(11-22-2016 02:13 PM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote: It was a silly theory in the first place.
Would West Virginia rather be playing all of their historical rivals in the ACC, or against all of those football behemoths in the SEC? Of course they would on both counts.
However, those weren't options at the time and aren't options now either. Their options were staying in the AAC, going Independent, or joining the Big 12. They of course chose Option No. 3 and it was pretty much a no-brainer from the start.
It does make you wonder what the AAC would be like with WVU (3 BCS bowls and perennially ranked in the Big East).
Let's say the Big 12 invites Air Force instead of WVU, so option #3 wasn't on the table.
So, the Big East loses Pitt, Syracuse, and Louisville (and TCU before they even got there).
WVU remains with Rutgers, Cincinnati, UConn, and USF. Where do they go from there? The next announcement was UCF, SMU, Houston, Boise St. and SDSU. Within the next 2-3 months, Navy, Memphis, and Temple accept invites. Rutgers then bolts for the B1G. Does the expansion list look different if WVU is in the AAC?
Do Boise St. and SDSU keep their commitment if WVU is still around? (EDIT: And Air Force gone from the MWC?) Does the AAC stay at 10 schools when Boise and SDSU bolt? Or, which current AAC member is left out?
So, the 2014-16 AAC could have been...
EAST: WVU, Cincinnati, UConn, Temple, USF, UCF
WEST: Navy, Memphis, Houston, SMU, Boise St., SDSU
What sort of TV contract would this conference land? Would it have an annual top-10 contender? Any other G5 conference even have a chance at the NY6 bid?