American Athletic Conference

[WheatShock]

This may have been discussed earlier in this thread. The reasons for wanting out of the MVC are clear and it is certainly flattering to think that a higher profile basketball conference (i.e. AAC) might be interested in WSU.
That having been said, there is seeming instability in the membership of that league with schools purportedly wanting to leave. There have been consistent rumors that UConn wants out of the AAC. The Big XII is
repeatedly linked to Cincinnati and Houston as expansion targets. I have read an on-line article which indicated that Memphis and SMU also wanted to leave the AAC (unconfirmed). In 2016, the AAC Commissioner
supposedly said that realignment was inevitable and that “schools will leave” the AAC. How do posters think any of this should impact a decision to move to the AAC if an offer comes?

Every single school in the AAC applied for membership in the big 12. I would have been disappointed in them if they hadn't. More realignment will happen eventually and we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

We might even be in a position to take advantage of further realignment down the road in the AAC. We WILL NOT be in such a position if we remain in the MVC.

[Shock Top]

Texas would NEVER allow Houston to join the BIG XII.

In a perfect world, we'd have football and be in the BIG XII.
In a great world, we'd be a public school in the Big East.
In a good world, we can be a non-football member of a pretty solid conference, that could still do well with some shake ups.

The AAC schools are trying! They are making good (or at least appear good) hires. They are putting $$$ into their facilities. They want to prove thy can play with the big boys. Maybe, just maybe, that will result in a "rising tide" situation and make the conference good enough that schools don't want to leave

[Shock Top]

Another thing were the American vasty trumps the MVC, should shakeups happen even, is footprint. More TVs in Philly and Houston than Evansville and Carbondale. People are talking about and seeing the Shox all the time now. This gives even more people the chance to do so.

You not only expand eyes on your programs, you spread your recruiting reach. That helps all sports: basketball, volleyball, baseball, etc. Lots of talent in Texas, Florida, and the Northeast. It would give kids a chance to play in front of families; a big deal to some.

Also, selfishly, the traveling would be infinitely better for non-athletic purposes

[im4wsu]

The MVC should poach 10 other basketball strong schools and operate as two divisions (i.e separate conferences) with WSU and the best 9 of the others in Division Good and the current MVC members plus the worst of the new 10 in Division bad. This would avoid totally kicking out current members. The MVC tournament would be the top 6 from the good divison and the top four from the bad division playing on Thursday. Consideration could be given to moving teams between divisions based on preformance over a two-yearor three-year span.

[Shocker-maniac]

This may have been discussed earlier in this thread. The reasons for wanting out of the MVC are clear and it is certainly flattering to think that a higher profile basketball conference (i.e. AAC) might be interested in WSU.
That having been said, there is seeming instability in the membership of that league with schools purportedly wanting to leave. There have been consistent rumors that UConn wants out of the AAC. The Big XII is
repeatedly linked to Cincinnati and Houston as expansion targets. I have read an on-line article which indicated that Memphis and SMU also wanted to leave the AAC (unconfirmed). In 2016, the AAC Commissioner
supposedly said that realignment was inevitable and that “schools will leave” the AAC. How do posters think any of this should impact a decision to move to the AAC if an offer comes?

I want to be in a conference where every single athletic program wants to be the best it can be, and is trying to improve and get better. We have never experienced that in the MVC. With opportunity comes risk.

[Shock Top]

The MVC should poach 10 other basketball strong schools and operate as two divisions (i.e separate conferences) with WSU and the best 9 of the others in Division Good and the current MVC members plus the worst of the new 10 in Division bad. This would avoid totally kicking out current members. The MVC tournament would be the top 6 from the good divison and the top four from the bad division playing on Thursday. Consideration could be given to moving teams between divisions based on preformance over a two-yearor three-year span.

Why do we want to continue dragging along dead weight?! Literally, every other good program, that has been in the MVC has moved on besides WSU. I don't see any of them regretting that decision.

Time for WSU to grow up and leave the nest as well. It may be scary, but you can only fly if you try flapping your wings.

[CBB_Fan]

One thing I like about the AAC is that from a sporting culture perspective they are much closer to us than the MVC. I mean, you can even look at the names of the colleges.

Which of these groups appear more similar to Wichita State?

Group A:
Cincinnati
Houston
Tulane
Memphis
Tulsa

Group B:
Northern Iowa
Loyola Chicago
Bradley
Drake
Southern Illinois

I'll take the set of city schools, and Dayton can get thrown in with them. And culturally, the MVC shares a set of values exemplified by Indiana State. They take pride in doing the best with what they've got, on being efficient, on being the underdog.

That isn't bad, but it simply isn't what Wichita State values. And it isn't what the AAC values. We and they are putting our money where our mouth is to get better, while the MVC is if anything trying to lower its profile. And you could make the argument that this applies even to the academic side of things, with the Innovation Campus.

[JayPak]

AAC bottom feeder and 300+ RPI USF just hired Brian Gregory to be their coach. He was 172-94 at Dayton and 76-86 at Georgia Tech. I wonder how this will compare to MVC bottom feeder and 300+ RPI Drake's hire.

Wonder no more. Drake is going to hire 17-year Creighton assistant Darian DeVries.

[Shocker-maniac]

This may have been discussed earlier in this thread. The reasons for wanting out of the MVC are clear and it is certainly flattering to think that a higher profile basketball conference (i.e. AAC) might be interested in WSU.
That having been said, there is seeming instability in the membership of that league with schools purportedly wanting to leave. There have been consistent rumors that UConn wants out of the AAC. The Big XII is
repeatedly linked to Cincinnati and Houston as expansion targets. I have read an on-line article which indicated that Memphis and SMU also wanted to leave the AAC (unconfirmed). In 2016, the AAC Commissioner
supposedly said that realignment was inevitable and that “schools will leave” the AAC. How do posters think any of this should impact a decision to move to the AAC if an offer comes?

After you read this article, I think that you will be convinced that leaving the MVC is the right thing to do.

http://www.kansas.com/sports/college...138677778.html

[thunderkwb]

This may have been discussed earlier in this thread. The reasons for wanting out of the MVC are clear and it is certainly flattering to think that a higher profile basketball conference (i.e. AAC) might be interested in WSU.
That having been said, there is seeming instability in the membership of that league with schools purportedly wanting to leave. There have been consistent rumors that UConn wants out of the AAC. The Big XII is
repeatedly linked to Cincinnati and Houston as expansion targets. I have read an on-line article which indicated that Memphis and SMU also wanted to leave the AAC (unconfirmed). In 2016, the AAC Commissioner
supposedly said that realignment was inevitable and that “schools will leave” the AAC. How do posters think any of this should impact a decision to move to the AAC if an offer comes?

Unfortunately, the MVC (outside of WSU and 1 or 2 schools) as a whole has no interest in investing in their programs. WSU is tired of carrying the MVC on their shoulders ... it is getting too heavy for WSU. The separation between the top team and the rest is widening. We have to move or we will be pulled into irrelevancy

[Aargh]

The B12 looked at Houston and Cincy for expansion and ran into 2 problems. The one I'm certain about is that NONE of the Texas or Oklahoma school are going to legitimize Houston by putting them in the B12 and adding competition for B12 recruiting in Texas. The other one was just a rumor, but ESPN wouldn't raise what they pay for TV rights from adding those schools.

I'm not surprised that talk of expanding the AAC came about as soon as talk about the B12 expanding died. The B12 coiuld have raided 3 or 4 AAC schools, but that didn't happen. The AAC looks more stable now than it did a year ago.

[robertfoshizzle]

A question that one of you guys would surely know the answer to -- how many Wichita State games were on national TV this year?

One of the benefits to being in the AAC is that if your program is relevant, every single conference game will be nationally televised. Here is Cincinnati's network breakdown for the past season:

ESPN: 5
ESPN2: 4
ESPNU: 8
CBS: 1
CBS Sports: 8
FS1: 1 (@ Butler)
ESPN3: 7

So 27/34 games on national television with the other 7 on ESPN3. TV exposure is essential for building your fan base and recruiting.

[Speak2me]

Any conference outside of the P5 is unstable. Every single one. The MWC had numerous members submit proposals to the Big 12. It would be ludicrous to think any of the A10 members would turn down an invitation to the BE. Hell, even the MVC could be raided at ease by the MAC or even the freakin' Sun Belt at this point--if those conferences would want anyone from the MVC. But being in a conference with schools that are not desirable to anyone else is probably worse than an "unstable" conference.

I don't buy any of the arguments that the AAC is unstable--at least any more unstable than any other nonP5. Until we're somehow miraculously in the Big 10, we're going to have to live with instability with whatever conference we're in.

I would not be surprised if even a number of P5 schools start to struggle in upcoming years. A 2005 report said only 24 FBS schools made more money that they spent. ESPN is now making massive budget cuts. The next round of tv rights bidding is going to come in below what many of these conferences now enjoy quite possibly. Less people are attending games and watching games on tv each and every year.

[SHOCKvalue]

A question that one of you guys would surely know the answer to -- how many Wichita State games were on national TV this year?

One of the benefits to being in the AAC is that if your program is relevant, every single conference game will be nationally televised. Here is Cincinnati's network breakdown for the past season:

ESPN: 5
ESPN2: 4
ESPNU: 8
CBS: 1
CBS Sports: 8
FS1: 1 (@ Butler)
ESPN3: 7

So 27/34 games on national television with the other 7 on ESPN3. TV exposure is essential for building your fan base and recruiting.

We could certainly use the additional exposure, but we're not necessarily doing terrible in this regard.

ESPN: 1
ESPN2: 7
ESPNU: 3
CBS: 1
CBSSN: 5
ESPN3: the remainder (locally produced, but all on ESPN3)

[Aargh]

There is one huge difference. The AAC gets paid for their television rights. The MVC hopes to break even on their media rights.