American Athletic Conference

[WheatShock]

Fans would burn Koch Arena if WSU declined an offer.

Think he's right?

[washedup]

Guess not everyone thinks the AAC is a good idea.

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/news/wichita-state-basketball-american-athletic-conference-missouri-valley/1nz3ei5s5t9bb1mrtola7np2gi

[Cdizzle]

Guess not everyone thinks the AAC is a good idea.

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-bas...b1mrtola7np2gi

There are only two rational explanations for this article:

1. Someone has to be a contrarian. Conflict sells.
2. There is a new competitor to Doug Gottlieb for "least understanding of college basketball by a 'college basketball expert'".

[ShockerFever]

Guess not everyone thinks the AAC is a good idea.

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-bas...b1mrtola7np2gi

That's a great outsider's point of view but the wrong one if you're WSU or a WSU fan. A slightly poached AAC still trumps the current Valley. Not really close. I personally think a lot of the shifting is over with for a while anyways.

[Cdizzle]

That's a great outsider's point of view but the wrong one if you're WSU or a WSU fan. A slightly poached AAC still trumps the current Valley. Not really close. I personally think a lot of the shifting is over with for a while anyways.

A completely poached AAC is still no worse than the Valley. If it turns into WSU and 9 tag-alongs, it's not like we've lost something. This is a no-lose situation for WSU. No one in the Valley is bringing anything to the table.

[WheatShock]

Guess not everyone thinks the AAC is a good idea.

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-bas...b1mrtola7np2gi

That's just dumb on the Author's part. If the AAC gets raided, at worst we are back where we started at an MVC level.

[wu_shizzle]

There are only two rational explanations for this article:

1. Someone has to be a contrarian. Conflict sells.
2. There is a new competitor to Doug Gottlieb for "least understanding of college basketball by a 'college basketball expert'".

Somebody had a deadline and Christmas shopping to do.

[wu_shizzle]

That's just dumb on the Author's part. If the AAC gets raided, at worst we are back where we started at an MVC level.

Yep, and who would the AAC fill with?

IlSt or UNI, Western Kentucky or a strong MAC team at worst.

[AZ Shocker]

Guess not everyone thinks the AAC is a good idea.

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-bas...b1mrtola7np2gi

Some decent points the author makes but there are some major differences between Gonzaga and Wichita St. For one Wichita St. is about twice as large in student enrollment than Gonzaga. About $50 million more in endowment than Gonzaga. Not to mention Wichita St. fits like a glove in the AAC both geographically and would be aligned with similar AAC public universities.

Add in a possible new football program and the "growth" the university is planned for under Dr. Bardo's vision. Yes the "growth" of the university is very much contigent on the Shockers moving up and joining a better conference. That's obviously part of the university's plan. You know...the whole build it and they will come philosophy.

The author more than likely doesn't know or understand all the dynamics that a better conference means for the plans and goals the university is striving for. Dr. Bardos vision is not only for growth at Wichita St. but moreso for the greater Wichita area and getting that enrollment north of 20,000 students. Joining the AAC gives Wichita St. that opportunity.

[Aargh]

When the B12 announced they were seeking expansion, and then turned down every single applicant from the AAC, that pretty much locked up the AAC forquite a while. If there were value in adding AAC programs to one of the power conferences, you'd think the B12 could have been able to figure that out.

It would appear that the TV contracts aren't going to get better for the P5 (or P4) adding AAC teams for football. Rather than poaching AAC teams in 2020, when their GoR expires, the P4 could just wait until 2024 when the B12's GoR expires and poach schools with more value than schools in the AAC. That could leave the AAC in a position to pick up schools like Oklahoma State, K-State, and Iowa State, who might get left out of a P4 power grab.

[shocka khan]

I just came across this in my LinkedIn feed:

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/news/wichita-state-basketball-american-athletic-conference-missouri-valley/1nz3ei5s5t9bb1mrtola7np2gi

I don't know whether Doug Elgin has taken up ghost writing or if he just paid some idiot at the Sporting News some cash for this, but whomever wrote this ought to get fitted for a dunce cap and get 2 hours of study hall EVERY DAY FOR A WEEK!

Looks like someone beat me to posting the link (and by quite a bit), but my opinion regards the author remains unchanged.

[shocka khan]

A completely poached AAC is still no worse than the Valley. If it turns into WSU and 9 tag-alongs, it's not like we've lost something. This is a no-lose situation for WSU. No one in the Valley is bringing anything to the table.

I agree. And if the AAC really gets poached bad, perhaps we might have some say in who replaces the poached teams. And I'm betting if we don't have much say, whatever they come up with will be much better than LOLoyola.

I've watched WSU basketball for 55 years. I remember how strong the Valley was in the 60's and how we were loyal when teams like Memphis, Louisville, Cincinatti and others left.

The last straw for me was when Creighton left and was replaced by LOLoyola. No way you can convince me they could have done worse.

[ShockerFever]

Jon Rothstein himself will be on 97.5 at 4:25.

[WstateU]

Jon’s running late; Bob said he’s working a ‘breaking story’ of some kind. I’m guessing it’s not about this story unless he’s trying to contact one of his sources before going on the air. Entirely speculation on my part.

[chitown_shocker]

Jon Rothstein himself will be on 97.5 at 4:25.

Stuck in a meeting (I'm pretending to read emails on my phone - it's cool) Looking forward to reading about what he had to say.

As to the Sporting News Contrarian Report - I agree that he made some valid points as an outsider. WSU can complete and stay a national power in MMB without switching conferences, but the benefits outweigh every negative.

I just want to see WSU play more quality teams - AAC does that for sure. I didn't realize how much I have grown to loathe conference play until I really imagined what it would be like to look at the schedule and see UCONN coming to town instead of ISU or Loyola or even UNI.