Quote:These conference's are not making expansion decisions based on basketball. These are football only decisions only!
No, basketball definitely plays into it, even with football as the primary. Memphis has a great BBall team, and Cinci's is just fine for a P5 conference. And Memphis is going to win a share of the AAC in football -- it will help keep things going if they do pick them up.
Quote:Great! Now two spots open up in a more realistic hope of the AAC
If they take Marshall & NIU, in football the AAC could actually improve a tick (but take a big hit in BBall). But yes, if NIU continues their path and Marshall continues theirs over last year & this year with their good coach -- could be a possibility. Better sooner than later.
Quote:I've been saying people need to fear Memphis too. They've got an argument.
Yep, Memphis does have an argument. I think Marshall has a slight lean over NIU, and NIU has a slight lean over Memphis. But ya never know. Memphis has 1 "good loss" (7pt loss to UCLA), 1 either-way-loss (real close game for 3Q vs Miss St; lost by 21 in the end), and one harming loss (to 7-5 Houston). NIU has 2 harming losses (stomped by Ark, lost solidly to 7-5 CMU).
Will be close, BUT I think since AAC doesn't have a champ game -- that's what keeps Memphis down and NIU *just* above them more likely.
With Marshall? It's safe to say after their OT loss to 7-5 WKy, they were still a step above NIU as all other Polls/Voting places strongly indicate. But very likely not a very big step at all. NIU's big win and Marshall's narrow win against a good team (but both teams playing unimpressively) -- will narrow that gap. Toss-up there with, IMO, the wind blowing in Marshall's direction IF one had to bet on it -- but a real who-knows.