(09-24-2019 02:46 PM)YNot Wrote:  

(09-24-2019 02:35 PM)Once a Knight... Wrote:  

(09-23-2019 09:37 PM)Shox Wrote:  

(09-23-2019 05:12 PM)jedclampett Wrote:  

(09-23-2019 10:26 AM)Native Georgian Wrote:  Totally different equations.

Air Force may or may not leave the MWC, but the fact they didn’t get things worked out with the Big <XII a while back, really has nothing to do with whether they can get things worked out with AAC now or in the near-future.

Agree. AFA FB might not have been a good fit for the bruising Big 12, but would be a better fit in the AAC, where they could be competitive, and could be in the same division as Navy.

If AFA were to join the AAC, presumably in FB only, there might be an added incentive for Army, currently reluctant to join any conference, to come aboard the AAC (FB). That could really be something:

AAC West (with service academies):

Houston
SMU
Army
Navy
Air Force
Tulsa
Memphis or Tulane to the AAC East to replace UConn.


Assuming that Army remains out of the picture, one interesting issue is whether any of the desirable MWC FB schools would be willing to join the AAC for FB only, or in the case of SDSU, for FB and MBB only.

These divisions will never work as those schools are not going to sign off on having to play 3 academies a year. Best case is to find a way to go no divisions and guarantee no school will have to play more than two Academies a season.

In addition to get BYU you will have pair them with Boise. They are clearly the two best programs in the west not in the PAC 12.. They also pull the best ratings by far out of that same group. Now to make the above two work you need a bridge, and the only logical bridge is AFA. However to get the AFA, you would need to add CSU as well to make it work. AFA can park it's Olympics in the Summit and would likely flourish there and would also have a close new rival in Denver. The Summit is a rising mid major conference and undoubtedly has one of the best attended mid major conference basketball tournaments.

Instead of bridge with AFA could you possibly bridge with CSU (if AFA would not join)?

If it's football only, you don't need a bridge. But, I believe Air Force and Army would be a home run for the AAC.

CCG deregulation would be a huge benefit to any sort of expansion...then you wouldn't need strict divisional schedules and allow for some really awesome football matchups all season long.

Even football only it might be nice to have a bridge (if more than 1 out west). But only one (say BYU or AF for example), don't think it's necessary.

(09-23-2019 09:48 AM)bearcat29 Wrote:  My guess is the teams that currently want in the AAC are the teams we don't currently want/need.

BYU isn't coming. AF turned down the B12 years ago, doubt they are rushing to play in the American. Army is playing good ball but can't play a full schedule in the AAC year in and year out.

Bottom line AAC will expand when a team in the footprint is good enough to force the conference's hand (OD or GSU etc) or they lose members to P5.

Why do you say that Army can't play a full AAC schedule year in and year out when Navy is playing a full AAC schedule now?

I have always felt that Air Force was a better addition that CSU simply because it has a larger national appeal and it fits into the narrative of the "American"... plus Army has said it sees advantages to being in the same conference as the other two. I honestly think that if the long term goal is to get Army (who has a great national appeal), then securing Air Force is the first step.

The secondary advantage of getting Air Force is it weakens the MWC, which makes it even easier to raid other pieces. So if we secure Air Force, then we make an offer to Army or Boise St. Both would be football only invites. If both want to come, then we have to come up with a 14th member. Of course at that point we go back to BYU and try to work something out.

If BYU continues to say no, then we look at CSU and SDSU.

But I still really feel the key to this whole thing is getting Air Force. Its the initial shot that has to be fired and the dominoes will begin to fall from there. If we ended up with nothing more than Air Force as #12, then its a win... but I think we could get Army an Boise St too, which would make us the defacto P6 and move this conference into full legitimacy. (and if BYU then comes over, the debate is all but over... we are P6)