-> In the end, Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson’s belief that the MWC schools would be better off staying put won out.
The value of AAC’s television deal is expected to decrease with its three pending departures, and it was unlikely any Mountain West additions could make up for it enough. AAC schools currently make around $6 million annually from the media rights, while Mountain West schools earn around $4 million (Boise State has a special carve-out that totals almost $6 million).
Thompson maintained that the money difference would be a wash, and the increase in travel costs was always a tough sell, going from Colorado or the Pacific Time Zone out to Philadelphia or North Carolina. The AAC believed that it could establish itself as the top and standalone G5 league with these additions, and the future of the G5 is a point of debate, especially as the NCAA undergoes a constitutional convention. <-
What's next for the AAC
Vannini: With its western hopes dashed, the American will now look within its footprint. Commissioner Mike Aresco has said the league is looking for two to four new members. Those options could include UAB, Charlotte, Georgia State, UTSA, James Madison, Rice, North Texas, FAU, Appalachian State, Louisiana and Marshall.
Among that group, there’s a difference in budgets, growth potential and academics. Aresco has typically targeted schools that will increase the value of the media rights deal, but there may not be any clear choices for that at this point. <-