American Athletic Conference

[ShockingButTrue]

Have we signed the Aussie yet?

[Heinro]

I would be pleasantly surprised if we schedule games against our old Valley brethren if/when we move to the AAC. However, looking at Creighton, Xavier and Butler none of them have scheduled opponents from their old conference opponents since they left them. Perhaps it is a snobbish Big East thing to do, but a look at Davidson indicates the same thing. I don't want to be up too late looking at some of the old Big East or Maryland to see if they schedule old conference foes. Maybe someone wants to dig into that as well?

Maybe it is because you don't want to play a team that already has a decent idea of your system? Maybe it is because it will for sure be a super bowl for the team, unlike a similar buy game. I have no idea, but it just doesn't seem like schools schedule old conference opponents.

McDerrmot, being the relatively underachieving coach that he is, always with somewhat shaky job security, perhaps didn't want to get embarrassed by WSU or UNI now that they are supposed to be a big bad Big East team. Gregg wouldn't have the same fear, but I am still doubtful we would ever play an MVC team again.

As for buy games, I really wouldn't consider anyone outside of Drake (this year) to be a bad buy game. Even ISUb had an RPI of 234, which isn't great, but compared to the buy games we've had in the past, I would be thrilled if 234 is the worst team we have on our schedule. I know some Valley schools sometimes approach the 300s, but that is true with any possible buy game. Avoiding the buy game tankers, whether it be from the Valley or anywhere else, requires some research.

[shocker3]

I agree. Not too long ago I was saying I hoped we would stay in the MVC and see it get better. I'm pretty nostalgic about the league. I could have said it better but what I was getting at was that we WOULD be scheduling MVC schools regularly and keeping the games going but that many of the teams we've been facing lately are the kind of teams you would have a buy game with if anything at all... I don't wish anything negative on the MVC. There's just something so odd about being in a conference with some teams you wouldn't even want to schedule a buy game with if they weren't in your conference. Maybe it's just me.

I agree. For years, I just kept hoping that the Valley would get better. I had a lot of optimism in 2006 when the Valley got four teams in the big dance (and probably deserved 6). I was hoping that was the beginning of new glory for the Valley, instead it turned out to be the pinnacle.

I will definitely miss the Valley, but I am looking forward to re-kindling old rivalries with Tulsa, Memphis, Cincy and Houston. As well as creating new ones with SMU, UConn and others. I don't feel like we are leaving the Valley, it feels more like the Valley has left us. WSU has continued to improve and strive for that Old Valley of Death tradition while the rest of the league is settling to become an annual one bid conference.

[Heinro]

I agree. For years, I just kept hoping that the Valley would get better. I had a lot of optimism in 2006 when the Valley got four teams in the big dance (and probably deserved 6). I was hoping that was the beginning of new glory for the Valley, instead it turned out to be the pinnacle.

I will definitely miss the Valley, but I am looking forward to re-kindling old rivalries with Tulsa, Memphis, Cincy and Houston. As well as creating new ones with SMU, UConn and others. I don't feel like we are leaving the Valley, it feels more like the Valley has left us. WSU has continued to improve and strive for that Old Valley of Death tradition while the rest of the league is settling to become an annual one bid conference.

+1

I was one of the biggest Valley fans for years. ISUb vs Oklahoma and Creighton vs Florida are some of the first games I can visually remember. Bradley and UNI's victories and SIU's close call against the Chickenhawks are some of my favorite games to this day. Unfortunately, the combination of the Valley sinking and the committee giving mids less and less respect makes it time to get out. One should never forget where they come from, but it doesn't mean that it isn't best to move on.

If we're in the AAC, the Valley will be my 2nd favorite conference. I'll root for them to take down the P5 and the Big East, just like I do for all the mids. I grew up rooting for the Valley and the little guy. I don't foresee that ever changing.

[WSUwatcher]

So there you have it, Reaper -- add WSU (in all sports except football), or (non-football), and you're done.

Basically, WSU would just be borrowing Navy's football team to get into the league. What's the harm in that? WSU has an increased margin for error when it comes to getting into the tournament, potentially better seeding once in because of the stronger schedule / RPI that would result (we see what's happened with the Jayboys), and thus an improved chance to win games once there. Meanwhile, the league gets a probable extra tournament team, an enhanced profile, plus more NCAA win share $ to divide up. It's a win-win.

[AZ Shocker]

Feeling kinda stoopid for even asking this (and you all's know I've been clamouring for us to join the AAC for years) but are we to expect an easier time getting a good P-5 to come to Koch for a home and home??? I haven't really checked other AAC teams OOC schedules cause I'm so excited to be playing those AAC teams in the future CONFERENCE schedule and to me that's just GREAT!!!

So...what's the feel? Can we get a UCLA, Louisville, Arizona, Michigan, for future home and home games when this all goes down???

Kinda hoping some of our new (cool) AAC guest could chime in.

[shock]

Feeling kinda stoopid for even asking this (and you all's know I've been clamouring for us to join the AAC for years) but are we to expect an easier time getting a good P-5 to come to Koch for a home and home??? I haven't really checked other AAC teams OOC schedules cause I'm so excited to be playing those AAC teams on the future CONFERENCE schedule.

So...what's the feel? Can we get a UCLA, Louisville, Arizona, Michigan, for future home and home games wjen this all goes down???

... perhaps, maYbe, it could bE a posSibility.

[BOBB]

If you are standing still you are falling behind and the Valley has been falling behind since 2006. Our administration (Schaus, Beggs, Bardo, and yes Sexton) parlayed our 2006 and later successes into greater commitments from the community to continued excellence. Outside of Creighton, the rest of our conference thought "what got them here would get them there." Lack of resources, questionable personnel decisions (Barry and Jim Les firings, Geno Ford debacle), stubborn commitment to St. Louis, and commitments to football in the face of red ink have compounded the problems. I would have loved to stay in a Valley where somewhere between 14-4 and 12-6 won the league, any road win was a good win, and 3 to 4 teams danced on a regular basis. That doesn't describe the Valley anymore.

[AZ Shocker]

... perhaps, maYbe, it could bE a posSibility.

Right on!!!

[BOBB]

Feeling kinda stoopid for even asking this (and you all's know I've been clamouring for us to join the AAC for years) but are we to expect an easier time getting a good P-5 to come to Koch for a home and home??? I haven't really checked other AAC teams OOC schedules cause I'm so excited to be playing those AAC teams in the future CONFERENCE schedule and to me that's just GREAT!!!

So...what's the feel? Can we get a UCLA, Louisville, Arizona, Michigan, for future home and home games when this all goes down???

Kinda hoping some of our new (cool) AAC guest could chime in.

That isn't going to happen. Huge upgrade to our conference schedule though. Leveraging Intrust and exempt tournaments is still going to be our bread and butter. Check the AAC teams schedules, middling BCS programs at home at best.

[AZ Shocker]

That isn't going to happen. Huge upgrade to our conference schedule though. Leveraging Intrust and exempt tournaments is still going to be our bread and butter. Check the AAC teams schedules, middling BCS programs at home at best.

Kinda what I expected. Good enough for me! Middling BCS teams is just a bonus!!! Oh...and Intrust and excempt tournaments. Ohhhh and everything else that comes along with this SIGNIFICANT UPGRADE!!! How freakin' FUN!!!!!!

SHOCKERS UP!!!!

[Shocker1976]

That isn't going to happen. Huge upgrade to our conference schedule though. Leveraging Intrust and exempt tournaments is still going to be our bread and butter. Check the AAC teams schedules, middling BCS programs at home at best.

Exactly right; IMO unlikely that a quality P5 school (certainly no Blue Blood) will schedule the Shockers do to membership in the AAC.

[Play Angry]

We're not getting H-H with Duke but this will definitely make OOC scheduling less of a chore for our staff. Certain doors will be easier to kick down and, most importantly, there will be less pressure on building the "perfect" slate to give us a chance to dance.

Man this is exciting stuff.

[ShockerPrez]

The Valley thinks the only reason we are good is because we lucked out and got Marshall.

[DJShocker10]

It seems to me as though right now they are just looking to cross the Ts and dot the lower-case Js.