This is a pod cast interview Aresco did on May 10th (Saturday) on a program called (BYU) Cougar Sports Saturday. The questions asked are about his BYU "quasi-alliance in scheduling" comments, realignment, scheduling, and the playoffs. Pretty interesting stuff. Aresco gets a lot of time with each question and he talks about how ESPN played a role in the growing informal relationship between BYU and the AAC, possible expansion, and again mentions redoing our TV deal.

The podcast is broken into different hours. The interview is in the fourth hour on May 10th. Click on the pod cast for that 4th hour and the interview begins at around the 34 minute mark.

https://player.fm/series/cougar-sports-saturday

Where can we find the interview. Which hour?

(05-12-2014 06:36 PM)bearcatlawjd Wrote:  Where can we find the interview. Which hour?

May 10th---4th hour---starts around the 34 minute mark.

Hmmmm. I get the feeling BYU might be in this conference before all is said and done.

(05-12-2014 07:08 PM)NBPirate Wrote:  Hmmmm. I get the feeling BYU might be in this conference before all is said and done.

Being that they could come in FB only and that they do not have an Access slot (like the G5 has)...it may make some sense for them. Wonder when their TV deal with ESPN is up.

(05-12-2014 07:55 PM)HP-TBDPITL Wrote:  

(05-12-2014 07:08 PM)NBPirate Wrote:  Hmmmm. I get the feeling BYU might be in this conference before all is said and done.

Being that they could come in FB only and that they do not have an Access slot (like the G5 has)...it may make some sense for them. Wonder when their TV deal with ESPN is up.

Timing seems to be close.

BYU deal with ESPN runs through 2018-19 with an option for 2019-20.

AAC deal runs through 2019-2020.

Thanks Attack!

ARESCO IS THE OG SAVY MEDIA PIMP!!

(05-12-2014 07:08 PM)NBPirate Wrote:  Hmmmm. I get the feeling BYU might be in this conference before all is said and done.

Why? They have had plenty of chances already, and they still play more games with the MWC than they do with us.

(05-12-2014 10:31 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(05-12-2014 07:08 PM)NBPirate Wrote:  Hmmmm. I get the feeling BYU might be in this conference before all is said and done.

Why? They have had plenty of chances already, and they still play more games with the MWC than they do with us.

His comments about ESPN working the BYU-AAC partnership and our tv deals coinciding. Not to mention Aresco is on BYU tv more than LDS services.

First, AAC members schedule games with BYU, then the Miami Beach Bowl announcement and now BYU sports radio interviews Mike Aresco... Interesting.

So here's a detailed synopsis:

Not a formal alliance w/BYU;
We are really trying to develop a relationship with BYU in terms of scheduling;
We are encouraging our schools to schedule BYU;
Many have done so on their own;
We have 9 football games in the next four years scheduled against BYU;
In addition, we have BYU coming to the Miami Beach Bowl this season;
I call it a quasi-scheduling alliance;
We both are ESPN properties;
Dave Brown at ESPN helps set up games including games against BYU;
We have a great relationship with BYU AD Tom Holmoe;
We hope we can build on it;
I think BYU enjoys playing teams in our conference;
Gives BYU a chance to play in major markets, gives BYU a chance to play really good competition, and gives BYU a chance to be on TV with its own TV partner;
We worked with ESPN on the BYU/Miami Beach Bowl arrangement;
BYU is a great institution;
If BYU ever had any interest in joining a conference, certainly our conference would want to talk with them;
But there's no talk about that at this point;
BYU seems happy being an independent;
The American conference has a large footprint, but not any larger than the Pac 12, Big 10 or ACC;
We think we have a good geographical balance;
Football is a little different - not quite as much travel;
No plans to expand -- we are inactive but alert;
We aren't thinking about losing teams to other conference;
We think the landscape has settled down;
We are hoping to redo our TV deal down the road as we show more value;
We are striving to be a "Big 6" conference;
We are likely to play 8 game conference schedules;

(05-12-2014 07:55 PM)HP-TBDPITL Wrote:  

(05-12-2014 07:08 PM)NBPirate Wrote:  Hmmmm. I get the feeling BYU might be in this conference before all is said and done.

Being that they could come in FB only and that they do not have an Access slot (like the G5 has)...it may make some sense for them. Wonder when their TV deal with ESPN is up.

Aresco's statement:

"Football is a little different - not quite as much travel, only four road games."

would seem to indicate that BYU would be looked at as football only. Certainly, that's how Boise and SDSU were coming.

Assume BYU plus one more (Air Force) come as football only:

West
BYU
Air Force
Navy
SMU
Houston
Tulsa
Tulane

East
East Carolina
Memphis
Cincy
UCF
USF
Temple
UConn

I could deal with that.

(05-13-2014 12:49 AM)CougarRed Wrote:  

(05-12-2014 07:55 PM)HP-TBDPITL Wrote:  

(05-12-2014 07:08 PM)NBPirate Wrote:  Hmmmm. I get the feeling BYU might be in this conference before all is said and done.

Being that they could come in FB only and that they do not have an Access slot (like the G5 has)...it may make some sense for them. Wonder when their TV deal with ESPN is up.

Aresco's statement:

"Football is a little different - not quite as much travel, only four road games."

would seem to indicate that BYU would be looked at as football only. Certainly, that's how Boise and SDSU were coming.

Assume BYU plus one more (Air Force) come as football only:

West
BYU
Air Force
Navy
SMU
Houston
Tulsa
Tulane

East
East Carolina
Memphis
Cincy
UCF
USF
Temple
UConn

I could deal with that.

+1

I could really enjoy this football setup.

Thanks for the synopsis CougarRed!

(05-13-2014 12:40 AM)CougarRed Wrote:  So here's a detailed synopsis:

Not a formal alliance w/BYU;
We are really trying to develop a relationship with BYU in terms of scheduling;
We are encouraging our schools to schedule BYU;
Many have done so on their own;
We have 9 football games in the next four years scheduled against BYU;
In addition, we have BYU coming to the Miami Beach Bowl this season;
I call it a quasi-scheduling alliance;
We both are ESPN properties;
Dave Brown at ESPN helps set up games including games against BYU;
We have a great relationship with BYU AD Tom Holmoe;
We hope we can build on it;
I think BYU enjoys playing teams in our conference;
Gives BYU a chance to play in major markets, gives BYU a chance to play really good competition, and gives BYU a chance to be on TV with its own TV partner;
We worked with ESPN on the BYU/Miami Beach Bowl arrangement;
BYU is a great institution;
If BYU ever had any interest in joining a conference, certainly our conference would want to talk with them;
But there's no talk about that at this point;
BYU seems happy being an independent;
The American conference has a large footprint, but not any larger than the Pac 12, Big 10 or ACC;
We think we have a good geographical balance;
Football is a little different - not quite as much travel;
No plans to expand -- we are inactive but alert;
We aren't thinking about losing teams to other conference;
We think the landscape has settled down;
We are hoping to redo our TV deal down the road as we show more value;
We are striving to be a "Big 6" conference;
We are likely to play 8 game conference schedules;

In addition to other considerations...............

---the SEC decides to remain at 8 conference games.
---the ACC decides to remain at 8 conference games.
---the SEC / ACC create conference rule to play at least one OOC P5 team.
---the ACC "is trying to decide if BYU, Navy, Army are considered P5 opponents.
---The LDS would like to gain more of a foothold in the Central and Eastern US. See map.



Very interesting chain of events.

(05-13-2014 12:49 AM)CougarRed Wrote:  

(05-12-2014 07:55 PM)HP-TBDPITL Wrote:  

(05-12-2014 07:08 PM)NBPirate Wrote:  Hmmmm. I get the feeling BYU might be in this conference before all is said and done.

Being that they could come in FB only and that they do not have an Access slot (like the G5 has)...it may make some sense for them. Wonder when their TV deal with ESPN is up.

Aresco's statement:

"Football is a little different - not quite as much travel, only four road games."

would seem to indicate that BYU would be looked at as football only. Certainly, that's how Boise and SDSU were coming.

Assume BYU plus one more (Air Force) come as football only:

West
BYU
Air Force
Navy
SMU
Houston
Tulsa
Tulane

East
East Carolina
Memphis
Cincy
UCF
USF
Temple
UConn

I could deal with that.

Makes more sense to put memphis in the West and Navy in the East!

I’m sure it’s partly my east coast bias but I’m not a big fan of AFA and it becomes messy with where they can put their Olympic sports.

I would say Army combined with BYU makes for a better pairing because they would be football only leaving their Olympics in the Patriot League and I believe they would be more valuable for a new TV deal bringing back the Westchester County / NYC market hole left by Rutgers. It would also leave the same core group of 11 for basketball and limit the additional cost or travel.

East
UConn
Army (FB Only)
Temple
Navy (FB Only)
ECU
USF
UCF

West
Cincinnati
Memphis
SMU
Houston
Tulane
Tulsa
BYU (FB Only)

(05-13-2014 07:56 AM)NYCTUFan Wrote:  I’m sure it’s partly my east coast bias but I’m not a big fan of AFA and it becomes messy with where they can put their Olympic sports.

I would say Army combined with BYU makes for a better pairing because they would be football only leaving their Olympics in the Patriot League and I believe they would be more valuable for a new TV deal bringing back the Westchester County / NYC market hole left by Rutgers. It would also leave the same core group of 11 for basketball and limit the additional cost or travel.

East
UConn
Army (FB Only)
Temple
Navy (FB Only)
ECU
USF
UCF

West
Cincinnati
Memphis
SMU
Houston
Tulane
Tulsa
BYU (FB Only)

Looks good.

(05-13-2014 07:56 AM)NYCTUFan Wrote:  I’m sure it’s partly my east coast bias but I’m not a big fan of AFA and it becomes messy with where they can put their Olympic sports.

I would say Army combined with BYU makes for a better pairing because they would be football only leaving their Olympics in the Patriot League and I believe they would be more valuable for a new TV deal bringing back the Westchester County / NYC market hole left by Rutgers. It would also leave the same core group of 11 for basketball and limit the additional cost or travel.

East
UConn
Army (FB Only)
Temple
Navy (FB Only)
ECU
USF
UCF

West
Cincinnati
Memphis
SMU
Houston
Tulane
Tulsa
BYU (FB Only)

Nothing messy for AF to put their Olympic sports in the WAC. Plus there are part of several different conferences for the 10 plus sports the MW doesn't sponsor.

(05-13-2014 08:06 AM)MWC Tex Wrote:  

(05-13-2014 07:56 AM)NYCTUFan Wrote:  I’m sure it’s partly my east coast bias but I’m not a big fan of AFA and it becomes messy with where they can put their Olympic sports.

I would say Army combined with BYU makes for a better pairing because they would be football only leaving their Olympics in the Patriot League and I believe they would be more valuable for a new TV deal bringing back the Westchester County / NYC market hole left by Rutgers. It would also leave the same core group of 11 for basketball and limit the additional cost or travel.

East
UConn
Army (FB Only)
Temple
Navy (FB Only)
ECU
USF
UCF

West
Cincinnati
Memphis
SMU
Houston
Tulane
Tulsa
BYU (FB Only)

Nothing messy for AF to put their Olympic sports in the WAC. Plus there are part of several different conferences for the 10 plus sports the MW doesn't sponsor.

That’s true, but what motivation does the WAC have for helping out AFA? The only thing they bring to the WAC is a warm body. They don’t raise the basketball profile and the other sport AFA has made some noise in lacrosse the WAC doesn’t sponsor. I don’t see where Air Force would agree to an AAC invitation unless it’s for all sports and as an all sports member I don’t see them adding more value from a TV standpoint they would bring cost to the eastern programs. Again it's my east coast bias but i just think the Army add requires less shuffling and brings a much better TV market and at the end of the day market size is a lot of what the AAC was built around.