Green Otaku

People don't realize how vulnerable the AAC is. Take away their last marquee program and it falls hard. If I were the MWC commissioner I'd do this: 1. Try and get Gonzaga as a non-FB member 2. If Gonzaga says yes, go for Tulsa and Memphis. Pitch them that the conference has really solid football and phenomenal basketball. Seriously this would be a fantastic BB conference. 3. Fill the gaps with UNT, UTSA, or Rice. Mountain: Memphis, Tulsa, UNT, Rice (or UTSA), New Mexico, Wyoming, Utah St. West: Hawaii, SDSU, Fresno St., SJSU, Nevada, UNLV, Boise St.

What happened to the old announcer? Did they retire or something to do with covid precaution?

Agree. They just happen to be the closest to a rival in our conference due to proximity. If they weren't in the same conference most wouldn't care. It just further illustrates the point of how little we are tied to our opponents.

Fans have never cared about playing UL, Arkansas St., or Texas St. Even in our own conference fans only care about UTSA and maybe Rice & LA Tech.

IF we had a guarantee that the MWC would only lose those 2, the MWC by a long shot.

Reading the CUSA board the Marshall fans are constantly groaning and complaining about CUSA. They think the travel costs for them to get to the western division are too much, and the general level of the conference is poor. Seems like they would be happy to A: Lose the western Texas schools, which would allow them to invite some or all of App., Coastal, Liberty, UL. JMU. Or B: Go to the Sunbelt and join App., Coastal, and the Georgia Schools. taking USM, ODU, and WKU with them. (Add in that I saw some ODU fans also agreeing with the Marshall posters.) B could be a nightmare scenario for UNT if we get passed over. Imagine losing those schools while Rice goes to the AAC, UTEP and UTSA go to the MWC.

Not to mention CUSA has a chance of being decimated. UAB is gone if the AAC can't get anyone else to join. UTSA, Rice, FAU are targets. If AF and CSU don't leave the MW the AAC will set their eyes squarely on CUSA and Sunbelt taking whatever school they want.

If they only lose AF and CSU I'd still go for it if for some reason UNT is considered an option. With Boise St., SDSU, Fresno, and Utah St. it's still a solid FB conference. Just make a clause that let's UNT reconsider if they lose any more members to protect ourselves.

Seems pretty clear what he's saying is what's best for UNT isn't what's best for SMU. SMU is already in a respected conference, moving to the MWC would be a lateral and expensive move for them. AAC has had an $8 mil. per team pay out, IIRC double what the MWC has. Just looking at the facts, that's where things currently stand. For us, the MWC is a great opportunity, and it will definitely beat a CUSA that will likely lose some programs. Now where there is room for debate is which conference will be the king of the G5s. If MWC stays together or only loses AF and CSU there is a good possibility they beat out the AAC as the better conference. Those two aren't the headliners in the MW, the've been average to poor. It's certainly not like losing Cincy, UCF, and Houston. Most people on their board seem pretty indifferent to them leaving. No one knows where the media deals will land after it's all said and done, the future wide open right now. It's up to the conferences to make the right choices to get the most $$$. Personally I don't think the AAC will keep it's current media deal, they've lost too much and with not enough viable candidates to replace them.

SMU2006 hasn't said anything demeaning or antagonizing about our school in any posts, yet you guys feel the need to berate him/her. Let's be better than this. There is nothing wrong with disagreeing with what they are posting, but keep it to the argument.

If a deal were made while those schools are still in the MWC I'd hope our administration would be smart enough to put a clause that allowed us to reconsider without penalty if the membership changes before we join.

I don't get it. If the MWC were to throw us a lifeline why would we not take it? Better TV deal, more exposure, bigger athletic budget, better chance of recruiting? Nah, let's just purposely keep ourselves down.

Air Force I could see for reasons in my post above. CSU I see as unlikely and the others a very distant possibility. I just don't see it worth it for those west coast schools, regarding travel. Sending olympic sports across the country... I just don't know if the AAC can offer enough of a bump to make it worth it.

From what I've seen from posters Air Force has been vocal/open about their unhappiness with Boise St. getting a bigger piece of the pie. The other thing I could think of is maybe most of their vets live out east and they would be going to a league that gets them closer to their fans, but that's just speculation on my part.

Article is behind a paywall, so I can't read it. I don't doubt that reaching out, talks, and even meetings have/are happening. Now if anything comes of it that's a different story. Schools are looking at their options and seeing what's best for them.

I've been doing the rounds on various boards and the consensus is that maybe Air Force leaves, that they are at least considering it so they could be with Navy. CSU seems far away from a sure thing but maybe they go. That puts the other schools pretty far down the "No" category. I was reading the MW board and some were saying their tv deal is going to be renegotiated soon, with Boise giving up some of that money they are currently getting. From poster Ibanez: https://www.mwcboard.com/index.php?/topic/93183-should-the-mwc-try-to-land-unt-rice-utep-andor-utsa-first/&do=findComment&comment=2981796

If the MW calls, we answer. Let's be honest, chances of the AAC for us are low to slim. Rice and even UTSA have a better chance if they want another Texas school.

Another reason to join the MW. Now I'm going to say this with the * that it's a 1:1,000,000 chance of happening, but just hear me out. Imagine the AAC doesn't get the MWC schools, and backfill with UAB, FAU, and 2 others other than UNT. UNT goes to the MW with 1 or 3 travel partners. Then things cool on realignment for a decade, UNT goes on a Boise St. style run, dominating the MW. Now realignment comes around again, everyone wants to match the SEC and go to 16. UNT would be smack in the middle of possible the last shuffle for decades. B1G would need 2, Big XII would need 4. We've already talked about it on this thread that pickings are slim in the west and the only place the PAC has to draw from is the MW. Is there a chance UNT would get consideration from the PAC? Having already been in a western conference might give us some consideration. I know that's a pipe dream from another dimension, but we definitely aren't getting that in CUSA.

Agreed with everything you posted. It's pretty easy to see when you take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Only the MW (Utah and TCU) and AAC have sent teams to P5 conferences. UNT needs to be in 1 of those 2 if it ever plans on moving up.

I just don't see the MW teams leaving for the AAC. I guess it all depends on the payouts, but I don't see the AAC being able to command the same numbers to make it enticing.

If the AAC doesn't happen for UNT, we absolutely need to push for the MW. With the AAC reloading there is going to be a period where the MW and AAC battle it out for the best G5. I know people are hesitant going west, but the MW has really solid members from top to bottom and will be miles ahead of what's left in CUSA (maybe even over what a rebuilt AAC will look like). Or did we forget the whipping Utah State gave is in the NM Bowl? Not to mention the MW is a monster BB conference. New Mexico, SDSU, UNLV, Nevada, Utah St., always top 25 teams. The last Texas team in the MW is now in the BigXII. If we have the chance to join, we take it and don't look back.

https://twitter.com/northtexaseagle/status/1084222781586358272 Don't know how to embed tweets.

I thought the helmets looked great! The players clearly love these types of things so what ever keeps them happy/can be used as a recruiting tool I'm all for.

I don't disagree with some of your points, but I get the impression from the board as a whole that if we pump enough money into the program it's a guarantee that we will win. My point was that kind of thinking is an oversimplification of how many endless variables affect a program. It's like people have short memories because I remember those saying if we only had a new stadium we would win, we would get recruits, we would sell out games, etc. I'm not saying Apogee doesn't help, but people are always daydreaming that if we had "such and such" that one thing would magically turn the program around. Then they quickly forget about it and move on to the next thing.

So then please explain to us what you meant by saying winning is the easiest factor to change?