(09-24-2021 12:32 PM)Eichorst Wrote:  One thing about NDSU is that they do seem to have great ratings and they have a strong relationship with ESPN. They might be a bigger player in realignment than some expect, even though they're still FCS.

I'd like the AAC to add Colorado St. CSU is basically in the footprint, they they've consistently done well in most major sports, they're a major land grant and flagship university, and they have a beautiful new stadium in the foothills. Good place for opposing fans to visit. CSU feels like the most "pure" addition the AAC could find.

CSU has not had consistently good FB or BB teams over the past decade.

If they can help to bring AFA, BSU & SDSU into the AAC, they'd be a good add, but not nearly as good if CSU were to join as the only MWC school. ULL, LTU, Marshall, App. State, and Buffalo all have much better FB programs.

(09-25-2021 02:18 AM)Milwaukee Wrote:  If [CSU] can help to bring AFA, BSU & SDSU into the AAC, they'd be a good add, but not nearly as good if CSU were to join as the only MWC school. ULL, LTU, Marshall, App. State, and Buffalo all have much better FB programs. ...

I don't see them as an add from the AAC side at all unless they help bring Air Force at the very least.

And even there, I would view that as a dubious Aresco move unless Air Force helps bring Army and brings the Army/Navy game into the conference.

Edit: Note that there are two major sports for FBS conference realignment, and FB is 70% to 80% of the value of the two for conference distributions. MBB can have higher value than that at individual schools, but the bulk of the MBB media value going to the NCAA Tourney contract and only a minority of that filtering back to schools biases conference values toward football. So when I see something like:

Quote: they've consistently done well in most major sports

... where "most" makes it sound like more than two sports are counted as "major", then I read it as casting the net wider for other college sports to offset an issue in one or both of the two major sports.

(09-25-2021 02:18 AM)Milwaukee Wrote:  

(09-24-2021 12:32 PM)Eichorst Wrote:  One thing about NDSU is that they do seem to have great ratings and they have a strong relationship with ESPN. They might be a bigger player in realignment than some expect, even though they're still FCS.

I'd like the AAC to add Colorado St. CSU is basically in the footprint, they they've consistently done well in most major sports, they're a major land grant and flagship university, and they have a beautiful new stadium in the foothills. Good place for opposing fans to visit. CSU feels like the most "pure" addition the AAC could find.

CSU has not had consistently good FB or BB teams over the past decade.

If they can help to bring AFA, BSU & SDSU into the AAC, they'd be a good add, but not nearly as good if CSU were to join as the only MWC school. ULL, LTU, Marshall, App. State, and Buffalo all have much better FB programs.

The AAC wants to stay a "golden ticket" G5 conference.

Adding AFA now and having both them and Navy keeps the prestige high.

Down the road if Marshall, ULL or App St breakout and demonstrate Boise level value then AAC could bring them in.

AAC will become another C_USA inviting schools that sucks in athletics with not much success.

My prediction for the MWC if AF and CSU go to the AAC:

MWC Mountain: Wyoming, New Mexico, UT ST, UNLV, SDSU
MWC West: Boise, Nevada, SJSU, Fresno, Hawaiii
7 conference games
MWC CCG: Boise v SDSU (most years)
Some of the MWC schools will get 6 OOC games a year; the others will get 5 OOC games if they didn’t play Hawaii that season

(09-28-2021 11:22 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  My prediction for the MWC if AF and CSU go to the AAC:

MWC Mountain: Wyoming, New Mexico, UT ST, UNLV, SDSU
MWC West: Boise, Nevada, SJSU, Fresno, Hawaiii
7 conference games
MWC CCG: Boise v SDSU (most years)
Some of the MWC schools will get 6 OOC games a year; the others will get 5 OOC games if they didn’t play Hawaii that season

Fresno St. has been to twice as many MWC title games as SDSU. Boise 5, Fresno 4, SDSU 2. Good shot at our 5th one this year. They wouldn't pigeon hole themselves into divisions if we had 10.

(09-25-2021 09:51 AM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(09-25-2021 02:18 AM)Milwaukee Wrote:  If [CSU] can help to bring AFA, BSU & SDSU into the AAC, they'd be a good add, but not nearly as good if CSU were to join as the only MWC school. ULL, LTU, Marshall, App. State, and Buffalo all have much better FB programs. ...

I don't see them as an add from the AAC side at all unless they help bring Air Force at the very least.

And even there, I would view that as a dubious Aresco move unless Air Force helps bring Army and brings the Army/Navy game into the conference.

Edit: Note that there are two major sports for FBS conference realignment, and FB is 70% to 80% of the value of the two for conference distributions. MBB can have higher value than that at individual schools, but the bulk of the MBB media value going to the NCAA Tourney contract and only a minority of that filtering back to schools biases conference values toward football. So when I see something like:

Quote: they've consistently done well in most major sports

... where "most" makes it sound like more than two sports are counted as "major", then I read it as casting the net wider for other college sports to offset an issue in one or both of the two major sports.

They don’t play Hockey (major sport in CO), Lacrosse (same), skiing (same), baseball (major sport in the AAC, ACC, Big 12, SEC and for some on the west coast) or Soccer (major in the NE, Midwest, and non Deep South).

Most of that outside of baseball probably doesn’t move the needle for AAC teams, but to me it speaks to a lack of institutional support.

I think the MWC would likely stay at 10. Boise wants to play the California Schools.

Air Force and Colorado State are now facing road blocks from their supporters and alumnis. Aresco is 0 and 2 now on getting schools from the Big 12 and MWC. If I were SEC, ACC, Big 12 and Big 10? I would tear the AAC even more to get the best schools from that conference to go past 16, and Big 12 and PAC 12 get the best MWC and top MVFC.

(09-29-2021 12:09 AM)Fresno St. Alum Wrote:  

(09-28-2021 11:22 PM)billybobby777 Wrote:  My prediction for the MWC if AF and CSU go to the AAC:

MWC Mountain: Wyoming, New Mexico, UT ST, UNLV, SDSU
MWC West: Boise, Nevada, SJSU, Fresno, Hawaiii
7 conference games
MWC CCG: Boise v SDSU (most years)
Some of the MWC schools will get 6 OOC games a year; the others will get 5 OOC games if they didn’t play Hawaii that season

Fresno St. has been to twice as many MWC title games as SDSU. Boise 5, Fresno 4, SDSU 2. Good shot at our 5th one this year. They wouldn't pigeon hole themselves into divisions if we had 10.

You know I almost did a SDSU/Fresno v Boise most years in the CCG. I got lazy. Thanks for correcting me. Much props to Fresno in all sports. Great facilities across the board, great fan support and you guys won the CWS! All around great athletics