The AAAAAAAC and Advanced Marketing (or Self-Kidding)

[Hall2012]

Ha, I pop over to their board to read an anti-Big East thread for a laugh every once in a while. I don't understand the hate they have for us (though I see here that it does both ways), but I do find it amusing! The strangest part is that their Big East hate doesn't seem to be driven by anyone who could have a legitimate grudge against us. I could see why UConn and Cincy fans would have some animosity from seeing some former conference-mates that they regularly outperformed wind up in better post-realignment situations. I could even see some bitter USF fans still angry about being DePaul's annual league win. But no, the hate is driven by the others. Why on earth do Wichita State fans hate the Big East so much? Does it all just stem from the Creighton rivalry? Or were they perhaps hoping to get into the Big East themselves and are now trying to downplay the league after settling for the AAC in order to pump their egos? As great as they seem to think they are, I couldn't see them finishing any higher than 5th if they were in the Big East this year.

[Wizard of Westroads]

Why on earth do Wichita State fans hate the Big East so much? Does it all just stem from the Creighton rivalry?

Yes.

[handdownmandown]

We were the gold standard for a long time. Wichita used us as a measuring stick, then decided they had surpassed us...and then the whole realignment thing came along.

And basically, it went down like this: you know when two people get a divorce or break up, and one of them is saying 'Oh thank you, THANK YOU, God!!' While the other is saying 'You no-good SOB, HOW DARE YOU LEAVE ME LIKE THIS?' That pretty much sums up the situation.

They're colossally butt hurt due to the fact they were left behind when we traded up, while feeling like if anyone should have gotten an invite it was them due to their nice shiny Final Four. They had a thread that had over 5000 posts about realignment that could be TL;DR'd as 'we'd be willing to commit unspeakable acts to get out of here, but nobody finds us attractive enough.

Throw in the fact that their two top posters are complete sociopaths (and everyone else follows their lead) and there you go. Coldblooded is persona non grata on their own board! Though he cracks me up, he and I have gone a few rounds on his board before we left and he got fired into the mesosphere by their mods.

[handdownmandown]

One last thing about CU and our departure: for the longest of time it was posited by them that we were too far away geographically to get an invite. Once it all came down, they went nuts. There were two competing lines of attack: first, that we were destined to be perennial bottom feeders in this new conference (known over here as the 'Edrick Principle', named for its truest believer). The other was that this new conference was a sham and was maybe, MAYBE, a half step up from the Valley.

When a CU poster went to their board and pointed out that since we dominated a conference for fifteen years, we'd likely still dominate if it was nearly a lateral move - it had to be either a minor step up OR we'd get killed, but not both, their chief mod answered thusly: "It's whichever one we want it to be at the time we start typing out our post!"

I give him 10/10 for that one.

[FriarJ]

This explains all the anti Catholic vitriol from them as well as I’m sure they think you were only chosen over them because of that.

[Bluejay]

Why on earth do Wichita State fans hate the Big East so much? Does it all just stem from the Creighton rivalry?

Yes.

Wichita fans are an odd lot. They are overly loud, usually overweight, blue collar and have a huge chip on their shoulder. It probably relates to the fact that they are third when it comes to attention in their own state behind both KU and KSU. They are desperate for attention and do everything they can to try to draw it to themselves. The Marshals are a perfect fit there: Loud, whiny, blue collar, petulant and not well liked by anyone not dressed like an obese bumblebee (extra bonus: Mrs. Marshal is a pure redneck lush that likes to flip out at officials during games). In most cases, the Marshals represent that one neighbor that you are embarrassed to be seen in public with, but in Wichita they are the king and queen of redneck land.

They hate Creighton. They probably hate blue because we wear it. If Creighton fans all said they love puppies, WSU fans would start a movement to have all puppies killed. They are beyond obsessed. When we bailed on the MVC, the jealousy was overwhelming. When we came here, the hatred and jealousy transferred to hatred and jealousy of the conference. Of course, in an attempt to save face, they then had to move conferences as well because the WSU admin was hearing it from the fanbase - If Creighton can go to a new conference, why can't we?????

There is a funny thing about the WSU hate of the BE though. They are like that immature high school kid who acts like he hates a girl because he can't have her, while secretly being in love and obsessed with her. That's why you also see WSU trolls masquerading as Georgetown fans on this board. Someone in another thread stated that the AAC was WSU's dream conference. It isn't. The Big East is a their dream conference. A conference where basketball rules year round and there is no football season where they are told to sit down and shut up? Yeah, the Big East is their dream conference, but since they can't have her, they have to act like they hate her.

[Bluejay]

This explains all the anti Catholic vitriol from them as well as I’m sure they think you were only chosen over them because of that.

That might be legit as to a few posters. There are some weirdo religious groups that originate from Kansas, all of which do not like Catholics. The most infamous example is the Westborough Baptist Church which protests funerals of military members by saying they deserved to die because of America's tolerance of gays.

[GoldenWarrior11]

I know AAC fans aren't the brightest bulbs but I'm perplexed as to why they believe our two conferences are in some sort of competition. The BE and AAC have literally nothing in common as conferences. The AAC is driven by football; the BE is basketball centric. The BE is a top 3 power conference and will never fall below that; the AAC is the #7 conference and will never rise above that. Every team in the BE wants to be here; every team in the AAC wants to be someplace else.

The two conferences exist in totally different realms. Why do these AAC dopes believe that there is an interconference competition btw us ? A better comparison would be the MWC or even the current C-USA.

I agree. I don't understand the hate. Totally different conferences and positions

Because a number of AAC fans blame and believe it is the C7's fault that they have been "left behind" and not presently in a power conference. They not only show disdain for the Big East and their members, but these fans also hate the P5 and their current status as a Group of 5 school. A few brief months in 2012, several AAC schools were on the path of being part of a legit power conference, and then, without notice, it was taken away. Some, not all, believe they are entitled to being in a power conference, and that the College Football Playoff should be an equal opportunity advancement for all that want to compete for one. Well, the market has unfortunately dictated their place on the ladder, and that same market - at present - views them no different than the MAC C-USA, MWC, or Sun Belt.

The reality is that no network, ESPN, Fox or otherwise, is going to spend truckloads of more money in order to guarantee a Houston, UCF, Memphis, et al. getting that opportunity. If any AAC program does get valuable enough, they will simply be plucked by an actual and real power conference. They don't want to hear it, but a G5 playoff is the best opportunity they have, long-term. The P5 will still give them their payouts as G5 conferences, and some network will provide the financial backing to start one. They are complaining that USF isn't in the CFP rankings, despite the fact that USF has ZERO wins against teams with winning records and is 0-2 against top-25 teams. UCF couldn't even crack the top-10 and they are undefeated.

The other biggest reason the CFP won't include every single conference champion in a playoff? It's not like basketball, where you can play multiple games in a given week. In advancing the season, you are potentially looking at eliminating guaranteed home games from power programs, and no P5 school will willing sacrifice a guaranteed home game in order to play a Florida Atlantic, a Central Florida or a Toledo. It doesn't work that way.

[adoraz]

We're about 60% of the way through OOC play, and barring some March runs by the 3-4 AAC teams that get in, this has to be underwhelming. With the way they are recruiting, this was really the year for them to make a statement.

AAC had a solid first year (with Louisville), but aside from that they haven't stepped up.

[stever20]

We're about 60% of the way through OOC play, and barring some March runs by the 3-4 AAC teams that get in, this has to be underwhelming. With the way they are recruiting, this was really the year for them to make a statement.

AAC had a solid first year (with Louisville), but aside from that they haven't stepped up.

It's closer to 50% but still your point is pretty valid.

The one thing will be- Cincy and Wichita should get really good seeds- looking at Lunardi's bracketology today, he's got Wichita as a 2, Cincy as a 3. Those are condusive to good runs.