South Florida (2/23/25)

NT80 · February 24

1 hour ago, GMG_Dallas said:

You can deny all you want and cry about media deals until you run out of tears but that is a 4 bid conference which means half the teams would be getting in the tournament. Add in a #59 North Texas and almost every road game is a Quad 1 game, something we're severely lacking in the AAC.

Regarding playing on ESPN2, that's not a criteria set forth by the committee so I really don't care what channel we're on. Currently, many Mountain West games are broadcast for free on their phone app yet they're set for another 3-4 bids this year.

You need a snickers bar.

I'm not denying anything about the PAC. In fact, I like the idea of going to the PAC, especially if UTSA and Texas State ARE ALONG....and only if it's going to be the Top G5 sports conference.

But the fact is we're not giving up a near future $8-10mil in the AAC to go to $7-8mil in the PAC with more travel expenses and no ESPN coverage. I'm saying let's compare media revenue and format apples to apples...step one.

Being on National Media right now is not about trying to get a NCAA bid this season. It's about building our Brand so more people know who we are and what we're doing = more value to advertisers and fans. ESPN is said to be out of the PAC bidding. ESPN gets more National viewers (think bars and restaurants) than any Apple TV+, etc. streaming service will.

NorthTexasWeLove · February 24

4 minutes ago, NT80 said:

You need a snickers bar.

I'm not denying anything about the PAC. In fact, I like the idea of going to the PAC, especially if UTSA and Texas State ARE ALONG....and only if it's going to be the Top G5 sports conference.

But the fact is we're not giving up a near future $8-10mil in the AAC to go to $7-8mil in the PAC with more travel expenses and no ESPN coverage. I'm saying let's compare media revenue and format apples to apples...step one.

Being on National Media right now is not about trying to get a NCAA bid this season. It's about building our Brand so more people know who we are and what we're doing = more value to advertisers and fans. ESPN is said to be out of the PAC bidding. ESPN gets more National viewers (think bars and restaurants) than any Apple TV+, etc. streaming service will.

I understanding your side of the argument. But I also understand that great outcomes require great risk. Does Jarrod understand this? Does our new Prez understand this? Do our BOR understand? I hope..

BigWillie · February 24

24 minutes ago, NT80 said:

You need a snickers bar.

I'm not denying anything about the PAC. In fact, I like the idea of going to the PAC, especially if UTSA and Texas State ARE ALONG....and only if it's going to be the Top G5 sports conference.

But the fact is we're not giving up a near future $8-10mil in the AAC to go to $7-8mil in the PAC with more travel expenses and no ESPN coverage. I'm saying let's compare media revenue and format apples to apples...step one.

Being on National Media right now is not about trying to get a NCAA bid this season. It's about building our Brand so more people know who we are and what we're doing = more value to advertisers and fans. ESPN is said to be out of the PAC bidding. ESPN gets more National viewers (think bars and restaurants) than any Apple TV+, etc. streaming service will.

One thing to keep in mind is that the American contract with ESPN is coming up in a few years, and if the American keeps trending this way, ESPN will take their ball and go home and the American will be left with what the PAC is dealing with now.

I think there's something to be said for striking at the right time to look at the longer term.

untjim1995 · February 24

8 minutes ago, BigWillie said:

One thing to keep in mind is that the American contract with ESPN is coming up in a few years, and if the American keeps trending this way, ESPN will take their ball and go home and the American will be left with what the PAC is dealing with now.

I think there's something to be said for striking at the right time to look at the longer term.

We would be smart to get Memphis, UTSA, Texas State, and Wichita State to join us and go to the PAC. It would be great for that league, too. If you had Gonzaga, USF, St. Mary's and Wichita State for hoops, plus us, TX State, UTSA, Memphis, SDSU, Colorado State, Fresno State, Boise State, Oregon State, and Washington State, you get 8 conference games in football, you get 12 conference opponents for hoops. It would blow away playing FAU, Temple, Charlotte, etc...

MCMLXXX · February 24

7 hours ago, untjim1995 said:

This league has forever been a league to get 2 or more teams in the NCAA Tournament. Forever. And now we finally get in and have a good season and it’s like we are in the Southland, Sun Belt, or CUSA all over again.

We were in the AAC last year and the league qualified 2 teams (UAB and FAU). Unfortunately, last year neither team advanced beyond the first round. No matter what happens this year we are in far better shape than the Southland, Sun Belt, or CUSA.

Edited February 24 by MCMLXXX

Shark84 · February 24

19 hours ago, akriesman said:

That UTSA loss has to haunt the team. Losing a close game at Memphis and at UAB is nothing to be ashamed about.

20-6 is a terrific record and I think we are all proud of that. However, losing to UTSA at home really stings and badly hurt the NET. Win that game and NT is 21-5 and 12-2 (same record as Memphis in both cases)

The UTSA loss isn't going to be the reason we don't get an invite to the NCAA tournament. We would have had to beat Memphis and probably McNeese to even be in the conversation. The AAC doesn't provide enough Quad 1 games for us to be higher ranked. As always, we have to win the conference tournament to get to the Big Dance. If we don't, we will definitely get an invite to the NIT or the new FOX post season tournament. I don't know if one is any better than the other. I'm just hope we get another shot at Memphis in Ft. Worth!

NT80 · February 24

1 hour ago, untjim1995 said:

We would be smart to get Memphis, UTSA, Texas State, and Wichita State to join us and go to the PAC. It would be great for that league, too. If you had Gonzaga, USF, St. Mary's and Wichita State for hoops, plus us, TX State, UTSA, Memphis, SDSU, Colorado State, Fresno State, Boise State, Oregon State, and Washington State, you get 8 conference games in football, you get 12 conference opponents for hoops. It would blow away playing FAU, Temple, Charlotte, etc...

Sure, where do we sign?

But this would take some PAC $ to help with our AAC buyout fees. Right now their $ are tied up in court with the MWC over poaching fees.

Once that is settled, along with a media revenue commitment, then new invites will come. I know they want 9 football members, not sure about more?

NT80 · February 24

2 hours ago, NorthTexasWeLove said:

I understanding your side of the argument. But I also understand that great outcomes require great risk. Does Jarrod understand this? Does our new Prez understand this? Do our BOR understand? I hope..

Good luck finding out what the AD wants.
Has anyone seen the new Prez at a game? Does he like sports?

Censored by Laurie · February 24

5 minutes ago, Shark84 said:

The UTSA loss isn't going to be the reason we don't get an invite to the NCAA tournament. We would have had to beat Memphis and probably McNeese to even be in the conversation. The AAC doesn't provide enough Quad 1 games for us to be higher ranked. As always, we have to win the conference tournament to get to the Big Dance. If we don't, we will definitely get an invite to the NIT or the new FOX post season tournament. I don't know if one is any better than the other. I'm just hope we get another shot at Memphis in Ft. Worth!

the bold part is just flat wrong. this team was squarely on the bubble still heading into the UTSA game...still just on the outside looking in, but very much legitimately in the conversation.

untjim1995 · February 24

1 hour ago, MCMLXXX said:

We were in the AAC last year and the league qualified 2 teams (UAB and FAU). Unfortunately, last year neither team advanced beyond the first round. No matter what happens this year we are in far better shape than the Southland, Sun Belt, or CUSA.

Actually, it was USF and FAU.

It's just the typical UNT luck to finally be in a league that traditionally has been able to send multiple schools to the Dance, then have a very good team, but see only Memphis have a squad that is worthy of the Dance and nobody else, so we get left out, unless we win the conference tournament.

I'd love to think we could pack Dickies Arena and create a big home court advantage, since nobody else in the conference is located within 4 hours of that building, while we have hundreds of thousands of students, alumni, faculty, etc...within an hour of that building. But if we do show up big, that just seems to scare the $hit out of teams, so we fall apart and lose, so maybe it's better to just let the apathy help our guys to feel less pressure.

GMG_Dallas · February 24

3 hours ago, NT80 said:

You need a snickers bar.

I'm not denying anything about the PAC. In fact, I like the idea of going to the PAC, especially if UTSA and Texas State ARE ALONG....and only if it's going to be the Top G5 sports conference.

But the fact is we're not giving up a near future $8-10mil in the AAC to go to $7-8mil in the PAC with more travel expenses and no ESPN coverage. I'm saying let's compare media revenue and format apples to apples...step one.

Being on National Media right now is not about trying to get a NCAA bid this season. It's about building our Brand so more people know who we are and what we're doing = more value to advertisers and fans. ESPN is said to be out of the PAC bidding. ESPN gets more National viewers (think bars and restaurants) than any Apple TV+, etc. streaming service will.

Our contract is up in 5 years. If the conference doesn't step it up in football and basketball, the next contract will be crumbs.

About ESPN, building a brand, and making a tournament... Well, I hate to break it to you but the BIG10 does not have a deal with ESPN. Neither does BIG East basketball. Neither does the Mountain West which has positioned itself as a premier basketball conference until the split in a year. I can guarantee you the new PAC media deal will be better than the next AAC media deal in 2032.

Media deals and conference affiliation is not about today, a year from now, or even 5 years from now. It's about 15 years from now which is the approximate length of a media contract. Would the next 15 years in the new PAC, with +-5 NCAA tourney bids versus 1 (2 if Memphis doesn't get the AQ) and a stranglehold on the 5th AQ in the football playoffs, generate more revenue than the next 15 years in the AAC knowing dang well the next contract in 7 years will be half of the current one due to the loss of Houston, UCF and Cincinnati? You don't need to know what the next PAC deal will be. Look at the brands available, their current status in basketball (Utah State, Co State, Gonzaga, San Diego State vs Memphis and UNT who can't get an at-large bid) and football (Boise State, Fresno State, Oregon State, Washington State vs Memphis and Tulane), look at how many mouths the AAC media deal has to feed, and it's common sense their deal will be as good or better than the AAC. It's a no brainer. No need for a snickers, just wake up from your slumber.

MCMLXXX · February 24

1 hour ago, NT80 said:

Good luck finding out what the AD wants.
Has anyone seen the new Prez at a game? Does he like sports?

I have never met him, but I know he loves the music programs. We need to invite him to guest conduct the pep band.

MCMLXXX · February 24

42 minutes ago, untjim1995 said:

Actually, it was USF and FAU.

2023-24 Championships Schedule
Men's Basketball
March 13-17, 2024
Dickies Arena | Fort Worth, Texas
Hosted by the American Athletic Conference
Champion: UAB

greenminer · February 24

2 hours ago, Shark84 said:

The UTSA loss isn't going to be the reason we don't get an invite to the NCAA tournament.

Seems like it was. Nearly every bracket predictor has us on the bubble, or one of those "last four out" groupings.

That all disappeared after the UTSA game. Now they're not even giving us the time of day.

untjim1995 · February 25

1 hour ago, MCMLXXX said:

2023-24 Championships Schedule
Men's Basketball
March 13-17, 2024
Dickies Arena | Fort Worth, Texas
Hosted by the American Athletic Conference
Champion: UAB

Wow—sorry…I thought USF was in the Dance. I knew FAU did, but forgot UAB won it all.

Green Otaku · February 26

On 2/24/2025 at 2:57 PM, GMG_Dallas said:

Our contract is up in 5 years. If the conference doesn't step it up in football and basketball, the next contract will be crumbs.

9 years. I believe the AAC deal runs through 2034.

GMG_Dallas · February 26

1 minute ago, Green Otaku said:

9 years. I believe the AAC deal runs through 2034.

2031-2032 per the AAC website. I'm assuming that means the 31-32 school year? So ends in spring of 2032 I guess.

Green Otaku · February 26

11 hours ago, GMG_Dallas said:

2031-2032 per the AAC website. I'm assuming that means the 31-32 school year? So ends in spring of 2032 I guess.

I thought that was the original end date and when we were added they extended the deal to 2034.

https://theamerican.org/news/2019/3/27/general-american-athletic-conference-and-espn-agree-to-12-year-media-rights-extension.aspx

Quote

The deal, which originally was to expire in 2032, has been extended through the 2033-2034 season. The extension came after the AAC lost the three schools and added the six.

https://herosports.com/fbs-aac-commissioner-mike-aresco-mnmn/

GMG_Dallas · February 26

5 hours ago, Green Otaku said:

I thought that was the original end date and when we were added they extended the deal to 2034.

https://theamerican.org/news/2019/3/27/general-american-athletic-conference-and-espn-agree-to-12-year-media-rights-extension.aspx

https://herosports.com/fbs-aac-commissioner-mike-aresco-mnmn/

Understood. Thanks. I'm interested to see what the new pac deal looks like and how it compares to the AAC through 2034.

Edited February 26 by GMG_Dallas

Green Otaku · February 26

35 minutes ago, GMG_Dallas said:

Understood. Thanks. I'm interested to see what the new pac deal looks like and how it compares to the AAC through 2034.

All good, I thought it was 2032 until recently as well, it's hard to keep up with all the info. Yup everyone is waiting on that PAC news to see how things go, hopefully whatever happens it's good for us.