The New American

[Side.Show.Joe]

We'll see if it changes by the time we get there.  🙂

Edited October 19, 2021 by Side.Show.Joe

[ChristopherRyanWilkes]

I doubt the Big 12 expands any more. One AD already said 14 doesn’t make sense financially or for travel. They are past the obvious teams for expansion now, Memphis and Boise have way more issues than the group headed to Big 12. 

[El Paso Eagle]

I'm still not sure how Navy ends up in the west as some places have reported. I had also seen it somewhere where Navy requested the West?

[meangreen11]

Why is Navy projected to be in the west?

[Side.Show.Joe]

Guys. Navy has been in the west since they joined the American. It was their condition when they joined the league. Navy recruits a lot of Texans (for the Navy & their team), and values playing in large Texas markets.

The western division will be the teams west of the Mississippi and Navy.

Edited October 19, 2021 by Side.Show.Joe

[El Paso Eagle]

7 minutes ago, meangreen11 said:

Why is Navy projected to be in the west?

Again everything is speculation still but I had seen several things yesterday were people had projected the Navy would be in the West in the new alignments

[ipd054]

Navy recruits nationwide and their alumni base more than others is nationwide.  When you look at the distribution of the west it checks a lot of boxes for them.  Also travel expense is not as big of an issue as it is off of the government budget not the athletic budget.

[NorthTexan95]

Not looking forward to playing that Navy offense every year. 

[Wag Tag]

19 minutes ago, El Paso Eagle said:

I'm still not sure how Navy ends up in the west as some places have reported. I had also seen it somewhere where Navy requested the West?

Exposure. Annapolis for a game will be awesome. BB looks pretty awesome.

[El Paso Eagle]

Navy is a football only member, correct?

[VideoEagle]

4 minutes ago, El Paso Eagle said:

Navy is a football only member, correct?

Yes, they are paired with Wichita State which is an "everything except football" member. 

[MeanGreenHoops]

2 minutes ago, VideoEagle said:

Yes, they are paired with Wichita State which is an "everything except football" member. 

Wichita State in basketball?

[UNT Texas Hooligan]

1 minute ago, MeanGreenHoops said:

Wichita State in basketball?

Ready to make that an annual trip

[rhaprez03-04]

Wichita State...Didn't Coach Lasso come from there. 

[RBP79]

I am waiting for the Official Announcement before I get all twisted up over this.....

Just too beaten down by NT Football.to get my hopes up.

 

Now I'm insulted being compared to RV......

Edited October 19, 2021 by RBP79

[meangreen11]

1 minute ago, RBP79 said:

I am waiting for the Official Announcement before I get all twisted up over this.....

Just too beaten down by NT Football.to get my hopes up.

It’s official or they wouldn’t have leaked it.   Great news for UNT!

[GBarksdale]

27 minutes ago, Wag Tag said:

Exposure. Annapolis for a game will be awesome. BB looks pretty awesome.

And I'll finally be able to go to a UNT game locally.  

[NorthTexasSportsNetwork]

20 minutes ago, MeanGreenHoops said:

Wichita State in basketball?

That would be a great trip each year

[southsideguy]

so six teams in one league and seven in the other for football?

[ADLER]

 Interesting post off the Pony board

 

Quote

 

Aresco Says AAC Will Expand

http://www.ponyfans.com/phpBB3/styles/we_clearblue/imageset/icon_post_target.gifby Charleston Pony » Tue Oct 19, 2021 7:33 am

For all the complaining about how these 6 additions will water down the AAC, yes, today that is true and there is no denying we are losing 3 of our strongest conference mates in Cincy, UCF & Houston but SMU has only itself to blame. You have to be blind to see how little interest there has been in SMU athletics and it's hard for me to imagine that some of you don't appreciate how important that is. Yes, SMU sits in a major media market but not many in that market care about SMU. Adding UNT increases the viability of the DFW market for the AAC, like it or not. As for Rice in Houston...not so much but as Aresco has commented, it at least gives our teams an opportunity to become more visible in a hotbed for recruiting.

Bash Aresco all you want but given SMU and the AAC's current circumstances, going for programs situated in large markets at least provides potential and that's about all we can ask for right now. Memphis has to be more disappointed than SMU and I'd put USF high on that list as well, but instead of complaining it's time for SMU to just continue improving in hopes of being "promoted" at some point down the road, but who knows? All of the schools mentioned (except Rice) have significantly higher enrollments than SMU and have potential to outperform us going forward.

As for mentions of App State and Coastal Carolina, while they are currently more attractive football programs than Charlotte and FAU, Boone NC and Myrtle Beach SC are also smaller cities and not easy to get to. Selfishly, I like Charlotte as an up and coming program that has only existed for 8 years. UCF by comparison has been playing at the D-I FBS level for 25 years and look at what they have accomplished. FAU adds another school in FL, again a fertile recruiting ground and I doubt anyone has forgotten the arse whooping they put on our guys in the Boca Raton Bowl game.

While this is not a "done deal" yet, I fully expect the decision makers to follow through on this expansion as a "forward thinking" plan to keep the AAC as the strongest G5 conference. It will be interesting to see if CUSA survives as the SunBelt might come and try to pick off the strongest remaining members.

 

 

[El Paso Eagle]

25 minutes ago, meangreen11 said:

It’s official or they wouldn’t have leaked it.   Great news for UNT!

So you're saying it was on the internet therefore it must be true. Let me check Wikipedia

[ADLER]

6 minutes ago, southsideguy said:

so six teams in one league and seven in the other for football?

No, 7 in each division.

Wichita doesn't play football, and Navy parks all sports other than football in another conference. (It's like, together, they make the 14th full member school)

Edited October 19, 2021 by ADLER

[keith]

This is difficult to say, but entrance into the AAC would be the perfect time to rebrand ourselves (sports programs) as UNT leaving behind the stigma (real or perceived) of North Texas.  While we know, love and revere our North Texas moniker and history, outside of our bubble it carries a negative connotation.  It's painful to admit, but doing so is part of the healing process.  It's re-birth time and we need to leave the past behind as we forge ahead into a hopeful future.  

[southsideguy]

1 minute ago, ADLER said:

No, 7 in each division.

instating counting teams I just took WS off for football.  Do we have a breakdown of the divisions?

[El Paso Eagle]

7 minutes ago, southsideguy said:

so six teams in one league and seven in the other for football?

No, there will be 15 members. Navy football only and Wichita State for everything except football