Select how many FB teams it will have post realignment.

I believe they will immediately try to get back to 10 FB schools, and then relax to consider more options in the future. So, I see a fairly rapid agreement with 3 schools, 2 in the east and 1 in the west. Several interesting possibilities, but not sure attracting a MWC school is the most likely...in fact, not sure why that would occur, given the most attractive options have gone on to the B12.

The AAC has lost its leverage invite in just 1 western team like it had prior to the realignment.

14 to me with SDSU, UNLV, Boise, CSU and AFA combined with Tulsa/SMU could make for a true western division something the AAC could do really before. UAB in the east because its another program with a new FB stadium and to help on travel.

Completely depends upon whether they can get Boise State. If they can, they they'll have to build a western division and have 12. If not they will minimize the damage and add two of the most prestigious institutions they can, since nobody moves the needle at ESPN, and finish at 10.

Of course realignment is never final, there is always another one.

I'm withholding my vote until Boise State speaks.

I'm predicting 10 with UAB and Rice being added.

I'll say either 10 or 14 with 10 being the most likely. No reason to go above 10 if it's the cast of characters talked about here repeatedly. If there's some sort of western division I think it would likely need to be bigger than 12 to make the travel semi-reasonable.

(09-10-2021 12:04 PM)CitrusUCF Wrote:  I'm predicting 10 with UAB and Rice being added.

Agreed.

I don't get adding Rice. I would add UAB and Marshall and stay at 10. Possibly go to 12 if you could lure Army in. Then add North Texas as the 12th.

(09-10-2021 12:19 PM)Jugnaut Wrote:  I don't get adding Rice. I would add UAB and Marshall and stay at 10. Possibly go to 12 if you could lure Army in. Then add North Texas as the 12th.

If you could get Army to join then you just add UAB and Army and stay at 10. I'd say add just Army but you gotta have at least 8 all sports members and Army wouldn't be one.

(09-10-2021 12:05 PM)b0ndsj0ns Wrote:  I'll say either 10 or 14 with 10 being the most likely. No reason to go above 10 if it's the cast of characters talked about here repeatedly. If there's some sort of western division I think it would likely need to be bigger than 12 to make the travel semi-reasonable.

12 with a Western division wouldn't be terrible with 8 conference games, but 14 would definitely make more sense. 6 divisional games, then one home and one away from the other side of the country.

Quote:Meanwhile, Aresco said his conference plans to move "deliberately and expeditiously" to add two to four teams and beef up the league to 10 or 12 following the three departures. Aresco declined to name specific schools the AAC is interested in, but said it would only "entertain institutions that have shown an interest in us."

"We're not trying to poach, we're not trying to persuade," he said. "There have been schools that have shown interest in us. I'm trying not to create any instability in the system. ... We're just trying right now to regroup. We know we need to get bigger. That's just a fact of life based on what's happened, but I'm trying not to rile things up."

Aresco said the AAC would likely look for members in all sports, not just football, but that's also a possibility.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/st...r-exit-fee

Aresco is saying 10-12 with a focus all-sport.

12 however doesn't preclude something like Boise, CSU, UNLV and SDSU to the AAC. I don't think 10 would be viable for Boise but perhaps at 12.

Go for broke and try to get to 16 but that would include Army. By all accounts, I don’t think they wanna join a conference.

East

Memphis
UAB
Temple
USF
ECU
Coastal
App State
Army (VCU)

West

Navy (Wichita St)
Tulane
Tulsa
Air Force
Boise
SDSU
SMU
Colorado St

Keeps all 3 service academies. Decent for now in football. Not a horrible basketball conf w/ Memphis, Wichita, SDst, UAB, SMU, Boise, CSU and VCU.

They should have 12, but I think they will decide the pickings are too slim and stop at 10.

I’m going with 10 because:

I think the MWC schools are happy where they are

I don’t think that C-USA/SBC has anyone that is going to raise the tv value for the other 8.

(09-11-2021 10:07 AM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  I’m going with 10 because:

I think the MWC schools are happy where they are

I don’t think that C-USA/SBC has anyone that is going to raise the tv value for the other 8.

I agree with you, for those two reasons and one other: it keeps the AAC’s membership small enough to preserve the possibility of adding an all-sports western wing a few years in the future, if the new AAC performs well in football and if for some reason the MWC falters and some its members decide they want out.

I predict UAB and Marshall will be added in the next 30 days.

I'm going with 12. UAB, Marshall, Old Dominion and Rice. Rice becomes an easier sell as #12, or the last of additions, rather than as a #10.

I think USF pushes hard against any intra-state additions (FAU or FIU).

East - ECU, Marshall, Old Dominion, Temple, UAB, USF
West - Memphis, Navy, Rice, SMU, Tulane, Tulsa

(09-10-2021 11:32 AM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  Select how many FB teams it will have post realignment.

I think we are getting back to 12.

(09-12-2021 12:10 PM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote:  I'm going with 12. UAB, Marshall, Old Dominion and Rice. Rice becomes an easier sell as #12, or the last of additions, rather than as a #10.

I think USF pushes hard against any intra-state additions (FAU or FIU).

East - ECU, Marshall, Old Dominion, Temple, UAB, USF
West - Memphis, Navy, Rice, SMU, Tulane, Tulsa

Are you under the belief ESPN would pay the AAC more per school to add 2 extra C-USA schools? I find that nearly impossible to believe considering what C-USA currently makes on their TV deal.

I voted "12." I'm starting to think that having another program in North Carolina could prove helpful to the AAC. North Carolina is now No. 9 nationally in population. It's a very important "college sports state," and having two American programs from it could be a positive. In addition, adding Charlotte or App State could help (in part, at least) jump-start the East Carolina football program. The in-state rivalry element might generate a buzz. The future AAC needs the Pirates strong on the gridiron. When ECU is good, the program's attendance is impressive.

Now, if it came down to the AAC having to choose between App State and Charlotte ... that would be a tough call. Many AAC fans (I assume) would want Appy for football reasons. But there is much about Charlotte that I find appealing.

(09-12-2021 03:25 PM)bill dazzle Wrote:  I voted "12." I'm starting to think that having another program in North Carolina could prove helpful to the AAC. North Carolina is now No. 9 nationally in population. It's a very important "college sports state," and having two American programs from it could be a positive. In addition, adding Charlotte or App State could help (in part, at least) jump-start the East Carolina football program. The in-state rivalry element might generate a buzz. The future AAC needs the Pirates strong on the gridiron. When ECU is good, the program's attendance is impressive.

Now, if it came down to the AAC having to choose between App State and Charlotte ... that would be a tough call. Many AAC fans (I assume) would want Appy for football reasons. But there is much about Charlotte that I find appealing.

Why would either of those schools in the AAC help "jumpstart" ECU? If anything it would make local recruiting harder putting those schools on equal conference footing. There's no logic as to how that helps ECU football be better. ECU can and is playing those 2 OOC. ECU gets jumpstarted by figuring out its own issues and winning football games not by increasing its local recruiting competition even further.