Topic: AAC commissioner concerned over talk of Playoff Changes & Realignment

[Ovaltine Jenkins]

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/college-gridiron-365/os-sp-aac-aresco-discusses-concerns-with-changes-playoff-expansion-realignment-20210831-mfmnceoaevenriqvtg4apr6xka-story.html

[svherd]

He should be concerned, his league is gonna lose it's top 2-3 programs and severely damage their league image.

[Herdiowa]

That league without UCF, Houston and Cincinnati is not looking good in football.  Likely on par with CUSA, better in name only and below the Belt.  USF got stomped, ECU got thumped by App State.  Not sure it would be worth the money to move to basically be in the same predicament with travel. 

Better off forming Eastern based conference or joining the Belt

[herd1990]

If Houston, BYU, Cincy and UCF headed for the Big 12, the AAC could regroup quickly by adding App St, Marshall, Coastal Carolina and UAB.   That would be a respectable football conference.

[HerdEcon]

Coastal Carolina has had one winning season in FBS.  Puzzles me why people want to be in a conference with a new FBS school that has had one good season since it joined FBS in 2017.  Since joining FBS Coastal has had only one season that it won more than 5 games, last season.  I think some Herd fans are wanting Coastal because it is a Carolina destination type school for many Herd fans and on the east coast. 

There are several other teams the AAC could consider that would bring as much or more to the table than Coastal.  WKU, LA Tech, So. Miss, FAU, Appy, and etc. have all had as much or more success than Coastal.  If it's a history of success at the FBS level that the AAC is looking for it should look someplace else.  Coastal may be next big G5 school but one winning season doesn't equal or deserve the attention it is getting.

If the AAC gets raided by the Big 12 maybe CUSA should go to a mega conference and send invites to Memphis, ECU, Tulsa, Appy, and some others.  It would save Marshall the admission fee and/or exit fees and hopefully increase TV money. 

[Flat Tire 2]

I have been over to Conway where CCU is located and it is not a real impressive campus. The school only offers a few master degree programs and is mostly a commuter school. The enrollment is around 10,000. People knock MU, but we are way ahead  of them in academics which some conference school presidents think is an important asset to be a  member of the their conference.

They finally got a radio station to broadcast their football games a few years ago. The station they were using was the local Clemson media outlet and the station wouldn't broadcast CCU if  Clemson games was playing at the same time. The area is a big agricultural area and Clemson has the best following. MB is really growing and you would think you were in New Jersey when you hear most of the residents talking. A lot of the new residents are from NJ and are big fans of their NFL teams. Those fans don't seem interested in college football.

[Ovaltine Jenkins]

After the performances by USF, Tulsa and ECU, he may be on suicide watch.

[HoPPy785]

That league without UCF, Houston and Cincinnati is not looking good in football.  Likely on par with CUSA, better in name only and below the Belt.  USF got stomped, ECU got thumped by App State.  Not sure it would be worth the money to move to basically be in the same predicament with travel. 

Better off forming Eastern based conference or joining the Belt

You think the possible below lineup of teams is worst than the Sun Belt? It would easily be considered above MAC, Sun Belt and CUSA in terms of national perception. I just can't understand anyone that thinks being left behind is better. AAC isn't going to say well Marshall doesn't want in so let's give up, they will take others. We'd be left with staying in easily the worst football conference in D1 or a watered down Sun Belt. Please no.

USF
Navy
SMU
Temple
Tulsa
Tulane
ECU
Memphis
Marshall
Appy State
UAB
ODU

[svherd]

You think the possible below lineup of teams is worst than the Sun Belt? It would easily be considered above MAC, Sun Belt and CUSA in terms of national perception. I just can't understand anyone that thinks being left behind is better. AAC isn't going to say well Marshall doesn't want in so let's give up, they will take others. We'd be left with staying in easily the worst football conference in D1 or a watered down Sun Belt. Please no.

USF
Navy
SMU
Temple
Tulsa
Tulane
ECU
Memphis
Marshall
Appy State
UAB
ODU

I like that lineup, although I would replace ODU with Southern Miss.

[MUther]

ODU keeps basketball strong and best chance to maintain multiple bids, which means more $$.  Lost football revenue for the AAC, which will inevitably happen if this goes down, can most quickly be mitigated by strengthening basketball.  USM does not strengthen basketball consistently and doesn't add enough in contemporary football to offset anything.

The big question is which is worth more.  Good basketball right now or a good brand that's a little dusty on the shelf.

[MUsince96]

You think the possible below lineup of teams is worst than the Sun Belt? It would easily be considered above MAC, Sun Belt and CUSA in terms of national perception. I just can't understand anyone that thinks being left behind is better. AAC isn't going to say well Marshall doesn't want in so let's give up, they will take others. We'd be left with staying in easily the worst football conference in D1 or a watered down Sun Belt. Please no.

USF
Navy
SMU
Temple
Tulsa
Tulane
ECU
Memphis
Marshall
Appy State
UAB
ODU

Someone gets it.

[svherd]

ODU keeps basketball strong and best chance to maintain multiple bids, which means more $$.  Lost football revenue for the AAC, which will inevitably happen if this goes down, can most quickly be mitigated by strengthening basketball.  USM does not strengthen basketball consistently and doesn't add enough in contemporary football to offset anything.

The big question is which is worth more.  Good basketball right now or a good brand that's a little dusty on the shelf.

That's a good question. I actually think with a new league that USM could revive their b'ball program to compete at a higher level. They already have the football brand, and that is the focus. Just not as high on ODU as some. I don't think their ceiling can get much higher than it is now. jmho

[wasbarryb]

In addition to the objections about unreasonable travel, like we have in C-USA, and lack of anyone worth playing; another problem being ignored by those cheering for joining the AAC leftovers is the Eastern centric nature of the new league they are advocating.  UAB s the most western team you people are suggesting for addition to a new Big Least Leftover league. 

You people think Tulsa, SMU and Tulane are going to vote for such eastern centric additions?  Those three schools are going to expect better travel teams.

[MUther]

In addition to the objections about unreasonable travel, like we have in C-USA, and lack of anyone worth playing; another problem being ignored by those cheering for joining the AAC leftovers is the Eastern centric nature of the new league they are advocating.  UAB s the most western team you people are suggesting for addition to a new Big Least Leftover league. 

You people think Tulsa, SMU and Tulane are going to vote for such eastern centric additions?  Those three schools are going to expect better travel teams.

Those teams are inferior to almost anyone the AAC would add.  SMU and Tulsa are their own travel partners and Tulane might strengthen the addition of USM as a TP.  Then you'd have UAB/Memphis, Temple/Navy, and USF, ECU, and Marshall on islands pretty much.  That's 11 as they have currently.  Add ODU and we close the gap for Marshall and ECU somewhat or add WKU for Marshall and ECU and USF are really far away travel partners.  Either way the western teams aren't going to have a lot of clout here and the eastern teams would have 4 votes to their 3. 

Memphis being left behind kind of gums it all up.  I did like this one though from before:

Tulsa
SMU
LaTech
Tulane
USM
UAB

Marshall
App
ECU
Temple
USF
Navy

Still leaves Marshall or ECU and USF on an island but very appealing.  The west is kind of perfect with travel partners.  The east is a bit messier but not unattractive.  Could happen if BYU says no and Memphis goes.

[MUther]

As much as I dislike UCF, I do find it deliciously ironic that USF treated UCF the way WVU treats us for many years.  Now UCF will be leaving them in the dirt.  Good for them and USF deserves every bit of it for the way their fans acted in regards to UCF.

And WVU may end up only a half step above us with no playoff access.  Delightful.

[ThunderValley]

I think b12 add only two..BYU and CINCY
Why would they add more?

[Herd at Work]

Cause WVU is gonna bolt ASAP and ISU may be next

[MUsince96]

I think b12 add only two..BYU and CINCY
Why would they add more?

https://twitter.com/khousportsmatt/status/1433830104736612352?s=21

[HoPPy785]

https://twitter.com/khousportsmatt/status/1433830104736612352?s=21

Nice, let's get this thing rolling. I'm ready to see change. Once those invites hit publicly, change is coming rather we are left out or on board. I do wonder what will become of CUSA with two or 3 less teams. They can't poach anyone else. Maybe they grab Liberty or do the wheels just fall off entirely?

[herd2win]

That is a big hit to the AAC.  Gives the B12 a Florida footprint and also a national team in BYU.  I don?t think the AAC now is much different than CUSA except it has a way better leader.  Judy is poor.

[GreenDaddy]

Nice, let's get this thing rolling. I'm ready to see change. Once those invites hit publicly, change is coming rather we are left out or on board. I do wonder what will become of CUSA with two or 3 less teams. They can't poach anyone else. Maybe they grab Liberty or do the wheels just fall off entirely?

Imo, IF we do get left out of the AAC again then the most likely scenario is we will make a move to the Sun Belt along with someone else. It is just like you said, change is coming no matter what.

[elginherd]

Nice, let's get this thing rolling. I'm ready to see change. Once those invites hit publicly, change is coming rather we are left out or on board. I do wonder what will become of CUSA with two or 3 less teams. They can't poach anyone else. Maybe they grab Liberty or do the wheels just fall off entirely?

If the CUSA loses 3 teams, then there would still be 11 losers, sorry I meant members left. If 2 teams 12, Lose 1 team 13.

Why would the left-behinds need to add any members?

[MUther]

Nice, let's get this thing rolling. I'm ready to see change. Once those invites hit publicly, change is coming rather we are left out or on board. I do wonder what will become of CUSA with two or 3 less teams. They can't poach anyone else. Maybe they grab Liberty or do the wheels just fall off entirely?

Remember that CUSA has 14 teams.  They can lose two and actually be better off.  If they lose us they lose a northern outlier making their geography somewhat better.  If they lose 3 they can add one like Liberty or JMU and be better off.  Not that losing us, USM, and UAB wouldn't hurt perception for a time, but in the long run what they'll have left would be a better conference with less mouths to feed.  They really need to find a way to dump UTEP and replace with an east/central team and that would be a very solid, reasonably geographic conference.  It will never work for us because we are an east team and I feel we can do better. But three Texas teams that aren't in El Paso will work for a gulf-centric conference.

[herdfan129]

Rice and UAB will get the invite to the AAC. That's just my opinion.

I really hope it's us, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

[elginherd]

Rice and UAB will get the invite to the AAC. That's just my opinion.

I really hope it's us, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

Geographically, those two does make some sense. Both of them have solid academic reps. Rice would help that conference's private/public ratio.