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UAB only chance at the Big 12 is if they go to 16 teams. There is nothing UAB can do to get ahead of Memphis and Boise. But when you start talking about SMU, Tulane, Colorado St. USF, and SDSU as possible 15th and 16th adds, UAB can absolutely get in that conversation.

UAB can start making that impression to the Big 12 tomorrow against UGA. The problem is once UAB pays a CUSA exit fee & AAC entrance fee, it's going to be extremely difficult to turn around and pay a bigger exit/entrance fee to go to the Big 12.

(09-10-2021 03:02 PM)hooverblazer Wrote:  We need the Big12 to hold off as long as possible to give us more time to keep building a case. Memphis is an obvious choice, but I still think there's a chance to become the 2nd team if given enough time.

I heard some sports announcer, who supposedly had insider Big 12 information, state that the gap between the four chosen and Memphis was pretty large. That would certainly help UAB.

(09-09-2021 04:27 PM)HiddenDragon Wrote:  Memphis and Navy will probably be gone by the time UAB enters the AAC.But y'all can be happy tho!

Navy is only a member of the AAC in football.

All their other sports are in the Patriot League (along with Army) and they are quite content keeping them there. The academies recruit a different kind of athlete than the P5 schools do.

Army and Navy don't want to be in one of the P5 conferences because they don't want to move all their sports out of a comfortable conference where they can be competitive.

(09-10-2021 03:37 PM)HiddenDragon Wrote:  UAB only chance at the Big 12 is if they go to 16 teams. There is nothing UAB can do to get ahead of Memphis and Boise. But when you start talking about SMU, Tulane, Colorado St. USF, and SDSU as possible 15th and 16th adds, UAB can absolutely get in that conversation.

UAB can start making that impression to the Big 12 tomorrow against UGA. The problem is once UAB pays a CUSA exit fee & AAC entrance fee, it's going to be extremely difficult to turn around and pay a bigger exit/entrance fee to go to the Big 12.

I mostly agree, but if Boise falls on hard/mediocre times in the next 3-5 years I think their position as the 14th Big12 addition could slip.

But realistically we need the Big12 to eventually add more than just 2 teams - either by going to 16 total or to replace a couple more losses.

(09-10-2021 03:49 PM)hooverblazer Wrote:  

(09-10-2021 03:37 PM)HiddenDragon Wrote:  UAB only chance at the Big 12 is if they go to 16 teams. There is nothing UAB can do to get ahead of Memphis and Boise. But when you start talking about SMU, Tulane, Colorado St. USF, and SDSU as possible 15th and 16th adds, UAB can absolutely get in that conversation.

UAB can start making that impression to the Big 12 tomorrow against UGA. The problem is once UAB pays a CUSA exit fee & AAC entrance fee, it's going to be extremely difficult to turn around and pay a bigger exit/entrance fee to go to the Big 12.

I mostly agree, but if Boise falls on hard/mediocre times in the next 3-5 years I think their position as the 14th Big12 addition could slip.

But realistically we need the Big12 to eventually add more than just 2 teams - either by going to 16 total or to replace a couple more losses.

I'm telling you now you can forget replacing Boise. It would take a decade of bad football from them and they haven't had a bad year since 1997, their last losing season.

Boise has the best winning percentage since 2005. There's a better chance of replacing Memphis than Boise.

I get Boise, but what's the big attraction with the rest of the MWC? Don't see anybody else that moves the needle.

(09-10-2021 04:04 PM)jj1 Wrote:  I get Boise, but what's the big attraction with the rest of the MWC? Don't see anybody else that moves the needle.

There are a couple of teams that would work well for the B12. Certainly Boise. San Diego St. is pretty good, and would be a toehold for Cali recruiting and a finger in the PAC's eye. I really don't see any of the MWC as a good fit for the AAC but there are a number of posters on their board that are all in for them.

(09-10-2021 04:51 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  

(09-10-2021 04:04 PM)jj1 Wrote:  I get Boise, but what's the big attraction with the rest of the MWC? Don't see anybody else that moves the needle.

There are a couple of teams that would work well for the B12. Certainly Boise. San Diego St. is pretty good, and would be a toehold for Cali recruiting and a finger in the PAC's eye. I really don't see any of the MWC as a good fit for the AAC but there are a number of posters on their board that are all in for them.

Air Force would be a huge grab for the AAC but I'm not sure how Navy would feel about them being in the AAC.

I would love to see some of the service academies in AAC if we go there. I've been seeing articles where SBC is being proactive striking while iron is hot to keep itself alive. Meanwhile nothing from Judy etal so I guess she's fine w/ being poached & will cash her paycheck from the exit fees as the league folds around her.

(09-10-2021 07:14 PM)blazerwkr Wrote:  I would love to see some of the service academies in AAC if we go there. I've been seeing articles where SBC is being proactive striking while iron is hot to keep itself alive. Meanwhile nothing from Judy etal so I guess she's fine w/ being poached & will cash her paycheck from the exit fees as the league folds around her.

With 14 teams in the league, she's probably hoping four to six teams get invited to other conferences.

I’d think the AAC may have to go *big* if they want the academics and west coast teams. Go to say 16 and try to be the best of the g5 to dominate the playoff slots and keep a tv deal larger than the others even if it takes a big shave.

East
East Carolina
Temple
USF
UAB (best overall combo of sports, facilities, recent success, basketball, academics)
Army*
FAU - keep a 2nd Florida team in good market
Marshall - one of better G5 brands in football
App State / Charlotte / ODU / Coastal Carolina - any of these would be ok, but I think the AAC probably would want to ding the Sun Belt of one of its better programs.


West
Memphis
SMU
Tulane
Tulsa
Navy*
Boise State — they ain’t coming but you gotta try.
Air Force*
Rice / UTSA / USM or Louisiana — do you go market or market/potential, legacy brand or best overall sun belt athletic program?

I don’t think this would happen but espn could move some good inventory it doesn’t own under something it does for a discount. Would they push for it?

More likely aac adds 2-4. I think UaB will be one of them, pretty quickly.

That would create a really poor basketball league. Here would be some really good programs, and then some really bad ones. I would not be happy if that’s how things wound up.

(09-10-2021 03:46 PM)BlazerFromMD Wrote:  

(09-09-2021 04:27 PM)HiddenDragon Wrote:  Memphis and Navy will probably be gone by the time UAB enters the AAC.But y'all can be happy tho!

Navy is only a member of the AAC in football.

Understand. I'm just saying there is some conversation from Navy followers stating that the Middies could go back to Indy status for football depending on the direction of the new AAC.