Why Not 14?

[Westbrook#36]

Just looked up conference RPI rankings:

AAC is #9, #8, #8 (BE #2, #2, #2)...

I haven't been following the AAC as closely as you have, but clearly there's a large part of the story you're not telling here. We're about to start December and those are some mediocre rankings.

Are you surprised?, this is stever you're talking to after all.

[adoraz]

Just looked up conference RPI rankings:

AAC is #9, #8, #8 (BE #2, #2, #2)...

I haven't been following the AAC as closely as you have, but clearly there's a large part of the story you're not telling here. We're about to start December and those are some mediocre rankings.

Are you surprised?, this is stever you're talking to after all.

I'd be surprised if it were any other way lol

[GoldenWarrior11]

As far as UConn- if the AAC performs the way that the individual pieces show that it could in basketball- I definitely think they could be ok being in the AAC 10 years from now.

I think any average UConn fan, coach and/or alum would vehemently disagree with you on this (and visit the Boneyard if you disagree). Financially, UConn would be incredibly rough shape if they are still in the AAC ten years from now. If you listen to the die hard AAC homers, who believe they will be making $10 million per year for the next TV contract, getting $10 million per year is still not the $40-$50 million that other geographic power programs like Rutgers, Boston College, Maryland, Penn State, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Virginia and Virginia Tech are all making. When you are getting out-earned five-fold, you can tread water for a cycle by overspending and reallocating funds in order to keep the pace. By 2025, it will have been two cycles and twelve years where UConn is being out-earned by those programs, and they will have fallen even further behind in annual revenue.

Now, if when you go to the conservative estimates of the $5-$6 million offerings of the next American TV deal, that would be slightly higher than the current Big East contract. However, the Big East does not have football - nor its associated costs and expenses that come with it. We do not have to pay for a coaching staff, pay for football facilities and stadium upgrades, account for the equal number of scholarships that come with Title IX. When it all comes out, the Big East programs actually get more available revenue because it is just for basketball. THAT is what is the real kicker for UConn long-term. With no more war chest funds available to be redistributed, and the lack of tournament credits that the AAC programs have accumulated in the previous years, there is still a sizeable and noticeable gap between the American and the P5. It will be fascinating to see how the UConn Athletics budget is incorporated into the coming years, as they already have one of the highest G5 budgets, and largest student subsidies in the nation.

Even if the next deal is higher (let's say $8 million), it still does nothing to get the American programs closer to the P5. All it does is kick the can down the road, with the programs hoping and praying that they get a life-raft to salvation. The current AAC model for a number of the programs is simply not sustainable - but for current Presidents/ADs/Coaches, why would they care? They won't be around when the music finally stops playing and someone else is stuck without a seat (and an incredibly high bill).

[ChicagoX]

The point of expansion should be to improve the conference, not just add inventory. UConn would improve the conference from a reputation, visibility, and performance standpoint, while SLU and Dayton would not. In addition, 11 teams would still allow for a double round-robin format. If UConn is not available, then standing pat at 10 members remains the best option. I don't really see any other options outside of Gonzaga, which isn't viable due to location. This conference averages 60% of its members getting bids to the NCAA Tournament, so let's not water down the conference by adding members that don't actually improve it.

[ConnersvilleBulldog]

I don't think we need to expand right now. If UConn is interested in dropping football, then I'd be fine with them re-joining. Dayton is definitely a very good program with a great fanbase. So if we ever reach a point where expansion is necessary, then they' be my next choice. I just don't think that time is right now.

And I know some of the OG Big East fans think it's funny when the newcomers are against expansion. But the truth is, the newcomers know how much sustained success they had to have in order to finally get invited to the big kids table. So to me, other than being Catholic schools, programs like SLU just haven't done enough to warrant an invite.

[gtmoBlue]

The umpteenth iteration of an expansion thread: OG vs Newbies? Don't know who introduced the dicotomy/difference, but that is funny. Many newbies are for expansion...

Now is always a good time to expand. The notion of waiting for "necessity" to expand is silly. That notion speaks to being forced into expansion by negative outside circumstances and events.
It is always better to act from a position of strength - expanding when it is in our best interest, not necessity. I'm all in for 14. Zags and 3 others. We bring in a strong player in Gonzaga and boost the middle
with 3 others (u pick'em).

I am all for adding more private schools. My fav scenario is bringing in the Zags / St Bonnies or Zags / St Louis and hold for a minute at 12. We can always add 2 more middies (Holy Cross, Boston U, Northeastern, St Marys, etc.) if we want, but the holding period is to see what if anything shakes out of the next football 5 merry-go-round. Although less likely, a future shakeout of private schools from the F5 could potentially make available some or all of Baylor, WF, Puke, ND, S'Cuse, Vandy or similar school. And people often forget SMU is religious affiliated. I know I've mentioned several schools west of the Appalachians, but I am not adverse to a continued Eastern-centric focus for the conference.

In an ideal world...Gonzaga, ND, Puke, S'Cuse would be added, but that's not likely. I'll keep wishing. gtmo...

[ProprietyofLeyluken]

All of this pining over UConn looks desperate.
First of all, UConn wouldn't be "rejoining" anything. It was the basketball schools that left.
Second of all, it wasn't very long ago people here were saying "let them rot," when they believed UConn's decline was conference-related instead of Kevin Ollie just being a bad coach.
A lot of people on this board were saying that Danny Hurley would never go there, and their recruiting was more about the AAC than Ollie. Meanwhile, all of that hokey has been disproved.
Dan Hurley DID go to UConn and now they're recruiting elite prospects again. Not only them, but Memphis just secured the #1 recruit in the country to go with another elite recruit that spurned Kentucky.
So, now after all that, people are wanting UConn again.
Not that I blame you but UConn wouldn't have elected to sell the name if they wanted to be in a new Big East. Right now, their TV contract is about to be significantly upgraded based on having football.

[adoraz]

OG vs Newbies? Don't know who introduced the dicotomy/difference, but that is funny. Many newbies are for expansion...

Now is always a good time to expand. The notion of waiting for "necessity" to expand is silly. That notion speaks to being forced into expansion by negative outside circumstances and events.
It is always better to act from a position of strength - expanding when it is in our best interest, not necessity. I'm all in for 14. Zags and 3 others. We bring in a strong player in Gonzaga and boost the middle
with 3 others (u pick'em).

I am all for adding more private schools. My fav scenario is bringing in the Zags / St Bonnies or Zags / St Louis and hold for a minute at 12. We can always add 2 more middies (Holy Cross, Boston U, Northeastern, St Marys, etc.) if we want, but the holding period is to see what if anything shakes out of the next football 5 merry-go-round. Although less likely, a future shakeout of private schools from the F5 could potentially make available some or all of Baylor, WF, Puke, ND, S'Cuse, Vandy or similar school. And people often forget SMU is religious affiliated. I know I've mentioned several schools west of the Appalachians, but I am not adverse to a continued Eastern-centric focus for the conference.

In an ideal world...Gonzaga, ND, Puke, S'Cuse would be added, but that's not likely. I'll keep wishing. gtmo...

I agree we should expand from a position of strength, and I'd be for Gonzaga, but those other currently available candidates are horrendous.

Holy Cross? Boston U? Northeastern? St. Louis? St. Bonnies?

Conferences like the A10 or AAC wouldn't accept most of those teams, so why should we? None of them are in the same ballpark as Butler, Creighton, or Xavier.

[adoraz]

All of this pining over UConn looks desperate.
First of all, UConn wouldn't be "rejoining" anything. It was the basketball schools that left.
Second of all, it wasn't very long ago people here were saying "let them rot," when they believed UConn's decline was conference-related instead of Kevin Ollie just being a bad coach.
A lot of people on this board were saying that Danny Hurley would never go there, and their recruiting was more about the AAC than Ollie. Meanwhile, all of that hokey has been disproved.
Dan Hurley DID go to UConn and now they're recruiting elite prospects again. Not only them, but Memphis just secured the #1 recruit in the country to go with another elite recruit that spurned Kentucky.
So, now after all that, people are wanting UConn again.
Not that I blame you but UConn wouldn't have elected to sell the name if they wanted to be in a new Big East. Right now, their TV contract is about to be significantly upgraded based on having football.

Nobody is "pining" over UConn. Big East is currently ranked #2 in RPI while AAC is #8, so we obviously don't need them or anybody else to join.

This is an expansion thread, and UConn is the only team east of Washington state that would be a good addition.

When we did this thread in the past, teams like St. Louis, VCU, Dayton, etc were all doing a lot better than they are currently. Thus, there is nobody else to discuss.

In fact, the reason we are mentioning UConn now is a few years ago they looked unattainable. Now, they still haven't left the AAC (many thought they'd be in the ACC by now) while the BE is pumping out National Champs and getting a bunch of teams into the Tournament each year. Further, UConn's football has actually gotten worse despite AAC's football being pretty decent. So if anything, the reason is the exact opposite (UConn in a worse spot now, BE in a better spot).

[ProprietyofLeyluken]

Nobody is "pining" over UConn. Big East is currently ranked #2 in RPI while AAC is #8, so we obviously don't need them or anybody else to join.

This is an expansion thread, and UConn is the only team east of Washington state that would be a good addition.

When we did this thread in the past, teams like St. Louis, VCU, Dayton, etc were all doing a lot better than they are currently. Thus, there is nobody else to discuss.

In fact, the reason we are mentioning UConn now is a few years ago they looked unattainable. Now, they still haven't left the AAC (many thought they'd be in the ACC by now) while the BE is pumping out National Champs and getting a bunch of teams into the Tournament each year. Further, UConn's football has actually gotten worse despite AAC's football being pretty decent. So if anything, the reason is the exact opposite (UConn in a worse spot now, BE in a better spot).

Like the NET, the RPI is practically worthless at this stage. UConn is listed at 119 in RPI after beating Cuse in NYC.
That being said, its always been an economic decision. As you said, the AAC football is pretty decent, and football drives media deals. I suspect the next year or so will be more illuminating for UConn than the previous 5.