(09-09-2021 01:58 PM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  

(09-09-2021 01:25 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  I'm cautiously optimistic that we have a chance at an AAC invite, but if not, here's a semi-crazy idea...

Given BYU's WCC exit, move all sports outside of football to the WCC and go independent in football. Of course, the WCC would have to want us, but I think it could be a logical home for our olympic sports.

The travel would be brutal, and we still care about academics at Rice. WCC is a non-starter.

Academics of WCC schools are probably a step up from CUSA? Though they don't have any elite schools, plenty of solid private universities like Santa Clara, Loyola Marymount, etc.

(09-09-2021 02:08 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  

(09-09-2021 01:58 PM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  

(09-09-2021 01:25 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  I'm cautiously optimistic that we have a chance at an AAC invite, but if not, here's a semi-crazy idea...

Given BYU's WCC exit, move all sports outside of football to the WCC and go independent in football. Of course, the WCC would have to want us, but I think it could be a logical home for our olympic sports.

The travel would be brutal, and we still care about academics at Rice. WCC is a non-starter.

Academics of WCC schools are probably a step up from CUSA? Though they don't have any elite schools, plenty of solid private universities like Santa Clara, Loyola Marymount, etc.

I think the WAC for olympic sports would probably be the safer bet if we were to go independent for football, but that is not happening.

I think it is either AAC or MWC, and we need to do EVERYTHING in our power to get invited to either of those conferences. Only Rice and SMU will be the remaining SWC schools NOT in a P5 conference after tomorrow, and we will have only ourselves to blame. Look at the investment in facilities ALL of those schools have made in the past 25, even 10 years. Then look at where we stand. We were on notice when the last round of realignment took place back in '10-'11 that we needed to (a) invest greatly in our facilities; and (b) win, particularly in the big revenue sports. While we did invest some in our facilities, it probably wasn't enough, and we definitely didn't do enough winning on a consistent basis in either football or men's basketball during that time period (and watched our preeminent sport, baseball, decline precipitously).

(09-09-2021 11:57 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  I can see it both ways. Some of the AAC may want to keep a toehold in the Houston market*, and some may want other private or academically prestigious schools.

OTOH, some may want more competitive football. To be honest, I have never understood why any conference members would want to invite teams that could beat them.

* they would want the trip every other year for recruiting purposes, and if UH is gone to the Mediocre12, we are the alternative for that.

Given the trend lines, have a hard time seeing why someone would choose Rice over UTSA.

Just saw the column from Duarte of the Comical (re the UH sports SID) about UH offering "rich tradition" to the big 12. Um no....

(09-09-2021 02:08 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  

(09-09-2021 01:58 PM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  

(09-09-2021 01:25 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  I'm cautiously optimistic that we have a chance at an AAC invite, but if not, here's a semi-crazy idea...

Given BYU's WCC exit, move all sports outside of football to the WCC and go independent in football. Of course, the WCC would have to want us, but I think it could be a logical home for our olympic sports.

The travel would be brutal, and we still care about academics at Rice. WCC is a non-starter.

Academics of WCC schools are probably a step up from CUSA? Though they don't have any elite schools, plenty of solid private universities like Santa Clara, Loyola Marymount, etc.

I mean that the travel would put pressure on OUR student athletes - much more time away from campus.

(09-09-2021 04:14 PM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  

(09-09-2021 02:08 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  

(09-09-2021 01:58 PM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  

(09-09-2021 01:25 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  I'm cautiously optimistic that we have a chance at an AAC invite, but if not, here's a semi-crazy idea...

Given BYU's WCC exit, move all sports outside of football to the WCC and go independent in football. Of course, the WCC would have to want us, but I think it could be a logical home for our olympic sports.

The travel would be brutal, and we still care about academics at Rice. WCC is a non-starter.

Academics of WCC schools are probably a step up from CUSA? Though they don't have any elite schools, plenty of solid private universities like Santa Clara, Loyola Marymount, etc.

I mean that the travel would put pressure on OUR student athletes - much more time away from campus.

Got it-Fair enough.

Sunbelt saying it will look at expansion...if a school adds enough value.

https://twitter.com/Brett_McMurphy/statu...4463954945

Sunbelt is a terrible fit for Rice, but credit to them, they have built a solid, geographically sensible conference, similar to the MAC. If they were to pull in UAB and USM, they'd be in really good shape moving forward.

(09-10-2021 08:57 AM)JustAnotherAustinOwl Wrote:  Sunbelt is a terrible fit for Rice, but credit to them, they have built a solid, geographically sensible conference, similar to the MAC. If they were to pull in UAB and USM, they'd be in really good shape moving forward.

The word on the Sun Belt is that Texas-Arlington and Little Rock are on their way out; Arlington is apparently in the mix for the Missouri Valley. Little Rock may be as well, but could also be heading to the Summit League.

Marshall is apparently one of the targeted Sun Belt additions. Marshall will like having their old rivals in the league from their successful hey day in FCS (and those rivals are certainly on the map at FBS level now) and less travel.

UCF, BYU, UH, and Cincinnati officially invited the XII. Only UCF still has the formality of accepting the invitation; they scheduled their own board vote this afternoon. The other three boards jumped on it already. https://big12sports.com/news/2021/9/10/c...tions.aspx

The Marshall president was talking a few weeks ago about having the G5 (reading between the lines, Sun Belt and C-USA) explore a more substantive reorganization than just picking off odds and ends from each other. Hopefully that gets more consideration. C-USA's terrible thesis of market presence over all other considerations needs to be discarded.

Via Pete Thamel:

"The AAC is planning to re-make itself in the wake of three schools leaving today. The conference plans to be aggressive and has begun planning a path forward."

https://twitter.com/PeteThamel/status/14...7970729990

Some talk of AAC raiding the MWC, but then again they were going to raid the Big 12 too...

Let's just hope Navy, Tulane, Tulsa, and SMU(maybe?) are pushing for us.

Still no public statement from the leadership of our university.. They’re asleep at the wheel.

(09-10-2021 10:37 AM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  Still no public statement from the leadership of our university.. They’re asleep at the wheel.

That would be a sandwich board, which, as has been established, is well below the dignity of this fine institution.

(09-10-2021 10:37 AM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  Still no public statement from the leadership of our university.. They’re asleep at the wheel.

Just following the lead of our conference commisioner.

UH started football in 1946. Rice started in 1912.

(09-09-2021 04:08 PM)texowl2 Wrote:  Just saw the column from Duarte of the Comical (re the UH sports SID) about UH offering "rich tradition" to the big 12. Um no....

(09-10-2021 03:47 PM)75src Wrote:  UH started football in 1946. Rice started in 1912.

(09-09-2021 04:08 PM)texowl2 Wrote:  Just saw the column from Duarte of the Comical (re the UH sports SID) about UH offering "rich tradition" to the big 12. Um no....

The rich tradition of graduating just over half your athletes.

Or as Bill Yeoman once defended his program, "They all had high school diplomas."

Here is an article from Barrett Sallee of CBS Sports on the future of the AAC.

He breaks down possible expansion, based on several categories:

(1) Major Media Market - UAB, Charlotte, Georgia State

(2) Recent Success - Liberty, Coastal Carolina, Appalachian State, Louisiana

(3) Nationwide Plan - Boise State, San Diego State

No other schools were mentioned.

(09-09-2021 04:08 PM)texowl2 Wrote:  Just saw the column from Duarte of the Comical (re the UH sports SID) about UH offering "rich tradition" to the big 12. Um no....

Let's see...

a Heisman winner and 27 bowl appearances

6 Final Four appearances

20+ NCAA baseball tournament appearances

16 national team titles in golf

countless track and field national individual champions and Olympians

There is more, but I would say that is a pretty rich tradition, petty academic sniping aside.

these posts seem to have some good insight to them as to addressing motivation and commitment:

(09-08-2021 07:55 AM)Gamecock Wrote:  

(09-08-2021 12:06 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(09-07-2021 11:51 PM)Erictelevision Wrote:  If academics TRULY mattered:

The Ivy League and schools like Stanford and Northwestern would be POWERHOUSES
And you know, players would GRADUATE with meaningful degrees

The thing is--that's an exceedingly bad example. If those Ivy League schools truly valued high level football---do you really think those Ivy League schools couldn't afford to field one of the most well equipped, trained, and coached teams in the nation? Its not that they lack something that prevents them from being football power houses. The truth is the Ivy League schools aren't power houses because they have never had any desire to be football power houses. Despite playing in FCS---the Ivy league does not, and this is completely by league choice---even participate in the FCS playoffs. They just don't care about it.

It will be interesting to see what the AAC does. I wouldn't be surprised if they split the difference. Ive suggested that they might go UAB and Buffalo as the first two. Both have solid to excellent academics and both currently are performing well in both football and basketball. In other words---they add to the academic standing and don't hurt the athletic side at all (might the even help). That leaves 2 slots left. Split the difference. Rice for the academic side---AppSt or Marshall for the athletic side.

In Buffalo, UAB, Rice, and Marshall/AppSt---youve added 4 teams---3 of which could very well add to the athletic quality of the AAC.....and you've still managed to upgrade your academic profile with 2 top 100 AAU schools (one of which is the unofficial state flagship of NY) and a well respected top 200 USNWR public school. I think this kind of compromise could be what actually emerges from the AAC vetting process.

Agreed.

If Harvard wanted to dump $1 billion into a new stadium and football facilities, start offering full scholarships/stipends, and had alumni give out very competitive endorsement deals they could absolutely become a powerhouse in short order and get an invite to the Big Ten.

They just don't care and have chosen to prioritize different things. But they absolutely have the capacity and name recognition to do it.

Here's hoping the next president of the university does NOT come from any Ivy league school. A good candidate (though I suspect he will be busy in another new job after November) would be a former Rice grad and hoops player:


Of course, he'd probably use some business sense to run the school, and might deign to invest in making up for lack of sufficient investment in athletics for about 60 years as well as rebalancing the school's overall ethos to bring the school back to its former status as a normal American university.

If I were in charge of the AAC (which I most certainly am not), I would invite Army, Air Force, Buffalo, and of course Rice to join. Which raises a question: is there any reason the service academies can't in the same conference?

(09-11-2021 11:48 AM)GoodOwl Wrote:  Here's hoping the next president of the university does NOT come from any Ivy league school. A good candidate (though I suspect he will be busy in another new job after November) would be a former Rice grad and hoops player:


Of course, he'd probably use some business sense to run the school, and might deign to invest in making up for lack of sufficient investment in athletics for about 60 years as well as rebalancing the school's overall ethos to bring the school back to its former status as a normal American university.

Oh, so you think Carlyle will hire him back?