(11-18-2019 07:34 AM)BePcr07 Wrote:  

(11-17-2019 11:14 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(11-17-2019 05:30 PM)Pony94 Wrote:  

(11-17-2019 04:59 PM)Yosef Himself Wrote:  

I never heard that about the AAC failing. Interesting that it came from Rice, one of the most underwhelming athletic departments. If Rice put more effort in sports, they could join almost any conference they wanted to join. I love Rice but they just don’t seem to try. Maybe it’s just bad luck?

Regardless, the AAC won’t continue to exist out of necessity. The schools in it now (and future) rely on its existence as a stepping stone to a power conference. Not a school in it would reject an invite to join the PAC, B1G, SEC, ACC, XII - barring extreme geographical barriers. The AAC will only go away when all members join another conference or it will be a shell of its former self if there is a significant overhaul in membership with additions only from non-power conferences. I can see a stronger AAC form if/when the XII dissolves.

The B12 isn't going anywhere, even if raided. Leftovers will grab AAC, MWC schools and move on.

(11-22-2019 04:17 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(11-21-2019 12:01 PM)Pony94 Wrote:  

(11-21-2019 11:00 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(11-19-2019 07:46 AM)esayem Wrote:  

(11-18-2019 02:29 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  Rice really needs a Magnolia League of academically elite and/or private schools but as long as programs like Vandy, Duke, UNC, UVA, GT, Baylor, and TCU are in P5 leagues there isn’t an interest in forming such a conference.

I disagree. The AAC West would be their ideal home, just bump Memphis to the East. Rice plays their academic peers OOC.

Agreee. The AAC West has a lot in common with the G5 version of the Magnolia League I suggested. That would be a destination Rice would probably be reasonably happy with.

They had the chance and said no, so I have zero sympathies for them.

I don't believe those stories for a minute.

It really doesn't make sense to me either. Did the Big East supposedly invite them and they turned it down? Or just recently?

Why would they doll up for the Mountain West if they turned down the AAC?

It seems they could get a great system coach in their for hoops and recruit like St. Mary's. Boggles my mind they haven't done this. They must have horrible AD's.

I still think Paul Johnson would be an excellent football coach there if Bloomgren cannot turn it round next year. They'd dominate the horrible defenses of C-USA.

Let's make no mistake, I am a MWC fan, but I say straight up, the AAC is a better destination. Colorado State is a serious possible target of the AAC if the B12 doesn't come calling first. So yes Rice would go the AAC if they cam calling.

But I don't think the AAC will come calling. Houston is sitting on the same market, and Rice lacks the fan base of other AAC schools, has not produced much on the field lately and would in the bottom three of the AAC for budget. Colorado State is the only school (given the geography of San Diego State) that has an AAC level budget and could fit. They would also add Denver, a good new market. I discount Air Force because of the Olympic Sport problem (they are not moving those to the WAC or Summit).

Rice and UTEP are the two schools the MWC looked at for full membership a few years back ... before Wichita State went to the AAC and the MWC shifted to Gonzaga. If the MWC lost a football school, they would look at those Texas schools again. UTEP does not look super healthy, in large part because the El Paso area is not doing great, and in part because UTEP is almost and open admission school strapped for resources. Rice however is in the booming Houston metro and a an important recruiting zone.

It should also be noted that Rice and UTEP both approached the MWC, as they were not, and still are not happy with C-USA. Of course the American is a better destination, but that seems highly unlikely unless Houston gets picked up by the B12.

(11-22-2019 03:27 PM)JustAnotherAustinOwl Wrote:  

(11-21-2019 06:25 PM)esayem Wrote:  

(11-21-2019 12:01 PM)Pony94 Wrote:  

(11-21-2019 11:00 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(11-19-2019 07:46 AM)esayem Wrote:  I disagree. The AAC West would be their ideal home, just bump Memphis to the East. Rice plays their academic peers OOC.

Agreee. The AAC West has a lot in common with the G5 version of the Magnolia League I suggested. That would be a destination Rice would probably be reasonably happy with.

They had the chance and said no, so I have zero sympathies for them.

They did?

My impression is that Rice was not invited - so yeah, President Leebron might have been trying to get SMU/Tulane/UH to stay, but it was more like "don't leave us at the altar!"

FTR, I claim zero insider knowledge. Just my impression at the time.

I dont think so. More likely it was a different time period when Houston, SMU, and Tulane were already gone---but the retooled Big East looked really risky---perhaps even tottering on the verge of collapse. In early 2013, the league had been staggered to the point it was unclear if it would survive. In Feb of 2013, the Big East had lost 16 members since September of 2012, had no TV deal, and was looking for a #12 team after Boise and SDSU had decided not to join and instead returned to the Mountain West. It started leaking out that Tulsa would likely join the league around the time the TV deal was announced---but its not inconceivable that Rice (a well known long time former SWC member) might have been offered that slot first. Its also not inconceivable that the Rice thought the league was too risky and likely to collapse. Stability would likely be a huge issue for Rice as they already had been through the turmoil of the SWC collapse in 1993 and then were burned just a few short years later by the WAC Airport meeting that tore apart the 16-team WAC in 1998. I think Rice could have easily considered the Aresco conference (the conference didn't even have a name at that time) as too shaky to risk leaving CUSA. Remember, by this time, CUSA already had locked in 8 new replacement schools, including reasonably nearby schools like N Texas, UTSA, and LaTech, and appeared certain to survive.

What comes out of Chinese butts?


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(11-23-2019 08:58 PM)Jjoey52 Wrote:  What comes out of Chinese butts?


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My dad’s favorite joke (yes he’s a Texas grad)