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Lets have a debate about the future of UAB Athletics. To say we are in peril times would be an understatement. We know the history of CUSA and the shell of a conference it used to be. The leadership of this conference is pretty much nonexistent and financially CUSA is in really bad shape.

Many of you here crave for UAB to eventually become a member of the AAC preferably in its current configuration. Count me as skeptical on that happening. That said, where do you think UAB will be conference wise within the next five years?

And I know many of you will respond through green and gold glasses but I do ask that you try to have grounded and realistic responses along with your wishful comments.

I think within the next five years the P5 will split from the rest of college football and UAB is in the position of hoping for two long shots: that UAB gets invited to the AAC, and that the AAC then gets invited to be a part of the current P5 making the split.

The way I see it we will end up in a reconfiguration of the Sun Belt and CUSA or a stripped down version of the AAC. I also agree that the P5 will probably break away from the rest of us.

I voted CUSA based on our current fan support/athletic revenue state and how I believe future realignment will unfold. I think that both the attendance/athletic revenue will greatly improve the next few years, assuming covid effects fade and on field/on court success continues.


However, I don’t believe that we will pay an exit fee to leave CUSA for a watered down AAC. I am one of those that sees the future creation of four 16 team super conferences that split off to form their own league. The AAC, in my opinion, would probably be gutted by the realignment, reducing its attraction.

I see any of the above happening. My thoughts run along with a reconfiguration involving the best of what is not in or invited to a power 5 vying for a seat at the closest table. UAB might try to align with schools with similar interests. Not typical college towns. Bigger cities. Decent air travel for multitude of teams traveling for events.
The power5 may form a super league, but I think that will help the NFL and hurt college athletics. The built in advantages that some schools have will detract from the product but the powers that be will not let that power go.
The Green and Gold glasses are always on!
Great question and poll. I went with AAC without some of it’s prominent members.

The Power 5 will only split away from the rest IF THEY CAN CONTINUE to use G5 teams as schedule "fluffers". If they can only play each other, they won't leave or separate from the NCAA. They value being able to count 1/3 to 1/4 of their annual schedule as almost guaranteed WINS. Can the G5 schools reject being the P5's 'harlots" just to get its millions? If they won't continue to "roll over" for P5 money, then the P5 may separate, but that is a big bullet to bite for both sides.

Major realignments are probably on hold until the COVID AGE is finally over and past. The obvious first move will likely be the BIG 12 expanding back to its name or larger. The likely victim will be the AAC which will hold off adding teams until it knows what the BIG 12 is doing. Once the dominoes begin to fall, things will get dicey for a few seasons. If UAB's revenue sports can hold together for a few years while increasing funding on a tens of million $$ scale,, we may well be able to join a newly constituted league of major urban universities from existing G5 league teams. I see schools moving back toward more geographically centric leagues with an emphasis on schools with "deep pockets"..

Realignment in a general sense is tied to the existing P5 TV contracts. As those expire we'll see how the dominoes fall. We need to continue to sell season tickets, put butts in seats, and hope that football and MBB continue on their current arcs, and we need to give as much financial support to athletics as possible to help facilitate that.

My personal preference is the AAC in its current configuration, but there's no way to know how long that continues to hold.

We are stuck here

I've always thought that when all the realignment music stops, is that it'll be more of the east/west teams of cusa/sb will split/merge w/ each other for fiscal survival. Although I'd like for us to be in the AAC & possibly have what was said above that we ride coattails into what happens next. I don't think the P5 will truly split & become a semi professional league out from under the NCAA as they'll then start to infringe on the professional leagues & they don't take kindly to others stepping in to their monopoly not to mention the tax bills they'll be hit with if they try to go pro.

Combining some Sunbelt and C-USA teams.

If there was a second choice, it would be AAC but some teams left off like Tulsa.

(03-17-2021 02:20 PM)C-Finder Wrote:  Combining some Sunbelt and C-USA teams.

If there was a second choice, it would be AAC but some teams left off like Tulsa.

I posted this in the CUSA board.
There's a Reddit thread "What should Conference USA do to brand itself moving forward?"

https://old.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/m6...nd_itself/

My take:

1. The AAC will move heaven and high water to get Boise, SDSU, and possibly Air Force and BYU to join.
2. If #1 doesn't happen and the Big 12 does not expand then I believe the AAC will stand pat.

And if the above happens the only way I can see UAB getting in the AAC with the current teams is if they add value to the conference and not be a detriment to the current TV contract. The only thing I see missing from UAB's perspective is a big time win or two over a good P-5 program. The stadium and CUSA championships are definitely a positive for UAB. However, getting blown out by P5 programs isn't a good look. Personally, I think it will be very difficult for UAB to get into the AAC with their current members.

That said, I see either UAB still being in CUSA or possibly a watered down version of the AAC in the next five years.

A little disappointed that we're not hearing from those who thinks why UAB will be in the AAC as it stands today.

if we want to get into the AAC we need to make the NCAA tourney regularly and win some games. that brings more value than a couple of random P5 wins. in the next few years UAB will have competitive facilities and the best non P5 football stadium in the country. the only missing piece is basketball success.

Crazy to think we used to beat Houston pretty regularly and now theyre in the Final 4. Thats what a good conference does.

(03-16-2021 07:48 AM)HiddenDragon Wrote:  Lets have a debate about the future of UAB Athletics. To say we are in peril times would be an understatement. We know the history of CUSA and the shell of a conference it used to be. The leadership of this conference is pretty much nonexistent and financially CUSA is in really bad shape.

Many of you here crave for UAB to eventually become a member of the AAC preferably in its current configuration. Count me as skeptical on that happening. That said, where do you think UAB will be conference wise within the next five years?

And I know many of you will respond through green and gold glasses but I do ask that you try to have grounded and realistic responses along with your wishful comments.

In all honesty, UAB will stay put until both the football team and basketball team begins to occasionally win games against P5 teams.

In 3 years if we find ourselves in a similar conf situation as now, it won’t be because we got shut out by someone. We will have 100% done it to ourselves. Take from that whatever you will. Add a dollar and it might get you a taco at a food truck.

(03-30-2021 11:16 PM)BlazintheAtl1 Wrote:  Crazy to think we used to beat Houston pretty regularly and now theyre in the Final 4. Thats what a good conference does.

It helps when you have the likes of Tilman Fertitta stroking checks to the university. That's transformative.

Kelvin Sampson

For us to get into the AAC , we just need
More boosters and money, money and boosters, also more boosters and money. But we might get in with more boosters and money.

So to sum this up, more boosters and money