More Expansion/Realignment Coming

[Walter]

 

[Walter]

From the articles:

UAB, Colorado State, Air Force to AAC.

North Texas, North Dakota State, Rice, UTSA potential replacements for MWC.

Really surprised Marshall, App State, Louisiana, and Coastal Carolina aren't being pursued more heavily by the AAC. 

[Walter]

Crazy how quick things change when it comes to realignment/expansion.

New thoughts/ideas from the above tweet:

SMU to Mountain West along with Gonzaga/Wichita as hoops only.

UAB and or Charlotte to AAC.

Sunbelt looking to add along with Conference USA... Which conference poached the other? Sunbelt mentioned with independent Liberty and possible FCS additions. (Murray State??)

[9068]

On 9/25/2021 at 8:18 AM, Walter said:

From the articles:

UAB, Colorado State, Air Force to AAC.

North Texas, North Dakota State, Rice, UTSA potential replacements for MWC.

Really surprised Marshall, App State, Louisiana, and Coastal Carolina aren't being pursued more heavily by the AAC. 

The Sunbelt has good football....look at bowl results. Baseball and other warm weather sports are much easier to manage than dealing with some of the northern AAC schools. As a Coastal fan(and part time local) I hope they along with Louisiana and Appy State stay in the Sunbelt. 

[Walter]

Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State all previously announced they were leaving the OVC for the Atlantic Sun.

[Walter]

 

[DanvilleFan]

That poaching by the AAC could kill Conference USA, especially if the Sun Belt expands to include Southern Mississippi and Marshall.  WKU could be left out in the cold with nowhere to go.

[gchs_uk9]

39 minutes ago, DanvilleFan said:

That poaching by the AAC could kill Conference USA, especially if the Sun Belt expands to include Southern Mississippi and Marshall.  WKU could be left out in the cold with nowhere to go.

Still have Liberty, UMass, and UConn as independents which might help cobble together a league for the time being. Lots of chatter about some I-AA teams moving up as well (James Madison, North Dakota State, all of the WAC).

[DanvilleFan]

3 hours ago, gchs_uk9 said:

Still have Liberty, UMass, and UConn as independents which might help cobble together a league for the time being. Lots of chatter about some I-AA teams moving up as well (James Madison, North Dakota State, all of the WAC).

I could see Liberty or James Madison being offered for a new C-USA but I think UConn is about to just kill their football program or push it back to I-AA status.  I think it is VERY important for WKU to make sure Marshall sticks around in C-USA and then try to rebuild the conference in an east coast direction for the time being, which is why Liberty and James Madison would be good fits.  Offering Army a chance to join may not be bad for C-USA either.

[Walter]

The Mountain West wanted to expand and get in to Texas, so this move by the AAC blocks that, but I still think Adding Marshall, Coastal, App St, WKU, Louisiana, and UAB/Charlotte would have been better for the AAC brand and allowed them to maintain status as best G5 football conference. 

 

[gchs_uk9]

Just now, Walter said:

Adding...Coastal, App St...Louisiana...would have been better for the AAC brand and allowed them to maintain status as best G5 football conference. 

There is zero evidence that the existing schools in the Sun Belt have interest in moving. In fact, it seems like they are very comfortable with their situation and how it benefits all schools (especially regarding travel, rivalries, fan interest, etc.). Is the money they would make from a depleted AAC enough to offset greater costs that don't exist in the Sun Belt?

[Walter]

17 minutes ago, gchs_uk9 said:

There is zero evidence that the existing schools in the Sun Belt have interest in moving. In fact, it seems like they are very comfortable with their situation and how it benefits all schools (especially regarding travel, rivalries, fan interest, etc.). Is the money they would make from a depleted AAC enough to offset greater costs that don't exist in the Sun Belt?

Maybe... I have no clue what type of tv deal the new AAC will get. 

Is travelling to SMU, Memphis, Tulsa, East Carolina, Temple,Navy, Tulane, and South Florida really going to be that much more travel for those schools compared to what they do now? Especially if they have a East and West division?

AAC East:

App St, Coastal, East Carolina, Charlotte, Temple, USF, Marshall

AAC West:

Louisiana, Tulane, Tulsa, SMU, WKU, Memphis, Navy (they requested being in the West before the AAC did away with divisions)

 

[gchs_uk9]

41 minutes ago, Walter said:

Maybe... I have no clue what type of tv deal the new AAC will get. 

Is travelling to SMU, Memphis, Tulsa, East Carolina, Temple,Navy, Tulane, and South Florida really going to be that much more travel for those schools compared to what they do now? Especially if they have a East and West division).

Not sure. However, there are other factors that sports fans don't always think about. Tulsa, SMU, and Tulane are private schools. Navy is a military academy. All of the Sun Belt schools are public, state schools. There are definitely academic differences. A lack of academic cohesiveness can affect who gets into a conference, something most of us never really consider.

[DanvilleFan]

I never thought I'd see the day where the Sun Belt has seemingly leapfrogged Conference USA with regards to where it stands in terms of stability or pecking order, but here we are.

[gchs_uk9]

26 minutes ago, DanvilleFan said:

I never thought I'd see the day where the Sun Belt has seemingly leapfrogged Conference USA with regards to where it stands in terms of stability or pecking order, but here we are.

I’d like to see a list of every school who has been in Conference USA at some point. Gotta be pushing forty schools at this point, right?