American Athletic Conference

[jdshock]

Because they are the #2 RPI conference.

MVC is #12. Right behind Mid-American...

Last I saw, we were 12 behind the MWC, which makes some of this conversation pretty funny. http://realtimerpi.com/rpi_conf_Men.html

Even so, the MVC without WSU drops a lot and the MWC with WSU probably jumps up quite a bit. I don't know how to do those calculations, but I would imagine the MWC with WSU would be similar to the AAC, WCC, and the A10

[Play Angry]

This was also a terrible, terrible year for the MWC. Judging them by that standard is without a doubt measuring at the lowest watermark.

They diluted their basketball side somewhat with the recent expansion. San Jose State was inexcusable, but Nevada should be respectable eventually. Utah State and Boise State were fine adds.

The real culprit though (for this year) was having UNLV and New Mexico trend catastrophically downward at the exact same time.

[Jhook89]

Last I saw, we were 12 behind the MWC, which makes some of this conversation pretty funny. http://realtimerpi.com/rpi_conf_Men.html

Even so, the MVC without WSU drops a lot and the MWC with WSU probably jumps up quite a bit. I don't know how to do those calculations, but I would imagine the MWC with WSU would be similar to the AAC, WCC, and the A10

You're right. Mid-American is 10th. MWC 11th.

[jdshock]

This was also a terrible, terrible year for the MWC. Judging them by that standard is without a doubt measuring at the lowest watermark.

They diluted their basketball side somewhat with the recent expansion. San Jose State was inexcusable, but Nevada should be respectable eventually. Utah State and Boise State were fine adds.

The real culprit though (for this year) was having UNLV and New Mexico trend catastrophically downward at the exact same time.

Yeah definitely. I just thought it was ironic. I didn't expect to see them so low this year.

I love the idea of being in the MWC more than just about any other conference besides the Big 12. I'd love to have an excuse to make it to the rockies more frequently.

[ShockerFever]

The Big East is a yawner. They have no television exposure, little media exposure, and is an overinflated balloon on the brink of popping. I'd much rather prefer the MWC any day over another mid-major conference.

[_kai_]

Because they are the #2 RPI conference.

MVC is #12. Right behind Mid-American...

But just because a conference is highly rated, doesn't mean it allows Wichita State to have the most potential for success. I think that's the major disconnect that people have with this realignment situation.

[Shocker-maniac]

Why do people want to be in the Big East? We don't fit with their make up for any parameters other than being a "basketball school." We're Public, we have drastically lower tuition, we're not Catholic affiliatied, we are extremely west for their schools, and we'd have to go to NYC for the conference tournament. Nothing about the Big East is attractive to me at all. Maybe I"m totally missing something here, but it seems ridiculous to even think the Big East is a possibility or a possibility we'd even want.

Talking about joining the BE is a waste of time, because its NOT going to happen for the foreseeable future.

[Ta town]

Big East: Will never happen and people that don't grasp this are either very ignorant or slow. Has nothing to do with location or program, it's about other things.

A-10: Why anyone would want to join a bunch of privates with only a few public's located mainly in the Northeast is beyond me. If anything wait till the Big East raids and see whats left. If it's Dayton and Saint Louis, then just not doable, although I don't believe it to be doable now.

AAC: Would be my #1, even if a few programs left. Especially with Tulsa and SMU location wise. However seems to me that they have a stigma against non football schools.

MWC: Would be my #1-a, Plus you can actually dream a little due to this quote from their commissioner:

"Thompson likes the MW's 12-team football setup and doesn't feel a need to press for expansion. While he would be open to adding a "basketball-only" team, which would bring that number to an even 12, he would prefer to let the setup "marinate" and allow for rivalries and familiarity to take hold."
Read more at http://gazette.com/mountain-west-com...tyELFIa7lAm.99

Granted while saying he would be open he doesn't exactly give a ringing endorsement to add on, still it's better than the vibe you get from AAC on the issue.

[Rlh04d]

Why do people want to be in the Big East? We don't fit with their make up for any parameters other than being a "basketball school." We're Public, we have drastically lower tuition, we're not Catholic affiliatied, we are extremely west for their schools, and we'd have to go to NYC for the conference tournament. Nothing about the Big East is attractive to me at all. Maybe I"m totally missing something here, but it seems ridiculous to even think the Big East is a possibility or a possibility we'd even want.

I have four million reasons.

If WSU joined the Big East next season, our basketball program would have an extra $40 million over the next decade than we will have remaining in the Valley.

I'd want WSU to join a conference filled with for-profit online schools with a conference tournament in Iraq if it gave us $4 million a year in TV revenue, six top 50 RPI conference opponents, and not one conference team out of the top 200 RPI. Thrash those University of Phoenix ... umm ... Phoenixes. Phoenixi? Phoeni. Phoenises ...

[MoValley John]

I have four million reasons.

If WSU joined the Big East next season, our basketball program would have an extra $40 million over the next decade than we will have remaining in the Valley.

I'd want WSU to join a conference filled with for-profit online schools with a conference tournament in Iraq if it gave us $4 million a year in TV revenue, six top 50 RPI conference opponents, and not one conference team out of the top 200 RPI. Thrash those University of Phoenix ... umm ... Phoenixes. Phoenixi? Phoeni. Phoenises ...

I'm trying not to sound like I'm trying to flame the thread, I'm not, I avoid this stuff on Shocker net on purpose. That said, just this once, I will give you a reason for the Big East, fan experience.

If you would rather pay to see Indiana State, Evansville and Drake, rather than Xavier, Butler and Georgetown, be my guest. I will tell you this, not getting to see Wichita State play in person every year, sucks, but not playing Missouri State, doesn't.

Personally, I don't care if 60 or 60,000,000 people watch the game, selfishly, I only care if I can watch it on my tv. I only care that I can watch what I want to watch and I only care that if I pay to see something in person, I will be entertained. Outside of seeing Wichita State play, every other team in the Big East plays more entertaining basketball than what you see in the Valley.

Selfishly, I truly want the Shockers in the Big East. Unfortunately, probably isn't going to happen.

[Shock Top]

If BE games were on ESPN, they would pull bigger numbers. Most people don't know or think about FS1. Which is why they have low numbers. (Though with the $$$ from the TV contract, would help ease those woes)

That said, the BE offers: More $$$, More competition, more stability (in terms of being basketball focused).

Whether or not it happens or is fiesable is another thing. On terms of pure speculation and "what if" thinking, the BE is a good fit.

[The Mad Hatter]

There is no reason for the BE to add any teams as long as they have that ridiculous contract with Fox. Adding teams just means splitting that revenue in more directions, or renegotiating the deal and there is no way they want to open up that possibility with the current dollar per viewer ratio they have going on.

[Veritas]

Would love to see some schools put football as a stand alone conference and join forces to establish a new conference consisting of:
Cincinnati, Memphis, UCONN, WSU, Tulsa, SMU, St Louis, VCU, Dayton, Richmond

[OPShocker]

I'm not so sure the model of the small private school is going to stand the test of time. We all know what drives some of this realignment and it is the television dollars. You have to wonder how much longer FS1 will tolerate the paltry ratings being put up by the Big East. I don't know how those contracts are written, but you have to wonder if there is a clause in it that says the network can renegotiate it if a certain lever of viewership is not attained within a specified period. If they do, then the network will likely out of necessity demand some change. If change does happen, who knows how it would shake out but you can be certain the model would change.

[bunck]

I'm not so sure the model of the small private school is going to stand the test of time. We all know what drives some of this realignment and it is the television dollars. You have to wonder how much longer FS1 will tolerate the paltry ratings being put up by the Big East. I don't know how those contracts are written, but you have to wonder if there is a clause in it that says the network can renegotiate it if a certain lever of viewership is not attained within a specified period. If they do, then the network will likely out of necessity demand some change. If change does happen, who knows how it would shake out but you can be certain the model would change.

I highly doubt that there will be a breach of contract just because the numbers are horrible but, IIRC, the contract was for four years and there's no way in hell the next one will be anywhere near that.