The American expansion

[Lobot]

Funny how no one seems to be interested in raiding the MAC.

[swilsonsp4]

I don't see any way that UConn would join any non-P5 conference, and they aren't getting a bid to one of those. Right now, C-USA is in trouble. They may try to raid the Sun Belt, but who's to say the SBC won't try to pick apart the better remaining schools from C-USA.

Liberty is a possibility. If C-USA were to move against the SBC, I could see them going after App State, Coastal, LA Tech, Louisiana, and perhaps GA State (for their small share of the ATL market). With Liberty, that would make 6 additions, for a total of 14. That would leave the SBC with five schools. Who knows what they'd do in that situation.

Anyway they look at it, the TV money isn't going to get any better.

[True Bearcat]

The new American? With the reports coming out of CBS sports and Pete Thamel that the AAC will consider adding six schools. Will it look like this?

AAC East

Temple
East Carolina
South Florida
Memphis
UAB
FAU
Charlotte

AAC West

Tulsa
Tulane
SMU
Navy
UTSA
North Texas
Rice


How does CUSA respond? They will be left with 8 all spread out. Do they add Liberty, NMSU, UCONN, UMASS and perhaps two from the FCS ranks such as JMU?

[swilsonsp4]

Which team does not have a basketball team or is Wichita State leaving?

Navy, unless they leave the AAC for some reason.

[bearcatbret]

Pete Thamel:

Sources: The American Athletic Conference is expected examine expansion this week, with six schools expected to send applications. The AAC is expected to receive an application from – FAU, Charlotte, North Texas, UTSA, Rice and UAB this week. ... The expectation is that they will be accepted and the AAC will grow to a 14-team football league. (Also 14 teams in hoops.)

Which team does not have a basketball team or is Wichita State leaving?

[GoBearcats31]

Pete Thamel:

Sources: The American Athletic Conference is expected examine expansion this week, with six schools expected to send applications. The AAC is expected to receive an application from – FAU, Charlotte, North Texas, UTSA, Rice and UAB this week. ... The expectation is that they will be accepted and the AAC will grow to a 14-team football league. (Also 14 teams in hoops.)

[Geaux Juan]

Correct me if I am wrong but didn't UAB have to quit football because of pressure by Alabama? I think Alabama wanted to be the only game in town and UAB was starting to become relevent. They cancelled football for a few seasons and then started back up. I do not know why they quit or why they started back up.

You're correct, but it was more than pressure by U of AL. The state schools are all under one umbrella and UAB was costing $ to be taken from the U of AL, so U of AL actively worked to have their football program (plus a few other UAB sports) shut down at the end of the 2014 season.

There was an uproar (more so, an awakening) and folks started pledging $ to restart the program, which was done in 2017.

I happened to watch their game this weekend, and UAB was playing in a new stadium, Protective Field, which seats 47,000. So they've left Bryant stadium (where UC last played in the 2019 Birmingham Bowl). Evidently, the home side of the field is also the camera side (like Nippert) so the visitors' side was empty, making for bad optics.

[bearcatbret]

Correct me if I am wrong but didn't UAB have to quit football because of pressure by Alabama? I think Alabama wanted to be the only game in town and UAB was starting to become relevent. They cancelled football for a few seasons and then started back up. I do not know why they quit or why they started back up.

[longtimefan]

Well, Aresco is still talking about P6, so he has no incentive to go for the C-USA proposal. He needs to keep Navy, and then continue with large schools like FAU, LIU, or Texas State. I’m glad we’re moving up, but it still stinks for the AAC.

[Lobot]

The whole geographic realignment thing works better with the Sun Belt and CUSA than it does with the AAC in my opinion. Navy is going to end up independent again I'm betting.

[swilsonsp4]

So this weird. CUSA wants AAC to throw all their teams in a pot and redivide both conference memberships by geography.

https://www.si.com/college/2021/10/1...nment-football

There's one AAC school not mentioned in C-USA's reorganization Hail Mary to try to survive: Navy.

I don't see Aresco going for this. He's trying to raid C-USA & probably the Sun Belt, and the C-USA commish is throwing this out there to keep her conference from becoming even less relevant than it is now. She talks about saving money by becoming more geographical, which would help most of the schools. However, the main gist is survival.

[Lobot]

So this weird. CUSA wants AAC to throw all their teams in a pot and redivide both conference memberships by geography.

https://www.si.com/college/2021/10/1...nment-football

[bearcatbret]

App State or Coastal?

[True Bearcat]

Now that the MWC schools turned the AAC down who do they turn to now? Liberty, UAB, UTSA, Marshall, Rice, or FAU? I think they need to add UTSA, UAB, Marshall, and FAU immediatley.

[GoBearcats31]

Pete Thamel: Air Force and Colorado State will be staying in the Mountain West