What does it take or is it even possible for a conference to kick out a team?

Moobs · September 2, 2023

There tends to be some realignment moves every 10ish years or so. Would be funny as hell if the ACC gives SMU the boot after splitting their TV revenue for 9 years. 😂

VideoEagle · September 2, 2023

A school getting kicked out of a conference is rare, but it can happen. Usually it's because a school does something egregiously bad. Or, a conference changes rules about the number of required sports or specific required sports. Being obnoxious isn't usually enough.

The last team I know being kicked out of a conference was what is now called UT-RGV was told to leave either the Sunbelt or the America South conference. I forget which, but I'll bet @Arkstfanknows know the details.

SMU2006 · September 4, 2023

Temple was kicked out the Big East. Last time I believe its happened to a major conference.

NT80 · September 5, 2023

UTA was kicked out of the Sun Belt as of June 30 for no football.

https://www.theshorthorn.com/sports/uta-athletics-to-leave-sun-belt-conference/article_f4f4bed4-73fd-11ec-99d8-9b6196bf365a.html

Edited September 5, 2023 by NT80

Arkstfan · September 6, 2023

On 9/2/2023 at 4:47 PM, VideoEagle said:

A school getting kicked out of a conference is rare, but it can happen. Usually it's because a school does something egregiously bad. Or, a conference changes rules about the number of required sports or specific required sports. Being obnoxious isn't usually enough.

The last team I know being kicked out of a conference was what is now called UT-RGV was told to leave either the Sunbelt or the America South conference. I forget which, but I'll bet @Arkstfanknows know the details.

1998 Sun Belt. UTPA (at the time) had gotten off probation and was hit again. They were death eligible. The administration in responding to the NCAA admitted the violations. The coach was believed to be wrapped all up in it but they couldn't prove the head coach was guilty so had a weak "for cause" case. For suggested penalty UTPA told the NCAA death.

The NCAA was like, no you aren't getting off that easy. No death penalty.

Presidents around the conference hit the roof. First was because they had broken the rules very clearly twice in five years and second was because UTPA asked for death.

Sun Belt rules at the time allowed expulsion by unanimous vote with of course the school subject to the vote not getting a vote. UTPA was told the votes were in place and given the opportunity to withdraw membership before the vote and they opted to withdraw.

UALR and UTA withdrew but the votes were there. Well technically speaking, UALR expulsion needed only need a 50-50 vote. They were below the Sun Belt required minimum sports sponsored and to keep their waiver needed a majority vote (50% plus one). UTA required 3/4ths vote. The league had adopted guidelines for membership long before that said no non-football would be added but Benson boo hoo'd to convince the members to ignore that and UTA.

Marshall was once kicked out of MAC. AState, Northern Illinois, Louisiana and Louisiana Tech were kicked out of Big West football when they laughed at full membership to make room for some twerps in Texas.

UMass was expelled by rule (think UALR situation) from MAC football when UMass rejected full membership triggering automatic expulsion.

Temple out of Big East was super crazy. Big East had gotten tired of Temple and adopted minimum membership standards. Each year Temple had to meet with the commissioner, show what they had done (which was not meet the standard) and what they were doing to address it (most fun was if you had a group of 30 or something like that within some distance of the stadium, they'd send a bus to pick you up, take you to the game and the tickets were free). Temple had a president who wanted to drop football and had dropped football at his previous stop at a Division II school. Rolls into the meeting says we didn't meet the standards, nothing we do will ever meet the standards, we can't possibly meet them. Commissioner is stunned, then pissed that they won't even play along and pretend to try. Per the league rules they get booted. He heads home thinking OK now I can dump this money pit football program. Trustees find out, flip out, go to the conference and get a deal to have four years to phase out. Join the MAC and then get called back up when Big East is collapsing