http://www.tampabay.com/sports/college/m...ms/2256950

More Power for the AAC's football programs?

TAMPA — Clearly, the resurgence of Bulls football hasn't satiated all appetites. Many fans remain hungry, or more specifically, power hungry. The pangs won't dissipate until the Big 12, or another initiate in the Power Five fraternity, beckon.

Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby's recent subtle hints of expansion in his 10-team league, as perhaps the most expeditious way of launching a conference title game, has only stoked the aspirations of Bulls fans desperate for the cachet that comes with Power Five membership.

But maybe, just maybe, USF constituents are viewing this backwards, from the perspective of USF propelling into the Power Five.

Why can't the Power Five come to USF? To stretch the notion, what's to stop the American Athletic Conference from becoming the sixth "power" league?

"It's a legislative matter," USF athletic director Mark Harlan said Sunday. "And that's something I know our commissioner (Mike Aresco) has been very vocal about … exploring all ways that that could come about."

Which is to say, it's more plausible than pipe dream.


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As it stands, leagues outside the Power Five (aka the "Group of Five") can adopt the same rules as those within that elite quintet of conferences. But that's like having your Thanksgiving dinner at the kitchen counter; the AAC wants to be at the table. That would require some political maneuvering.

But today, converting such a power play doesn't seem as daunting as it might have in August.

"We'd have to work with the NCAA Board of Trustees and all that group to re-look at that legislation to see if more members could come into that autonomous group," Harlan said.

"And then I think overall, it's just working with our media partners and looking at the value of the current deal and seeing if we can all re-look at that to kind of reward all the things that we're doing."

Keep winning and going to NY6 bowls, that's the only thing we can do right now, that should be our focus.

Doesn't that shift the 50/50 balance?

The minute you come close your top schools will be poached. The deck is stacked.

(12-08-2015 03:44 PM)domer1978 Wrote:  The minute you come close your top schools will be poached. The deck is stacked.

Then perhaps the AAC should revisit expansion, and do what some have proposed before... poach Air Force and Colorado State.

At least then, you can control the damage from a potential raid, and further cement the power distribution in the non-autonomous group. I wouldn't go above 14 teams though. That's a good number to ensure the most desirable universities are under the same umbrella; and if two are poached later on, it's still a very attractive situation.

What say you Mike Aresco?

Aresco will trying to move fast with the rumors of B12 expansion. I believe he will at least try to get AAC in autonomous group. Whether he will be successful is another thing.

You will only be part of the Power Group if you sign your champ to a NY6 bowl. So unless you have a contract with the Peach or Cotton it isn't happening.

It would be nice to see this happen if for no other reason then to stop all the dick measurement threads.

(12-08-2015 04:09 PM)MWC Tex Wrote:  You will only be part of the Power Group if you sign your champ to a NY6 bowl. So unless you have a contract with the Peach or Cotton it isn't happening.

In case you haven't heard all the chatter, there is maybe 2 more years before they expand the CFP's.

(12-08-2015 03:44 PM)domer1978 Wrote:  The minute you come close your top schools will be poached. The deck is stacked.

They will be fine as long as they don't make the same mistake the Big East did. Had the Big East had added Memphis, Boise, & UCF a long time ago they would have been treated as power teams when the madness started like Louisville was.

Then you would have had (Uconn, USF, UCF, Memphis, Cincinati, Boise) six power programs who just needed to add 4 non BCS schools (BYU, Navy, Boise State, Temple). ESPN would have had no pull to pay less than what the old Big East contract was paying.

IMO the playoff will expand to 8 in starting 4 seasons from now...if we retain our members..
starting this year in bowls and the next 3 years, hopefully on on consecutive similar years, we will have a legitimate shot at our own auto spot, instead of a G5 "auto spot"

and we will likely need a little boise sucking to solidify that spot

right now perception wise
aac/boise........niu/some mwc teams..................indistinguishable rest of the g5
we need to push boise to tier 2 to start solidifying our case

They will fight this like cats and dogs, but this actually solves a problem for them... Right now there are too many 'power programs' not within the P5. I actually heard an ESPN announcer refer to Boise in this fashion. Any playoff separation can never happen with Boise, Cinci, Houston, BYU, USF, UCF, etc etc etc on the outside. It's just not politically feasible. But they were all grousing about the SBC, etc. being viewed along the SEC, etc. That's what started all this nonsense posturing anyway... So bring in a 6th that captures all the other obvious power programs, and you finish the rescope of the playoffs. If the Big East could have a seat at the table, so can the AAC, or even AAC-plus... if necessary

(12-08-2015 04:09 PM)MWC Tex Wrote:  You will only be part of the Power Group if you sign your champ to a NY6 bowl. So unless you have a contract with the Peach or Cotton it isn't happening.

I agree with this... But it was Aresco who single-handedly secured the Access Bowl slot for the G5. If he can do that, certainly anything is possible.

(12-08-2015 04:22 PM)pesik Wrote:  IMO the playoff will expand to 8 in starting 4 seasons from now...if we retain our members..
starting this year in bowls and the next 3 years, hopefully on on consecutive similar years, we will have a legitimate shot at our own auto spot, instead of a G5 "auto spot"

and we will likely need a little boise sucking to solidify that spot

right now perception wise
aac/boise........niu/some mwc teams..................indistinguishable rest of the g5
we need to push boise to tier 2 to start solidifying our case

Agreed. The Playoff will be redesigned as an 8 team format in two years with a two year window for implementation. If we remain together and continue to be as successful as this year has been, we'll be a Power Conference.

If we split or deviate, we're doomed. I believe Boise State is already on their way to tier two without our assistance.

This is why I keep saying the AAC needs to move while the iron is hot.
I would look into going to 14-16 meaning even if the Big12 expanded we would still have 12-14 teams.
I would offer AF/ CSU to come on board

(12-08-2015 04:50 PM)Cubanbull Wrote:  This is why I keep saying the AAC needs to move while the iron is hot.
I would look into going to 14-16 meaning even if the Big12 expanded we would still have 12-14 teams.
I would offer AF/ CSU to come on board

I'm sorry but, while that may seem prudent in the interim. Those teams share the same market. I understand that Air Force has a greater scope do to being a service academy and that's why I say take them. I'd look elsewhere for number 14 though.

I would also remind people that we have very large media markets within our conference that are not represented by our footprint. Thus we could expand our coverage without expanding our travel. Just saying.

(12-08-2015 04:22 PM)pesik Wrote:  IMO the playoff will expand to 8 in starting 4 seasons from now...if we retain our members..
starting this year in bowls and the next 3 years, hopefully on on consecutive similar years, we will have a legitimate shot at our own auto spot, instead of a G5 "auto spot"

and we will likely need a little boise sucking to solidify that spot

right now perception wise
aac/boise........niu/some mwc teams..................indistinguishable rest of the g5
we need to push boise to tier 2 to start solidifying our case

I can agree with this analysis

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(12-08-2015 04:27 PM)Bull Wrote:  They will fight this like cats and dogs, but this actually solves a problem for them... Right now there are too many 'power programs' not within the P5. I actually heard an ESPN announcer refer to Boise in this fashion. Any playoff separation can never happen with Boise, Cinci, Houston, BYU, USF, UCF, etc etc etc on the outside. It's just not politically feasible. But they were all grousing about the SBC, etc. being viewed along the SEC, etc. That's what started all this nonsense posturing anyway... So bring in a 6th that captures all the other obvious power programs, and you finish the rescope of the playoffs. If the Big East could have a seat at the table, so can the AAC, or even AAC-plus... if necessary

In hindsight, if the power conferences had imply absorbed the leftover Big East schools+BYU and Boise back in 2012 they may have been able to cut the head off of this thing and simply separated at that time.

The AAC has provided the opportunity for several more schools to step up their athletic programs, improve facilities and get more air time on TV to spread their brand across the country. Long term they will probably now need to eventually involve more programs tan they would have needed back in 2012.

(12-08-2015 04:53 PM)Mestophalies Wrote:  

(12-08-2015 04:50 PM)Cubanbull Wrote:  This is why I keep saying the AAC needs to move while the iron is hot.
I would look into going to 14-16 meaning even if the Big12 expanded we would still have 12-14 teams.
I would offer AF/ CSU to come on board

I'm sorry but, while that may seem prudent in the interim. Those teams share the same market. I understand that Air Force has a greater scope do to being a service academy and that's why I say take them. I'd look elsewhere for number 14 though.

I would also remind people that we have very large media markets within our conference that are not represented by our footprint. Thus we could expand our coverage without expanding our travel. Just saying.

I clearly see your point here, Mestophalies

This thinking however won't get the AAC far, look at the Mac for example they're a nice drivable bunch, but that's about all anyone can respectably be said from that league.

(12-08-2015 05:14 PM)BigHouston Wrote:  

(12-08-2015 04:53 PM)Mestophalies Wrote:  

(12-08-2015 04:50 PM)Cubanbull Wrote:  This is why I keep saying the AAC needs to move while the iron is hot.
I would look into going to 14-16 meaning even if the Big12 expanded we would still have 12-14 teams.
I would offer AF/ CSU to come on board

I'm sorry but, while that may seem prudent in the interim. Those teams share the same market. I understand that Air Force has a greater scope do to being a service academy and that's why I say take them. I'd look elsewhere for number 14 though.

I would also remind people that we have very large media markets within our conference that are not represented by our footprint. Thus we could expand our coverage without expanding our travel. Just saying.

I clearly see your point here, Mestophalies

This thinking however won't get the AAC far, look at the Mac for example they're a nice drivable bunch, but that's about all anyone can respectably be said from that league.

You don't build a league with multiple teams in each state and expect success. You need to limit the number of teams you have to a certain number of population. This allows your teams to have a chance to reach certain levels of support. If you do that then you over saturate an area. When you do that, you divide that resource between your teams and limit their growth and potential. That is precisely what the MAC has done. I'm suggesting that we place our last two teams in major adjoining markets. Not duplicating them as others have suggested.