When I first became a college sports fan, there was a level of pride from AAC fans, other G5 fanbases hated us because we'd tell them we were the best without a doubt. P5 fanbases had to respect us too. This was the home of #AMERICANPOW6R, of not being afraid to challenge the powers at be. Of course, everyone wanted a chance to be in the big leagues but that didn't mean they didn't have pride in where they were at now.

Now we have basically every fanbase desperate for any possible way out like they got stuck going to the dance with an ugly girl. Fans thinking the Sunbelt could possibly be better long term. Doomers everywhere thinking the conference can't recover.

I'm not saying you shouldn't want to be in a power conference, hell I do too. But come on can we get a little AAC pride back?

We lost three good teams, yes, but we can recover. Otherwise what, you don't think your team can reach the levels of the ones that left? Yeah, we added six CUSA teams and five of them are pretty underwhelming. But UCF wasn't the UCF it is today when they joined. These teams are investing more money into athletics than they ever have before. All of us are, our budgets are the biggest, nearly double that of the Sunbelt. Everyone on this board complains about money in college sports, you think we can't establish ourselves as the top G5 conference when we are the ones spending more money than anyone else? Some great programs will be built in this conference over the next few years, programs many never saw reaching those heights.

Let's get some pride back in being in this conference, let's make them hate us again.

IMO, I think the evolving super conferences talk has lots of people bummed out about the sport in general. Glad to be heading to the AAC as there isn't another viable alternative that offers the same challenge and potential. I think things will pick back up enthusiasm wise once the season kicks off.

There is nothing to place pride upon.

Some of these additions are going to get a bad wrap because they don’t have the history, or much of a winning history. The ceiling is high though. They’re demonstrating a solid commitment to their athletics. We’re seeing a lot of investment in their programs with facility upgrades. They may not wow you by name, but the potential is definitely there. Excited to see where the conference goes from here.

(08-12-2022 10:48 AM)CLTPirate Wrote:  When I first became a college sports fan, there was a level of pride from AAC fans, other G5 fanbases hated us because we'd tell them we were the best without a doubt. P5 fanbases had to respect us too. This was the home of #AMERICANPOW6R, of not being afraid to challenge the powers at be. Of course, everyone wanted a chance to be in the big leagues but that didn't mean they didn't have pride in where they were at now.

Now we have basically every fanbase desperate for any possible way out like they got stuck going to the dance with an ugly girl. Fans thinking the Sunbelt could possibly be better long term. Doomers everywhere thinking the conference can't recover.

I'm not saying you shouldn't want to be in a power conference, hell I do too. But come on can we get a little AAC pride back?

We lost three good teams, yes, but we can recover. Otherwise what, you don't think your team can reach the levels of the ones that left? Yeah, we added six CUSA teams and five of them are pretty underwhelming. But UCF wasn't the UCF it is today when they joined. These teams are investing more money into athletics than they ever have before. All of us are, our budgets are the biggest, nearly double that of the Sunbelt. Everyone on this board complains about money in college sports, you think we can't establish ourselves as the top G5 conference when we are the ones spending more money than anyone else? Some great programs will be built in this conference over the next few years, programs many never saw reaching those heights.

Let's get some pride back in being in this conference, let's make them hate us again.

Absolutely, I love this league and ready to go to work building towards a future. All the other distractions will settle and then it will be back to work with like minded institutions. The formula is there to repeat again.

Well, I've been Gloom and Doom about the AAC since day one, so to me it is gratifying to IMO see that POV become more prevalent here, LOL.

I have just never seen any reason to be optimistic about the AAC**. It is our home, yes, but one I have wanted my school to escape the entire time. It is just a G5 conference and being #1 in that group just doesn't mean much, IMO.

The only good thing I've seen lately is the dissolution of the P5. It's nice that the nPAC, nB12 and ACC have fallen back closer to our level.

Maybe it is because the AAC was a demotion for us.

** Here, I'm referring to the AAC as an entity, its status and prestige in the firmament of college athletics. At a competition level, AAC football and basketball has often been fun to watch.

(08-12-2022 10:48 AM)CLTPirate Wrote:  Let's get some pride back in being in this conference, let's make them hate us again.

itll come when everything settles down in regards for reallignment and you get your 1st league accomplishment

memphis or ecu wins a ny6..and the pride will come back.. similar to 2013, we were arguing of how we were left behind or how we arent worse than the mwc... no one was screaming go aac when the teams were leaving, then we started getting multiple top 25 every year .. pride will come with success

Own that NYD bowl slot and W’s for icing on the cake. Those are important to every school out there except the Alabama’s, Ohio State’s, Clemson, Georgia’s of the world and even then I’d argue the fanbases/coaches view them as important way to finish a season and go into the next even if couple players forego it due to NFL reasons. Do this alone and there will be little drop off.

Besides that, the obvious wins against P5 OOC, other G5 teams OOC (waiting to see if/who the tweeners will be before saying G4 or G3), bowl record, top 25 appearances, will make perception what it was or what pride has been within conference.

I thought the American would be strong at bball when we joined but was dead wrong on that. Luckily, the more important sport football it was much stronger than I thought. I'd argue the American was known more by team than by conference in bball. That can change with some NCAA tourney runs by 2 or 3 different teams, top 25 appearances, etc.

WAS IT OVER WHEN THE GERMANS BOMBED PEARL HARBOR???!!!

The AAC has no identity other than a stepping stone for the P5 but I think that is dead. The AAC will never be as strong as it was before. If you want to know the path of the AAC, look at CUSA. The Sunbelt just keeps building and growing slowly. The AAC is moving backwards. The SB will pass the AAC the same way the AAC passed CUSA. The SB is building tradition rich regional fanbases in the South...that will always be strong for football. The AAC is supposed to be the best of the rest with big budgets in cities but even if it was (which it is not) those teams always get called up so you end up right back where you started, or worse. One or two more teams might get a golden ticket but that's really it. The P5 money chasm created is too large...no matter how much any team in the AAC invests now it is not enough any more to appease the P5.

I would kind of prefer that Navy was still Independent with a second choice of being in a P5 conference (even if that would be dangerous in some ways).

That said, the AAC is a strong conference with by far the best exposure of any non-P5 conference. I am happy to be here and hope the conference continues to be strong. Even with the 3 losses, I think it will continue to be.

I am less worried about the super conferences than some others seem to be. It could hurt us, but it also could blow up in their face and leave opportunities for the AAC and/or Navy and other specific teams in the AAC.

In the end, the big networks need more content than they can get out of just a couple super conferences. That contradiction will prevent them from braking off no matter how much some individuals may want to.

So, be happy, the essence of conservationism is that it can always be worse, so I will be grateful that we are in a good place with a chance to get better...and that is good.

(08-12-2022 12:22 PM)Bear Catlett Wrote:  WAS IT OVER WHEN THE GERMANS BOMBED PEARL HARBOR???!!!

No way...those JapGerms never had a chance.

(08-12-2022 12:29 PM)everyone Wrote:  . The AAC is moving backwards. The SB will pass the AAC the same way the AAC passed CUSA.

See you guys have allowed these crazy sunbelt fans to think they’re better than us. When they have Arkansas state, ULM, South Alabama and Troy in their conference. Even our worst CUSA adds are better brands than those.

(08-12-2022 12:29 PM)everyone Wrote:  The AAC has no identity other than a stepping stone for the P5 but I think that is dead. The AAC will never be as strong as it was before. If you want to know the path of the AAC, look at CUSA. The Sunbelt just keeps building and growing slowly. The AAC is moving backwards. The SB will pass the AAC the same way the AAC passed CUSA. The SB is building tradition rich regional fanbases in the South...that will always be strong for football. The AAC is supposed to be the best of the rest with big budgets in cities but even if it was (which it is not) those teams always get called up so you end up right back where you started, or worse. One or two more teams might get a golden ticket but that's really it. The P5 money chasm created is too large...no matter how much any team in the AAC invests now it is not enough any more to appease the P5.

most of this isnt true and just hating..
the aac does have the biggest budget in the biggest markets outside the p5, thats just a fact.. saying it is not makes no sense

this post sounds like 2013 c-usa posts .. how the aac took bad market teams (memphis, smu, tulane) and the bad big east teams we had no history with (uconn etc.).. everything down to the wording was said about the aac in 2013 ..and c-usa took actual winning teams from the sunbelt

(people forget the perception of smu and memphis when they first joined the aac).. today both are seen as the elites of the remaining g5 )

you wouldnt believe anything you wrote if usm was invited to the aac

(08-12-2022 12:31 PM)Vonz90 Wrote:  I would kind of prefer that Navy was still Independent with a second choice of being in a P5 conference (even if that would be dangerous in some ways).

That said, the AAC is a strong conference with by far the best exposure of any non-P5 conference. I am happy to be here and hope the conference continues to be strong. Even with the 3 losses, I think it will continue to be.

I am less worried about the super conferences than some others seem to be. It could hurt us, but it also could blow up in their face and leave opportunities for the AAC and/or Navy and other specific teams in the AAC.

exactly playoff expansion is likely happening, and highest rank champions will likely pass.. with everyone good running into super conferences (That can only take 1 bid) ..

there is going to be a g5 team that will be a regular in the playoff and become a national brand, its not an "if" but a when and who ..
it looks dreary now but someone will end up with a g5 goldmine

and independence i dont get for navy... navy just has to win aac games to get playoff spots and ny6...you have to be top 6 as a independent..

I lost my pride in the conference long long time ago. Maybe it will recover with the new teams but after years of almost everyone saying how much they hate we are in the conference with them...it makes you not want to be a part of it anymore.

I nominate Panic to be the president of the AAC pride club. Second?

(08-12-2022 12:45 PM)pesik Wrote:  

(08-12-2022 12:31 PM)Vonz90 Wrote:  I would kind of prefer that Navy was still Independent with a second choice of being in a P5 conference (even if that would be dangerous in some ways).

That said, the AAC is a strong conference with by far the best exposure of any non-P5 conference. I am happy to be here and hope the conference continues to be strong. Even with the 3 losses, I think it will continue to be.

I am less worried about the super conferences than some others seem to be. It could hurt us, but it also could blow up in their face and leave opportunities for the AAC and/or Navy and other specific teams in the AAC.

exactly playoff expansion is likely happening, and highest rank champions will likely pass.. with everyone good running into super conferences (That can only take 1 bid) ..

there is going to be a g5 team that will be a regular in the playoff and become a national brand, its not an "if" but a when and who ..
it looks dreary now but someone will end up with a g5 goldmine

and independence i dont get for navy... navy just has to win aac games to get playoff spots and ny6...you have to be top 6 as a independent..

True, I think Houston has a better shot at getting into the playoff than TX or OK going forward (same for UCF/UC). That will make the TX/OK boosters very not happy. Then what?

(08-12-2022 12:47 PM)TUCandoit Wrote:  I lost my pride in the conference long long time ago. Maybe it will recover with the new teams but after years of almost everyone saying how much they hate we are in the conference with them...it makes you not want to be a part of it anymore.

Exactly Tulsa belongs in the MW. Go where you are appreciated, not tolerated.

(08-12-2022 10:48 AM)CLTPirate Wrote:  Now we have basically every fanbase desperate for any possible way out like they got stuck going to the dance with an ugly girl. Fans thinking the Sunbelt could possibly be better long term. Doomers everywhere thinking the conference can't recover.

For all the current/pending members of AAC, the Sun Belt would be a step down, and actually a big step down. Everyone (even the trolls) is aware of that.

The other things you said are true or mostly-true. I still think AAC is well-positioned to be the best of the G5 once the dust settles. But that simply won’t matter as much as it did the past 6-7 years.