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Is the "Major 7" in danger of being displaced by the "Power 6" in college basketball?
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jedclampett Offline
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MyBB Is the "Major 7" in danger of being displaced by the "Power 6" in college basketball?
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There have been some reports on today's message boards that the American was not included in a list of basketball "power conferences" presented on ESPN in their reporting on the Sweet Sixteen teams in the NCAA tournament.

In addition, although it hasn't received much discussion since it was published in 2020, an "ESPN Insider" wrote an opinion piece with a title suggesting that the network may not be referring to the American as a "Major 7" conference:

"Why the term 'Power 5' should actually be 'Power 6' when it comes to men's college basketball"

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basket...basketball

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It's too soon to know whether the term "Major 7" is in danger of being replaced with the term "Power 6" more widely in discussions about college basketball, but it may be worth bearing in mind that the American only began to be referred to as a "Major 7" conference around 2017, when it became known that Wichita State would be joining the conference.

"Adding Wichita State means the AAC must now be counted as a 'Major 7' conference"

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basket...onference/

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After sending 4 teams to the NCAA tourney in 2019, the conference has had lackluster seasons in 2019-20 and 2020-21, due in part to coaching issues and transitions at Cincy, Wichita State, and Temple, with only 2 or at most 3 potential NCAA teams per season.

In addition, the conference has hit a couple of speed bumps this season:

1) This is the first year in which only one AAC team had a seeding high enough to guarantee a game in the first full round of 64 teams.

2) The 2021 tournament was the first since the inception of the AAC in which only one conference team played in the first round of the tourney.

3) This is the first time since the inception of the AAC that three or more non-A5 conferences have had more teams in the first round than the American has had.

--The Big East (4 teams), Atlantic 10 (2 teams), MWC (2 teams), MVC (2 teams), and WCC (2 teams) all had more teams than the AAC had in the first round of the 2021 conference.

...................................................................................................

With facts such as these to deal with, the only facts that support the proposition that the 2020-21 AAC should have been considered a "major" basketball conference are these:

-The AAC was still the #7 conference in the 2020-21 rankings.

-The AAC received as many or more NCAA and NIT bids as any other non-A5 conference other than the Big East did, and has had as many teams in the two 2021 tourneys as the Atlantic 10, MWC, and Big East has (by virtue of the fact that 3 Big East teams turned down NIT invitations).

-Among the non-A5 conferences, the AAC had the second-highest ranked team in the NCAA tournament.

-Whether or not a conference's status as a "Major" or "mid-major" conference is usually thought of as an evaluation that takes place over 5 or 10 seasons, and shouldn't necessarily be affected by one or two sub-par seasons.

...................................................................................................

These points may be enough to convince most of us that the AAC should still be considered a "Major 7" conference, but will the important question is whether they'll be found convincing enough by sports journalists and college fans around the nation.

...................................................................................................

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(This post was last modified: 03-23-2021 03:57 PM by jedclampett.)
03-23-2021 03:34 PM
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jedclampett Offline
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RE: Is the "Major 7" in danger of being displaced by the "Power 6"...
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................................................................................................

Will ESPN's apparent shift away from the term "Major 7" have an adverse effect on the prestige and status of the American as a basketball conference?

If the arguments in support of the view that the American should continue to be thought of as a "Major 7" conference, are the best that fans of the conference can come up with, it probably shouldn't come as a surprise that ESPN decided not to refer to the American as a "power" conference in yesterday's discussion of the sweet sixteen teams.

It may be unfortunate in this case, but ESPN is an opinion leader in sports journalism, and it's likely that some others may follow their lead, though there may be some that continue to refer to the American as a "Major 7" conference for another year or two.

If the conference has another year or two like 2020-21, it's likely that fewer and fewer MBB fans will refer to the American as a "Major 7" conference, or that the term "Power 6" will supplant "Major 7."

...................................................................................................

Can the American bolster its status as a "Major 7" within the next two seasons - - in its current form, as an 11-team conference?

Looking ahead to next season or two, it's possible that the conference could do some catching-up by sending 3 teams to the next NCAA tournament, but with the uncertainties at Cincy, Wichita, and SMU, there might only be two that make it that far.

Could the American send 4 teams to the 2022-23 tournament? It's might be possible, but it might be a stretch, and by then, continuing to send 2 or 3 teams to the NCAA might cause the AAC to be referred to as a basketball "mid-major," on a par with the A-10, in more and more circles.

Nor is this a trivial matter. If more and more people start describing the American as a mid-major basketball conference, or excluding it from the list of "power" basketball conferences, it will begin to have an adverse effect on recruiting, viewership, and broadcasting revenues.

...................................................................................................

Q: What can be done to give the American the boost that it needs in order to re-affirm its status as a "Major" or "Power" basketball conference?

A: If the 11 schools in the conference can't get at least 3 or 4 teams into the 2022 and 2023 NCAA tournaments, then the only option may be to fill the gap left by UConn with one of the top 2 or 3 basketball schools in the nation. The top two options appear to be VCU and Dayton, which is poised for a major resurgence.


Commissioner Aresco appeared to be very hopeful and enthusiastic about the prospect of replacing UConn and possibly even expanding to 14 teams in his most recent interviews, a few weeks ago, although his optimism was expressed in the context of discussing the possibility of an expansion to an 8-team CFP series that might attract some western FB programs.

Whether or not he is equally optimistic or determined about taking steps to bolster the AAC's status as a basketball conference remains to be seen. We may learn something new in the coming weeks, but for now, perhaps all we can hope for is that he's just as eager to strengthen the basketball side of the conference as he is about AAC football.

...................................................................................................

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(This post was last modified: 03-23-2021 04:04 PM by jedclampett.)
03-23-2021 03:54 PM
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quo vadis Offline
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RE: Is the "Major 7" in danger of being displaced by the "Power 6"...
(03-23-2021 03:34 PM)jedclampett Wrote:  There have been some reports on today's message boards that the American was not included in a list of basketball "power conferences" presented on ESPN in their reporting on the Sweet Sixteen teams in the NCAA tournament.

The consensus for a while has been that hoops has a P6, and the AAC is not in that group. Beliefs that the AAC has all along been included with the top group are wishful thinking based on cherry-picked references.

We should be, we have all the tools to be the equal of the new Big East on the court, and that was the expectation when the split occurred, but it has not happened that way.

The AAC in hoops is pretty much what it is in football, the best of the non-power leagues. Again, this has been a big disappointment, because the components are there for a power-level hoops league, in terms of performance.
(This post was last modified: 03-23-2021 04:17 PM by quo vadis.)
03-23-2021 04:13 PM
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Fishpro10987 Offline
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RE: Is the "Major 7" in danger of being displaced by the "Power 6"...
(03-23-2021 04:13 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  
(03-23-2021 03:34 PM)jedclampett Wrote:  There have been some reports on today's message boards that the American was not included in a list of basketball "power conferences" presented on ESPN in their reporting on the Sweet Sixteen teams in the NCAA tournament.

The consensus for a while has been that hoops has a P6, and the AAC is not in that group. Beliefs that the AAC has all along been included with the top group are wishful thinking based on cherry-picked references.

We should be, we have all the tools to be the equal of the new Big East on the court, and that was the expectation when the split occurred, but it has not happened that way.

The AAC in hoops is pretty much what it is in football, the best of the non-power leagues. Again, this has been a big disappointment, because the components are there for a power-level hoops league, in terms of performance.

The conference is only a half dozen years old. The next youngest conference (BE) has been around for 40 years. We have a way to go, but being right under the top 5 or 6 is not bad off the bat. Win a few titles in BB and make noise in college football, and we will get begruding respect.
03-23-2021 04:46 PM
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jedclampett Offline
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RE: Is the "Major 7" in danger of being displaced by the "Power 6" in college basketball?
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Really glad that I put Fishpro on my ignore list. As a fisherman, he knows a lot about trolling, but fortunately, it doesn't matter, because there are enough of us who prefer thoughtful discussions to trash-talking.

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(This post was last modified: 03-23-2021 05:49 PM by jedclampett.)
03-23-2021 05:49 PM
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Sea Pirate Offline
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RE: Is the "Major 7" in danger of being displaced by the "Power 6"...
(03-23-2021 04:46 PM)Fishpro10987 Wrote:  
(03-23-2021 04:13 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  
(03-23-2021 03:34 PM)jedclampett Wrote:  There have been some reports on today's message boards that the American was not included in a list of basketball "power conferences" presented on ESPN in their reporting on the Sweet Sixteen teams in the NCAA tournament.

The consensus for a while has been that hoops has a P6, and the AAC is not in that group. Beliefs that the AAC has all along been included with the top group are wishful thinking based on cherry-picked references.

We should be, we have all the tools to be the equal of the new Big East on the court, and that was the expectation when the split occurred, but it has not happened that way.

The AAC in hoops is pretty much what it is in football, the best of the non-power leagues. Again, this has been a big disappointment, because the components are there for a power-level hoops league, in terms of performance.

The conference is only a half dozen years old. The next youngest conference (BE) has been around for 40 years. We have a way to go, but being right under the top 5 or 6 is not bad off the bat. Win a few titles in BB and make noise in college football, and we will get begruding respect.

Agree- the AAC has done well considering it’s youth. ESP in football. That said, the “power” label doesn’t mean as much in basketball where every conference has access to the national tournament. Not the same in football where they restrict the access-
03-26-2021 07:55 AM
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BearcatMan Offline
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RE: Is the "Major 7" in danger of being displaced by the "Power 6"...
Ah, the old "devaluing our own property as we're in the midst of contract re-negotiation" tactic...smart move ESPN, especially after all of the cash you shoveled into the NFL this month.
03-26-2021 09:01 AM
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geosnooker2000 Offline
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RE: Is the "Major 7" in danger of being displaced by the "Power 6"...
(03-26-2021 09:01 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Ah, the old "devaluing our own property as we're in the midst of contract re-negotiation" tactic...smart move ESPN, especially after all of the cash you shoveled into the NFL this month.

Not only are you on to something important, I appreciate that you could express it in 2 sentences instead of a wall of text. +3
03-26-2021 09:19 AM
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Westhoff123 Offline
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Is the "Major 7" in danger of being displaced by the "Power 6" in college basketball?
(03-26-2021 09:19 AM)geosnooker2000 Wrote:  
(03-26-2021 09:01 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Ah, the old "devaluing our own property as we're in the midst of contract re-negotiation" tactic...smart move ESPN, especially after all of the cash you shoveled into the NFL this month.

Not only are you on to something important, I appreciate that you could express it in 2 sentences instead of a wall of text. +3


Careful you might awaken the one poster who makes us all have to scroll for 3 minutes.


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03-26-2021 09:32 AM
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Cubanbull1 Offline
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RE: Is the "Major 7" in danger of being displaced by the "Power 6"...
(03-26-2021 09:01 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Ah, the old "devaluing our own property as we're in the midst of contract re-negotiation" tactic...smart move ESPN, especially after all of the cash you shoveled into the NFL this month.

True, but as has been shown repeatedly basketball is not the main driver in tv contract money and while the AAC has struggled to do as expected in basketball it has outperformed in the big money maker football.

It has taken 5 out of 7 the NY6 bowl bid and four straight years. And had teams in top 10 in some of those years.

So I think the AAC is on strong footing in dealing with ESPN on any re- negotiations
03-26-2021 09:34 AM
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BearcatMan Offline
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Post: #11
RE: Is the "Major 7" in danger of being displaced by the "Power 6"...
(03-26-2021 09:34 AM)Cubanbull1 Wrote:  
(03-26-2021 09:01 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Ah, the old "devaluing our own property as we're in the midst of contract re-negotiation" tactic...smart move ESPN, especially after all of the cash you shoveled into the NFL this month.

True, but as has been shown repeatedly basketball is not the main driver in tv contract money and while the AAC has struggled to do as expected in basketball it has outperformed in the big money maker football.

It has taken 5 out of 7 the NY6 bowl bid and four straight years. And had teams in top 10 in some of those years.

So I think the AAC is on strong footing in dealing with ESPN on any re- negotiations

It does factor in though...that, coupled with what I would only assume are dismal basketball ratings due to the ESPN+ relegation, is more than enough to cut 10%-15% off of the per-school rate. They're essentially arguing that our basketball conference is no more or less valuable than the WCC now.
03-26-2021 11:29 AM
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bill dazzle Offline
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RE: Is the "Major 7" in danger of being displaced by the "Power 6" in college basketball?
As I have posted many times, in men's college hoops there is the P5 (the big five comprehensive leagues), then the Big East (which I consider a "power" conference but generally not as strong top to bottom as the P5), then the AAC (which I consider a "major" conference) and then the MWC, A10, WCC, C-USA and MVC, each of which is "sufficiently major" but not quite on the level of the American. All the other DI leagues are mid-major to low-major in men's hoops.

Overall, the AAC has been a "major" (pun intended) disappointment in men's basketball since its formation. In contrast, it has overachieved in football and, to an extent, in baseball.

There are various individual programs not in the P6 that are high-major (Gonzaga, Houston, Memphis, Cincy, Dayton, UNLV, etc.). These programs are every bit as good (often better) than many high-major programs in the P6. Similarly, there are also some "relatively major programs" in the mid-major leagues (one that comes to mind is Murray State, a mid-major program with some trappings of a major program, particularly a winning history).
(This post was last modified: 03-26-2021 11:42 AM by bill dazzle.)
03-26-2021 11:37 AM
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usffan Offline
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RE: Is the "Major 7" in danger of being displaced by the "Power 6"...
If the seeds hold tomorrow, the only conferences remaining with basketball teams playing will be the SEC (3 teams), Pac-12, AAC (2 each), Big 12, B1G and the WCC. Maybe the "Major 7" really IS in danger of being displaced by the "Power 6."

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03-27-2021 11:21 PM
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RE: Is the "Major 7" in danger of being displaced by the "Power 6"...
(03-26-2021 09:32 AM)Westhoff123 Wrote:  
(03-26-2021 09:19 AM)geosnooker2000 Wrote:  
(03-26-2021 09:01 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Ah, the old "devaluing our own property as we're in the midst of contract re-negotiation" tactic...smart move ESPN, especially after all of the cash you shoveled into the NFL this month.

Not only are you on to something important, I appreciate that you could express it in 2 sentences instead of a wall of text. +3


Careful you might awaken the one poster who makes us all have to scroll for 3 minutes.


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03-28-2021 12:51 AM
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GoOwls111 Offline
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RE: Is the "Major 7" in danger of being displaced by the "Power 6" in college basketball?
ESPiN really pushing the "Power" BS, they will only succeed if they can outbid CBS for the NCAA Tournament, they own the bowl and CFP on the football side and they also own the NIT on the Basketball side...

My Question is why is the "Mouse" not chopped up for being such a huge MONOPOLY? and why is "JED" obsessed with applying the "POWER" to describe top conferences in basketball?
(This post was last modified: 03-30-2021 02:36 PM by GoOwls111.)
03-30-2021 02:33 PM
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