Conference Realignment: What Next?

[MullinMayhem]

Hilarious for AAC. I hope someone saved all those posts from AAC homers about how they were better than the Big East and how they were power LOL. They are basically just C-USA. It will be very interesting to see where Memphis goes eventually. Obviously they aren't staying in that dumpster fire. You don't stay in C-USA if you're buying 5 star kids with FedEx money at will.

[GoldenWarrior11]

Hilarious for AAC. I hope someone saved all those posts from AAC homers about how they were better than the Big East and how they were power LOL. They are basically just C-USA. It will be very interesting to see where Memphis goes eventually. Obviously they aren't staying in that dumpster fire. You don't stay in C-USA if you're buying 5 star kids with FedEx money at will.

Many sensational and fantastical assertions claiming not just that the AAC was on-par but superior to the Big East were mostly eradicated once UConn left. However, even then, you had the "interesting" minority that remained, arguing that AAC Basketball could be better off without UConn.

With Cincinnati and Houston gone (with UConn) and these new six additions coming on-board, any remaining narrative of the AAC being a power basketball conference, let alone being on the same level as the BE has being completely eliminated, rightfully so. Moving forward, the A10 will be their main competitor, with some years them getting more bids or even deeper runs IMO.

Aresco destroyed the conference, basketball wise.

[ArmyVet]

Hilarious for AAC. I hope someone saved all those posts from AAC homers about how they were better than the Big East and how they were power LOL. They are basically just C-USA. It will be very interesting to see where Memphis goes eventually. Obviously they aren't staying in that dumpster fire. You don't stay in C-USA if you're buying 5 star kids with FedEx money at will.

Oh Stever. Poor Stever.

[butlerguy03]

If you were to build a "we have D1 football, but want to concentrate on basketball" league without touching the Power 6 - and the requirement was that they have D1-FBS football, what would your 10+ school league be?

I'll start: Western Kentucky, Charlotte, Old Dominion, UTEP, Middle Tennessee, Temple, Memphis, UMass, Miami (OH), New Mexico State, UNLV, UAB - I went with schools that seem like they care about basketball, or at least have in the past. It's not pretty, to say the least. I excluded super football-centric schools like App State, North Texas, etc.

[GoldenWarrior11]

Data and figures for this new look AAC. Suffice to say, AAC Basketball is going to be taking a significant hit perception and results-wise, with multiple new members suddenly dropping the bottom of the league even lower via historical performances and present/future projections. For a league that just lost two of its top historical basketball programs, the AAC added not one but multiple programs that lack any type of recent postseason success (UAB has most recent Sweet 16 - 2004).

NCAA Tournament Bids (in history):
Charlotte: 11
ECU: 2
FAU: 1
Memphis: 26* (6 vacated)
North Texas: 4
Rice: 4
SMU: 12
Temple: 33
Tulane: 3
Tulsa: 16
UAB: 15
UTSA: 4
USF: 8
Wichita State: 16

Average attendance in men's basketball from 2020 (pre-COVID):

Charlotte: 3,552
ECU: 3,931
FAU: 1,175
Memphis: 16,312
North Texas: 3,243
Rice: 1,983
SMU: 4,395
Temple: 6,425
Tulane: 1,743
Tulsa: 4,043
UAB: 2,713
UTSA: 1,120
USF: 3,754
Wichita State: 10,315

Men's Basketball spending per team:
Charlotte: $3,685,899
ECU: $3,990,276
FAU: $2,337,677
Memphis: $11,932,656
North Texas: $3,029,265
Rice: $3,277,980
SMU:$7,373,594
Temple: $6,432,467
Tulane: $3,711,806
Tulsa: $5,083,099
UAB: $3,705,028
UTSA: $2,398,192
USF: $4,982,170
Wichita State: $7,431,720

Rough.

[MUPanther]

I actually do feel bad for Temple.

Rothstein's been encouraging Temple to find a new conference lol

https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/status/1450243480169631747?t=jWwqWhEbDQTUlzQ7WDfYbQ&s=19

That is pretty bad for the AAC when Rothstein is saying that. He is normally a positive guy.

[Omaha1]

From Bret McMurphy below. Not even the schools joining the AAC wanted to join the AAC.

“ Before the AAC news broke, sources told the Action Network that officials at North Texas, Rice, UTSA and UTEP had contacted the Mountain West about joining the conference. North Texas and Rice had the most serious discussions, but ultimately, the Mountain West decided to remain at 12 schools, sources said.”

[Hoya9697]

Hilarious for AAC. I hope someone saved all those posts from AAC homers about how they were better than the Big East and how they were power LOL. They are basically just C-USA. It will be very interesting to see where Memphis goes eventually. Obviously they aren't staying in that dumpster fire. You don't stay in C-USA if you're buying 5 star kids with FedEx money at will.

Many sensational and fantastical assertions claiming not just that the AAC was on-par but superior to the Big East were mostly eradicated once UConn left. However, even then, you had the "interesting" minority that remained, arguing that AAC Basketball could be better off without UConn.

With Cincinnati and Houston gone (with UConn) and these new six additions coming on-board, any remaining narrative of the AAC being a power basketball conference, let alone being on the same level as the BE has being completely eliminated, rightfully so. Moving forward, the A10 will be their main competitor, with some years them getting more bids or even deeper runs IMO.

Aresco destroyed the conference, basketball wise.

Prior to the defections, the A-10 was already the AAC’s main competitor. Now I’d say they’re fighting it out for ninth place vs the MVC or WCC?

[butlerguy03]

The AAC is quickly becoming the MAC.

[Husky_U]

Chris Vannini
@ChrisVannini
NEW: The Sun Belt is expected to make a decision on expansion any day now. Could add as many as four schools.
2:18 PM · Oct 20, 2021

Chris Vannini
@ChrisVannini
Marshall and Southern Miss are largely viewed as the best options by people in the Sun Belt, if they expand. But James Madison and Old Dominion are schools to watch as well, plus more on the feeling on Liberty.
2:33 PM · Oct 20, 2021

So CUSA could be down to 5 schools: UTEP, Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, LaTech, FIU.