What can we do to be more attractive to the AAC?

Tom McKrackin · September 9, 2021

I am by no means a conference expert but this seems like a good conference for us. They are expanding and in some articles beyond what they are losing to the Big 12.

What can we do to make it happen? Is Wren shaking hands and kissing babies? I like the idea of being in a conference with Memphis, Tulane. Wichita State, Tulsa and of course SMUt.

Tom McKrackin · September 9, 2021

Looks like Rice and UTSA are the favorites.

denton_days · September 9, 2021

Not be so close to their DFW team, I think. Unless we can somehow change the narrative around that and argue that it would save costs or something.

ColoradoEagle · September 9, 2021

A poll on Twitter doesn't mean anything.

It's hard to tell what goes through their minds when deciding, but I feel like this would be a rational list of questions:

What is the athletic budget?
What kind of commitment is being shown to the athletics program? For example:
- Do they have their own football stadium? Is it relatively new?
- Are they building additional facilities, and/or have legitimate (not pipe dream) plans in the works?
- If the P5 (P4?) pull away, will the funding be there to continue athletics?
What does it take to travel to the school?
How do the academics rank?

I'm sure there are other criteria I have no idea about. I'd be surprised if 'media markets' was on the tip of anyone's tongue for a G5 in 2021, but who knows. At this point, it seems like it would be about finding an established program that is easy to travel to and doesn't drag down the prestige of the other schools.

Edited September 9, 2021 by ColoradoEagle

meangreenthirteen · September 9, 2021

Maybe buy a nice outfit or two, start going to the gym, perhaps a new haircut.

NorthTexasSportsNetwork · September 9, 2021

3 minutes ago, ColoradoEagle said:

A poll on Twitter doesn't mean anything.

It's hard to tell what goes through their minds when deciding, but I feel like this would be a rational list of questions:

What is the athletic budget?

What kind of commitment is being shown to the athletics program? For example:
Do they have their own football stadium? Is it relatively new?

Are they building additional facilities, and/or have legitimate (not pipe dream) plans in the works?

If the P5 (P4?) pull away, will the funding be there to continue athletics?

What does it take to travel to the school?

How do the academics rank?

I'm sure there are other criteria I have no idea about. I'd be surprised if 'media markets' was on the tip of anyone's tongue for a G5 in 2021, but who knows. At this point, it seems like it would be about finding an established program that is easy to travel to and doesn't drag down the prestige of the other schools.

Rice and UTSA would maybe fit a quarter of that. Besides UAB and Marshall, we make the most sense.

Per the Wall Street Journal, UNT is a $26 Million brand and that’s above both utsa and rice (combined would be what we have total)

We have the facilities, the city, the demographics, recruiting, and much more

Ken14 · September 9, 2021

Curb stomp the ponies this weekend ......

El Paso Eagle · September 9, 2021

The problem is we do not know the criteria that will be used. We can speculate all we want and make our best guesses but that's about it at this point

Hunter Green · September 9, 2021

4 minutes ago, El Paso Eagle said:

The problem is we do not know the criteria that will be used. We can speculate all we want and make our best guesses but that's about it at this point

Ill Bet ArkStFan knows a thing or two about it.

Hunter Green · September 9, 2021

58 minutes ago, Tom McKrackin said:

I am by no means a conference expert but this seems like a good conference for us. They are expanding and in some articles beyond what they are losing to the Big 12.

What can we do to make it happen? Is Wren shaking hands and kissing babies? I like the idea of being in a conference with Memphis, Tulane. Wichita State, Tulsa and of course SMUt.

Just win, baby!

Hunter Green · September 9, 2021

30 minutes ago, El Paso Eagle said:

The problem is we do not know the criteria that will be used. We can speculate all we want and make our best guesses but that's about it at this point

You would think that being in the same vicinity as the CUSA HQ would be of benefit. IDK. Maybe not.

greenminer · September 9, 2021

A Twitter poll only reflects that tweet's audience. I've never heard of this account. 20K followers ain't nothing to sneeze at, but I still want more information before jumping to any conclusions.

untbowler · September 9, 2021

easiest thing is win games, football, men's basketball, women's basketball.

Also be competitive in all the other sports.

TheColonyEagle · September 9, 2021

What makes UCF, UH, and Cincy attractive to the Big 12?

They’ve all been to NY6 Bowls. Beaten Big time P5s. Been ranked multiple times. Won a lot of football games the past 10 years. Been on the National stage.

It’s sure not the Orlando and Cincinnati TV markets.

TheColonyEagle · September 9, 2021

Also it’s why SMU ISN’T attractive to the Big 12. They can write a check but that doesn’t help with credibility on the field. They’ve had a couple of good years but no real national attention level wins, nothing sustainable.

Jonnyeagle · September 9, 2021

Looks like there has been some interest regarding communications between Wren and the AAC in past years:

https://www.muckrock.com/foi/texas-109/aac-expansion-candidates-university-of-north-texas-77659/

Side.Show.Joe · September 10, 2021

Everything UNT needed to do to become a candidate has been done already. And, thanks to Smatresk, Wren, and his staff, it is enough to be on their radar. Maybe we make the cut....

"Though Aresco declined to reveal potential new members, the top options are likely to start with UAB, a rising power in the G5 located in the heart of the Deep South. Football success is an important piece to any new additions, as well as fan support and school resources. Several others may fit that mold, including Air Force, Army, Colorado State, Boise State, North Texas, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina and Arkansas State."

https://www.si.com/college/2021/09/08/big-12-expansion-aac-mike-aresco-reaction

And don't forget, thanks to Wren, ESPN has a favorable opinion of UNT.

Edited September 10, 2021 by Side.Show.Joe

Withers940 · September 10, 2021

5 hours ago, meangreenthirteen said:

Maybe buy a nice outfit or two, start going to the gym, perhaps a new haircut.

I was going to suggest this....But this works too

untjim1995 · September 10, 2021

4 hours ago, untbowler said:

easiest thing is win games, football, men's basketball, women's basketball.

Also be competitive in all the other sports.

That’s all, huh??

DentonStang · September 10, 2021

UTSA is the clear choice IF they are sufficiently committed financially. I don't know their commitment level, but San Antonio is a big untapped area for college football. Biggest potential upside.

rcade · September 10, 2021

24 minutes ago, DentonStang said:

UTSA is the clear choice IF they are sufficiently committed financially. I don't know their commitment level, but San Antonio is a big untapped area for college football. Biggest potential upside.

It's a 10-year-old football program. They've had as many as 48,000 empty seats at their stadium during games, which has to be an FBS record. Their athletic budget is $8 million a year lower than UNT's.

I am not seeing anything that would make them "the clear choice." San Antonio is untapped because the geniuses running UTSA chose not to play football for the school's first 42 years of existence. Even now they aren't spending like they want to move up -- six Sun Belt schools have larger athletic budgets than UTSA.

greenminer · September 10, 2021

9 minutes ago, rcade said:

It's a 10-year-old football program. They've had as many as 48,000 empty seats at their stadium during games, which has to be an FBS record. Their athletic budget is $8 million a year lower than UNT's.

I am not seeing anything that would make them "the clear choice." San Antonio is untapped because the geniuses running UTSA chose not to play football for the school's first 42 years of existence. Even now they aren't spending like they want to move up -- six Sun Belt schools have larger athletic budgets than UTSA.

but...Alamodome!

RBP79 · September 10, 2021

Other than a few years of decent football what else they got....and it ain't "there the only game in town".

MeanGreenTexan · September 10, 2021

Win in football. Continue winning in MBB. Continue building the MGSF #'s.

Everything else is pretty much already done.

TIgreen01 · September 10, 2021

17 hours ago, Ken14 said:

Curb stomp the ponies this weekend ......

This. We add to the narrative that we don’t belong when we get blown out by these guys two years in a row. Can’t make it three years running, and really need to win outright.