American Athletic Conference

[Stickboy46]

Wouldn't it be more fun to have a new conference in place and go in there chanting our new conference while rolling through the championship game? I don't remember who I saw do that before, but thought it was funny as hell.

I would just love to roll through the championship game .... :dread:

[Art Bunch]

For those wanting football back, news like this is ugly:

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/06/07/as-revenues-rise-in-power-5-c-usa-sees-revenue-in-freefall/

[Shocker-maniac]

For those wanting football back, news like this is ugly:


http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports...e-in-freefall/

I can tell you that the C-USA $200K per is a whole lot more TV revenue than we currently get through our affiliation with the MVC.

[Shocker-maniac]

It's no wonder she doesn't want to do anything that might help WSU leave the conference. If WSU's 2500 fans stop going to St. Louis for the MVC tournament, it likely becomes a money-loser for the MVC and they would go to another, less-costly city/venue or back to home sites.

She has a clear conflict-of-interest and someone in the MVC offices should either shut her up or give her a script.

I think that she is following the MVC script. It's clear that Elgin and his cronies are PO'd at WSU.

I agree with @moshock:, WSU probably averages 5K+ fans at the conference tourney.

[Shocker1976]

Wouldn't it be more fun to have a new conference in place and go in there chanting our new conference while rolling through the championship game? I don't remember who I saw do that before, but thought it was funny as hell.

The Plan of Action regarding a New Conference for the Shockers I would like President Bardo to implement centers around hiring Jim Schaus to establish and lead a basketball focused New Heartland Conference. IMO universities within an attractive geographical footprint are there for the asking; leadership is what is missing and I think Bardo and Schaus could fill this void.

[Eric]

I will support the Shox all the way, but I won't be returning to the **** show that is the MVC tourney.

[RoyalShock]

I can tell you that the C-USA $200K per is a whole lot more TV revenue than we currently get through our affiliation with the MVC.

That $200k won't even offset 10% of the operational costs of a football program.

I think that she is following the MVC script. It's clear that Elgin and his cronies are PO'd at WSU.

I agree with @moshock, WSU probably averages 5K+ fans at the conference tourney.

The 2500 number was my recollection of ticket sales through WSU/MVC. The year I went (2015), we probably had, I would guess 3.5k or so there, but not 5k. We filled about 1/3rd of the lower bowl. That was still far, far more than any of the other Valley fanbases. Without us, there is no way they could afford to rent out Scottrade.

[Calshockfan]

The number of ticket sales through WSU/MVC does not reflect tickets purchased by many like myself who long ago gave up on getting decent tickets through these routes.

[Shocker-maniac]

That $200k won't even offset 10% of the operational costs of a football program.

Oh, I agree that it's a drop in the bucket. I just pointed out it is significantly more TV revenue than we get from the MVC. Like $200K more. Actually this is one of the factors working against us. Conferences are not wanting to add another school to dilute the TV revenue split. Thus, our opportunity won't come until there is P5 poaching. Meanwhile, TV revenues for non-P5 conferences are shrinking.

[ShockTalk]

The Plan of Action regarding a New Conference for the Shockers I would like President Bardo to implement centers around hiring Jim Schaus to establish and lead a basketball focused New Heartland Conference. IMO universities within an attractive geographical footprint are there for the asking; leadership is what is missing and I think Bardo and Schaus could fill this void.

Oh, I agree that it's a drop in the bucket. I just pointed out it is significantly more TV revenue than we get from the MVC. Like $200K more. Actually this is one of the factors working against us. Conferences are not wanting to add another school to dilute the TV revenue split. Thus, our opportunity won't come until there is P5 poaching. Meanwhile, TV revenues for non-P5 conferences are shrinking.

Thus my post on the previous page.

As football revenue shrinks, schools may look to improve basketball to add to their pot of funds. Schools may continue football, others may not. Regardless, WSU (and the Valley) need to be on the right side of this potential move. The Valley appears to be content to stay the course and watch the conference drop lower and lower in relevance. I'm somewhat surprised that all the other Valley schools appear to be OK watching other conferences pull ahead of them in basketball when many of them could be apart of improving the MVC, getting us back into the top 7 or 8 basketball conferences, and have the Valley a conference quality players want to go to.

[Shocker1976]

Should the study commissioned by WSU conclude that no viable option exists for the Shockers to move from the MVC and given Bardo's public comments that he would like the University to be a member in a conference with public universities that share a common mission and research orientation; I hope that he will engage Jim Schaus to mimic Dave Gavitt's dream of a basketball focused conference to compete with the P5 conferences. Gavitt invited nine schools to be founding members (Providence, St John's, Syracuse, Georgetown, Seton Hall, UCONN, Boston College, Holy Cross and Rutgers; the last two declined and were replaced by Villanova and Pittsburgh).

Think BIG and outside the box President Bardo; the following table offers a possible new Heartland Conference for which Jim Schaus could serve as the initial Commissioner:

School	Enrollment	Athletic Budget	Football	KenPom Rank
Wichita State	~ 15,000	~ $25 million	No	8
Stephen F Austin	~ 13,000	~ $16 million	Yes	27
UA Little Rock	~ 12,000	~ $10 million	No	51
UNI	~ 10,000	~ $20 million	Yes	66
South Dakota State	~ 12,000	~ $16 million	Yes	76
Louisiana Lafayette	~ 17,000	~ $23 million	Yes	109
Louisiana Monroe	~ 9,000	~ $13 million	Yes	121
North Dakota State	~ 15,000	~ $22 million	Yes	143
UN Omaha	~ 15,000	~ $16 million	No	148
Louisiana Tech	~ 12,000	~ $22 million	Yes	152
Alternates
Akron	~ 22,000	~ $34 million	Yes	91
UT Chattanooga	~ 12,000	~ $17 million	Yes	113
UA Birmingham	~ 12,000	~ $31 million	Yes	114
Illinois State	~ 18,000	~ $26 million	Yes	116

[Ta town]

Should the study commissioned by WSU conclude that no viable option exists for the Shockers to move from the MVC and given Bardo's public comments that he would like the University to be a member in a conference with public universities that share a common mission and research orientation; I hope that he will engage Jim Schaus to mimic Dave Gavitt's dream of a basketball focused conference to compete with the P5 conferences. Gavitt invited nine schools to be founding members (Providence, St John's, Syracuse, Georgetown, Seton Hall, UCONN, Boston College, Holy Cross and Rutgers; the last two declined and were replaced by Villanova and Pittsburgh).

Think BIG and outside the box President Bardo; the following table offers a possible new Heartland Conference for which Jim Schaus could serve as the initial Commissioner:

School	Enrollment	Athletic Budget	Football	KenPom Rank
Wichita State	~ 15,000	~ $25 million	No	8
Stephen F Austin	~ 13,000	~ $16 million	Yes	27
UA Little Rock	~ 12,000	~ $10 million	No	51
UNI	~ 10,000	~ $20 million	Yes	66
South Dakota State	~ 12,000	~ $16 million	Yes	76
Louisiana Lafayette	~ 17,000	~ $23 million	Yes	109
Louisiana Monroe	~ 9,000	~ $13 million	Yes	121
North Dakota State	~ 15,000	~ $22 million	Yes	143
UN Omaha	~ 15,000	~ $16 million	No	148
Louisiana Tech	~ 12,000	~ $22 million	Yes	152
Alternates
Akron	~ 22,000	~ $34 million	Yes	91
UT Chattanooga	~ 12,000	~ $17 million	Yes	113
UA Birmingham	~ 12,000	~ $31 million	Yes	114
Illinois State	~ 18,000	~ $26 million	Yes	116

That league u just listed is an absolute pile of crap.

[Aargh]

the following table offers...

That table offers a list of no-name schools that have had some recent success. If there is to be a new conference formed, it better have some name brand teams and not just a bunch of no-names that have recently had rpi's below 150.

[ShockTalk]

@Shocker1976:, while I like your addition of UALR (another non-football school), you have 5 schools listed that are currently FBS, 3 in your first 10 and 2 of your 4 alternates. Unless the P5 pulls away, I don't see any way these schools drop out of that division, even if it would make good sense to do so.

I stayed with non-FBS football schools and I have no problem with private schools if they're committed. I'm also OK with going 12-14 schools and having divisions if it is a cost savings for the schools. If you have the numbers handy, how does Sam Houston St, Belmont, Murray St, Denver, Valparaiso, SIU, Youngstown St, and South Dakota look with your schools. These are the schools I came up with that we do not have alike and would make a pool of 22 schools.

[ShockTalk]

That table offers a list of no-name schools that have had some recent success. If there is to be a new conference formed, it better have some name brand teams and not just a bunch of no-names that have recently had rpi's below 150.

Not disagreeing with your premise, but where are these brand name schools coming from and why would they leave their current situation?

Maybe that's your point. There isn't any or too few in number. My thinking is to banned together those schools who are committed to certain levels of funding and competition who are the "best of the rest" that are not already in as good or better situation.