.

American Athletic Conference AAU Universities:

Tulane (current)

Rice (future; 2023-24)


Big East Conference AAU Universities:

N/A

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


R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity

American Athletic Conference R1 Doctoral Universities (7 of 11):

Cincinnati
Houston
Memphis
Temple
Tulane
UCF
USF

Big East Conference R1 Doctoral Universities (2 of 11):

Connecticut
Georgetown

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

R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity

American Athletic Conference R2 Doctoral Universities (4 of 11):

ECU
SMU
Tulsa
Wichita State

Big East Conference R2 Doctoral Universities (5 of 11):

Creighton
DePaul
Marquette
Seton Hall
Vilanova

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


AAC Non-R1 / Non-R2 universities (1 of 11):

Navy (#6th ranked liberal arts college - USNWR)


Big East Non-R1 / Non-R2 universities (4 of 11):

Butler
Providence
St. John's
Xavier

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

Future (2023-24) R1 AAC Universities: (4 of 6)

North Texas
Rice (#18th ranked national university - USNWR)
UAB
UTSA

Future (2023-24) R2 AAC Universities: (2 of 6)

Florida Atlantic University
University of North Carolina, Charlotte

.

Conference Rankings:

Baseball:

1. SEC
2. Big 12
3. ACC
4. PAC-12
5. AAC
6. CUSA
7. MVC
8. MWC
9. Southern
10. Sun Belt
11. Big Ten
12. WCC
13. Big East

https://www.warrennolan.com/baseball/202...conference

Soccer:

1. ACC
2. PAC-12
3. AAC
4. Big East

https://www.lflrankings.com/conf.php


Football:

Rank:........................Mean Rank:
1..SEC.......................40.52
2..Big 12....................41.34
3..Big Ten...................42.77
4..ACC.......................58.11
5..PAC-12...................68.02
6..MWC......................68.70
7..AAC.......................68.92

....Big East (4 FCS teams):

Rank:^.....................Mean Rank:
...............................160.40
114. Villanova
190. Connecticut
246. Georgetown
252. Butler

^Sagarin rankings

https://masseyratings.com/cf/compare.htm
https://sagarin.usatoday.com/2021-2/coll...ings-2021/

Men's Basketball:

1. Big 12
2. Big Ten
3. Big East
4. SEC
5. ACC
6. PAC-12
7. AAC

https://masseyratings.com/cb/compare.htm

Women's Basketball:

1. SEC
2. PAC-12
3. Big 12
4. ACC
5. Big Ten
6. AAC
7. WCC
8. Big East

https://www.warrennolan.com/basketballw/2022/index

UConn clearly rolled the dice by moving to the BE.

They gave the AAC a chance to see if it could produce a P5 level TV deal. Once it was obvious it couldn't they hit the road to the BE.

AAC 2.0 is looking at best to be a regular 2 bid basketball conference so in hindsight getting out of the AAC was a good move. To have to share a basketball conference with UNT and UTSA definitely would feel beneath UConn's BB pedigree.

(04-18-2022 12:42 AM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  UConn clearly rolled the dice by moving to the BE.

They gave the AAC a chance to see if it could produce a P5 level TV deal. Once it was obvious it couldn't they hit the road to the BE.

AAC 2.0 is looking at best to be a regular 2 bid basketball conference...

The AAC has sent an average of 3 teams to the NCAA tournament since its inception. It had two NCAA bids in 2021 and 2022, due to coaching transitions affecting all of the leading MBB schools in the conference except SMU and Houston.

The expanded AAC 2.0 could be a 3 bid conference by 2023-24 or 2024-25.

The leading programs appear, based on 2021-22 performance and the records of their head coaches to be:

• Memphis: 2022 NCAA team / 2021 NIT champion (HC's W-L record: .664)
  .
• SMU: 2021 and 2022 NIT teams. Most of (24-9) team returning.
  ---HC's W-L record in previous HC position: .639.
  ---SMU's new HC took his last team to the 2022 NCAA tournament.
  .
• Wichita State: Has played in 8 of the past 10 NCAA tournaments.
  ---HC's W-L record: .620.
  ---WSU hired a veteran Associate Coach who's recruited 16 NBA quality players.
  .
• Tulane: Rapidly improving program. Potential tourney team in 2022.
  ---Head Coach has been widely praised. Most of 2021-22 team returning.
  ---Finished in 5th place in the AAC in 2021-22.
  .
• Temple: Rebuilding/improving legacy program (50+ NCAA/NIT tournaments).
  ---HC achieved a major turnaround in 2021-22; finished 2021-22 in 4th place.
  ---6 core rotation players returning. Potential tourney team in 2022 or 2023.
  .
• UAB: 2022 NCAA team (HC's W-L record at UAB: .766)
  .
• UNT: 2021 NCAA team (HC's W-L record at UNT: .642)
  ---2020 and 2022 Regular Season Conference Champion
  

All of these, except (#111) Temple were top 100 programs in 2021-22.

Without Houston and Cincinnati to contend with, teams such as SMU, Wichita State, Tulane, and Temple may have a clearer path to the NCAA and NIT tournaments. The addition of UAB and UNT will help to maintain the competitiveness of the conference, going forward.

.

(04-18-2022 12:42 AM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  UConn clearly rolled the dice by moving to the BE.

They gave the AAC a chance to see if it could produce a P5 level TV deal. Once it was obvious it couldn't they hit the road to the BE.

AAC 2.0 is looking at best to be a regular 2 bid basketball conference so in hindsight getting out of the AAC was a good move. To have to share a basketball conference with UNT and UTSA definitely would feel beneath UConn's BB pedigree.

Yes, I don't think anyone at UConn regrets leaving the AAC for the Big East right now.

Until they join the ACC or B1G, UConn will always be in the wilderness, ruing and lamenting the events of 2011-2012. Just like my USF. But in the meantime, this move was best for them and easily so, IMO.

(04-18-2022 12:33 AM)Milwaukee Wrote:  Conference Rankings:

Baseball:

1. SEC
2. Big 12
3. ACC
4. PAC-12
5. AAC
6. CUSA
7. MVC
8. MWC
9. Southern
10. Sun Belt
11. Big Ten
12. WCC
13. Big East

https://www.warrennolan.com/baseball/202...conference

Soccer:

1. ACC
2. PAC-12
3. AAC
4. Big East

https://www.lflrankings.com/conf.php


Football:

Rank:........................Mean Rank:
1..SEC.......................40.52
2..Big 12....................41.34
3..Big Ten...................42.77
4..ACC.......................58.11
5..PAC-12...................68.02
6..MWC......................68.70
7..AAC.......................68.92

....Big East (4 FCS teams):

Rank:^.....................Mean Rank:
...............................160.40
114. Villanova
190. Connecticut
246. Georgetown
252. Butler

^Sagarin rankings

https://masseyratings.com/cf/compare.htm
https://sagarin.usatoday.com/2021-2/coll...ings-2021/

Men's Basketball:

1. Big 12
2. Big Ten
3. Big East
4. SEC
5. ACC
6. PAC-12
7. AAC

https://masseyratings.com/cb/compare.htm

Women's Basketball:

1. SEC
2. PAC-12
3. Big 12
4. ACC
5. Big Ten
6. AAC
7. WCC
8. Big East

https://www.warrennolan.com/basketballw/2022/index

Excellent work, Milwaukee. I thought about breaking down the R1 and R2 numbers when I posted, but declined (didn't want to devote the time to it). It highlights the fact that the AAC offers some very respectable academics.

To be fair to the Big East, Catholic universities place a strong focus on teaching (and typically less on research). As such, the discrepancy between the two leagues is understandable.

Rice (of course) and UAB (a very underrated academic institution) will help cushion the academic losses of UCF, UH and UC. On a positive note, FAU offers a medical school. That's huge — and one reason (among others) that East Carolina is a respected AAC member.

The future AAC's goal is to average 2.5 bids annually. It will not be easy but it can be done. Sadly, the days of the league being described as a "major" conference are perhaps over. Clearly, the future AAC will be vastly more "major" than, say, the future OVC. And the league will continue to offer specific "major programs." But the optics are going to take a big hit in hoops. You can't lose UConn, Cincy, Houston and even a solid UCF men's hoops program and be better. You simply get worse.

As to UConn ... hypothetically, the AAC of the past however many years could have been home to VCU, Dayton, Saint Louis and Gonzaga (that would have been a fine conference), yet UConn still would have left. UConn wanted to be with some of its old rivals and in league with a Northeast-centric flavor.

(04-18-2022 08:15 AM)bill dazzle Wrote:  The future AAC's goal is to average 2.5 bids annually. I will not be easy but it can be done. Sadly, the days of the league being described as a "major" conference are perhaps over. Clearly, the future AAC will be vastly more "major" than, say, the future OVC. And the league will continue to offer specific "major programs." But the optics are going to take a big hit in hoops. You can't lose UConn, Cincy, Houston and even a solid UCF men's hoops program and be better. You simply get worse.

As to UConn ... hypothetically, the AAC of the past however many years could have been home to VCU, Dayton, Saint Louis and Gonzaga (that would have been a fine conference), yet UConn still would have left. UConn wanted to be with some of its old rivals and in league with a Northeast-centric flavor.

Most AAC followers won't admit it but UConn is in a better place in the NBE even if their FB team is in independence purgatory right now. It is in a 3-6 bid league where it can bus BB and Olympic sport players to St. John's, Providence, Nova, Seton Hall, and G-town cutting travel costs and the fans can drive there too. The revenue from that 3-6 bid league is shared with less members too. The other part of that upside is that visiting fans can travel to their venue filling UConn's arena and stadiums for those sports too. You are not getting those fans from the SE (Florida) and the SW (Texas), for revenue in the bank to help UConn's revenue stream if it had remained in the AAC.

(04-18-2022 08:07 AM)bill dazzle Wrote:  On a positive note, FAU offers a medical school. That's huge — and one reason (among others) that East Carolina is a respected AAC member.

It's very interesting what has happened with STEM research institutions in Florida these last few years. Jeb bought multiple private sector enterprises to expand their operations in the state, but now a majority of them have been absorbed by public entities, which obviously has imposed rules when they're publicly funded by the state. Many of the current employees were not thrilled by the prospect. I only mention all of this because two of them are located on our Jupiter campus: Scripps Research and Max Planck. The prior has just been absorbed by the University of Florida. The latter remains private. And Florida Atlantic has had working relationships with both for years. But, we've been forming closer ties with Max Planck for awhile now. We've just built our Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute across from the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience and I've heard we're going to be doing even more collaborations down the road. Now, we don't expect to pass any of the other Florida universities in STEM research, but we're definitely establishing a respectable medical school.

(04-18-2022 08:15 AM)bill dazzle Wrote:  The future AAC's goal is to average 2.5 bids annually. It will not be easy but it can be done. Sadly, the days of the league being described as a "major" conference are perhaps over. Clearly, the future AAC will be vastly more "major" than, say, the future OVC. And the league will continue to offer specific "major programs." But the optics are going to take a big hit in hoops. You can't lose UConn, Cincy, Houston and even a solid UCF men's hoops program and be better. You simply get worse.

As to UConn ... hypothetically, the AAC of the past however many years could have been home to VCU, Dayton, Saint Louis and Gonzaga (that would have been a fine conference), yet UConn still would have left. UConn wanted to be with some of its old rivals and in league with a Northeast-centric flavor.

AAC lost the opportunity to get Saint Louis and Dayton while it could. Now they are joined by Loyola Chi in the A10.

Wichita will probably stay in the AAC just because Tulsa and the DFW schools are in it.

(04-18-2022 09:56 AM)owlumni Wrote:  

(04-18-2022 08:07 AM)bill dazzle Wrote:  On a positive note, FAU offers a medical school. That's huge — and one reason (among others) that East Carolina is a respected AAC member.

It's very interesting what has happened with STEM research institutions in Florida these last few years. Jeb bought multiple private sector enterprises to expand their operations in the state, but now a majority of them have been absorbed by public entities, which obviously has imposed rules when they're publicly funded by the state. Many of the current employees were not thrilled by the prospect. I only mention all of this because two of them are located on our Jupiter campus: Scripps Research and Max Planck. The prior has just been absorbed by the University of Florida. The latter remains private. And Florida Atlantic has had working relationships with both for years. But, we've been forming closer ties with Max Planck for awhile now. We've just built our Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute across from the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience and I've heard we're going to be doing even more collaborations down the road. Now, we don't expect to pass any of the other Florida universities in STEM research, but we're definitely establishing a respectable medical school.

I plan to read a bit more about the FAU med school. I'm curious.

(04-18-2022 09:04 AM)panite Wrote:  

(04-18-2022 08:15 AM)bill dazzle Wrote:  The future AAC's goal is to average 2.5 bids annually. I will not be easy but it can be done. Sadly, the days of the league being described as a "major" conference are perhaps over. Clearly, the future AAC will be vastly more "major" than, say, the future OVC. And the league will continue to offer specific "major programs." But the optics are going to take a big hit in hoops. You can't lose UConn, Cincy, Houston and even a solid UCF men's hoops program and be better. You simply get worse.

As to UConn ... hypothetically, the AAC of the past however many years could have been home to VCU, Dayton, Saint Louis and Gonzaga (that would have been a fine conference), yet UConn still would have left. UConn wanted to be with some of its old rivals and in league with a Northeast-centric flavor.

Most AAC followers won't admit it but UConn is in a better place in the NBE even if their FB team is in independence purgatory right now. It is in a 3-6 bid league where it can bus BB and Olympic sport players to St. John's, Providence, Nova, Seton Hall, and G-town cutting travel costs and the fans can drive there too. The revenue from that 3-6 bid league is shared with less members too. The other part of that upside is that visiting fans can travel to their venue filling UConn's arena and stadiums for those sports too. You are not getting those fans from the SE (Florida) and the SW (Texas), for revenue in the bank to help UConn's revenue stream if it had remained in the AAC.

There will always be fans of schools and leagues who simply feel uncomfortable acknowledging the truth — as they are apprehensive it will undermine their argument. And I've seen a good bit of this from AAC fans. Obviously, this reality is not limited to those fans.

(04-18-2022 12:42 AM)Kit-Cat Wrote:  UConn clearly rolled the dice by moving to the BE.

UConn is the most unfortunate (hapless) school known to man.

Let's look at what has happened since UConn announced the NBE "move":

- COVID hit. UConn lost an entire year and had mass transfers in their FB program (over 40). Losing their schedule was a veritable "Death Penalty," similar to when SMU had to sit out.

- P5 EXPANSION hit. After UConn had no team for a year, the P5 grew by 4 more teams. UConn wasn't even mentioned. Of course, they were coming off a season with no games, and they were subsequently losing to Holy Cross.

- CFP EXPANSION heated up. The imminent 12-team CFP system was leaked, which essentially will alter revenue generation at both the P5/G5 levels, and those streams are tied to conferences.


So... Does UConn regret it? It doesn't really matter now. They have no choice.

However, they've certainly paid a steep price. They can have bus trips for the next thousand years, and all of those discounts wont make up for what they lost the last couple years.

(04-18-2022 11:27 AM)bill dazzle Wrote:  There will always be fans of schools and leagues who simply feel uncomfortable acknowledging the truth — as they are apprehensive it will undermine their argument. And I've seen a good bit of this from AAC fans. Obviously, this reality is not limited to those fans.

It's not just AAC fans that are laughing.

Whenever something new hits the fan (whether its related to the Kevin Ollie 11 million dollar judgement, or UConn's "National Championship" for NOT playing during Covid - even though they couldn't have if they wanted to), the Nation is laughing.

No one should feel bad for their natural response.

(04-17-2022 09:49 PM)TroyTBoy Wrote:  

(04-14-2022 09:03 AM)orangefan Wrote:  Perhaps the AAC could also be mad at the Big East for inviting UConn.

I assure you. The AAC was quite happy with their 20+ million dollar settlement to part ways with UConn (17 million in cash).

Besides UConn's horrible record as an AAC member, UConn has also gotten further and further in debt - after the war chest for selling the BE moniker dried up.

Besides paying the AAC 17+ million, UConn has had an unsustainable 42+ million dollar subsidy and had to drop sports from the NBE.

UConn was also forced to pay Coach Kevin Ollie 11+ million dollars this year.

It's just not your Daddy's "UConn" anymore (since losing Jim Calhoun and OBE/ESPN/BCS status). The fact that the AAC got their money first was just another win for Mike Aresco.

After losing to New Mexico State, UConn had mass transfers. It's sad what has happened to their program, but without good football the AAC needed to cash out.

The biggest bonus for the AAC was signing that long term media deal with ESPN. Once that partnership was signed and sealed, Aresco lucked out getting those exit fees to liquidate UConn. I'm sure those fees helped pay for the move from Providence (and then some).

Has there been a more mismanaged program in recent memory?

(04-18-2022 09:04 AM)panite Wrote:  Most AAC followers won't admit it but UConn is in a better place in the NBE even if their FB team is in independence purgatory right now.

AAC :

(04-18-2022 01:18 PM)TroyTBoy Wrote:  

(04-18-2022 11:27 AM)bill dazzle Wrote:  There will always be fans of schools and leagues who simply feel uncomfortable acknowledging the truth — as they are apprehensive it will undermine their argument. And I've seen a good bit of this from AAC fans. Obviously, this reality is not limited to those fans.

It's not just AAC fans that are laughing.

Whenever something new hits the fan (whether its related to the Kevin Ollie 11 million dollar judgement, or UConn's "National Championship" for NOT playing during Covid - even though they couldn't have if they wanted to), the Nation is laughing.

No one should feel bad for their natural response.

Nobody cares about UConn football (even their own fans).

Basketball wise this was their best decision. Imagine being stuck in the NAAC? ESPN + has to be thrilled with lineup of South West Alabama vs Northern Carolina.

(04-18-2022 01:29 PM)Hoya Hoya Hoya Wrote:  

(04-18-2022 01:18 PM)TroyTBoy Wrote:  

(04-18-2022 11:27 AM)bill dazzle Wrote:  There will always be fans of schools and leagues who simply feel uncomfortable acknowledging the truth — as they are apprehensive it will undermine their argument. And I've seen a good bit of this from AAC fans. Obviously, this reality is not limited to those fans.

It's not just AAC fans that are laughing.

Whenever something new hits the fan (whether its related to the Kevin Ollie 11 million dollar judgement, or UConn's "National Championship" for NOT playing during Covid - even though they couldn't have if they wanted to), the Nation is laughing.

No one should feel bad for their natural response.

Nobody cares about UConn football (even their own fans).

Basketball wise this was their best decision. Imagine being stuck in the NAAC? ESPN + has to be thrilled with lineup of South West Alabama vs Northern Carolina.

The OBE left-behind fans have been robbed of the Big Boy table because of football.

Football will always drive the bus.

As much as you downplay it, Football was UConn's last hope for a chair at the Big Boy table.

"Basketball wise" doesn't matter. Their football "white flag" was a smaller napkin at the kiddie table with the other leftovers.

(04-18-2022 01:18 PM)TroyTBoy Wrote:  

(04-18-2022 11:27 AM)bill dazzle Wrote:  There will always be fans of schools and leagues who simply feel uncomfortable acknowledging the truth — as they are apprehensive it will undermine their argument. And I've seen a good bit of this from AAC fans. Obviously, this reality is not limited to those fans.

It's not just AAC fans that are laughing.

Whenever something new hits the fan (whether its related to the Kevin Ollie 11 million dollar judgement, or UConn's "National Championship" for NOT playing during Covid - even though they couldn't have if they wanted to), the Nation is laughing.

No one should feel bad for their natural response.

I'm sorry my man but the only laughing anyone is doing is directed at this take. UConn fits in to the Big East much better than the AAC. Their fans think it's better, the general public thinks it's better. They get to play historic rivals and get much better coverage than being shuttered in the AAC. The only ones that don't think they made the right move are those that support UConn football more than basketball and those that are insecure in the AAC's position in the greater conference hierarchy.

(04-18-2022 01:29 PM)Hoya Hoya Hoya Wrote:  Nobody cares about UConn football (even their own fans).

Basketball wise this was their best decision. Imagine being stuck in the NAAC? ESPN + has to be thrilled with lineup of South West Alabama vs Northern Carolina.

And nevermind the other question over whether the AAC preferred having NUConn over the exit fee moneys.

The AAC could've kept UConn football and they scoffed.

For all the incidences mentioned previously in the Pat Forde article, there wasn't much "meat left on the bone" with NUConn. Their athletic department is in financial ruin.

Could UConn come back from the dead like UAB? I guess anything is possible... OR, the AAC could simply just grab UAB (which they did).

(04-18-2022 01:36 PM)Blue_Trombone Wrote:  

(04-18-2022 01:18 PM)TroyTBoy Wrote:  

(04-18-2022 11:27 AM)bill dazzle Wrote:  There will always be fans of schools and leagues who simply feel uncomfortable acknowledging the truth — as they are apprehensive it will undermine their argument. And I've seen a good bit of this from AAC fans. Obviously, this reality is not limited to those fans.

It's not just AAC fans that are laughing.

Whenever something new hits the fan (whether its related to the Kevin Ollie 11 million dollar judgement, or UConn's "National Championship" for NOT playing during Covid - even though they couldn't have if they wanted to), the Nation is laughing.

No one should feel bad for their natural response.

I'm sorry my man but the only laughing anyone is doing is directed at this take. UConn fits in to the Big East much better than the AAC. Their fans think it's better, the general public thinks it's better. They get to play historic rivals and get much better coverage than being shuttered in the AAC. The only ones that don't think they made the right move are those that support UConn football more than basketball and those that are insecure in the AAC's position in the greater conference hierarchy.

Nobody in the AAC cares.

They've already run up the score on UConn.