(10-04-2019 12:44 PM)goofus Wrote:  I like the idea of forming a new conference by taking the best of the G5 and independents.

Start with 10 teams only
UCF, USF, Cincy, Memphis, Houston, SMU,
BYU, Boise, SDSU, Col. St.

No service academies, no football only, no basketball schools.

If the money was there, to make a national coast-to-coast conference work, it would have been done already. It would have been done in 2012 (when Boise State/San Diego State were on-board, and when Air Force/Colorado State was rumored), and it would have been done last year in advance of the AAC TV deal with ESPN.

Since it has been shown that the money is not there, a national best of the rest conference is unlikely.

(10-04-2019 12:34 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(10-04-2019 12:20 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  

(10-04-2019 11:51 AM)Wedge Wrote:  

(10-03-2019 04:19 PM)panite Wrote:  

(10-03-2019 11:27 AM)stever20 Wrote:  If the AAC doesn't get the waiver, things will change in a hurry.

If that is the case maybe UConn FB will be asked to stay.

Use all the emojis you want, but consider this:

The AAC has not announced revised 2020 football schedules to account for UConn being removed from AAC schedules, and UConn has not announced any 2020 football games to replace their 8 AAC opponents.

Coincidence? Maybe not.

Whaaaaa???

The AAC has not released the 2020 schedule yet? In the middle of the 2019 football season? OH NO!!! WE'RE DOOMED!

No one is doomed. By the way, that also applies to UConn.

The point is, if the AAC was really nailing the door shut on UConn playing those AAC games in 2020, they could have released a new list of each team's 2020 conference opponents. Do it the way most conferences do, leave the finalizing of the date of each game for later, but announce each team's list of conference opponents for that season well in advance.

Maybe the AAC has other reasons. Or, maybe UConn playing their previously-scheduled AAC games in 2020 is still a possibility, especially if the NCAA decides to not let the AAC ignore the CCG rules that every other conference has to follow.

Maybe the AAC is waiting to hear back whether or not they'll get a championship game waiver for 11 teams. Since that would effect whether they have no divisions or 2 unbalanced division with 2 teams in the east playing twice, they couldn't release a schedule until that question is answered.

(10-04-2019 04:52 PM)ChrisLords Wrote:  

(10-04-2019 12:34 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(10-04-2019 12:20 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  

(10-04-2019 11:51 AM)Wedge Wrote:  

(10-03-2019 04:19 PM)panite Wrote:  If that is the case maybe UConn FB will be asked to stay.

Use all the emojis you want, but consider this:

The AAC has not announced revised 2020 football schedules to account for UConn being removed from AAC schedules, and UConn has not announced any 2020 football games to replace their 8 AAC opponents.

Coincidence? Maybe not.

Whaaaaa???

The AAC has not released the 2020 schedule yet? In the middle of the 2019 football season? OH NO!!! WE'RE DOOMED!

No one is doomed. By the way, that also applies to UConn.

The point is, if the AAC was really nailing the door shut on UConn playing those AAC games in 2020, they could have released a new list of each team's 2020 conference opponents. Do it the way most conferences do, leave the finalizing of the date of each game for later, but announce each team's list of conference opponents for that season well in advance.

Maybe the AAC has other reasons. Or, maybe UConn playing their previously-scheduled AAC games in 2020 is still a possibility, especially if the NCAA decides to not let the AAC ignore the CCG rules that every other conference has to follow.

Maybe the AAC is waiting to hear back whether or not they'll get a championship game waiver for 11 teams. Since that would effect whether they have no divisions or 2 unbalanced division with 2 teams in the east playing twice, they couldn't release a schedule until that question is answered.

OR...AAC typically releases the coming season's conference football schedule in February. It's four months too early to read anything into this particular dog not barking

(10-04-2019 05:20 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  

(10-04-2019 04:52 PM)ChrisLords Wrote:  

(10-04-2019 12:34 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(10-04-2019 12:20 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  

(10-04-2019 11:51 AM)Wedge Wrote:  Use all the emojis you want, but consider this:

The AAC has not announced revised 2020 football schedules to account for UConn being removed from AAC schedules, and UConn has not announced any 2020 football games to replace their 8 AAC opponents.

Coincidence? Maybe not.

Whaaaaa???

The AAC has not released the 2020 schedule yet? In the middle of the 2019 football season? OH NO!!! WE'RE DOOMED!

No one is doomed. By the way, that also applies to UConn.

The point is, if the AAC was really nailing the door shut on UConn playing those AAC games in 2020, they could have released a new list of each team's 2020 conference opponents. Do it the way most conferences do, leave the finalizing of the date of each game for later, but announce each team's list of conference opponents for that season well in advance.

Maybe the AAC has other reasons. Or, maybe UConn playing their previously-scheduled AAC games in 2020 is still a possibility, especially if the NCAA decides to not let the AAC ignore the CCG rules that every other conference has to follow.

Maybe the AAC is waiting to hear back whether or not they'll get a championship game waiver for 11 teams. Since that would effect whether they have no divisions or 2 unbalanced division with 2 teams in the east playing twice, they couldn't release a schedule until that question is answered.

OR...AAC typically releases the coming season's conference football schedule in February. It's four months too early to read anything into this particular dog not barking

^^^^
This.

It's (not even) the middle of the 2019 schedule... Geez.

Not only that, who knows what conversations are going on behind locked doors.

But as for UConn??? That ship has long since sailed. No blood, no foul, but UConn and the AAC have parted ways.

(10-04-2019 05:20 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  

(10-04-2019 04:52 PM)ChrisLords Wrote:  

(10-04-2019 12:34 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(10-04-2019 12:20 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  

(10-04-2019 11:51 AM)Wedge Wrote:  Use all the emojis you want, but consider this:

The AAC has not announced revised 2020 football schedules to account for UConn being removed from AAC schedules, and UConn has not announced any 2020 football games to replace their 8 AAC opponents.

Coincidence? Maybe not.

Whaaaaa???

The AAC has not released the 2020 schedule yet? In the middle of the 2019 football season? OH NO!!! WE'RE DOOMED!

No one is doomed. By the way, that also applies to UConn.

The point is, if the AAC was really nailing the door shut on UConn playing those AAC games in 2020, they could have released a new list of each team's 2020 conference opponents. Do it the way most conferences do, leave the finalizing of the date of each game for later, but announce each team's list of conference opponents for that season well in advance.

Maybe the AAC has other reasons. Or, maybe UConn playing their previously-scheduled AAC games in 2020 is still a possibility, especially if the NCAA decides to not let the AAC ignore the CCG rules that every other conference has to follow.

Maybe the AAC is waiting to hear back whether or not they'll get a championship game waiver for 11 teams. Since that would effect whether they have no divisions or 2 unbalanced division with 2 teams in the east playing twice, they couldn't release a schedule until that question is answered.

OR...AAC typically releases the coming season's conference football schedule in February. It's four months too early to read anything into this particular dog not barking

The AAC long ago released the list of each team's conference opponents for 2020, with the date of each game to be announced later. You can look them all up on the fbschedules.com site. Navy, for example, is scheduled for a 2020 home game against UConn.

UConn announced in June that they were leaving the AAC, but no changes have been announced to those 2020 conference matchups.

Might mean something. Might mean nothing. We'll have to wait and see.

(10-03-2019 02:16 AM)jedclampett Wrote:  There is active talk about how the AAC and ESPN will respond to the pending loss of UConn at the end of the current academic year.

The cards are being played very close to the vest, and there is very little information coming out of the AAC Commissioner's Office on this topic.

However, there have been a large number of stories either released, leaked, or discussed on university or conference message boards, indicating that the AAC office has been literally deluged with notifications of interest from universities wishing to join the AAC, in the wake of UConn's announced departure.

What do you think would be the AAC's best move at this point, in its partnership with ESPN (what would be best for the AAC and ESPN)?

Should the AAC simply replace UConn, or should they weigh the many other alternatives that may present themselves after hearing from dozens of G5 and independent D1/FBS universities?

Would it make sense to shoot higher, for perhaps 14, 15, or 16 member schools in an attempt to establish the AAC as the nation's 6th NCAA "Power Conference?"

If so, which schools could or should be added?

One option would be for the AAC to add 3 non-FB schools that are within its broad geographic footprint and 2 or 3 FB-only schools from regions west of the Mississippi River.

Another would be to start by adding a FB and a non-FB school, to replace UConn (e.g., VCU and Air Force (FB only)), and then wait before expanding to 14 for 2-3 years, presumably renegotiating media contracts at that point.

The most ambitious option would be to consider expanding to 16 member schools. However, this may be most iffy proposition, and it might not happen until the 12 year media deal expires, or until there is some kind of realignment between now and 2026.

What we know is this: There is going to be change in the AAC, no matter how closely the AAC Commissioner continues to play the cards to the vest, and no matter how long ESPN remains silent on the matter. The phone has been ringing off the hook in the AAC offices, and some kind of a decision is going to be made, because too much money is on the line, and because ESPN is about to lose a multi-million media market to FoxSports.

Are you high or drunk?
You made all of this up.

(10-04-2019 06:16 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(10-04-2019 05:20 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  

(10-04-2019 04:52 PM)ChrisLords Wrote:  

(10-04-2019 12:34 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(10-04-2019 12:20 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  Whaaaaa???

The AAC has not released the 2020 schedule yet? In the middle of the 2019 football season? OH NO!!! WE'RE DOOMED!

No one is doomed. By the way, that also applies to UConn.

The point is, if the AAC was really nailing the door shut on UConn playing those AAC games in 2020, they could have released a new list of each team's 2020 conference opponents. Do it the way most conferences do, leave the finalizing of the date of each game for later, but announce each team's list of conference opponents for that season well in advance.

Maybe the AAC has other reasons. Or, maybe UConn playing their previously-scheduled AAC games in 2020 is still a possibility, especially if the NCAA decides to not let the AAC ignore the CCG rules that every other conference has to follow.

Maybe the AAC is waiting to hear back whether or not they'll get a championship game waiver for 11 teams. Since that would effect whether they have no divisions or 2 unbalanced division with 2 teams in the east playing twice, they couldn't release a schedule until that question is answered.

OR...AAC typically releases the coming season's conference football schedule in February. It's four months too early to read anything into this particular dog not barking

The AAC long ago released the list of each team's conference opponents for 2020, with the date of each game to be announced later. You can look them all up on the fbschedules.com site. Navy, for example, is scheduled for a 2020 home game against UConn.

UConn announced in June that they were leaving the AAC, but no changes have been announced to those 2020 conference matchups.

Might mean something. Might mean nothing. We'll have to wait and see.

Are you really serious?

With the current 12-team, two-division structure, AAC rotates cross-division opponents every two years. And of course, in that two years, home and away alternate; within divsions, home-away alternates straight on through the cross-division games.

When the 2015 schedule was announced, in addition to all the details of 2015, we knew who we would play and where in 2016 but not specific dates. At that time, we knew who our cross-divisional opponents would be in 2017 & 2018 but not which would be home or away. We did know our home/away splits for in-division games in 2017 and 2018.
When the 2019 schedule was announced in February 2019, we knew our eight conference opponents and home/away splits for 2019 and 2020, including your example of UConn @ Navy.

Fbschedules.com isn't associated with the AAC or any other conference. They have managed to monetize the aggregation of conference/school press releases in one place.
Do you really think that fbschedules.com leaving up info from an eight month old press release -- when there has been no press release to the contrary or no release to update the 2020 situation -- is some kind of clue?!?

Really?

So you must not have actually attended Cal.

(10-04-2019 07:12 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  

(10-04-2019 06:16 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(10-04-2019 05:20 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  

(10-04-2019 04:52 PM)ChrisLords Wrote:  

(10-04-2019 12:34 PM)Wedge Wrote:  No one is doomed. By the way, that also applies to UConn.

The point is, if the AAC was really nailing the door shut on UConn playing those AAC games in 2020, they could have released a new list of each team's 2020 conference opponents. Do it the way most conferences do, leave the finalizing of the date of each game for later, but announce each team's list of conference opponents for that season well in advance.

Maybe the AAC has other reasons. Or, maybe UConn playing their previously-scheduled AAC games in 2020 is still a possibility, especially if the NCAA decides to not let the AAC ignore the CCG rules that every other conference has to follow.

Maybe the AAC is waiting to hear back whether or not they'll get a championship game waiver for 11 teams. Since that would effect whether they have no divisions or 2 unbalanced division with 2 teams in the east playing twice, they couldn't release a schedule until that question is answered.

OR...AAC typically releases the coming season's conference football schedule in February. It's four months too early to read anything into this particular dog not barking

The AAC long ago released the list of each team's conference opponents for 2020, with the date of each game to be announced later. You can look them all up on the fbschedules.com site. Navy, for example, is scheduled for a 2020 home game against UConn.

UConn announced in June that they were leaving the AAC, but no changes have been announced to those 2020 conference matchups.

Might mean something. Might mean nothing. We'll have to wait and see.

Are you really serious?

With the current 12-team, two-division structure, AAC rotates cross-division opponents every two years. And of course, in that two years, home and away alternate; within divsions, home-away alternates straight on through the cross-division games.

When the 2015 schedule was announced, in addition to all the details of 2015, we knew who we would play and where in 2016 but not specific dates. At that time, we knew who our cross-divisional opponents would be in 2017 & 2018 but not which would be home or away. We did know our home/away splits for in-division games in 2017 and 2018.
When the 2019 schedule was announced in February 2019, we knew our eight conference opponents and home/away splits for 2019 and 2020, including your example of UConn @ Navy.

Fbschedules.com isn't associated with the AAC or any other conference. They have managed to monetize the aggregation of conference/school press releases in one place.
Do you really think that fbschedules.com leaving up info from an eight month old press release -- when there has been no press release to the contrary or no release to update the 2020 situation -- is some kind of clue?!?

Really?

So you must not have actually attended Cal.

fbschedules.com having the previous (most recent) announcement is of course not significant by itself.

What might be significant is this: UConn announced they were leaving in June. But since that time, UConn has announced no new 2020 football games (though they have announced new games for seasons after 2020), and the AAC has not announced any revision to its 2020 football matchups that include UConn.

No matter what anyone thinks of UConn football, it's very doubtful that they're just sitting around assuming everything can fall into place sometime next year, given that they appear to have 8 vacancies on next year's football schedule.

Or, maybe things just move really, really slowly and nothing is going to happen on these issues until much closer to next fall. We'll have to wait and see.

Very interesting question has been raised:

Is the AAC putting itself in a bind by both informing the NCAA that UConn FB is being booted from the conference and then asking the NCAA for a waiver?

It's possible that the NCAA would decline the waiver - not because they have any objections to a waiver - simply because it doesn't want to take a controversial position by essentially endorsing the AAC's decision to boot UConn FB out of the conference.

Since the AAC rules do permit having a a FB-only team in the conference, the NCAA is put in an awkward position. If the NCAA grants the waiver, not only would they be granting their tacit approval to the AAC for "booting out" UConn's FB program, but they might be seen as setting a precedent by doing so.

If they set this precedent, the NCAA would essentially be broadcasting its willingness to allow any other conference to kick out a member school, without having any concern about being granted a waiver if needed.

For such reasons, it might be possible that the NCAA will deny the waiver requested by the AAC. It could even be remotely possible (though it seems unlikely) that the NCAA might even penalize the ACC unless they allow UConn back into the conference.

Having said all that, even if the NCAA doesn't grant the waiver, I would still be in favor of keeping the East-West divisional set up anyway, unless there are legal/contractual factors preventing the AAC from doing so.

Maybe this is why Aresco is maintaining the pretense (or at least keeping his lips sealed) that the AAC has no intention to add a team, given that BYU and Army (apparently) were the only potential candidates (and presumably, both declined).

I'd hate to see it happen, but perhaps it's possible that UConn will force the issue legally and force its way onto future AAC FB schedules as team #12 and FB only team #2).

Should that be the case, the silence and the secrecy would be all be more understandable, and we may be facing the prospect of having an unbalanced 12 FB teams (including reinstated UConn FB) and 11 teams for BB and all other sports.

Knowing how glacial the pace of change has been under Aresco, one can imagine that the AAC could be stuck at the current status quo for quite some time, just at the very time when the conference has a chance to move forward by adding VCU in 2020-21.

Jed is related to David

(10-03-2019 09:55 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  

(10-03-2019 02:16 AM)jedclampett Wrote:  What we know is this: There is going to be change in the AAC, no matter how closely the AAC Commissioner continues to play the cards to the vest, and no matter how long ESPN remains silent on the matter. The phone has been ringing off the hook in the AAC offices, and some kind of a decision is going to be made, because too much money is on the line, and because ESPN is about to lose a multi-million media market to FoxSports.

Wait, when did this happen?

In his mind, anywhere between 2 months and 24 hours ago.

(10-05-2019 12:07 AM)Pony94 Wrote:  Jed is related to David

You noticed, eh.

Number of links to back up OP's claim of talks: 0
Number of times DavidSt lists half of D2 as potential candidate for expansion: 1
Number of times we've talked about AAC expansion before the conference commish said they're staying at 11: Need a quantum computer to calculate that number

thread

(10-04-2019 11:57 PM)jedclampett Wrote:  Very interesting question has been raised:

Is the AAC putting itself in a bind by both informing the NCAA that UConn FB is being booted from the conference and then asking the NCAA for a waiver?

It's possible that the NCAA would decline the waiver - not because they have any objections to a waiver - simply because it doesn't want to take a controversial position by essentially endorsing the AAC's decision to boot UConn FB out of the conference.

I don't think the NCAA cares whether conferences boot schools out or not. That's between the conference and the school.

However, I have assumed all along that the NCAA would grant the AAC a waiver, on the grounds that the AAC didn't create their current situation, because UConn decided to leave, and a conference can't control that.

But I have unthinkingly forgotten that the waiver is being requested for football, having a CCG, and UConn did NOT leave the AAC in football. They wanted to remain, but the AAC kicked them out.

And because of that, I agree, the NCAA may be very leery about granting a waiver for a situation that the conference consciously chose to put itself in. Waivers, by their nature, are for events that "happen" to conferences and institutions that they couldn't control, not for conscious decisions to put yourself in violation of a rule.

UConn joined the AAC as a full member, they decided to give up that membership. The AAC did not boot them, they left of their own accord. The AAC would have to bring them back in as a FB only. There is no logical reason to do that. UConn gives the AAC nothing in football.

(10-04-2019 12:23 PM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  The top vote-getter by a large margin is to replace UConn with 1 all-sports member.

But who would it be? I don't see any school that stands out.

It's true that Toledo, Ohio, Northern Illinois, Georgia State, App State, or half of C-USA could plug the gap for us. But would any of them compete for a conference title in football more than once a decade? Would any of them (other than WKU, ODU, or MTSU) ever have a winning record in basketball?

More importantly, would any of them draw more eyes to the TV than the AAC bottom dwellers?

UAB

(10-03-2019 10:17 AM)YNot Wrote:  

(10-03-2019 08:46 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(10-03-2019 08:43 AM)MUsince96 Wrote:  I'd like to see the confirmation that MWC schools have placed phone calls to the AAC.

If I had to bet, I would say that (a) no MW schools have called the AAC, and (b) nobody from the AAC has called any MW schools.

To me, what seems evident is that the new AAC deal was not enough money to tempt any of the *desirable* MW schools to want to join the AAC, and on the other hand, I take Aresco at his word that the AAC is happy with 11 football members right now. Though that could change if they hit a snag with their CCG application.

No media contracts have yet been announced for either BYU or the MWC. And, there is no indication that ESPN wants anything more from the MWC other than Boise State and 10pm ET inventory. So, the MWC isn't getting anything close to AAC value in its next media deal. Boise State might get something close, but the rest of the MWC will share the leftovers, which likely wouldn't top $3M per year per school...and that's being generous.

I would be surprised if the AAC contract hasn't tempted any of the MWC schools to reach out....at least through ESPN or other back channels.

This. Except for BSU or Hawaii, what would the harm be if the amount of the contract is what is being predicted.

(10-05-2019 07:38 AM)goodknightfl Wrote:  UConn joined the AAC as a full member, they decided to give up that membership. The AAC did not boot them, they left of their own accord. The AAC would have to bring them back in as a FB only. There is no logical reason to do that. UConn gives the AAC nothing in football.

I think there are two inaccuracies here. First, UConn didn't "join" the AAC, they co-created it. Second, UConn indicated they wanted to remain in the AAC for football, but Aresco said "no". There was thus no need for UConn to "rejoin" the AAC, and had they remained, they would not have been subject to an entrance fee or anything else.

So the NCAA might see it that way.

(10-05-2019 07:38 AM)goodknightfl Wrote:  UConn joined the AAC as a full member, they decided to give up that membership. The AAC did not boot them, they left of their own accord. The AAC would have to bring them back in as a FB only. There is no logical reason to do that. UConn gives the AAC nothing in football.

UCONN was a full member the old Big East and remained with the other FB schools after the Catholic 7 left. Your school is the one that was invited to join.