Who should the AAC add?

[MeanGreenMat]

Should the AAC add anyone? Should we expand the footprint or fill in the gaps? What criteria should we look at- large market size, existing commitment, athletic master plans, sports played, student demographics, academics?

Personally, I like a 12 team football schedule. Basketball is a little funky. I wonder what the opinion is from the other sports.

I would like love to add a Georgia school so I can attend a game, but I don’t see anyone worth adding unless GaTech wants to party.

I feel like, after adding Army, it’s almost a given to pursue Air Force. Create a system around the service academies just sounds cool. If we dropped a school

[Tommy Gadberry]

1 hour ago, MeanGreenMat said:

Should the AAC add anyone? Should we expand the footprint or fill in the gaps? What criteria should we look at- large market size, existing commitment, athletic master plans, sports played, student demographics, academics?

Personally, I like a 12 team football schedule. Basketball is a little funky. I wonder what the opinion is from the other sports.

I would like love to add a Georgia school so I can attend a game, but I don’t see anyone worth adding unless GaTech wants to party.

I feel like, after adding Army, it’s almost a given to pursue Air Force. Create a system around the service academies just sounds cool. If we dropped a school

I’d be cool with Air Force and possibly Liberty or Texas State.

[Matt from A700]

I feel the best-case scenario for the AAC is if the ACC keeps it together and doesn't need to backfill. If the American survives long enough, maybe any of OSU/Wazzou's hopes of rebuilding the Pac-12 dies and there is more motivation for them and the best MWC schools to merge and become a "best of the rest" superleague kinda like the Big XII is aspiring to be with the Power 3/4.

A 24-team, truly "American", coast-to-coast Athletic Conference could look like:

AAC West
Air Force
Boise State
Colorado State
Fresno State
Oregon State
SDSU
UNLV
Washington State

AAC Central
Memphis
New Mexico
North Texas
Rice
Tulane
Tulsa
UAB
UTSA

AAC East
Army
Charlotte
East Carolina
FAU
Liberty
Navy
South Florida
Temple

If this were to happen, the MWC would be left with Nevada, SJSU, Utah State, and Wyoming. Perhaps, Hawai'i rejoins as a full member, then you could backfill with the FCS powerhouses: South Dakota, SDSU, North Dakota, NDSU, Montana, Montana State, and Idaho.

I didn't take away any teams from the American since that's who would absorb the leftovers in this hypothetical, but I wouldn't mind relegating Tulsa and/or Rice back to CUSA in exchange for a couple more programs in the MWC that care more about athletics, or even UTEP.

At one point, I entertained adding some A-10 programs as non-football members to get mainly our basketball member count up to 16 or 18, but I think now I'd prefer to only pursue programs who will be full members. Adding several non-football members like Dayton, VCU, Richmond, etc. I think would only add to the randomness of the conference. Us and the other CUSA refugees have big markets to our advantage, but I think going forward the name/brand, and the quality of the teams, and number of fans is more important.

[DeepGreen]

1 hour ago, Tommy Gadberry said:

I’d be cool with Air Force and possibly Liberty or Texas State.

Yes to adding Air Force.  Screw Liberty and Texas State.

[greenminer]

I would swap Texas State for UTSA.  I would not object to Air Force.

[NT80]

22 hours ago, DeepGreen said:

Yes to adding Air Force.  Screw Liberty and Texas State.

Agree!

[wardly]

13 hours ago, NT80 said:

Agree!

Harder to back fill with 1AA programs as cost for then to move up is now $5 million, not $50,000. The PAC 2 is going to make a move prior to the 2026 season by either rebuilding the PAC 12, joining another conference, or rebuilding. I don't see a sense of urgency to add programs and think that we should watch and wait and see what happens to the MWC and ACC. I don't see the ACC falling apart anytime soon and even if the MWC gets cherry picked by the PAC 2 losing 6 programs the remaining 6 can add NMST and UTEP . Just an old man's opinion.

[NT80]

10 hours ago, wardly said:

Harder to back fill with 1AA programs as cost for then to move up is now $5 million, not $50,000. The PAC 2 is going to make a move prior to the 2026 season by either rebuilding the PAC 12, joining another conference, or rebuilding. I don't see a sense of urgency to add programs and think that we should watch and wait and see what happens to the MWC and ACC. I don't see the ACC falling apart anytime soon and even if the MWC gets cherry picked by the PAC 2 losing 6 programs the remaining 6 can add NMST and UTEP . Just an old man's opinion.

The PAC2 will delay as long as possible and only join the MWC (G5) if no other option is available.   They would prefer to raid the MWC and rebuild the PAC but that could involve hefty paid incentives to cover exit fees to lure teams out of the MWC. 

The WSU Prez said they prefer a smaller 8-team conference.  They have a self-imposed deadline of making a decision by Feb 2025.  That would give time to negotiate adding teams and a media deal if they choose to rebuild the PAC in time for the 2026 season.

[wardly]

16 hours ago, NT80 said:

The PAC2 will delay as long as possible and only join the MWC (G5) if no other option is available.   They would prefer to raid the MWC and rebuild the PAC but that could involve hefty paid incentives to cover exit fees to lure teams out of the MWC. 

The WSU Prez said they prefer a smaller 8-team conference.  They have a self-imposed deadline of making a decision by Feb 2025.  That would give time to negotiate adding teams and a media deal if they choose to rebuild the PAC in time for the 2026 season.

Agreed.