AAC OR BUST!!!

[forevershockerfan]

Let's go. The sooner, the better.

[shocksrbest]

Lose the Valley over losing Marshall. I would like to be a fly on the wall when the seedings were announced.

[SHOCKvalue]

Lose the Valley over losing Marshall. I would like to be a fly on the wall when the seedings were announced.

Probably something like Gregg turning to Lynn and quietly saying something akin to: "I don't know how many more years I can do this."

[ShockerPhi]

I agree. This is proof that the MVC does indeed drag us down. We actually managed to win our MVC tournament this year unlike a lot of previous times, and we still got disrespected. Also look at Illinois State. 17-1, made it to the championship, had a better non-con schedule than us, and still got left out. The MVC is a cancer. And since it will be worse next year, we better win the tournament again next year. Good lord

[robertfoshizzle]

Cincinnati fan here... I believe most AAC fans are in favor of expansion. On one hand, we had a really bad year -- in our current form, I believe we should be about a 4-bid league on average. On the other hand, outside of Cincinnati, UConn, Memphis, and Temple, none of the other teams in the AAC have a consistent recent history of making the NCAA tournament. In the past 10 seasons, those 4 schools have a combined 27 NCAA tournament appearances. The other 7 schools? SIX.

We need Wichita, and I think you would all agree that Wichita needs the AAC. And I am all for adding VCU and Dayton along with you. Wichita balances the basketball and football sides of our conference. Adding two more basketball schools leaves room to add Army and Air Force as football-only schools, which would be a home run for the league.

[robertfoshizzle]

Also, here is a scheduling idea I posted over at the CSNBBS message board:

There are a lot of ways scheduling could work in a 14-team league. I would imagine it would start with pairing up travel partners as annual home-and-homes like such:


UConn - Temple
Cincinnati - Dayton
East Carolina - VCU
UCF - USF
Memphis - Tulane
Houston - SMU
Tulsa - Wichita State


Divisions would not be necessary at that point. You play your regional rival twice a year, plus 4 other teams home-and-home. You play the remaining 8 teams only once (in pairs for travel purposes) for a total of 18 conference games. I will use my school as an example:


Cincinnati's schedule in year 1 of the new AAC:


Week 1: @ Wichita State, @ Tulsa
Week 2: East Carolina, VCU
Week 3: @ UCF, @ USF
Week 4: Houston, SMU
Week 5: @ Dayton
Week 6: Memphis, Tulane
Week 7: @ UConn, @ Temple
Week 8: Wichita State, Tulsa
Week 9: @ East Carolina, @ VCU
Week 10: Dayton


So you have your school, your regional rival, and 6 pairs of geographic rivals. You play 2 of those pairs twice in year 1, then the next 2 pairs in year 2, the next 2 pairs in year 3, then you start over again in year 4.

[Shock Top]

Cincinnati fan here... I believe most AAC fans are in favor of expansion. On one hand, we had a really bad year -- in our current form, I believe we should be about a 4-bid league on average. On the other hand, outside of Cincinnati, UConn, Memphis, and Temple, none of the other teams in the AAC have a consistent recent history of making the NCAA tournament. In the past 10 seasons, those 4 schools have a combined 27 NCAA tournament appearances. The other 7 schools? SIX.

We need Wichita, and I think you would all agree that Wichita needs the AAC. And I am all for adding VCU and Dayton along with you. Wichita balances the basketball and football sides of our conference. Adding two more basketball schools leaves room to add Army and Air Force as football-only schools, which would be a home run for the league.

Now that would be interesting, if you can convince AF to park their non-football sorts somewhere besides the MWC.

[robertfoshizzle]

Now that would be interesting, if you can convince AF to park their non-football sorts somewhere besides the MWC.

That would be the tough part. The WCC would make sense, but both parties would have to be willing.

[robertfoshizzle]

Here is an example of what Wichita State's schedule could look like in a 14-team AAC:

Week 1: @ Cincinnati, @ Dayton
Week 2: East Carolina, VCU
Week 3: @ UCF, @ USF
Week 4: Houston, SMU
Week 5: @ Tulsa
Week 6: Memphis, Tulane
Week 7: @ UConn, @ Temple
Week 8: Cincinnati, Dayton
Week 9: @ East Carolina, @ VCU
Week 10: Tulsa

[ShockerFever]

Here is an example of what Wichita State's schedule could look like in a 14-team AAC:

Week 1: @ Cincinnati, @ Dayton
Week 2: East Carolina, VCU
Week 3: @ UCF, @ USF
Week 4: Houston, SMU
Week 5: @ Tulsa
Week 6: Memphis, Tulane
Week 7: @ UConn, @ Temple
Week 8: Cincinnati, Dayton
Week 9: @ East Carolina, @ VCU
Week 10: Tulsa

Yes please

[Shock Top]

Here is an example of what Wichita State's schedule could look like in a 14-team AAC:

Week 1: @ Cincinnati, @ Dayton
Week 2: East Carolina, VCU
Week 3: @ UCF, @ USF
Week 4: Houston, SMU
Week 5: @ Tulsa
Week 6: Memphis, Tulane
Week 7: @ UConn, @ Temple
Week 8: Cincinnati, Dayton
Week 9: @ East Carolina, @ VCU
Week 10: Tulsa

[WheatShock]

Now that would be interesting, if you can convince AF to park their non-football sorts somewhere besides the MWC.

That might be pretty easy. AF really struggles to recruit to a level consistent with the rest of the MW in basketball and some other sports due to the military service requirement. Most kids good enough to have a shot at playing pro ball don't want to delay a career by 4 or more years. I recall reading an article about this a year or two ago. They could possibly park their non football sports in the Summit league, Denver could be a travel partner.

[robertfoshizzle]

That might be pretty easy. AF really struggles to recruit to a level consistent with the rest of the MW in basketball and some other sports due to the military service requirement. Most kids good enough to have a shot at playing pro ball don't want to delay a career by 4 or more years. I recall reading an article about this a year or two ago. They could possibly park their non football sports in the Summit league, Denver could be a travel partner.

This is exactly why I wouldn't want them in the AAC as an all-sports member. They barely compete in the Mountain West -- there is no way they would compete in an upgraded AAC. That said, their football program has a strong tradition and draws eyeballs. Having all 3 academies in one conference for football would add a lot of value. In basketball, you offset the service academies with strong basketball schools in sizable markets with great attendance... i.e. Wichita, Dayton, and VCU. Wichita State's baseball program is also not lost on AAC fans. You guys would fit in great.

[shockerfan]

Here is an example of what Wichita State's schedule could look like in a 14-team AAC:

Week 1: @ Cincinnati, @ Dayton
Week 2: East Carolina, VCU
Week 3: @ UCF, @ USF
Week 4: Houston, SMU
Week 5: @ Tulsa
Week 6: Memphis, Tulane
Week 7: @ UConn, @ Temple
Week 8: Cincinnati, Dayton
Week 9: @ East Carolina, @ VCU
Week 10: Tulsa

Don't tease....

[WheatShock]

This is exactly why I wouldn't want them in the AAC as an all-sports member. They barely compete in the Mountain West -- there is no way they would compete in an upgraded AAC. That said, their football program has a strong tradition and draws eyeballs. Having all 3 academies in one conference for football would add a lot of value. In basketball, you offset the service academies with strong basketball schools in sizable markets with great attendance... i.e. Wichita, Dayton, and VCU. Wichita State's baseball program is also not lost on AAC fans. You guys would fit in great.

I guess its nice ya'll think we still have a good baseball program. Sorry to burst the bubble on that but we have to fire the coach before we can be relevant in baseball again.

I hope the AAC does end up taking Dayton and VCU as well as WSU but I think it will be just us for now if they decide to expand at all.