(10-09-2021 09:54 AM)Ragu Wrote:  

(10-09-2021 09:18 AM)All4One Wrote:  

(10-09-2021 09:02 AM)Ragu Wrote:  

(10-09-2021 01:26 AM)All4One Wrote:  Now it's time for MY educated guess:

If the AAC takes two where football is a must, I believe they will take UAB and Charlotte. UAB for all the reasons we've been hearing about. Charlotte because of their market potential, decent basketball, fledging football, and history in Conference USA with current members. The budgets aren't where they need to be, but the AAC schools will likely see budget cuts themselves after the movements are made. Plus, Charlotte would serve as a travel partner to East Carolina, who is likely not to go to the Big XII.

If the AAC takes four where football is a must, I believe they will add in addition to the two mentioned above Marshall and Old Dominion. Marshall for their brand, history with some current AAC members, decent football, and fledging basketball. The AAC would need to lower the budget expectations for a time because the remaining AAC members may not be sitting on $50-60 Million budget abilities with Cincy, Houston, and Central Florida to bring in the conference cash cow. Old Dominion would bring a strong history in hoops, a growing football program, and the largest budget in Conference USA.

If the AAC stuns everyone and adds six. This wouldn't be totally unheard of because they added 8 teams during the 2010-2014 realignment. So if they add six in addition to the four previously mentioned, I believe they will look at Buffalo from the Mid-American Conference and Rice from Conference USA. Buffalo as the flagship of the State University of New York system, largest budget in the MAC just under $50 Million, good football, good basketball, and a decent travel partner to Temple. Buffalo checks quite a few boxes for the AAC. Rice has a private school academic component that many western members on the AAC would like. Members like Tulane, Tulsa, and SMU would very likely favor Rice over Texas-San Antonio or North Texas. They have a history with Rice that I believe they wouldn't mind having again.


Florida Atlantic looked like a strong candidate to be a travel partner to South Florida, but I feel like their name is starting to fall off, and I suspect it may be because the AAC doesn't see South Florida remaining in their league when all the final movements are made.

An ESPN analyst on a podcast just said Thursday that he thinks FAU and UAB are in for sure...

Matt brown who has been wrong a million times says these are his GUESSES and people take it as gospel

There are rumors all over the place. I'll wait and see what actually happens

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I don't take it as gospel. I take it as a guess. Mine is also a guess. Matt thinks UTSA is in, and I don't think they will be.

I was talking overall but you also mentioned FAU not being mentioned much. They have been mentioned recently but just not by matt brown who was again all in on air force and Colorado state

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That has nothing to do with Matt Brown. I don't follow him. I see his stuff from time to time, but I don't subscribe to his content. I realize FAU was mentioned early on. I haven't heard anything recently, but I don't live in Florida either. An average RPI in basketball as a CUSA member that is the 200+ range with schedule strengths that rank in the 200-300 range with only one NCAA Tournament appearance in school history in 2002 as a member of the Atlantic Sun I think would be a concern for a conference like the AAC pushing for multiple bids to the NCAA Tournament.