2021-22 Basketball happenings around the American Athletic!

[Stickboy46]

The Idaho sports guy is not a fan of the AAC.

https://twitter.com/MikeFPrater/stat...909779971?s=19

It's amazing how many of these leave out the two biggest things .

1. The AAC makes more ... Yes even more than that sweetheart deal. Double for everyone but Boise.

2. The AAC has ESPN as it's partner. The exposure is way better than anything Fox/CBS can offer.

Then mentioning that Tulsa and SMU will pay exit fees, take a pay cut and move west ? Why??

[Shoxing Me Softly]

I wouldn’t even deal with Boise if their administration has the same attitude as writer. Simply get SDSU, CSU, AFA to agree and BSU won’t have a choice. They will risk SDSU leapfrogging them in the big 12 line. Worse yet for BSU, if 4 other MWC teams do come to AAC and then big 12 doesn’t expand they are stuck in a watered down league.

[BAShocker]

Army would probably be FB only so a BB school could be added like VCU.

I am warming up to the idea of:
Air Force
Colorado St.
Army/VCU

[wichshock65]

[Topshock]

I am warming up to the idea of:
Air Force
Colorado St.
Army/VCU

Or perhaps Army/Gonzaga?

[1972Shocker]

Or perhaps Army/Gonzaga?

If Gonzaga is willing to join the far flung AAC I think they would probably give the Big East a call first.

[Topshock]

If Gonzaga is willing to join the far flung AAC I think they would probably give the Big East a call first.

That is possible, but also possible the Big East doesn't want them right now and an AAC West division of:

WSU
Gonzaga
CSU
Air Force
Tulsa
SMU
Boise St. or SDS

would be a better geographical fit for them than the Big East.

[1972Shocker]

That is possible, but also possible the Big East doesn't want them right now and an AAC West division of:

WSU
Gonzaga
CSU
Air Force
Tulsa
SMU
Boise St. or SDS

would be a better geographical fit for them than the Big East.

That's better for Gonzaga's sports other than basketball. But, while football is driving the realignment, for Gonzaga and Wichita State basketball is what drives their athletic department.

I think Gonzaga jointing the AAC is a real long shot (a 3 quarter length heave) but on occasion one of those get made. But it will be interesting to see how this all shakes out. From those posters that seem to have much better feel and knowledge for this realignmet stuff than I do it sounds like ESPN may actually be the key player in determining the fate of the AAC. What we don't know is how the ESPN views the diminsihed AAC at this point and whether they think there is enough out there to continue supporting the AAC at high level. Have heard quite a it about how the Big 12's TV packaged will take a big hit sans OU and Texas. Have not heard much, if any, discussion on how the departure of Cincy, Houston and UCF (and possibly Memphis) will impact the AAC's TV deal.

[OSShock]

I like SDSU, Nevada, and Boise St. replacing the 3 that have left. All are good at Football and Basketball. CSU would be my next choice.

[BostonWu]

Feel like BSU and SDSU are long shots. But if there's no B12 invite and MWC dominos start falling then who knows.

[Dan]

What has clearly been established is that the SEC controls the destiny of college sports

[Veritas]

I’d rather AAC takes UNLV than BSU. BSU is a blue flash in the pan with a terribly ugly field and an endowment about 40% the size of WSU.

UNLV has some positive basketball history and a football program that just moved into the new indoor Allegiant Stadium. Larger market than Boise, larger enrollment and an endowment similar to WSU.

[1972Shocker]

The Athletic had a fairly extensive piece on realignment this week with a good portion of the article on the AAC:

Here is is some of the info contained in that article.

Expansion isn’t a decision made by athletic directors. It’s made by presidents. And what matters to them could be more than just football success. Stability of investment is important. Academics are a major key, too. Sources four AAC schools have changed presidents this year, and Memphis will have a change next year. The 4 schools that changed presidents this year were not named. We know WSU was on of them. I presume the other 3 are also schools not leaving the AAC. They will need to get on the same page. How big a deal that is I don't know.

Market size doesn’t mean what it did a decade ago. Now, TV partners want streaming viewership, and that means having a passionate fan base willing to pay to watch.

Potential candidates for the AAC:
Appalachian State
Louisiana
Alabama-Birmingham
Liberty
James Madison
Marshall
Charlotte
Georgia State
UTSA
Old Dominion
Southern Miss
Rice
North Texas
Florida Atlantic
The Western Wing (Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State, Air Force)

The Western Wing would be considered going big. Some MWC sources find this move unlikely, while others are at least intrigued. The MWC earns around $4 million with its TV deal, and a restructured AAC deal would likely be around the same. Moving to the AAC would greatly increase travel costs that could offset any difference. For some, there is not an appetite to send volleyball and other Olympic sports teams to places like Florida, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Boise State remains a college football brand, but the athletic department has dealt with a number of cuts amid the pandemic financial strain, eliminating several sports last year and reworking its future football schedules. San Diego State, Colorado State and Air Force have athletic budgets in the 50s, which would fit the AAC, and travel would be less of a strain in the AAC for CSU and Air Force.

How or will the Mountain West respond? MWC sources note Boise State is a linchpin. If the Broncos look to leave, other schools must be prepared, and the AAC may not be the only option. Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby didn’t close the door on future expansion in a few years, and schools like Boise State and SDSU are still hopeful for that as well — as is Memphis in the AAC. Unless or until that happens, some in the MWC aren’t in a hurry to change anything. Its location and geography don’t make for many natural additions at the FBS level. If Boise State or someone else looks to leave, the league will adapt, but it’s in a comfortable position at the moment. If some of its rising teams continue to improve, it could surpass the AAC on the football field. It’s also recently been a multi-bid league for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, which provides value, as well.

How about the Sun Belt? Some C-USA school sources are open to the Sun Belt if they don’t reach the AAC, but others aren’t. Charlotte, Southern Miss and Marshall are inside or close to the Sun Belt’s footprint. Liberty’s been passed up before. Have circumstances changed? The Sun Belt also has two non-football-playing members in Texas-Arlington and Arkansas-Little Rock, but sources indicate their future in the league is in doubt. It’s not really about getting kicked out, which the Sun Belt did to Idaho and New Mexico State in 2017, but rather a mutual understanding of a difference of priorities. The league plans to focus heavily on football moving forward. The future for UTA and UALR will be figured out in the next year.

Conference USA C-USA doesn’t have a lot to offer other G5 schools at the moment.

What about the MAC? There aren’t any natural changes. Buffalo has the largest athletics budget, in the mid-40s, but its location isn’t ideal for a league like the AAC that stretches so far and has become more southern. The MAC has a lot of bus trips with the Ohio, Michigan and Indiana schools, which is ideal from a travel perspective for some of the most-subsidized athletic departments in the FBS.

Proposals to redraw the G5 conference maps have been presented, but there’s little support. AAC schools don’t see a benefit to helping C-USA or the Sun Belt and perhaps decreasing their own television revenue.

Whether a Power 5/Group of 5 divide ever happens is unknown. Power 5 programs can use the football inventory, and many need some easier games on the schedule. Maybe FBS football breaks away from the NCAA. Maybe the Power 5 does. We’ll know more come November, when the NCAA’s constitutional committee puts out proposals for structural changes.

The only thing that is a sure thing is that more realignment is coming.

[Shock Top]

What if WSU just shows up to the Big East like they were invited, a la George Constanza.

WSU is definitely Penske material.

[Veritas]

The Athletic had a fairly extensive piece on realignment this week with a good portion of the article on the AAC:

Here is is some of the info contained in that article.


Market size doesn’t mean what it did a decade ago. Now, TV partners want streaming viewership, and that means having a passionate fan base willing to pay to watch.


The only thing that is a sure thing is that more realignment is coming.

I’ve read that before but I don’t agree. Local market size and enrollment base will dictate streaming interest.
Not too many people outside of Boise or an alumni will stream their games. They are not a national brand IMO. UNLV has both a larger market and believe a larger alumni base. Larger market generates a lot more news coverage as well. I’d rather the Las Vegas media have WSU in the local sports shows than Boise.

Isn’t that one of the main reasons we joined the AAC?
To play in large markets in contrast to Terre Haute, Evansville, Etc…