[Goose]

one way this works out with two "super conferences", everyone else is in the "minor leagues", do the minor league teams end up as the development league for the "super conferences" where many of their good players "transfer up"???  Will this work??

My opinion is that teams that are not part of the "super conferences" fairly quickly drop the sport. These "minor league" conferences won't be getting the revenue to support a "lavish" player lifestyle. Once it becomes clear that none of the "good" players will remain at the school that developed them, fans will quickly lose interest. Since none of these players graduate from the school in which they initially enrolled, the administration (and faculty) will rightly question why have the sport at all. There is no school loyalty and it costs money (as opposed to making money like it does now).

Minor league baseball teams are created to be baseball teams. They get support from the major league teams with which they affiliate. If they lose money they eventually fold (as many have). Universities aren't created to support football teams and there will be no affiliate that will make up the losses. IMO it will not work.

This dynamic has been a way of life for the MAC and Sun Belt for years.

I would argue that no, it hasn't been a way of life for years. Only quite recently has it been true that athletes can transfer to another school easily. That is a big hit on alumni/student body loyalty. You can certainly live with a program that doesn't make money if it has the support of alumni and the school at large. The alumni pony up and the school supports their team. It is "worth it" despite the difficulty. It can be regarded as a "team building" experience for all concerned :-). IMO this enthusiasm will go away when the (possibly few) good players leave whenever they get "a better offer". The myth that these are "our lads" becomes unsupportable in the face of such behavior. It will inevitably take it's toll.

[Goose]

one way this works out with two "super conferences", everyone else is in the "minor leagues", do the minor league teams end up as the development league for the "super conferences" where many of their good players "transfer up"???  Will this work??

My opinion is that teams that are not part of the "super conferences" fairly quickly drop the sport. These "minor league" conferences won't be getting the revenue to support a "lavish" player lifestyle. Once it becomes clear that none of the "good" players will remain at the school that developed them, fans will quickly lose interest. Since none of these players graduate from the school in which they initially enrolled, the administration (and faculty) will rightly question why have the sport at all. There is no school loyalty and it costs money (as opposed to making money like it does now).

Minor league baseball teams are created to be baseball teams. They get support from the major league teams with which they affiliate. If they lose money they eventually fold (as many have). Universities aren't created to support football teams and there will be no affiliate that will make up the losses. IMO it will not work.

This dynamic has been a way of life for the MAC and Sun Belt for years.

I would argue that no, it hasn't been a way of life for years. Only quite recently has it been true that athletes can transfer to another school easily. That is a big hit on alumni/student body loyalty. You can certainly live with a program that doesn't make money if it has the support of alumni and the school at large. The alumni pony up and the school supports their team. It is "worth it" despite the difficulty. It can be regarded as a "team building" experience for all concerned :-). IMO this enthusiasm will go away when the (possibly few) good players leave whenever they get "a better offer". The myth that these are "our lads" becomes unsupportable in the face of such behavior. It will inevitably take it's toll.