(10-26-2013 03:36 PM)fresnofanatic Wrote:  

(10-26-2013 03:23 PM)ArmoredUpKnight Wrote:  BURN IT WITH FIRE!!! Its making my eyes bleed. It's way too large of a conference

I have always thought Fresno State was a quality add, Fresno over SDSU any days of the week. But I think Boise State has burned the bridge of possible Western expansion. I think we are content with the 12 we will have in 2015. It stucks waiting because I absolutely hate the amount of bye weeks we have but, we'll be ok.

Too large as in too much travel = not so.

Too large as in what, then?...I've updated the TV revenue per member and keep in mind we'll have two networks sharing our Tier 1 TV rights so it won't be a big cost to them and they get 26 football teams, 30 basketball teams, 3-game/2-weekend conference football tournament, 2 regions worth of a regional basketball tournament, then the next weekend for the Elite-8 AAC basketball championship.

It looks too large, but it's not, and that's the only thing that would get us such great tv revenue as to have 26 & 30 fanbases for the two major college money-making sports.

Too large as in you've got 35 teams in one conference! Come on!

(10-27-2013 01:04 AM)FonzKnight Wrote:  

(10-26-2013 03:36 PM)fresnofanatic Wrote:  

(10-26-2013 03:23 PM)ArmoredUpKnight Wrote:  BURN IT WITH FIRE!!! Its making my eyes bleed. It's way too large of a conference

I have always thought Fresno State was a quality add, Fresno over SDSU any days of the week. But I think Boise State has burned the bridge of possible Western expansion. I think we are content with the 12 we will have in 2015. It stucks waiting because I absolutely hate the amount of bye weeks we have but, we'll be ok.

Too large as in too much travel = not so.

Too large as in what, then?...I've updated the TV revenue per member and keep in mind we'll have two networks sharing our Tier 1 TV rights so it won't be a big cost to them and they get 26 football teams, 30 basketball teams, 3-game/2-weekend conference football tournament, 2 regions worth of a regional basketball tournament, then the next weekend for the Elite-8 AAC basketball championship.

It looks too large, but it's not, and that's the only thing that would get us such great tv revenue as to have 26 & 30 fanbases for the two major college money-making sports.

Too large as in you've got 35 teams in one conference! Come on!

Also,
10 conference games for the Champion.
9 conference games for semi-finalist
8 conference games for the non-tourney teams

Do you schedule 3 OOC games?
The members who only played 8 conference games get screwed on a game. This may effect their bowl eligibility.

31 of the 35 football members only get to play 11 game regular season... how is that better?

The only solution would mean that everyone would need to play during the semi-final week but the game doesn't count in the conference standings.... ew

I respect some programs in the MWC - Fresno being one of them. However, I don't see any logical strength to expanding among ourselves. Better to agree to compete for the next level. I like our chances of growth better that way.

(10-26-2013 05:32 PM)HoustonRocks Wrote:  The AAC is significantly better than the MWC. There is no school in the MWC with the potential of several AAC schools. Think of recruiting, media markets, support, enrollment, and facilities. Two AAC schools are building new stadiums. All AAC are making major facilities improvements. Meanwhile UNLV and CSU hope but have little possibilities.

Many MWC fans believe they have strong teams. That was true at one time, but no longer. All they need to do is compare bowl games this past season when their teams were pitted against lower level CUSA teams.

Can't imagine any AAC school voting for this merger.

Really? The AAC may be lucky enough to get 5 bowl teams & the MWC may get as many as 8.

(10-27-2013 11:56 AM)whitey Wrote:  

(10-26-2013 05:32 PM)HoustonRocks Wrote:  The AAC is significantly better than the MWC. There is no school in the MWC with the potential of several AAC schools. Think of recruiting, media markets, support, enrollment, and facilities. Two AAC schools are building new stadiums. All AAC are making major facilities improvements. Meanwhile UNLV and CSU hope but have little possibilities.

Many MWC fans believe they have strong teams. That was true at one time, but no longer. All they need to do is compare bowl games this past season when their teams were pitted against lower level CUSA teams.

Can't imagine any AAC school voting for this merger.

Really? The AAC may be lucky enough to get 5 bowl teams & the MWC may get as many as 8.

The MW won't get 8. Two of thier teams are already mathematically eliminated. If you look at thier schedules a few more of the long shots are eliminated due to games remaining vs Fresno and Boise. The rest of the teams stiil have bowl hopes alive---but they will have to eliminate the bowl hopes of other 4 win MW teams to do it. They probably wil qualify 6 schools at best.

I'm all for a 'large' conference consisting of the best of the MWC and the AAC. However, more than 20 teams is unwieldy. Ideally (at least for me), I would like to see one conference for football, consisting of 20 teams either split into 4 5-team pods or two 10-team divisions with no crossover games (3 non conference games). Y'all can figure out how the championship game would be determined... it's not that hard.

If BYU is involved, it would be even better.

For Olympic sports, we could add VCU, Dayton and Witchita State to the AAC and Gonzaga, St. Mary's and Pepperdine (for example) to the MWC.

It could work and I can guarantee that the presidents would vote for it if it would mean more access to a playoff, more money and possibly more money.

(10-27-2013 05:36 PM)Ned Low Wrote:  I'm all for a 'large' conference consisting of the best of the MWC and the AAC. However, more than 20 teams is unwieldy. Ideally (at least for me), I would like to see one conference for football, consisting of 20 teams either split into 4 5-team pods or two 10-team divisions with no crossover games (3 non conference games). Y'all can figure out how the championship game would be determined... it's not that hard.

If BYU is involved, it would be even better.

For Olympic sports, we could add VCU, Dayton and Witchita State to the AAC and Gonzaga, St. Mary's and Pepperdine (for example) to the MWC.

It could work and I can guarantee that the presidents would vote for it if it would mean more access to a playoff, more money and possibly more money.

I think any model has to be all-sports and has to look at 18 as the maximum. That gives you two 9 team divisions with a single crossover game. I'd prefer 16 to be honest so that a second crossover is possible. What might be more viable is a 3/4 country conference where only the eastern edge of the MW is taken. Look at something like BYU, Boise, Colorado St/Air Force, and New Mexico.

East--
Cinci
UConn
Temple
Navy
ECU
UCF
USF
Memphis


West

BYU
Boise
New Mexico
Air Force (or Colorado St)
Houston
SMU
Tulsa
Tulane

Its not quite as sexy as a coast to coast, but the logistics are a bit more manageable. It also allows the MW to survive. They can add UTEP and New Mexico S, and and they would be just fine. The problem is you miss out on some of the better schools (Fresno, UNLV, SDSU)--its a tradeoff for more reasonable travel.

(10-27-2013 06:35 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(10-27-2013 05:36 PM)Ned Low Wrote:  I'm all for a 'large' conference consisting of the best of the MWC and the AAC. However, more than 20 teams is unwieldy. Ideally (at least for me), I would like to see one conference for football, consisting of 20 teams either split into 4 5-team pods or two 10-team divisions with no crossover games (3 non conference games). Y'all can figure out how the championship game would be determined... it's not that hard.

If BYU is involved, it would be even better.

For Olympic sports, we could add VCU, Dayton and Witchita State to the AAC and Gonzaga, St. Mary's and Pepperdine (for example) to the MWC.

It could work and I can guarantee that the presidents would vote for it if it would mean more access to a playoff, more money and possibly more money.

I think any model has to be all-sports and has to look at 18 as the maximum. That gives you two 9 team divisions with a single crossover game. I'd prefer 16 to be honest so that a second crossover is possible. What might be more viable is a 3/4 country conference where only the eastern edge of the MW is taken. Look at something like BYU, Boise, Colorado St/Air Force, and New Mexico.

East--
Cinci
UConn
Temple
Navy
ECU
UCF
USF
Memphis


West

BYU
Boise
New Mexico
Air Force (or Colorado St)
Houston
SMU
Tulsa
Tulane

Its not quite as sexy as a coast to coast, but the logistics are a bit more manageable. It also allows the MW to survive. They can add UTEP and New Mexico S, and and they would be just fine. The problem is you miss out on some of the better schools (Fresno, UNLV, SDSU)--its a tradeoff for more reasonable travel.

I would be cool with that. Both divisions would be balanced strength-wise and the travel would be better.

(10-27-2013 06:35 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  East--
Cinci
UConn
Temple
Navy
ECU
UCF
USF
Memphis


West

BYU
Boise
New Mexico
Air Force (or Colorado St)
Houston
SMU
Tulsa
Tulane

Its not quite as sexy as a coast to coast, but the logistics are a bit more manageable. It also allows the MW to survive. They can add UTEP and New Mexico S, and and they would be just fine. The problem is you miss out on some of the better schools (Fresno, UNLV, SDSU)--its a tradeoff for more reasonable travel.

If you can get BYU in tow, then by all means bring in some of their buddies.
But they seem to be able to put together a quality national schedule, with the Bowl as the only weak spot (not that ours are any better).
Fresno's a cool school, I think SDSU wanted to stick it out with the AAC until Boise reverted to the MWC, west coast trips are fun and help recruiting, but it probably doesn't all add up unless you have BYU.

I think we're all done with realignment for a while. It will strike again when we least expect it, but it will come from the top.

at least with this proposed model we'd all avoid the headaches of where Boise and Fresno are going to put their other sports.

The Big East/AAC added the last 3-4 schools under a pressure packed situation, it's never good to make decisions under duress. The conference might have been better off waiting it out, especially since 3 of the programs weren't going to join until 2014 and 2015 anyway.

I would think that adding Colorado State and New Mexico could have done a lot to entice Air Force to move over. Heck, even take Wyoming if that would've helped the front range schools move en masse.

However, what's done is done now and I just don't see any reason for the AAC to add any more CUSA schools or any schools not named Army, Air Force and BYU. I think it's more likely we'll see the AAC lose a few programs after the big boys finish perfecting their desired conference line-ups. Then you'll see the CUSA and possibly MAC additions as back fills - but not before that happens.

.