2021-22 Basketball happenings around the American Athletic!

[ShockerExpress]

PAC has said they are not looking to expand. Neither is the B1G.

Where did they say that?

[Rocky Mountain Shock]

How many B1G schools are on the no travel list california imposed on their schools?

It's not a no travel list. The law DOESN'T say they can't travel there. It does say they can't use state funds to travel there. Subtle but very important distinction.

[The Mad Hatter]

Where did they say that?

https://twitter.com/geoffschwartz/st...49526785159168

You can look at Schwartz's other tweets for more context/information.

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

Where did they say that?

PAC Commish said it at Media Days earlier this week.

B1G Commish has said through sources they are not interested either.

No teams that can be added will increase revenue enough to cover the write down each school would take with more mouths to feed.

[MikeKennedyRulZ]

PAC is more interested in merging itself with an entire, strong, viable conference than taking cast offs.

[Kung Wu]

PAC has said they are not looking to expand. Neither is the B1G.

I'd expect them to say that especially if they are having backdoor negotiations with one or two target schools.

On the other hand, I can see them saying that if it's the truth. hahahah

What a cluster.

[Kung Wu]

The leftovers might be able to keep it together for another couple of years to try and bleed OU/UT, but I'm not sure Fox is willing to pay what's left enough to entice AAC members to jump ship.

There is big time, long consequence danger in that thinking though. Any good executive knows that the last couple of guys to go are in deep doo-doo. So the remaining schools are heavily incentivized to be the first one out of there to get the best long term situation available. Waiting it out would be a bad idea and is exactly the trap WSU fell into in the MVC.

[The Mad Hatter]

PAC is more interested in merging itself with an entire, strong, viable conference than taking cast offs.

Specifically, it would love to have some sort of merger with the B10.

[ShockerExpress]

Sorry Geoff doesn’t actually know anything. Also the PAC-12 commissioner said nothing - he said things that seemed cold and also hot. I read those comments.

When reputable reporters throw cold water on it, then you’ll know it’s an official no go. Until then, who knows. I certainly don’t.

[Rocky Mountain Shock]

NM

[TheShocktocles]

I just read on the American Athletic Conferenc Board that Texas just had their first conference board meeting with the SEC. They say it went great. OU was there too.

[Shock Top]

What option is most appealing:

A) AAC added 5 of the remaining B12 schools to get to 16
B) AAC adds all 8 remaining B12 schools, drops ECU, Tulane, Tulsa to get to 16
C) AAC and B12 fully merge and add Boise to get to 20

These three seem pretty plausible. Of course there is some scenario where they drop a couple schools from each conference and add BYU and Boise:

[1972Shocker]

My initial reaction is that OSU has a much stronger football team and brand over the past however many decades. At least that's my perception.

OSU use to have T. Boone PIckens. I'm sure he treated them well in his estate plan. Whether there is an gas left in the avenue moving forward I couldn't say.

[Shocker1976]

There is big time, long consequence danger in that thinking though. Any good executive knows that the last couple of guys to go are in deep doo-doo. So the remaining schools are heavily incentivized to be the first one out of there to get the best long term situation available. Waiting it out would be a bad idea and is exactly the trap WSU fell into in the MVC.

Th Big 8 demonstrated clearly the dangers associated with the thinking to which you refer. In the 1960-80's the Big 8 was in my memory the best football conference in America; for instance, in 1971 Big Eight teams finished ranked #1 (Nebraska), #2 (Oklahoma) and #3 (Colorado) in the nation. To my knowledge the only time in college football history teams from one conference have held the top three spots in the final poll. Sitting on their thumbs and watching important conference members leave led to fiasco we witness today.

Due to time zone considerations, the PAC is in a tough spot and will always (IMO) be a second tier conference. The B1G has the potential to compete with the SEC but it too is in a tough spot right now. Two questions come to mind -

1. What two schools can the B1G add to match the SEC's recruitment of OU and Texas?

2. Could the SEC be waiting to unveil a second two team recruitment strategy (read Clemson and Notre Dame) that would enable them to distance themselves even further from all other so-called Power Conferences?

[1972Shocker]

What option is most appealing:

A) AAC added 5 of the remaining B12 schools to get to 16
B) AAC adds all 8 remaining B12 schools, drops ECU, Tulane, Tulsa to get to 16
C) AAC and B12 fully merge and add Boise to get to 20

These three seem pretty plausible. Of course there is some scenario where they drop a couple schools from each conference and add BYU and Boise:

I would prefer option A. Option B scares me. You assume that WSU/Navy would not be one of the 3 that get dropped. Also as a corollary to that let's say they add all 8 Big 12 schools plus Boise and/or BYU as you posited as a possibility and decide to drop 4-5 teams to get to 16.

What if the Big 12's negotiating stance is that we will agree that all 8 of our members will join the AAC but you have to drop enough teams to get to a 16 team conference to improve the per team revenue sharing and our members must approve by a majority vote the teams picked to be dropped. In that case, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa, ECU, and WSU/Navy would all be at risk. If that happens there are no really good options for WSU if it doesn't make the cut. If that is what the AAC/ESPN have to agree to in order to induce the 8 Big XII leftovers to join en masse do you really think they would fight that hard for WSU and the others? I don't have a great deal of confidence that they would.

As other have mentioned, this is a fluid situation that can still end up with a bad result for the WSU/Navy tandem (and other AAC teams). It could also end up with a really good result. Let's hope it's the latter.