(07-08-2019 06:39 PM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  

(07-08-2019 06:14 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(07-08-2019 05:59 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(07-05-2019 09:41 AM)esayem Wrote:  I’ll reply to you because the other two responded with essentially the same thing. Institutionally speaking, UMass looks a lot like the teams in the conference and is in New England. This is the most logical substitute for UConn if the conference wants to plug the hole and keep rolling. Plus, wouldn’t that be the knockout the AAC and ESPN could give UConn?

Except .... UMass has zero brand value in football or hoops, and surely wouldn't be worthy anywhere near $7m to ESPN.

Exactly---which is why I made the following comment about CSU.

Every other pick involves sacrificing institutional fit in the name of athletic performance----or it requires completely dumping athletic performance to obtain a quality institutional fit. CSU is a reasonable compromise.

Frankly, CSU might be one of the few schools that could actually attract enough votes among the presidents to secure an invite. I really dont think anyone else outside of CSU, BYU, Air Force, and Army can do that.

ODU might be "ok" if they would expand to 35k as part of the entrance deal.

Builds the conference together some and VB is a nice vacation destination with a lot to do. Nothing major league in that market either so an AAC program would be well supported.

ODU does a nice job of filling in some geography between ECU and Temple and in doing so helps to address a lot of the geographic incoherence of the AAC East. You'd have a grouping there and U_F have each other. Cincy's still out on an island, but it's better than it was before.