O5 PLAYERS IN 2016 NBA draft.

Weak night for the O5 teams in the 2016 NBA draft- three players taken in the second round
MWC: Two from UNLV #38 Patrick McCaw 6' 7 guard to the Bucks then traded to GSW where his solid defensive skills and overall agility should  be a good fit.
 #41 Stephen Zimmerman Jr , a 7' center to Orlando. If Orlandom has patience, the kid might help them
AAC:#56 Daniel Hamilton UConn 6/7 F/G went to Denver then traded to OKC. He'll need to improve his trey % may see a lot of NBDL time

June 26, 2016

FA summer league signings by O5 teams
Nathan Boothe Toledo(MAC) Miami Heat

Shawn Long Louisiana-Lafayette (SunBelt)  76ers

James Webb III Boise State(MWC) 76ers

James Kelly      Marshall(CUSA)       Hornets

October 15, 2017

A year later: #mccaw  will be getting more minutes at small forward for #gsw. #zimmerman was waived by the #magic this summer and picked up by the Lakers. #hamilton will likely bounce back and forth from the Thunder to the NBDL.

O5 Geography matters: martial re-alignment.

Hypotheticals to stir sports chatter:
 Find a way to get UMass into the AAC. I'd love this one for hoops more than football reasons. Tulsa to the Big 12 which won't take back Houston & SMU who go back to the CUSA. Tulane, too.
FIU and FAU exit the CUSA and return to the SunBelt.
Rutgers back to AAC  replaced by in the B10 by NIU from the MAC.

Return Marshall to the MAC  and  great matchups with the Ohio schools


New Mexico St from the SunBelt to the MWC. Wouldn't N.Mex St/New Mexico be a great conference and intrastate game? Move Idaho from Sunbelt to an Independent as  they are heading to1AA status.


For new readers: O5, the Other five 1A football conferences = AAC, MAC,MWC, CUSA,  &SunBelt

June 21, 2016

You can find UMass and other teams in

always looking for a new owner or two who will pay attention to their roster weekly

Seven weeks til 2016 automated draft.

1)acc ,b10,sec, aac, independents Aug 12

2)PAC12, B12,CUSA,SUNBELT, MAC, & MWC Aug 14

Free Fantrax leagues. Email me vaporbust4@gmail.com if you're interested and specify if which one(s) you want to join.

June 28, 2016

Let's try a reverse! How about Vanderbilt to the CUSA?

July 1 , 2016

Not often I can mention my Terps in an O5 blog .Teldrick Morgan will start for Terps.

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/06/28/new-mexico-states-leading-receiver-joins-maryland-as-grad-transfer/comment-page-1/#comment-262983

July 3, 2016

Now I can include Coastal Carolina in Sunbelt blogs. CCU joined the Sunbelt Conference on 7/1/16 for all sports except football, which begins a two year entry process in 2017. Coastal Carolina’s first football season in 2017 will also mark affiliate members Idaho and New Mexico State’s final season in the Sun Belt. CCU football becomes eligible for SBC championship and bowl play in 2018.

Note to new readers: 05= AAC, CUSA,MAC, MWC, SBC. O5

July 19 ,2016

Bit surprised to see Houston looking at the PAC12. University of Houston athletic director Hunter Yurachek met last month with Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott  as the school tries to attract interest from Power Five conferences.

AAC would miss houston

JULY 21,2016

Possible AAC raid continues: Big 12 focusing on  USF which  resides in the nation’s 11th-largest media market, according to Nielsen an will $5 million from the state — when it was awarded ‘emerging preeminence’ status by the Florida Board of Governors Strategic Planning Committee.

July 29,2016

Justin Timberlake, a Memphis native, is pushing hard for Memphis to leave the AAC for the Big 12.If it occurs where does the AAC turn?

September 28, 2016

Latest on B12 expansion "mess"

1) concern about how Houston would impact football recruiting in that area Texas.
2) West Virginia is believed to have reservations about elevating Cincinnati to "power five" status.
3) Oklahoma's wavering: Borens's favorite in expansion was BYU, which is now viewed as radioactive because of its stance on LGBT and Title IX issues , but it does have the backing of the Big 12's TV partners, especially ESPN.

October 19, 2016

#Houston, #Cincinnati and #BYU and eight other finalists spent $$$ for nothing as the #Big 12  will remain at ten teams.

1/15/17

#coastalcarolina baseball will shake up the Sunbelt

2/17/17

#Liberty U football is moving up to 1A They will transition this season and become Independent in 2018. #sunbelt conference could be a good landing spot. #ianmccaw is the current AD and was  the Baylor AD during the #Briles' scandal years. And their opening game this season is at #Baylor.

3/25/17

#wichitast wcould be a great hoops addition to AAC. They could fill the slot left by Navy not playing hoops in the AAC.

4/5/17

#WichitaState, a member of the Missouri Valley Conference since 1945, is closer to joining the #AAC as its 12 th hoop team for the 2017/18 season

4/6/17

It appears the MVC will recruit #Valparaiso  to leave the Horizon League and fill Wichitast 's spot

4/18/17

#wichitast will phase in a new contract with #underarmor among its sports programs and their asst HC #chrisjans took the #newmexicost hoops job. #jans had a good 2014/15 season  as the #bowlinggreen HC before being fired for off court shenanigans.
MVC is also targetting #murrayst

4/20/17

First Wichita St now Cincy  adding a hoops home &home with UCLA. #aac is looking up

5/6/17

#coastalcarolina jumps to 1A Sunbelt with a brutal non-conference game Sat, Nov 4
@Arkansas.

5/11/17

Vaparaiso replaces #Wichitast in the #MVC and .#murrayst and #omaho top the list to replace Valpo in the Horizon. I'm not buying  #GrandCanyon of Phoenix, Arizona as  a remote possibility . The economics of travels  is enough of a deterrent for this small Midwestern league.

6/22/17

AAC is  stepping up it's hoop game. UConn to renew it's rivalry with Nova (Big East). #wichitast ,new kid in the AAC, has a competitive OOC schedule including #okst, and #baylor. Also #marquette and #notredame are possible #Maui Invitational opponents.

7/1/17

#summit hoops down to eight teams as Horizon League replaces Valpo with #IUPUI. Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis pledges to  expand its hoops budget.

9/4/17

Liberty's upset of Baylor yesterday sparked a repost of my February comments:" #ianmccaw is the current  #liberty AD and was  the Baylor AD during the #Briles' scandal years. And their opening game this season is at #Baylor."

1/23/18

Will #newmexicostate makes another bid to join the #mwc.The honeymoon is over for #wichitastate in #aac hoops. #Valparaiso is 2-6 in its first season in MVC.

2/24/18

#valparaiso is 5-12 in conference play in its first #MVC season..#northernkentucky has a one game lead on wright st in the #horizon. IUPUI is in the middle of the Horizon pack. #wichitast  trails #cincy by a game in the #aac

5/4/18

 #NorthAlabama starts its move to 1A sports, including hoops but not football, this fall. UNA will play in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

5/18/18

#Liberty U is joining the Atlantic Sun for hoops but hasn't found a 1A conference for football. How about the Sunbelt Conference?

7/2/18

 It's official #Liberty is 1A and #Idaho has dropped to 1AA. Liberty Flames will also play a rare in-season home-and-home set against New Mexico State.

7/15/18

#Liberty will be next in line to fill any vacancy left open by the #AAC and Sunbelt for the  AutoNation Cure Bowl for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. There are provisions in place to allow the Flames ,playing in their first 1A season, to be included in the postseason in the event there are vacancies to fill.

1/12/19

Dusting off an old blog: #westvirginia had and may still have reservations about Cincy moving to Power 5 football status. Maybe FSU, Fla,, and Miami (FL) feel the same way about UCF
 Moving to hoops but staying in the area .
#NorthernKentucky moved to 4-1 in the Horizon league, edging Wright State 68-64 on Friday night.
Liberty  is 2-0 and Northern Alabama is 1-1 in conference play in their first seasons in the Atlantic Sun. 

3/11/19

#Liberty edged Lipscomb to win the Atlantic Sun Dance ticket  AND i'M STILL CAMPAIGNING FOR THE fLAMES TO JOIN THE sUNBELT, but maybe they're shooting for the AAC.

3/12/19

 Drew McDonald (18 PTS, 11 REB, 5 AST) led Northern Kentucky to a 64-63 win and they'll face Wright St , a winner over Green Bay, in the Horizon T final.

3/13/19

How about NKU punching the Dance card? Dantez Walton (15 points and 14 rebounds) and Drew McDonald(13 points,  eight rebounds, and five assists) led The Norse to a 77-66 victory over Wright St. in the Horizon title game.

3/18/19

NKU travels to Tulsa, OK to face  Texas Tech, who is probably still pissed about the B12T loss to WVA ,and Liberty travels to San Jose, Ca to face Miss St..

3/20/19

BWampler scored 17 points for Wright St in an NIT rd1 loss to Clemson.

3/23/19

How about Liberty U  stunning Miss St? It wasn't good for my bracket,but a he!! of night for  C. Homesley(LIB) (30 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST),  Northern Kentucky was beaten soundly by Texas Tech.
T. Sharpe (NKY) (23 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST)

3/31/19

How about #Lipscomb , who finished second to Liberty in the ASUN, advancing to play Wichita St in the NIT semi-finals? #GarrisonMathews scored 44 points for Lipscomb in a 94-93 victory over North Carolina State.
 April 3, 2019 #Lipscomb 71 Wichita St 64:  Garrison Mathews LIP - G  (34 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST). Big win for the ASUN member who'll face Texas in the NIT final.
 June 23, 2019:  uconn wants to move to the Big East in 2020 and will likely be going Independent for football. Why not Liberty U as a full member of the AAC? Perhaps a local conference rivalry with #eastcarolina will develop?
July 2 :Arkansas State (Sunbelt), and Old Dominion (CUSA)  have been mentioned as possible AAC CANDIDATES
july 5:  James Madison is  interested in moving up to FBS to take UConn’s spot in #AAC
july11:  Liberty lands former Auburn QB Malik Willis and he'll be playing for Head Coach #hughfreeze, former Ol Miss HC.
july 17:  Aresco, AAC Commish, on REPLACING uCONN. we're not making phone calls but we'll receive them,

jAN 4 2020

 Reviving. It seems odd that the CUSA, which has a few Bible felt schools, has been bothered by Liberty U's evangelical system, and rejected it's bids and $$$ to join them. I've heard the Sunbelt is in talks with Liberty again..
It remains puzzling the James Madison  is stuck on joining the AAC or remaining in 1AA.

March 9, 2020

Liberty U (Atlantic Sun) hoops is going to the Dance again. Hey Sunbelt or AAC- it's time to invite them to your conference for hoops and pigskin.

May 16, 2020

 Liberty may be staying an Independent for awhile, but they're finding tougher opponents. Liberty added road trips to North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia to its 2023-24 schedules .

June 1, 2020

Floyd Little ,the Denver Broncos sixth overall pick in the 1967 draft and an NFL Hall of Famer, is battling an aggressive cancer. I looked back at those Syracuse years when he was part a great group of running backs including Jim Brown and Ernie Davis and discovered that Syracuse was an Independent in football until 1991. Times have changed and Cuse didn't have #Liberty U's religious "baggage", but I bet those folks in Falwell country have studied Notre Dame and Syracuse football history as Independents.

July 17, 2020

St. Thomas , a private university in St. Paul, Minnesota, is jumping to 1A and  will compete in the Summit League in 19 of their 22 sports, including basketball.  The Tommies won the 2011 and 2016 NCAA Division III men's basketball championships. The school's football program is expected to join the Pioneer League  Subdivision.  

Aug 23, 2020

Liberty U revised it's schedule and updated information for ticketing for the five home games.

 Sept. 19 at Western Kentucky
Sept. 26 vs. FIU – 6 p.m.
Oct. 3 vs. North Alabama – 6 p.m.
Oct. 10 vs. Louisiana-Monroe – 6 p.m.
Oct. 17 at Syracuse
Oct. 24 vs. Southern Miss – 6 p.m.
Nov. 7 at Virginia Tech
Nov. 14 vs. Western Carolina – 2 p.m.
Nov. 21 at NC State
Dec. 5 at Coastal Carolina

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/college/big-12/article90826982.html#storylink=cpy

UMass football left the MAC--why?

 UMass left MAC football apparently because the MAC wanted them to be an all sports member. A lot of chatter about them going to the AAC, but if they couldn't hack the MAC, they won't fare better in the AAC.  Perhaps, the Sunbelt , who've turned them down once,  downgrading to AA, or eliminating the  football program. Minuteman have a brutal schedule this year including three solid SEC  teams.

2016 U Mass schedule
at Florida Gators (SEC)
Boston College Eagles
FIU Golden Panthers
Mississippi State Bulldogs (SEC)
Tulane Green Wave (HC)
at Old Dominion Monarchs
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
at South Carolina Gamecocks (SEC)
Wagner Seahawks
at Troy Trojans
at BYU Cougars
at Hawaii Rainbow Warriors

It  appears to be a tougher road than  their MAC days to become bowl eligible.

June 12, 2016

Sunbelt, who turned down UMass a few years ago, could use another team as they move toward a 2018 title game, but travel would be brutal with N Mex St and Idaho in the conference. Minutemen better find some $$$$ if they want to join the AAC.
 I would like to see UMass in the AAC for hoops reasons.

June 15, 2016

UMass has scheduled regional games with BC on the schedule this season and UConn next. Interesting tidbit: UMass and Boston College series started1901 but they only  played a total of 24 contests. BC lead the overall series 19-5 and have won eight straight.

June 21, 2016

You can find UMass and other teams in

always looking for a new owner or two who will pay attention to their roster weekly

Seven weeks til 2016 automated draft.

1)acc ,b10,sec, aac, independents Aug 12

2)PAC12, B12,CUSA,SUNBELT, MAC, & MWC Aug 14

Free Fantrax leagues. Email me vaporbust4@gmail.com if you're interested and specify if which one(s) you want to join.

July 28, 2016

UMass on the road @BYU and @ Hawaii to finish the regular season-that's nuts and I doubt if they'll fly back home between games.

may 18, 2017

Some of the same teams as on the @UMass 2016 schedule plus @Tennessee. Heavy southern flavor, particularly the Sunbelt.

Sat, Aug 26 vs Hawaii

Sat, Sep 2 @ CO CAR

Sat, Sep 9 vs Old Dominion

Fri, Sep 15 @ Temple

Sat, Sep 23 @ Tennessee

Sat, Sep 30 vs Ohio

Sat, Oct 14 @ South Florida

Sat, Oct 21 vs GA Southern

Sat, Oct 28 vs Appalachian St

Sat, Nov 4 @ MS State

Sat, Nov 11 vs Maine

Sat Nov 18     @ BYU

July 13, 2017

Is #umass leaning toward the SunBelt? Would their hoops teams stay in the Atlantic 10?

sept 16 2017

When you're an Independent and #Irma hits: To fill the vacated matchup with #usf , #UMass willplay #FIU in Miami on Dec2.  if FIU doesn't qualifies for the #cusa title game

Jan 20,2018

#Umass has a heavy southern 2018 schedule which includes ending its regular season @  #UGA. I still suspect the Minutemen land in the SunBelt and may fill the void left by the departure of New Mexico St to the  small group of 1A indies.  It would be cool to see NMST land in the #MWC.

Feb 13 2018

Is #newmexicostate mens  hoops making a strong case for  the entire sports program to move to the #mwc? Ags are heating up #WAC hoops.

April 21, 2018

#umass is still afloat in 1A football, and it may be time for them to  consider joining the Sunbelt. Heavy southern flavor in the #Minutemen  2018 football schedule. #AAC would be cool for hoops
Sat, Aug 25 Duquesne
Sat, Sept 1 Boston College
Sat, Sept 8 Ga Southern
Sat, Sept 15 FIU
Sat, Sept 22 Charlotte
Sat, Sept 29 Ohio
Sat, Oct 6 USF
Sat, Oct 20 C. Carolina
Sat, Oct 27 UConn
Sat, Nov 3 Liberty
Sat, Nov 10 BYU
Sat, Nov 17 Georgia

April 27, 2019

Walter A. Bell IV , the new UMass HC replaces Whipple , who is is now the OC at Pitt U . Will the 1A independent form their own league? Umass   travels to Army and hosts BYU and Liberty , three 1A Independents,  this season.

May 21, 2019

 Buffalo (MAC), UMass will start a six-game series starting in 2022.

					BYU