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"Nevada AD Doug Knuth proposes MW versus AAC challenge" - Reno Gazette-Journal
by Chris Murray
Published 8:38 a.m. PT June 19, 2017
"...While Wolf Pack athletic director Doug Knuth said he has a lot of respect for Aresco and called him “a smart guy who is very strategic in what he’s doing,” he also finds that push a little laughable.
“Claiming the conference as the ‘Power 6,’ I’m not a fan of that at all,” Knuth said. “The reality is with the College Football Playoff, there’s a contract with nine more years on it. For him to anoint them as the Power 6, it’s a little early for that. Even the NCAA, there’s a governing structure of the autonomous five conferences and the Group of 5. You can’t just jump. You can’t just say, ‘We’re ready. Let’s go.’”
Instead, Knuth said he would like to see the AAC try and prove it is the best of the so-called Group of 5 conferences first. He wants the AAC and the Mountain West, which Nevada is a member of, to battle on the field.
“I would tell Commissioner Aresco, ‘Get on a plane and fly out here. Let’s see how good the American Athletic Conference does playing football in Laramie, Wyo. Let’s see how good you can be playing basketball at (San Diego State's) Viejas (Arena). Let’s see how great you are coming to Reno and playing us. Bring UConn out here and play us and then we’ll see who is the better conference,’” Knuth said. “There has to be that conversation. You can’t just anoint yourself as the Power 6. Let’s do it.”
The MW already has an annual challenge in basketball with the Missouri Valley Conference, although that could be on life support after Wichita State followed Creighton out of the conference, which leaves a dearth of teams in the MVC that are non-conference RPI boosters. Knuth said he’d like to see the MW and AAC go head-to-head on the field in at least the two revenue sports (men’s basketball and football)...."
by Chris Murray
Published 8:38 a.m. PT June 19, 2017
"...While Wolf Pack athletic director Doug Knuth said he has a lot of respect for Aresco and called him “a smart guy who is very strategic in what he’s doing,” he also finds that push a little laughable.
“Claiming the conference as the ‘Power 6,’ I’m not a fan of that at all,” Knuth said. “The reality is with the College Football Playoff, there’s a contract with nine more years on it. For him to anoint them as the Power 6, it’s a little early for that. Even the NCAA, there’s a governing structure of the autonomous five conferences and the Group of 5. You can’t just jump. You can’t just say, ‘We’re ready. Let’s go.’”
Instead, Knuth said he would like to see the AAC try and prove it is the best of the so-called Group of 5 conferences first. He wants the AAC and the Mountain West, which Nevada is a member of, to battle on the field.
“I would tell Commissioner Aresco, ‘Get on a plane and fly out here. Let’s see how good the American Athletic Conference does playing football in Laramie, Wyo. Let’s see how good you can be playing basketball at (San Diego State's) Viejas (Arena). Let’s see how great you are coming to Reno and playing us. Bring UConn out here and play us and then we’ll see who is the better conference,’” Knuth said. “There has to be that conversation. You can’t just anoint yourself as the Power 6. Let’s do it.”
The MW already has an annual challenge in basketball with the Missouri Valley Conference, although that could be on life support after Wichita State followed Creighton out of the conference, which leaves a dearth of teams in the MVC that are non-conference RPI boosters. Knuth said he’d like to see the MW and AAC go head-to-head on the field in at least the two revenue sports (men’s basketball and football)...."
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