There's been a lot of conversation about the (temporary) downturn of basketball and I think people are being a bit too impatient here. There's a big opportunity down the road and I think (especially since it's the offseason) it's worth looking at

The Big 12 is a dead conference walking. 2023 is the timer set on that bomb. No one knows what will happen but it seems that all signs point to either Texas Independence or the much more exciting 4 team exodus to the PAC-16

Assuming the latter happens, and no other movements happen at that time we have West Virginia, Kansas, Kansas State, TCU, Baylor, and Iowa State without a home.

Another Assumption: Big 12 votes for dissolution in order to allow Texas (& co.) to leave without penalty, because Texas. That means the Big 12 cannot invite the best of the rest, but rather must search for a conference or build a brand new one (which I don't think they would have the leverage to do to the AAC... maybe the MWC)

AAC-16 Conference Additions:
• West Virginia
• TCU
• Kansas
• Army (fb only)
• Dayton (Oly. sports)
• Wichita State (Oly. sports)
  

• New AAC-16 Conference
  Southeast Division
  • UCF
  • USF
  • ECU
  • Tulane
    
  Naval Texas Division
  • Houston
  • SMU
  • TCU
  • Navy (Dayton)
    
  Northeast Division
  • West Virginia
  • Cincinnati
  • Temple
  • UConn
    
  The ClusterF Division
  • Kansas
  • Memphis
  • Tulsa
  • Army (Wichita State)
    

I've stated many times how a football division like this would work, so that should be apparent. What about the basketball side?

20 conference games = 6 Home/Away intra-division + 8 Home/Away rotating 2nd division + 6 Strategic made-for-tv games determined by the conference

How could this shape up?

Let's say we're a team in the Northeast division, paired with the ClusterF division. Off the bat the schedule is the following:
(vs. West Virginia, @ UConn, vs. Temple, @ Kansas, vs. Tulsa, @Memphis, vs. Wichita State) x2 (flipping locations). From the remaining teams in the Southeast and Texas division, pick 6 games to fill out the rest of the schedule.

Thoughts?

An alternative to the 20 game schedule would be: 6 home/away intra, 2 home/away from each other division (6 games total), 6 games home OR away with the remainder for 18 games total. That cycle would alternate evenly every 2 years to play every team in the conference at least 6 times in 4 years.

If anyone goes to 16 they ain't doing 4 pods. It'll be two divisions like always so they can do the CCG


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Ok.

(02-21-2017 08:00 AM)PurpleReigns Wrote:  If anyone goes to 16 they ain't doing 4 pods. It'll be two divisions like always so they can do the CCG


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No one said that you can't have just one CCG with pods. Simply take the two highest rated division winners and pit them against each other.

Knowing that we will likely lose members in 2023, I wouldn't mind going to 14 now in football.

13 - Army
14 - ????

Basketball adds - Wichita State, VCU, and St Louis.

Drop the coast to coast idea unless the networks want to pay big $$$ which isn't likely.

(02-21-2017 08:40 AM)KNIGHTTIME Wrote:  Knowing that we will likely lose members in 2023, I wouldn't mind going to 14 now in football.

13 - Army
14 - ????

Basketball adds - Wichita State, VCU, and St Louis.

Drop the coast to coast idea unless the networks want to pay big $$$ which isn't likely.

I think that move would probably be made in preparation for the TV deal renegotiation, but you also have to keep in mind the trouble of growing too big and limiting the conference to bigger, better potential adds in the future, which this thread tries to address

(02-21-2017 08:45 AM)Kruciff Wrote:  

(02-21-2017 08:40 AM)KNIGHTTIME Wrote:  Knowing that we will likely lose members in 2023, I wouldn't mind going to 14 now in football.

13 - Army
14 - ????

Basketball adds - Wichita State, VCU, and St Louis.

Drop the coast to coast idea unless the networks want to pay big $$$ which isn't likely.

I think that move would probably be made in preparation for the TV deal renegotiation, but you also have to keep in mind the trouble of growing too big and limiting the conference to bigger, better potential adds in the future, which this thread tries to address

If the Big 12 implodes, the leftovers just reload with AAC teams. Just from pure ego, no way they join the AAC. The smarter way is taking the leftovers and forming a league with the best of the aac.

Similar to us, if we were left with 5 we would just reload with other schools and not join the cusa.

In that scenario, Kansas will 100% be in the Big Ten, possibly W.Va. with them.

(02-21-2017 09:06 AM)CincyBro Wrote:  In that scenario, Kansas will 100% be in the Big Ten, possibly W.Va. with them.

There is no guarantee the big 10 will just pick up scraps.

(02-21-2017 08:00 AM)PurpleReigns Wrote:  If anyone goes to 16 they ain't doing 4 pods. It'll be two divisions like always so they can do the CCG


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Agreed; 7 divisional games + 2 cross divisional and 3 OCC is they way it would work.

(02-21-2017 09:06 AM)CincyBro Wrote:  In that scenario, Kansas will 100% be in the Big Ten, possibly W.Va. with them.

I was hoping someone would bring this point up.

Truth be told, you're very probably right (minus West Virginia... Academics is what kept them out of the ACC... there's no way the B1G goes for them)

Taking a moment to look at it though, we would be assuming that the B1G wants to go to 16, and that they would buck the trend of Maryland and Rutgers by adding a Midwest school in a small market. Certainly stranger things have happened but I'm not so sure it's a guarantee anymore.

Besides, if they do get picked up, go with Iowa State or K-State (whichever) and they can fill that void, albeit less attractively.

This is wrong. The Big 12 leftovers will raid the AAC and MWC. History repeats itself. The leftover schools will make the schools leaving pay.

(02-21-2017 08:57 AM)KNIGHTTIME Wrote:  

(02-21-2017 08:45 AM)Kruciff Wrote:  

(02-21-2017 08:40 AM)KNIGHTTIME Wrote:  Knowing that we will likely lose members in 2023, I wouldn't mind going to 14 now in football.

13 - Army
14 - ????

Basketball adds - Wichita State, VCU, and St Louis.

Drop the coast to coast idea unless the networks want to pay big $$$ which isn't likely.

I think that move would probably be made in preparation for the TV deal renegotiation, but you also have to keep in mind the trouble of growing too big and limiting the conference to bigger, better potential adds in the future, which this thread tries to address

If the Big 12 implodes, the leftovers just reload with AAC teams. Just from pure ego, no way they join the AAC. The smarter way is taking the leftovers and forming a league with the best of the aac.

Similar to us, if we were left with 5 we would just reload with other schools and not join the cusa.

Just to play devils advocate, let's say those 5 teams were Tulane, Tulsa, SMU, Temple, and USF. Who has the more leverage to add whom to whom?

Similarly, apply that idea to the remnants of the Big 12... is it such a clear cut case?

(02-21-2017 09:06 AM)CincyBro Wrote:  In that scenario, Kansas will 100% be in the Big Ten, possibly W.Va. with them.

The Toothless couch burners will never be in B10

(02-21-2017 09:16 AM)goodknightfl Wrote:  

(02-21-2017 09:06 AM)CincyBro Wrote:  In that scenario, Kansas will 100% be in the Big Ten, possibly W.Va. with them.

The Toothless couch burners will never be in B10

Exactly. I LOLed at that post. Kansas def has a shot. WVU...

(02-21-2017 02:27 AM)Kruciff Wrote:  Thoughts?

My first thought is that "It's not even the off-season yet."

My second thought is that the line-up of teams you propose will never happen.

My third thought is, "My God, it's not even the off-season yet."

(02-21-2017 09:48 AM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  

(02-21-2017 02:27 AM)Kruciff Wrote:  Thoughts?

My first thought is that "It's not even the off-season yet."

My second thought is that the line-up of teams you propose will never happen.

My third thought is, "My God, it's not even the off-season yet."

It is for some of us!

And I retort that, 1. This is in response to the arguments resulting in the UConn rumors, mostly, and 2. I think this lineup of teams (though not exact) has more of a chance of happening than any other expansion involving the Big 12.

Here's my more realistic and probable view on how to to fix basketball:

Cincinnati and SMU, keep doing what you're doing.

Have Memphis take a time machine to 2006
Have Temple take a time machine to 1988
Have Uconn take a time machine to 1999
Have Houston take a time machine to 1982
Have Tulsa take a time machine to 1994
Have USF, ECU, and Tulane take a time machine to 1850 and try to build a better basketball oriented university

Problems SOLVED. You're welcome, American.

(02-21-2017 09:14 AM)UCF-ENG Wrote:  This is wrong. The Big 12 leftovers will raid the AAC and MWC. History repeats itself. The leftover schools will make the schools leaving pay.

pretty much this. Big 12 is still a much bigger brand name than AAC or MWC. They'll reach out and grab the best MWC and AAC teams and move on. Anyone in here would rather be in a conference with kansas, k state, and other big 12 leftovers than whatever the AAC or MWC looks like in 2024.

AAC will be the new new cusa, cusa will raid sun belt, and sun belt will either fold or find new members from 1-AA.