Tulsa and Memphis will not vote for us.
There are 12 football playing members of the AAC. The 5 best candidates to move from the AAC to a Power 5 conference are:
USF
Cincinnati
UCONN
Houston
UCF
Everybody else in the AAC is just waiting on us to get there. They aren't going anywhere. And IMO, the best options for the AAC to expand are:
LA Tech - Great geographical fit. Athletically sound in all sports, essentially 5 hours or less from SMU, Houston, Tulsa, Memphis, Tulane & USM.
Southern Miss - Great legacy fit. Athletically sound in all sports. Shares many of the same geographic advantages that LA Tech has.
Old Dominion - Great geographic fit in the east. Appears to be athletically sound in most sports. Within 5 hours drive of Navy, ECU, & Temple.
Rice - Academics, academics, academics. Also fits well geographically.
*FAU - Nice geographic fit in the east, assuming USF or UCF (or both) need to be replaced. The AAC will want to keep a presence in Florida.
Just my opinion, but the only way WKU and/or MTSU get invited to the AAC is if they both get invited at the same time. Having them both in the same region helps the geography. Otherwise, either one could end up being an outpost.
These are the kind of on-going talks that T-Mac needs to be having with AAC officials today.
Last edited by HogDawg; 07-06-2017 at 04:00 PM.
If Memphis is still there neither MTSU nor WKU would be an Outpost, but would rather bridge the west and east. If Memphis were to be taken, they would still be a bridge and would essentially replace Memphis. Plus, their on the field/court success would be quality adds for the AAC.
I think we're a solid candidate, but we need some titles and big wins over the next few years to make sure we're first in line.
The Big 12 is still perceived as the most vulnerable, as Texas or Oklahoma could cripple the league by leaving. But revenue totals are encouraging -- its 10 members will split $348 million from the 2016-17 academic year -- and the internal squabbling that has plagued the conference seems to have disappeared.
This quote is from Adam Rittenberg's story that Dawg06 posted. Rittenburg doesn't explain the reason the internal squabbling within the Big 12 has disappeared. Texas has basically told the rest of the conference where it can shove its proposed future plans for the league. Everybody knows the score and is quietly planning for the day the league implodes.
I would be surprised if the league actually makes it to 2023. Five schools leaving at one time would nullify the Grant of Rights. But I would be absolutely shocked if it survives past 2023. If the NCAA allows the remnants to stay together - Kansas State, Baylor, Iowa State, etc...- and rebuild, that would trigger major realignment within the G5.
Last edited by The Historian; 07-07-2017 at 04:35 PM.
without Oklahoma and Texas, who really wants Kansas State, Baylor, Iowa State, TCU, etc.?
I don't think it is a question who wants them but a question of out of the possibilities in the G5 and them who is better. There very well could be some of the G5 who are better fits than the leftovers from the Big12 but that would take some mighty convincing arguments. The leftovers from the Big 12 would generally have more pull than anyone in the G5. The question then remains, who in the G5 is most attractive to join with the leftovers from the Big 12. Let us pray that our administration is preparing for our arguments to be at the head of the line of those that are desirable in the coming changes.
WWDog
La Tech
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