UConn leaving the AAC

[AppStFan1]

So maybe slightly more than $1.7 million a year from sunbelt as compared to $7 million per year for the AAC...
We could actually somewhat compete salary wise with smaller P5 schools and maybe not be in a constant revolving door with coaches leaving

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.journa ... b.amp.html

Agreed here. Add 2.5M to the coaching staff salaries, 1M to support staff salaries and use 1M of that to help finance other sports and we are rolling. Then use the rest on operating expenses and we are rolling. This would be a no brainer to go AAC.

[EastHallApp]

I don’t see us being a serious contender to go there now. But I don’t get the idea that Charlotte is either. Their revenue sports are in shambles right now, and there’s no reason to think a move up would somehow improve them.

I know, I know, markets. But aside from the CUSA example of that model failing, they’re in Charlotte; sure it’s a city, but it’s not like it’s NYC or something.

[appgrad95&97]

I raised this because it is really interesting. Being in the AAC would be HUGE for App. We would struggle more there than we do in the Sun Belt. And for the record, I think the Sun Belt is a clear 3rd best G5 conference. That said, I don't think we'll get much of a look, but I can't think of a great fit. So. Miss and UAB make some sense. UNCC or Ga St might make sense. I think we'd be a better football fit. In the end, my guess is Army.

[ggasu]

AAC is leaps and bounds above the Sunbelt in both name and team recognition. Ill take AAC over Sunbelt any day of the week! They have the following teams:

UCF, Cincinnati, ECU, Houston, Memphis, South Florida, SMU, Temple, Tulane, and Tulsa

That lineup sounds WAY more appealing than what we have now. You think about it, we ran the tables in Sunbelt and get little recognition and a ranking at 25 (of course we screwed the pooch with GASouth). UCF ran the table in the AAC and got some serious ranking and notoriety. It would most def be a step in the right direction. My assessment is obviously not a technical one by any means, but a general overview of the current situation. Im all for it.......

UCF was undefeated going into their bowl game.
If we had ran the table last year we would have been ranked right beside UCF

[WVAPPeer]

I would think it would be a school with a solid basketball program (not that football would be overlooked) because I believe at this time the AAC has surpassed the PAC-12 as the 5th best basketball conference ---

[T-Dog]

There's always a chance for App in the AAC but until we know what they want, there's no telling. They might want a football only (Army) and a non-football school (VCU, Dayton, etc.) Or they might stay at 11 if they think they can't get a bigger pie with a 12th member. The Big 12 probably made the right decision by staying at 10 for now, as did the Sun Belt in football. Sometimes bigger isn't better, especially when you're not among the power conferences.

If the AAC decided they need a 12th member want a full football member, then it's on the table.

And no matter how much the AAC brands themselves as P6, the financials say they're not a power conference, even if they're tops among the G5.

[AppfaninCAALand]

There's always a chance for App in the AAC but until we know what they want, there's no telling. They might want a football only (Army) and a non-football school (VCU, Dayton, etc.) Or they might stay at 11 if they think they can't get a bigger pie with a 12th member. The Big 12 probably made the right decision by staying at 10 for now, as did the Sun Belt in football. Sometimes bigger isn't better, especially when you're not among the power conferences.

If the AAC decided they need a 12th member want a full football member, then it's on the table.

And no matter how much the AAC brands themselves as P6, the financials say they're not a power conference, even if they're tops among the G5.

Even though I've heard VCU told them no before when UConn would still have been there, I'd say Army football/VCU everything else is the best option for the AAC (other than adding App State, of course)

[Saint3333]

I don’t see us being a serious contender to go there now. But I don’t get the idea that Charlotte is either. Their revenue sports are in shambles right now, and there’s no reason to think a move up would somehow improve them.

I know, I know, markets. But aside from the CUSA example of that model failing, they’re in Charlotte; sure it’s a city, but it’s not like it’s NYC or something.

GA St makes more sense if you’re reaching for location (not markets, neither command theirs).

[Apptiger]

Not happening for us. I went out and read over a dozen blogs, newspaper sites, other AAC blogs and other AAC schools city news. The only site I found that mentions us at all is the CBS site. Pecking order seems to be Army, Air Force (maybe both), Boise State, BYU, So. Miss....UNCC, Ga. State and ODU got more mentions than us.

[hotrod2001]

AAC for us is the "promised land" It's as far up the food chain we're going to be able to get unless we somehow get a few billionaires backing us.

If we ever were given and accepted an AAC membership, our program's profile is elevated substantially.

[hapapp]

My guess is, if offered we would take it. My guess also is, we won't get an offer.

[Yosef84]

If offered, App would obviously accept but App isn't in this discussion. The AAC isn't going to replace UConn with anything other than a consistently good basketball school. The VCU/Army option certainly seems to make sense! If they wanted a single school, ODU might even be a possibility. I think they would be ahead of Charlotte by a long shot (basketball, and even football excluding 2018 slump). Southern Miss has the name and is trending upwards again but their basketball is hardly a replacement for UConn although pretty solid.

The Army/VCU option seems like a good one.

[Yosef10]

Since we’re talking markets, isn’t there a way to spin App in both Charlotte and Raleigh markets and it still be reasonably true?

[sixtoes9134]

Underdog Dynasty likes us.

https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2019/6/ ... ut-whos-in

[appstate77]

I think we have a shot, for several reasons including, we would be a natural state wide rival for ECU.

[AtlAppMan]

If we get a shot at the AAC you have to take it. These opportunities don't come around often so when they do you have to jump on it. This assumes we have a shot. There is a distinct hierarchy in G5, AAC first, MWC second and everybody else is fighting for the rest. SBC has made good strides since our arrival but, make no mistake we are in the second tier of G5 as far as conferences goes.

Now if we were to get the chance and move to AAC it would mean a substantial improvement in our competition in most sports. However, we made the jump from FCS to FBS (SBC) and did it well, if we have the chance to take another big rung on the ladder we gotta do it and deal with the challenges.

[ASU3432Mi]

Underdog Dynasty likes us.

https://www.underdogdynasty.com/2019/6/ ... ut-whos-in

Check out the poll at the end.

[AppStFan1]

My guess is, if offered we would take it. My guess also is, we won't get an offer.

Agree here. There is no doubt we would 100% accept it but I don't see us in the discussion yet and until the AAC makes it known they want a football program it does not really matter. We are in the SBC for at least the next 3-4 years minimum. I actually think we are probably in the SBC long term until major changes happen such as the Big 12 expanding, AAC and CUSA having to replace their members. Sadly, I think if CUSA had an opening they might want to approach us but I only want to leave the SBC for the AAC. Right now the top of the SBC is better than CUSA for sure. Only way I would want to go CUSA is if Marshall, ODU, and Charlotte are still there and Ga Sou, Troy, and Liberty or Coastal Carolina or Georgia State goes with us so we have some rivals who are in our area.

[AppDawg]

Seems I recall last time a spot in the AAC opened up they have a requirement that any member must be a national research university. Does anyone know if that still holds true? If so, we don’t qualify.

[appdaze]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_r ... ted_States

I thought this would be a larger list. Never really looked in to it.