(07-14-2019 09:35 PM)TodgeRodge Wrote:  

(07-12-2019 05:23 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(07-12-2019 02:46 PM)RutgersGuy Wrote:  

(07-12-2019 02:25 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  UAB only has 9600 full time undergrads. That is about the same size as Vermont and Idaho, basically FCS or D-II sized.

They are tapped out in funding, heavily subsidized by tax payer education money, the 3rd school in a smaller state, and do not have a on-campus stadium. They are $15-20M short of minimum AAC athletic budget levels. Where is that money supposed to come from?

What UAB was known for is MBB, ... back in the day. The one big plus they have is a Med School. But Med schools are nothing for sports, as the students are not the least bit interested, and they do not pay fees for undergraduate intercollegiate sports. The other plus is geography, as they sit smack in the geographic center of the AAC. The Academic index is good.

The basic problem is a lack of resources, and way too small a school to support the fees necessary (Private schools can e much smaller than public due to different funding and support models - so don't compare Tulane or Tulsa, it's apples to oranges).

Not trying to take a dig at anyone but look who is in the AAC:

Tulsa 3rd school
ECU 5th school
U_F 4th/5th school
Memphis 3rd school
Houston/SMU 6/7th school
Temple 3rd school
Wichita 3rd school

As for undergrad size...

SMU 6,521
Tulane 7,924
Tulsa 3,406

Exactly. You correctly identify the achilles heel of the AAC. Then---you suggest doubling down on the weakest aspects of the conference to make it even worse? Not sure thats much of a sales pitch for adding a team.

maybe they borrowed the AAC members proposals to the Big 12?