WEST
Louisville (64)
Memphis (60)
Troy (54)
W. Kentucky (50)
UAB (46)
S. Alabama (43)


Teams Removed: James Madison, Appalachian State, Old Dominion, Georgia State, Marshall, Texas St., Arkansas State, Louisiana, Southern Miss, Louisiana Monroe, Georgia Southern
Teams Added: UCF, Georgia Tech, Navy, S. Florida, Louisville, Memphis, UAB, Vanderbilt, Western Kentucky

Analysis: The Sunbelt has been radically reshaped, but it stands to be the strongest Group of 5 conference. Louisville and UCF arguably both belong in power conferences, and Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt have also been demoted from Power conferences. There's a slew of other strong programs here as well, all clamoring for a chance to get into the SEC. Does anybody here have the power to stick? That remains to be seen.

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE (SOCON)
Florida Atlantic (44)
Georgia State (44)
Georgia Southern (41)
MTSU (40)
Southern Miss (36)
Jacksonville State (34)
Furman (26)
Florida International (22)
Wofford (15)

Teams Removed: Chattanooga, Mercer, WCU, Samford, VMI, ETSU, The Citadel
Teams Added: Florida Atlantic, Georgia State, MTSU, Southern Miss, Jacksonville State, Florida International, Georgia Southern

Analysis: Funny enough, this conference is basically functioning as junior version of the Sunbelt, rather than the traditional SOCON. That means very few truly "new" teams, and a lot of teams who will be disappointed to be demoted to the Entry 5 rather than maintaining a place in the Group of 5. It will be interesting to see who responds.

ATLANTIC EAST REGION

ACC ATLANTIC
Clemson (81)
NC State (65)
Maryland (62)
N. Carolina (61)
Wake Forest (59)
Duke (57)

ACC COASTAL
Penn State (84)
W. Virginia (65)
Pittsburgh (60)
Virginia Tech (56)
Syracuse (54)
Virginia (53)

Teams Removed: Florida State, Louisville, Georgia Tech, Miami, Boston College,
Teams Added: Penn State, W. Virginia, Maryland

Analysis: This is weird. Like, most of the rest of the conference being back feels like the ACC, and Maryland's return feels like the ACC. But Penn State? Really? Yes, it will provide some great rivalry matchups with Pittsburgh and West Virginia, but it feels really weird, since Penn State has been in the Big 10 for 30 years or so. Having said that...the potential to have a Clemson-Penn State conference championship every year seems like something we're down for. And Penn State has agreed to schedule a former Big 10 opponent each year, so that should help. We know that the NCFA is doing this for competitive balance perhaps, and we hope that their analysis is correct.

AAC ATLANTIC
Appalachian State (58)
James Madison (57)
Liberty (51)
E. Carolina (44)
Old Dominion (36)
Charlotte (28)

AAC COASTAL
Boston College (50)
Army (50)
Marshall (48)
Rutgers (47)
Buffalo (39)
Temple (33)

Teams Removed: SMU, Tulane, UTSA, Memphis, S. Florida, Rice, Navy, N. Texas, UAB, Florida Atlantic, Tulsa,
Teams Added: Appalachian State, James Madison, Liberty, Old Dominion, Boston College, Army, Marshall, Rutgers, Buffalo

Analysis: Much like Conference USA, this doesn't feel remotely like the same conference. It does show you just how little geographic identity there is in the Group of 5. Anyways, this group will have to try to find a way to form an identity as an "Atlantic East" conference. It should be interesting to see how that develops.

COLONIAL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (CAA)
Villanova (29)
UConn (25)
Delaware (22)
Richmond (21)
New Hampshire (19)
William & Mary (19)
Rhode Island (16)
UMass (15)
Maine (15)

Teams Removed: Albany, Elon, Towson, Campbell, Monmouth, Hampton, NC A&T, Stony Brook
Teams Added: UConn, UMass

Analysis: It's a shame that the prestige levels of these teams are so low, because this conference feels like a very cohesive distillation of the "Atlantic East" Region. Do they have any hope of being successful on a national, level, though? That's the real question that we have here.

Overall, while there are some oddities, those of us here at Wednesday Morning Quarterback can't wait to see what the first season of the NCFA will bring! Look for our next article next week breaking down the new bowl tie-ins, which will be announced....yesterday morning. See you soon!

*Standard disclaimer* This is CLEARLY a work of fiction. The stories you are reading are being crafted using the seminal college football sim Bowl Bound College Football and the overactive imagination of one midwestern college football fan. Any resemblance to real-life events is purely coincidental. Any depictions of forceful restructuring of the NCAA should not be used as a guide for actual real-world actions. Because, let's face it, the real world of college football is going to continue to do anything it can to money-grab while it transforms into a very different version of what it once was, and there's nothing you or any of us can do about it. And let's face it, we're still probably going to watch anyway.​