I have obviously not suggested that the only metric one should use to determine whether a coach can move up is how they measure up to a Sim.
I am saying, however, that brips body of work--including 2 national titles of recent vintage along with about a thousand conference championships and his historical loyalty to a program --should qualify him for a mid-major job at the D-I level coaching a team of turd-burglars, no questions asked. That it does not is a flaw that defies logic from every angle, including WIS's own money-makin' interest. Its self-defeating and pointless to weigh so heavily a choice made in the last couple months over the last 4 calendar years of activity.
It's going to cost them money and prestige for the conference to which I currently belong.
Finally, 'acn', you disagree with my conclusion and not my premise on the black hole that is Division I. But I never said that the selectivity with which hires are made is THE reason for the SIMfest, only that it is A reason. I've only been at the D-I level for a couple recruiting cycles so I can't vouch for or against the problems you cite, but I'll take your word for it. I don't see the two issues as being disconnected, though. As long as mid-major conferences remain void of human coaches, the opportunities they have to challenge the BCS conferences in either recruiting or during the season will suffer. Putting up roadblocks that inhibit mid-majors from competing makes even LESS sense given your argument and seems to suggest that a rethink on hiring practice makes more sense than your vigorous defense of the currently existing system.