With UConn jumping ship, the AAC has decisions to make.

BamaDude · Jun 25, 2019

A) 1) Do they allow the Huskies to remain in the league as a football-only member?
a) If so, is it just until they can find a good replacement?; or,
b) Do they keep them just so they don't have to bother to look for a replacement?

2) Do they go ahead & kick them to the curb and try to find someone to replace them in the Eastern Division?

3) Do they shift Navy to the East and try to find a new team out West?

B) If the league decides to keep them as a football-only member, do they then search for another non-football team to fill in for the other sports?

Kaplony · Jun 25, 2019

BamaDude said:
A) 1) Do they allow the Huskies to remain in the league as a football-only member?
a) If so, is it just until they can find a good replacement?; or,
b) Do they keep them just so they don't have to bother to look for a replacement?

2) Do they go ahead & kick them to the curb and try to find someone to replace them in the Eastern Division?

3) Do they shift Navy to the East and try to find a new team out West?

B) If the league decides to keep them as a football-only member, do they then search for another non-football team to fill in for the other sports?

Every indication is that the AAC has no desire to keep them on as a football member. Cutting them lose is a case of addition by subtraction.

And according to this they are not seeking to replace them at this time.

American Athletic Conference unlikely to replace UConn in football. Here's what's next.

Initial conversations this week among league officials and representatives from member schools indicate the American Athletic Conference is unlikely to replace UConn, a source with close ties to the league told The Enquirer.

While the Huskies leaving for the Big East Conference diminishes the AAC's basketball brand, the conference will likely remain at 11 football-member schools because, despite speculation among national media outlets about potential additions on the gridiron, there doesn’t appear to be a school that would agree to join and add value to the league.

78Cyclones · Jun 25, 2019

BamaDude said:
A) 1) Do they allow the Huskies to remain in the league as a football-only member?
a) If so, is it just until they can find a good replacement?; or,
b) Do they keep them just so they don't have to bother to look for a replacement?

2) Do they go ahead & kick them to the curb and try to find someone to replace them in the Eastern Division?

3) Do they shift Navy to the East and try to find a new team out West?

B) If the league decides to keep them as a football-only member, do they then search for another non-football team to fill in for the other sports?

Wichita State is in the AAC for Basketball only. That being said, they can always kick UConn to the curb and have an 11 team conference without divisions guaranteeing a match-up of the top 2 teams in the CFB Championship Game. Might not be a bad idea, as that has worked well in the Big Xii. If they keep divisions, Navy will remain in the West, as that was one of their conditions when they joined so they would access to their fertile recruiting ground in Texas. Navy is not in the West by accident or inconvenience.

BamaDude · Jun 25, 2019

My guess is they let them go, altogether, or possibly keep them until they can find another school to step forward. I also believe Navy stays in the West. I believe the AAC will try to find a single school to bring in, rather than a FB associate and an all-sports non-football school.

Most likely candidates:

Marshall (currently in CUSA), averaged 24,063 in attendance for football in 2018, has been very successful lately, and fits easily into the footprint with its West Virginia location.

UAB (also a CUSA school), is on the upswing and is in a good college football tv market. The Blazers averaged 24,291 last year.

Buffalo (from the MAC) may be a surprise candidate to many, but their football is on par with the middle of the AAC's programs, and the Bulls have been an NCAA tourney regular the last couple of years. They averaged 18,380 for football last year.

I believe those teams would be the leading candidates to replace UConn, unless the league decided to go with a team moving up from FCS. In that case, James Madison would be the top choice. The Dukes averaged 20,911 for football last season.

Other teams that could get some consideration, and their attendance totals from 2018:

Georgia St. (SBC) 16,615
Georgia Southern (SBC) 16,802
Toledo (MAC) 21,352
Troy (SBC) 24,527
Old Dominion (CUSA) 19,633
Liberty (FBS independent) 16,282
MTSU (CUSA) 15,577

78Cyclones · Jun 25, 2019

BamaDude said:
My guess is they let them go, altogether, or possibly keep them until they can find another school to step forward. I also believe Navy stays in the West. I believe the AAC will try to find a single school to bring in, rather than a FB associate and an all-sports non-football school.

Most likely candidates:

Marshall (currently in CUSA), averaged 24,063 in attendance for football in 2018, has been very successful lately, and fits easily into the footprint with its West Virginia location.

UAB (also a CUSA school), is on the upswing and is in a good college football tv market. The Blazers averaged 24,291 last year.

Buffalo (from the MAC) may be a surprise candidate to many, but their football is on par with the middle of the AAC's programs, and the Bulls have been an NCAA tourney regular the last couple of years. They averaged 18,380 for football last year.

I believe those teams would be the leading candidates to replace UConn, unless the league decided to go with a team moving up from FCS. In that case, James Madison would be the top choice. The Dukes averaged 20,911 for football last season.

Other teams that could get some consideration, and their attendance totals from 2018:

Georgia St. (SBC) 16,615
Georgia Southern (SBC) 16,802
Toledo (MAC) 21,352
Troy (SBC) 24,527
Old Dominion (CUSA) 19,633
Liberty (FBS independent) 16,282
MTSU (CUSA) 15,577

UAB would be a great add - especially with the new stadium on the way.

Olyduck · Jun 25, 2019

AG has been all over the boards telling everyone Washington is looking for a new home....

michaeljordan_fan · Jun 25, 2019

Highly unlikely they are allowed to be football only.

No rush to find replacement.

Kaplony · Jun 25, 2019

BamaDude said:
My guess is they let them go, altogether, or possibly keep them until they can find another school to step forward. I also believe Navy stays in the West. I believe the AAC will try to find a single school to bring in, rather than a FB associate and an all-sports non-football school.

Most likely candidates:

Marshall (currently in CUSA), averaged 24,063 in attendance for football in 2018, has been very successful lately, and fits easily into the footprint with its West Virginia location.

UAB (also a CUSA school), is on the upswing and is in a good college football tv market. The Blazers averaged 24,291 last year.

Buffalo (from the MAC) may be a surprise candidate to many, but their football is on par with the middle of the AAC's programs, and the Bulls have been an NCAA tourney regular the last couple of years. They averaged 18,380 for football last year.

I believe those teams would be the leading candidates to replace UConn, unless the league decided to go with a team moving up from FCS. In that case, James Madison would be the top choice. The Dukes averaged 20,911 for football last season.

Other teams that could get some consideration, and their attendance totals from 2018:

Georgia St. (SBC) 16,615
Georgia Southern (SBC) 16,802
Toledo (MAC) 21,352
Troy (SBC) 24,527
Old Dominion (CUSA) 19,633
Liberty (FBS independent) 16,282
MTSU (CUSA) 15,577

Based on the article I linked above this is what they are looking for in a replacement:

But while a number of programs could realistically perform at a higher level than UConn on the football field, it's hard to find a match that could provide enough prestige, ticket sales, marketing and, most importantly, ESPN viewers and subscribers to make sense.

Nobody listed checks all the boxes.

Olyduck · Jun 25, 2019

Kaplony said:
Based on the article I linked above this is what they are looking for in a replacement:

But while a number of programs could realistically perform at a higher level than UConn on the football field, it's hard to find a match that could provide enough prestige, ticket sales, marketing and, most importantly, ESPN viewers and subscribers to make sense.

Nobody listed checks all the boxes.

checks YOUR boxes

Kaplony · Jun 25, 2019

Olyduck said:
checks YOUR boxes

Learn to read dumbass. The paragraph in italics above is from an article the Cincy newspaper wrote after speaking with AAC sources.

Olyduck · Jun 25, 2019

Kaplony said:
Learn to read dumbass. The paragraph in italics above is from an article the Cincy newspaper wrote after speaking with AAC sources.

oh my bad. that writers boxes.

BamaDude · Jun 25, 2019

Kaplony said:
Based on the article I linked above this is what they are looking for in a replacement:

But while a number of programs could realistically perform at a higher level than UConn on the football field, it's hard to find a match that could provide enough prestige, ticket sales, marketing and, most importantly, ESPN viewers and subscribers to make sense.

Nobody listed checks all the boxes.

Good catch. I didn't really consider stand pat as an option for more than a second or two. But that could work out for them.

Kaplony · Jun 25, 2019

BamaDude said:
Good catch. I didn't really consider stand pat as an option for more than a second or two. But that could work out for them.

It's evidently the #1 option at this point.

NolePride · Jun 25, 2019

Kaplony said:
It's evidently the #1 option at this point.

Why not Army?

Kaplony · Jun 25, 2019

NolePride said:
Why not Army?

Army was a member of CUSA and saw how restrictive joining a conference is when you use football as a recruiting tool. In the AAC Navy only really has one free OOC date each year due to playing Army, Air Force, and Notre Dame each year. While Army wouldn't be as restricted it would still hurt their ability to play a national schedule playing in the AAC.

theboardref · Jun 26, 2019

Who would want UConn as a football member only? They will be he hemorrhaging cash as an Independent team for the time being. This may kill the program.

NolePride · Jun 26, 2019

Kaplony said:
Army was a member of CUSA and saw how restrictive joining a conference is when you use football as a recruiting tool. In the AAC Navy only really has one free OOC date each year due to playing Army, Air Force, and Notre Dame each year. While Army wouldn't be as restricted it would still hurt their ability to play a national schedule playing in the AAC.

I'm not going to disagree with what you've posted. I was looking at it from the AAC's point of view.

Army has made a great return to good football by having excellent, well laid out schedules, which has its
share of MAC and 1-AA's spread throughout. LY's biggest gain for them was a 7-point OT loss to OU.

However, from the AAC's p.o.v., Army could be a great pick-up for the league. If nothing else the AAC would
get the Army-Navy game every year. Army draws well and has a 36k seat stadium that could easily be
adjusted to 40K+. A trip to West Point in the fall is very scenic in that area. Navy gace UCF all they wanted
and Navy wasn't worth a damn ly. Army could play at that level.

Ickey Shuffle · Jun 26, 2019

If Boise State wasn't so far off the grid, they would be the ideal replacement.

theboardref · Jun 26, 2019

Trench Mob said:
If Boise State wasn't so far off the grid, they would be the ideal replacement.

In theory Boise would have been added a long time ago. Their market value sucks, which is literally the main reason why they haven’t been asked to upgrade conferences.

78Cyclones · Jun 26, 2019

Trench Mob said:
If Boise State wasn't so far off the grid, they would be the ideal replacement.

Plus, leaving the MWC to go to the AAC would not be an upgrade for BSU.

With UConn jumping ship, the AAC has decisions to make.

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