The key is to massage Boise State's ego. Get them to come with the vision of a higher tv contract, more tv exposure especially in the east, a stronger supporting cast while still being the premiere team in the conference, and possibly reduce the AAC buyout such that moving from the MWC to the AAC is not an additional obstacle for future admission to the Big XII or PAC-12. If we land Boise State, San Diego State would likely come along with Air Force. At that point it's a decision between Colorado State and UAB and at this point UAB might make more sense.

West: Boise State, San Diego State, Air Force, SMU, Tulsa, Navy
East: Memphis, Tulane, UAB, USF, East Carolina, Temple

That would actually be a stronger conference than the 12 team AAC with UConn. UConn was terrible in football and other than their national championship season was mediocre in basketball while in the AAC.

(09-16-2021 01:38 PM)oliveandblue Wrote:  Why not Nevada? They are the #1 school of their state and they have a GOOD track record against the AAC. They'd compete from day one.

If this happens, they are likely on the list to backfill if the Boise/Memphis rumors happen in 3-5 years. Then it would be a no brainer for them. CSU is just the natural pull with Air Force.

(09-16-2021 01:31 PM)Ned Low Wrote:  Best news of the day… sorta.

If Aresco thinks that we will get any MWC teams without building them a “pod”, he’s wrong. I hope to eat crow on this one but I just don’t see it.

Boise State
Fresno State
SDSU
UNLV or Utah State (my vote is for the latter)
Colorado State
Air Force

That’s what needs to be pursued. We can add UAB and another to get to 16.

I agree that getting MWC teams (particularly if the league goes all the way out to San Diego State) requires a full fledged Western pod (if not division). It can't be just adding Boise State and San Diego State alone, for example.

Out of that list of schools, it's really more of a choice between Fresno State and Utah State. If the AAC can actually pull that many MWC schools (something that I'm skeptical of here, but I'll evaluate for the purposes of this discussion), then you've got to take UNLV with its basketball history and super-fast-growing market that doesn't have any other college sports competition.

To me, adding MWC schools means that the AAC has to go up to 14 schools at a minimum and maybe even 16.

(09-16-2021 01:42 PM)Tigers2B1 Wrote:  

(09-16-2021 01:14 PM)TIGERCITY Wrote:  According to "multiple sources"

https://www.cbssports.com/college-footba...alignment/

As mentioned in the article it makes no sense for Boise or Memphis to make a move to another conference until the Big 12 expand further (or not) issue is resolved.

From Stickboy:

Depends on the terms of the move.

1. Media Contract. If Aresco has agreement from ESPN to maintain the contract with these additions .. that's extra money until or if the Big 12 call up happens. If it never happens, they are in a better situation.

2. Exit fees: If the AAC is able to cover their current exit costs or mitigate future exit costs to the Big 12, then it can happen. This is where utilizing the UH, UC, UCF exit fees could help stabilize the conference.

Here's what confuses me. They turned the AAC down on the last attempt and there was more money involved. And also the 3 premier teams leaving were still here. What makes anyone in the MWC leave there for the AAC? I just don't see it.

something that is overlooked but insinuated by this article is that smu has turned down the MWC

Quote:Mountain West: North Texas and Tulsa are under consideration by the MWC.

(09-16-2021 01:49 PM)pesik Wrote:  something that is overlooked but insinuated by this article is that smu has turned down the MWC

Quote:Mountain West: North Texas and Tulsa are under consideration by the MWC.

Do we lose Tulsa but add UAB? lol

There you go. Aresco also says in article he thinks the payout would remain at 7 mill with those additions. Like I have been saying this is the best bet for all those remaining. You can make a deal with Boise that if they should get an invite to Big12 their exit fee would be same as they currently have in MWC.

(09-16-2021 01:49 PM)AlwaysSunny Wrote:  Here's what confuses me. They turned the AAC down on the last attempt and there was more money involved. And also the 3 premier teams leaving were still here. What makes anyone in the MWC leave there for the AAC? I just don't see it.

Maybe seeing they missed the call up while seeing 3 AAC teams get the call up makes them want to get more East Coast visibility?

(09-16-2021 01:49 PM)AlwaysSunny Wrote:  Here's what confuses me. They turned the AAC down on the last attempt and there was more money involved. And also the 3 premier teams leaving were still here. What makes anyone in the MWC leave there for the AAC? I just don't see it.

Last time was for football only. Boise was ready to come as an all sports.

(09-16-2021 01:51 PM)Stickboy46 Wrote:  

(09-16-2021 01:49 PM)AlwaysSunny Wrote:  Here's what confuses me. They turned the AAC down on the last attempt and there was more money involved. And also the 3 premier teams leaving were still here. What makes anyone in the MWC leave there for the AAC? I just don't see it.

Maybe seeing they missed the call up while seeing 3 AAC teams get the call up makes them want to get more East Coast visibility?

Bingo. The opportunity and exposure in the AAC hands down trumps the MWC.

(09-16-2021 01:49 PM)AlwaysSunny Wrote:  Here's what confuses me. They turned the AAC down on the last attempt and there was more money involved. And also the 3 premier teams leaving were still here. What makes anyone in the MWC leave there for the AAC? I just don't see it.

We were playing for peanuts under the initial ESPN contract and there were plenty of unknowns. We now have a brand/identity, have been the strongest G5 conference by far, are a fairly homogeneous group (we lost 3 of the top 4 programs, but there is not a substantial gap from the departing 3 to SMU, Memphis, USF, Temple, etc.). WE now have a $7 million/year/team contract and great exposure on ESPN and several of our teams have improved since joining the league including Memphis, Temple, SMU, Tulane.

(09-16-2021 01:49 PM)AlwaysSunny Wrote:  Here's what confuses me. They turned the AAC down on the last attempt and there was more money involved. And also the 3 premier teams leaving were still here. What makes anyone in the MWC leave there for the AAC? I just don't see it.

this is wrong on all aspects

there was less money involved in 2012.... and the aac turned them down

1) the sdsu/boise 1.0 - the tv deal was 3mil.... there is more money at stake now

2) Boise left because of a sweetheart deal.. boise came back to the aac and said it wanted to stay in the aac and all we had to do was match the deal... the aac refused
2b) the mwc is desperately trying to get rid of the sweetheart deal
2c) sdsu never wanted to leave, the travel cost by themselves was too much...we let them go and didnt charge them an exit fee


3) boise just 6 month ago tried to join the aac ...we turned the down.. they wanted full membership for all sports...we wanted them football only...neither budged ..
link: https://boisedev.com/news/2020/12/21/boi...onference/
link: https://boisedev.com/news/2020/12/08/bry...tain-west/
link: https://www.theledger.com/story/sports/c...736967002/

(09-16-2021 01:48 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(09-16-2021 01:31 PM)Ned Low Wrote:  Best news of the day… sorta.

If Aresco thinks that we will get any MWC teams without building them a “pod”, he’s wrong. I hope to eat crow on this one but I just don’t see it.

Boise State
Fresno State
SDSU
UNLV or Utah State (my vote is for the latter)
Colorado State
Air Force

That’s what needs to be pursued. We can add UAB and another to get to 16.

I agree that getting MWC teams (particularly if the league goes all the way out to San Diego State) requires a full fledged Western pod (if not division). It can't be just adding Boise State and San Diego State alone, for example.

Out of that list of schools, it's really more of a choice between Fresno State and Utah State. If the AAC can actually pull that many MWC schools (something that I'm skeptical of here, but I'll evaluate for the purposes of this discussion), then you've got to take UNLV with its basketball history and super-fast-growing market that doesn't have any other college sports competition.

To me, adding MWC schools means that the AAC has to go up to 14 schools at a minimum and maybe even 16.

Is what I have said before. If you can get three things on board
1. ESPN guarantees at least the 7 million per team.
2. Pay MWC teams exit fees from those leaving AAC.
3. Let Boise’s exit fee if they get an invite to Big12 be the same as they have currently in MWC.

If you get those three things done then a 14 team league of
EAST
Temple,ECU,USF,Tulane,Memphis,SMU,Tulsa
WEST
Air Force,Colorado State,Boise,SDSU,UNLV,Fresno, Navy/ Wichita St

Would be 6th highest paying league and top 6 in power.

(09-16-2021 01:50 PM)Cubanbull1 Wrote:  There you go. Aresco also says in article he thinks the payout would remain at 7 mill with those additions. Like I have been saying this is the best bet for all those remaining. You can make a deal with Boise that if they should get an invite to Big12 their exit fee would be same as they currently have in MWC.

That's really the key - that AAC payout has to continue being materially larger than the MWC payout if this plan is going to have any traction.

(09-16-2021 01:42 PM)Tigers2B1 Wrote:  

(09-16-2021 01:14 PM)TIGERCITY Wrote:  According to "multiple sources"

https://www.cbssports.com/college-footba...alignment/

As mentioned in the article it makes no sense for Boise or Memphis to make a move to another conference until the Big 12 expand further (or not) issue is resolved.

You think? Probably have year before the next domino. If Boise had followed through in joining the AAC a few years back, they might be leaving for the Big 12 right now.

Their choice will be interesting, and even more so if a few of the top MWC brands say yes. Does Boise still stay and backfill the 9 left in the MWC?

(09-16-2021 01:57 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(09-16-2021 01:50 PM)Cubanbull1 Wrote:  There you go. Aresco also says in article he thinks the payout would remain at 7 mill with those additions. Like I have been saying this is the best bet for all those remaining. You can make a deal with Boise that if they should get an invite to Big12 their exit fee would be same as they currently have in MWC.

That's really the key - that AAC payout has to continue being materially larger than the MWC payout if this plan is going to have any traction.

There is also the cascading effect. If any say yes, then there starts to be a chance of the deal going down for those who stay. Starts to be a Mexican standoff over there.

(09-16-2021 01:59 PM)CoastalJuan Wrote:  

(09-16-2021 01:42 PM)Tigers2B1 Wrote:  

(09-16-2021 01:14 PM)TIGERCITY Wrote:  According to "multiple sources"

https://www.cbssports.com/college-footba...alignment/

As mentioned in the article it makes no sense for Boise or Memphis to make a move to another conference until the Big 12 expand further (or not) issue is resolved.

You think? Probably have year before the next domino. If Boise had followed through in joining the AAC a few years back, they might be leaving for the Big 12 right now.

Their choice will be interesting, and even more so if a few of the top MWC brands say yes. Does Boise still stay and backfill the 9 left in the MWC?

If other MWC members accept, Boise will look to get off that sinking ship ASAP.

(09-16-2021 01:30 PM)LaTex14 Wrote:  I don’t know how to feel.
If the AAC sits around for the MWC. I could see The Belt making a move for UAB, LaTech, Marshall, and Southern Miss.

If the AAC gets Markets, and The Sunbelt gets football schools. It’ll be interesting.

Nah. Those schools arent moving until they know the AAC is absolutely positively off the table.

(09-16-2021 01:57 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(09-16-2021 01:50 PM)Cubanbull1 Wrote:  There you go. Aresco also says in article he thinks the payout would remain at 7 mill with those additions. Like I have been saying this is the best bet for all those remaining. You can make a deal with Boise that if they should get an invite to Big12 their exit fee would be same as they currently have in MWC.

That's really the key - that AAC payout has to continue being materially larger than the MWC payout if this plan is going to have any traction.

These are crumbs compared to what convinced Texas and Oklahoma to leave the Big XII. Travel will go up for all sports. Is it worth it?