Should we add Texas State to the AAC?

[GMG_Dallas]

And before we bring up baseball as a needed sport for the PAC, Boise State doesn't have baseball. They tried to bring it back after 30 years but Covid stopped that first season back and they killed it again shortly after. 

[greenminer]

21 minutes ago, GMG_Dallas said:

Geography is great but you're not going to find an FBS conference with only Texas/Oklahoma/Louisiana schools worth a damn. Media partners want footprint and time zones. Need to find the next best situation. 

The ideal situation would be to join the PAC with at least another Texas school (to aid with travel), Memphis, and/or Tulane. We'd be exchanging the weaker east coast schools with the stronger west coast schools. If you wouldn't trade Charlotte, Temple, FAU, and UAB for Washington State, Oregon State, Boise State, SDSU, Fresno State, and Colorado State, you need to reevaluate priorities. I like USF, Navy, Army, and ECU but they're not necessarily better than any of the top new PAC brands either. No brainer to me if the money is even close. Especially if you factor in basketball.

I'm not on board with schools further west than El Paso, for the same reason I don't like that we are living with schools on the east coast.  I do agree about your either/or scenario: I would swap them out if I had the option.  But my preference: you can do a straight shot north from El Paso and include those CO, NM, and WY schools.  But Nevada, CA, Washington?  Too far, just like the the east coast schools we currently live with.

Can you explain what you mean by "footprint" to media partners? You mean, they want a large geographic representation?  How does footprint and time zones translate to more viewership which, I assume, is their top priority.

Here's a hypothetical.  Any thoughts?

Air Force
UNM
Wyoming
UTEP or UTSA
SHSU
Memphis
UNT
TxState
Tulane
UAB
Louisiana
Tulsa

Non-Football
Wichita State
maybe we go to Grand Canyon U.
 

Edited 3 hours ago by greenminer

[greenminer]

19 minutes ago, GMG_Dallas said:

We do not. I thought baseball was a major hole in our program until somebody mentioned SMU hasn't has baseball since the 80s. I had no rebuttal and stopped crying about it since then.

Good perspective here.  Not a business priority but, just in terms of fun it would be great to have.   We'd probably be incredibly competitive right out of the gates.

[greenminer]

22 minutes ago, HouCat said:

152 after our win over Troy last night. We need to get back to where we were but that'd still be in the top half of the AAC.

Do you guys even have a baseball team? Serious question.

I'm guessing that @ColoradoEagle means above and beyond that 152 number.   A program that would compete for NCAA bids while in the American.

Be very picky, demanding for this invite or don't invite at all.

[NT80]

38 minutes ago, GMG_Dallas said:

And before we bring up baseball as a needed sport for the PAC, Boise State doesn't have baseball. They tried to bring it back after 30 years but Covid stopped that first season back and they killed it again shortly after. 

I wouldn't consider Idaho a prime baseball state.  Texas however, is.  

I think we are one of only two schools in the AAC without Baseball.  Embarrassing!

Edited 2 hours ago by NT80

[GMG_Dallas]

27 minutes ago, greenminer said:

I'm not on board with schools further west than El Paso, for the same reason I don't like that we are living with schools on the east coast.  I do agree about your either/or scenario: I would swap them out if I had the option.  But my preference: you can do a straight shot north from El Paso and include those CO, NM, and WY schools.  But Nevada, CA, Washington?  Too far, just like the the east coast schools we currently live with.

Can you explain what you mean by "footprint" to media partners? You mean, they want a large geographic representation?  How does footprint and time zones translate to more viewership which, I assume, is their top priority.

Here's a hypothetical.  Any thoughts?

Air Force
UNM
Wyoming
UTEP or UTSA
SHSU
Memphis
UNT
TxState
Tulane
UAB
Louisiana
Tulsa

Non-Football
Wichita State
maybe we go to Grand Canyon U.
 

Thoughts? That's a horrible conference. I guarantee you Tulane and Memphis would want no part in that. Neither should we. You really can't be serious with that pool of members.

[GMG_Dallas]

28 minutes ago, greenminer said:

Good perspective here.  Not a business priority but, just in terms of fun it would be great to have.   We'd probably be incredibly competitive right out of the gates.

 

10 minutes ago, NT80 said:

I wouldn't consider Idaho a prime baseball state.  Texas however, is.  

I think we are one of only two schools in the AAC without Baseball.  Embarrassing!

I love baseball and I'd love a team but it hasn't been handicapped other schools, including one just 30 miles south of us, from jumping to bigger/better conferences. If it hasn't stopped them, it shouldn't stop us. If it doesn't help us, it shouldn't be a priority. 

[HouCat]

13 minutes ago, greenminer said:

I'm guessing that @ColoradoEagle means above and beyond that 152 number.   A program that would compete for NCAA bids while in the American.

Be very picky, demanding for this invite or don't invite at all.

Wouldn't that be nice...unfortunately what matters most is what the media partners want and not us fans. 

Interestingly enough, we played UNT in the 2022 NIT and ending up losing in OT. I believe ya'll went on to to lose to Virginia in the 2nd round.

[MrAlien]

45 minutes ago, greenminer said:

I'm not on board with schools further west than El Paso, for the same reason I don't like that we are living with schools on the east coast.  I do agree about your either/or scenario: I would swap them out if I had the option.  But my preference: you can do a straight shot north from El Paso and include those CO, NM, and WY schools.  But Nevada, CA, Washington?  Too far, just like the the east coast schools we currently live with.

Can you explain what you mean by "footprint" to media partners? You mean, they want a large geographic representation?  How does footprint and time zones translate to more viewership which, I assume, is their top priority.

Here's a hypothetical.  Any thoughts?

Air Force
UNM
Wyoming
UTEP or UTSA
SHSU
Memphis
UNT
TxState
Tulane
UAB
Louisiana
Tulsa

Non-Football
Wichita State
maybe we go to Grand Canyon U.
 

The MWC schools are locked into their conference, I dont see a way to merge with any of them.  Tulane is one of those schools that is probably more interested in what happens with the ACC.  Memphis is thinking basketball first, that conference wouldnt do it for them. 

 

[GMG_Dallas]

31 minutes ago, HouCat said:

Wouldn't that be nice...unfortunately what matters most is what the media partners want and not us fans. 

Interestingly enough, we played UNT in the 2022 NIT and ending up losing in OT. I believe ya'll went on to to lose to Virginia in the 2nd round.

And you followed that up with back-to-back losing seasons and are a hair above .500 this season. We followed it up with a 31 win season, a 19 win season, and are well on the way to another winning season.

I respect what y'alls football program has accomplished recently but your basketball program has been sputtering in neutral. Much like our football program. I wouldn't call your basketball a strength right now.

[NT80]

1 hour ago, GMG_Dallas said:

 

I love baseball and I'd love a team but it hasn't been handicapped other schools, including one just 30 miles south of us, from jumping to bigger/better conferences. If it hasn't stopped them, it shouldn't stop us. If it doesn't help us, it shouldn't be a priority. 

Baseball would be more than another sport.  It is a spectator/revenue sport, unlike track, tennis, swimming and golf. 

We need something in the spring, more than softball, to engage fans back to campus.   Fans are becoming more detached from actually attending sporting events at the school = less interest = less donations.   

If we're not going to market better for football and basketball at least have another sport in spring to lure fans to come back.

[GMG_Dallas]

21 minutes ago, NT80 said:

Baseball would be more than another sport.  It is a spectator/revenue sport, unlike track, tennis, swimming and golf. 

We need something in the spring, more than softball, to engage fans back to campus.   Fans are becoming more detached from actually attending sporting events at the school = less interest = less donations.   

If we're not going to market better for football and basketball at least have another sport in spring to lure fans to come back.

I personally agree with you, I just haven't found the evidence to support our opinion. I think the spring is a huge missed opportunity, especially since football and basketball seasons are over. Whether baseball is truly a difference maker is a different story though.

[HouCat]

34 minutes ago, GMG_Dallas said:

And you followed that up with back-to-back losing seasons and are a hair above .500 this season. We followed it up with a 31 win season, a 19 win season, and are well on the way to another winning season.

I respect what y'alls football program has accomplished recently but your basketball program has been sputtering in neutral. Much like our football program. I wouldn't call your basketball a strength right now.

Yep, we had a coaching change due to some "wokeness" and have sputtered from there.

Believe me, I'm not bragging on our BB right now. Just pointing out we'd be middle of the AAC even on a down year.

[Jonnyeagle]

4 minutes ago, HouCat said:

Yep, we had a coaching change due to some "wokeness" and have sputtered from there.

Believe me, I'm not bragging on our BB right now. Just pointing out we'd be middle of the AAC even on a down year.

Appreciate your honesty.

[GMG_Dallas]

34 minutes ago, HouCat said:

Yep, we had a coaching change due to some "wokeness" and have sputtered from there.

Believe me, I'm not bragging on our BB right now. Just pointing out we'd be middle of the AAC even on a down year.

The bottom of the AAC is dragging as it pertains to the two big revenue sports. Like I said earlier in the thread, I'd take y'all over quite a few programs out east.

If you really want to know my reasonable choice right now, it'd be for UNT, Memphis, Tulane, and Texas State to join the new PAC. Save for Tulane, those 3 schools fit the profile of the new PAC schools. I think top to bottom the new PAC has better brands and better programs. The AAC has a couple intriguing programs out east but overall I think the move is a step up with little to no sacrifice geographically if we have travel partners.

Edited 20 minutes ago by GMG_Dallas