UMASS should have went all in with the MAC when given the ultimatum. The MAC has since signed a new TV deal with ESPN that greatly increases MAC revenues. I think UMASS will regret not bringing all their sports to the MAC.
Today is pretty much the best argument for not including UMass in the AAC - they'd f--- us up right now.
The AAC is a smoldering dumpster fire that has already burned out. The conference lost every non-conference matchup AGAIN today. The league is 7-24 against FBS opponents. UMass would be a significant upgrade over the current dreck in this league.
nelsonmuntz said:The AAC is a smoldering dumpster fire that has already burned out. The conference lost every non-conference matchup AGAIN today. The league is 7-24 against FBS opponents. UMass would be a significant upgrade over the current dreck in this league.
Hey, at least they have an offense!Umass is 0-5 and has won two games since the beginning of the 2012 season until the present time
The AAC, MAC, and CUSA should get together and realign. At least make it more regional so there is a reason for interest. We are now the worst football team in a weak conference which only hurts our cause and of the 37 teams that make up those 3 conferences, not many teams are worse than us. Otherwise, UCONN and UMass should join the Big East and go Indy in football just in case, by some miracle, UCONN gets the call. The writing is on the Rent wall. Low attendance at our conference home opener.
This is all true. But even if the AAC is a solid basketball conference, that is only a by-product of the bad football conference affiliation. If Cincy, Memphis, or UCONN have down basketball years, the basketball conference stinks. If not the Big East, join the A10 and figure football out later.The one saving grace for the AAC is that it's a solid basketball conference, which is something that neither the MAC nor C-USA can state. If UMass didn't want any part of MAC basketball (and the MAC is really the only league where regionalism works for UConn), then it's hard to see how a hoops superpower like UConn would think that would work.
I don't think the Big East wants FBS independents at all, either. The one thing that the Big East has now that the old football/hybrid Big East didn't have was stability... and inviting independents whose sole athletic department purpose will be to leave to find a better all-sports home goes against why the Catholic 7 split off in the first place. If the Big East wanted a more powerful slate of basketball programs that also had FBS programs (i.e. UConn, Memphis, Cincinnati, etc.), then they would have just stayed in a hybrid AAC (or whatever it would have been called).
This is all true. But even if the AAC is a solid basketball conference, that is only a by-product of the bad football conference affiliation. If Cincy, Memphis, or UCONN have down basketball years, the basketball conference stinks. If not the Big East, join the A10 and figure football out later.
Most importantly, UCONN doesn't deserve a "decent" basketball conference. If UCONN has to accept decent, then it's time to do something radical.
Who cares about AAC basketball. It's just not Ivy League (so to speak), now is it.The AAC is a better basketball conference than most conferences and it will improve. SMU with Larry Brown is now a good program. (After Larry Brown, who knows.) Houston hired Kelvin Sampson which means they are committed to improving. Temple is a good program, but was down last year. The AAC could have 6 quality programs and maybe you get Tulsa to be good once in a while.
umass or BYU?I almost felt a pang of sympathy for them, but it passed. em.
So wait, now the AAC is a basketball league? Outside of UConn, Memphis, Cincinnati, Temple and SMU (as long as Brown is there), this conference is abysmal in basketball. I had hoped that the football would be strong, but that is terrible too, so I am not sure what the point of this league is. I would like UMass in it because it would be two more good basketball games and a drivable road trip.
So wait, now the AAC is a basketball league? Outside of UConn, Memphis, Cincinnati, Temple and SMU (as long as Brown is there), this conference is abysmal in basketball. I had hoped that the football would be strong, but that is terrible too, so I am not sure what the point of this league is. I would like UMass in it because it would be two more good basketball games and a drivable road trip.
umass or BYU?
You have no idea what you're talking about.
UMass hoop would instantly draw better than Temple, UCF, USF, ECU, Houston, SMU, Tulsa and Tulane.
Why?
Because they already do - outside of UConn and Cincy, not one AAC school outdrew UMass last year.