State of the AAC & Mike Aresco

[SouthBayHusky]

If the AAC wants to respond in a way that a) keeps Navy in the fold, b) keeps them relevant in basketball, and c) doesn't dilute the football product too much, they need to do the following:

1) add Rice and UAB for all sports
2) add VCU and Dayton for Olympic sports

It's possible the AAC could raid the MW but I doubt it. I also don't see the American getting Army.
By doing what I mentioned, they keep Navy happy by adding a 2nd Texas, not totally dilute the football product by only going to 10 adding former 2000s C-USA schools, and keep basketball relevant by ripping the top off of the A-10.

In basketball, they would have
Memphis
Temple
Wichita State
VCU
Dayton
SMU
Tulsa
UAB
USF
Tulane
Rice
ECU

That's a solid mid major league.

Emphasis on “mid major“

 

[Chin Diesel]

imho

Bulletpoints:
The one move that makes UConn roll their eyes is ... if the AAC raises up Buffalo. I think that makes Temple + Navy anchored (and that's a pun). Buffalo is ready; should leave the MAC. They could definitely play top level hoop and basketball; raise all their other sports. Does Stony Brook + Albany stay at their CAA level? I know our guy Tuthill thinks nobody should leave FCS for FBS; however, I think seeing fundraising pick up at UALBANY (and probably Stony Brook) with new Football stadium & facilities tell me that ... minds are gathering. They have their eyes on fellow SUNY Buffalo and the common Chancellor's thumbs up.

Army? Gets asked again and again. Their pain was so acute as a member of the MAC two decades ago that they probably don't like to even consider. They have enjoyed their time as ... as an INDEPENDENT. Lesson learned.

UAB is getting a lot of noise as a new member of the AAC. 5 years ago they were kerflunct. Deep sixed. Bill Clark is the resurrection kind. Lesson learned. They are a serious candidate.

Florida Atlantic as a pairing for USF and UCF leaves. I think UCF - go and read some of the noise (particularly columnist Mike Bianchi) ... and you see that the UCF USF cross state rivalry is special. You cannot replicate that with BYU or TCU ... even if you are three initial institutions. Florida Atlantic is better than FIU; but NO ... USF is seriously diminished. As is UCF.

Old Dominion, Charlotte, Georgia State are all these reaches at the moment. Seriously. Charlotte and Will Healy are risen ... because they beat Duke in Football. I think each of the 3 are going to prove out over 5 years. Not an easy pick today. And Liberty? Merely for paying Hugh Freeze $3m a year should be raised. They are amazingly out there. Trying. Aspirational. Amazing Jerry Fallwell U.

Rice ... perfect fit in the Tulane, SMU, Tulsa vein.

Memphis? Well if you want to keep them happy and really have a competitive hoop, you need to grab Dayton and VCU. I agree. They need to be boosted. Wichita State & Dayton & VCU have major league hoop stadiums, ambitions, history. They belong playing Memphis. And Maybe ... SMU can be solid. ECU will never be good.

I hear kudos for Louisiana Tech joining. have you met Mike Aresco? He is a big city and markets guy. He didn't like Storrs (* but could rationalize saying Hartford market) ... but he ain't got no rationalization for Ruston, LA.

The NET
I am hoping for a monster Independent move so my school has plenty of scheduling options. Almost like a conference. When the AAC signed for a gazillion years for less than $7m ... pretty much our WBB may nudge towards that in a decade. Stop thinking about Conferences. Football has imploded. And while Vanderbilt and Northwestern are still getting a big paycheck ... methinks USC + Alabama + Ohio State + Florida + Texas are saying: "Hey, that's my food they are eating." Like dogs with separate bowls. They don't like these poor sisters eating anything that is rightfully theres.

For a USF travel companion FIU is a better choice as a university than FAU. Both are C-USA for athletics but FIU has a much better academic profile being classified by Carnegie as an R1 institution. It also has a much larger student and alumni base. Plus, FIU is right in Miami. Just got to watch out for pedestrian bridges.

 

[Waquoit]

Plugged in professional journalist buddy thinks the AAC will backfill with... UConn! Football only, obviously.

I don't have my finger on the pulse here at all but LOL.

That would be best for them. And they can give us some money back, too.

 

[aburks41]

Plugged in professional journalist buddy thinks the AAC will backfill with... UConn! Football only, obviously.

I don't have my finger on the pulse here at all but LOL.

I mean...it wouldn't be the worst move if the guaranteed money is a significant amount more than what we make now. That would let us hire a great coaching staff. It would also keeps the doors open for an eventual P4 spot..

 

[Chin Diesel]

That would be best for them. And they can give us some money back, too.

I mean...it wouldn't be the worst move if the guaranteed money is a significant amount more than what we make now. That would let us hire a great coaching staff. It would also keeps the doors open for an eventual P4 spot..

Count me out of football back to the AAC.

I like the variety independence gives UConn.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Interesting take: Wichita State should have never left the MVC. Perhaps they return back to the conference?

Was Wichita State’s Valley exit still worth it?

We love the Valley. And we miss the Shockers. But the answer is pretty clear.

www.midmajormadness.com

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Austin316]

TV contracts complicates everything.

The G5 can take this opportunity to regionalize to compete against the P5. It could put butts in the seats and schools with low payouts can save $ in travel costs. They should invite the best of the best in FCS to join as well. Simplification could go a long way. I don’t think it’s smart playing like the big boys to stay afloat.

 

[BapeKidd88]

Plugged in professional journalist buddy thinks the AAC will backfill with... UConn! Football only, obviously.

I don't have my finger on the pulse here at all but LOL.

Word around the campfire is the AAC has something else brewing, other than adding UConn FB, and this would be pretty big.

Can you imagine a hoops league with:
Memphis
Wichita State
UNLV
San Diego State
Temple
Boise State
New Mexico
SMU
Tulsa
Colorado State
etc, etc
Perhaps Gonzaga...

https://twitter.com/MHver3/status/1437044664566263811

These discussions likely include ESPN and Burke Magnus.

 

[borninansonia]

Word around the campfire is the AAC has something else brewing, other than adding UConn FB, and this would be pretty big.

Can you imagine a hoops league with:
Memphis
Wichita State
UNLV
San Diego State
Temple
Boise State
New Mexico
SMU
Tulsa
Colorado State
etc, etc
Perhaps Gonzaga...

https://twitter.com//status/1437044664566263811

These discussions likely include ESPN and Burke Magnus.

The charter jet and jet fuel companies will love this.

 

[SubbaBub]

God bless Dave Benedict lol

The true definition of monitoring. TX and OU have been making noised about moving to the SEC. Any realignment would have meant the death of the AAC. Better to be out. Something to consider when discussing AD Dave's performance.

 

[SubbaBub]

Word around the campfire is the AAC has something else brewing, other than adding UConn FB, and this would be pretty big.

Can you imagine a hoops league with:
Memphis
Wichita State
UNLV
San Diego State
Temple
Boise State
New Mexico
SMU
Tulsa
Colorado State
etc, etc
Perhaps Gonzaga...

https://twitter.com//status/1437044664566263811

These discussions likely include ESPN and Burke Magnus.

Sounds like Conference USA to me. Hard pass.

 

[Greedo]

Word around the campfire is the AAC has something else brewing, other than adding UConn FB, and this would be pretty big.

Can you imagine a hoops league with:
Memphis
Wichita State
UNLV
San Diego State
Temple
Boise State
New Mexico
SMU
Tulsa
Colorado State
etc, etc
Perhaps Gonzaga...

https://twitter.com//status/1437044664566263811

These discussions likely include ESPN and Burke Magnus.

Seems pretty small to me. Solidly mid major.

 

[auror]

The charter jet and jet fuel companies will love this.

You think they'll be able to afford charter jets on what this new renegotiated TV deal will pay out?

 

[borninansonia]

You think they'll be able to afford charter jets on what this new renegotiated TV deal will pay out?

If not the student athletes will spend a lot of time in airports and airplanes. How will they ever go to classes and study?

This league may have the highest carbon footprint for their basketball teams of any league. Eventually the schools will decide to act upon their sustainability goals.

 

[bendm]

American targeting Mountain West powers among handful of expansion candidates in realignment

The Mountain West could suffer significant blows if the AAC corrals the teams it's targeting

www.cbssports.com

stretching from San Diego to southern Florida what a JOKE

 

[Blades]

American targeting Mountain West powers among handful of expansion candidates in realignment

The Mountain West could suffer significant blows if the AAC corrals the teams it's targeting

www.cbssports.com

stretching from San Diego to southern Florida what a JOKE

True, nothing says the American, like Aresco's supposed new "dream conference" in that article. Feel bad for Temple's AD and travel budget as a full member, maybe it's time they look back to the A-10 and and go Indy in FB too.

 

[CTBballfan243]

The AAC should consider adding UConn and UMass as football only members.

 

[shizzle787]

The AAC should consider adding UConn and UMass as football only members.

Not interested.

 

[CTBballfan243]

Not interested.

I guess we can always join the AAC for football only when the big boys (the soon to be P4 or P3) break away from the NCAA for all sports. That makes sense. Just wait things out

 

[CallMeBruce]

I guess we can always join the AAC for football only when the big boys (the soon to be P4 or P3) break away from the NCAA for all sports. That makes sense. Just wait things out

It's super dumb that you think this is going to happen, and it's even dumber that you think joining the AAC for football (a thing we couldn't do even if we wanted to) would be some sort of bulwark against it.

 

[UofCT]

Pass on AAC football
Pass on this thread

 

[metsfan2323]

We would be wise to join the AAC football only if they invited us. I know that is a minority opinion but I really think this independence thing has the potential to hurt us long term. Finding 11 FBS teams to play us every year is certainly not easy (10 this year) and may get more difficult.

Can you imagine if they invited us to join for football only and we turned it down and they instead offered it to UMASS who would jump at it. Good Grief.

The fact is we wanted to keep football in the AAC and they turned us down. Independence was never viewed as something good for football it was a byproduct of the very necessary and smart move to Big East basketball.

 

[Jimdish255]

I mean...it wouldn't be the worst move if the guaranteed money is a significant amount more than what we make now. That would let us hire a great coaching staff. It would also keeps the doors open for an eventual P4 spot..

It closes doors for a P4 spot after they lock us into a GOR contract. That's why we got out.

 

[Friarsnoop]

That's exactly what would've happened and posters on the football board are pissed Benedict got us back in the Big East.

The PAC is getting $32M per school and they're not much better than the new Big 12. It's not like USC, UCLA, and Oregon are Oklahoma and Texas

USC is a top ten brand, and Oregon and UCLA are to 25 brands. No one in the Big 12 is even close.