(07-28-2016 01:58 PM)WTXOwl Wrote:  I state everything I am about to say under the clear statement that, like many Rice fans, if C-USA is further watered down and Rice doesn't get out (East with the AAC or West with the MWC) our athletics department will be in significant trouble. We have a small fan base: granted. (As many rightly point out that is in part because of our extremely small living alumni base, which yes does not fill the stadium.) In order to be viable, Rice needs to play the Big Names (money from the games and exposure), but also needs to play like minded and regional institutions. Games against SMU and Tulane were always better attended than ECU or UCF even though the later have much bigger enrollment and fan support. So yes, I am a hopefully fan in my comments and sincerely hope for the best. (And think the AAC is a fantastic place for Rice.)

I think the issue the AAC is going to have in replacing anything more than one team is the same issue C-USA had when the first wave left. Rice, UTEP and Tulane didn't want to lose more regional games and wanted to keep recruiting available in Dallas/Fort Worth and Texas. That is why UTSA and UNT were favored. Southern Miss and UAB wanted similar things so Middle Tennessee and La Tech were favored. ECU and Marshall really preferred ODU and Charlotte. Also the Eastern schools didn't want to lose recruiting in Florida. So everyone got a little of what they wanted and the conference grew more than most expected and probably wanted.

I think the challenge will be for the AAC to grow in a manner that everyone agrees with. With a probable expansion pool including: Army, UMass, NIU, ODU, Charlotte, Rice, USM, and UTSA, in addition to possible others. I think each set of schools will be hard pressed to find common ground or the conference may take the "appeasement approach" and grow by more than most expect.

I hope rice gets in I always like you guys.

(07-28-2016 01:59 PM)Westhoff123 Wrote:  

(07-28-2016 01:58 PM)WTXOwl Wrote:  I state everything I am about to say under the clear statement that, like many Rice fans, if C-USA is further watered down and Rice doesn't get out (East with the AAC or West with the MWC) our athletics department will be in significant trouble. We have a small fan base: granted. (As many rightly point out that is in part because of our extremely small living alumni base, which yes does not fill the stadium.) In order to be viable, Rice needs to play the Big Names (money from the games and exposure), but also needs to play like minded and regional institutions. Games against SMU and Tulane were always better attended than ECU or UCF even though the later have much bigger enrollment and fan support. So yes, I am a hopefully fan in my comments and sincerely hope for the best. (And think the AAC is a fantastic place for Rice.)

I think the issue the AAC is going to have in replacing anything more than one team is the same issue C-USA had when the first wave left. Rice, UTEP and Tulane didn't want to lose more regional games and wanted to keep recruiting available in Dallas/Fort Worth and Texas. That is why UTSA and UNT were favored. Southern Miss and UAB wanted similar things so Middle Tennessee and La Tech were favored. ECU and Marshall really preferred ODU and Charlotte. Also the Eastern schools didn't want to lose recruiting in Florida. So everyone got a little of what they wanted and the conference grew more than most expected and probably wanted.

I think the challenge will be for the AAC to grow in a manner that everyone agrees with. With a probable expansion pool including: Army, UMass, NIU, ODU, Charlotte, Rice, USM, and UTSA, in addition to possible others. I think each set of schools will be hard pressed to find common ground or the conference may take the "appeasement approach" and grow by more than most expect.

I hope rice gets in I always like you guys.

Agreed. If we lose Houston, I want Rice. If we lose two more, I would go with UMASS and Army (if possible).

(07-27-2016 06:06 AM)acc4life Wrote:  Rice has tons of money; they just need to dedicate more of it to upgrading athletic facilities, athletic staff salaries, etc. They also need to kick start their booster program.

Rice AD Joe Karlgaard answered this in a recent tweetstorm:

Quote:Joe Karlgaard, Rice University Athletic Director:
‏@jkarlgaard
We've completed $113.2M in facilities renovations in the last ten years, touching every single sport at Rice.

With more on the way:

Additional $10 Million for more new facilities for rice Baseball's Reckling park
Additional phases of renovations to Rice Football Stadium
to name just a couple

Is he the guy that made fun of us for leaving CUSA?

(07-28-2016 02:14 PM)Pony94 Wrote:  Is he the guy that made fun of us for leaving CUSA?

No, I think that was Ranger Rick...

(07-27-2016 10:03 PM)Pony94 Wrote:  By the way I'm sitting on the beach and everyone is playing ******* Pokeman

get one of those jamming devices that blocks everyones celluar/data

they have them out there, one dealer was going nuts on advertising it and was F'n with all these Pokemon Go douchebags

(07-28-2016 01:00 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  And Rice actually has the potential to be a major conference school imo but again they have to care like how TCU gradually built it. And it can be done without sacrificing their way of doing things, look at Stanford, finishing in the top ten and producing players like Andrew Luck.

We were actually #2 on Luck's list because he's from Houston and his mom is a Rice alum. Our facilities were awful before the recent improvement and I don't think he ever actually considered attending.

Our AD just tweeted out a message to potential conferences. About time we started marketing ourselves. Here is a summary:

18 in USNWR. #5 out of FBS teams. 1 of 62 AAU schools. Leebron is about to become prez. Top 10 in APR GSR FGR. 12 conference championships across 9 sports in the last 3 years. $113.2 million in facility improvements in the last 10 years. Season tickets up 54.6% in football and 161% in MBB since 2014

It depends on what the AAC wants to be...do you want to be a national conference? eastern conference? are you desiring markets?

...do you want to maintain a foothold in Texas??

North Texas, UTSA, Texas State, and UTEP are also choices

Why not try and pick a piece off of every conference? Add NIU, New Mexico, UTEP, UTSA, and Old Dominion :)

(07-28-2016 02:14 PM)Pony94 Wrote:  Is he the guy that made fun of us for leaving CUSA?

If you are referring to me, then I will clarify that I wasn't on the board when SMU left for the AAC. (And recognize the only way any of us move up these days is to be on the move.)

(07-28-2016 03:06 PM)WTXOwl Wrote:  

(07-28-2016 02:14 PM)Pony94 Wrote:  Is he the guy that made fun of us for leaving CUSA?

If you are referring to me, then I will clarify that I wasn't on the board when SMU left for the AAC. (And recognize the only way any of us move up these days is to be on the move.)

He wasn't referring to you just FYI

(07-27-2016 09:54 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

(07-27-2016 09:29 PM)acc4life Wrote:  

(07-27-2016 09:21 PM)NBPirate Wrote:  I'm all in on Rice

So am I and I was only aware of their football facility improvements. Very impressive.

Support isn't there for Rice. The school is too small.

AAC needs to target a school with Top 20 potential not one where the ceiling is 6-6.

Rice won 10 games and the Texas Bowl in 2008.
Rice won 10 games, CUSA, but lost the Liberty Bowl in 2013
Rice won 8 games and the Hawaii bowl in 2014.

6-6 is not our ceiling.

(07-28-2016 03:06 PM)WTXOwl Wrote:  

(07-28-2016 02:14 PM)Pony94 Wrote:  Is he the guy that made fun of us for leaving CUSA?

If you are referring to me, then I will clarify that I wasn't on the board when SMU left for the AAC. (And recognize the only way any of us move up these days is to be on the move.)

Oh not you. It was a Chancellor or AD that mocked us

Made me laugh and our President is a fan of Rice

(07-28-2016 05:58 PM)Pony94 Wrote:  

(07-28-2016 03:06 PM)WTXOwl Wrote:  

(07-28-2016 02:14 PM)Pony94 Wrote:  Is he the guy that made fun of us for leaving CUSA?

If you are referring to me, then I will clarify that I wasn't on the board when SMU left for the AAC. (And recognize the only way any of us move up these days is to be on the move.)

Oh not you. It was a Chancellor or AD that mocked us

Made me laugh and our President is a fan of Rice

Rick Greenspan former AD. He gone.

Greenspan was an unmitigated disaster.

$31mm football facility opens next week. See attached from the Houston Chronicle.

http://www.chron.com/sports/rice/article...660235.php