2021-22 Basketball happenings around the American Athletic!

[TrackSuitAndTie]

Not seeing any combination that would get us very excited.

The only two basketball programs that are AAC caliber would be Liberty and UAB. I haven't seen Western Kentucky mentioned anywhere so I suspect they are a non-starter from the AAC's point of view. Marshall could be half decent I guess, but they play in a small market so the AAC could pass on them as well.

[1972Shocker]

CBSSports.com article:

Air Force, Colorado State join Boise State, San Diego State in sticking with Mountain West over AAC

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/air-force-colorado-state-join-boise-state-san-diego-state-in-sticking-with-mountain-west-over-aac/

[Stickboy46]

CBSSports.com article:

Air Force, Colorado State join Boise State, San Diego State in sticking with Mountain West over AAC

https://www.cbssports.com/college-fo...west-over-aac/

It's pretty key to note that all the guys breaking these "staying" stories are CBS ... CBS stepped in here.

[wichshock65]

It's pretty key to note that all the guys breaking these "staying" stories are CBS ... CBS stepped in here.

If ESPN wants to protect their investment in the AAC, they had better step up as well.

[Stickboy46]

If ESPN wants to protect their investment in the AAC, they had better step up as well.

I think we already see exactly how much they think the investment is worth .. so far they haven't stepped up it appears. I expect them to really tank the agreement to free up money for Big XII and SEC agreements.

[wichshock65]

I think we already see exactly how much they think the investment is worth .. so far they haven't stepped up it appears. I expect them to really tank the agreement to free up money for Big XII and SEC agreements.

Then we're screwed.

[shock]

WSU will be fine. They will win wherever they end up. Even if the aac ends up being the best of the mid majors coming together, it will still be better than the MVC.

[RoyalShock]

Some random thoughts on this . . .

This puts both the AAC and MWC back to being on roughly equal footing. Each conference has a couple of teams who are biding their time until the next B12 or Pac expansion.

Once realignment shakes out, no matter what conference WSU is in it will have lost it's luster due to P5 poaching of bigger schools with bigger football and TV audiences. I'm not sure there's going to be much money in it for WSU, like we had hoped would come from being in the AAC. We're only going to get a basketball share of distribution in a conference that will max out at $4mil for a football-playing member.

I know, I know "Big East". But the only support we ever had was a former Creighton official. It's a distant long-shot, at best.

I can't blame Boatright too much, since it's the university presidents who drive realignment. Bardo, rightly, got the credit for our move to the AAC. Now Muma is the guy who either will or won't decide to explore our options, even if it's instructing Boatright to do so on his behalf.

There is lots of talk about what (monetary) value potential new member might bring, without much talk about the value of conference stability, which I think needs to be at the forefront of WSU's list of factors.

I think Memphis, Boise and SDSU are more likely than not to get poached within the next few years. SMU, I'm not sure. That means the AAC we joined will have lost the top four basketball programs (UConn, Cincy, Houston, Memphis) it had when WSU joined. I don't think we'd have left the Valley for what remains. The share WSU is likely to get after a renegotiated contract (after Memphis bolts) probably won't cover the added costs.

I don't want to be in a western conference, but at this point, our best option might be to join the MWC along with SMU and Tulsa. At least they would still have Nevada, and maybe UNM will get back to respectability. If they can pull Gonzaga in, then it's a no-brainer. Our second best option . . . sorry, have to brace myself to say this . . . may be to rejoin the Valley. (I just threw up in my mouth a little)

[shock]

Some random thoughts on this . . .

This puts both the AAC and MWC back to being on roughly equal footing. Each conference has a couple of teams who are biding their time until the next B12 or Pac expansion.

Once realignment shakes out, no matter what conference WSU is in it will have lost it's luster due to P5 poaching of bigger schools with bigger football and TV audiences. I'm not sure there's going to be much money in it for WSU, like we had hoped would come from being in the AAC. We're only going to get a basketball share of distribution in a conference that will max out at $4mil for a football-playing member.

I know, I know "Big East". But the only support we ever had was a former Creighton official. It's a distant long-shot, at best.

I can't blame Boatright too much, since it's the university presidents who drive realignment. Bardo, rightly, got the credit for our move to the AAC. Now Muma is the guy who either will or won't decide to explore our options, even if it's instructing Boatright to do so on his behalf.

There is lots of talk about what (monetary) value potential new member might bring, without much talk about the value of conference stability, which I think needs to be at the forefront of WSU's list of factors.

I think Memphis, Boise and SDSU are more likely than not to get poached within the next few years. SMU, I'm not sure. That means the AAC we joined will have lost the top four basketball programs (UConn, Cincy, Houston, Memphis) it had when WSU joined. I don't think we'd have left the Valley for what remains. The share WSU is likely to get after a renegotiated contract (after Memphis bolts) probably won't cover the added costs.

I don't want to be in a western conference, but at this point, our best option might be to join the MWC along with SMU and Tulsa. At least they would still have Nevada, and maybe UNM will get back to respectability. Our second best option . . . sorry, have to brace myself to say this . . . may be to rejoin the Valley. (I just threw up in my mouth a little)

Ban yourself

[Stickboy46]

WSU will be fine. They will win wherever they end up. Even if the aac ends up being the best of the mid majors coming together, it will still be better than the MVC.

The problem for us .. is it will probably end up being the best of the non-p5 FOOTBALL schools .. but it wont be the best non-p5 bball league. I don't see a path to that at this point. It will be solidly behind the A10 and likely MWC in bball now.

Will it still be ahead of the MVC .. yea probably .. though Belmont and Murray help close the gap a bunch if we add a bunch of crap bball schools to save football.

[Stickboy46]

Some random thoughts on this . . .

This puts both the AAC and MWC back to being on roughly equal footing. Each conference has a couple of teams who are biding their time until the next B12 or Pac expansion.

Once realignment shakes out, no matter what conference WSU is in it will have lost it's luster due to P5 poaching of bigger schools with bigger football and TV audiences. I'm not sure there's going to be much money in it for WSU, like we had hoped would come from being in the AAC. We're only going to get a basketball share of distribution in a conference that will max out at $4mil for a football-playing member.

I know, I know "Big East". But the only support we ever had was a former Creighton official. It's a distant long-shot, at best.

I can't blame Boatright too much, since it's the university presidents who drive realignment. Bardo, rightly, got the credit for our move to the AAC. Now Muma is the guy who either will or won't decide to explore our options, even if it's instructing Boatright to do so on his behalf.

There is lots of talk about what (monetary) value potential new member might bring, without much talk about the value of conference stability, which I think needs to be at the forefront of WSU's list of factors.

I think Memphis, Boise and SDSU are more likely than not to get poached within the next few years. SMU, I'm not sure. That means the AAC we joined will have lost the top four basketball programs (UConn, Cincy, Houston, Memphis) it had when WSU joined. I don't think we'd have left the Valley for what remains. The share WSU is likely to get after a renegotiated contract (after Memphis bolts) probably won't cover the added costs.

I don't want to be in a western conference, but at this point, our best option might be to join the MWC along with SMU and Tulsa. At least they would still have Nevada, and maybe UNM will get back to respectability. If they can pull Gonzaga in, then it's a no-brainer. Our second best option . . . sorry, have to brace myself to say this . . . may be to rejoin the Valley. (I just threw up in my mouth a little)

I'm not ready to say the Valley would be better .. I'm also not as hard fast that in 5 years that the valley WONT be better as I was a month ago.

[shock]

The problem for us .. is it will probably end up being the best of the non-p5 FOOTBALL schools .. but it wont be the best non-p5 bball league. I don't see a path to that at this point. It will be solidly behind the A10 and likely MWC in bball now.

Will it still be ahead of the MVC .. yea probably .. though Belmont and Murray help close the gap a bunch if we add a bunch of crap bball schools to save football.

WSU has been very proactive, building their brand outside sports far beyond an MVC school. That alone is worth something. Add solid Olympic sports and upper crust basketball, and they become really attractive to any conference with crap basketball and really good football.

there has to be a conference WSU fits in from an academic stand point, and the MVC ain’t it.

[RoyalShock]

My reason for saying going back to the Valley might be a better option than staying in the AAC is more for financial reasons. I don't expect our share of TV revenue will be enough to offset the additional travel costs for VB, BSB and SB. We aren't privy to the particulars so that's pure speculation. The more the AAC weakens, the more likely it becomes that schools like SMU, Tulsa and Temple look for better situations. Should those things happen, the AAC is bust as a basketball conference.

And regarding the MWC, I forgot about UNLV still being there, so that's a positive.

[ShockerGirl]

Sounds like the MVC is gonna add Murray too. Only took Elgin retiring for them to be proactive. Murray is a much better add that Belmont IMO

That's an excellent add. My only question is why didn't the MVC do this when we were in the league? I would've been ecstatic with Murray St.

[Stickboy46]

That's an excellent add. My only question is why didn't the MVC do this when we were in the league? I would've been ecstatic with Murray St.

They added Belmont and Murray State less than a year after Doug Elgin retired ... i do not think that's a coincidence