(05-26-2021 08:16 PM)Reverend Wrote:  Boise State was almost a member two years ago. It was real close...

That's very interesting. I'm not sure if the AAC fans ever got wind of that fact. Commissioner Aresco has had a penchant for playing his cards close to the vest.

(05-26-2021 08:16 PM)Reverend Wrote:  It was real close but the Big West was asking wayyyyy to much and they basically killed the deal.

One wonders what it might have been that they were asking way too much for, but it probably doesn't matter at this point.

There have been some who've wondered if Boise State might consider joining the WAC, now that Abilene Christian will be joining the WAC, giving them another NCAA-quality basketball program. It wouldn't be their best possible option, but the Broncos would have a pretty good chance of making it into the NCAA tournament most years, and Gonzaga has proven that even a relatively obscure western team from a relatively minor conference (which they were, a decade or so back) can have great success.

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It appears Big West is putting the financial screws to BSU just as BSU did to MWC. Who would have ever thought that BSU football status and future would be determined by schools like Long Beach State, Fullerton State, Cal Poly, etc?

(05-09-2021 11:40 AM)4xGrad Wrote:  

(05-09-2021 10:43 AM)Memphis Yankee Wrote:  

(05-09-2021 09:46 AM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  Someone should tell him those pictures of Idafo are pale comparisons of a dozen places within a 15 minute drive of Asheville NC.

Someone should tell you that he was making fun of Boise and the Boise guy wasn't making fun of anyone. Someone should also tell you that Asheville is 330 miles west of Greenville.

1) Photo of Idaho that is closer to Boise than Asheville is to Greenville by two hours.



2) Asheville



3) Greenville

I appreciate your clearing up the Greenville/Ashville issue for me. To be honest I haven't taken a "real" trip east of the Mississippi in 30 years. I need to get out more often. Too hard to leave home when ... yes that first pic is the type of scenery I see almost every weekend.

Idaho has been on the list for a long time. Lets do a H/H between App and BSU to settle this once and for all! I suggest the following for comparison:

1.Hiking/camping- of course the rockies have the wow factor, but there is something mysterious in the ancient nooks and crannies of the blue ridge
2. Mountain biking (although I need a long travel bike for the rockies , and full disclosure winkler creek area is good MTB but we'd have to go to Pisgah for the real NC MTB experience.
3. Fly fishing- Idaho clear winner but fishing in our streams is fun. Plus its good for a quick swim and jumping off some waterfalls, not as cold.
4. Beer. You're not going to beat Asheville, but I'll sample as many as possible anyway.
5. Football-oh yeah, that too.

(05-27-2021 01:14 PM)Tulsa Guy Wrote:  It appears Big West is putting the financial screws to BSU just as BSU did to MWC. Who would have ever thought that BSU football status and future would be determined by schools like Long Beach State, Fullerton State, Cal Poly, etc?

It would be interesting to know what kinds of financial concessions would be asking Boise State for in exchange for letting them play in their conference.

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Here's an interesting article with a somewhat different take on the possibilities for AAC expansion:

Where Does the AAC Turn in the Next Conference Realignment?

Ian Curtis - January 18, 2021.............EXCERPTS:

"It’s no secret that the American is striving to take up the Big East’s mantle as college football’s sixth power conference. A team from the AAC has been the Group of Five’s representative in the New Year’s Six in all but two years since the slot’s inception during the 2014 season (UCF’s two, along with one each for Memphis, Houston, and Cincinnati).

Potentially adding one or more of these teams could give the conference the “Power 6” status it has been so desperately craving. And let’s face it, football has been the driving force behind the American’s existence.

For the most part, these football-focused candidates are pretty obvious:

(1) Boise State: The Broncos are arguably the most successful non-power conference team in the past 15 years, and they’re the only non-AAC team not named Western Michigan to make a New Year’s Six bowl since the playoff system was created. They’ve been the cream of the non-power crop ever since they pulled off an individual historical-monument-named play, and the football benefits of adding them to the American are apparent. Boise has already discussed joining the AAC in football, but they would need to find a home for their other sports. If the Broncos can find a place for those teams, then I like the chances of this move happening in the next few years.

(2) BYU: ...they’ve got a football pedigree...and a passionate fanbase, something that the AAC would love to see in any new members...BYU has proven they can survive independently...This one could go either way, and it might depend on what happens between now and when the dominoes start to fall.

(3) App State: Ever since a certain sunny Saturday in September 2007, App State has named itself on the national scene as a football powerhouse...has continued their run of gridiron glory , winning six straight bowl games and several Sun Belt titles...In the past five seasons, the Mountaineers have defeated North Carolina and South Carolina and have forced a couple of top ten teams (2018 Penn State and 2016 Tennessee) into overtime East Carolina provides an immediate potential for a conference rivalry and App State does have a strong fanbase. ...if the AAC is looking for football-only members, it’s hard to find a more consistently successful program than the Mountaineers.

(4) Army: The question here is less if the AAC wants the Army as much as it is if Army wants the AAC. As it stands, the Black Knights have bowl tie-ins that rival the American’s, and I don’t see them taking the AAC up on their offer.

(5) San Diego State: The Aztecs add a decent football program and an excellent basketball program. But most importantly, they bring sunny San Diego, California. It’s nearly a million-and-a-half people, and just as many amenities for a college student to enjoy...arguably the best blend of location and total athletic success. A tempting target if you can get over the travel hurdle.

There are a few other schools out of the Mountain West that the AAC could attempt to add, such as (San Jose St.), UNLV, or Fresno State. I don’t see those non-Boise western additions happening (as full members, at least). But the possibility of stretching the American’s urban profile to San Diego, San Jose, or elsewhere in the warm West Coast sun is tantalizing enough to consider.

.


The AAC’s Urban Option

The conference is in a unique position within Division I athletics: A majority of its member institutions are located in major American cities, something no other conference can boast. So why not lean fully into that niche, and scoop up some more urban universities?

The obvious reward is television markets...market size might be enough to tip the scale in favor of urban candidates. But additional bonuses involve recruiting:

Say you’re a three-star recruit out of Small Town, USA. Your college choices are a middling Power Five team located in your standard, small-ish college town or an AAC school situated in the big city with all the things Small Town, USA never had.

So who might the conference target if they decide to take this urban approach?

San Jose State: The Trojans are basically San Diego State with less long-term athletic prestige in a slightly smaller city. They’re not as attractive of an addition as a team like the Aztecs, but SJSU would be a great compliment to any other western schools - - if they can prove that this year’s sudden football success was not a fluke.

Georgia State: Atlanta fits the profile like a glove. While the Panthers have not set the world of college football on fire, they have consistently made bowl game appearances in the past several years.

UAB: the 2020 C-USA champions have kept the flame burning brightly even after their stint in the spotlight began to fade. Since their football program returned from the grave in 2017, UAB has earned four bowl invites (including this year’s canceled Gasparilla Bowl) and won two C-USA titles. In terms of urban profile, Birmingham is no San Diego, but it isn’t Small Town, USA either. Blazer basketball may not be a regular tournament fixture, but they’re an above-average squad...they’d be less of a liability on that front than certain other potential candidates. Much like several other schools, adding UAB is worth taking a glance at but is by no means signed and sealed.

.

I’m predicting additions of at least one of either App State, Georgia State, or UAB. [i]I’d like to call my shot and say that the AAC adds one (at minimum) new football-only member in the next cycle. [/i]

...the American needs to hold onto its football prestige (especially if certain current members get poached), if not better it."

https://www.overtimeheroics.net/2021/01/...alignment/

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(05-28-2021 11:53 AM)jedclampett Wrote:  .

Here's an interesting article with a somewhat different take on the possibilities for AAC expansion:

Where Does the AAC Turn in the Next Conference Realignment?

Ian Curtis - January 18, 2021.............EXCERPTS:

"It’s no secret that the American is striving to take up the Big East’s mantle as college football’s sixth power conference. A team from the AAC has been the Group of Five’s representative in the New Year’s Six in all but two years since the slot’s inception during the 2014 season (UCF’s two, along with one each for Memphis, Houston, and Cincinnati).

Potentially adding one or more of these teams could give the conference the “Power 6” status it has been so desperately craving. And let’s face it, football has been the driving force behind the American’s existence.

For the most part, these football-focused candidates are pretty obvious:

(1) Boise State: The Broncos are arguably the most successful non-power conference team in the past 15 years, and they’re the only non-AAC team not named Western Michigan to make a New Year’s Six bowl since the playoff system was created. They’ve been the cream of the non-power crop ever since they pulled off an individual historical-monument-named play, and the football benefits of adding them to the American are apparent. Boise has already discussed joining the AAC in football, but they would need to find a home for their other sports. If the Broncos can find a place for those teams, then I like the chances of this move happening in the next few years.

(2) BYU: ...they’ve got a football pedigree...and a passionate fanbase, something that the AAC would love to see in any new members...BYU has proven they can survive independently...This one could go either way, and it might depend on what happens between now and when the dominoes start to fall.

(3) App State: Ever since a certain sunny Saturday in September 2007, App State has named itself on the national scene as a football powerhouse...has continued their run of gridiron glory , winning six straight bowl games and several Sun Belt titles...In the past five seasons, the Mountaineers have defeated North Carolina and South Carolina and have forced a couple of top ten teams (2018 Penn State and 2016 Tennessee) into overtime East Carolina provides an immediate potential for a conference rivalry and App State does have a strong fanbase. ...if the AAC is looking for football-only members, it’s hard to find a more consistently successful program than the Mountaineers.

(4) Army: The question here is less if the AAC wants the Army as much as it is if Army wants the AAC. As it stands, the Black Knights have bowl tie-ins that rival the American’s, and I don’t see them taking the AAC up on their offer.

(5) San Diego State: The Aztecs add a decent football program and an excellent basketball program. But most importantly, they bring sunny San Diego, California. It’s nearly a million-and-a-half people, and just as many amenities for a college student to enjoy...arguably the best blend of location and total athletic success. A tempting target if you can get over the travel hurdle.

There are a few other schools out of the Mountain West that the AAC could attempt to add, such as (San Jose St.), UNLV, or Fresno State. I don’t see those non-Boise western additions happening (as full members, at least). But the possibility of stretching the American’s urban profile to San Diego, San Jose, or elsewhere in the warm West Coast sun is tantalizing enough to consider.

.


The AAC’s Urban Option

The conference is in a unique position within Division I athletics: A majority of its member institutions are located in major American cities, something no other conference can boast. So why not lean fully into that niche, and scoop up some more urban universities?

The obvious reward is television markets...market size might be enough to tip the scale in favor of urban candidates. But additional bonuses involve recruiting:

Say you’re a three-star recruit out of Small Town, USA. Your college choices are a middling Power Five team located in your standard, small-ish college town or an AAC school situated in the big city with all the things Small Town, USA never had.

So who might the conference target if they decide to take this urban approach?

San Jose State: The Trojans are basically San Diego State with less long-term athletic prestige in a slightly smaller city. They’re not as attractive of an addition as a team like the Aztecs, but SJSU would be a great compliment to any other western schools - - if they can prove that this year’s sudden football success was not a fluke.

Georgia State: Atlanta fits the profile like a glove. While the Panthers have not set the world of college football on fire, they have consistently made bowl game appearances in the past several years.

UAB: the 2020 C-USA champions have kept the flame burning brightly even after their stint in the spotlight began to fade. Since their football program returned from the grave in 2017, UAB has earned four bowl invites (including this year’s canceled Gasparilla Bowl) and won two C-USA titles. In terms of urban profile, Birmingham is no San Diego, but it isn’t Small Town, USA either. Blazer basketball may not be a regular tournament fixture, but they’re an above-average squad...they’d be less of a liability on that front than certain other potential candidates. Much like several other schools, adding UAB is worth taking a glance at but is by no means signed and sealed.

.

I’m predicting additions of at least one of either App State, Georgia State, or UAB. [i]I’d like to call my shot and say that the AAC adds one (at minimum) new football-only member in the next cycle. [/i]

...the American needs to hold onto its football prestige (especially if certain current members get poached), if not better it."

https://www.overtimeheroics.net/2021/01/...alignment/

.

Considering GA ST, UAB & App St, can only hope it's App St. They are at least the best in their small sphere of influence. Most of the populations of Atlanta & Birmingham consider the other two, respectively, minor league programs just above club teams. That's just the way it is when you consider GA ST ST is a distant 3rd at best, to UGA & GA Tech in Atlanta and UAB virtually the same in Birmingham behind AL & Auburn. Frankly GA St & UAB are more well thought of across the country than in their home areas.