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(06-22-2019 02:06 PM)bearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  Marshall, Dayton, VCU. Solves a lot of issues for the league. Rebuild the eastern block strong fan bases and regional opponents.

It solves issues for Cincinnati and Temple, but it doesn't really do anything to help the rest of the league. Also, Marshall has too limited of upside in my opinion. Although not ideal for us travel wise, there are schools in the south and west that have a lot more upside than Marshall.

Out west, I think you need to go large or not at all. The American has gained advantages over the Mountain West, but the conferences strengths are not so different you are going to easily get one member to leave all their geographical/historic rivals. You might convince a Colorado State or someone to go but even then they are kind of an outpost. If the move is west (unless you can convince BYU), I think the correct way is to expand the league to 16 or 18 and finish making the conference fully the top outside the power 5. That would make it easier to get the western members as it would be billed as a whole western division, and would leave the American light years over the Mountain West/Sun Belt/MAC/Confernce USA.

If the money doesnt work for that, it is not feasible, or is just wider than members want, then I think you stick to the east unless you can convince BYU (who has a national school feel). That is most likely, but I think the conference should at least relook at the idea of a big westernn move.

Toledo or UD? Great, let's add more regional competition for recruits! And we get to totally legitimize them as being on our same level. Sounds awesome!

If you go west Boise, SDSU, Colorado State, Gonzaga, BYU ( 4 game deal).

(06-22-2019 02:26 PM)TubaCat Wrote:  Toledo or UD? Great, let's add more regional competition for recruits! And we get to totally legitimize them as being on our same level. Sounds awesome! [/i]

That's a great point. Even though Cincinnati is a much better overall athletic program than those two, an enthusiastic recruiter at one of those schools in a better conference would definitely hurt us.

While I would love to add Toledo as I'd be able to see more Bearcats games in person...it wouldnt be a good add, and likely wouldnt pass the smell test for most every other team in the conference. I'm thinking that the way to go would be BYU/VCU or see what Boise thinks. I feel like the solution would be going FB only to balance that side. Without UConn, it would allow for a full 2 way schedule for BBall now I think.

I like Buffalo if it's both fb and bball over Toledo. Marshall also generally has a pretty good blend of fb and bball. Wv would likely not be happy about that as it would raise Marshall's profile.

(06-22-2019 02:31 PM)robertfoshizzle Wrote:  

(06-22-2019 02:26 PM)TubaCat Wrote:  Toledo or UD? Great, let's add more regional competition for recruits! And we get to totally legitimize them as being on our same level. Sounds awesome! [/i]

That's a great point. Even though Cincinnati is a much better overall athletic program than those two, an enthusiastic recruiter at one of those schools in a better conference would definitely hurt us.

Yep, perception is everything... and if people see UC and Toledo/UD in the same conference, we will be seen as peers by a lot of casual fans. It's nuts to want them in our conference.

(06-22-2019 02:39 PM)TubaCat Wrote:  

(06-22-2019 02:31 PM)robertfoshizzle Wrote:  

(06-22-2019 02:26 PM)TubaCat Wrote:  Toledo or UD? Great, let's add more regional competition for recruits! And we get to totally legitimize them as being on our same level. Sounds awesome! [/i]

That's a great point. Even though Cincinnati is a much better overall athletic program than those two, an enthusiastic recruiter at one of those schools in a better conference would definitely hurt us.

Yep, perception is everything... and if people see UC and Toledo/UD in the same conference, we will be seen as peers by a lot of casual fans. It's nuts to want them in our conference.

This. There are no good adds for football. Stay put. Uconn leaving actually improves the football product in the conference. Wish we never added Tulsa, Tulane and ECU.

(06-22-2019 02:38 PM)dsquare Wrote:  I like Buffalo if it's both fb and bball over Toledo. Marshall also generally has a pretty good blend of fb and bball. Wv would likely not be happy about that as it would raise Marshall's profile.

Marshall alone might be the answer.

How about Saint Louis? Not a powerhouse, but had respectable teams when given the opportunity to perform at a higher level in the Great Midwest and CUSA. Also adds another metropolitan area to what is basically a city schools conference.

Better to have fewer members than water down the conference more with weak add-ons.

(06-22-2019 02:38 PM)dsquare Wrote:  I like Buffalo if it's both fb and bball over Toledo. Marshall also generally has a pretty good blend of fb and bball. Wv would likely not be happy about that as it would raise Marshall's profile.

No... No it wouldn't. And WVU wouldn't care a bit, to be honest.

(06-22-2019 03:06 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  

(06-22-2019 02:38 PM)dsquare Wrote:  I like Buffalo if it's both fb and bball over Toledo. Marshall also generally has a pretty good blend of fb and bball. Wv would likely not be happy about that as it would raise Marshall's profile.

No... No it wouldn't. And WVU wouldn't care a bit, to be honest.

Marshall is poor academically, they don't fit our (mostly) urban institutions, they're in one of the few states losing population, and their fans - while dedicated - are about as parochial as they come in college football. No, no, no.

(06-22-2019 03:10 PM)geef Wrote:  

(06-22-2019 03:06 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  

(06-22-2019 02:38 PM)dsquare Wrote:  I like Buffalo if it's both fb and bball over Toledo. Marshall also generally has a pretty good blend of fb and bball. Wv would likely not be happy about that as it would raise Marshall's profile.

No... No it wouldn't. And WVU wouldn't care a bit, to be honest.

Marshall is poor academically, they don't fit our (mostly) urban institutions, they're in one of the few states losing population, and their fans - while dedicated - are about as parochial as they come in college football. No, no, no.

I tend to agree. My point is that WVU will not care a whit about Marshall being "called up" to the AAC. So any thought about "WVU would not be happy" needs to be banished from consideration. The only thing that would make "WVU not happy" would be Marshall being called up to the ACC...THAT would piss off WVU. But WVU won't care either way about the AAC and Marshall.

On a football related note, Edsall was starting to recruit and develop some of his trademark big-bodied OLinemen. I wonder if any of them will be looking to transfer after the season...

The new model is based on fan support. Marshall, Dayton, and VCU fit the bill. ESPN needs to sell ESPN plus subscriptions.

I am not worried about elevating someone else in our region. UC is still way ahead in terms of being included in an reconfigured Big XII.

What helps UC and the conference is stadiums and arenas full of fans. Marshall, Dayton, and VCU support their teams.

(06-22-2019 11:31 AM)cincy11 Wrote:  I think we should be trying to get in the Big East for basketball only too. AAC is fine for other sports but UCONN & UC (maybe Wichita) are the only big basketball names in the conference (despite their recent down years). Losing them is devastating, especially for people only casually paying attention.

I know others will name Houston, Memphis, UCF, etc. as quality basketball schools but they aren’t UCONN. Neither are VCU, Dayton or any of the other potential basketball replacements.

Hey Cincy11 ... Why not go with 'em. 12 team Big East !!! Football independent !!! Let's face it ... We're not UConn ...

(06-22-2019 03:32 PM)bearcatlawjd2 Wrote:  The new model is based on fan support. Marshall, Dayton, and VCU fit the bill. ESPN needs to sell ESPN plus subscriptions.

I am not worried about elevating someone else in our region. UC is still way ahead in terms of being included in an reconfigured Big XII.

What helps UC and the conference is stadiums and arenas full of fans. Marshall, Dayton, and VCU support their teams.

ESPN Plus Subscriptions and in-person fan support are entirely different. Marshall draws reasonably well, but their fans are concentrated in a small slice of a state that's losing population.

The news is making the rounds...

Quote:With a Big East move expected, UConn will not be welcome in AAC as football-only member

With the future of UConn football now up in the air with the school's planned move to the Big East for the 2020-21 seaason, a source told CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd on Saturday that the American Athletic Conference will not accept UConn as a football-only member. The Big East does not sponsor football as a conference, which would leave the Huskies program in limbo.

"I think they're under the assumption they're going to stay in our league [for football]," an AAC source told Dodd.

UConn does not plan to move its football program out of the FBS as it looks for a new home. One option is to become the seventh independent FBS team, joining Notre Dame, BYU, Army West Point, New Mexico State, UMass and Liberty.

Should UConn go through with its expected withdrawal from the AAC, the school would be subject to a $10 million buyout. High buyouts have not deterred others schools from changing conferences in the modern age of realignment. The $10 million figure could be negotiated, and some schools have challenged such buyouts in court.

UConn's move would affect the rest of its athletic programs. A source told CBS Sports' Gary Parrish this expected move is largely designed to help return men's basketball to the more familiar brand of the Big East. However, the women's basketball program would also prefer to leave the AAC, and Hall of Fame coach Geno Auriemma has privately pushed for the move as well, the source added.

The Big East has scheduled a call for early next week in which its presidents are expected to ratify UConn's return, a source close to the conference told CBS Sports' Matt Norlander. UConn's Board of Trustees has planned to vote and approve the move on Wednesday, but media reports may accelerate the timeline.

"I'd be surprised if this ends pretty," a second source told Norlander, noting that the AAC is not going to make this transition easy on the program. "... [The Huskies] never fully embraced the American."

A formal announcement of the Big East approving the return of UConn to the conference is planned for Thursday in New York at Madison Square Garden, a third source told Norlander.

The AAC's newly signed $1 billion TV deal with ESPN would not be negated by UConn's planned departure. An 11-team AAC would possibly require what was termed a "fair negotiation" of the contract, a source told Dodd.

UConn's departure from the AAC and the future landing spot for its football program could cause a mini-round of conference realignment, an on-campus source told Dodd. An 11-team AAC would make the league the FBS's second-smallest conference next to the Big 12.

If the AAC reached out for a 12th member, what are the options? There are few -- if any -- big name schools that would substantially add to the conference's bottom line.

Bye UConn