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(12-28-2018 03:12 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  I don't know that I'd hang my hat on the Big 12. First off, everyone and their brother would rather be in a true P5 conference instead of the AAC or wherever they currently are. Second, when the P5's TV contracts come up for renewal, I would not be terribly surprised to see the other four P5's dump their bottom feeders, raid the B12 for their better schools, and set up a P4 with 16 teams each. They could then set up a power team playoff from within those 64 contenders.

The rest of us can go play in the second tier conference championship.

If the Big 12 expands, they'll probably add Houston (Fertitta has flooded the place with money - if you aren't familiar with Fertitta perhaps you have heard of Landry's, UFC, Houston Rockets) and then either Memphis (FedEx money, basketball tradition, good football) or Cincinnati. I disagree and don't think they would ever make a school leave the conference. UAB should hope that Notre Dame becomes a full member of the ACC (already are in all sports except football - under contract to play 5 ACC schools every year in football). If that happens, the ACC would look for a 16th school. I don't think another Florida school would be allowed by Miami / Florida State. East Carolina would not add anything with there already being 4 other North Carolina schools. UAB would stand a chance if basketball gets back to where it once was, football keeps on the track it is now, and attendance can improve for both. AAU membership, defining it as a strong research university, would pretty much solidify it if it were obtained. Another thing that would be attractive to any conference is having a conference team in the number one college football television market (Birmingham is #1 by far, followed by Columbus, Ohio and then another large drop after that). Having grown up in Birmingham, I'd obviously like to see UAB play in my college's conference.

(12-28-2018 07:22 PM)Ramblin Wreck Wrote:  

(12-28-2018 03:12 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  I don't know that I'd hang my hat on the Big 12. First off, everyone and their brother would rather be in a true P5 conference instead of the AAC or wherever they currently are. Second, when the P5's TV contracts come up for renewal, I would not be terribly surprised to see the other four P5's dump their bottom feeders, raid the B12 for their better schools, and set up a P4 with 16 teams each. They could then set up a power team playoff from within those 64 contenders.

The rest of us can go play in the second tier conference championship.

If the Big 12 expands, they'll probably add Houston (Fertitta has flooded the place with money - if you aren't familiar with Fertitta perhaps you have heard of Landry's, UFC, Houston Rockets) and then either Memphis (FedEx money, basketball tradition, good football) or Cincinnati. I disagree and don't think they would ever make a school leave the conference. UAB should hope that Notre Dame becomes a full member of the ACC (already are in all sports except football - under contract to play 5 ACC schools every year in football). If that happens, the ACC would look for a 16th school. I don't think another Florida school would be allowed by Miami / Florida State. East Carolina would not add anything with there already being 4 other North Carolina schools. UAB would stand a chance if basketball gets back to where it once was, football keeps on the track it is now, and attendance can improve for both. AAU membership, defining it as a strong research university, would pretty much solidify it if it were obtained. Another thing that would be attractive to any conference is having a conference team in the number one college football television market (Birmingham is #1 by far, followed by Columbus, Ohio and then another large drop after that). Having grown up in Birmingham, I'd obviously like to see UAB play in my college's conference.

(12-28-2018 07:22 PM)Ramblin Wreck Wrote:  If the Big 12 expands, they'll probably add Houston (Fertitta has flooded the place with money - if you aren't familiar with Fertitta perhaps you have heard of Landry's, UFC, Houston Rockets) and then either Memphis (FedEx money, basketball tradition, good football) or Cincinnati. I disagree and don't think they would ever make a school leave the conference. UAB should hope that Notre Dame becomes a full member of the ACC (already are in all sports except football - under contract to play 5 ACC schools every year in football). If that happens, the ACC would look for a 16th school. I don't think another Florida school would be allowed by Miami / Florida State. East Carolina would not add anything with there already being 4 other North Carolina schools. UAB would stand a chance if basketball gets back to where it once was, football keeps on the track it is now, and attendance can improve for both. AAU membership, defining it as a strong research university, would pretty much solidify it if it were obtained. Another thing that would be attractive to any conference is having a conference team in the number one college football television market (Birmingham is #1 by far, followed by Columbus, Ohio and then another large drop after that). Having grown up in Birmingham, I'd obviously like to see UAB play in my college's conference.

I read on the AAC board that UAB was the most likely of the G5 football playing schools to obtain AAU status. No idea where that came from but it sounds good. I wonder how close UAB really is to earning the AAU designation?

(12-28-2018 10:16 PM)BlazerGreen Wrote:  

(12-28-2018 07:22 PM)Ramblin Wreck Wrote:  If the Big 12 expands, they'll probably add Houston (Fertitta has flooded the place with money - if you aren't familiar with Fertitta perhaps you have heard of Landry's, UFC, Houston Rockets) and then either Memphis (FedEx money, basketball tradition, good football) or Cincinnati. I disagree and don't think they would ever make a school leave the conference. UAB should hope that Notre Dame becomes a full member of the ACC (already are in all sports except football - under contract to play 5 ACC schools every year in football). If that happens, the ACC would look for a 16th school. I don't think another Florida school would be allowed by Miami / Florida State. East Carolina would not add anything with there already being 4 other North Carolina schools. UAB would stand a chance if basketball gets back to where it once was, football keeps on the track it is now, and attendance can improve for both. AAU membership, defining it as a strong research university, would pretty much solidify it if it were obtained. Another thing that would be attractive to any conference is having a conference team in the number one college football television market (Birmingham is #1 by far, followed by Columbus, Ohio and then another large drop after that). Having grown up in Birmingham, I'd obviously like to see UAB play in my college's conference.

I read on the AAC board that UAB was the most likely of the G5 football playing schools to obtain AAU status. No idea where that came from but it sounds good. I wonder how close UAB really is to earning the AAU designation?

I seem to recall that being discussed on this site a year or so ago, it being said to be a lengthy process, and that UAB was involved at some stage. I also seem to recall that UAB's retention or graduation rate might be an issue. I could be wrong, though...

Not sure why schools being difficult to graduate from should be a minus.

I know of a particular school that hands out diplomas like they are happy meals (the old timey ones not the new ones where they give out grapes instead of fries)

(12-26-2018 04:31 PM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  

(12-26-2018 03:41 PM)GoBlazers468 Wrote:  So they have 12 teams currently (13 if you count Wichita State). Let's say they decided to expand to 16 (17) so that they could have two 8 team divisions, which would work, with having 7 divisional games, two cross divisional, and then 3 OOC games. Let's look at who they would consider from G5 conferences:

Sunbelt - closest they would have would be Troy and Appalachian State. I think those markets, and schools are both way too small for them to be seriously considered.
MAC - Maybe Northern Illinois? Again, I feel like they are too small market to draw much interest
Independents - If Army was interested, I'm sure AAC would jump all over that opportunity. I don't see that happening though. I don't think UMass would be interested but you never know. Why aren't they in a conference already anyway?
C-USA - I think Southern Miss, Marshall, and UAB would be the only ones they would seriously look at. Southern Miss because they have a good bit of history as a respected program, Marshall is a pretty well known name due to the movie about them, and is consistently competitive, and then us because of the recent success and tangible commitments to building world class facilities via the stadium, operations building, etc. La Tech, MTSU, N Texas, and that crowd are too recently removed from being in the Sunbelt to be considered. I think the AAC would be snobby about that.

So I would say it would be pretty slim pickings for the AAC, so we would have a chance. I don't think anyone in the AAC would be overly jazzed about us joining. Kind of like when CUSA had our most recent exodus and we got the F_U teams and other random directional schools.

The number 1 choice would be Ga State from the Sun Belt...

Youre ahead of us I think with the stadium coming, football winning and having a med school and being AAU.

We may be another AD away.

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(12-26-2018 07:46 PM)BlazerGreen Wrote:  

(12-26-2018 04:31 PM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  

(12-26-2018 03:41 PM)GoBlazers468 Wrote:  So they have 12 teams currently (13 if you count Wichita State). Let's say they decided to expand to 16 (17) so that they could have two 8 team divisions, which would work, with having 7 divisional games, two cross divisional, and then 3 OOC games. Let's look at who they would consider from G5 conferences:

Sunbelt - closest they would have would be Troy and Appalachian State. I think those markets, and schools are both way too small for them to be seriously considered.
MAC - Maybe Northern Illinois? Again, I feel like they are too small market to draw much interest
Independents - If Army was interested, I'm sure AAC would jump all over that opportunity. I don't see that happening though. I don't think UMass would be interested but you never know. Why aren't they in a conference already anyway?
C-USA - I think Southern Miss, Marshall, and UAB would be the only ones they would seriously look at. Southern Miss because they have a good bit of history as a respected program, Marshall is a pretty well known name due to the movie about them, and is consistently competitive, and then us because of the recent success and tangible commitments to building world class facilities via the stadium, operations building, etc. La Tech, MTSU, N Texas, and that crowd are too recently removed from being in the Sunbelt to be considered. I think the AAC would be snobby about that.

So I would say it would be pretty slim pickings for the AAC, so we would have a chance. I don't think anyone in the AAC would be overly jazzed about us joining. Kind of like when CUSA had our most recent exodus and we got the F_U teams and other random directional schools.

The number 1 choice would be Ga State from the Sun Belt...

Not sure how that is true if being competitive is relevant. Their football program is going backwards.

It's mildly important. If we win a total of 5 games the next two years it will become immensely important.

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(12-26-2018 09:01 PM)BlazerGreen Wrote:  

(12-26-2018 08:40 PM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  

(12-26-2018 07:46 PM)BlazerGreen Wrote:  

(12-26-2018 04:31 PM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  

(12-26-2018 03:41 PM)GoBlazers468 Wrote:  So they have 12 teams currently (13 if you count Wichita State). Let's say they decided to expand to 16 (17) so that they could have two 8 team divisions, which would work, with having 7 divisional games, two cross divisional, and then 3 OOC games. Let's look at who they would consider from G5 conferences:

Sunbelt - closest they would have would be Troy and Appalachian State. I think those markets, and schools are both way too small for them to be seriously considered.
MAC - Maybe Northern Illinois? Again, I feel like they are too small market to draw much interest
Independents - If Army was interested, I'm sure AAC would jump all over that opportunity. I don't see that happening though. I don't think UMass would be interested but you never know. Why aren't they in a conference already anyway?
C-USA - I think Southern Miss, Marshall, and UAB would be the only ones they would seriously look at. Southern Miss because they have a good bit of history as a respected program, Marshall is a pretty well known name due to the movie about them, and is consistently competitive, and then us because of the recent success and tangible commitments to building world class facilities via the stadium, operations building, etc. La Tech, MTSU, N Texas, and that crowd are too recently removed from being in the Sunbelt to be considered. I think the AAC would be snobby about that.

So I would say it would be pretty slim pickings for the AAC, so we would have a chance. I don't think anyone in the AAC would be overly jazzed about us joining. Kind of like when CUSA had our most recent exodus and we got the F_U teams and other random directional schools.

The number 1 choice would be Ga State from the Sun Belt...

Not sure how that is true if being competitive is relevant. Their football program is going backwards.

1. Atlanta
2. Competive sports, including top BB program. Compared to where they were 5 years ago, FB program is light years better.
3. New/renovated stadium.
4. DEEP POCKETS and BIG plans for the university; willing to let everyone know it

Winning one game in the Belt and barely beating Kennesaw for their other win doesn't seem light years better than much.

We have a great chance to be the top candidate depending on what we do with basketball in the next 15 months or so.

My actual dream is AAC expands by two with you guys and us. I have for years not understood why we do not play in every sport being that UAB is the closest G5 to us in the country.

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(12-27-2018 10:53 AM)BAMANBLAZERFAN Wrote:  

(12-27-2018 10:14 AM)the_blazerman Wrote:  We are not totally SOL unless we hire Sir Andy Kennedy as our head basketball coach.

Like mentioned before, teams with crappy basketball programs and history have been snatched up.

What it will take is a president, board, AD, etc. with ducks in a row lobbying for it.

What this points up is the question, if any conference should be interested in approaching UAB, who exactly would they talk to? The UAB President? The UABOT? As long as the power / authority to make major decisions lies 60 miles to the west, will such a conference bother with our internal struggles?

Would approach your President and AD. But I think things have changed a ton from 5 years ago. You have too much support from Birmingham now I think for the UABOT to just casually dismiss. Think what it would mean economically for Birmingham to have you guys in a higher conference.

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(12-28-2018 07:22 PM)Ramblin Wreck Wrote:  

(12-28-2018 03:12 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  I don't know that I'd hang my hat on the Big 12. First off, everyone and their brother would rather be in a true P5 conference instead of the AAC or wherever they currently are. Second, when the P5's TV contracts come up for renewal, I would not be terribly surprised to see the other four P5's dump their bottom feeders, raid the B12 for their better schools, and set up a P4 with 16 teams each. They could then set up a power team playoff from within those 64 contenders.

The rest of us can go play in the second tier conference championship.

If the Big 12 expands, they'll probably add Houston (Fertitta has flooded the place with money - if you aren't familiar with Fertitta perhaps you have heard of Landry's, UFC, Houston Rockets) and then either Memphis (FedEx money, basketball tradition, good football) or Cincinnati. I disagree and don't think they would ever make a school leave the conference. UAB should hope that Notre Dame becomes a full member of the ACC (already are in all sports except football - under contract to play 5 ACC schools every year in football). If that happens, the ACC would look for a 16th school. I don't think another Florida school would be allowed by Miami / Florida State. East Carolina would not add anything with there already being 4 other North Carolina schools. UAB would stand a chance if basketball gets back to where it once was, football keeps on the track it is now, and attendance can improve for both. AAU membership, defining it as a strong research university, would pretty much solidify it if it were obtained. Another thing that would be attractive to any conference is having a conference team in the number one college football television market (Birmingham is #1 by far, followed by Columbus, Ohio and then another large drop after that). Having grown up in Birmingham, I'd obviously like to see UAB play in my college's conference.

I wasn't saying that I thought that the B12 would force weaker teams out. I was saying that I thought that there was a legit chance that the other P5 schools would tear that conference apart by cherry picking the B12's most desirable teams, leaving the rest, and booting out the bottom feeders in terms of football from the ACC, SEC, B1G, and PAC, with those four conferences expanding to 16 each.

The driver would be to move to four 16 team conferences in order to get a bigger and better TV package for the P4 as a whole, divided among the highest bidders. Add a P4 National championship tournament, probably eight teams, whether two from each or the champions plus four at large. That would be a huge new income stream to split.

(12-29-2018 12:37 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  

(12-28-2018 07:22 PM)Ramblin Wreck Wrote:  

(12-28-2018 03:12 PM)UAB Band Dad Wrote:  I don't know that I'd hang my hat on the Big 12. First off, everyone and their brother would rather be in a true P5 conference instead of the AAC or wherever they currently are. Second, when the P5's TV contracts come up for renewal, I would not be terribly surprised to see the other four P5's dump their bottom feeders, raid the B12 for their better schools, and set up a P4 with 16 teams each. They could then set up a power team playoff from within those 64 contenders.

The rest of us can go play in the second tier conference championship.

If the Big 12 expands, they'll probably add Houston (Fertitta has flooded the place with money - if you aren't familiar with Fertitta perhaps you have heard of Landry's, UFC, Houston Rockets) and then either Memphis (FedEx money, basketball tradition, good football) or Cincinnati. I disagree and don't think they would ever make a school leave the conference. UAB should hope that Notre Dame becomes a full member of the ACC (already are in all sports except football - under contract to play 5 ACC schools every year in football). If that happens, the ACC would look for a 16th school. I don't think another Florida school would be allowed by Miami / Florida State. East Carolina would not add anything with there already being 4 other North Carolina schools. UAB would stand a chance if basketball gets back to where it once was, football keeps on the track it is now, and attendance can improve for both. AAU membership, defining it as a strong research university, would pretty much solidify it if it were obtained. Another thing that would be attractive to any conference is having a conference team in the number one college football television market (Birmingham is #1 by far, followed by Columbus, Ohio and then another large drop after that). Having grown up in Birmingham, I'd obviously like to see UAB play in my college's conference.

I wasn't saying that I thought that the B12 would force weaker teams out. I was saying that I thought that there was a legit chance that the other P5 schools would tear that conference apart by cherry picking the B12's most desirable teams, leaving the rest, and booting out the bottom feeders in terms of football from the ACC, SEC, B1G, and PAC, with those four conferences expanding to 16 each.

The driver would be to move to four 16 team conferences in order to get a bigger and better TV package for the P4 as a whole, divided among the highest bidders. Add a P4 National championship tournament, probably eight teams, whether two from each or the champions plus four at large. That would be a huge new income stream to split.

In that scenario some state flagships and legacies lose out. Not going to happen.

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The AAC seems to like schools that are in big cities.

So possibilities are:
A. UAB
B. Northern Illinois (Chicago)
C. Charlotte
D. GA State

Others:
E. BYU (viewers)
F. Southern Miss (history)

Up and comers:
G. North Texas
H. Buffalo

Don't think so: FIU or FAU

Who did I leave out?

(01-05-2019 10:29 PM)SMUfan Wrote:  The AAC seems to like schools that are in big cities.

So possibilities are:
A. UAB
B. Northern Illinois (Chicago)
C. Charlotte
D. GA State

Others:
E. BYU (viewers)
F. Southern Miss (history)

Up and comers:
G. North Texas
H. Buffalo

Don't think so: FIU or FAU

Who did I leave out?

N. Illinois isn't in Chicago. It's in farmland.

I like to think it's all stable until like 2025 when they rework the Big XII contract.

if Texas and Oklahoma bolt (like many suggest) it could leave the Big XII looking for 4 teams to get back to 12 teams.

the Big XII has a good 'name' and I'd rather throw my lot in with teams like Iowa State, Texas Tech, TCU, WVU , etc (leftover B12 teams) than anything CUSA, MAC, Belt, or even the bottom of the AAC has to offer.

Memphis, Cincy, Iowa State, WVU, UCF, and UConn (or maybe USF) would make for a strong Big XII East IMHO.

(01-06-2019 11:10 AM)BatesUAB Wrote:  

(01-05-2019 10:29 PM)SMUfan Wrote:  The AAC seems to like schools that are in big cities.

So possibilities are:
A. UAB
B. Northern Illinois (Chicago)
C. Charlotte
D. GA State

Others:
E. BYU (viewers)
F. Southern Miss (history)

Up and comers:
G. North Texas
H. Buffalo

Don't think so: FIU or FAU

Who did I leave out?

N. Illinois isn't in Chicago. It's in farmland.

Excuse me. I should have said Chicago TV market. Along with Northwestern and Notre Dame and Illinois, etc, etc.

(01-06-2019 12:25 PM)UofMemphis Wrote:  I like to think it's all stable until like 2025 when they rework the Big XII contract.

if Texas and Oklahoma bolt (like many suggest) it could leave the Big XII looking for 4 teams to get back to 12 teams.

the Big XII has a good 'name' and I'd rather throw my lot in with teams like Iowa State, Texas Tech, TCU, WVU , etc (leftover B12 teams) than anything CUSA, MAC, Belt, or even the bottom of the AAC has to offer.

Memphis, Cincy, Iowa State, WVU, UCF, and UConn (or maybe USF) would make for a strong Big XII East IMHO.

I would suspect that the conference would lose “power” status if that happened.

(01-06-2019 11:10 AM)BatesUAB Wrote:  

(01-05-2019 10:29 PM)SMUfan Wrote:  The AAC seems to like schools that are in big cities.

So possibilities are:
A. UAB
B. Northern Illinois (Chicago)
C. Charlotte
D. GA State

Others:
E. BYU (viewers)
F. Southern Miss (history)

Up and comers:
G. North Texas
H. Buffalo

Don't think so: FIU or FAU

Who did I leave out?

N. Illinois isn't in Chicago. It's in farmland.

NIU is 65 miles from the middle of town. It's like going to an Auburn game from Birmingham, without the extra 90 miles.

(01-07-2019 09:39 AM)BlazerPhil Wrote:  

(01-06-2019 11:10 AM)BatesUAB Wrote:  

(01-05-2019 10:29 PM)SMUfan Wrote:  The AAC seems to like schools that are in big cities.

So possibilities are:
A. UAB
B. Northern Illinois (Chicago)
C. Charlotte
D. GA State

Others:
E. BYU (viewers)
F. Southern Miss (history)

Up and comers:
G. North Texas
H. Buffalo

Don't think so: FIU or FAU

Who did I leave out?

N. Illinois isn't in Chicago. It's in farmland.

NIU is 65 miles from the middle of town. It's like going to an Auburn game from Birmingham, without the extra 90 miles.

At the risk of getting into the geographical weeds, Auburn is only about 100 miles from Bham, not 155. So, it would be like going to an Auburn game from Birmingham, without the extra 35 miles. Which isn't a big difference. And I don't think anyone would make the claim that Auburn is in a big city. I could see the media market argument though. Chicago is, what, 3rd or 4th in the country?

I'd select NIU solely based on the non-assholedness of their fans.

The more time that passes before the next round of realignment, the more uncertainty of its results. The "superconference" talk has cooled a good bit as those affected may be unsure of being able to keep playing the G5 and less cupcake programs that are so important to their annual (always home game) bottom line. They know they can't get that deal from their fellow P5 programs. Even the neutral site P5 "money games" at major "dome" venues during the regular season may be threatened.

It may become like the roulette wheel barker says - "Round and round she goes, where she stops, nobody knows".