One of the unique qualities of the Big Ten is that all of its members except Nebraska are members of the Association of American Universities (AAU) and Nebraska was a member of the AAU when they were accepted. The Big Ten seems to take big pride in the academic excellence of its members/universities. Most of its universities are ranked in USN&WR's Top 100 national universities. The ACC also has most of its members ranked in the Top 100 although Louisville is ranked very low compared to its other members.

A long time ago, I proposed an "AAU" conference if only the top AAU athletic members (no Ivy League schools) formed a super conference: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1188...e-proposal

For the purpose of this conference, I also took out some schools that were AAU.

So here is an updated 2020 version. I'll include all of the current 34 P5 schools that are AAU (Utah was recently added). They fit in three conferences, two conferences of 12 and one conference of 10.

Big Ten: Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Indiana, Purdue, Illinois, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Iowa State, Missouri

Pac 12: California, UCLA, Stanford, USC, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Texas, Texas A&M, Kansas

ACC: Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Duke, Georgia Tech, Florida, Vanderbilt

To keep it even, I had to separate Missouri and Kansas. Kansas is the big loser in this setup as they are stuck in the Pac-12. Four divisions would be tough as you would have to put the nine Pacific/Mountain teams together (or eight and put Colorado in a "Central" division) and you would have to split up the "Big Ten".

In the Pac 12, the divisions are obvious, the California schools, Oregon and Washington are the Pacific and the other schools can be Mountain/Central/Southwest or whatever they want to call it.

In the Big Ten, the question is who joins the Michigan and Indiana schools and Ohio State. Since I'm proposing it, I'll put my Illini in the East. I wouldn't object to North/South if they want to split Michigan and Ohio State (Northwestern would be in the South with OSU, Illinois, Missouri, and both Indiana schools so both Iowa schools are in the North with both Michigan schools, Wisconsin, and Minnesota).

Obviously no divisions in the ACC.

There are only two G5's in the AAU, Rice and Tulane. You're not adding them to the AAU Conference, they'd never be able to compete.

(08-26-2020 05:48 AM)schmolik Wrote:  There are only two G5's in the AAU, Rice and Tulane. You're not adding them to the AAU Conference, they'd never be able to compete.

Buffalo.

So let's say the Big Ten, ACC, and Pac 12 are the conferences as such. All non AAU members are booted and all AAU members from the Big 12 and SEC left.

No longer members:
Big Ten: Nebraska
ACC: Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Louisville, Miami, NC State, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
Pac 12: Arizona State, Oregon State, Washington State

Left for AAU:
SEC: Florida, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M
Big 12: Texas, Kansas, Iowa State

With Florida gone and Florida State needing a home, FSU to the SEC is too obvious. The Big 12 without Texas is a second class conference so the SEC takes Oklahoma. They then take Clemson, NC State, Virginia Tech, and a 16th team TBD. They'd want Notre Dame but would Notre Dame want a full commitment? The SEC no longer has a Texas team after Texas A&M left and Texas is not an option. Would they settle for Texas Tech? Miami and Louisville are on the table. If Oklahoma won't join the SEC without Oklahoma State, they'd be the obvious 16th team.

The Big 12 would then choose from whoever's left over. Would they go from the ACC leftovers or the Pac-12 leftovers? They almost certainly would get Nebraska back unless the SEC wants them and Nebraska wouldn't fit in geographically with the SEC, especially with Missouri leaving.

You academic snobs can root all you want for this day but Vanderbilt would rather be associated with Alabama football and UK hoops than be in an all-AAU sports conference. Truth can be said about anyone in a P5 conference. The whole AAU thing is merely an argument to keep certain schools out of the cartel if they are otherwise undesirable. If they bring in a truck load for fans and $ they are welcome to the autonomous group.

(08-26-2020 06:02 AM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  

(08-26-2020 05:48 AM)schmolik Wrote:  There are only two G5's in the AAU, Rice and Tulane. You're not adding them to the AAU Conference, they'd never be able to compete.

Buffalo.

Good catch, thank you.

SEC without AAU schools would be interesting:

Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana State, Mississippi State, Mississippi, Auburn, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisville, Florida State, Georgia, South Carolina, Clemson

In that world, I see an emergence of more independents, who would place their other sports in a conference like the Big East. Nebraska would probably ask Creighton to allow them to get a non-football spot in that conference. So would West Virginia, Boston College, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech and Miami go back to the Big East as non-football members, maybe joined by Wake Forest and North Carolina State. The Big East would definitely welcome back Syracuse and Notre Dame but may take in the rest with penalties for leaving early. Nebraska, in particular, would be able to schedule old rivals like Oklahoma and Colorado, plus get a few games in recruit-rich areas.

The SEC would still be the dominant conference but the others would be evenly matched, with the ACC maybe weaker with only Penn State, Florida and Pitt in the mix. There would be new opportunities for independents to get desirable bowl games without a strong Big 12 to take a strong bowl tie-in, which is why independence in this scenario is viable again.

Big Ten
SEC
ACC
PAC
Big 12/PAC/AAC
BYU
Notre Dame
Nebraska
West Virginia
Miami

It's possible the Big East could re-start football but I doubt it and it probably wouldn't be necessary.

(08-26-2020 05:48 AM)schmolik Wrote:  There are only two G5's in the AAU, Rice and Tulane. You're not adding them to the AAU Conference, they'd never be able to compete.

Why?

(08-26-2020 09:50 AM)Transic_nyc Wrote:  It's possible the Big East could re-start football but I doubt it and it probably wouldn't be necessary.

Connecticut, Villanova, Georgetown, and Butler are a few schools short.

(08-26-2020 06:11 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  You academic snobs can root all you want for this day but Vanderbilt would rather be associated with Alabama football and UK hoops than be in an all-AAU sports conference. Truth can be said about anyone in a P5 conference. The whole AAU thing is merely an argument to keep certain schools out of the cartel if they are otherwise undesirable. If they bring in a truck load for fans and $ they are welcome to the autonomous group.

Exactly. I don't see a few of the elite non-AAU schools being dropped like Notre Dame & BC nor valuable athletic brands like Alabama, LSU, Auburn, Georgia, Nebraska, Florida State, Virginia Tech, and Clemson, but you're more or less probably looking at the semi-pro league that forms when most of the P5 leaves the NCAA sooner or later. Some of the weaker schools (Wake, etc.) will get dropped, but every member of that league will be either AAU or an athletic powerhouse brand IMO. Ole Miss, Mississippi St., Wake, Baylor, Oregon St., Wazzu, Okie State, K-State, et. al. need not apply.