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Great news. We couldn't have picked a better time for Protective Stadium to be opening.

I'm skeptical that Aresco can convince those Mtn West schools to join, but if he's successful that would be a nice G5 league. With the article mentioning UAB and Boise as the two most prominent candidates, I guess the AAC is targeting UAB + 3 Mtn West teams? Travel costs, especially for olympic sports, is the obvious downside but perhaps the league could still command a TV deal near the $7M/yr the AAC is getting now. Plus it would be the clear favorite to get the NY6/playoff spot most years and be a multi-bid basketball league.

If Aresco can pull even part of this off the step up in league would be incredible.

Gonna be tough with Memphis and Boise State next in line for the Big12, possibly sooner than later.

There will have to be scheduling strategies to keep travel costs to a minimum.

Is ESPN calling all the shots at this point?

The other western teams don't make sense, and the AAC doesn't make sense for them, either, without Boise. And Boise isn't going alone, and probably wouldn't make 1st move anyway with Big 12 possibly still out there.

This happens if ESPN wants it to happen. I will say this ... ESPN could help themselves by moving the valuable properties from the MWC and C-USA into the AAC and Sun Belt buckets. It's a way to maximize value to what you already own without having to pay for what you don't, or buy something you don't need or want (the rest of the MWC and C-USA).

How do they not make sense? Air Force, Colorado State, and San Diego state are better than anything we currently have west of the Mississippi. Even if Boise and Memphis bounce, the core is still solid. That also gives some time to sort out the next schools to target, because right now there is no clear cut favorite in my mind.

Air Force is a bit of a drag in basketball, but San Diego state, Colorado state, and noise were all in the top 51 NET rankings last year.

(09-16-2021 02:43 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  How do they not make sense? Air Force, Colorado State, and San Diego state are better than anything we currently have west of the Mississippi. Even if Boise and Memphis bounce, the core is still solid. That also gives some time to sort out the next schools to target, because right now there is no clear cut favorite in my mind.

Air Force is a bit of a drag in basketball, but San Diego state, Colorado state, and noise were all in the top 51 NET rankings last year.

They don't make sense without Boise. Traveling across the country wouldn't make sense for them, either. The TV value isn't there without Boise State. But Boise isn't joining the AAC without a West Coast division, if they join AAC at all. It has to be all 4 or probably not at all.

(09-16-2021 02:09 PM)WesternBlazer Wrote:  Gonna be tough with Memphis and Boise State next in line for the Big12, possibly sooner than later.

Unless Aresco is offering Boise St something other that is in this article I am fairly certain Boise will never see the light of day in the AAC. Problem #1 is the Big 12, Problem #2 could be if the PAC 12 decides to invite Houston and TCU as was reported by the Ft. Worth Telegram. Problem #3, this has been tried before while UC, UH, and UCF was in the conference so I don't know these schools would consider doing it now without those three schools. But that is what Aresco gets paid to do, figure these things out.

In either case I don't see an AAC with a Memphis or Boise, but the other MWC schools would still make the AAC an attractive conference. It definitely looks good when you see this lineup on paper though.

Let's look at it and assume Boise and Memphis are off the board

West
San Diego State
Colorado State
Air Force
SMU
Tulsa
Navy* / Wichita State
(Boise State)

East
South Florida
East Carolina
Temple
Tulane
UAB
(Memphis)
need another team -- FAU? Marshall?

Is that enough to still make it happen? Strong enough to warrant the TV deal to support stretching from coast to coast?

From the Dodd's article:

Former WAC Commish Karl Benson Wrote:"My advice [is], until you know what you're joining, are you really sure you want to make a move?" said Karl Benson, who once oversaw the largest FBS league in existence as commissioner of the 16-team WAC in the late 1990s. "Until you know what's left of the American, what are you getting into?"

Interesting I said this over a week ago and y'all took it as me saying I don't want UAB in the AAC. And I know most of you will stay say yes UAB need to do it even if you don't know what the AAC will look like or how many teams will be left in it. I just hope our AD is doing his due diligence and making sure all options are explored.

I think at this point, UAB is working hand in hand with the AAC.

(09-16-2021 03:08 PM)HiddenDragon Wrote:  From the Dodd's article:

Former WAC Commish Karl Benson Wrote:"My advice [is], until you know what you're joining, are you really sure you want to make a move?" said Karl Benson, who once oversaw the largest FBS league in existence as commissioner of the 16-team WAC in the late 1990s. "Until you know what's left of the American, what are you getting into?"

Interesting I said this over a week ago and y'all took it as me saying I don't want UAB in the AAC. And I know most of you will stay say yes UAB need to do it even if you don't know what the AAC will look like or how many teams will be left in it. I just hope our AD is doing his due diligence and making sure all options are explored.

What do you consider the other options?

The article also mentions the Mtn West is in talks with Tulsa and UNT which is interesting. Not sure why Tulsa would be interested in paying the AAC exit fee to go to a depleted Mtn West unless that's the Mtn West's attempt to strike first.

(09-16-2021 03:17 PM)ICB Wrote:  

(09-16-2021 03:08 PM)HiddenDragon Wrote:  From the Dodd's article:

Former WAC Commish Karl Benson Wrote:"My advice [is], until you know what you're joining, are you really sure you want to make a move?" said Karl Benson, who once oversaw the largest FBS league in existence as commissioner of the 16-team WAC in the late 1990s. "Until you know what's left of the American, what are you getting into?"

Interesting I said this over a week ago and y'all took it as me saying I don't want UAB in the AAC. And I know most of you will stay say yes UAB need to do it even if you don't know what the AAC will look like or how many teams will be left in it. I just hope our AD is doing his due diligence and making sure all options are explored.

What do you consider the other options?

Whatever options he is being presented with. Ingram knows a lot more than us...say for AB and Smaug.

(09-16-2021 02:48 PM)DuelingDragon Wrote:  

(09-16-2021 02:43 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  How do they not make sense? Air Force, Colorado State, and San Diego state are better than anything we currently have west of the Mississippi. Even if Boise and Memphis bounce, the core is still solid. That also gives some time to sort out the next schools to target, because right now there is no clear cut favorite in my mind.

Air Force is a bit of a drag in basketball, but San Diego state, Colorado state, and noise were all in the top 51 NET rankings last year.

They don't make sense without Boise. Traveling across the country wouldn't make sense for them, either. The TV value isn't there without Boise State. But Boise isn't joining the AAC without a West Coast division, if they join AAC at all. It has to be all 4 or probably not at all.

If you take all 4 Mtn West candidates that puts you at 12. With the article saying "Boise State and UAB have been discussed most prominently among the five expansion candidates" that makes me think the Plan A is UAB + 3 from the Mtn West. So of the 4 Mtn West schools listed, only 3 would get invited if Plan A succeeds.

(09-16-2021 03:27 PM)hooverblazer Wrote:  

(09-16-2021 02:48 PM)DuelingDragon Wrote:  

(09-16-2021 02:43 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  How do they not make sense? Air Force, Colorado State, and San Diego state are better than anything we currently have west of the Mississippi. Even if Boise and Memphis bounce, the core is still solid. That also gives some time to sort out the next schools to target, because right now there is no clear cut favorite in my mind.

Air Force is a bit of a drag in basketball, but San Diego state, Colorado state, and noise were all in the top 51 NET rankings last year.

They don't make sense without Boise. Traveling across the country wouldn't make sense for them, either. The TV value isn't there without Boise State. But Boise isn't joining the AAC without a West Coast division, if they join AAC at all. It has to be all 4 or probably not at all.

If you take all 4 Mtn West candidates that puts you at 12. With the article saying "Boise State and UAB have been discussed most prominently among the five expansion candidates" that makes me think the Plan A is UAB + 3 from the Mtn West. So of the 4 Mtn West schools listed, only 3 would get invited if Plan A succeeds.

Actually the 4 MWC teams would put the AAC at 11 with UAB being #12 for football. Remember Wichita is only a basketball member.

(09-16-2021 03:30 PM)HiddenDragon Wrote:  

(09-16-2021 03:27 PM)hooverblazer Wrote:  

(09-16-2021 02:48 PM)DuelingDragon Wrote:  

(09-16-2021 02:43 PM)blazers9911 Wrote:  How do they not make sense? Air Force, Colorado State, and San Diego state are better than anything we currently have west of the Mississippi. Even if Boise and Memphis bounce, the core is still solid. That also gives some time to sort out the next schools to target, because right now there is no clear cut favorite in my mind.

Air Force is a bit of a drag in basketball, but San Diego state, Colorado state, and noise were all in the top 51 NET rankings last year.

They don't make sense without Boise. Traveling across the country wouldn't make sense for them, either. The TV value isn't there without Boise State. But Boise isn't joining the AAC without a West Coast division, if they join AAC at all. It has to be all 4 or probably not at all.

If you take all 4 Mtn West candidates that puts you at 12. With the article saying "Boise State and UAB have been discussed most prominently among the five expansion candidates" that makes me think the Plan A is UAB + 3 from the Mtn West. So of the 4 Mtn West schools listed, only 3 would get invited if Plan A succeeds.

Actually the 4 MWC teams would put the AAC at 11 with UAB being #12 for football. Remember Wichita is only a basketball member.

Memphis
SMU
Tulane
Tulsa
ECU
Temple
USF
Navy/Wichita

That's 8 in both football and basketball. They only need 4 adds to have 12 in football and basketball.

The San Diego State AD was on the record yesterday stating he didn't see much benefit of a move to the AAC. The money would be about the same and the costs would be greatly increased. He further said that he wouldn't be in favor of putting his olympic team sports in such a far flung league.