As I see it. Also just be very good and none of this jerkoff over conference talk matters. If you're good enough, you'll find your way through.
If anyone can understand this concept, it should be UNLV fans.
If you're referring to Tark and basketball from 40 years ago it's not a great comparison.
Basketball rosters being significantly smaller for one. The landscape of college sports was completely different.
Aside from Villanova (And you can argue basketball has an extra power conference with Big East and their massive media deal) , how many non power conference national champions have there been since UNLV?
Conference affiliation and revenue streams they provide do matter.
Why were 3 teams from the AAC just poached to BIG12? Why not a really good CUSA team. Or somebody killing it in the Sun Belt?
Conference affiliation and revenue the media deals provide creates ceilings for programs.
Sure you can punch above your weight to some degree, but only so much.
It also impacts recruiting. It impacts attracting potential boosters.
I'm not saying conference affiliation is everything but more money is better than less money.
It's why successful schools jump from G5 to P4 conferences.
Hell even G5 to G5 happens. You don't think Liberty won't jump to AAC to get the hell out of CUSA if they got an offer? Before all this PAC nonsense, you don't think UTEP and NMSU wouldn't have jumped CUSA to the MWC if offered?