RE: AAC/MW Merger
I think a merger will never happen and is a bad idea. If youre going to expand, then you have to go after pieces that can actually be moved. Getting any team from the MWC is going to be tough but you have to look for the ones that have a soft spot and I personally think there is two.
Colorado State is investing a ton of money and wants to be seen as a higher level school. Of all the schools in the MWC, I actually tend to think that they would be the most open but would need a good reason.
So where I would start is adding Army. (I know many are saying "Huh") CSU I dont think will ever leave Air Force.... but Air Force was intruged last time about joining our conference "if" Army and Navy were in. Army does nothing for us competitively but they do add value. People watch them no matter how much they suck.
Once you get Army on board, then you begin to pursue Air Force. You go to both of them and present the expansion as a package for both. I think theres a chance. Slim but theres a chance.
If all agree you have 15 in football and 13 in basketball. Heres where I go from there. Add VCU, Wichita St. and then offer BYU to join as a non-football school with a 6 game football scheduling agreement. This is about the only way I see us getting BYU and they would be worth it. Adding BYU gives Airforce and CSU a far western team for their olympic sports. Wichita also helps. Having SMU, Tulsa and Houston will make travel for the new teams much less and doable.
Now your at 15 football and 16 in basketball/ olympic sports. Its very geographically balanced. Football can be in 5 team pods. (east, west and Mid) or you can look for a 16th team.
What I like about this entire setup is it gets quality and some good markets. Wichita raises our basketball and baseball significantly. VCU adds to those two and also plays a solid game of soccer. BYU we all know. CSU is all around a solid program and is investing a ton. All these teams fit our basic profile (BYU is a bit different)
Football
East: Uconn, Temple, Army, Navy and ECU
Mid: Cinci, Memphis, Tulane, USF and UCF
West: CSU, Air Force, Tulsa, SMU and Houston
Each team plays there pod and two crossover games with the other pods.
Basketball/ Olympic
East - Uconn, Temple, VCU, ECU, USF, UCF, Cinci, Memphis
West - BYU, CSU, Air Force, Wichita St, Tulsa, SMU, Houston and Tulane
To me, thats a conference that actually has a prayer of being put together, brings together the academies, has really solid basketball and baseball, improves soccer, adds quality opponents in football and geographically really isnt much worse then what we already have and could actually mean a little less travel.
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