(09-04-2016 08:37 PM)Attackcoog Wrote: If something like that was going to go down---it seems to me the logistics, economics, and composition issue favor a semi-merger between the AAC and MW. If the AAC loses 3 or 4---the option to add the top 5-7 schools from the MW to create a 16 team nationwide conference that's the closest thing to a best of the rest that can be formed given the current landscape.
Logistics oppose a MWC-AAC merger with travel too far for non-revenue sports.
What makes more sense is for the MWC and AAC to bulk up to 14 individually to reduce travel costs and then combine forces on a coast-2-coast TV package.
Scenario:
B12 (BYU, Houston)
AAC (NIU, Toledo, SoMiss)
MWC (UTEP, Rice)
AAC East: UConn, Temple, Cincinnati Navy, ECU, USF, UCF
AAC West: Toledo, NIU, Memphis, Tulsa, SMU, Tulane, So. Miss
MWC Mountain: Rice, UTEP, New Mexico, Colorado St, AFA, Wyoming, Utah St
MWC West: Boise, Nevada, UNLV, San Jose, Fresno, SDSU, Hawaii
All four divisions cover the country pretty good from the TV perspective.