Surprised this hasn't gotten it's own thread but it deserves one.

Air Force AD Pine during a radio interview yesterday on developments around Mountain West-AAC alignment: "At the end of this evaluation, there wasn’t a consensus among the four about an opportunity ahead of us. A move with less than four wasn’t going to create a significant competitive gap between the Mountain West and the AAC, and that was a very important piece of the consideration. Make no mistake, there’s better resources in the American. There’s better exposure. But ultimately, it didn’t meet all of our needs, and therefore the timing just wasn’t right. The elephant in the room is going to continue until the Mountain West can eliminate the financial gap between itself and its nearest competitor, the American. There’s always going to be a risk of instability until we get that done. [...] At the end of the day, we need a collective strategy for the Mountain West, and that lies with our commissioner. I can’t speak for him and tell you, but I think it’s a question that our membership wants to know."

https://gazette.com/sports/air-force-ath...99eac.html

A lot to parse in here and discuss.

That is called frank speaking. I hugely respect the AFA AD for being so honest.

Good job of finding and posting, b0ndsj0ns.

(10-04-2021 12:45 PM)bill dazzle Wrote:  That is called frank speaking. I hugely respect the AFA AD for being so honest.

Good job of finding and posting, b0ndsj0ns.

He's certainly not doing a victory lap over the decision to stay that's for sure. Also seems to go against the narrative I've seen mentioned by some that this was all Aresco leaking things to try to scare a couple of MWC members and that they were never considering it. Pretty clear they were considering it and talking about it together. That should have been obvious since they didn't publicly denounce anything for several weeks, but for some reason that isn't enough evidence for some. Still sucks though because obviously the drop off in possible additions is massive.

Sounds like Air Force really wanted it but didn't want to go and be the only western school

(10-04-2021 12:55 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  

(10-04-2021 12:45 PM)bill dazzle Wrote:  That is called frank speaking. I hugely respect the AFA AD for being so honest.

Good job of finding and posting, b0ndsj0ns.

He's certainly not doing a victory lap over the decision to stay that's for sure. Also seems to go against the narrative I've seen mentioned by some that this was all Aresco leaking things to try to scare a couple of MWC members and that they were never considering it. Pretty clear they were considering it and talking about it together. That should have been obvious since they didn't publicly denounce anything for several weeks, but for some reason that isn't enough evidence for some. Still sucks though because obviously the drop off in possible additions is massive.

All strong points you make. There is now no doubt that AFA and CSU were at least somewhat interested. And had SDSU and BSU been on board ... boom. The AAC would have added those four.

(10-04-2021 12:57 PM)solohawks Wrote:  Sounds like Air Force really wanted it but didn't want to go and be the only western school

Also doesn't sound like the door is completely closed. Him saying "the timing just wasn't right" doesn't sound like lose my number and never call again.

(10-04-2021 01:02 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  

(10-04-2021 12:57 PM)solohawks Wrote:  Sounds like Air Force really wanted it but didn't want to go and be the only western school

Also doesn't sound like the door is completely closed. Him saying "the timing just wasn't right" doesn't sound like lose my number and never call again.

If MWC does lose any teams due to any future Big 12 expansion that might change the calculus

(10-04-2021 01:02 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  

(10-04-2021 12:57 PM)solohawks Wrote:  Sounds like Air Force really wanted it but didn't want to go and be the only western school

Also doesn't sound like the door is completely closed. Him saying "the timing just wasn't right" doesn't sound like lose my number and never call again.

If the AAC thinks there is any future chance of a poach, they will stop at 10.

(10-04-2021 01:19 PM)solohawks Wrote:  

(10-04-2021 01:02 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  

(10-04-2021 12:57 PM)solohawks Wrote:  Sounds like Air Force really wanted it but didn't want to go and be the only western school

Also doesn't sound like the door is completely closed. Him saying "the timing just wasn't right" doesn't sound like lose my number and never call again.

If MWC does lose any teams due to any future Big 12 expansion that might change the calculus

Not that I was ever going to think the AAC going to 12 made sense, but I certainly don't now. 10 at the most and see what happens. The AD name checks Thompson and very clearly says he needs to have a strategy to "eliminate the financial gap" with the American. That's pretty clearly sounding like he thinks there's still gonna be one even after all this. I mean damn this quote "Make no mistake, there’s better resources in the American. There’s better exposure." made me feel better about the AAC long term more than anything that's come out of our own leaderships mouths LOL.

Or is he hinting at the need for another airport meeting?

(10-04-2021 01:19 PM)solohawks Wrote:  

(10-04-2021 01:02 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  

(10-04-2021 12:57 PM)solohawks Wrote:  Sounds like Air Force really wanted it but didn't want to go and be the only western school

Also doesn't sound like the door is completely closed. Him saying "the timing just wasn't right" doesn't sound like lose my number and never call again.

If MWC does lose any teams due to any future Big 12 expansion that might change the calculus

Or if the AAC loses anymore to the Big 12 that further stabilizes the MWC and weakens the AAC.

(10-04-2021 01:24 PM)dbackjon Wrote:  Or is he hinting at the need for another airport meeting?

I think he was pretty clear... Thompson better do something, or they need to find another leader.

(10-04-2021 01:26 PM)Herd6993 Wrote:  

(10-04-2021 01:19 PM)solohawks Wrote:  

(10-04-2021 01:02 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  

(10-04-2021 12:57 PM)solohawks Wrote:  Sounds like Air Force really wanted it but didn't want to go and be the only western school

Also doesn't sound like the door is completely closed. Him saying "the timing just wasn't right" doesn't sound like lose my number and never call again.

If MWC does lose any teams due to any future Big 12 expansion that might change the calculus

Or if the AAC loses anymore to the Big 12 that further stabilizes the MWC and weakens the AAC.

Certainly. That's an option, or the MWC could lose teams, or neither could lose teams and all this inevitability of the B12 going to 14 or 16 is just talk.

Translation: "Time for a new commissioner of the MWC"

Smart move for Thomspon would be to retire. Otherwise he risks being ousted like Scott was.

(10-04-2021 12:45 PM)bill dazzle Wrote:  That is called frank speaking. I hugely respect the AFA AD for being so honest.

(10-04-2021 12:57 PM)solohawks Wrote:  Sounds like Air Force really wanted it but didn't want to go and be the only western school

I agree with you both, leave it to a military man to cut through the political speech and lay it out that clearly. Sounds like the MWC has gained some time but needs to make some changes or they might win the battle and still end up losing the war.

I don't think there's much the MW can do to raise MW revenue, short of maybe attracting a couple of AAC schools, like say SMU. Even that wouldn't move the needle much.

But there's a decent chance the loss of the three AAC members will result in the money gap between the AAC and the MW being basically closed anyway.

The fact of the matter is that by the MWC not making moves and the AAC making the moves that people are rumoring about (UAB, or Liberty, or Marshall, etc.) - both conferences are going to lose out on an opportunity to shorten the financial gap between themselves and the P5. Ironically, what's going to happen is both conferences are further relegating themselves from the P5. AAC tried, they absolutely did. But they were rebuffed. The MWC seems fairly passive in all of this and that won't move the needle.

(10-04-2021 01:33 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Translation: "Time for a new commissioner of the MWC"

Smart move for Thomspon would be to retire. Otherwise he risks being ousted like Scott was.

It lines up with what some reporter was saying that "sources" were telling him schools are really not happy with Thompson. Certainly changes even my own opinion that Thompson dunked on Aresco by keeping this from happening. Doesn't sound like Thompson had anything at all to do with it.

(10-04-2021 01:24 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  

(10-04-2021 01:19 PM)solohawks Wrote:  

(10-04-2021 01:02 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  

(10-04-2021 12:57 PM)solohawks Wrote:  Sounds like Air Force really wanted it but didn't want to go and be the only western school

Also doesn't sound like the door is completely closed. Him saying "the timing just wasn't right" doesn't sound like lose my number and never call again.

If MWC does lose any teams due to any future Big 12 expansion that might change the calculus

Not that I was ever going to think the AAC going to 12 made sense, but I certainly don't now. 10 at the most and see what happens. The AD name checks Thompson and very clearly says he needs to have a strategy to "eliminate the financial gap" with the American. That's pretty clearly sounding like he thinks there's still gonna be one even after all this. I mean damn this quote "Make no mistake, there’s better resources in the American. There’s better exposure." made me feel better about the AAC long term more than anything that's come out of our own leaderships mouths LOL.

I agree that the options are not great to get to 12 right now, but I actually wonder if going to 12 makes more sense with comments like this.

If you are going to add four from the west, say SDSU, Colorado St, Air Force, and New Mexico (Boise would be gone, I'm looking at UNM as one of the better academic schools left, with a decent market, but it could easily be say Fresno or UNLV), then 3 other "pods" and a 3-2-2-2 set up makes sense (that's what I'm hoping the SEC does).

So you could have:
East: ECU, Temple, USF, Charlotte
Central: UAB, WKU, MTSU, North Texas
South: Tulane, SMU, Tulsa, Navy
West: SDSU, CSU, AF, NM

(I'm assuming Memphis leaves in the Boise move too)

(Just brainstorming, haven't heard MTSU mentioned at all in the rumors or anything like that.)

(10-04-2021 01:45 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  

(10-04-2021 01:33 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Translation: "Time for a new commissioner of the MWC"

Smart move for Thomspon would be to retire. Otherwise he risks being ousted like Scott was.

It lines up with what some reporter was saying that "sources" were telling him schools are really not happy with Thompson. Certainly changes even my own opinion that Thompson dunked on Aresco by keeping this from happening. Doesn't sound like Thompson had anything at all to do with it.

To me it's sort of telling how the MWC has been as relevant and successful as they have been with a geriatric driver asleep on the wheel for so long.