(02-07-2020 08:21 PM)SteveAztec Wrote: Thanks for getting me updated on Tulsa. I know very little about the AAC except it is a better Conf. than the MWC & a place where San Diego State needs to be.
Here is why I back Fresno State & UNLV into the AAC along with the Aztecs & Boise.
-Fresno is a semi big City and has the greatest followers of their program in California. Fresno is a Sports crazy city and the love one team in California and one team only...The Fresno State Bulldogs. Great facilites, great attendance, proud program that is looking to grow.
-UNLV has the highest upside of any team in the MWC. Big City, growing to be bigger. A destination location for travelers that every fan base would love to do. The Thomas & Mack for basketball is fantastic and seats around 19,000. Their football sucks, but here is where potential comes in. The Raiders are almost finished with their Stadium in Las Vegas which is fabulous. UNLV is going to play some games in that Stadium and if they get into a bigger Conf. that excited the locals they might play all of their games there. I never look at UNLV's records when thinking about them being in a bigger Conf. Their upside is Gigantic.
I am so high on the potential of Fresno State and UNLV coming into the AAC with the Aztecs that I put the 4 teams I would want in order like this...
1. San Diego State
2. Fresno State
3. UNLV
4. Boise State
****If we add BYU to the list, I put them at 3 with UNLV and Boise State as 4a and 4b****
5. Air Force (you can't wrong with a military shcool)
6. Colorado State
7. Reno
8. San Jose State (6-7-8 are interchangeable to me)
9. New Mexico
10. Utah State
11. Wyoming (9-10-11 No way IMO)
Solid breakdown, admittedly I am not overly familiar with the MWC teams. We all tend to pay more attention to our conference teams and other teams in our geographic area.
I'm in favor of SDSU, great hoops, great academics and good football arguably great depending on the quality level one gives the MWC. The questions revolve around travel & time differentials. A lot of people have argued that more geographic teams would need to be added, hence your list. It doesn't seem like there's much of an appetite to go past 12 in the AAC but I'm sure if there was incentive for it IE power status & CFP inclusion on the inevitable CFP expansion then it'd be done in a heartbeat.
Your vouching for Fresno definitely made me perk up. They're typically competitive in the MWC and if they have a city behind their team that's huge. I know UCF's AD was there early in his career.
Vegas I'm sketchy on (and have been for all the pro sports teams too), just a destination isn't enough to validate a team add. I feel like you may like them for the same reason I like Tulane, they're in an awesome party city close enough that it's a crazy party weekend for away games.
Boise I still like for FB only but any kind of expanded add I don't think can have them bc they've positioned themselves as the old school mobster collecting protection money in the MWC.
BYU likes playing in their own sandbox pretending their the Mormon Notre Dame. If we don't lose members to the Big 12 we'll eventually fully achieve P6 and BYU wont accept an invite until then. But by then we wont need them so I'd put them in the never category.
Air Force I like from a quality add especially with how incredible Navy has done BUT I'm worried that 2 triple option chop blocking teams will put everyone on the IR.
CSU in my mind is ECU, both have similar records recently. Both have decent fan bases despite their recent losing records. Similar enrollments, North Carolina has about double the population as Colorado but it also has double the Universities.
No one else is reasonably worth a breakdown.
But like I said I don't really follow your conference that closely so let me know if I'm off on these.
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SDSU outlines plan for Mission Valley stadium site
Having an OCS is a lot of fun.
