(01-12-2016 01:50 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(01-12-2016 01:08 PM)Hank Schrader Wrote:  

(01-12-2016 01:02 PM)BigEastHomer Wrote:  

(01-12-2016 12:56 PM)Hank Schrader Wrote:  UMass isn't going to join as a basketball only league-member with just the hope of becoming an all sports member.

They are already in a better basketball league than the American right now, and already showed they were committed to that league by refusing to join the MAC when pushed. Unless they are guaranteed an all sports membership - I don't see UMass leaving the A10 for some trial junior bush league membership here.

As a Temple fan, I don't miss the A10 one iota. It comes down to whether you want to be in a conference that has a national vision in all sports.. or not.

I'm not losing sleep over not playing St Boneventure. We have our Big 5 games, and I'd rather play UCONN, UC, Memphis, SMU, etc, than VCU or St. Louis.

There is no comparison. I'm certainly not going to make the mistake of judging a conference by the fledgling teams that are acclimating to playing in a better conference.

If you give UMass the choice of full AAC membership or A-10/Ind. combo they pick AAC 100/100 times. My point is a basketball only membership without some guarantee of future membership does nothing for UMass. I do not believe they would be interested in a trial/provisional membership without a guarantee of future membership.

I'd be very interested in Wichita as a Olympic member. I'd also be willing to explore adding UMass and at least one other high performing current A10 member as well. If we added all 3, you'd be looking at a very high quality basketball conference that would be FAR better than the A10. SMU, UConn, Temple, Memphis, Wichita, Cinci, UMass, and VCU (for example) would be a powerful core of teams capable of contending for an NCAA tournament most every season. Several other AAC teams would be solid teams building toward that level of quality (Tulsa, Houston, perhaps a few others that would rise up less often). That's 9 solid teams out of 14. Not a bad league at all.

As for football additions, we do not need to add any school that is not capable of at least exceeding 30K in attendance over the short term and 40K+ over the longer term. So, a schools with a 30+ stadium with an attendance average in the mid-20's might be viable (as the bump from a better conference and more exposure might push them to 30+ fairly quickly). A school with a tiny stadium that's in need of massive improvement to just be "average", a school that often draws less than 10K to some home games---well, that's a school that will have to improve drastically to make any sense as a viable AAC football candidate. I can see potential in UMass, but its got to be more developed than it currently is to roll the dice on them.

And vcu and wichita st are both public, right? Less likely that another fracturing occurs down the line if the leadership and missions are aligned.

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A five year Umass plan does nothing for us. Our contract is up in 4 and we need value now. Only way we should expand at all is if we can take MWC teams. It does 3 things for us.

1. Adds western markets for time slots that we dont have content.
2. Increase the competitiveness if we take the right teams (CSU, AF and SDSU.... 3 of the top 5 most years)
3. Hurts the only other conference going to market the same year, making our content the best on the market. Any econ major knows that lowering the amount of inventory on a limited supply item will drive prices up.

If Aresco is smart at all (and he is) he is gonna get bids that include expansion. If they make sense, he will send out invites.

I like UMass as all sports member.... They just need some American Juice pumped into those veins to Jump start things.

(01-12-2016 08:06 PM)TempleOwl21 Wrote:  I like UMass as all sports member.... They just need some American Juice pumped into those veins to Jump start things.

Agreed I think if you want UMass this is the only way to get the full potential.

no on umass

Install toilets in your football stadium and we'll revisit UMASS

Wow the UMass promotion I this board is non stop. Someone let them know that no one on this board has influence on decisions of this nature

Southern schools will never vote for them

This s*** again???

God, I hate this conference.

(01-12-2016 11:13 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  This s*** again???

God, I hate this conference.

Learn to love us because you're stuck with us

UMASS needs to hire Mike Trained Geese to tell them how to improve their station in life.

(01-12-2016 01:09 PM)BigEastHomer Wrote:  

(01-12-2016 01:04 PM)KNIGHTTIME Wrote:  I'm back off the bus on Umass.

ODU is further along on facilities, fanbase, etc and they still need to wait in the C-USA farm system until they continue years the D-1 process.

I would take Army football only in a second. They would enhance our TV package. Unless you have a good #14, there isn't any sense to add them either.

I think we just add our BB only member Wichita State and be done with things until 2019 and see what ESPN has to say.

I agree competely. In a perfect world, UMASS would be getting the job done. They aren't.

If ODU and/or Charlotte ever show UCF-level growth (in which UCF beat Baylor in the Fiesta Bowl), they'll definitely pop up above the hard deck.

Until then, the only enticing teams are out West. If it were up to the East, I'd prefer to hold at 10 (at this time).

As a former ECU student who is graduating from Charlotte this spring I believe that Charlotte is committed to building a strong athletic program. I don't follow Charlotte athletics nearly as close as I do ECU but Charlotte wouldn't put up with what Lebo is doing in men's basketball, if this was year 2 or 3 yeah, but not in year 6.

I believe Price can build the 49'ers basketball program to it's former CUSA level of competitiveness, he brought in a couple of good JUCO's and they haven't been near as bad as they were the first part of the season. Recently losing to Georgetown and La Tech by 3 and keeping it close with ODU two of which were on the road.

I do think they rushed their football program, and would have benefited more from a couple more years of FCS ball. But they are in a location that is attractive to recruits, and rich in talent. Plus they have plans already in place to expand the stadium to 40K when they need arises, not to mention they can always play games at BOA for big name opponents. It's only year 3 and Lambert had to build a program literally from scratch, but within the next decade Charlotte should have a respectable football team.

Grow Charlotte

Only teams that bring enough to add without losing members are Army, Air Force, and BYU. Now if members of the AAC leave then sure you have to consider a whole lot of others.

It's just been 34 hours since the national championship...7.5 months to go

(01-13-2016 08:57 AM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  Only teams that bring enough to add without losing members are Army, Air Force, and BYU. Now if members of the AAC leave then sure you have to consider a whole lot of others.

I would take a Colorado State / Air Force combo, if that would help out AF.

(01-12-2016 12:47 PM)BigEastHomer Wrote:  With all this chatter about deregulation and its potential ramifications on our conference, it's clear this conference needs a strategy (and it has been alluded to more than once that there is a strategy) in the instance there is more realignment.
That being said, I know this isn't going to be a popular idea but I like the idea of UMASS. IF, they transform their facilities and increase their fanbase.
I know that seems impossible right now (at least it does to me). That said, in a perfect world they would be thriving and part of our NE sector, with UConn and Temple.
But they aren't thriving, and John Calipari isn't walking through that door...
Nevertheless, I do think their basketball brand could take off if they were in a conference with UConn and Temple. IMO, it would give us a strong (and intriguing) presence (with a lot of potential to grow much bigger, basketball-wise) in the backyard of the WWL, in Bristol. A lot can be said for that.
That being said, I think extending UMASS a 5 year provisional invite, to be our #12 in basketball, is intriguing (while they stay indy in fb).
It gives us time to explore their real value to the conference.
I'd really like to plant a flag in the East. They'd make that region more robust.
And, as has been said here a number of times, UMASS brass seem to need someone to hold their hand.
Their membership would be provisional on the understanding that they build AAC caliber facilities in ALL SPORTS. To support their football team, we'd agree to a certain number of games a year (kinda like the ACC Notre Dame deal).
Temple's game with UMASS this year kind of opened my eyes to the glimmer of potential they may have in that sport.
Perhaps by igniting UMASS-UCONN-Temple basketball rivalries, their fanbase would rally around football (with the promise of a stadium on the horizon). Stadiums have a way of building excitement among a fanbase.

And, if they don't bring all of their facilities up to the level of a good fbs program, the AAC can cut their entire athletic department loose after that 5 year provisional period. It would be like their MAC deal in reverse.

It's a risk for them because they'd have to leave their spot in the A10 to commit to the experiment... but, it would be intriguing.

Now, I'm not saying its the right thing to do... but, it's a shame that their leadership isn't building their infrastructure, right now, to make them a no-brainer. Because, regardless of whether we lose 2 teams, this will be a good conference.
They fit the footprint the best of any team on the board (next to AF and CSU). The fact that they haven't distinguished themselves is probably the biggest lapse in leadership in D1 athletics.

I like the idea that they are a flagship with good academics and are next door to UCONN, but the CUSA tv developments have me worried about further expansion. I think this league has a good thing going as is right now. This season in football was fabulous (not for my team though) and I think staying at 12 is the safest route for now. Unless it's BYU and any number of MWC partners that they bring with them let's wait on UMASS. Too risky...Cheers!

with the exception of a 5yr run in the 90s that ended with a Final Four being vacated, because John Calipari was the coach, what has UMass basketball done to make it a desirable program?

(01-13-2016 04:49 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  the CUSA tv developments

CUSA 3.0 was never looking at a payday.

They are a bunch of novice programs.

We know who our targets are. And any one of them COULD be a great add. If we had interest in expanding, I would say the best move is to announce that two spots are open, first teams to do the following get the invite:

• expand athletic budget to 50 mill or over
• be in the black with athletic revenue
• have a history of infrastructure investment and a presentation of a master plan
• win 4 championships between the three main sports
• show marked and deliberate improvement in academic profile
  

If two teams meet those requirements, I don't care if it's the university of Maine, it'll be a good add.