The American expansion

[True Bearcat]

Now that our beloved Bearcats have accepted a Big XII invite, our old conference needs to fill the losses. Rumors on Twitter are Air Force and Colorado State are interested with UAB being mentioned a lot. This returns them to 11, but I think they need to return to 12.

East

Temple
South Florida
East Carolina
Memphis
Tulane
UAB

West

Tulsa
SMU
Air Force
Navy
Colorado State
Rice? UTSA?

or send Memphis west and add one of Army, Marshall, or ODU? Or grow to 14? by adding a combination of Air Force, CSU, UTSA, Rice, UAB, Army , Marshall, or ODU.

[longtimefan]

I still say add Dayton for basketball.

[bearcatbret]

I have read so many pundits stating what the AAC should do. Some have said to go big to 16 schools. While schools like App. State, Coastal, Lousiana something, Illinois State, Boise, San Diego, Colorado St, a TX school was also listed. It will be interesting to see what the AAC does do. Also, The remaining 8 schools will split the $30M - $51M exit fees. I think that True Bearcat above has listed most of the schools being mentioned. The biggest loser in all of this, in my opinion is Wichita State.

[bearcatbret]

Here is an article by a Mountain West beat writer. He suggests that the MWC beats the AAC to the punch. What will the Mountain West do in realigment? (mwwire.com)

[Lobot]

Here's an Extra Points newsletter from Matt Brown ,formerly of SBNation, that's going to get into it. (There are two Matt Browns out there) This is @MattbrownEP on Twitter and the other one is at the Athletic @MattBrownCFB. Both are good Twitter follows.

https://www.extrapointsmb.com/confer...ate-air-force/

BTW, if you were subscribing to Andy Wittry's Out of Bounds Substack newsletter, it's been bought and Wittry will be posting at Extra Points.

[bearcatbret]

And yet someone else reporting to know what the AAC will be doing. AAC Football: Ranking rumored teams on league's realignment wish list (saturdayblitz.com)

[GoBearcats31]

https://theathletic.com/news/aac-exp...t/q5WWGKQXqLy9

American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco expects to add new schools to the conference in a "matter of weeks, not months," he told The Athletic in a brief interview after Wednesday's College Football Playoff meeting. This news follows the departure of AAC members Cincinnati, Houston and UCF for the Big 12.

“We’ve engaged only with people that had an interest,” Aresco said.

Aresco declined to comment on specific schools, but a western wing of Mountain West schools is believed to be among the top targets, The Athletic's Chris Vannini reports. This includes Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State and Air Force, sources told The Athletic, with Colorado State and Air Force believed to have more interest than Boise and SDSU.

After Oklahoma and Texas left for the SEC, the Big 12 completed its expansion process earlier in September to bring it back to a 12-team league by officially adding BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF.

The schools will become members no later than the 2024-25 academic year. However, sources told The Athletic at the time that the Big 12 is targeting 2023 as the start date for all four new members, but that still requires negotiating with the AAC.

Upon seeing three of his league's most successful members depart, Aresco released a fiery statement at the time.

"Today’s news confirms what we have said all along regarding our status as a power conference," Aresco said. "The irony that three of our schools are being asked to take the place of the two marquee schools which are leaving the Big 12 is not lost on us. Our conference was targeted for exceeding expectations in a system that wasn’t designed to accommodate our success."

For more on potential Group of 5 realignment moves, read Vannini's full story in the Go Deeper section below.

[bearcatbret]

This is funny. Should the MWC expand by adding PAC12 teams? No, it would dilute the MWC. Peak Perspective: Should the Mountain West consider adding PAC-12 teams? A look at MWC expansion. - Mountain West Connection (mwcconnection.com)

[bearcatbret]

This says absolutely nothing but that the AAC will expand and sooner than later. AAC’s Mike Aresco discusses timetable for his league’s possible expansion - Orlando Sentinel

[GoBearcats31]

Matt Norlander (CBS) says Colorado State and Air Force "heavily involved" in talks to leave the Mountain West for the AAC ... says San Diego State and Boise State were "heavily courted by the AAC--but balked" (Boise State hoping for an eventual Big 12 invite)

[swilsonsp4]

Matt Norlander (CBS) says Colorado State and Air Force "heavily involved" in talks to leave the Mountain West for the AAC ... says San Diego State and Boise State were "heavily courted by the AAC--but balked" (Boise State hoping for an eventual Big 12 invite)

Norlander was confirming a Brett McMurphy report. Per McMurphy, an announcement that AF & CSU are to join the AAC could occur next week. Norlander also said that the AAC is looking to add more than these two.

[GoBearcats31]

Pete Thamel: Boise State and San Diego State informed the MW they intend to stay

Dennis Dodd confirms, adds AAC still looking at AF and CSU with AF more interested in the AAC than CSU is

Matt Norlander says Boise State waiting on Big 12 or Pac-12 (no guarantees, of course) and wants the next move to be a big one - but does not see AAC as that

[GoBearcats31]

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

[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.

[bearcatbret]

App State or Coastal?