(05-06-2021 02:21 PM)bill dazzle Wrote:  1. Get Army and VCU. This would be my preference. But it is no more likely to happen than Bill Dazzle — nude but for a multi-color beanie with a propeller — riding a Big Wheel through downtown Nashville and NOT getting arrested.

Army is a possibility, but no FCS teams.

(05-06-2021 02:16 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 05:39 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Who knows.

Perhaps the American has moved off it's football only offer to be All Sports. San Diego State I can see being attractive to the WCC, especially Gonzaga who wants to up the SoS. I don't think that option is there for Boise State, hence my WAG that if there is something to this, the American may have altered it's offer to the Broncos.

If nothing else GF is correct that the American looks much more appealing if a Playoff spot is there for the top G5, which looks increasingly to be with the American.

I see Boise State as far more motivated than San Diego State., and 13 seems bad number for football.

The SDSU AD indicated back in January that there was nothing to this:
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/spo...ntain-west

“A nonstory,” Athletic Director John David Wicker said. “It’s one sentence in an article. “Even if this was something we wanted to look to do or were interested in doing, it’s a nonstarter because we can’t put all our teams in the American and there’s no viable alternative on the West Coast for the rest of our teams (if football went to the AAC).”

Over the past five seasons, Boise State has won two Mountain West conference championships. San Diego State, Fresno State, and San Jose State have each won one conference championship in the past five years. If Boise State decides to leave for the AAC, they will be missed for football, but the MWC will be okay. Good luck to Boise State finding a home for Olympic sports.

And England, Scotland, and Ireland have beaches...

(05-06-2021 03:00 PM)CoastalJuan Wrote:  

(05-06-2021 02:16 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 05:39 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Who knows.

Perhaps the American has moved off it's football only offer to be All Sports. San Diego State I can see being attractive to the WCC, especially Gonzaga who wants to up the SoS. I don't think that option is there for Boise State, hence my WAG that if there is something to this, the American may have altered it's offer to the Broncos.

If nothing else GF is correct that the American looks much more appealing if a Playoff spot is there for the top G5, which looks increasingly to be with the American.

I see Boise State as far more motivated than San Diego State., and 13 seems bad number for football.

The SDSU AD indicated back in January that there was nothing to this:
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/spo...ntain-west

“A nonstory,” Athletic Director John David Wicker said. “It’s one sentence in an article. “Even if this was something we wanted to look to do or were interested in doing, it’s a nonstarter because we can’t put all our teams in the American and there’s no viable alternative on the West Coast for the rest of our teams (if football went to the AAC).”

Over the past five seasons, Boise State has won two Mountain West conference championships. San Diego State, Fresno State, and San Jose State have each won one conference championship in the past five years. If Boise State decides to leave for the AAC, they will be missed for football, but the MWC will be okay. Good luck to Boise State finding a home for Olympic sports.

And England, Scotland, and Ireland have beaches...

So the Big West isn't viable? Ahh, SDSU sees themselves above their Cal State brethren

(05-06-2021 09:27 AM)MattBrownEP Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 08:46 PM)Yung Knightt Wrote:  Do you have BYU's ESPN TV deal finances around?

Not that I can share in public, but I've had folks VERY close to that department tell me that the ESPN deal + WCC revenue > > current AAC deal (which is NOT as lucrative a deal as the initial headlines insinuated). BYU FB made ~6M a year before their extension, and conservative estimates have the new ESPN deal in the 9M range.

BYU joining the AAC would almost certainly trigger a renegotiation of the AAC deal with ESPN....but the bulk of BYU's TV value comes from the fact they they control the broadcast rights to at least three P5 games a year. That won't be the case in the American.

I think you are correct, the combination of revenue from the BYU football TV contract and the WCC is probably better than the AAC. Also, BYU athletics gets TV exposure from the BYUtv Network, with at least one college football game and about 12 men's basketball games televised on the network each year. They have other BYU Olympic sports on the Network. The unknown is what revenue is generated from that?

The one thing BYU needs and wants is to be considered a power conference school, much like Notre Dame. The AAC does not help with that. So if the AAC cannot provide that and the revenue they currently get is better, what would be the point in joining the AAC? Even BYU's current schedule is tougher than an AAC schedule:

09/04 - vs Arizona (in Las Vegas, NV)
09/11 - Utah
09/18 - Arizona State
09/25 - USF
10/01 - at Utah State
10/09 - Boise State
10/16 - at Baylor
10/23 - at Washington State
10/30 - Virginia
11/06 - Idaho State
11/20 - at Georgia Southern
11/27 - at USC

I have thought a bit about this, and four points come to mind

1) Boise State's Olympic Sports problem



2) The timing of a move before June 30th to not incur extra exit fee penalties for not meeting the one year notice deadline

3) the American wanting to get out of round-robin waiver for CCG, which expires after the 2021 season, so needing something now

4) the lack of leaks (only the online "prognosticators" are "sources"), which seems incredible if there is more than one school, and more than one conference in talks.


Most likely there is nothing there, just an old rumor dusted off. But if there is and Fluguar's buddy, working probably for the BTN, heard something in the hallway then we have to look at the circumstances where it would be anything.

Boise State had a falling out with the California schools (that includes San Diego State) over philosophy of Covid-19 response; in fact that may have been something of the driver in this, as Boise's coach absolutely wanted the season to get going. I rather doubt things got all patched up that quickly and SDSU suddenly switched tunes, or that they suddenly decided it's OK to dump basketball in a one bid conference (it's not, full stop, period end of discussion).

The lack of leaks, the lack of reporters getting any "hey you might want to watch Boise State" suggests either nothing is going on, or if it is then there must be only one school and one conference involved, keeping contact to a minimum, the number of people in the know to very few.

That gets us back to Boise State's Olympic problem. The American offered Boise State the 12th spot in football only last fall after Boise approached them. Boise State then called around conferences, at least the Big West (no reply, no interest in a rental member it seems), and the WCC (all things on hold, but it's a private, faith based and high AI group of schools, which Boise State is none of). Realizing they had no suitable landing spot for Olympics they gamed out internally how being an all sports members of the American would work and decided while not ideal, it was not as bad as they expected, and something they could work with. So they countered that they'd be willing to come on board in All Sports, but the American balked and it seems to have died there.

If this is truly back on the table, the only conclusion I can come to is the American and ESPN decided it was desirable enough to have Boise State that they would accept them as their outlier in all sports (like West Virginia in the Big 12). SO you have to ask could that work?

Actually yes, and not as funky as you might think. Individual sports only play a league match and otherwise schedule independently (even Tennis -- some conferences do a league round robin schedule, but not the American). So they don't matter, Boise just sends their team to one weekend tournament like everyone else. Basketball is the only men's sport, while women's have basketball, volleyball, softball and soccer. Basketball and Volleyball could be scheduled either as division or shadow division, so that nearly all of Boise's matches would be against Central time zone schools (SMU, Tulsa, Wichita State, Houston, Memphis, Tulane); on the women's side playing the eastern time zone could be as little as hosting 2 or 3 games (one week) and traveling to the east for 2 to 3 games, as the women only play 16 game schedules. Softball could be done in two divisions of 5 (Tulane and Temple don't sponsor), meaning Boise State would be playing Wichita State, Tulsa, Houston and SMU (ECU, Memphis, Cincy, UCF and USF would be the East). Soccer is just a single round robin, which would be 9 games (Wichita State and Tulane don't sponsor), which is sort of like football, can be done on weekends, you only travel to Boise every other year. Really the only difficult scheduling one with heavy travel would be men's basketball with 18 or 20 games. There is going to be some travel.

This is short term. Long term no doubt the American would want to add two more Western schools to balance the league and let Tulane and Memphis shift to the east, and leave the ex-MWC schools to play with the "Big 12 zone" schools in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.

That is if there is any truth in this at all, and not a medical marijuana induced day dream.

(05-06-2021 01:57 PM)CoastalJuan Wrote:  

(05-06-2021 01:48 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  

(05-06-2021 09:27 AM)MattBrownEP Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 08:23 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  So, would you say it’s a 0% chance that the AAC pulls of a Western expansion?

No, I wouldn't say that. I think I even wrote back in Jan that I figured the single most likely scenario would be for Boise football to end up in the AAC. I think there is a non-trivial chance that happens, and it wouldn't necessarily require a large western exodus to the AAC.

I just do not believe that this particular Twitter poster has the juice.

(05-05-2021 08:46 PM)Yung Knightt Wrote:  Do you have BYU's ESPN TV deal finances around?

Not that I can share in public, but I've had folks VERY close to that department tell me that the ESPN deal + WCC revenue > > current AAC deal (which is NOT as lucrative a deal as the initial headlines insinuated). BYU FB made ~6M a year before their extension, and conservative estimates have the new ESPN deal in the 9M range.

BYU joining the AAC would almost certainly trigger a renegotiation of the AAC deal with ESPN....but the bulk of BYU's TV value comes from the fact they they control the broadcast rights to at least three P5 games a year. That won't be the case in the American.

I think BYU is a low likelihood tocome to the AAC for all the reasons already discussed.

But about the bolded...

Looking back at BYU's home games vs contract-bowl-conference teams:
2019 - 3
2018 - 1
2017 - 2 (and kickoff classic vs LSU - pretty sure that's not BYU's rights)
2016 - 2 (Arizona in Glendale and WVU in FEDEX listed as neutral, but I doubt those are BYU's rights)
2015 - 1

Looking ahead at BYU's home games vs contract-bowl-conference teams (schedules complete except where noted)
2021 - 3 (plus Arizona in Las Vegas - that might be BYU's rights too)
2022 - 2
2023 - 1
2024 - 0 (10 games scheduled, two more chances)
2025 - 4 (8 games scheduled, four more chances)

Pretty much makes the case that they can join a conference and still have their 1-4 P5 matchups each year. I think the Utah thing stops being as much of a thing if the AAC makes the playoff as often as the PAC.

Well, no.
Those are home games only. There are another 2-3 away contract-bowl-conference games a year, so they DO have more contract-bowl-conference games in a year than they would have OOC openings in conference. Plus Boise State, sometimes Utah State, other mwc schools (Hawaii in particular - LDS population and the 13th game possibility), I'm not going to begrudge anyone an FCS home game.
The schedule thing is a legitimate argument against - including contracted games to buy out.
Even more so if they calculate that an AAC slate of home games is a worse draw than the current independent schedule, either the contract-bowl-conference teams or regionally attractive opponents - 55k fans means a lot of gameday revenue. You don't want to eat away at that.

(05-06-2021 04:18 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(05-06-2021 09:27 AM)MattBrownEP Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 08:46 PM)Yung Knightt Wrote:  Do you have BYU's ESPN TV deal finances around?

Not that I can share in public, but I've had folks VERY close to that department tell me that the ESPN deal + WCC revenue > > current AAC deal (which is NOT as lucrative a deal as the initial headlines insinuated). BYU FB made ~6M a year before their extension, and conservative estimates have the new ESPN deal in the 9M range.

BYU joining the AAC would almost certainly trigger a renegotiation of the AAC deal with ESPN....but the bulk of BYU's TV value comes from the fact they they control the broadcast rights to at least three P5 games a year. That won't be the case in the American.

I think you are correct, the combination of revenue from the BYU football TV contract and the WCC is probably better than the AAC. Also, BYU athletics gets TV exposure from the BYUtv Network, with at least one college football game and about 12 men's basketball games televised on the network each year. They have other BYU Olympic sports on the Network. The unknown is what revenue is generated from that?

The one thing BYU needs and wants is to be considered a power conference school, much like Notre Dame. The AAC does not help with that. So if the AAC cannot provide that and the revenue they currently get is better, what would be the point in joining the AAC? Even BYU's current schedule is tougher than an AAC schedule:

09/04 - vs Arizona (in Las Vegas, NV)
09/11 - Utah
09/18 - Arizona State
09/25 - USF
10/01 - at Utah State
10/09 - Boise State
10/16 - at Baylor
10/23 - at Washington State
10/30 - Virginia
11/06 - Idaho State
11/20 - at Georgia Southern
11/27 - at USC

ESPN FPI has BYU's 2021 Strength of Schedule ("Remaining Strength of Schedule" in the presentation of the data) ranked 84th

Tulsa #40
Tulane #51
SMU #71
Cincinnati #72
South Florida #73
Navy #74
East Carolina #81
BYU #84
Memphis #90
UCF #98
Temple #103
Houston #105

Well, how about that?
ESPN FPI has never been particularly favorable to AAC teams either.

(05-06-2021 04:54 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  

(05-06-2021 04:18 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(05-06-2021 09:27 AM)MattBrownEP Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 08:46 PM)Yung Knightt Wrote:  Do you have BYU's ESPN TV deal finances around?

Not that I can share in public, but I've had folks VERY close to that department tell me that the ESPN deal + WCC revenue > > current AAC deal (which is NOT as lucrative a deal as the initial headlines insinuated). BYU FB made ~6M a year before their extension, and conservative estimates have the new ESPN deal in the 9M range.

BYU joining the AAC would almost certainly trigger a renegotiation of the AAC deal with ESPN....but the bulk of BYU's TV value comes from the fact they they control the broadcast rights to at least three P5 games a year. That won't be the case in the American.

I think you are correct, the combination of revenue from the BYU football TV contract and the WCC is probably better than the AAC. Also, BYU athletics gets TV exposure from the BYUtv Network, with at least one college football game and about 12 men's basketball games televised on the network each year. They have other BYU Olympic sports on the Network. The unknown is what revenue is generated from that?

The one thing BYU needs and wants is to be considered a power conference school, much like Notre Dame. The AAC does not help with that. So if the AAC cannot provide that and the revenue they currently get is better, what would be the point in joining the AAC? Even BYU's current schedule is tougher than an AAC schedule:

09/04 - vs Arizona (in Las Vegas, NV)
09/11 - Utah
09/18 - Arizona State
09/25 - USF
10/01 - at Utah State
10/09 - Boise State
10/16 - at Baylor
10/23 - at Washington State
10/30 - Virginia
11/06 - Idaho State
11/20 - at Georgia Southern
11/27 - at USC

ESPN FPI has BYU's 2021 Strength of Schedule ("Remaining Strength of Schedule" in the presentation of the data) ranked 84th

Tulsa #40
Tulane #51
SMU #71
Cincinnati #72
South Florida #73
Navy #74
East Carolina #81
BYU #84
Memphis #90
UCF #98
Temple #103
Houston #105

Well, how about that?
ESPN FPI has never been particularly favorable to AAC teams either.

Irrelevant before the season starts. The key is the seven P5 teams. That's basically a conference schedule. All the pundits will say is "seven P5 wins." Can't get that in the AAC because unless Notre Dame joins, the AAC "Ain't A Contender".

(05-06-2021 10:58 AM)Scoochpooch1 Wrote:  

(05-06-2021 07:23 AM)CoastalJuan Wrote:  

(05-06-2021 05:46 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  

(05-06-2021 12:33 AM)Sactowndog Wrote:  As a Fresno fan I wish you would take Boise. They are poison as a conference mate. There is a reason they couldn’t get their sports into the Big West. But SDSU I would like to keep.

Yeah, I both feel for the MWC folks who have to constantly endure the program and its administrative antics and for the AAC folks who can’t seem to land something better, or maybe simply quit Boise. And I want to like Boise, but it’s tough to considering the constant posturing. But it comes down to both conferences doing something about this: MWC needs to play real hardball on Boise and the AAC needs to either formally dispel this rumor or simply air out why the Broncos keep coming up in these discussions. Chances are, make it more known in AAC world, and fans and boosters come knocking on their schools’ doors in some sort of outrage over it. Especially if it comes to full membership.

I’m over all of it, but, totally buy it still being a thing, too.

I personally think moving up would fix that, because Boise is an AAC-quality team sitting in the MWC. Similar to how if Texas joined the SEC, they wouldn't be laying their d*** on the table as often.

May be hard to stop after all these years.

That’s my hunch, too. I mean, if they put themselves into the AAC and the AAC finds themselves gutted enough after another round of expansion (and I believe some combination of Cincy, Houston, and or UCF is probably moving on at some point), AAC loses leverage. I doubt the losses attact other MWC schools to move (and I think it’s possible MWC goes unimpacted since nobody seems to really want “chasers” like SDSU, CSU, and AFA other than the AAC maybe). Boise is geographically isolated in a slightly crippled conference. Ding-dong, Boise’s back at the MWC door.

I mean, kudos to Boise for feeling it out...it’s the MWC and AAC who need to show a spine here.

(05-06-2021 05:09 PM)esayem Wrote:  

(05-06-2021 04:54 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  

(05-06-2021 04:18 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(05-06-2021 09:27 AM)MattBrownEP Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 08:46 PM)Yung Knightt Wrote:  Do you have BYU's ESPN TV deal finances around?

Not that I can share in public, but I've had folks VERY close to that department tell me that the ESPN deal + WCC revenue > > current AAC deal (which is NOT as lucrative a deal as the initial headlines insinuated). BYU FB made ~6M a year before their extension, and conservative estimates have the new ESPN deal in the 9M range.

BYU joining the AAC would almost certainly trigger a renegotiation of the AAC deal with ESPN....but the bulk of BYU's TV value comes from the fact they they control the broadcast rights to at least three P5 games a year. That won't be the case in the American.

I think you are correct, the combination of revenue from the BYU football TV contract and the WCC is probably better than the AAC. Also, BYU athletics gets TV exposure from the BYUtv Network, with at least one college football game and about 12 men's basketball games televised on the network each year. They have other BYU Olympic sports on the Network. The unknown is what revenue is generated from that?

The one thing BYU needs and wants is to be considered a power conference school, much like Notre Dame. The AAC does not help with that. So if the AAC cannot provide that and the revenue they currently get is better, what would be the point in joining the AAC? Even BYU's current schedule is tougher than an AAC schedule:

09/04 - vs Arizona (in Las Vegas, NV)
09/11 - Utah
09/18 - Arizona State
09/25 - USF
10/01 - at Utah State
10/09 - Boise State
10/16 - at Baylor
10/23 - at Washington State
10/30 - Virginia
11/06 - Idaho State
11/20 - at Georgia Southern
11/27 - at USC

ESPN FPI has BYU's 2021 Strength of Schedule ("Remaining Strength of Schedule" in the presentation of the data) ranked 84th

Tulsa #40
Tulane #51
SMU #71
Cincinnati #72
South Florida #73
Navy #74
East Carolina #81
BYU #84
Memphis #90
UCF #98
Temple #103
Houston #105

Well, how about that?
ESPN FPI has never been particularly favorable to AAC teams either.

Irrelevant before the season starts. The key is the seven P5 teams. That's basically a conference schedule. All the pundits will say is "seven P5 wins." Can't get that in the AAC because unless Notre Dame joins, the AAC "Ain't A Contender".

I'm not gonna argue that.
The perception of the BYU independent schedule, for 2021 or broader, is very positive. That's good for BYU for gameday revenue. That's good for BYU's institutional objectives as they dwell in a gray area of not being "Power 5." How advanced analytics depict an AAC schedule for BYU vs BYU's independent schedule is probably around #1,991 on the list of BYU's considerations about changing status.

However, I was responding to a declarative statement of "tougher than an AAC schedule" that doesn't pass a fifteen second data-driven check.
The larger argument is that the perception of an AAC schedule being somehow inferior to a schedule of seven contract-bowl-conference teams is flawed - CFP committee, I'm looking at you.
The larger argument is that the perceptions about the AAC that all the blowhards on this board hold may not in fact be truth.

(05-06-2021 02:51 PM)CoastalJuan Wrote:  

(05-06-2021 02:21 PM)bill dazzle Wrote:  1. Get Army and VCU. This would be my preference. But it is no more likely to happen than Bill Dazzle — nude but for a multi-color beanie with a propeller — riding a Big Wheel through downtown Nashville and NOT getting arrested.

Army is a possibility, but no FCS teams.

Are you suggesting VCU plays football in FCS? It does not. Club football only.

I totally agree, Navy91. Just scheduling bottom of the barrel P5’s is only impressive when you leave out the fact they’re bottom of the barrel. The Arizona State, Utah, and USC games will be telling.

I do believe BYU is comfortable with not just a national schedule, but a flexible schedule.

A quick look at History actually proves a school like SDSU might jump for a “national” conference, especially if they were in Navy’s division being that’s a huge payday gate every two seasons. SDSU broke from the old PCC and went Indy.

In short, I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility for SDSU and Boise to join the American for football. I do think the logistics become messy with Olympic sports though.

Not this again.

If it was going to happen it would have already.

Nothing to see here.

(05-06-2021 04:18 PM)SoCalBobcat78 Wrote:  

(05-06-2021 09:27 AM)MattBrownEP Wrote:  

(05-05-2021 08:46 PM)Yung Knightt Wrote:  Do you have BYU's ESPN TV deal finances around?

Not that I can share in public, but I've had folks VERY close to that department tell me that the ESPN deal + WCC revenue > > current AAC deal (which is NOT as lucrative a deal as the initial headlines insinuated). BYU FB made ~6M a year before their extension, and conservative estimates have the new ESPN deal in the 9M range.

BYU joining the AAC would almost certainly trigger a renegotiation of the AAC deal with ESPN....but the bulk of BYU's TV value comes from the fact they they control the broadcast rights to at least three P5 games a year. That won't be the case in the American.

The one thing BYU needs and wants is to be considered a power conference school, much like Notre Dame. The AAC does not help with that. So if the AAC cannot provide that and the revenue they currently get is better, what would be the point in joining the AAC? Even BYU's current schedule is tougher than an AAC schedule:

Eventual playoff expansion would be the point. Here is a comparison of how BYU has finished in the final CFP rankings compared to the top AAC team since the playoff started.

AAC - BYU
2020: 8 - 16
2019: 17 - NR
2018: 8 - NR
2017: 12 - NR
2016: 24 - NR
2015: 18 - NR
2014: NR - NR

AAC has been inside the top 12, potential auto-bid or not, in 3 of the last 5 years. They've been inside the top 8 twice in the last 5. BYU usually has a better schedule than half our teams in a given year, but it's safe to say that the AAC has a better shot at a bid in an expanded playoff than any independent not named Notre Dame, regardless of the format.

(05-06-2021 08:19 PM)esayem Wrote:  I totally agree, Navy91. Just scheduling bottom of the barrel P5’s is only impressive when you leave out the fact they’re bottom of the barrel. The Arizona State, Utah, and USC games will be telling.

I do believe BYU is comfortable with not just a national schedule, but a flexible schedule.

A quick look at History actually proves a school like SDSU might jump for a “national” conference, especially if they were in Navy’s division being that’s a huge payday gate every two seasons. SDSU broke from the old PCC and went Indy.

In short, I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility for SDSU and Boise to join the American for football. I do think the logistics become messy with Olympic sports though.

Let me just say I would LOVE a Navy-SDSU divisional football matchup.

As a Navy fan, we joined the BigEast in 2012 with a strategic mindset of staying at the highest level of college football. I'm squarely behind the American making moves for that same goal.
I don't get a vote, but I'm wary about adds that risk an implosion - by which I mean adding schools all-sports rather than football-only for a WAC16 risk AND too much football-only/non-football play to approach an Old Big East tension. I'm relatively comfortable that the AAC decision makers are considering all those factors.

As usual, 99.9% of message board posters will know no sooner than my Mom does.

This was the guy who when expansion was really hot, basically posted every senario as fact and got a lot of fanbases on board. It definitely taught me a little about social media.

(05-06-2021 08:36 PM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote:  Not this again.

If it was going to happen it would have already.

Nothing to see here.

That kind of logic is always true right up until the day it is not.

(05-06-2021 11:41 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(05-06-2021 08:36 PM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote:  Not this again.

If it was going to happen it would have already.

Nothing to see here.

That kind of logic is always true right up until the day it is not.

LOL. I grant your point. Frankly I was being a little lazy. It would be more accurate to say if this was going to happen with the AAC and MWC still positioned in the FBS conference hierarchy as they have been for the past couple of years it would have already.

If and when something happens to substantially change that relative positioning — e.g. alterations to media contract terms, CFP distributions and/or New Year’s Six bowl access that result in the AAC drawing closer in status to the P5 and becoming further distanced from the MWC — I could see one or more MWC schools moving to the AAC. But as yet there’s been no significant reshaping of the landscape that would change the realignment calculus for Boise State, SDSU or any other MWC member.

(05-07-2021 02:07 AM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote:  

(05-06-2021 11:41 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(05-06-2021 08:36 PM)HawaiiMongoose Wrote:  Not this again.

If it was going to happen it would have already.

Nothing to see here.

That kind of logic is always true right up until the day it is not.

LOL. I grant your point. Frankly I was being a little lazy. It would be more accurate to say if this was going to happen with the AAC and MWC still positioned in the FBS conference hierarchy as they have been for the past couple of years it would have already.

If and when something happens to substantially change that relative positioning — e.g. alterations to media contract terms, CFP distributions and/or New Year’s Six bowl access that result in the AAC drawing closer in status to the P5 and becoming further distanced from the MWC — I could see one or more MWC schools moving to the AAC. But as yet there’s been no significant reshaping of the landscape that would change the realignment calculus for Boise State, SDSU or any other MWC member.

Something like an automatic playoff spot for the conference that owns the G5 bid?


"Several commissioners, even one from the Group of Five, believe that each Power 5 champion and the highest ranked team from the Group of Five should receive an automatic berth. An automatic spot for a G5 team is viewed as an essential compromise, as five of the 11 members represent G5 leagues."

"In fact, the playoff working group, made up of four members of the CFP Management Committee (the 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick), has been exploring a new model for two years. The group, including commissioners Greg Sankey (SEC), Bob Bowlsby (Big 12) and Craig Thompson (Mountain West), as well as Swarbrick, was formed in January 2019 but paused to handle matters related to COVID-19 this past calendar year."

"More and more people–not just fans, but the 10 commissioners and Notre Dame–who have a vote in the matter are saying, 'it's time to look at expansion,'" Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson told ESPN. "I think we could accommodate expansion before the 12-year contract expires."

(05-06-2021 05:14 PM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  

(05-06-2021 10:58 AM)Scoochpooch1 Wrote:  

(05-06-2021 07:23 AM)CoastalJuan Wrote:  

(05-06-2021 05:46 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  

(05-06-2021 12:33 AM)Sactowndog Wrote:  As a Fresno fan I wish you would take Boise. They are poison as a conference mate. There is a reason they couldn’t get their sports into the Big West. But SDSU I would like to keep.

Yeah, I both feel for the MWC folks who have to constantly endure the program and its administrative antics and for the AAC folks who can’t seem to land something better, or maybe simply quit Boise. And I want to like Boise, but it’s tough to considering the constant posturing. But it comes down to both conferences doing something about this: MWC needs to play real hardball on Boise and the AAC needs to either formally dispel this rumor or simply air out why the Broncos keep coming up in these discussions. Chances are, make it more known in AAC world, and fans and boosters come knocking on their schools’ doors in some sort of outrage over it. Especially if it comes to full membership.

I’m over all of it, but, totally buy it still being a thing, too.

I personally think moving up would fix that, because Boise is an AAC-quality team sitting in the MWC. Similar to how if Texas joined the SEC, they wouldn't be laying their d*** on the table as often.

May be hard to stop after all these years.

That’s my hunch, too. I mean, if they put themselves into the AAC and the AAC finds themselves gutted enough after another round of expansion (and I believe some combination of Cincy, Houston, and or UCF is probably moving on at some point), AAC loses leverage. I doubt the losses attact other MWC schools to move (and I think it’s possible MWC goes unimpacted since nobody seems to really want “chasers” like SDSU, CSU, and AFA other than the AAC maybe). Boise is geographically isolated in a slightly crippled conference. Ding-dong, Boise’s back at the MWC door.

I mean, kudos to Boise for feeling it out...it’s the MWC and AAC who need to show a spine here.

I just don't see that ever happening. Those markets are already locked down by the P5. Those schools don't offer anything the P5 don't already have. Plus they aint sharing their money.