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http://www.sbnation.com/college-foot...nn-houston-ucf
BYU & UCONN enhance the academic side of thing - isn't that what this is all about!!! COLLEGES![]()
Michigan State and Kansas would be an epic rivalry in hoops.
Good old Memorial Gym
If dominos fall, such that the Big 12 becomes the Big 16, it will most definitely include 3, maybe 4, current AAC schools. BYU might join three AAC schools (Houston, Memphis, and Cincy) to make 4 joining the B12.
So, then the AAC will raid CUSA. Will take 3, Rice and USM for sure, and someone else. Or, maybe Rice, USM and a MAC school, maybe Northern Illinois, given its "success" in football (Orange Bowl appearance in 2012) and its Chicago market.
If CUSA loses two, we will be down to 12, lose three, and we have 11, which allows a nice 5-5 balanced schedule in hoops. And, if CUSA wanted, could play 10 league games and two OOCs in football.
One thing is sure, Tech will be left chasing open spots in "higher up" conferences, just as we chased the WAC and then CUSA. But will miss the next round and will only find a place in the AAC after more schools leave.
If Big 12 adds 4 teams, they will have 14 teams
With the conference championship game deregulated and a TV contact negotiation coming up, I'm not sure the AAC completely restocks. If they do, there's a solid chance it won't be from Conference USA.
There's also some rumblings about Colorado going back to the Big 12. Not sure how much validity that rumor has, but it's probably true the powers-that-be at CU are thinking about it. They would be stupid to not at least consider the pros and cons of going back.
Non-C*USA schools I'd expect to see approached: Colorado State (especially if UH is left behind), Air Force (especially if CSU leaves MWC), Army (especially if AFA joins), New Mexico (if CSU and/or AFA leave the MWC), Northern Illinois. Also possibilities (assuming Cincinnati goes): Toledo, Akron, and Ohio.
That's not to say Conference USA schools won't be considered. That they don't have to expand means that this time is likely to be different than previous ones, though. A lot is going to depend on what the networks have to say. But if they can't get MWC school and/or Northern Illinois or Army, I think they stop at 9 or 10. The wildcard is Navy. If they lose three or four schools, *and* Navy goes, that'll likely decrease the attractiveness from MWC schools and Army, and they will more likely need to restock from Conference USA or MAC (and even MAC schools may not be too interested). That's a worst-case scenario for the AAC, though.
University of Houston '01. Any references to "we" or "us" likely refer to UH. Cheers!
Saw one of those college football shows on ESPN a couple of days ago where a pundit said that the Big 12 itself is in big trouble because several teams headed by Texas want to move. To Big 10 or PAC 12. Pundit believes it could lose its power 5 status.