Looks like Tark is showing 90 @ D3 and 85 @ D2 during new signups. New signups end tomorrow, so those may drift back into the range that I would expect. HD probably needs to run FREEHD again at the New Year and at the Tournament. I am qualified at a few D1 BCS conferences, so:

• ACC = 50% = 6
• Big 12 = 58% = 7
• Pac 10 = 42% = 5

Cannot see the others, but that's pretty damn bad. I think this is just transitional and the levels will take a few more months to normalize, but the new normal will probably see folks deciding, under the present rules, that being at a bad BCS team is no improvement over being at a mid-major. However, at this point all that reflects is users paring down and not enough new users being eligible to take over.

I suspect things will turnout that BCS conferences will remain at between 50-60% full under the new rules (if it persists as-is), but that hasn't been proved yet.

Depends on the motivation of the user.

If they want to coach in the ACC, VaTech might be enticing. But, if you can compete with Duke and Kentucky for recruits while winning the A10, maybe LaSalle is just fine. Or maybe users will group in conferences because they want to compete with humans instead of SIMAI.

grouping in conferences used to be a good idea - build conference rpi, prestige and postseason money. Enjoy talk and games against humans. Fun thing to do was to take an ordinary conference and make it a big six conference.

incentives in 3.0 dont pull as much in that direction -

There is the social aspect of playing. SIMAI never talks **** after a big victory. Nor does he care when you soulcrush him.

Sweet spot is probably going to be 9-10 for Big 6 conferences, and 6-8 for mid majors. In low D1, it probably still makes little sense to overcrowd. Being a bottom 3-4 team in a top conference is going to be as hard as it ever was, the doormats get hit hardest by loss of conference cash. Making mid-majors more fun and playable is a big plus though, IMO.

Posted by fd343ny on 12/14/2016 4:14:00 PM (view original):
grouping in conferences used to be a good idea - build conference rpi, prestige and postseason money. Enjoy talk and games against humans. Fun thing to do was to take an ordinary conference and make it a big six conference.

incentives in 3.0 dont pull as much in that direction -

A few of us are going to try to do this in Tark. Take a mid major and try to turn it into a power. Obviously it doesn't have the same advantages but it should still be fun to give it a shot.

O've done that and it is fun

BUT, without conference money how can you make it work? what boosts the league? the scheme was find a mid major league, get good human coaches, win virtually all out of conference games, get lots of bids, make money

worked best if conference was sort of spread out so one did not feel compelled to fight within the conf.

but whats the play in 3.0 other than hoping it is fun - how can such a conference excel?

If not fun, why play at all?

Building smaller conferences is about more than recruiting dollars, though. In addition to the social aspect, a stronger conference is basically a requirement for getting the kind of NT seed you need for consistent postseason success. Obviously that's the ultimate goal here. But it does indirectly impact recruiting, too. I've put together a strong Cornell team in Knight, but the second best rpi in the ivy right now is 179. I watch my team drop in the projection with every game. If I I lose a single one, I could miss the nt entirely with that. That'll hit my prestige and hinder my recruiting, too.

Posted by bathtubhippo on 12/14/2016 10:39:00 PM (view original):
Building smaller conferences is about more than recruiting dollars, though. In addition to the social aspect, a stronger conference is basically a requirement for getting the kind of NT seed you need for consistent postseason success. Obviously that's the ultimate goal here. But it does indirectly impact recruiting, too. I've put together a strong Cornell team in Knight, but the second best rpi in the ivy right now is 179. I watch my team drop in the projection with every game. If I I lose a single one, I could miss the nt entirely with that. That'll hit my prestige and hinder my recruiting, too.

Exactly. It'll help with seeding and then overall prestige.

As for as lack of recruiting bonus money, I say so what. This is NuHD. We don't need it because other B6 don't have the advantages they used to have in 2.0. As long as you don't trip over each other in recruiting (you'll need to be spread out like you say mamxet), you can compete with all other bigger schools and potentially win. Previously you weren't going to be getting 4 and 5 stars at lower conferences, but now you can.

D1 is now basically just D2/D3 with bigger budgets since even though you have baseline prestige, it takes play as big of a part of recruiting as it used to... IMHO

People are moving into solid jobs in Phelan D1. It's nice to see Phelan being still a solid D1 world.

But...but...but...the EE problem will kill D1!!!!!!

I do really like HD3 overall, including D1, and I think it's a great time to be in the MWC or CUSA, even the A10 since the BE may be a bit weakened with coach turnover. That said, I don't think we should just dismiss some of the outstanding/untested issues--EEs and coaching changes are still an unresolved issue when it comes to the effect on that 2nd session. Whether the EE issue self-resolves over time or not is up in the air now that we're finally getting into full rosters from HD3 recruiting, but recruiting after D1 coaching changes is an issue that could give people pause before adding teams or moving up, etc. I think it's important that the folks at WIS at least review these things since we're still (relatively) in the early days of HD3.

While on the subject of improving the HD/D1 experience in general, though, doesn't the time between the end of the postseason and the beginning of the next seem just IMMENSE and boring? eesh

I wasn't really dismissing them. I was just mocking the gloom and doom "D1 WILL DIE LIKE THIS!!!!!" folks. It's hard to tell people, and even harder for them to accept, that the EE problems will resolve themselves but they likely will. It's kinda like your super bitchy girlfriend dumping you out of nowhere. It sucks for a few days, WHAT DID I DO?!?!?!?, but you're better off in the long run. While the super teams with the super classes probably won't feel that THEY are better off in the long run, HD will be.

5 in the Pac-10 is really bad. The worst it has been since I can remember and I have been in the conference since season 14. Conference usually has 10-12 humans and is now down to 5. Playing a bunch of sims is not real fun but looks to be the reality for a while.