This is an opinion piece from the Deseret News, so don't get too excited. That said, the Deseret News is owned by the LDS Church and is generally the mouth piece of that organization. So, I'd say the fact that an opinion piece in the Deseret News is throwing the following quote out there can only be interpreted as good news for the AAC.

If BYU has to join a conference outside of the "Power 5," it will probably be the American Athletic.

After all, BYU already has a "quasi-alliance" with that conference, as conference commissioner Mike Aresco told USA Today. This conference is certainly more friendly toward the Cougars than the MWC, particularly after conference commissioner Craig Thompson went out of his way to take a shot at BYU.


This is the other interesting quote from this article called "Busting College Football Realignment Myths Surrounding BYU".

But the college football landscape is rapidly changing in ways that no one could have predicted in 2010. While BYU seems to be fine for the time being, Mendenhall's comments are the first major proof that BYU is looking at leaving independence behind.

This myth is impossible to confirm or bust. It seems that BYU is both making the best of independence as well as trying to secure itself in a better position.



http://www.deseretnews.com/top/2558/0/Pe...g-BYU.html

Not much of a limb to go out on. They're not going back to the Mountain West, and there's no chance they'd go to CUSA, the MAC or the Sun Belt. But would they be happy in the American while keeping a longing eye cast toward Utah and their Pac-12 schedule?

(06-11-2014 06:25 PM)Cyniclone Wrote:  Not much of a limb to go out on. They're not going back to the Mountain West, and there's no chance they'd go to CUSA, the MAC or the Sun Belt. But would they be happy in the American while keeping a longing eye cast toward Utah and their Pac-12 schedule?

BYU will instantly compete for conference championships in the AAC. How many PAC-12 championships are realistically foreseeable for Utah? BYU will instantly have more tv appearances than Utah if Aresco's "exposure" representations are accurate. Perhaps more importantly to BYU, inclusion in the AAC means east coast exposure ( the coast where most of the people live). I'm sure BYU would rather be in the PAC-12, but if that and the b-12 are a no go then the AAC is the only realistic option should BYU join a conference.

2016 done deal.

They can look at the Pac 10 schedule until they blind themselves: will never, ever, happen.
They can reasonably look to the Big 12. Of course every AAC school is doing that so they'd fit here well.

(06-11-2014 06:37 PM)panicstricken Wrote:  2016 done deal.

Link please.

Wake me up when it happens. . . Until then, I'm going to "burn one," and see how many "not give a ----" I can count to until it does happen.

We made it pretty clear with Boise that we won't bend over backwards for an expansion candidate.

So I doubt BYU ever joins our league. If they do, the only way it would be all sports is if we created a Western wing. Otherwise it would be football only.

Even so, I bet they eventually try to swing a Notre Dame deal with us where they aren't full members, but get access to our bowls.

More smoke every day... and where theres smoke...

I should clarify that I don't mean that BYU looks to the Pac-12 as a viable alternative, because Cal and Stanford will block them every time. More that the see Utah's Pac-12 membership and the money attached to it, and might not be happy with being in a conference a tier lower than that. As an indie, they can at least tell themselves that they're a major program, even as the ACC and SEC tell them that no, they're not.

Would the American be agreeable to something like this?

The American representative to the Access Bowl shall be the higher ranked of:

1. The American Conference Champion, or
2. BYU

Provided that BYU plays a minimum of 10 games against American, MWC and P5 schools, including a minimum of five American schools (at least two of which are on the road) and two P5 schools.

If BYU does not play the required games, it is not eligible to represent the American conference.

In the event the American Conference Champion or BYU shall make an appearance in the Access Bowl, the net bowl payment earned after reimbursement of the team's travel costs shall be shared equally between all 13 schools assuming BYU played the required games. Otherwise, it will be shared by the 12 full members of the American.

(06-11-2014 07:41 PM)CougarRed Wrote:  Would the American be agreeable to something like this?

The American representative to the Access Bowl shall be the higher ranked of:

1. The American Conference Champion, or
2. BYU

Provided that BYU plays a minimum of 10 games against American, MWC and P5 schools, including a minimum of five American schools (at least two of which are on the road) and two P5 schools.

If BYU does not play the required games, it is not eligible to represent the American conference.

In the event the American Conference Champion or BYU shall make an appearance in the Access Bowl, the net bowl payment earned after reimbursement of the team's travel costs shall be shared equally between all 13 schools assuming BYU played the required games. Otherwise, it will be shared by the 12 full members of the American.

I sincerly doubt that the American Conference would agree to this type of agreement, which would infact help the rest of the G5 SOS. Just not seeing it.

(06-11-2014 07:41 PM)CougarRed Wrote:  Would the American be agreeable to something like this?

The American representative to the Access Bowl shall be the higher ranked of:

1. The American Conference Champion, or
2. BYU

Provided that BYU plays a minimum of 10 games against American, MWC and P5 schools, including a minimum of five American schools (at least two of which are on the road) and two P5 schools.

If BYU does not play the required games, it is not eligible to represent the American conference.

In the event the American Conference Champion or BYU shall make an appearance in the Access Bowl, the net bowl payment earned after reimbursement of the team's travel costs shall be shared equally between all 13 schools assuming BYU played the required games. Otherwise, it will be shared by the 12 full members of the American.

I would hope we would not do that. I'd be fine adding BYU as a full member. I would fine adding them as a football only member. I would be fine adding them as an Olympic member with a ACC/Notre Dame type deal (full Olympic member/5 football games vs AAC teams/bowl sharing NOT including the G5 BCS slot/no access to the AAC CCG). I would under no circumstances allow them access to our CCG game or our access to the G5 BCS slot without actually joining the conference.

(06-11-2014 07:41 PM)CougarRed Wrote:  Would the American be agreeable to something like this?
The American representative to the Access Bowl shall be the higher ranked of:

??

The committee will decide who goes to the Access Bowl.

Anyone who thinks Aresco isn't working every TV angle, every "quasi alliance" angle to get BYU or whomever else he sees as an asset is crazy. The man knows what he's doing and I absolutely trust him. He's doing a phenomenal job.

(06-11-2014 06:39 PM)USFRamenu Wrote:  

(06-11-2014 06:37 PM)panicstricken Wrote:  2016 done deal.

Link please.

It will be on a Tuesday, no link all hush hush.

Just ask Memphis fans.

(06-11-2014 07:41 PM)CougarRed Wrote:  Would the American be agreeable to something like this?

The American representative to the Access Bowl shall be the higher ranked of:

1. The American Conference Champion, or
2. BYU

Provided that BYU plays a minimum of 10 games against American, MWC and P5 schools, including a minimum of five American schools (at least two of which are on the road) and two P5 schools.

If BYU does not play the required games, it is not eligible to represent the American conference.

In the event the American Conference Champion or BYU shall make an appearance in the Access Bowl, the net bowl payment earned after reimbursement of the team's travel costs shall be shared equally between all 13 schools assuming BYU played the required games. Otherwise, it will be shared by the 12 full members of the American.

Considering the fact that you tied semi coherent sentences together I will assume this is serious post.

BYU is just not big of a deal and most fans DGAF. No way they get any kind of special deal, imo. Lets just ignore whole MWC flyover region including BYU, kinda like soccer.

(06-11-2014 07:41 PM)CougarRed Wrote:  Would the American be agreeable to something like this?

The American representative to the Access Bowl shall be the higher ranked of:

1. The American Conference Champion, or
2. BYU

Provided that BYU plays a minimum of 10 games against American, MWC and P5 schools, including a minimum of five American schools (at least two of which are on the road) and two P5 schools.

If BYU does not play the required games, it is not eligible to represent the American conference.

In the event the American Conference Champion or BYU shall make an appearance in the Access Bowl, the net bowl payment earned after reimbursement of the team's travel costs shall be shared equally between all 13 schools assuming BYU played the required games. Otherwise, it will be shared by the 12 full members of the American.

Interesting thought... Take it another direction, what if say this year BYU goes 11-1 (close loss @Texas) and finishes higher than any other G5 schools... What happens then? IMO, they would have a case if they got left out of a Big Money Bowl. In fact I think BYU would have no problem letting the courts decide if they are being treated fairly by the powers the be...

I'd personally take BYU all day. BYU has been imaged as one of the most prestige schools in the west. Plus it is a great football and basketball school.

If AAC really need a partner for the west, I'd take Air Force and Colorado State.

(06-11-2014 07:41 PM)CougarRed Wrote:  Would the American be agreeable to something like this?

[i]The American representative to the Access Bowl shall be the higher ranked of:

1. The American Conference Champion, or
2. BYU

Provided that BYU plays a minimum of 10 games against American, MWC and P5 schools, including a minimum of five American schools (at least two of which are on the road) and two P5 schools.

I would say no. But I don't see a huge value in playing them if they aren't in our league; certainly not worthy handing them our access spot. I see a huge value in having them in our conference though.
See how the scheduling's going for them. We may have some leverage in 2 years. Little deals like this could reduce our chances of pulling them in full time.