http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/co...6408.story

Only in Utopia, but we don't live there.

(05-27-2014 10:57 PM)Lord2FLI Wrote:  Only in Utopia, but we don't live there.

That's what they said about the original Big East... And even the Old Big East didn't have a national basketball champion straight out of the gate, like the AAC.

Also, the OBE got zilch for their TV contract... They traded dollars for exposure.

(05-27-2014 11:06 PM)BigEastHomer Wrote:  Also, the OBE got zilch for their TV contract... They traded dollars for exposure.

We didn't "trade" dollars for exposure, we weren't offered any dollars so we never had dollars to "trade".

What we were offered was "you give us tons of games and we will pay you peanuts for them".

That's not a trade-off, it's being taken to the cleaners.

(05-27-2014 10:57 PM)Lord2FLI Wrote:  Only in Utopia, but we don't live there.

Yes ... and I also noted there wasn't the recent chest-thumping about "whatever the P5 spends more money on, we will match them", rather there was meely-mouthed talk about "embracing a level playing field" and "fairness and competitive balance", echoing the Boise president.

Sounds like Aresco is afraid of what the P5 might spend money on, and how much, and whether the AAC can really keep up.

The Big East proved themselves worthy on the field and in the gym, and yet they were crushed under the heels of other conferences. They were at least part of the club before they were kicked out, we aren't even on the list.

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Im interested in hearing more about the plans for developing the Miami Beach Bowl. I'd like to see the pay-out bumped up high enough to get included in the same pool of bowls the Liberty, Belk, Texas, Gator, Outback, and Music City Bowls are tied to. That's about best outcome we can hope for I suspect.

This isn't really telling me anything... Well, at least not this article.

Oh man, with that title I was sure this article would have a Bianchi byline.

(05-27-2014 11:42 PM)BigHouston Wrote:  This isn't really telling me anything... Well, at least not this article.

it gives you aresco's mindset and what he wants to build us to and that he has some ideas on things to attempt to achieve that .

he didn't say he wants to position ourselves as the best G5
he said he thinks we can become a power conference and should start positioning ourselves to do so

even tough the BE got chrushed.
it surived as long as it for 1 reason TV markets
AAC needs to cut off MWC from moving east, get back in NY & destroy it competation
Buffalo, UTEP, VCU & MASS [fb as an afilate for time being]
and when Mass FB is ready & TV contract improves, BYU for 16

(05-27-2014 10:57 PM)Lord2FLI Wrote:  Only in Utopia, but we don't live there.

You don't, but someone from Houston or SMU might. It is in Texas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utopia,_Texas

(05-28-2014 12:02 AM)templefootballfan Wrote:  even tough the BE got chrushed.
it surived as long as it for 1 reason TV markets
AAC needs to cut off MWC from moving east, get back in NY & destroy it competation
Buffalo, UTEP, VCU & MASS [fb as an afilate for time being]
and when Mass FB is ready & TV contract improves, BYU for 16

The only school worth anything right now is BYU.

Craig Thompson of the Mountain West learned a valuable lesson. When the MWC was putting Utah and TCU in BCS games, he was banging the drum for an auto BCS bid.

Then Utah and TCU left for power leagues, and BYU went Indy.

It turned out the MWC was always just a weigh station for the top programs before moving on down the road. Just like the original CUSA before it. Just like the American was for Louisville and Rutgers. I think it caught Thompson by surprise, but it shouldn't have. It was never about building something special and permanant.

So Aresco can talk all he wants, and I'm glad he fights for the league. For who knows how long any of us will be members here. But whatever he says, it won't change two things:

1) Cincy, UConn and others are trying to use this league as a springboard to the greener side of the hill, and

2) The P5 will never let the American become P#6.

(05-28-2014 12:46 AM)CougarRed Wrote:  2) The P5 will never let the American become P#6.

If AAC continues to win access bowls and national championships they won't have a choice. They would look like fools for claiming AAC wasn't a power conf.

(05-28-2014 12:46 AM)CougarRed Wrote:  Craig Thompson of the Mountain West learned a valuable lesson. When the MWC was putting Utah and TCU in BCS games, he was banging the drum for an auto BCS bid.

Then Utah and TCU left for power leagues, and BYU went Indy.

It turned out the MWC was always just a weigh station for the top programs before moving on down the road. Just like the original CUSA before it. Just like the American was for Louisville and Rutgers. I think it caught Thompson by surprise, but it shouldn't have. It was never about building something special and permanant.

So Aresco can talk all he wants, and I'm glad he fights for the league. For who knows how long any of us will be members here. But whatever he says, it won't change two things:

1) Cincy, UConn and others are trying to use this league as a springboard to the greener side of the hill, and

2) The P5 will never let the American become P#6.

I don't disagree... But I also know Mike Aresco isn't Craig Thompson.

(05-28-2014 01:32 AM)BullsFanInTX Wrote:  

(05-28-2014 12:46 AM)CougarRed Wrote:  2) The P5 will never let the American become P#6.

If AAC continues to win access bowls and national championships they won't have a choice. They would look like fools for claiming AAC wasn't a power conf.

Exactly. Few seem to grasp this. And if they tried to continue excluding, with these conferences almost constantly being in the national spotlight for their poor behavior toward the G-5, that should invite litigation against them for anti trust. In a sane world, it should. Any half wit attorney could articulate that the bottom 50% of the P-5 are far below the top 40/50% of the AAC. Why do those teams deserve to be above the imaginary line that separates them from the AAC. They don't.

The AAC has no shot of ever being treated the same as the P5, but the opportunity to separate itself from the rest of the G5 is there. Year 1 was a tremendous start all around. The national perception of the AAC couldn't be more different from this time last year to now. Continue that trend throughout the rest of the current TV deal and the opportunity will be there to get a TV deal that gives us a shot to keep up long term.

The AAC will likely never be a 'power' conference, as defined by 20+ million TV revenue and all the other things they have cemented for themselves... BUT, I think most of us would be thrilled if we could achieve the following 3 goals:

1. 5-10 million TV revenue
2. An undefeated or 1 loss AAC team considered for playoffs.
3. Holy grail: A contract bowl tie in/AQ spot.

For #1, A raise is coming for sure... may get us there. We need enough money to 'keep up'.
For #2, will depend on the precise circumstances each year, but I think this is doable. Especially when it expands to 8
Clearly #3 is the hardest to achieve. It may be possible downstream if we continue to separate ourselves. If we earn the GOF slot every year. If we win some of those games. This one may not happen though...

Point is, Aresco certainly can't articulate these goals. He HAS to keep beating the 'we can be a power conference' drum. It's his JOB. Some confuse his role as a front man, with the behind the scenes and reality progress. I'm glad he keeps trumpeting our conference. I'm also glad that this past season gave him a TON of credibility in that regard.

(05-28-2014 07:26 AM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  The AAC has no shot of ever being treated the same as the P5, but the opportunity to separate itself from the rest of the G5 is there. Year 1 was a tremendous start all around. The national perception of the AAC couldn't be more different from this time last year to now. Continue that trend throughout the rest of the current TV deal and the opportunity will be there to get a TV deal that gives us a shot to keep up long term.

I disagree. The national preception of the AAC last year was "why is this conference AQ? It shouldn't be. They've lost all their best teams." Now it's "this conference is G5 (non-AQ)." The AAC got snubbed by the NCAA selection committees for both baseball and basketball. The AAC has kind of walked this tightrope between power/non-power all year and has been pushed to fall on the non-power side. I'm glad there's optimism, but the cynic in me isn't going to believe that there will be any meaningful change to our TV contract, barring a ratings explosion.