AAC Hypothetical

[ComebackShack]

If the AAC offered us football only membership and we'd have to leave our basketball and other sports behind, or possibly even drop to SoCon, would you take that?

[yosef13]

If the AAC offered us football only membership and we'd have to leave our basketball and other sports behind, or possibly even drop to SoCon, would you take that?

Hell no. Why do we need the AAC? Look at what it has done for ECU. We have a path to the Cotton Bowl. This is the same path we would have in the AAC. We need a new conference that provides regional match ups. App, Marshall, ODU, UNCC, GS, CCU, etc. I think it's only a matter of time.

[Stonewall]

If the AAC offered us football only membership and we'd have to leave our basketball and other sports behind, or possibly even drop to SoCon, would you take that?

Hell no. Why do we need the AAC? Look at what it has done for ECU. We have a path to the Cotton Bowl. This is the same path we would have in the AAC. We need a new conference that provides regional match ups. App, Marshall, ODU, UNCC, GS, CCU, etc. I think it's only a matter of time.

Well said, from my stand point.

[/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09]

If the AAC offered us football only membership and we'd have to leave our basketball and other sports behind, or possibly even drop to SoCon, would you take that?

Hell no. Why do we need the AAC? Look at what it has done for ECU. We have a path to the Cotton Bowl. This is the same path we would have in the AAC. We need a new conference that provides regional match ups. App, Marshall, ODU, UNCC, GS, CCU, etc. I think it's only a matter of time.

A conference where I could possibly make at least half of the away games? Sign me up.

[Yosef84]

It's true that, currently, the AAC is the strongest G5 football conference but the primary benefit of App moving (hypothetically) would be for the benefit of other sports. The stronger basketball programs in the AAC should allow us to compete for better recruits, etc. They do have a good baseball conference also but so does the SBC. Taking a football only invitation would be very short sighted in a UConn-esque kind of way.

[BallantyneApp]

If the AAC offered us football only membership and we'd have to leave our basketball and other sports behind, or possibly even drop to SoCon, would you take that?

This was posited on the AAC board. I was ok with it on the following conditions:
1. Full football member payment
2. Basketball scheduling agreement
3. Clear path to full membership

If a blowup happens and we go to regional conferences then it’s fine but being in the AAC puts us in a stronger position

[Gonzo]

Yes, bc $$$.

[ah59396]

We can achieve the same thing from the Sunbelt as they can from the AAC.

Sunbelt is rising and we are leading the pack.

If geography wasn’t a problem, the MWC is my dream destination. The AAC are just a bunch of nobodies that got left behind after the Big East collapsed and the ACC pillaged the remains.

[appstatealum]

If the AAC offered us football only membership and we'd have to leave our basketball and other sports behind, or possibly even drop to SoCon, would you take that?

This was posited on the AAC board. I was ok with it on the following conditions:
1. Full football member payment
2. Basketball scheduling agreement
3. Clear path to full membership

If a blowup happens and we go to regional conferences then it’s fine but being in the AAC puts us in a stronger position

Agree with you here. Need those stipulations. We do not have the same path to the NY6 from the sunbelt. The sunbelt is not on the rise, the only reason it is rising is because we are dragging them along. But don’t be fooled, they will continue to be an anchor around our ankles. The AAC would equal big $ and better national attention. These two things alone would lead to elevation of our other sports.

[ericsaid]

If the AAC offered us football only membership and we'd have to leave our basketball and other sports behind, or possibly even drop to SoCon, would you take that?

Hell no. Why do we need the AAC? Look at what it has done for ECU. We have a path to the Cotton Bowl. This is the same path we would have in the AAC. We need a new conference that provides regional match ups. App, Marshall, ODU, UNCC, GS, CCU, etc. I think it's only a matter of time.

ECU hired Scottie Montgomery and Jeff Compher. That was ECU's problem. They fired Ruffin McNeil after a year which saw ECU starting inexperienced players after the departures of Lincoln Riley to Kentucky, Shane Carden, Justin Hardy, and several defensive players. ECU was ranked in the inaugural CFP Rankings in 2014 with Ruffin McNeil but was still fired. Compher proceeded to run the athletic budget deficit up to $3,000,000. He was fired along with Montgomery in 2018.

The appropriate comment here would be "look what ECU did to ECU". There is more money, more exposure, better bowl tie-ins, more prestigious programs, more games on TV, more opportunities to market your brand, and as a consequence you would expect recruiting to kick up an extra notch.

App is already recruiting on par with ECU, according to 247. With the name recognition App has, and assuming that the leadership continues to make quality decisions, App would have the ability to rise to the top of that conference as well.

Why would you want to be in a conference with Marshall, ODU, UNCC, Coastal instead of ECU, UCF, Houston, Memphis? Seriously. There is no argument to be made here. It's an FCS versus FBS style argument.

[ericsaid]

We can achieve the same thing from the Sunbelt as they can from the AAC.

Sunbelt is rising and we are leading the pack.

If geography wasn’t a problem, the MWC is my dream destination. The AAC are just a bunch of nobodies that got left behind after the Big East collapsed and the ACC pillaged the remains.

None of this makes any sense. Is the Sun Belt getting contextually better? Yes, when compared to the C-USA and MAC. However the gap between the MWC and AAC has widened as the AAC has become somewhat similar in production to the Big East after the departures of Miami and Virginia Tech.

Assuming an offer was ever there in the current form of the AAC, those arguing against would be making the "we should stay in FCS" argument. It's not an exact comparison but turning down the AAC would be a monumental mistake.

[Yosef84]

We can achieve the same thing from the Sunbelt as they can from the AAC.

Sunbelt is rising and we are leading the pack.

If geography wasn’t a problem, the MWC is my dream destination. The AAC are just a bunch of nobodies that got left behind after the Big East collapsed and the ACC pillaged the remains.

I agree! I know the Sun Belt doesn't have a great history, but the trend is positive and there is a TON of "potential" in the current SBC programs. The AAC loves to talk about "potential" in supporting their quest for programs in major markets but we already have it here. We now have some programs who are committed to quality on the football field and these programs are building brand identity every year (App State, Troy, Arkansas State, and Georgia Southern). Louisiana has awakened from their slumber and is playing very good football....just not getting the recognition they deserve yet. Even our traditional "bottom dwellers" (football) GSU and TxSt could be described as "sleeping giants" boasting huge student bodies. GSU has bee inconsistent but has shown flashes and I still think TxSt is going to catch fire at some point (in a way other than their recent dumpster fire performances). Even these schools have boasted solid basketball so it's not like they don't contribute. We've already passed CUSA and the MAC and we can close on MWC and the AAC.

SBC football is already on the correct trajectory. Raising the performance of SBC Basketball is (in my opinion) the key to closing the perception gap completely.

[ericsaid]

It's true that, currently, the AAC is the strongest G5 football conference but the primary benefit of App moving (hypothetically) would be for the benefit of other sports. The stronger basketball and football programs in the AAC should allow us to compete for better recruits, etc. They do have a good baseball conference also but so does the SBC. Taking a football only invitation would be very short sighted in a UConn-esque kind of way.

In what way would it be short sighted in a UConn-esque sort of way? UConn's football program has been left for dead. That much is apparent. I don't believe App would leave their cash cow sitting out in a flood plain with a hurricane coming like UConn did.

[GoBoone]

If the AAC offered us football only membership and we'd have to leave our basketball and other sports behind, or possibly even drop to SoCon, would you take that?

Hell no. Why do we need the AAC? Look at what it has done for ECU. We have a path to the Cotton Bowl. This is the same path we would have in the AAC. We need a new conference that provides regional match ups. App, Marshall, ODU, UNCC, GS, CCU, etc. I think it's only a matter of time.

Crystal ball DG is looking into?

[Yosef84]

We can achieve the same thing from the Sunbelt as they can from the AAC.

Sunbelt is rising and we are leading the pack.

If geography wasn’t a problem, the MWC is my dream destination. The AAC are just a bunch of nobodies that got left behind after the Big East collapsed and the ACC pillaged the remains.

None of this makes any sense. Is the Sun Belt getting contextually better? Yes, when compared to the C-USA and MAC. However the gap between the MWC and AAC has widened as the AAC has become somewhat similar in production to the Big East after the departures of Miami and Virginia Tech.

Assuming an offer was ever there in the current form of the AAC, those arguing against would be making the "we should stay in FCS" argument. It's not an exact comparison but turning down the AAC would be a monumental mistake.

Sorry, but the bolded statement is wrong. I see the point you're trying to make but this is a straw argument. FCS was a problem because there was a very real and institutionalized difference in the resources allowed (scholarships and coaches) as well as scheduling. The argument against fragmenting our athletic program in order to commit to the short term football future (at the expense of the other sports) is not even similar to arguments for remaining FCS.

All we need for evidence that we can accomplish the same thing here is the fact that we are in the discussion TODAY....in our 6th season as an FBS program, and we are ranked right there with the AAC teams.

Yes, the AAC has recognizable names, but most of those programs have NO HISTORY of football success. Temple has a season like this once in a blue moon. Navy has been pretty good but not exactly a juggernaut. SMU...first really good season since the death penalty in the early 80's. The AAC is riding the success of UCF but UCF would bolt in a heartbeat if a P5 invited them and that's not exactly a long shot.

If the AAC offered App an all sports invitation, we should grab it! We should not fragment our athletics program though.

[ericsaid]

We can achieve the same thing from the Sunbelt as they can from the AAC.

Sunbelt is rising and we are leading the pack.

If geography wasn’t a problem, the MWC is my dream destination. The AAC are just a bunch of nobodies that got left behind after the Big East collapsed and the ACC pillaged the remains.

I agree! I know the Sun Belt doesn't have a great history, but the trend is positive and there is a TON of "potential" in the current SBC programs. The AAC loves to talk about "potential" in supporting their quest for programs in major markets but we already have it here. We now have some programs who are committed to quality on the football field and these programs are building brand identity every year (App State, Troy, Arkansas State, and Georgia Southern). Louisiana has awakened from their slumber and is playing very good football....just not getting the recognition they deserve yet. Even our traditional "bottom dwellers" (football) GSU and TxSt could be described as "sleeping giants" boasting huge student bodies. GSU has bee inconsistent but has shown flashes and I still think TxSt is going to catch fire at some point (in a way other than their recent dumpster fire performances). Even these schools have boasted solid basketball so it's not like they don't contribute. We've already passed CUSA and the MAC and we can close on MWC and the AAC.

SBC football is already on the correct trajectory. Raising the performance of SBC Basketball is (in my opinion) the key to closing the perception gap completely.

My question is this, if the AAC comes calling with an offer that is mutually beneficial and has an addition for football with a path for basketball and other sports, what do you all say?

Is the Sun Belt fun? Sure. But could you imagine a regular season match-up on November 30th with ECU to determine the AAC East Champion with both teams ranked? We are hoping that Louisiana would be ranked for the conference championship should that be the match-up, but in the AAC we wouldn't have to hope for that.

Gone would be the days of playing late November football in front of 15,000 people. How many fans would show up when UCF comes to Boone? ECU? Cincinnati? Troy and Georgia Southern are the only conference games that gets the App fanbase up, it seems. Even Louisiana and Arkansas State, when they are having good years, aren't given much recognition.

Furthermore you end up with more games within App's existing recruiting footprint. Tampa, Orlando, & ENC plus you get games in Dallas and other locations. This isn't a "markets" comment as much as it is that App has games in Statesboro, Myrtle Beach, and Atlanta. The rest of the conference schedule is generally outside of where App recruits from. That places more importance on OOC scheduling being tied to regional opponents or areas where App is attempting to recruit from.

[BeauFoster]

If all was to remain constant with current form (contracts, competition, etc), then I would say we would seriously consider the move and I would be in favor. There’s a ton of TV money in the AAC compared to the Belt.

[ericsaid]

We can achieve the same thing from the Sunbelt as they can from the AAC.

Sunbelt is rising and we are leading the pack.

If geography wasn’t a problem, the MWC is my dream destination. The AAC are just a bunch of nobodies that got left behind after the Big East collapsed and the ACC pillaged the remains.

None of this makes any sense. Is the Sun Belt getting contextually better? Yes, when compared to the C-USA and MAC. However the gap between the MWC and AAC has widened as the AAC has become somewhat similar in production to the Big East after the departures of Miami and Virginia Tech.

Assuming an offer was ever there in the current form of the AAC, those arguing against would be making the "we should stay in FCS" argument. It's not an exact comparison but turning down the AAC would be a monumental mistake.

Sorry, but the bolded statement is wrong. I see the point you're trying to make but this is a straw argument. FCS was a problem because there was a very real and institutionalized difference in the resources allowed (scholarships and coaches) as well as scheduling. The argument against fragmenting our athletic program in order to commit to the short term football future (at the expense of the other sports) is not even similar to arguments for remaining FCS.

All we need for evidence that we can accomplish the same thing here is the fact that we are in the discussion TODAY....in our 6th season as an FBS program, and we are ranked right there with the AAC teams.

Yes, the AAC has recognizable names, but most of those programs have NO HISTORY of football success. Temple has a season like this once in a blue moon. Navy has been pretty good but not exactly a juggernaut. SMU...first really good season since the death penalty in the early 80's. The AAC is riding the success of UCF but UCF would bolt in a heartbeat if a P5 invited them and that's not exactly a long shot.

If the AAC offered App an all sports invitation, we should grab it! We should not fragment our athletics program though.

Perhaps. But is it really short term to suggest that App could play in a more geographically relevant conference? App has recruits committed from DC to Florida and a potential from Iowa. There are almost none west of Alabama. Yet, App plays in Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas.

App being in the discussion and having a realistic shot are two different things. We all recognize that a Sun Belt would need to go undefeated or the AAC and MWC would need to produce a 3 loss conference champion in order for the Sun Belt to go to the Cotton Bowl. That's the reality, and it's sad.

[yosef69]

Their fans are truly insufferable and their pride in their conference bizarre.

[ah59396]

Their fans are truly insufferable and their pride in their conference bizarre.

AAC fans basically meet the definition of little-man syndrome.

When the Big12 gobbles up Boise and two or three of the AAC teams in the next realignment, it’ll be no different than the conference we are in right now.

Moving is a waste of our time. #funbelt