Losing UCF, Houston and Cinn. What happens to AAC? They lost UCONN to Big East last year.

They'll still be around, and STF better be on his hands and knees begging for a spot. I have it on good authority the AAC was being courted a while back by NIU, I wonder if those old ties reignite

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We’re not even good enough to stay in the MAC, so why are people looking to move to another conference? smh

STF was in favor of exploring a G5 playoff in 2016 (see link to one of many stories from that time) and the AAC reportedly told him (in not so many words) to go pound sand. I can't find that exact link r.e. the AAC, but I recall it being cited on this board back then.

(from 2016) https://sports.yahoo.com/news/group-of-f...08257.html

But note that was before discussion of a 12-team CFP with slots for "six conference champions," which would mean a G5 slot (for many reasons, including to avoid anti-trust issues).

(09-03-2021 10:30 PM)pvk75 Wrote:  STF was in favor of exploring a G5 playoff in 2016 (see link to one of many stories from that time) and the AAC reportedly told him (in not so many words) to go pound sand. I can't find that exact link r.e. the AAC, but I recall it being cited on this board back then.

(from 2016) https://sports.yahoo.com/news/group-of-f...08257.html

But note that was before discussion of a 12-team CFP with slots for "six conference champions," which would mean a G5 slot (for many reasons, including to avoid anti-trust issues).

Yep. Pretty sure STF has burned that bridge.

(09-03-2021 08:44 PM)brandsxb Wrote:  Losing UCF, Houston and Cinn. What happens to AAC? They lost UCONN to Big East last year.

The four are BYU, Houston, Cincinnati and UCF that rumors etc. say will ask to join, filing sometime around Sept. 10.

https://www.si.com/college/bostoncollege...oin-big-12

If STF wasn’t talking to the AAC or even trying to call the Big 12 a few years back then he wasn’t doing his job. NIU was in the middle of its best decade ever in football and being content in the MAC and not at least exploring options would have been a big miss. It’s a two way dance though and does not mean there was an interested party out there.

Yeah but then STF got into that G5 playoff thing.

I can see the AAC going after Buffalo due to AAU, market, huge endowment, great fund-raising, etc. But I suspect the main csnbbs board is full of these kinds of posts. Only mention cuz UB is MAC.

Or maybe they'll go after Toledo as the national leader in scholarship offers.

STF likes $$ and was quoted as saying a G5 playoff could bring in $160 million per year through a TV deal. It was obviously a controversial idea to push but clearly there was a financial motive behind it. He is a polarizing figure and it’s debatable how much he has truly advanced the NIU agenda, but he does really seem to understand the business side college athletics.

(09-03-2021 08:44 PM)brandsxb Wrote:  Losing UCF, Houston and Cinn. What happens to AAC? They lost UCONN to Big East last year.

Let’s see…it was a 12-team league (with 1 football-only and 1 non-football member making up that 12th spot). UConn jumping ship dropped them to an 11-team league. If the three Universities being reported also abandon the conference that leaves 8 all sports members plus football-only affiliate in Navy.

- USF
- Temple
- ECU
- Memphis
- Tulsa
- SMU
- Tulane
- Navy (football-only)/Wichita State

Historically, this group of schools have added from schools currently in CUSA; however, it looks like most schools left in CUSA are not really a good fit anymore with the possible exception of Rice to help “recapture” the lost Houston market.

What would make the most sense, to me, would be to add: NIU, Toledo, UBuffalo, and Rice to get back to a 12-team league.

Although, the prospect of being in an AAC East with Toledo, UBuffalo, Temple, USF, and ECU is not very appealing, to me. I would prefer a 4-pod system (in football) where you would play the two teams in your pod every year and 2 of the other 3 pods every year for a total of 8 conference games every season and playing each pod twice over a three year span.

AAC Football Pods
Pod A - NIU, Toledo, UBuffalo
Pod B - USF, Temple, ECU
Pod C - Memphis, Tulsa, Tulane
Pod D - SMU, Rice, Navy (Navy wants to play SMU every year, is my understanding)

*Wow, I completely forgot about Wichita State. Edited for my inadvertent omission.

In the MAC, only Buffalo comes close to fitting the general AAC profile ... good-size city market, some success in football and mbb, excellent academics (R1 and AAU), strong fund-raising and decent endowment, solid enrollment, etc. One post suggested they shift marketing to more "New York" (state) and less "Buffalo" to expand their brand. Not a bad idea, imo.

Now -- uncomplimentary as it may be -- consider NIU: enrollment under 20,000, endowment under $100 million, R2 research status, no money for expanded/improved facilities, immediate population base under 80,000, local airport with a 7,000-foot runway but no FAA-atc tower and, despite where its enrollment comes from, NOT a big Chicago draw for events.

Athletically, aging fb stadium under 24,000 capacity, average fb attendance under 17,000, 0-6 record in bowl games in the past 10 years, average mbb attendance under 2,000, 0-3 record in the NCAA mbb tournament (as D1), no mbb NCAA tournament bids since 1996, no wbb NCAA tournament bids since 1995.

Agree AAC would want to replace with members as similar as possible to those "lost," but NIU simply does not fit. Toledo may (being honest here) have a very few more assets but not even close to what the AAC wants.

My guess is they would go after another FL school (FAU) to replace UCF and a Marshall or App state and then a couple MAC schools. The replacements are going to be 100%
Football driven which is why they reached out to Boise again a couple years back.

I’m not sure the Big12 is safe yet. They may damage the AAU in the short term but I believe more changes are coming. Kansas, Ok St and a few other are probably still going to move on eventually.

(09-04-2021 03:49 AM)pvk75 Wrote:  In the MAC, only Buffalo comes close to fitting the general AAC profile ... good-size city market, some success in football and mbb, excellent academics (R1 and AAU), strong fund-raising and decent endowment, solid enrollment, etc. One post suggested they shift marketing to more "New York" (state) and less "Buffalo" to expand their brand. Not a bad idea, imo.

Now -- uncomplimentary as it may be -- consider NIU: enrollment under 20,000, endowment under $100 million, R2 research status, no money for expanded/improved facilities, immediate population base under 80,000, local airport with a 7,000-foot runway but no FAA-atc tower and, despite where its enrollment comes from, NOT a big Chicago draw for events.

Athletically, aging fb stadium under 24,000 capacity, average fb attendance under 17,000, 0-6 record in bowl games in the past 10 years, average mbb attendance under 2,000, 0-3 record in the NCAA mbb tournament (as D1), no mbb NCAA tournament bids since 1996, no wbb NCAA tournament bids since 1995.

Agree AAC would want to replace with members as similar as possible to those "lost," but NIU simply does not fit. Toledo may (being honest here) have a very few more assets but not even close to what the AAC wants.

Good points that you made.


If Toledo gives free hot dogs to the commissioner of there AAC, I think that would give them a leg up.

UAB might also be in the AAC sights also

(09-04-2021 11:37 AM)Schaefer Beer Wrote:  

(09-04-2021 03:49 AM)pvk75 Wrote:  In the MAC, only Buffalo comes close to fitting the general AAC profile ... good-size city market, some success in football and mbb, excellent academics (R1 and AAU), strong fund-raising and decent endowment, solid enrollment, etc. One post suggested they shift marketing to more "New York" (state) and less "Buffalo" to expand their brand. Not a bad idea, imo.

Now -- uncomplimentary as it may be -- consider NIU: enrollment under 20,000, endowment under $100 million, R2 research status, no money for expanded/improved facilities, immediate population base under 80,000, local airport with a 7,000-foot runway but no FAA-atc tower and, despite where its enrollment comes from, NOT a big Chicago draw for events.

Athletically, aging fb stadium under 24,000 capacity, average fb attendance under 17,000, 0-6 record in bowl games in the past 10 years, average mbb attendance under 2,000, 0-3 record in the NCAA mbb tournament (as D1), no mbb NCAA tournament bids since 1996, no wbb NCAA tournament bids since 1995.

Agree AAC would want to replace with members as similar as possible to those "lost," but NIU simply does not fit. Toledo may (being honest here) have a very few more assets but not even close to what the AAC wants.

Good points that you made.


If Toledo gives free hot dogs to the commissioner of there AAC, I think that would give them a leg up.

UAB might also be in the AAC sights also

Don't sleep on Rice either

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(09-03-2021 11:38 PM)NorthCoast Wrote:  

(09-03-2021 08:44 PM)brandsxb Wrote:  Losing UCF, Houston and Cinn. What happens to AAC? They lost UCONN to Big East last year.

Let’s see…it was a 12-team league (with 1 football-only and 1 non-football member making up that 12th spot). UConn jumping ship dropped them to an 11-team league. If the three Universities being reported also abandon the conference that leaves 8 all sports members plus football-only affiliate in Navy.

- USF
- Temple
- ECU
- Memphis
- Tulsa
- SMU
- Tulane
- Navy (football-only)/Wichita State

Historically, this group of schools have added from schools currently in CUSA; however, it looks like most schools left in CUSA are not really a good fit anymore with the possible exception of Rice to help “recapture” the lost Houston market.

What would make the most sense, to me, would be to add: NIU, Toledo, UBuffalo, and Rice to get back to a 12-team league.

Although, the prospect of being in an AAC East with Toledo, UBuffalo, Temple, USF, and ECU is not very appealing, to me. I would prefer a 4-pod system (in football) where you would play the two teams in your pod every year and 2 of the other 3 pods every year for a total of 8 conference games every season and playing each pod twice over a three year span.

AAC Football Pods
Pod A - NIU, Toledo, UBuffalo
Pod B - USF, Temple, ECU
Pod C - Memphis, Tulsa, Tulane
Pod D - SMU, Rice, Navy (Navy wants to play SMU every year, is my understanding)

*Wow, I completely forgot about Wichita State. Edited for my inadvertent omission.

In a scenario where it’s UAB instead of Rice, this is how I would see the pods shaking out.

AAC Football Pods
Pod A - NIU, Toledo, UBuffalo
Pod B - USF, Temple, ECU
Pod C - Memphis, UAB, Tulane
Pod D - SMU, Tulsa, Navy

(09-04-2021 03:49 AM)pvk75 Wrote:  In the MAC, only Buffalo comes close to fitting the general AAC profile ... good-size city market, some success in football and mbb, excellent academics (R1 and AAU), strong fund-raising and decent endowment, solid enrollment, etc. One post suggested they shift marketing to more "New York" (state) and less "Buffalo" to expand their brand. Not a bad idea, imo.

Now -- uncomplimentary as it may be -- consider NIU: enrollment under 20,000, endowment under $100 million, R2 research status, no money for expanded/improved facilities, immediate population base under 80,000, local airport with a 7,000-foot runway but no FAA-atc tower and, despite where its enrollment comes from, NOT a big Chicago draw for events.

Athletically, aging fb stadium under 24,000 capacity, average fb attendance under 17,000, 0-6 record in bowl games in the past 10 years, average mbb attendance under 2,000, 0-3 record in the NCAA mbb tournament (as D1), no mbb NCAA tournament bids since 1996, no wbb NCAA tournament bids since 1995.

Agree AAC would want to replace with members as similar as possible to those "lost," but NIU simply does not fit. Toledo may (being honest here) have a very few more assets but not even close to what the AAC wants.

Why do you need to be so brutally honest? At this point, what conference would even think about us. So sad for us.

When will ND be forced to join a conference? With consolidation, they are un trouble

Yikes, Rod Carey got crushed by Rutgers.

(09-04-2021 02:50 PM)epasnoopy Wrote:  Yikes, Rod Carey got crushed by Rutgers.

Rutgers put up 61 … yikes.

Hammock is going to have to hold Georgia Tech under 61 for me to feel good today.