AAC adding 6 teams

[proshox]

Wow. In some ways I am getting what I always wanted.

[DanielBryan]

We didn’t leave the MVC because of TV payouts.
we left for basketball competition, it’s time to leave the aac for better basketball competition

[ShockTalk]

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?

This is called "having to deal with f**king football schools". And not so good ones to boot.

[ShockerDropOut]

Very underwhelming. WSU should vote against this. it isn't in our best long term interest to ignore the basketball side of the conference. It is a major step backwards. Not Valley backwards yet, but the distance has closed substantially.

[Stickboy46]

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.

Thamel noted the existing teams will stay at 7 mil through the end of the contract.

MWC announced last night no expansion
only hope is big East at this point.

[ShockerFever]

Wow. In some ways I am getting what I always wanted.

To be competing to be the tallest midget?

Why am I not surprised?

[Dan]

Rice is Tulane 2.0. Tons of money, great campus, great academics, great baseball.

[Stickboy46]

We now have 3 owls in the conference ...

[BAShocker]

I’m not crazy excited about these six. I’ve been thinking, if I was Commissioner, who do I target?

1. Power 5 conference schools? Not going to happen
2. Boise St, SDSU? They apparently said No
3. Colo St, Air Force? They apparently said No
4. Any other MWC school? Meh, no thanks plus they are outside the conference footprint
5. Schools with the conference footprint and in large metro/media market areas? Probably the best the AAC could ask for.

Again, not crazy about these…but not sure one could do much better. It was either this, or sit back and do nothing and watch other schools get picked off (which will likely happen anyway). My $.02.

[shocks02]

For the folks who don't like the additions, what are the better options?

Go back to the Valley? No. In 2020 the MVC had 1 Top 100 team. In 2019 it had 0.

Keep the AAC at 11? This guarantees WSU is flying teams every year to all of the east coast schools.

North Texas and UAB are the top choices outside of the Mountain West. Both could have top 50 hoops programs and UNT gives WSU another school within a reasonable drive.

Charlotte should and will be a heck of a lot better than they've been recently.

UTSA is a football move. I get it. Maybe the change in conference can give their hoops program a boost.

Rice has the money and the academics. Now they need to spend the money on being decent.

[TrackSuitAndTie]

For the folks who don't like the additions, what are the better options?

Go back to the Valley? No. In 2020 the MVC had 1 Top 100 team. In 2019 it had 0.

Keep the AAC at 11? This guarantees WSU is flying teams every year to all of the east coast schools.

North Texas and UAB are the top choices outside of the Mountain West. Both could have top 50 hoops programs and UNT gives WSU another school within a reasonable drive.

Charlotte should and will be a heck of a lot better than they've been recently.

UTSA is a football move. I get it. Maybe the change in conference can give their hoops program a boost.

Rice has the money and the academics. Now they need to spend the money on being decent.

Is FAU beyond mentioning? haha

[BOBB]

Is FAU beyond mentioning? haha

Yes

[wichshock65]

For the folks who don't like the additions, what are the better options?

Go back to the Valley? No. In 2020 the MVC had 1 Top 100 team. In 2019 it had 0.

Keep the AAC at 11? This guarantees WSU is flying teams every year to all of the east coast schools.

North Texas and UAB are the top choices outside of the Mountain West. Both could have top 50 hoops programs and UNT gives WSU another school within a reasonable drive.

Charlotte should and will be a heck of a lot better than they've been recently.

UTSA is a football move. I get it. Maybe the change in conference can give their hoops program a boost.

Rice has the money and the academics. Now they need to spend the money on being decent.

Don't really think we are the only ones in AAC feeling stuck with no real options. SMU, Tulsa, bolt for MWC? If Boise and San Diego leave, that conference is worse than ours. If we go to MW, same thing happens to us if they leave and we would be stuck in mountain and west time zones.....yuck! Not sure who wants Memphis so don't see them going anywhere.

Only real options for us are stay put, A10 or hope Big East comes knocking. Maybe B12 adds 2 non football schools.... Creighton and Shocks?

We're staying put and make dominating the AAC our priority. We do that, good things will come.

[TrackSuitAndTie]

Peter Thamel:

There are still some final details to work out. A significant boost in television money for the six schools is expected, but they are not expected to get the same share of the TV revenue that the established eight schools currently get.

Conference USA schools currently receive less than $1 million annually in television revenue. The amount they will receive is still being finalized, but the television revenue will be more than $2 million at the start of the deal and rise significantly from there. Incumbent AAC members are still expected to average about $7 million annually over the course of the current ESPN television deal, which runs through 2031-32.

[RoyalShock]

It would sure be nice to know exactly what WSU's share is. If it's been reported, I haven't seen it.