https://www.cbssports.com/college-footba...alignment/

"The American Athletic Conference is settling on a handful of expansion candidates that will likely kick off the next round of realignment at the Group of Five level, multiple sources told CBS Sports. The timing of that next round could be impacted if Texas and Oklahoma attempt to make an early entry into the SEC.

In reaction to the Big 12's recent raid of Cincinnati, Houston and UCF, the AAC has focused on recruiting a group of schools that includes Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State and UAB, sources tell CBS Sports. UAB, a member of Conference USA, is the only non-Mountain West team on that short list.

That suggests AAC commissioner Mike Aresco could be looking mostly West in search of equal television value for the three prize pieces he lost to the Big 12.

Boise State and UAB have been discussed most prominently among the five expansion candidates. Inclusion of any or all of the four aforementioned Mountain West candidates could destabilize that league to the point the that the AAC would remain the clear top conference in the Group of Five.

It is believed the AAC will expand by at least four teams to get to 12 members...."

Gonna be very interesting to watch for sure.

Could mean UTEP/UTSA to MWC to back fill?

I posted it else where but, we already knew the AAC would target the MWC.
But if the AAC couldn’t get Boise with UH, UC, and UCF. Why would they get them now? Especially with B-12 expansion looming again.

If the AAC sits around for the MWC. I could see The Belt making a move for UAB, LaTech, Marshall, and Southern Miss.

If the AAC gets Markets, and The Sunbelt gets football schools. It’ll be interesting.

(09-16-2021 01:35 PM)bit_9 Wrote:  Could mean UTEP/UTSA to MWC to back fill?

If the MW had to backfill. They’ll give NMSU an invite first.
Then depending on what movement the Sun Belt does will give other options to add CUSA teams.

Which way realignment moves could be fascinating. If the Mountain West loses those four, do they add the C-USA Texas teams to backfill? UTEP, UTSA, UNT, and Rice would be a pretty strong quad for them. Then C-USA east would get their more east-coast based conference, and I'm not sure if Marshall would want to leave that for the SBC. If C-USA could somehow keep UAB in this scenario then I think all parties win in some way.

(09-16-2021 01:36 PM)LaTex14 Wrote:  But if the AAC couldn’t get Boise with UH, UC, and UCF. Why would they get them now?

That's the question people keep avoiding.

Aresco chasing after MWC teams is like English soccer team X who lets it leak that they are "monitoring" several of the top young players in Europe. They won't sign them, but it puffs up the image of the team to make it look like those players might choose team X.

I think the naysayers in the article make the most sense.

FAU and UTSA? I bet Memphis is going to love playing in those arenas.

(09-16-2021 01:36 PM)LaTex14 Wrote:  I posted it else where but, we already knew the AAC would target the MWC.
But if the AAC couldn’t get Boise with UH, UC, and UCF. Why would they get them now? Especially with B-12 expansion looming again.

If the AAC sits around for the MWC. I could see The Belt making a move for UAB, LaTech, Marshall, and Southern Miss.

If the AAC gets Markets, and The Sunbelt gets football schools. It’ll be interesting.

If Dodds sources are to be believed UAB is being talked about right up there with the MWC schools, so why would they rush off to take a Sun Belt invite exactly?

(09-16-2021 01:48 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(09-16-2021 01:36 PM)LaTex14 Wrote:  But if the AAC couldn’t get Boise with UH, UC, and UCF. Why would they get them now?

That's the question people keep avoiding.

Aresco chasing after MWC teams is like English soccer team X who lets it leak that they are "monitoring" several of the top young players in Europe. They won't sign them, but it puffs up the image of the team to make it look like those players might choose team X.

The answer is that there is room at the inn. If the AAC adds 4 MW schools, those 4 schools won’t be as geographically out of place if they were added 5 years ago to make a 16-team league. Also, they will be able to have better start times for their games.

(09-16-2021 01:55 PM)shizzle787 Wrote:  

(09-16-2021 01:48 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(09-16-2021 01:36 PM)LaTex14 Wrote:  But if the AAC couldn’t get Boise with UH, UC, and UCF. Why would they get them now?

That's the question people keep avoiding.

Aresco chasing after MWC teams is like English soccer team X who lets it leak that they are "monitoring" several of the top young players in Europe. They won't sign them, but it puffs up the image of the team to make it look like those players might choose team X.

The answer is that there is room at the inn. If the AAC adds 4 MW schools, those 4 schools won’t be as geographically out of place if they were added 5 years ago to make a 16-team league. Also, they will be able to have better start times for their games.

It will be interesting to see what happens. People keep saying that the AAC deal could go down, and that's true. I would think that the MWC teams would only entertain the discussion if they had confidence that the deal would stay the same.

One thing that hasn't really been mentioned is, if anyone leaves, will the MWC potentially go down. If one or more teams say yes, the teams on the fence get nervous about the future loot in the leftover MWC.

AAC was gonna take B12 schools, now they think MWC schools. Reality they take UAB, UTSA, FAU....whos 4? Marshall? I don't think it's Army because they would have made that list. They must still be a no.

Interesting to see if boisie state, Colorado state, and Air Force respond with the suggestion big 12 still may take 2 more.

(09-16-2021 01:30 PM)bullet Wrote:  the AAC has focused on recruiting a group of schools that includes Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State...

This is the swing the AAC has to take. Might fail, but really who cares if it fails you then just invite the same cast of characters you'd have invited if you didn't try this. There is always the option of the AAC using the departing 3's buyout money to offset some of the MWC schools buyouts, or offering Boise a special deal where they could pay a reduced or no buyout if they got a B12 invite down the road. Anything and everything needs to be on the table, and it might still fail, but at least Aresco is not going down without a fight. He gets credit for that from me whether this works or not.

(09-16-2021 01:48 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(09-16-2021 01:36 PM)LaTex14 Wrote:  But if the AAC couldn’t get Boise with UH, UC, and UCF. Why would they get them now?

Aresco chasing after MWC teams is like English soccer team X who lets it leak that they are "monitoring" several of the top young players in Europe. They won't sign them, but it puffs up the image of the team to make it look like those players might choose team X.

Is there even one candidate other than UAB east of the Texas state line that wouldn't make Memphis, Navy, SMU, Temple, Tulane and USF grimace?

Does MWC do what they did w/ the WAC and invite UNT and Tulsa or UTSA now? See if they jump? UNT will, Tulsa won't UTSA sure could.

(09-16-2021 02:31 PM)Fresno St. Alum Wrote:  Does MWC do what they did w/ the WAC and invite UNT and Tulsa or UTSA now? See if they jump? UNT will, Tulsa won't UTSA sure could.

Interesting choices. LOL.

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8 MWC teams to form a western division with the remaining 8 AAC as the eastern division. Boise, Fresno, SD St, CSU, Air Force, UNLV and two others with navy and Air Force FB only sets up a 14 team bball conference

(09-16-2021 02:30 PM)PeteTheChop Wrote:  

(09-16-2021 01:48 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(09-16-2021 01:36 PM)LaTex14 Wrote:  But if the AAC couldn’t get Boise with UH, UC, and UCF. Why would they get them now?

Aresco chasing after MWC teams is like English soccer team X who lets it leak that they are "monitoring" several of the top young players in Europe. They won't sign them, but it puffs up the image of the team to make it look like those players might choose team X.

Is there even one candidate other than UAB east of the Texas state line that wouldn't make Memphis, Navy, SMU, Temple, Tulane and USF grimace?

If that is how their presidents feel, then they can add UAB alone. They only need to add one.