What is the highest prestige you can take a team in a mid to low level conference? Is it possible for them to become an A+ prestige level? Or what is the highest you can take them?

you can reach A+, but it takes a lot more success than a major conference team to stay there.
I'm not sure if you were still around when a number of coaches moved into Rupp-Conf USA.

If you remember coaches girt/dalter and options combined to keep Marshall at an A+ for close to 20 seasons. The other teams were pretty successful with 4-5 other teams in the A-/A range, so the conf prestige may have aided in keeping the prestige level that high.

https://www.whatifsports.com/hd/TeamProfile/Ratings.aspx?tid=4364

The example above is C prestige baseline.

correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think you can get to A+ from a D baseline.. or maybe not possible but no one has done it?

In theory, you could get one of those teams to A+.

In reality, B+ seems to be the ceiling. A big part of the problem is that prestige is determined in part by your conference prestige. When a mid-low D1 team is killing it, they usually are in a fairly weak conference.

In Tark, pcclark59 has turned Fordham into a powerhouse. Last five seasons: 141-17, top 25 RPI every season, qualified for NT all five years, 2 Elite Eights and a Sweet 16, four players drafted, schedules tough in non-conf. Still a B+ prestige.

Posted by grimacedance on 11/7/2017 3:27:00 PM (view original):
In theory, you could get one of those teams to A+.

In reality, B+ seems to be the ceiling. A big part of the problem is that prestige is determined in part by your conference prestige. When a mid-low D1 team is killing it, they usually are in a fairly weak conference.

In Tark, pcclark59 has turned Fordham into a powerhouse. Last five seasons: 141-17, top 25 RPI every season, qualified for NT all five years, 2 Elite Eights and a Sweet 16, four players drafted, schedules tough in non-conf. Still a B+ prestige.

Well, it's all about NT success. Make a deep run in the NT and conf play doesn't matter much.

I know myself, Darnoc and the0nlyis have gotten D baseline prestige teams to A- but I'm not sure if there is anyone currently with an A.

Here's my NMSU resume for comparison.

Posted by Benis on 11/7/2017 3:34:00 PM (view original):

Posted by grimacedance on 11/7/2017 3:27:00 PM (view original):
In theory, you could get one of those teams to A+.

In reality, B+ seems to be the ceiling. A big part of the problem is that prestige is determined in part by your conference prestige. When a mid-low D1 team is killing it, they usually are in a fairly weak conference.

In Tark, pcclark59 has turned Fordham into a powerhouse. Last five seasons: 141-17, top 25 RPI every season, qualified for NT all five years, 2 Elite Eights and a Sweet 16, four players drafted, schedules tough in non-conf. Still a B+ prestige.

Well, it's all about NT success. Make a deep run in the NT and conf play doesn't matter much.

I know myself, Darnoc and the0nlyis have gotten D baseline prestige teams to A- but I'm not sure if there is anyone currently with an A.

Here's my NMSU resume for comparison.

Thinking about it more- you basically can't have any down seasons. Fordham might have that A- but I think that 1st round exit held him back. Get an early upset in the NT and kiss that prestige bye bye

Or maybe you MUST have at least FF run.

Posted by Benis on 11/7/2017 3:34:00 PM (view original):

Posted by grimacedance on 11/7/2017 3:27:00 PM (view original):
In theory, you could get one of those teams to A+.

In reality, B+ seems to be the ceiling. A big part of the problem is that prestige is determined in part by your conference prestige. When a mid-low D1 team is killing it, they usually are in a fairly weak conference.

In Tark, pcclark59 has turned Fordham into a powerhouse. Last five seasons: 141-17, top 25 RPI every season, qualified for NT all five years, 2 Elite Eights and a Sweet 16, four players drafted, schedules tough in non-conf. Still a B+ prestige.

Well, it's all about NT success. Make a deep run in the NT and conf play doesn't matter much.

I know myself, Darnoc and the0nlyis have gotten D baseline prestige teams to A- but I'm not sure if there is anyone currently with an A.

Here's my NMSU resume for comparison.

Judging by New Mexico State, it looks to me like, yes, it can be done. It just hasn't before.

Looks like if Benis has a few more seasons of NT success, he can get there.

Posted by oldwarrior on 11/7/2017 3:19:00 PM (view original):
you can reach A+, but it takes a lot more success than a major conference team to stay there.
I'm not sure if you were still around when a number of coaches moved into Rupp-Conf USA.

If you remember coaches girt/dalter and options combined to keep Marshall at an A+ for close to 20 seasons. The other teams were pretty successful with 4-5 other teams in the A-/A range, so the conf prestige may have aided in keeping the prestige level that high.

https://www.whatifsports.com/hd/TeamProfile/Ratings.aspx?tid=4364

We also tried it in another world, I think Allen. I was at Tulsa and failed miserably because I had a huge disadvantage in recruiting from the rest of the guys in the conference and as a result I couldn't recruit enough talent to compete with the other strong coaches. That was about the time I quit playing. I'm returning to Rupp, but I have to start out at Long Island which is currently D. It has a large Sim AI presence so I don't know how hard it will be to build up there. Not to mention all the relearning and learning new recruiting techniques will make the first couple seasons pretty tough for me.

I think you also have to look at the forum list of perceived baseline prestige.

For years, I've said the list is incorrect as the bottom conferences have multiple levels.

they are not all D. ie.. the Colonial is actually a C- prestige. The Big Sky, Big West and Sun Belt have baseline D+.
Then the true bottom feeders (I believe it is ten conferences) have a D prestige.

There are multiple examples of my D+ baseline list reaching A-

Has anyone gotten above a B+ outside of the Colonial, Big Sky, Big West or Sun Belt?

Ivy in Wooden had two or three A- every year.

Right now Brown, Harvard, and Fordham I think

https://www.whatifsports.com/hd/TeamProfile/Ratings.aspx?tid=3257

https://www.whatifsports.com/hd/TeamProfile/Ratings.aspx?tid=3320

https://www.whatifsports.com/hd/TeamProfile/Ratings.aspx?tid=3334

If you want an idea of how difficult it is to get a D baseline team above A- look at my Mercer squad. Season 106 we were an A- prestige. Season 107 we lost in the championship game and were still A-.

In fact, our last 8 seasons are: S16, S16, R32, NC Loss, S16, R32, E8, S16 and I'm stuck at A-. Maybe if the conference was better I'd get to A. Maybe.