Tigers2B1
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The AAC is a league with far more promise than originally expected
Nice read for those interested ->
http://bustingbrackets.com/2014/04/17/aa...ng-future/
... the American was born. It was given an identifiable logo. It also had a leader at the helm who knew the other side of the running a sports league spectrum. ... By having a deal with ESPN worked out, Aresco and the “charter” members of the American only had to focus on one thing, being a good league in all the sports they competed. For the sake of what we are talking about, though, only football and basketball are relevant to the masses, so breaking down how the lacrosse teams would be rather futile....
... The football season was, well, the football season. But we would be lying if we said the product was any worse or better than any of the Big East football variations thrown out for many seasons before it. A couple of good teams at the top, with the rest of the league being packed with ho-hum to atrocious squads. Regardless of what you expected the American’s football league to be, it was, at least in year one, no different from the blasphemous football hurled out each year before it under a different banner.
Unlike the Big East’s football acumen, at least this league has the potential for growth. Football programs under the AAC aren’t looking to go elsewhere. Well, at least for now. Which is pretty different from every football school in the past looking to leave the Big East at the drop of a hat. The potential for the teams in the American, especially ones that call a big market home, is there to succeed.
... It was going to be the American’s basketball product for which it would be judged.
In fact, it would be their basketball programs’ success, specifically in comparison to the new Big East Conference, that would drive the perception of the league going into the lull of after college basketball, but before college football.
... If any form of transitive property existed, you could even say that the inaugural year of the AAC had a far better start than the rebirth or relaunching of the Big East Conference. ... It also helps the AAC that the perception of the new Big East is changing. That the formula for its success seems to be diminishing. A league that was once built off the personality and successes of their coaches, are now losing them to programs who never showed a remote interest in winning basketball games. Take Buzz Williams leaving Marquette to join Virginia Tech. Moves like that did not happen in the old Big East.
Oddly enough, the old Big East formula is what throws the American to the forefront of possible dominance for the future. Depending on — sadly, possibly more — conference realignment, their foundation of coaches read like a who is who of basketball royalty or guys who seem destined to be great in the future.
Larry Brown, despite being a world-renown nomad — turned SMU into a good basketball program in just a few short years. Josh Pastner, even with his lack of postseason success, stays one of the best recruiters in the entire country. Kevin Ollie, well, outside of sporting one of the best mustaches in all of college sports, just won a National Title in just his second year at the helm...
... That’s not to mention the potential of other schools using that dreaded football money to either upgrade coaches or facilities. Something the Big East can’t do (the Big East can, however, use their billion dollar Fox Sports deal, for what it is worth).
... The American’s primary short-term goal, anyway, should be about UConn. Because, for better or worse, UConn brings everything the AAC needs to the table. Without even mentioning their dominant women’s program, the Huskies have a historic basketball program. One coming off a National Title, led by a young and endearing coach, that could be the American’s flagship program.... The rest of the American needs serious work, though. Losing UConn would certainly be a near deathblow for the conference, but it wouldn’t hurt the league as much as the bottom of the league already has.
That’s the balancing act that Aresco has to deal with. Making the conscious effort to claim some football money, has left the bottom of both the basketball and football divisions a mess. Unfortunately for them, as well, power programs are not going to be beating down their doors to enter the fray.
Now it is up to Aresco to build the league from within. To make university presidents and athletic directors care about the success of their programs outside of the money it brings in. While each schools’ primary objective is to make as much loot as possible, Aresco needs to find a way to have them interject at least some of that money back into the sports....
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The AAC is a league with far more promise than originally expected
What? Me Worry?
![[Image: Blho3MnIIAAK58r.jpg]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Blho3MnIIAAK58r.jpg)
