American Athletic Conference

[TxShox]

This has been mentioned a bit. Basketball is the main factor. I don't know what each and every conference offers as far as sports go though. I'd think that the MWC would be good for baseball, T&F and maybe volleyball. Don't know how golf or tennis would work out. The good news is we're pretty solid just about everywhere.

The AAC would be better than the BE for baseball since it's a little more southern in nature. Outside of that, I'm not sure. Maybe I'll look some of this up later.

I could see us adding women's soccer if a conference required it. It wouldn't be all that expensive and wouldn't force us to shut down another program. Plus soccer has been growing some in popularity around here and we have some decent local talent last I heard. A program here could help improve that as well. I'm not sure how it'd work at WSU, but I wouldn't be opposed to LAX being added. Maybe in addition to women's soccer. Either way, I don't think we'd have to drop anything. And if something isn't sponsored, I'm sure we could find affiliate membership that would be just fine.

The Big East places a high value it seems. They are a bunch of private and mostly Catholic schools. The AAC has some pretty solid academics as well in Tulane and Rice as well as others. I would think that joining the AAC could potentially improve how we're viewed academically. I'm not sure what type or how many research based universities there are in the conference. I don't know what kind of academic reputation the MWC has. I know Boise isn't viewed very highly by many. But it's a conference full of large, state schools. We'd fit in well in that regard.

From what I can find about the new AAC, as of July 2015 they will be at 11 schools in Men's and Women's Basketball, 9 schools in Baseball (SMU and Tulsa are x's in the grid I found), and the conference looks to have every sport that WSU already participates in. It doesn't look like they would require Women's Soccer as Tulane doesn't participate in that sport. Navy is joining the conference July 1, 2015 as an associate member and play only football, giving them 12 members in that sport.

Source: The ever reliable wikipedia

As of July 1, 2015

Basketball
 1. Cincinnati
 2. Connecticut
 3. East Carolina
 4. Houston
 5. Memphis
 6. SMU
 7. South Florida
 8. Temple
 9. Tulane
10. Tulsa
11. UCF

Baseball (Current Record)
 1. Cincinnati    (12-18)
 2. Connecticut   (18-13)
 3. East Carolina (15-18)
 4. Houston       (24-9) - Currently Ranked 28
 5. Memphis       (19-13)
 6. South Florida (18-14)
 7. Temple        (11-16)
 8. Tulane        (17-18)
 9. UCF           (18-15)

[cjp27]

Sorry, I think the new AAC or whatever it is called is the worst option. UCONN, Cincinatti, and Memphis will jump ship as soon as they get the opportunity. What you are left with are the dregs of C-USA, which is probably worse than the Valley. My option #1 would be the MWC, primarily because we'd be a better fit with the public schools. Option #2 would be the C-7, although I do not see where that happens. The new A-10 after it gets raided will be pretty much crap too.

[MadaboutWu]

I'm glad people finally specified what they meant by the AAC. I couldn't place it, did a little google research and was scratching my head that folks seemed to be advocating a move to the division II Appalachian Athletics Conference :).

[SubGod22]

Sorry, I think the new AAC or whatever it is called is the worst option. UCONN, Cincinatti, and Memphis will jump ship as soon as they get the opportunity. What you are left with are the dregs of C-USA, which is probably worse than the Valley. My option #1 would be the MWC, primarily because we'd be a better fit with the public schools. Option #2 would be the C-7, although I do not see where that happens. The new A-10 after it gets raided will be pretty much crap too.

UConn probably. Cinci maybe. Memphis.....I doubt it.

[shockmonster]

Sorry, I think the new AAC or whatever it is called is the worst option. UCONN, Cincinatti, and Memphis will jump ship as soon as they get the opportunity. What you are left with are the dregs of C-USA, which is probably worse than the Valley. My option #1 would be the MWC, primarily because we'd be a better fit with the public schools. Option #2 would be the C-7, although I do not see where that happens. The new A-10 after it gets raided will be pretty much crap too.

I don't think that any of these are a slam dunk to leave. The question is what do they bring to a conference? Cincinatti is the only that has strong football, good television numbers (metro area), in addition to other strong athletic programs. Memphis and UCONN have good basketball (womens and men) but not good football.

[wufan]

Sorry, I think the new AAC or whatever it is called is the worst option. UCONN, Cincinatti, and Memphis will jump ship as soon as they get the opportunity. What you are left with are the dregs of C-USA, which is probably worse than the Valley. My option #1 would be the MWC, primarily because we'd be a better fit with the public schools. Option #2 would be the C-7, although I do not see where that happens. The new A-10 after it gets raided will be pretty much crap too.

I am of the opinion that every team in the AAC would be a better replacement for the MVC than ANYONE we are considering. Even if you remove Memphis, Cinci, and UConn, I'd love to be in a conference with Houston, SMU, Temple and Tulsa. Nothing wrong with UCF, Tulane, or S Florida either.

[ripemupshocks]

I'd rather go east as well, especially after the MWC laid a huge egg in the NCAA Tournament after supposedly being a top two conference in the country. And now that Steve Alford has left New Mexico, who knows what direction that program will go in.

Typical of the MWC. In the last ten years the MWC has received 29 bids and only has 14 wins. In comparison, the MVC has only received 19 bids but has 15 wins.

[ShockerInKC]

Who knows? You don't and I don't. He could be in contact with every conference in the country or none of them.

Any conference change is probably a year or two out. Tough to judge something that's not done in the public light until after that.

I've heard ES speak at 2 functions in the last month on the conference situation and he's said 1) mvc is looking for best fit for a new member and that new member will be announced May - June. 2) wsu might go to a new conference and basketball success makes that easier. (no timing mentioned) (paraphrasing of course)

[ShockerPrez]

Memphis should just drop football and join the MVC.

[ABC]

I've heard ES speak at 2 functions in the last month on the conference situation and he's said 1) mvc is looking for best fit for a new member and that new member will be announced May - June. 2) wsu might go to a new conference and basketball success makes that easier. (no timing mentioned) (paraphrasing of course)

Did he stammer and spit and do a poor public speaking job?

[ripemupshocks]

Memphis should just drop football and join the MVC.

New Mexico State as well. Get rid of foosball and bring em both back. Also add Valpo and call it a day.

[SubGod22]

New Mexico State as well. Get rid of foosball and bring em both back. Also add Valpo and call it a day.

There have been some reports that NMSU is interested. Football found a home in the Belt. We could take on their other sports

[thunderkwb]

Let's just move on, I think the best days of MVC is behind them. I am tired of grooming other former valley schools to move on to bigger and better places, it is time, and no better time, to upgrade.

[Rlh04d]

Sorry, I think the new AAC or whatever it is called is the worst option. UCONN, Cincinatti, and Memphis will jump ship as soon as they get the opportunity. What you are left with are the dregs of C-USA, which is probably worse than the Valley. My option #1 would be the MWC, primarily because we'd be a better fit with the public schools. Option #2 would be the C-7, although I do not see where that happens. The new A-10 after it gets raided will be pretty much crap too.

Yes, they will jump ship at the first opportunity. But there aren't many opportunities.

I expect UConn to go to the ACC if Notre Dame becomes a full member. That's a pretty huge if, and I don't think that's going to happen soon, or that UConn has any other options outside of that. I don't see the B1G taking them ... the ACC is their best bet, and the ACC will not add another football team without ND.

Cincinnati might join the B12 at some point. However, I really don't think the B12 is very interested in expansion at this point. I think there is pretty decent evidence that they feel like very few teams (Florida State, Notre Dame, etc.) would be expansion targets that would improve their TV contract at all, and that Texas and Oklahoma want to avoid having to play in a conference championship game.

I don't see Memphis having any options in the next decade.

None of these teams are talked about much in expansion scenarios. UConn is only included because the ACC would have to add a 16th team to balance out the football divisions if ND joined fully.

[cjp27]

Yes, they will jump ship at the first opportunity. But there aren't many opportunities.

I expect UConn to go to the ACC if Notre Dame becomes a full member. That's a pretty huge if, and I don't think that's going to happen soon, or that UConn has any other options outside of that. I don't see the B1G taking them ... the ACC is their best bet, and the ACC will not add another football team without ND.

Cincinnati might join the B12 at some point. However, I really don't think the B12 is very interested in expansion at this point. I think there is pretty decent evidence that they feel like very few teams (Florida State, Notre Dame, etc.) would be expansion targets that would improve their TV contract at all, and that Texas and Oklahoma want to avoid having to play in a conference championship game.

I don't see Memphis having any options in the next decade.

None of these teams are talked about much in expansion scenarios. UConn is only included because the ACC would have to add a 16th team to balance out the football divisions if ND joined fully.

The problem is that they all have options, because all have D-1 football. Crappy D-1 football, yes, but it's still football nonetheless. This means that they all likely jump at the first opportunity they get. If we jump and Cincinatti, Memphis, and UCONN jump, we are left in a worse situation than we are presently in. It's an intriguing option, but a very unstable one if you ask me.

Please don't mistake me as an MVC apologist. If a good option presents itself, we need to get out of the MVC immediately.