AAC not interested in Oregon State or Washington State.

[greenminer]

10 minutes ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

USF is not good. However, they are allegedly building a 300M on-campus stadium and that will be a game changer for them. Meanwhile, we're trying to scrape cushion change together (relatively speaking) to expand our AC we've been talking about doing for 4-5-6-7 years.  

That whole stadium deal at USF is unprecedented: they are BORROWING 200 million to make it happen.

https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/university-beat/2023-06-13/usf-board-of-trustees-approve-340-million-funding-for-tampa-campus-football-stadium

[Arkstfan]

4 hours ago, Wag Tag said:

With a Western Division they would not of played Charlotte. other conferences have figured this out .

Sort of defeats the purpose if you never play. 

[NorthTexasWeLove]

9 minutes ago, greenminer said:

That whole stadium deal at USF is unprecedented: they are BORROWING 200 million to make it happen.

https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/university-beat/2023-06-13/usf-board-of-trustees-approve-340-million-funding-for-tampa-campus-football-stadium

Whatever. They're getting it built and it's going to be on their campus. 

[Arkstfan]

3 hours ago, Mean Green 93-98 said:

Adding Washington State and Oregon State would unquestionable be huge for the MWC.  But they would not be nearly as much of an asset for the AAC.  I wouldn't mind having them in our conference; but if the numbers don't justify it, then I understand not inviting them.  We certainly shouldn't invite them just to keep the MWC from improving as a conference.

I think you are spot on. Those two schools mean something to SJSU, SDSU, Fresno, Nevada, etc.

Get past the Great Plains....

Washington State is where Mike Leach was and the flag is at Game Day.

Oregon State is uh that other Oregon school.

[Arkstfan]

27 minutes ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

USF is not good. However, they are allegedly building a 300M on-campus stadium and that will be a game changer for them. Meanwhile, we're trying to scrape cushion change together (relatively speaking) to expand our AC we've been talking about doing for 4-5-6-7 years.  

USF is unreliable. Leavitt nearly ended up at AState when we hired Steve Roberts. His old AD was our AD and he was ready to go because USF hadn't kept any of their promises about training facilities, upgrading practice fields, and addressing the stadium. They gave him new agreement that set a deadline for the field house construction.

[Arkstfan]

21 minutes ago, greenminer said:

That whole stadium deal at USF is unprecedented: they are BORROWING 200 million to make it happen.

https://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/university-beat/2023-06-13/usf-board-of-trustees-approve-340-million-funding-for-tampa-campus-football-stadium

Go look up how much Cal borrowed for their stadium.

[greenminer]

2 hours ago, Arkstfan said:

Go look up how much Cal borrowed for their stadium.

Okay, cool there is precedent.

didn't I just read the other day how much trouble Cal is in financially? Are they going to be fine now since they were accepted into the ACC?

[NT93]

I feel like UNT basically stood pat during all of this realignment.  I don’t want to downplay the AAC losing SMU, but I don’t think it’s a huge loss.  I admit that I assumed the AAC would add the two remaining PAC schools, but I don’t necessarily disagree with the decision from a geographic standpoint.  You can make guesses as to what will happen in the future, but as it stands today, I think we are in about the same position we were in before all of this started.  I posted in a few threads that I was very concerned about ending up in CUSA 2.0, so I’m pretty satisfied with the outcome…so far.

 

 

 

[NT80]

14 minutes ago, NT93 said:

I feel like UNT basically stood pat during all of this realignment.  I don’t want to downplay the AAC losing SMU, but I don’t think it’s a huge loss.  I admit that I assumed the AAC would add the two remaining PAC schools, but I don’t necessarily disagree with the decision from a geographic standpoint.  You can make guesses as to what will happen in the future, but as it stands today, I think we are in about the same position we were in before all of this started.  I posted in a few threads that I was very concerned about ending up in CUSA 2.0, so I’m pretty satisfied with the outcome…so far.

 

 

 

I look forward to Smut failing immensely in the ACC next year.   

Beyond them leaving, if OSU and WSU join the MWC, then for sure the AAC needs a counter "quality" expansion.  Army would suffice for now, a good fit with Navy.  Perhaps when the MWC exit fees expire in a couple years we could work on gaining Air Force and Colorado St also.  Slowly chip away at the MWC's Eastern flank!

[El Paso Eagle]

2 hours ago, greenminer said:

Okay, cool there is precedent.

didn't I just read the other day how much trouble Cal is in financially? Are they going to be fine now since they were accepted into the ACC?

I believe someone had posted that Cal is the most in-debt program in College Football.
 

[El Paso Eagle]

I wish this would end, if only until next offseason. Think that as the last two standing they are trying to work on a plan to keep the future Pac revenues. Seems like for it to work, the other teams would have to join the Pac, not just have a merger.

 

 

[97and03]

The only thing that makes sense is a PAC-MWC merger to keep the PAC name and entitlements. 

[NT80]

8 hours ago, El Paso Eagle said:

I wish this would end, if only until next offseason. Think that as the last two standing they are trying to work on a plan to keep the future Pac revenues. Seems like for it to work, the other teams would have to join the Pac, not just have a merger.

 

 

OSU and WSU still want the money grab, plus keep the PAC name.   They won't get MWC defectors for 2024 at $34M each.  

[Green Otaku]

I saw this tweet and didn't think too much of it.

Until I saw this article.

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/aztecs/story/2023-09-01/san-diego-state-sdsu-aztecs-mountain-west-conference-realignment-acc-stanford-cal-smu-merger-pac-12

 

I'd suggest reading the whole thing, but the meat of the article is: 

Quote

 

Mountain West bylaws require nine of 12 votes to dissolve the conference and eliminate exit fees. But even nine might too many for Oregon State and Washington State, which, sources said, prefer only the top half of the Mountain West: SDSU, Boise State, Colorado State, Air Force, UNLV and Fresno State.

 

So we can guess that there must be other things going on we don't know about. The PAC 2 was likely trying to get the top half of the AAC, and if I had to guess they wanted Memphis, Tulane, USF, ECU, and 2 others. Maybe we sneak in with the others, but Aresco might have done us all a real solid by refusing to split up the conference. 

[NT80]

16 minutes ago, Green Otaku said:

I saw this tweet and didn't think too much of it.

Until I saw this article.

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/aztecs/story/2023-09-01/san-diego-state-sdsu-aztecs-mountain-west-conference-realignment-acc-stanford-cal-smu-merger-pac-12

 

I'd suggest reading the whole thing, but the meat of the article is: 

So we can guess that there must be other things going on we don't know about. The PAC 2 was likely trying to get the top half of the AAC, and if I had to guess they wanted Memphis, Tulane, USF, ECU, and 2 others. Maybe we sneak in with the others, but Aresco might have done us all a real solid by refusing to split up the conference. 

This could get interesting if there is a fight over top MWC schools staying or going under the new Pac label.  Lots of MWC school's boosters (like Smut) will want the P5 patch on the uniform.   

They might even try for some AAC markets.   Could be some leftover MWC homeless after this for the AAC to pickup.  Do we have any interest in New Mexico or Wyoming?

More to watch in the next month....

[Salsa_Verde]

On 9/1/2023 at 5:29 PM, C Rod said:

Shit. Welp, this sucks. Do we backfill with Army or stand pat at 13?

I say let's scoop up Army and the annual Army/Navy game becomes a yearly 3 hour advertisement for the AAC. 

That’s if you can convince them to join. I think Army is a much better brand than SMU nationally. 

[C Rod]

53 minutes ago, Salsa_Verde said:

That’s if you can convince them to join. I think Army is a much better brand than SMU nationally. 

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/38312054/sources-aac-targets-army-join-conference-football
 

Talks are being had and details are being worked through…

[greenminer]

17 hours ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

Whatever. They're getting it built and it's going to be on their campus. 

I know it's of no interest to the get-it-done-no-matter-what crowd, but I've seen lenders/banks with predatory tactics.  If there is a situation - with Cal, USF, whatever - where they might have borrowed to the point where it is detrimental to the future of the program, I'm interested in talking about it.

[keith]

We compete individually as institutions, but conferences also compete against each other.  You compete by strengthening yourself and other times it may be by weakening your opponent.  

I caught some of the Oregon State/San Jose State game and they had MWC Commissioner Gloria Navarez in the booth and took the opportunity to ask her about the world of realignment and her recent meeting with OSU and WSU.  She was, of course, all politically correct and coy in her responses, but had a big Cheshire cat smile on her face the whole time.  Probably means nothing, but could mean something.  Obviously nothing substantive came out of the interview.

[NT80]

38 minutes ago, keith said:

I caught some of the Oregon State/San Jose State game and they had MWC Commissioner Gloria Navarez in the booth and took the opportunity to ask her about the world of realignment and her recent meeting with OSU and WSU.  She was, of course, all politically correct and coy in her responses, but had a big Cheshire cat smile on her face the whole time.  Probably means nothing, but could mean something.  Obviously nothing substantive came out of the interview.

I saw the end of her interview during the OSU game.  She was also at the Wash St @ Colo St game Saturday night.  I think she is still trying to sell both of them on her proposal...probably merging into the MWC. 

WSU/OSU probably need time to determine PAC assets first, keep Pac brand?, and not leave anything on the table for the defectors.

[NT93]

Regarding Aresco doing what was best for everyone he represents.  
What a sad statement that this is “a rare thing today.”

[Arkstfan]

On 9/1/2023 at 9:45 PM, greenminer said:

Okay, cool there is precedent.

didn't I just read the other day how much trouble Cal is in financially? Are they going to be fine now since they were accepted into the ACC?

If I remember the numbers right they currently spend $17 million on debt service with the school paying like $9.5 million and athletics $8.5 million with that doubling in about a decade.

They will survive 

[Green Otaku]

They also have a $6.9 billion endowment. I think they'll be ok.

[NT80]

9 hours ago, Green Otaku said:

They also have a $6.9 billion endowment. I think they'll be ok.

Cal will also be getting "divorce" revenue $$ from UCLA each year their Board ruled.

[Green Otaku]

8 hours ago, NT80 said:

Cal will also be getting "divorce" revenue $$ from UCLA each year their Board ruled.

I still can't believe that passed. 😂