AAC adding 6 teams

[yesimaKUfan]

Everything is going according to plan... kinda.

I hoped for **** selections, then a mass exodus to the MWC w/ Tulsa, SMU, and Memphis. But trying to add this many at a time likely keeps the conference from dissolving, which means EXIT FEE$$$. What needs to happen now is we need enough schools to reject the schools proposed. Then we need not only us, Tulsa, SMU, and Memphis to bolt, we need some help from ECU and Temple. The remaining few will add any and everybody proposed.

We're definitely leaving this conference, I just don't want to have to pay to leave. That's ****ing embarrassing.

I don't think the current schools are going to reject these additions. Once it gets to this stage, it feels like all that is left is formalities. It'll be unanimous.

[C0|dB|00ded]

I don't think the current schools are going to reject these additions. Once it gets to this stage, it feels like all that is left is formalities. It'll be unanimous.

Itbetterfluckingnotbe...

[SubGod22]

I still think adding more than two is a bad idea.

Not having Buffalo on a list of six is baffling.

UAB is a good add.

North Texas is a school with moments of success in both sports and has a higher ceiling.

Rice holds themselves back. If they'll commit to being better they will be.

Charlotte I've heard is committed to improving all around. Maybe there's potential there.

FAU is all about Miami. Not sure they add much to either sport. They're totally a potential growth add for the future.

UTSA seems to be a solid football add. They have a long way to go in basketball.

Locking up Texas keeps the MWC out, at least for now. But by going to 14 you really limit the option of poaching the MWC in a couple of years.

The non Texas schools would definitely still be available down the road and don't have to be taken now.

Having a strong Texas presence isn't bad for WSU as there's a big effort to recruit students down there.

The AAC is still better than the MVC and it's not that close. So stop with that let's go back to The Valley bullshit.

Some of these schools are going to benefit from the promotion to the AAC. Give them some time and you're going to see improvement from most. Recruiting to the AAC is easier than CUSA. UAB, North Texas and Charlotte should all get better and benefit. As stated earlier, Rice can do better if they want to. I don't know how much UTSA and FAU will improve, but I suspect they'll see some.

[shockerfan]

This league will still be plenty better than the Valley.

However, this is definitely a mid-major move.

[WuTheOne]

This absolutely caves in to the MWC. The attraction for MWC schools to move to the AAC was that the AAC's TV contract paid members a lot more than what the MWC was getting. This will end that. There's going to be a much smaller contract split among a larger number of schools.

If the MWC can pick off SMU, WSU, and Tulsa, they can probably negotiate a bigger payout than the AAC will be getting with a badly diluted and devalued league.

It's going to be hard to afford AAC travel costs with a reduced league payout and an already strapped athletic department. That would be the advantage of going back to the Valley. The AAC just became the ultimate **** show. The only reason Aresco would add that many is if he's resigned to the fact that the league is screwed and has no chance to improve in the 2024-25 shakeups when GoR's expire.

So, what Aresco did was to ensure the league would survive by adding a boatload of boat anchors who would jump at the chance to move out of even worse conferences, which keeps the league intact to collect exit fees as the rest of the better teams look for ways out. The a-hole put keeping his job abocve keeping the league valuable.

When the Presidents meet, I hope they fire Aresco instead of destroying the league.

[BOBB]

Lol. There were some delusional mfers on here talking about the AAC poaching the Big XII. No way our new TV deal warrants the travel for all sports. So, what'll it be? Summit or Valley? MIAA? Catch some Chicken Annie's on the Pitt State roadies? One hasn't really lived until they've driven US400 in an ice storm.

Ffs, Big East please throw us a bone.

[wichshock65]

Yep.

https://twitter.com/MattBrownEP/status/1450280165473464327?t=v8vh2A5qgGZ84Fc_QUWVXQ&s=19

[WeWillShockU2]

They just gave Aresco a 3 year extension. He isn’t going anywhere. This is about more than athletics. These are schools with fairly high athletic budgets, strong research universities and large metro areas. I think UAB, Charlotte and North Texas will be ok for basketball. All three have basketball history. Not Cincy or Houston good but ok. Baseball may be better with Rice and Charlotte.

[AZ Shocker]

The only reason Aresco would add that many is if he's resigned to the fact that the league is screwed and has no chance to improve in the 2024-25 shakeups when GoR's expire.

Yep.

...and he also knows Memphis, Wichita and probably a couple others will not be staying in the AAC. Hence he went with 6 new additions to keep some sort of a league after 2024-25.

[Dan]

Aresco is loading up in anticipation of teams leaving, IMO. As someone said, we’re now Conf USA 2.0. Two steps forward one step back.

[SB Shock]

Looks very MVCish. But I suppose they will get FULL SHARE of TV money for their mediocrity

Charlotte - Kenpom 234, 164, 297, 308
UAB - Kenpom 102, 189, 147, 196
North Texas - Kenpom 72, 77, 158, 146
Rice - Kenpom 188, 199, 248, 155
FAU - Kenpom 181, 191, 162, 233
UTSA - Kenpom 160, 210, 174, 149

[WuTheOne]

Internet rumor is that remaining AAC teams will get full shares for the duration of the contract and the added teams will get substantially less.

[Shock Top]

Rice has $$$. Great academics. Keeps the conference in Houston. Are they too pompous to invest in sports? They could be a HR if they do.

UAB at least attempts to invest in athletics, more then we can say about most Valley schools.

Apparently Charlotte wants to be a player, but until they show it, I'll remain on the fence.

UNT has some nice football facilities, but it seems like a defeatist move in anticipation of losing SMU.

The others are very uninspiring and lackluster additions and would have been well down my list even outside of the dream BSU and SDSU additions.




Like others have said, better than the Valley, but it doesn't inspire any excitement at all.

[SubGod22]

Let's not pretend that Aresco hasn't talked to ESPN about this. I would assume the contract is still going to pay out better than the MWC. And for those talking about travel budgets, most of these schools aren't great distances. The Big East would be far worse for travel. Same with the MWC. Having a bunch of Texas schools doesn't hurt us. And with 14 schools, divisions could work for nonrevenue sports which would keep most of our travels to Texas and Oklahoma. Though the eastern side wouldn't be so lucky.

I still hope we don't add six, but this isn't nearly the gloom and doom some of you are throwing around. Still better than the Valley and possibly still above the MWC. The bottom of the MWC is worse than the schools we're said to be adding and a couple of them could be pretty decent in a few years.

[Walker]

Sweet. Aresco’s adding teams that would be buy games for us. LOL

Big East is so unlikely and if we were lucky enough to get a MW invite, it’ll be the same situation once Boise and SDSU are poached. What the heck are we going to do?