For Funsies: Conference Reallignment/Creation

[Valley drop step]

So the four schools moving to the B12 have pulled off the strategy nearly all the AAC was trying to make work (other than WSU and Navy). They got that P5 invitation. The question remaining for the rest is whether it can still work over the next few years. Or is it time to pivot, de-emphasize football, and make basketball the collegiate sports "face" of your university. You know, like UConn did.

Temple, Memphis, and maybe Tulsa have enough residual basketball brand value left that they could pull off that kind of a pivot. But do they leave? Or do they band together with WSU, and push the AAC to emphasize basketball while still sponsoring football? I don't think that worked so well for the A10 back in the early 2000's. And you know ECU, USF, and SMU have no interest in that scenario.

So the next shoe to drop will be seeing who the AAC invites to replace those four schools. Are they football moves or basketball moves? Somebody call Ed McLaughlin and ask, 'cause I bet he's burning down the phone lines trying to get that answer before anyone else does.

IF the AAC loses their top 3 football programs, who do the backfill with? Like a said, the espn deal would be over. They would have to negotiate a new deal with whatever irreverent programs they can find. Will any scenario add value to the ESPN/Disney platform? Doubtful. There was a P5 with a quasi relevant AAC. Now there is a P4 with a quasi relevant B12. They way the wind is blowing if it’s not over for these schools now, it will be in the future. The playoff is a bonanza and will grow, everything else will weaken further.

 

[Wolfpack Ram]

Here's a potential A10 ripple effect: There is one A10 team sponsoring FBS football, as an independent: UMass. Surely the AAC is attractive to them (put aside whether UMass is attractive to the AAC). If they move to the AAC, should the A10 replace them? If so, who should it be?

Personally, before replacing an upper-half team that leaves, I'd try to balance it with a little addition by subtraction at the bottom, first. No one is getting "kicked out," but helping someone land in a conference more in keeping with their aspirations might be possible during the upcoming game of musical chairs.

Surely, you aren't saying you think UMass is an "upper-half" team in the A-10.

 

[VCU Heel]

If you duplicate Creighton (the second best big east team in that time period) and added to them to the big east, the conference average kenpom would only increase to 13.99.

Averages are rough. Only extreme outliers will move a conference with 11 members much, eg the top 10 teams across all college basketball the last 7 years. It gets easier when you either replace or add more good teams. For example, VCU and WSU combined would move the Big East to 14.33, almost tied with the ACC (and if you used VCU dropping 2018, it jumps to 14.484, which moves the Big East ahead of the ACC as the 3rd best conference). I think if the context is by adding VCU and WSU, the Big East is on par or better than the ACC, that sounds like an improvement.

It would be more useful with medians for each conference.

 

[Ululating Daddy]

Surely, you aren't saying you think UMass is an "upper-half" team in the A-10.

Recency bias - they were seeded 5th in this year's A10 tourney. When I look back 5 years, I have to concede your point.

 

[VCU Heel]

IF the AAC loses their top 3 football programs, who do the backfill with? Like a said, the espn deal would be over. They would have to negotiate a new deal with whatever irreverent programs they can find. Will any scenario add value to the ESPN/Disney platform? Doubtful. There was a P5 with a quasi relevant AAC. Now there is a P4 with a quasi relevant B12. They way the wind is blowing if it’s not over for these schools now, it will be in the future. The playoff is a bonanza and will grow, everything else will weaken further.

I would think their additions would come from:

Western Kentucky
Florida Atlantic
Louisiana Tech
North Texas
Marshall
Southern Miss
UAB
Middle Tenneesee

 

[Mercury]

UMASS is bad in both basketball and football. They are no flight risk.

 

[AlienAiden]

I would think their additions would come from:

Western Kentucky
Florida Atlantic
Louisiana Tech
North Texas
Marshall
Southern Miss
UAB
Middle Tenneesee

What a horrible football conference. Still better than the ACC though

 

[Newboy]

I would think their additions would come from:

Western Kentucky
Florida Atlantic
Louisiana Tech
North Texas
Marshall
Southern Miss
UAB
Middle Tenneesee

UNC Charlotte. Big market.

 

[Valley drop step]

I would think their additions would come from:

Western Kentucky
Florida Atlantic
Louisiana Tech
North Texas
Marshall
Southern Miss
UAB
Middle Tenneesee

 

[VCU Heel]

A few other teams for them to go after:

Appalachian State
Boise State
Coastal Carolina
Louisiana-Lafayette
Georgia Southern
Georgia State

 

[DisplacedRam]

anytime you have the opportunity to add North Texas to your conference you just have to pull the trigger

 

[Ramcounter]

I would think their additions would come from:

Western Kentucky
Florida Atlantic
Louisiana Tech
North Texas
Marshall
Southern Miss
UAB
Middle Tenneesee

Out of curiosity why would you not have ODU on your list of potential AAC additions?

 

[AlienAiden]

Out of curiosity why would you not have ODU on your list of potential AAC additions?

JMU would be a better option.

 

[BigE]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1436363438536724483

let's also invite WSU from AAC

 

[rvaram]

Coastal, app state and Liberty , would all be good ads for the aac. They're all serious about football. Right now coastal is ranked and Liberty and app state getting votes