(06-11-2013 11:22 AM)Bearcat T Wrote:  It's time for lawsuits from the group of 5!

That worked so well for UConn in the past.

(06-11-2013 12:33 PM)HartfordHusky Wrote:  

(06-11-2013 12:25 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  

(06-11-2013 12:17 PM)HartfordHusky Wrote:  

(06-11-2013 12:12 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  

(06-11-2013 12:04 PM)HartfordHusky Wrote:  This is pretty much what I knew would happen. We need to stop wasting time trying to beg the P5 for a game for our champ and set up a game with the MWC in Texas. Our number 1 or 2 vs their number 1 or 2. It's the only chance for an even respectable match up for our champ. Everyone needs to just accept the reality. Hope for the access spot for our champ in most years and send our runner up to play Boise St.

You gotta convince them to do that, and they'd likely rather keep playing a PAC opponent as their top bowl, like most of us would rather play a P5 opponent for our top bowl. It appears they are in no danger of losing the Vegas Bowl, so they have a game in a very good destination against a P5 team. Good luck convincing them that they should send their champ to play us instead.

That is the challenge. It hasn't been made any easier by trying to portray our conference as superior to theirs. I think that they can be made to understand that it is beneficial to them for their champ or runner up being able to play the highest quality opponent available, which will almost undoubtedly be the champ or runner up from the AAC.

Bottom line, AAC and MWC need to work with each other to try to keep the profile of at least these two leagues above the other G5 leagues. We need a scheduling alliance in football and a challenge in hoops. Build a rivalry that will be noticed and discussed nationally.

The problem is the geography of the 2 leagues doesn't work to play a bowl game that will be well attended. Texas is the only place you can put it that's relatively close to both leagues, and even then likely the eastern teams in this league won't travel to that game. Other than Boise there's not a team I'm going to get super jacked up to see ECU play. Sure I'd rather play teams like Fresno, Nevada, Air Force, and Hawaii in principle, but the reality is it wouldn't be in a location convenient for ECU fans to get to and will be against teams that we have zero history or real reason or desire to play. This isn't meant to sound arrogant, because I'm pretty sure you could reverse this and a team like Nevada or Fresno wouldn't really give a damn about traveling to Texas to play ECU.

It's not a perfect solution but it's better than literally having nowhere to send our champ even remotely worth going to. It may already be too late and the best we can do is play the CUSA or MAC champ though, and just hope that a better spot invites our champ if we don't make the access bowl.

It sucks, but we can't force the P5 to give us a tie in. I'm pretty sure that our champ is going to get screwed, unless they make the access bowl or we have a deal with the only other decent conference in the G5. I honestly think those are the only options available right now.

And if that happens Aresco should be fired. The bar is what the MWC and C-USA have lined up for their champs. C-USA has the HOD against the B12 and the MWC has the Las Vegas against the PAC. That's the bar Aresco has to reach and failing to do that would be a complete embarrassment on his part. The fact this league is even having to worry that our champ could have a worse bowl than the C-USA champ is pretty much a failure on Aresco's part.

(06-11-2013 12:12 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote:  

(06-11-2013 12:04 PM)HartfordHusky Wrote:  This is pretty much what I knew would happen. We need to stop wasting time trying to beg the P5 for a game for our champ and set up a game with the MWC in Texas. Our number 1 or 2 vs their number 1 or 2. It's the only chance for an even respectable match up for our champ. Everyone needs to just accept the reality. Hope for the access spot for our champ in most years and send our runner up to play Boise St.

2 weeks ago I would have said no way, but this is looking better and better every minute.

Maybe the top AAC eastern team to the Military Bowl to play an ACC team, and the top AAC western team to the Armed Forces to play the MWC's #2 pick?

(06-11-2013 12:36 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  

(06-11-2013 12:33 PM)HartfordHusky Wrote:  

(06-11-2013 12:25 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  

(06-11-2013 12:17 PM)HartfordHusky Wrote:  

(06-11-2013 12:12 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  You gotta convince them to do that, and they'd likely rather keep playing a PAC opponent as their top bowl, like most of us would rather play a P5 opponent for our top bowl. It appears they are in no danger of losing the Vegas Bowl, so they have a game in a very good destination against a P5 team. Good luck convincing them that they should send their champ to play us instead.

That is the challenge. It hasn't been made any easier by trying to portray our conference as superior to theirs. I think that they can be made to understand that it is beneficial to them for their champ or runner up being able to play the highest quality opponent available, which will almost undoubtedly be the champ or runner up from the AAC.

Bottom line, AAC and MWC need to work with each other to try to keep the profile of at least these two leagues above the other G5 leagues. We need a scheduling alliance in football and a challenge in hoops. Build a rivalry that will be noticed and discussed nationally.

The problem is the geography of the 2 leagues doesn't work to play a bowl game that will be well attended. Texas is the only place you can put it that's relatively close to both leagues, and even then likely the eastern teams in this league won't travel to that game. Other than Boise there's not a team I'm going to get super jacked up to see ECU play. Sure I'd rather play teams like Fresno, Nevada, Air Force, and Hawaii in principle, but the reality is it wouldn't be in a location convenient for ECU fans to get to and will be against teams that we have zero history or real reason or desire to play. This isn't meant to sound arrogant, because I'm pretty sure you could reverse this and a team like Nevada or Fresno wouldn't really give a damn about traveling to Texas to play ECU.

It's not a perfect solution but it's better than literally having nowhere to send our champ even remotely worth going to. It may already be too late and the best we can do is play the CUSA or MAC champ though, and just hope that a better spot invites our champ if we don't make the access bowl.

It sucks, but we can't force the P5 to give us a tie in. I'm pretty sure that our champ is going to get screwed, unless they make the access bowl or we have a deal with the only other decent conference in the G5. I honestly think those are the only options available right now.

And if that happens Aresco should be fired. The bar is what the MWC and C-USA have lined up for their champs. C-USA has the HOD against the B12 and the MWC has the Las Vegas against the PAC. That's the bar Aresco has to reach and failing to do that would be a complete embarrassment on his part. The fact this league is even having to worry that our champ could have a worse bowl than the C-USA champ is pretty much a failure on Aresco's part.

I completely disagree that Aresco has any real power on the bowl situation. MWC and CUSA had pre-existing relationships with those conferences and there is no guarantee that those will be maintained long-term. The AAC was previously a BCS league and didn't have to worry about this. Our previous bowl partners have made clear that they are pursuing other options. I'm sure Aresco is begging as hard as he can but I'm just not sure what anyone expects that he can do to convince people to play us who have no interest in playing us.

(06-11-2013 12:18 PM)EZ rider Wrote:  Maybe it's time for Group of 5 fans to boycott P5 games, bowls and advertisers/sponsors that have shut out the Group of 5. Get a big facebook/twitter campaign going to let those advertisers/sponsors know how Group of 5 fans feel about the bowl situation.

This is the only real leverage we have. Advertising exist to make customers feel good about the product being advertised. Big money advertisers have ZERO stomach for advertising anywhere that may alienate customers. The mere presence of any sort of boycott backlash will be quickly addressed I assure you. This is the main reason there is no split. The networks dont want it. Why on earth would the networks want to alienate half of the college football fan bases? Ask yourself---What value do the networks recieve in a split?

(06-11-2013 12:34 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  

(06-11-2013 11:22 AM)Bearcat T Wrote:  It's time for lawsuits from the group of 5!

That worked so well for UConn in the past.

Yet it had no affect on Virginia Tech, Pitt, and West Virginia.

Aresco, for all intents and purposes, has that in the Liberty Bowl. He has the home town team in Memphis, the Big East had an existing arrangement that was already forcing CUSA out of the bowl hence the reason CUSA went with the HUD. He has teams in ECU and UCF that have traveled well to the game on several occasions. At the very least the Liberty should be retained for our champ against an SEC/B12 opponent.

(06-11-2013 12:33 PM)HartfordHusky Wrote:  

(06-11-2013 12:25 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  

(06-11-2013 12:17 PM)HartfordHusky Wrote:  

(06-11-2013 12:12 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  

(06-11-2013 12:04 PM)HartfordHusky Wrote:  This is pretty much what I knew would happen. We need to stop wasting time trying to beg the P5 for a game for our champ and set up a game with the MWC in Texas. Our number 1 or 2 vs their number 1 or 2. It's the only chance for an even respectable match up for our champ. Everyone needs to just accept the reality. Hope for the access spot for our champ in most years and send our runner up to play Boise St.

You gotta convince them to do that, and they'd likely rather keep playing a PAC opponent as their top bowl, like most of us would rather play a P5 opponent for our top bowl. It appears they are in no danger of losing the Vegas Bowl, so they have a game in a very good destination against a P5 team. Good luck convincing them that they should send their champ to play us instead.

That is the challenge. It hasn't been made any easier by trying to portray our conference as superior to theirs. I think that they can be made to understand that it is beneficial to them for their champ or runner up being able to play the highest quality opponent available, which will almost undoubtedly be the champ or runner up from the AAC.

Bottom line, AAC and MWC need to work with each other to try to keep the profile of at least these two leagues above the other G5 leagues. We need a scheduling alliance in football and a challenge in hoops. Build a rivalry that will be noticed and discussed nationally.

The problem is the geography of the 2 leagues doesn't work to play a bowl game that will be well attended. Texas is the only place you can put it that's relatively close to both leagues, and even then likely the eastern teams in this league won't travel to that game. Other than Boise there's not a team I'm going to get super jacked up to see ECU play. Sure I'd rather play teams like Fresno, Nevada, Air Force, and Hawaii in principle, but the reality is it wouldn't be in a location convenient for ECU fans to get to and will be against teams that we have zero history or real reason or desire to play. This isn't meant to sound arrogant, because I'm pretty sure you could reverse this and a team like Nevada or Fresno wouldn't really give a damn about traveling to Texas to play ECU.

It's not a perfect solution but it's better than literally having nowhere to send our champ even remotely worth going to. It may already be too late and the best we can do is play the CUSA or MAC champ though, and just hope that a better spot invites our champ if we don't make the access bowl.

It sucks, but we can't force the P5 to give us a tie in. I'm pretty sure that our champ is going to get screwed, unless they make the access bowl or we have a deal with the only other decent conference in the G5. I honestly think those are the only options available right now.

Given the current landscape, the only options we had for a good P-5 game for our champ were limted--

1) Hope the Memphis relationships and past Big East relationships with the Liberty were enough to hold onto the Liberty Bowl and a solid mid-tier P-5 bowl game for our champ. This option would also include some possible corporate help from FedEx to perhaps bump up the payout of the Liberty.

2) Create our own bowl, using some realighnment fund money to create a high payout that could lure a mid-tier P5 school to the bowl. Again, possible corporate help from Fed-Ex was a possiblity.

Thats it folks. Those were the only realistic options. I know we are trying to do a bowl, but I have no idea if we were willing to commit the kind of money required to lure a P-5 opponent. Maybe we did---maybe we didnt. Either way, given the recent discussion of CUSA opponents for that bowl, the Aresco Bowl as a legitimate #1 bowl for our champ is not looking good at this point.

That just leaves the Liberty Bowl. That drama has yet to completely play out, but it appears the balls in the ACC/SEC court. If either ofthem want the Liberty Bowl then they will get it.

Thus, the final back-up option should all else fail is to create a bowl in Texas with a payout higher than the Vegas Bowl. Play MW#1 there (#2 if MW #1 is in an access bowl). MW#2 would play Pac-12 #6 in Vegas. That actually enhances the perception of the MW and pulls our fat out of the fire. I suppose we could also set up bowls vs MAC#1 and Sunbelt #1 that we also own. Why not? May as well create some product for us to sell to Fox and NBC.

Beyond that--I would write all our other trash bowl ties to allow us the AAC to opt-out if any P-5 bowl that we have a back-up tie to comes open. The trash bowls wont have much choice--- who else are they really going to sign? All the P-5 will be gone at that point. Its us or MAC/CUSA/Sunbelt also rans--which will still be there if an AAC team gets bumped up. Our also rans are much more well known, will have been on national TV all year, and will have at least some reputation for traveling. All else being equal, the reamining junk bowls will sign on.

Between having our top 3 games being against conference champions--plus the P5 opponents we can scare up by moving into backup P-5 bowl slots, we can still salvage some sort of decent post season that wont look like a Sunbelt festival.

Man this isn't good

(06-11-2013 12:52 PM)Hank Schrader Wrote:  

(06-11-2013 12:34 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  

(06-11-2013 11:22 AM)Bearcat T Wrote:  It's time for lawsuits from the group of 5!

That worked so well for UConn in the past.

Yet it had no affect on Virginia Tech, Pitt, and West Virginia.

Cuz they didn't have Blumenthal...UConn will be forever associated with the law suit as the primary instigator. Perception = Reality

i don't know why anybody is surprised by this stuff anymore. Essentially the bowls are seeking to pick who they want. We're essentially back to the old bowl system, sans Go5 playoff slot.

Might as well forget the notion that bowls are some kind of "reward". College football is a joke.

Obligatory, get us the hell out of this conference post. Big 12? ACC? Anyone?

Since the PAC and MWC are kind of alone out there, it looks like the PAC is really throwing the MWC a bone. Which is a good thing. What really surprises me is the shaft that the AAC seems to be getting from the SEC/B12/ACC/B10. If these guys had half a brain, they would toss a couple of their .500 teams our way just to keep the peace. Is it really worth it to piss off everyone in Orlando, Tampa, Philly, Cinci, Memphis, Houston and Dallas? I know we're small fish in these ponds, but we're big schools. This will generate some backlash.

The golden rule... 'He who has the gold, makes all the rules'.

I still think we'll get a tie in or two against P5 opponents somehow... And I really think we'll pick up an oopen slot or two every year, just becuse the P5 won't be able to fill all their ties.

Attackcoog needs to be our comissioner, he'll get this done.

(06-11-2013 10:13 AM)BullsFanInTX Wrote:  http://espn.go.com/college-football/stor...es-sources

If McMurphy is to be believed:

1) AAC getting froze out of bowls against "P5".
2) Aresco bowl can't get a "P5" opponent.
3) Any new bowls we create will be against "G5".
4) Liberty may not be a viable option. Looking at "P5 vs P5"
5) According to McMurphy, we are a "smaller conference". Whatever "smaller conference" is.
6) UCF bowl being considered, but will be against Sun Belt, MAC, or CUSA.
7) LA bowl might pitt AAC against MWC.
8) The independence and Military bowls (thought to be a lock for AAC) might be out also.

Bad to worse...yes this deserved it's own thread.

Not sure what is all that surprising here. People really thought this conference was going to keep or acquire decent new ones? The AAC will be lucky to be a standby for when there are not enough P5 schools to fill slots.

This conference is NOT that bad. It has 3 strong former Big East schools. It has strong programs from cUSA who have recently been ranked, and/or beaten P5 schools in bowl games. (Houston-PSU; UCF-Georgia) Navy has a national following and I personally watched them knock off Missouri in the 2009 Texas bowl. Our member schools are huge, and they are located in huge markets. This is the recipie for a successful, fun, and competitive conference.

If we're not being given a chance to compete it's only due to greed and collusion. People talk about this conference as if we have a bunch of FCS callups. It's ridiculous. There is a reason why they won't play us, it's because we're a threat.

I'm not so worried because I can do math. Gonna have to take some AAC CUSA MAC teams etc even if they don't want to

By the way click the link the article is about ALL G5 leagues not just ours and has lots of MIGHTS

(06-11-2013 12:33 PM)HartfordHusky Wrote:  

(06-11-2013 12:25 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  

(06-11-2013 12:17 PM)HartfordHusky Wrote:  

(06-11-2013 12:12 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  

(06-11-2013 12:04 PM)HartfordHusky Wrote:  This is pretty much what I knew would happen. We need to stop wasting time trying to beg the P5 for a game for our champ and set up a game with the MWC in Texas. Our number 1 or 2 vs their number 1 or 2. It's the only chance for an even respectable match up for our champ. Everyone needs to just accept the reality. Hope for the access spot for our champ in most years and send our runner up to play Boise St.

You gotta convince them to do that, and they'd likely rather keep playing a PAC opponent as their top bowl, like most of us would rather play a P5 opponent for our top bowl. It appears they are in no danger of losing the Vegas Bowl, so they have a game in a very good destination against a P5 team. Good luck convincing them that they should send their champ to play us instead.

That is the challenge. It hasn't been made any easier by trying to portray our conference as superior to theirs. I think that they can be made to understand that it is beneficial to them for their champ or runner up being able to play the highest quality opponent available, which will almost undoubtedly be the champ or runner up from the AAC.

Bottom line, AAC and MWC need to work with each other to try to keep the profile of at least these two leagues above the other G5 leagues. We need a scheduling alliance in football and a challenge in hoops. Build a rivalry that will be noticed and discussed nationally.

The problem is the geography of the 2 leagues doesn't work to play a bowl game that will be well attended. Texas is the only place you can put it that's relatively close to both leagues, and even then likely the eastern teams in this league won't travel to that game. Other than Boise there's not a team I'm going to get super jacked up to see ECU play. Sure I'd rather play teams like Fresno, Nevada, Air Force, and Hawaii in principle, but the reality is it wouldn't be in a location convenient for ECU fans to get to and will be against teams that we have zero history or real reason or desire to play. This isn't meant to sound arrogant, because I'm pretty sure you could reverse this and a team like Nevada or Fresno wouldn't really give a damn about traveling to Texas to play ECU.

It's not a perfect solution but it's better than literally having nowhere to send our champ even remotely worth going to. It may already be too late and the best we can do is play the CUSA or MAC champ though, and just hope that a better spot invites our champ if we don't make the access bowl.

It sucks, but we can't force the P5 to give us a tie in. I'm pretty sure that our champ is going to get screwed, unless they make the access bowl or we have a deal with the only other decent conference in the G5. I honestly think those are the only options available right now.

There's been a suggestion to alternate the bowl site, 1 year on the MW side, the next on the AAC side. Not sure if that works for you but it could be better than just have a bowl in Texas. Might give a better attendance having it alternate, but then I can go for have a bowl in Texas.

Bottom line is that the Big5 don't give a crap and our leadership can't do anything about it. it's all about the money and protecting the losers in the Big Conferences. Hell Florida a Super SEC team gets a beat down in it's bowl and the team that does it is headed to the ACC. Now do you think they are gonna take another chance like that???? I mean God forbid they were to lose to USF, UC or anyone else from this conference in a Bowl. I mean it may show that they aren't so elite as they think and that would be bad for "Perception".....

Face it, we're stuck in a loser conference with no options. Oh and I mean "LOSER CONFERENCE", because no matter how great our teams perform on the filed, they will be talked down so much by the Talking Heads that no one will care.

Oh and now neither do I.....

(06-11-2013 03:01 PM)Mestophalies Wrote:  Bottom line is that the Big5 don't give a crap and our leadership can't do anything about it. it's all about the money and protecting the losers in the Big Conferences. Hell Florida a Super SEC team gets a beat down in it's bowl and the team that does it is headed to the ACC. Now do you think they are gonna take another chance like that???? I mean God forbid they were to lose to USF, UC or anyone else form this conference in a Bowl. I mean it may show that they aren't so elite as they think and that would be bad for "Perception".....

Face it, we're stuck in a loser conference with no options. Oh and I mean "LOSER CONFERENCE:, because no matter how great our teams perform on the filed, they will be talked down so much by the Talking Heads that no one will care.

Oh and now neither do I.....

Well that's too bad because if you as a graduate and fan of the program don't care why shoud anyone else. Put your big boy pants because this is time you school needs you most of all. My parents taught me from an early age that when things get tough and are unfair you don't give up you fight harder.