I've posted this were it belongs - the Knight forum - but in case some folks missed my CC notice about it who might see it here, I'm pasting it for more eyeballs. I'd love to have all the comments go to the "real" thread on the Knight boards, but if someone is eligible and interested and posts here I'll make it work...

I'd like to propose a rather intensive mega challenge between the top power conferences of Knight D2. This would involve what I think are currently the top 8 conferences in Knight D2: Heartland, Cal CAA, Southern, Central, Great NW, Lone Star, North American, and GLIAC. The format derives from a number of various conference challenges I've taken part in and/or managed over the years.

Participation would require a commitment of 7 games of your non-conference schedule. I'm thinking that each conference will send 6 teams since some of these conferences only have 7 or 8 humans right now.  I'll use the same seeding method I currently use in the Heartland - CCAA Challenge. The conference records of each team are averaged for the last 2 seasons and the teams are seeded 1-12. Each seed will play their corresponding seed from each other conference. If this results in a repeat of a match-up from last season I will slide teams up or down 1 seed when possible to avoid repeats. Home/Away can either be determined on alternating conference basis or I can simply set them as I do now game by game trying to avoid imbalances while also keeping it even between the conferences and seeds (for example I try to avoid having all the top seeds get home while all the bottom get away, etc)

I'll do all the maintenance, coaches just have to sign-up here and schedule games when prompted. 

The winning conference will be determined by adding up the wins and losses for all teams in the conference, with the best overall W/L total the champion. In the case of any ties we will then use total margin of victory.

To make things really interesting, I'd love to have every coach that participates donate a $5 WiS gift certificate for entry. The 6 coaches in the winning conference would then get to split the total pot ($40 each). If a coach pays in and does not return to the school he registered with the next season that $5 stays in the pot. If one of the winning coaches happens to have just taken over (and therefore did not pay in) he gets lucky and still gets his share. Simple money rules - all in, then all out...

[EDIT - Only about half the people responding are interested in the cash prize aspect, so I think that is pretty clear that it WON'T be a part of the Challenge]
 
In order to make this happen, we will target scheduling next season (63) for games to take place season 64. (We are currently in season 62.)

If you are interested please indicate so by posting below (please post your school and conference in your post). Posting an interest is not a binding agreement to ante up 

List of participating coaches
jonnyt_1 - CSU, Bakersfield - CCAA
jmharlow - Cal, San Diego - CCAA
ripnsnort - Cal Poly Pomona - CCAA
bomann5 - San Francisco St - CCAA
tcole23 - Grand Canyon - CCAA
jetwildcat - Cal, Davis - CCAA
jdog1997 - Sonoma St - CCAA
johnfoppe - CSU, Dominguez Hills - CCAA
sharrow - CSU, Los Angeles - CCAA
daenon - CSU, Stanislaus - CCAA
rogelio - North Carolina Central - Central
tk21775 - Livingstone  - Central
llamanunts - Bowie St - Central
milwood - Virginia Union - Central
mrbinson - Johnson C Smith - Central
yazooyokel - Winston-Salem St - Central
twiddlebug - Fayetteville St - Central
daveredden - St Augustine's - Central
robertsponge - Elizabeth City St - Central
tlfisch - Grand Valley St - GLIAC
blapo21 - Findlay - GLIAC
coach_sean - Ferris St - GLIAC
echaney - Michigan Tech - GLIAC
sublightd - Northwood - GLIAC
danhiltunen - Wayne St (MI) - GLIAC
johnson1685 - N. Michigan - GLIAC
dacj501 - Valdosta St - Heartland
a_in_the_b - Drury - Heartland
reddyred - Incarnate Word - Heartland
ctnowlin - St Edward's - Heartland
collegeboss7 - W. Alabama - Heartland
hueylong - West Florida - Heartland
wansingk - Montevallo - Heartland
pete0713 - SW Oklahoma St - Lone Star
victorzhao - Texas A&M, Kingsville - Lone Star
shucky - Texas A&M, Commerce - Lone Star
bjb2378 - Northeastern St - Lone Star
shafty - Tarleton St - Lone Star
carrollg - E. Central - Lone Star
tarvolon - Alaska, Anchorage - North American
jfribush - Tiffin - North American
davisdynasty - Central St - North American
mmt0315 - Stonehill - North American
garmansouth - S. New Hampshire - North American
slick_watts - Slippery Rock - North American
westcoast22 - West Chester (PA) - North American
jtt8355 - W Virginia Wesleyan - North American

This sounds pretty cool. Almost makes me want to rejoin Knight...

Much easier to have a solid RPI in a largely human league: the human teams slavage your conference RPI & you have to overschedule non-con. That is why I target high RPI conferences for my non-con. -- Benedict, Southern

ok Knight D2 community - we have sufficient interest from the Heartland, Cal CAA, North American and Lone Star. The Southern and GLIAC are close with 4 each (but one of the six human coaches in the Southern has voted "not interested" in the poll, so that makes me think the Southern will not get to 6). The Great NW only has 2 interested, and I must have banged everyone in the Central's sister or something because they have yet to even acknowledge that I've posted to them and no one has expressed interest.  Someone from the Rocky Mountain has expressed interest though, so they might get added instead of the Great NW or Central, but it'd be a real shame if the Central doesn't take part as they are legitimately one of the top D2 conferences in Knight...

So, If you are in a conference not listed but think you can drum up 6 of your coaches to take part, let me know. If someone you love is in the Central, stop by their house and make sure they are ok...

Ok, I believe we are going to go to 6 total conferences with a 5 game commitment. We have 5 conferences, still need 1 more to get 6 coaches. Please see the Knight forum thread for more details. We are close to making this thing happen, thanks everyone.

i might jump up to d2, our d3 conf which used ot be the best ever is kinda empty now. 

Posted by aejones on 7/17/2013 9:06:00 PM (view original):
i might jump up to d2, our d3 conf which used ot be the best ever is kinda empty now. 

jonesey, that'd be cool - make sure you join one of the conferences that's in!  We don't start til season after next, so plenty of time

Im in with W. Chester PA (North American) if you need more.

bumped for edits

This challenge is ON!  Called the MUSDUC for short, it now has its own lame website www.MUSDUC.com

We decided on 6 conferences with a 5 game commitment. Anyone interested in something like this get yourself to a qualifying D2 conference in Knight ASAP!

Anyone interested in this come join the GLIAC. We have nine human coaches and the conf. Will soon be back near the top. Would love to have you join us!

Ditto for the Lone Star.  We have 8 human coaches, and this season we jumped from the #9 conference to #4.  We placed 3 in the S16, 2 in the E8, and 1 in the F4.  Come join us!

There are still two openings in the Central (CIAA).  We've been the top conference by RPI for two years running, and this season we lapped the conference (Heartland) that lapped the field!

Psac. I'm sure would be interested if we make ur lost. We have 4 legit teams and four other sim teams with one of that last four starting to pick up game. Making nt last season