AAC Hypothetical

[MAD Doctor]

Without hesitation. Football drives the bus. I'd continue to hope for a more sensible conference configuration down the line, but we need to keep the momentum going. Plus, look at how our bowl options would improve. We can't count on a 12-1 or 13-0 season every year just for the chance for a NY6. I'll help pack.

[Saint3333]

AAC TV pays $7M per school, SBC $1ishM

Depends how much football only get you. It’s really that simple.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sbnati ... ealignment

[asucrutch23]

With a clear path to full membership, it would be a no brainer.

Money, check.
Recruiting, check.
Exposure, check.

I'm afraid our regional university status will hold us back, for now. But it's worth a try.

Also, there is no way the SoCon will have us back without football, IMO.

[Black Saturday]

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

SEC?

[yosef13]

AAC TV pays $7M per school, SBC $1ishM

Depends how much football only get you. It’s really that simple.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sbnati ... ealignment

Yeah, but how much are their budgets? You can't just look at what's coming in. ECU is in the red last I heard.

Promised TV deal is what got CUSA in trouble.

[Yosef84]

It's nice to say "with a clear path to full membership" and then accept the scenario, but does anyone actually know what that would look like? My assumption would be that it would include showing progress / success in those other sports but achieving that while being consigned back to the SoCon (or some other conference) would seem to be a reach. I actually doubt the SoCon would take us back without football and I'm not sure where we would play. Would the CAA take our other sports without football? I have no idea.

Basically this argument feels like a purely academic "what if" discussion. Yeah...if they make us feel all warm and fuzzy with some interim plan, I guess we could go for it. I'd have to know a lot more about it though. Feels like a carrot on a stick discussion to me.

[appstatealum]

I’m not sure a lot of you understand what an AAC invite would mean. App State is continuously clinging on to relevance, and we pretty much “make” all of our breaks. One of the biggest breaks we could ever be given would be an AAC invite. This would put our program on a much deserved better stage. We are enjoying our bubble that we are in now, but I can promise you, in order for us to maintain our momentum, we would desperately need something like an AAC invite and a piece of that TV deal. Our football tradition is built on a solid footing, but everything else you see around it is still a house of cards.

[Saint3333]

AAC TV pays $7M per school, SBC $1ishM

Depends how much football only get you. It’s really that simple.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sbnati ... ealignment

Yeah, but how much are their budgets? You can't just look at what's coming in. ECU is in the red last I heard.

Promised TV deal is what got CUSA in trouble.

12 year deal signed in 2019 that lowers the risk.

Also costs as football only with a regional conference in other sports would potentially lower costs overall.

[yosef13]

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

Agree. AAC has done a great job promoting themselves as a P6, but nobody else see it that way. The SB to the AAC does not seem like natural progression. It seems like a massive risky jump. I get risk/reward, but I just don't think we are ready right now. I think the next natural step for App is geographical realignment.

[yosef13]

AAC TV pays $7M per school, SBC $1ishM

Depends how much football only get you. It’s really that simple.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sbnati ... ealignment

Yeah, but how much are their budgets? You can't just look at what's coming in. ECU is in the red last I heard.

Promised TV deal is what got CUSA in trouble.

12 year deal signed in 2019 that lowers the risk.

Also costs as football only with a regional conference in other sports would potentially lower costs overall.

What happens when the payout is less or ESPN reneges? ESPN promised CUSA a certain amount and fell short.

How much of our budget currently goes to football? What is the increased to be in the AAC for football only? What is the increase in TV revenue? That is the formula. The problem I have is the TV money is not guaranteed.

[HighPointApp]

AAC TV pays $7M per school, SBC $1ishM

Depends how much football only get you. It’s really that simple.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sbnati ... ealignment

Ok. You now have my attention.......I'm on board with a move to the AAC.

[Yosefus]

The money talks but would personally rather stay where we are for now and build a dynasty first.
What would the $ be for the Sunbelt if we did happen to make Cotton Bowl this year?

[asucrutch23]

The money talks but would personally rather stay where we are for now and build a dynasty first.
What would the $ be for the Sunbelt if we did happen to make Cotton Bowl this year?

CFP pays out $4m to the participating conferences for each participant in the non-playoff NY6 bowls. Different conferences split that up in different ways. Sun Belt splits evenly among football members.

[MtnMan09]

I'm with ericsaid, I don't see how anyone could say the AAC is not a better conference or want to be in a conference with GSU/ODU/UNC instead of Cincy/ECU/Houston/Memphis/UCF. Those are much more intriguing match ups, we'd have much higher chance year in and year out of staying ranked after a loss, and would be in better contention for the Access Bowl.

[yosef13]

I'm with ericsaid, I don't see how anyone could say the AAC is not a better conference or want to be in a conference with GSU/ODU/UNC instead of Cincy/ECU/Houston/Memphis/UCF. Those are much more intriguing match ups, we'd have much higher chance year in and year out of staying ranked after a loss, and would be in better contention for the Access Bowl.

We have the same path to the access bowl now as we would in the AAC. There is little doubt that the conference is better, but is it a good move? Expenses. Assumed tv revenue. It would be a big gamble for the same result.

Let me ask you this. Should Clemson move to the SEC? More money. Better conference. Better match ups. They have a path to the NC in the ACC. So, would this be a smart move for Clemson?

[BeauFoster]

I'm with ericsaid, I don't see how anyone could say the AAC is not a better conference or want to be in a conference with GSU/ODU/UNC instead of Cincy/ECU/Houston/Memphis/UCF. Those are much more intriguing match ups, we'd have much higher chance year in and year out of staying ranked after a loss, and would be in better contention for the Access Bowl.

We have the same path to the access bowl now as we would in the AAC. There is little doubt that the conference is better, but is it a good move? Expenses. Assumed tv revenue. It would be a big gamble for the same result.

Let me ask you this. Should Clemson move to the SEC? More money. Better conference. Better match ups. They have a path to the NC in the ACC. So, would this be a smart move for Clemson?

Except that we really don't have the same path to the NY6 - look at this year. There are 2 AAC teams ahead of us in the CFP rankings with arguably similar (or worse) resumes and either is pretty much universally accepted by the wider media as a shoe in if one of them wins out, regardless of what we do. We're still playing from behind in the Belt.

[appstatealum]

I'm with ericsaid, I don't see how anyone could say the AAC is not a better conference or want to be in a conference with GSU/ODU/UNC instead of Cincy/ECU/Houston/Memphis/UCF. Those are much more intriguing match ups, we'd have much higher chance year in and year out of staying ranked after a loss, and would be in better contention for the Access Bowl.

We have the same path to the access bowl now as we would in the AAC. There is little doubt that the conference is better, but is it a good move? Expenses. Assumed tv revenue. It would be a big gamble for the same result.

Let me ask you this. Should Clemson move to the SEC? More money. Better conference. Better match ups. They have a path to the NC in the ACC. So, would this be a smart move for Clemson?

Except that we really don't have the same path to the NY6 - look at this year. There are 2 AAC teams ahead of us in the CFP rankings with arguably similar (or worse) resumes and either is pretty much universally accepted by the wider media as a shoe in if one of them wins out, regardless of what we do. We're still playing from behind in the Belt.

Yes. This sums it up perfectly.

[ah59396]

I'm with ericsaid, I don't see how anyone could say the AAC is not a better conference or want to be in a conference with GSU/ODU/UNC instead of Cincy/ECU/Houston/Memphis/UCF. Those are much more intriguing match ups, we'd have much higher chance year in and year out of staying ranked after a loss, and would be in better contention for the Access Bowl.

We have the same path to the access bowl now as we would in the AAC. There is little doubt that the conference is better, but is it a good move? Expenses. Assumed tv revenue. It would be a big gamble for the same result.

Let me ask you this. Should Clemson move to the SEC? More money. Better conference. Better match ups. They have a path to the NC in the ACC. So, would this be a smart move for Clemson?

Except that we really don't have the same path to the NY6 - look at this year. There are 2 AAC teams ahead of us in the CFP rankings with arguably similar (or worse) resumes and either is pretty much universally accepted by the wider media as a shoe in if one of them wins out, regardless of what we do. We're still playing from behind in the Belt.

Yes. This sums it up perfectly.

Two years ago we wouldn’t even have been on the conversation. Perceptions change. The Sunbelt is on the rise.

[Mjohn1988]

I’m happy for the P5 games but for now I would like to see us try to schedule some of the top AAC teams.

[appstatealum]

I’m not doubting the sunbelt is on the rise from perception standpoint, but there is more to it behind the scenes when it comes to building a sustainable FBS program. Wins and losses are a big part of it, but not the whole pie. App State absolutely needs a better platform to continue to grow from. The only way we don’t need a better conference is if we can get A LOT more Yosef dollars.