I vote for SUNY-Buffalo for these reasons:

1) They are the State Flagship school for the State of New York, and the only FBS university in the 440,000 enrollment State University of New York System.

2) They're an AAU/R1 university.

3) They would add a major conference university in the northeastern region, and would expand the conference's broadcasting footprint into the NYC area (21,000,000 population) and into New England.

4) They would be a good travel partner for Temple, Cincy, and Navy.

5) ESPN would benefit from having another FBS school in the NYC marketplace.

6) Buffalo has had a very strong MBB program in the past 5 years, and their FB program has played in a number of bowl games in recent years, and would improve the AAC's status in FB, because it is much stronger than UConn's FB program.

AAC is not going to add a northeastern or midwestern team. Look at where the news breaks, where Aresco shows up for radio interviews, which schools he talks about in public..... UCF, USF, Memphis, SMU, Houston.....

I hope the conference does not add Rice. We do not need another small school that has only 5,000 in the seat for football and 1,000 for hoops.

I would be fine with Buffalo, for many of the reasons Jed notes.

Like ODU, that is a program that could elevate with AAC membership.

(07-10-2020 07:25 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  AAC is not going to add a northeastern or midwestern team. Look at where the news breaks, where Aresco shows up for radio interviews, which schools he talks about in public..... UCF, USF, Memphis, SMU, Houston.....

I hope the conference does not add Rice. We do not need another small school that has only 5,000 in the seat for football and 1,000 for hoops.

Agree. And I respect Rice. But that add would simply not work well.

I voted other because I think the AAC, as a football-first conference, should select the best football program available and willing to join, and that is Appalachian State. VCU for non football, with App State's non football to the SoCon or CAA.

Also I voted this way because I'm being selfish.

I voted Marshall because they’re the best of those options. But App State would be my first option

(07-09-2020 11:30 AM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  But Buffalo's far-flung geography with no exceptional fan support to makeup for it eliminates them.

Fan support could be an issue--I think they were kinda banking on the Pegulas not saving the Bills and being left as the only football game in town--but the geography isn't *that* ridiculous.

(07-10-2020 08:14 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  I voted other because I think the AAC, as a football-first conference, should select the best football program available and willing to join, and that is Appalachian State. VCU for non football, with App State's non football to the SoCon or CAA.

Also I voted this way because I'm being selfish.

I would welcome your football program, MinR.

(07-10-2020 08:33 AM)bill dazzle Wrote:  

(07-10-2020 08:14 AM)Michael in Raleigh Wrote:  I voted other because I think the AAC, as a football-first conference, should select the best football program available and willing to join, and that is Appalachian State. VCU for non football, with App State's non football to the SoCon or CAA.

Also I voted this way because I'm being selfish.

I would welcome your football program, MinR.

Thanks.

If I had to bet on it, I'd pick UAB as most likely for reasons other have listed. Let the record show App State is 1-0 vs. The Blazers, though. It was a great game this oast bowl season. App did have a little luck on their side.

Forget it, the American will not add any of the above candidates.

Why would the App State join as football only and then join another conference for non-football?

(07-10-2020 09:24 AM)kevinwmsn Wrote:  Why would the App State join as football only and then join another conference for non-football?

My guess is the AAC wouldn't be interested in App as an all-sports member (their basketball isn't very good). An offset like VCU or Dayton gives them strong basketball, and usually a few other decent sports too, and there's no threat that they'll use backdoor their way into football by starting a program.

(07-10-2020 05:56 AM)ESE84 Wrote:  

(07-09-2020 07:25 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  Rice is a non-starter. There's a reason they weren't/aren't on the radar of the Commish and member institutions. The AAC already has Tulane, Tulsa and SMU as smaller, private research universities. Market, footprint-wise we already have Houston and SMU in Texas. Rice is also located in Houston. How's that Rice basketball program by the way? [crickets]. Personally, my preference is to stay at 11 members. To honor the OP, if I had to pick one from that list it would be UAB primarily for the past conference history, market location, facilities, and football and basketball upside.

Well, the women have won C-USA the past two years. Agree that the men remain a work in progress. But Mike Rhoades showed that it is possible to get 20-win men’s seasons on South Main.

I was not aware of either so thanks for the update. Looking at a comparison between the two sports of UAB and Rice over the past five seasons...

Football
UAB 36-29 [.554] 1 CUSA Chip, 1-2 Bowl Appearances
Rice 14-47 [.230] 0 Bowl Appearances

Basketball
UAB 102-64 [.614] 0 NCAA Appearances
Rice 70-92 [.432] 0 NCAA's

Performance, in particular in football, is a huge factor to consider. Investment in facilities is another. UAB has a $174 million new football stadium [45,000 capacity] coming on line in Fall 2021. I admit I don't know Rice's financial commitment to facilities but that is another big factor to consider. Again, with all due respect to Rice and to other institutions including UAB, there is a reason the AAC is sticking to 11 members for now.

None of this matters guys...

NIU called dibs, I heard it. So the rest of this conversation is moot. I eagerly await joining my brethren in the P6

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

(07-10-2020 10:00 AM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

(07-10-2020 05:56 AM)ESE84 Wrote:  

(07-09-2020 07:25 PM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  Rice is a non-starter. There's a reason they weren't/aren't on the radar of the Commish and member institutions. The AAC already has Tulane, Tulsa and SMU as smaller, private research universities. Market, footprint-wise we already have Houston and SMU in Texas. Rice is also located in Houston. How's that Rice basketball program by the way? [crickets]. Personally, my preference is to stay at 11 members. To honor the OP, if I had to pick one from that list it would be UAB primarily for the past conference history, market location, facilities, and football and basketball upside.

Well, the women have won C-USA the past two years. Agree that the men remain a work in progress. But Mike Rhoades showed that it is possible to get 20-win men’s seasons on South Main.

I was not aware of either so thanks for the update. Looking at a comparison between the two sports of UAB and Rice over the past five seasons...

Football
UAB 36-29 (34-19, not 36-29) [.554] (.660) 1 CUSA Chip, 1-2 Bowl Appearances
Rice 14-47 [.230] 0 Bowl Appearances

Basketball
UAB 102-64 [.614] 0 NCAA Appearances
Rice 70-92 [.432] 0 NCAA's

Performance, in particular in football, is a huge factor to consider. Investment in facilities is another. UAB has a $174 million new football stadium [45,000 capacity] coming on line in Fall 2021. I admit I don't know Rice's financial commitment to facilities but that is another big factor to consider. Again, with all due respect to Rice and to other institutions including UAB, there is a reason the AAC is sticking to 11 members for now.

FIFY

(07-10-2020 10:17 AM)HiddenDragon Wrote:  

(07-10-2020 10:00 AM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  Football
UAB 36-29 (34-19, not 36-29) [.554] (.660) 1 CUSA Chip, 1-2 Bowl Appearances
Rice 14-47 [.230] 0 Bowl Appearances

FIFY

According to several references [including UAB Won Loss Record]...

9-5 2019
11-3 2018
8-5 2017
6-6 2014
2-10 2013
36-29

If there's something I missed or if the reference is incorrect then I stand corrected.

(07-10-2020 10:34 AM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

(07-10-2020 10:17 AM)HiddenDragon Wrote:  

(07-10-2020 10:00 AM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  Football
UAB 36-29 (34-19, not 36-29) [.554] (.660) 1 CUSA Chip, 1-2 Bowl Appearances
Rice 14-47 [.230] 0 Bowl Appearances

FIFY

According to several references [including UAB Won Loss Record]...

9-5 2019
11-3 2018
8-5 2017
6-6 2014
2-10 2013
36-29

If there's something I missed or if the reference is incorrect then I stand corrected.

Nope, I didn't include the 2013 season, but you can understand why I did that......lol.

(07-10-2020 09:25 AM)Cyniclone Wrote:  

(07-10-2020 09:24 AM)kevinwmsn Wrote:  Why would the App State join as football only and then join another conference for non-football?

My guess is the AAC wouldn't be interested in App as an all-sports member (their basketball isn't very good). An offset like VCU or Dayton gives them strong basketball, and usually a few other decent sports too, and there's no threat that they'll use backdoor their way into football by starting a program.

This. Multiple ADs have confirmed that we're looking for a football add. Full sports would be considered if necessary, but it won't be a "add x school for football, then go find a basketball school too" situation. If we are forced to add, and can solve the football issue, then we'd call it quits with that.

I like App, but the market is tiny. I agree with others that media market is getting less and less important, but recruiting market is still a big deal. And yes, I know App fans will say that they can deliver the Charlotte market just like ECU told the Big 12 we could deliver all of NC, but the games need to be played in that actual market.

Rice would be a quality add if we weren't already in the Houston market.

I miss Southern Miss and Marshall being on the schedule, but they are capped out budget-wise and the recruiting grounds aren't that strong.

ODU is in a location that ECU recruits pretty heavily, and the VT series was a good annual matchup to capture tidewater eyeballs. But, selfishly, they are already a good regional OOC opponent for us, and we're better served sitting firmly between them and VT on the recruiting pecking order.

I see a lot of Buffalo talk, but they would be a geographic outlier when the climate seems to be shifting to tighter knit conferences where possible. Adding Buffalo would be going in the opposite direction. This also starts to be an argument against the MWC teams.

With that said, and assuming all the assumptions like every halfway decent team isn't interested, then (dare I say it) Georgia State is an option. We all recruit Atlanta pretty hard, and can't all get games with Georgia Tech every year. UNCC is in the same boat, but Atlanta is the better recruiting market and (again selfishly), they are already a decent regional OOC game for us and we appreciate the leg up in recruiting.

In summary, I'd personally like:
-an out-of-state team
-in a great recruiting market
-that the AAC is not already in
-within the AAC footprint

(07-10-2020 10:34 AM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

(07-10-2020 10:17 AM)HiddenDragon Wrote:  

(07-10-2020 10:00 AM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  Football
UAB 36-29 (34-19, not 36-29) [.554] (.660) 1 CUSA Chip, 1-2 Bowl Appearances
Rice 14-47 [.230] 0 Bowl Appearances

FIFY

According to several references [including UAB Won Loss Record]...

9-5 2019
11-3 2018
8-5 2017
6-6 2014
2-10 2013
36-29

If there's something I missed or if the reference is incorrect then I stand corrected.

Hey, if we get 2014 (8-5 including Armed Forces bowl win over Air Force) and 2013 (10-4 and C-USA champions), Rice looks better, too. Not at all sure how athletic director Joe Karlgaard and football coach David Bailiff let Rice Football become the dumpster fire it was in 2017 and 2018, but we’ll have that Mike Bloomgren 3-game winning streak at the end of 2019 until the next game is played.

(07-10-2020 10:43 AM)HiddenDragon Wrote:  

(07-10-2020 10:34 AM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  

(07-10-2020 10:17 AM)HiddenDragon Wrote:  

(07-10-2020 10:00 AM)UCGrad1992 Wrote:  Football
UAB 36-29 (34-19, not 36-29) [.554] (.660) 1 CUSA Chip, 1-2 Bowl Appearances
Rice 14-47 [.230] 0 Bowl Appearances

FIFY

According to several references [including UAB Won Loss Record]...

9-5 2019
11-3 2018
8-5 2017
6-6 2014
2-10 2013
36-29

If there's something I missed or if the reference is incorrect then I stand corrected.

Nope, I didn't include the 2013 season, but you can understand why I did that......lol.

The good news for UAB is that poor season was from 2013. Better times ahead.