The good news is that we are going to get a huge amount of exposure. We are going to get all the ESPN games, and if there is still the occasional ABC game, we will get it as well. The bad news is that we are going to make less than half on the next tv contract. We need to do as much damage as we can in the next 3 years. Recruiting is also probably going to gradually suffer.

[from another thread...]

No UAB and no USM. They had the same chances we, Houston, Cincy had, and we left them behind.
Best option is a new 16-team conference. Take the best 14ish from the MWC and AAC, and then the best 2ish others from Sun and CUSA.
All sports (so Navy & Army are out) for relationships/rivalries, credibility, sport equity.
Might lose some tv $$, but what's the real difference in $4M a year and $3.3M?
You'd make up for it in legitimacy for your champ (Access slot), media access, league stability.
Make it a 4x4 pod league (all sports) for scheduling.

Something like:

EAST
USF
ECU
Temple
App St

CENTRAL
Memphis
Tulane
Tulsa
Louisiana

MOUNTAIN
SMU
Col St
Air Force
New Mexico

PACIFIC
Boise
UNLV
Nevada
SD St


Heck, carve a niche for yourself in college athletics as the creative/fun league. Experiment with NCAA rules (bb fouls, fb kicking, etc.). Get creative with scheduling.

For fb, schedule 7 conference opponents (+1 TBD opponent). 3 teams in your pod. 1 team from each of the other 3 pods. And 1 permanent rivalry from one of the other pods. Hold the last week's regular season games as TBD - to play for football rankings (like many conferences did last year out of necessity). This 8th conference game features the top teams from each pod in a "semi-final" game to get to the CCG. Also the #2 teams play each other, the #3's and so on - for bowl positioning, media rankings, etc.

In bb, the same could happen to best position the conference to maximize NCAA bids (quad 1 games) and seeding. 18 regular season games. Play each of the 15 conference teams 1x each. The last 3 games could be seeded at the end of the season to maximize quad 1 opportunities (top 4 ranked teams play each other, next 4, and so on).

Now that I think about it, I would like to apply for the commish job.

(09-06-2021 02:57 PM)Tigerbythetail Wrote:  No idea if our situation is going to change in the next couple of years... should Aresco be working on a 16 team league? I heard someone bring it up in a conversation, I think it's worth consideration. On the face of it, it looks pretty good. Considering we have 8 remaining members:

Memphis
Tulsa
Tulane
SMU
USF
ECU
Temple
Navy

I'm ruling out the idea of pushing any existing members out, not saying it can't happen, just seems unlikely. Should we consider adding:

UAB
USM
La Tech
Western Ky
UTSA
App St
Charlotte / Liberty / ??

Let me be open here, I didn't include Ark St or MTSU in this list, don't think it would be smart for selfish reasons..

A lot of members have been supportive in the past about restarting the old rivalries with UAB & USM. Wouldn't this put the league in a better position?

That would suck, just put a fork in us if that happened. I'd rather stay at 9 than add those schools.

Go to 16-20 if you are going to go coast to coast. Talk with the very best G5 schools regardless of conference and geography. Base it on athletic revenue, past performance, and market. Also consider enrollment and endowment, but those are 4th and 5th factors.

If you want to become a true American, coast to coast Conference. Here’s where you start. And a true separation divider with the Mississippi River. Here’s who you add:

Boise State
Air Force
Army
Utah State
Colorado State
Louisiana Tech
Arkansas State
Georgia State

What says American anymore than including all of the service academies? Throw in some big state schools that have a lot of upside and watch the thing grow.

East
Memphis
East Carolina
Navy
Georgia State
Army
USF
Temple
Tulane

West
Boise State
Air Force
Utah State
Colorado State
Louisiana Tech
Arkansas State
SMU
Tulsa

I do not see a merger with MWC because they currently have 12-teams, and with our 8-teams, 20 would be too many.
If AAC were to add 4-team, my choice would be Coastal Carolina, App state, Boise State, & Colo State. If adding 6-teams, would invite Louisiana-Lafayette & UNLV.
Not sure if we could entice any of MWC teams to move.

(09-10-2021 01:25 PM)mayhem Wrote:  I do not see a merger with MWC because they currently have 12-teams, and with our 8-teams, 20 would be too many.
If AAC were to add 4-team, my choice would be Coastal Carolina, App state, Boise State, & Colo State. If adding 6-teams, would invite Louisiana-Lafayette & UNLV.
Not sure if we could entice any of MWC teams to move.

Maybe you could "invite" 8 of the MWC teams to join the AAC to go to a 16 team league ... Hawaii, New Mexico, Wyoming, and San Jose St. wouldn't make the cut IMO ...

Right now tough to see an advantage for MWC teams to move to the AAC

Sure, Colorado State and Boise State would top the list, and other than farther travel we wouldn’t lose **** without the three leaving

Still think the B12 is nuts extending to UCF, WV was too far and bet they leave soon

Geography no longer dictates but it just can’t be completely irrelevant

(09-10-2021 03:58 PM)Mimi Wrote:  Right now tough to see an advantage for MWC teams to move to the AAC

Sure, Colorado State and Boise State would top the list, and other than farther travel we wouldn’t lose **** without the three leaving

Still think the B12 is nuts extending to UCF, WV was too far and bet they leave soon

Geography no longer dictates but it just can’t be completely irrelevant

The AAC is apparently going to have a problem adding anyone. Anyone that thinks they've got a shot at the Big 12 isn't going to want to deal with exit fees twice, and any teams from like CUSA or the Sunbelt are looking at an AAC that might have as many as two teams leaving in a few years and could conceivably end up being the weaker conference.

Has anyone checked the demographics of these schools? That seems to be a thing now.

Aresco said today that the AAC would move to (likely) 12 teams, and that geography would NOT dictate the new teams.
Sounds like he's trying to get 4 of the MWC teams to move over.
I'd prefer the 16-team "new" conference, but that ain't happening.
The reason the AAC goes out west is to get the best programs to remain relevant and keep the path to the access bowl (and ultimately the expanded CFP).
The reason the MWC joins the AAC is to get better tv ratings (leading to more money) and to improve their path to the access bowl. What they have been doing is not working very well.