Interesting, so basically a group of schools could essentially buy the MEAC, keep NCAA credits and eligibility while not having any of the original MEAC members. The only way I could see this sparking interest is if Liberty decides they really want to be in a conference. They have the money to make something like this work, and could influence other schools like ODU to join up. Marshall would probably be on board too if it meant staying with ODU, WKU, and Charlotte.
Basically.
The WAC lineup in 2020 of New Mexico State, Seattle, Chicago State, UTRGV, Utah Valley, Cal Baptist, Tarleton State, and Dixie State is nothing like their 2011 lineup of Louisiana Tech, Nevada, Utah State, Hawaii, San Jose State, Fresno State, New Mexico State, and Idaho.
The AAC is legally the old Big East. When those schools joined and the Catholic 7 decided they didn't want to be in the league with them the new schools sold the Big East name to the C7 and became the AAC. (that situation was a little different but still new schools joining a league and turning it to something else)
In that thread on CSNbbs BruceMcF explains it as--
What is bizarre, but until and unless the NCAA in its infinite(simal?) wisdom change the rule is the rule, is that the identity of the members doesn't matter any more.
Before 2011, continuity was seven or more schools that had played each other annually over a certain number of years.
In 2011, under the old rule, the WAC would have had to dissolve. They had too many schools leaving and not enough schools coming in from the same conference.
So they scrapped the old rule and made it eight years of continuity in the conference meeting the multi-sport and NCAA participation-eligibility requirements.
So now if all the teams leave a conference and a whole new set of teams come in, it's still continuity as long as they meet the multi-sport and tournament eligibility rules both before and after the complete turnover.
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