Realignment thoughts considering basketball

Matt from A700 · September 20

Disclosure: I know it's hard to find any information on Twitter right now that isn't just pure speculation. But admittedly, speculating is fun.

I have long been in the boat to move to a rebuilt Pac-12 as long as there were enough teams to have several travel partners this far east.

But there's been some rumblings that we aren't pursuing moving conferences again. I assume our exit fee may not be paid for, but also rising travel costs are being considered. The strong rumors now are Memphis, Tulane, and a combination of UTSA/UNLV/USF.

While losing our next biggest rival after SMU, leaving Rice as our next closest regional rivalry, would suck, there should also be considerations about basketball taken into account for how the AAC can keep up.

If the PAC gets at least Memphis and Tulane, I assume UNLV (and there's even talks of Gonzaga/St. Mary's for basketball), the AAC needs to not only go after Air Force, but work on doing its part in annihilating the MWC. We need to go after Nevada, Utah State, and New Mexico - three NCAAT teams in 2024. (If you really want to irk some Mempiss fans on Twitter, you could even argue these moves would replace the "dead weight" in basketball.)

We are in our greatest period of sustained success in men's basketball and we need to reward our coaches and players - we should be in a conference where 22/23 regular season + conference tourney wins gets us into the NCAAT even if we don't win the conference tournament.

UNTFan23 · September 20

I don't see how USF would think of moving to a heavily west coast based conference. You will inevitably have late game starts in all sports, especially on weekdays. This will be especially true for the main three sports, FB, MBB, & WBB. A 7pm PT start time translates to an 11 pm start in the eastern time zone. The PAC can promise to try to accommodate USF all it wants but for some sports (namely both basketball sports) such a late start is a high probability for weekdays.

Wag Tag · September 21

20 hours ago, UNTFan23 said:

I don't see how USF would think of moving to a heavily west coast based conference. You will inevitably have late game starts in all sports, especially on weekdays. This will be especially true for the main three sports, FB, MBB, & WBB. A 7pm PT start time translates to an 11 pm start in the eastern time zone. The PAC can promise to try to accommodate USF all it wants but for some sports (namely both basketball sports) such a late start is a high probability for weekdays.

You wonder how 3 time zones impact the players ?

MrAlien · September 24

The PAC is starting to look like it will be a very strong basketball conference, could be a 5-6 bid conference. From a basketball perspective I think UNT would benefit, right now the AAC is a 2 bid conference at best.

Jonnyeagle · September 24

1 minute ago, MrAlien said:

The PAC is starting to look like it will be a very strong basketball conference, could be a 5-6 bid conference. From a basketball perspective I think UNT would benefit, right now the AAC is a 2 bid conference at best.

Let em have it. I love basketball but it does not move the needle like football does. AAC is much better in football overall and better in time zones. They have just split up the Mountain West if you ask me. I think of it as a sugar high conference, meaning they have all this money at their disposal from the exit fees but it is artificial in that they will not command a commensurable TV contract so the high will drop off.

MrAlien · September 24

1 hour ago, Jonnyeagle said:

Let em have it. I love basketball but it does not move the needle like football does. AAC is much better in football overall and better in time zones. They have just split up the Mountain West if you ask me. I think of it as a sugar high conference, meaning they have all this money at their disposal from the exit fees but it is artificial in that they will not command a commensurable TV contract so the high will drop off.

Would you rather be in a G5 football conference or a high major basketball conference?

AAC might be a better football conference for now, but its only 8 games a year, and it will not ever hang with the Power 4 conferences. Plus you could always schedule out of conference games with good programs.

The PAC is looking like it will be a High Major basketball conference, and every conference game would be a high profile game. Granted it would be in the pacific and mountain time slots, but there would be no other conference that could compete for ratings in those time slots.

EAGLE83 · September 24

The pac needs 1 more basketball 2 more softball 1 more soccer.the MWC 2more Basketball 2 more volleyball 2 more soccer 4 more softball to qualify for NCAA

ColoradoEagle · September 24

7 hours ago, MrAlien said:

The PAC is starting to look like it will be a very strong basketball conference, could be a 5-6 bid conference. From a basketball perspective I think UNT would benefit, right now the AAC is a 2 bid conference at best.

Maybe. The top 5 programs in the new Pac have NET rankings of 44 or better. Top 5 in the AAC have 104 or better. But if you compare the average ranking of the top 7 in each conference, it's 80 vs. 90, so not that much difference.

What really kills the AAC is the bottom half of the conference is 00's Sun Belt level bad. To top it off, we as a conference schedule such a breezy OOC schedule most years that there's just nowhere to go but down once conference play starts. Not sure what the rest of the conference is doing this year, but we're definitely doing our part to drag down that average with scheduling.

Edited September 24 by ColoradoEagle

GrandGreen · October 1

Anyone ancient enough to remember the Big West, knows this is not a good option. Super high travel, late night games, and conference and games against Western teams that few NT fans cared about.

This alignment may not be bad for football and basketball; but a horrible option for olympic sports.

Of course, if a PAC can get a number of close teams to Denton; than it would be more appealing.

PAC was considered a P5, I doubt there is any change that could happen with the reconstituted league were the PAC remains a top tier member.

The current AAC is the best conference that NT has ever been a part of considering the members and footprint.

Edited October 1 by GrandGreen

NT80 · October 1

56 minutes ago, GrandGreen said:

The current AAC is the best conference that NT has ever been a part of considering the members and footprint.

The old MVC had some quality members with us: Louisville, Memphis, Cincy, Tulsa, Wichita St, Houston.

GrandGreen · October 1

21 minutes ago, NT80 said:

The old MVC had some quality members with us: Louisville, Memphis, Cincy, Tulsa, Wichita St, Houston.

That footprint for a while was 8 teams in 8 different states, not exactly compact.

This no doubt was the best bb conference, NT has been part of; but most of the schools in that time were far from football elite.

NT80 · October 1

14 minutes ago, GrandGreen said:

That footprint for a while was 8 teams in 8 different states, not exactly compact.

This no doubt was the best bb conference, NT has been part of; but most of the schools in that time were far from football elite.

It was more compact then the AAC is. I would also call AAC football today far from elite. Can be good at the top, but not SEC or Big10 good/elite. I like our conference, but it is also a little too spread out, and some of the dead weight is the same each season (Rice, Charlotte). If we lose Memphis, USF, Tulane, Army, Navy we're basically back to CUSA 2.0.

GrandGreen · October 1

13 minutes ago, NT80 said:

It was more compact then the AAC is. I would also call AAC football today far from elite. Can be good at the top, but not SEC or Big10 good/elite. I like our conference, but it is also a little too spread out, and some of the dead weight is the same each season (Rice, Charlotte). If we lose Memphis, USF, Tulane, Army, Navy we're basically back to CUSA 2.0.

Who called the AAC an elite conference? Calling the old MVC; when NT was a member, not elite is not stating or implying that any other league is elite. Currently, there is only one elite conference, the SEC. The B12, B10 and ACC would be substantially lower level.

What conference would not be worse if they lost 5 of their best programs?

NT80 · October 2

21 hours ago, GrandGreen said:

Who called the AAC an elite conference? Calling the old MVC; when NT was a member, not elite is not stating or implying that any other league is elite. Currently, there is only one elite conference, the SEC. The B12, B10 and ACC would be substantially lower level.

What conference would not be worse if they lost 5 of their best programs?

I was basing off what you said. You said the teams in the MVC with NT "were far from football elite".

For comparison I said "I would also call AAC football today far from elite."

MrAlien · October 3

The topic was basketball...

When Houston left the AAC the conference lost a lot of clout, and now most people view the AAC as a 1 bid conference. Currently the MWC is a better basketball conference having at least 4 bids the last couple seasons. Now those schools are joining the PAC along with Gonzaga, possibly St. Mary's, and even Memphis is having talks to join again. So the PAC could be a very strong conference.

The MWC will still be a decent BB conference, and could probably add GCU, and I am sure whom ever else makes the move to the MWC could see a boost in recruiting. So I could see them being a 2-3 bid conference.

This could leave the AAC in a bad position if Memphis leaves, a single bid conference, and less attractive for recruiting.

UNTLifer · October 3

I’m sorry, but what is Memphis bringing to the table other than reputation, that they haven’t lived up to, and fans that think they should be listed with the KU’s and Dukes of the world?

MrAlien · October 3

15 hours ago, UNTLifer said:

I’m sorry, but what is Memphis bringing to the table other than reputation, that they haven’t lived up to, and fans that think they should be listed with the KU’s and Dukes of the world?

I am not putting them with the Blue Bloods of college basketball, however their games are well attended, and when it comes to national media attention they are the most recognizable basketball program in the current AAC.

It is also worth mentioning that the bottom few teams in the conference have terrible programs, and that does drag the league down.

greenminer · October 3

Their reputation affords them pretty good crowds and the support of the city.

Watch all of that continue to crumble unless they get their shit together. It can't hold up forever.

Edited October 3 by greenminer

NT80 · October 4

7 hours ago, MrAlien said:

I am not putting them with the Blue Bloods of college basketball, however their games are well attended, and when it comes to national media attention they are the most recognizable basketball program in the current AAC.

It is also worth mentioning that the bottom few teams in the conference have terrible programs, and that does drag the league down.

Not all because of positive news either....