American Athletic Conference Realignment & Expansion Thread

sec03 · **Joined:** Sat May 20, 2006 2:09 pm **Posts:** 1806

NorwichCat11 wrote:

This is a bad idea. This idea was soooo awesome that when the USFL (United States Football League)tried it they were...... of yeah, they are now a defunct entity. The USFL was to have teams that played in the spring, and when they became big, they were to play a world title game against the NFL top team. This is such a bad idea that to even think of it causes my brain to hurt. But lets take a look at it anyway - 1. recruits all go to P5 schools, as noone will want to play anything lower especially since the fall schools would recruit during the spring to fill positions for their fall teams and by the time a kid is in college, the spring guys will then recruit in the fall for the spring. Is this enough of a headache yet? Oh the national letter of intent day for HS athletes is also in the spring and besides the fact that the draft is in the spring too, and an NFL team can't take a guy that is still playing in the middle of his college fb season. Barring the case that no coach in his right mind would coach a team that will loose players in the middle of their spring season to the NFL. Does anyone else have more headaches for this spring insane idea?

Yep. And college baseball is going on then as well.

louisvillecard01 · **Joined:** Sun Jun 11, 2006 9:04 pm **Posts:** 544

fighting muskie wrote:

Did anyone else catch June Jones', head coach at SMU's comments about the Group of 5 moving to spring football?

A lot of time spent in Hawaii may just confuse one about the change in seasons.

mozilla · **Posted:** Wed Jul 30, 2014 9:32 am

mozilla wrote:

UofH is rebuilding many of their athletic facilities.

I believe they are dropping $140 million on the fb site. Here is the construction stream....

http://www.earthcam.com/clients/manhatt ... onstadium/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Looks like the stadium is really making some progress. Turf is down. Looks nice. Couldn't tell from the pics this weekend...but, it looked like they were mowing it??? Hope that someone told the Coug's there was no need to mow or water. :lol:

Not quite as cools as Baylor's new project. But, for UofH...this is a major step. Congrats Cougars.

fighting muskie · **Posted:** Wed Jul 30, 2014 2:54 pm

In the event that shifting occurs among the Power 5 and the American loses members who do you all think would be on the American's watch list? I'm guessing that the guiding principles behind expansion will be what market can a candidate bring and are they geographically compatible to the American's new, primarily southeastern, footprint. I think the other thing that will play into expansion/replacement will be if there is a school in the American that would object due to shared/similar market, i.e. UCF and USF will block FAU and FIU, SMU would block North Texas, etc.

BePcr07 · **Joined:** Thu Feb 07, 2013 10:45 am **Posts:** 331

fighting muskie wrote:

In the event that shifting occurs among the Power 5 and the American loses members who do you all think would be on the American's watch list? I'm guessing that the guiding principles behind expansion will be what market can a candidate bring and are they geographically compatible to the American's new, primarily southeastern, footprint. I think the other thing that will play into expansion/replacement will be if there is a school in the American that would object due to shared/similar market, i.e. UCF and USF will block FAU and FIU, SMU would block North Texas, etc.

As I posted similarly in the CUSA thread - I think the next 5 in no particular order would be Marshall, Southern Miss, UAB, Rice, and UTEP. As another person mentioned, UTEP would fare better recruiting-wise if they stuck with CUSA rather than head to the Mt West. Maybe the American would provide an even better option for them? Rice is probably out of luck as long as Houston is in the American. UAB is a good market. Southern Miss would be good if they got their act together. Marshall would also probably be a decent option as well.

fighting muskie · **Posted:** Wed Jul 30, 2014 7:56 pm

BePcr--- I don't necessarily think membership in the 2005-2012 C-USA necessarily entitles a school to an American call up. I think markets are going to be very important going forward and El Paso, Huntington, and Hattiesburg are not going to move the needle. Rice duplicates a market but they do have their academic prestige working for them. Birmingham is an alright market but UAB does not have a solid program or stadium.

My first pick for the American would be the up-and-coming UTSA program. They bring a decent tv market, they don't have an NFL team in their market, and they are drawing good crowds. I think FAU and FIU could have some potential but it would make the conference Florida heavy(at the same time though it would create some intense and heated rivalries with USF and UCF and keep homegrown talent instate.)

mozilla · **Posted:** Wed Jul 30, 2014 9:32 pm

fighting muskie wrote:

In the event that shifting occurs among the Power 5 and the American loses members who do you all think would be on the American's watch list? I'm guessing that the guiding principles behind expansion will be what market can a candidate bring and are they geographically compatible to the American's new, primarily southeastern, footprint. I think the other thing that will play into expansion/replacement will be if there is a school in the American that would object due to shared/similar market, i.e. UCF and USF will block FAU and FIU, SMU would block North Texas, etc.

If you are just looking at 'new territory' then I am guessing that these might be on the list:

Georgia State
Charlotte
Texas State/UTSA
Richmond
Buffalo
Marshall
Ohio
JMU?

Direct replacements:
Houston--Rice
UCF/USF--FAU/FIU
SMU--N. Texas
Memphis--Ark State
UConn--UMass
Tulane--Louisiana(ULL)

On the Fringe:
BYU
Air Force
A school to replace Navy Oly sports?

TKthunder · **Joined:** Fri Sep 10, 2010 11:40 pm **Posts:** 1606

Rice to replace Houston
UNT to replace SMU

Other than those SoMiss, UAB, LA Tech, USTA, UNCC, ODU, GA St, Marshall and maybe UMass (though I doubt they'll expand back into the Northeast if UConn leaves).

The Bishin Cutter · **Joined:** Mon Apr 16, 2012 11:41 am **Posts:** 1411

tkalmus wrote:

Rice to replace Houston
UNT to replace SMU

Other than those SoMiss, UAB, LA Tech, USTA, UNCC, ODU, GA St, Marshall and maybe UMass (though I doubt they'll expand back into the Northeast if UConn leaves).

That would be a horrible mistake, even if the quality isn't there. With choices like Army, UMass, Buffalo, the Ohio schools, and Marshall, I know there are others with more attractive qualities, but the overall viability of that conference with any northeastern membership dramatically decreases the more those members drop off.

I don't expect Navy to be there very long. And even just losing them is going to set back some of those members up north. The conference is simply too south-heavy.

TKthunder · **Joined:** Fri Sep 10, 2010 11:40 pm **Posts:** 1606

The Bishin Cutter wrote:

tkalmus wrote:

Rice to replace Houston
UNT to replace SMU

Other than those SoMiss, UAB, LA Tech, USTA, UNCC, ODU, GA St, Marshall and maybe UMass (though I doubt they'll expand back into the Northeast if UConn leaves).

That would be a horrible mistake, even if the quality isn't there. With choices like Army, UMass, Buffalo, the Ohio schools, and Marshall, I know there are others with more attractive qualities, but the overall viability of that conference with any northeastern membership dramatically decreases the more those members drop off.

I don't expect Navy to be there very long. And even just losing them is going to set back some of those members up north. The conference is simply too south-heavy.

South heavy is fine. The MWC conference has the West. The MAC has the Midwest. The AAC can take the South. Leave the Northeast to the MAC or CUSA.

Let's assume that SMU, Houston, Tulane, Memphis, Cincy and UConn get pulled up into the B12 or ACC and Navy decides to go back to independence.

The only Northern member left is Temple (and even they may be poached).

The AAC could look like this...

West- Tulsa, UNT, UTSA, Rice, LA Tech, SoMiss, and UAB
East- USF, UCF, GA St, ECU, UNCC, ODU, and Temple

Philly to Florida is a good division. Add in UMass and it stretches awkwardly.

MAC+ Marshall, UMass, JMU, and UDel looks better to me than UMass to the AAC.

The Bishin Cutter · **Joined:** Mon Apr 16, 2012 11:41 am **Posts:** 1411

A south-heavy AAC would leave the MAC and MWC as the only ones not so in the Go5. SBC, CUSA, and AAC...what's the difference other than perception?

One could argue why there needs to be three conferences filled with southern system schools...just merge CUSA and SBC, or CUSA and AAC at that point.

fighting muskie · **Posted:** Thu Jul 31, 2014 3:16 pm

The Bishin Cutter wrote:

A south-heavy AAC would leave the MAC and MWC as the only ones not so in the Go5. SBC, CUSA, and AAC...what's the difference other than perception?

One could argue why there needs to be three conferences filled with southern system schools...just merge CUSA and SBC, or CUSA and AAC at that point.

The reasons for the American, C-USA, and Sunbelt existing as parallel conferences and not merging together are television money and petty rivalries between schools in proximity. Schools like SMU don't want to be on the same level as as North Texas. Tulane doesn't want to be at the same level as LA Tech and LA Tech doesn't want to be at the same level as UL Lafayette and UL Monroe.

While it would make far more sense for the Group of 5 to divide along geographic lines television money talks and for a conference like the American that is perceived to be stronger and have better markets the member schools are not going to want to surrender their financial advantage to be in regional conferences. C-USA and the Sunbelt merging and then separating into an Eastern and Western Conference would make perfect sense but C-USA has better markets, more history, and more money.

As far as American expansion goes, I think they will surrender the northeast and midwest when Cincinnati and UConn leave. It simple doesn't make sense for a southeastern conference to have outposts in those regions if there isn't a program that brings a lot of upside to the conference.

ctx48c · **Joined:** Sun Apr 26, 2009 12:26 pm **Posts:** 489

Conn and Cinn are not going anywhere fast.

jlog3000 · **Posted:** Thu Jul 31, 2014 3:47 pm

fighting muskie wrote:

As far as American expansion goes, I think they will surrender the northeast and midwest when Cincinnati and UConn leave. It simple doesn't make sense for a southeastern conference to have outposts in those regions if there isn't a program that brings a lot of upside to the conference.

The same thing could nearly be said for the A-10 to surrender the Midwest region if Dayton and St. Louis leave that conference (possibly the next to join the new Big East), while focusing on the East Coast and possibly the South Atlantic (as of mirroring the CAA).

The Bishin Cutter · **Joined:** Mon Apr 16, 2012 11:41 am **Posts:** 1411

ncaanopaawaa2000 wrote:

fighting muskie wrote:

As far as American expansion goes, I think they will surrender the northeast and midwest when Cincinnati and UConn leave. It simple doesn't make sense for a southeastern conference to have outposts in those regions if there isn't a program that brings a lot of upside to the conference.

The same thing could nearly be said for the A-10 to surrender the Midwest region if Dayton and St. Louis leave that conference (possibly the next to join the new Big East), while focusing on the East Coast and possibly the South Atlantic (as of mirroring the CAA).

GAH! No! I couldn't disagree more on either count!

A10 aside, were the AAC to lose Cincy, the AAC should go right back into Ohio for either UMOH or OU. Especially if Temple is still there in the conference. You want to be in the PA-NJ-OH-MD swath...it helps with exposure into NY and VA, which is pretty much the northern edge of relevant football territory. While the AAC is sparse up north and east, it's got the proper bases covered (it would be really good, though, if they had Army for additional "saturation").

I feel the AAC could easily lose UConn and survive. It's Cincinnati that makes life a living hell for that conference. It's one of the biggest schools, it's the one with the most comprehensively competitive athletic departments, it's geographically strategic for the connection between the conference's eastern and western fronts, and it's probably the one with the best chances of joining a major conference. And you simply can't replace them. Take Houston out of the AAC, for example, and Rice could be tapped. Directional Florida? Meet FIU and FAU. ECU? Charlotte. Heck, even taking away Navy...ODU still keeps them in the Mid-Atlantic and with Temple, still covers that I-95 corridor and puts the conference in Virginia's athletic "honey pot." The AAC is like that: parts can be easily interchanged in places (which is why I think they could easily merge with someone). Cincinnati is not as easily replaceable. UMOH, probably the next best Ohio school solution, is a considerable step down in terms of school size and overall program coverage; it's also not consistently competitive...a Cincy loss would be instantly noticeable.

Does anyone think that if it comes down to it, a school like Cincy or UConn could buy their way into a major conference, like VT did for its olympic sports to the Big East?

American Athletic Conference Realignment & Expansion Thread

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