(09-04-2016 11:45 AM)bluesox Wrote:  Got to believe rice would prefer the AAC. Utep, utsa, north Texas and Texas state could all work. I wonder how long it would take for those schools to outshine the private AAC Texas schools

I know the mwc has a bad history with 16 teams but 4 Texas teams plus UNM, Air Force, Colorado St and Wyoming would be a solid division and would allow Boise and Utah St to go west with the NVs, CAs, and Hawaii

At a minimum, gotta be UTEP and Rice.

UTEP - way too much history with founding members of WAC and MWC, to not be with that conference. I understand the history that led them to ditch the WAC for CUSA, but it was a mistake. Time to come home.

Rice - very smart move, to take them before AAC can take them to replace Houston.


If they do end up losing CO St and/or Air Force -- which I think is unlikely at this point -- then you can look at others, maybe UTSA.

(09-04-2016 10:44 AM)Pony94 Wrote:  

(09-04-2016 10:05 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  Interesting--didn't they just vote earlier this year NOT to expand? If the AAC was raided by the Big12 I wonder if SMU and Tulsa would be poachable.

After discussions with our staff yesterday - no

That's been my feeling for a while. Not that it might not be the more attractive conference after a Big12 raid hits the AAC---but the economics just don't work. You would have to pay a 10 million dollar exit fee and walk away from a share of over 100 million in left behind exit fees/NCAA credit income to join a conference that pays less than the AAC. It just wouldn't make sense at this point. Maybe down the line it would---but not now.

Texas State and North Texas

(09-04-2016 10:05 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  Interesting--didn't they just vote earlier this year NOT to expand? If the AAC was raided by the Big12 I wonder if SMU and Tulsa would be poachable.

They said they were leaving a light on for BYU in case they wanted to return. Otherwise they were fairly set on giving spots to Rice and UTEP.

Going to 14 is good for Boise State since in pushes them into the pacific division. Its also better for travel with less cross divisional games.

Scenario:

B12 (BYU, Houston)
AAC (WKU)
MWC (UTEP, Rice)
CUSA (AState)
SBC (NMSU)


I think Rice is pretty desperate to get out of CUSA and the MWC might be viewed as equal in their eyes to the AAC. Basketball is much better in the AAC but Rice doesn't care about basketball.

Another issue with the AAC is a lot of schools are very aggressive on coaching salaries. Rice may not want the pressure to pay big salaries.

(09-04-2016 03:46 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

(09-04-2016 10:05 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  Interesting--didn't they just vote earlier this year NOT to expand? If the AAC was raided by the Big12 I wonder if SMU and Tulsa would be poachable.

They said they were leaving a light on for BYU in case they wanted to return. Otherwise they were fairly set on giving spots to Rice and UTEP.

Going to 14 is good for Boise State since in pushes them into the pacific division. Its also better for travel with less cross divisional games.

Scenario:

B12 (BYU, Houston)
AAC (WKU)
MWC (UTEP, Rice)
CUSA (AState)
SBC (NMSU)


I think Rice is pretty desperate to get out of CUSA and the MWC might be viewed as equal in their eyes to the AAC. Basketball is much better in the AAC but Rice doesn't care about basketball.

Another issue with the AAC is a lot of schools are very aggressive on coaching salaries. Rice may not want the pressure to pay big salaries.

Basketball is "much better" than the AAC

(09-04-2016 04:04 PM)smytiger Wrote:  

(09-04-2016 03:46 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

(09-04-2016 10:05 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  Interesting--didn't they just vote earlier this year NOT to expand? If the AAC was raided by the Big12 I wonder if SMU and Tulsa would be poachable.

They said they were leaving a light on for BYU in case they wanted to return. Otherwise they were fairly set on giving spots to Rice and UTEP.

Going to 14 is good for Boise State since in pushes them into the pacific division. Its also better for travel with less cross divisional games.

Scenario:

B12 (BYU, Houston)
AAC (WKU)
MWC (UTEP, Rice)
CUSA (AState)
SBC (NMSU)


I think Rice is pretty desperate to get out of CUSA and the MWC might be viewed as equal in their eyes to the AAC. Basketball is much better in the AAC but Rice doesn't care about basketball.

Another issue with the AAC is a lot of schools are very aggressive on coaching salaries. Rice may not want the pressure to pay big salaries.

Basketball is "much better" than the AAC

You might want to try reading the post again.

(09-04-2016 03:46 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

(09-04-2016 10:05 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  Interesting--didn't they just vote earlier this year NOT to expand? If the AAC was raided by the Big12 I wonder if SMU and Tulsa would be poachable.

They said they were leaving a light on for BYU in case they wanted to return. Otherwise they were fairly set on giving spots to Rice and UTEP.

Going to 14 is good for Boise State since in pushes them into the pacific division. Its also better for travel with less cross divisional games.

Scenario:

B12 (BYU, Houston)
AAC (WKU)
MWC (UTEP, Rice)
CUSA (AState)
SBC (NMSU)


I think Rice is pretty desperate to get out of CUSA and the MWC might be viewed as equal in their eyes to the AAC. Basketball is much better in the AAC but Rice doesn't care about basketball.

Another issue with the AAC is a lot of schools are very aggressive on coaching salaries. Rice may not want the pressure to pay big salaries.

Rice cares about baseball though, and MWC baseball is not exactly top-notch

(09-04-2016 04:26 PM)LR Eagle Wrote:  

(09-04-2016 04:04 PM)smytiger Wrote:  

(09-04-2016 03:46 PM)Kittonhead Wrote:  

(09-04-2016 10:05 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  Interesting--didn't they just vote earlier this year NOT to expand? If the AAC was raided by the Big12 I wonder if SMU and Tulsa would be poachable.

They said they were leaving a light on for BYU in case they wanted to return. Otherwise they were fairly set on giving spots to Rice and UTEP.

Going to 14 is good for Boise State since in pushes them into the pacific division. Its also better for travel with less cross divisional games.

Scenario:

B12 (BYU, Houston)
AAC (WKU)
MWC (UTEP, Rice)
CUSA (AState)
SBC (NMSU)


I think Rice is pretty desperate to get out of CUSA and the MWC might be viewed as equal in their eyes to the AAC. Basketball is much better in the AAC but Rice doesn't care about basketball.

Another issue with the AAC is a lot of schools are very aggressive on coaching salaries. Rice may not want the pressure to pay big salaries.

Basketball is "much better" than the AAC

You might want to try reading the post again.

Thanks Eagle, I stand corrected.

If the BIGXII did expand by 4 and they all came out of the AAC wouldn't it make sense for the 2 conferences to combine (MWC&AAC). That would be a 20 team conference coast to coast, legit football and basketball. I'm not sure how that works as far as their TV contracts go but it sounds like a pretty awesome conference to me. They could be the true gatekeeper conference to the P5

I would not be shocked if the MW decides to raid some western AAC schools in an event that the AAC loses some schools to the Big 12. Especially SMU and Tulsa.

(09-04-2016 04:43 PM)Flying Bearcat Wrote:  I would not be shocked if the MW decides to raid some western AAC schools in an event that the AAC loses some schools to the Big 12. Especially SMU and Tulsa.

Read above from attackcoog

Further we get our students from Texas or Cali. We are trying to get more East Coast kids. MWC doesn't help that

(09-04-2016 04:46 PM)Pony94 Wrote:  

(09-04-2016 04:43 PM)Flying Bearcat Wrote:  I would not be shocked if the MW decides to raid some western AAC schools in an event that the AAC loses some schools to the Big 12. Especially SMU and Tulsa.

Read above from attackcoog

Further we get our students from Texas or Cali. We are trying to get more East Coast kids. MWC doesn't help that

Perhaps you could include more east coast teams in your BB OOC schedule. I'd suggest UMass but guess that would send mixed messages.

If no teams leave, I could see adding historical rival UTEP for all sports. There could be a possibility of adding a football-only, like NMSU or maybe an upstart Wichita State FBS program.

(09-04-2016 05:22 PM)Steve1981 Wrote:  

(09-04-2016 04:46 PM)Pony94 Wrote:  

(09-04-2016 04:43 PM)Flying Bearcat Wrote:  I would not be shocked if the MW decides to raid some western AAC schools in an event that the AAC loses some schools to the Big 12. Especially SMU and Tulsa.

Read above from attackcoog

Further we get our students from Texas or Cali. We are trying to get more East Coast kids. MWC doesn't help that

Perhaps you could include more east coast teams in your BB OOC schedule. I'd suggest UMass but guess that would send mixed messages.

Sitting in a basketball staff member's house now. Will bring up UMASS for you

D2 West Coast schools are coming along with upgrading their facilities which could replace some Big Sky schools in case they leave.

Portland State could be an option for MWC. A giant tv market that MWC does not have yet. If they picked them? Western Oregon could come up to take their place. Western Oregon upsets Sacramento State yesterday.

Central Washington been doing some work on their facilities which could go to the Big Sky.

Dixie State is upgrading their stadium to add more seating in the ball park of under 15,000. They are also having a name change for their new nickname. It is a sign that they want to go someplace else than where they are at. They could go into Big Sky as well.

West Texas A&M have an approval to build an on campus stadium to seat 12,000, but could be expanded up to 22,000. They could change the plans to go up to 30,000 if they get invited to D1. They were a former club member in D1 football in the Border Conference with New Mexico, New Mexico State, UTEP, Texas Tech, Arizona, Arizona State and Northern Arizona. Once Border Conference folded, they joined the MVC and was FBS up until 1985. They had a stadium capacity at 20,000. They could make a pair with UTEP to reunite them New Mexico where there were a lot of history between those three.

Northern Arizona might be interesting. That could filled up the gap between New Mexico and California.

Montana and Montana State could be also a pair to help ease the expense on travel for Wyoming. They may say yes now since many of the schools in MWC are more to their peers than were they are at now.

I was able to have a couple of extended off-the-record visits with Thompson when he was at the Sun Belt. I also used to get insight via a mutual friend who unfortunately has since retired. That doesn't make me an expert on how his mind works but taking all that into account along with what he did with the SBC and what he has done with MWC I have a theory.

I believe that he is dealing with a dissatisfied front range and needs his brand moved further east to survive the renewal of the next TV deal.

Models on the table will be 14 (which moves Boise to the west) and 16 (which moves Boise and USU to the west).

I believe his plan A at a minimum is UTEP (helps the front range) plus at least Rice and probably SMU and Tulsa.

I think Plan A is a non-starter. I don't think Tulsa or SMU have any interest going west again and I don't think even in a raided and TV renegotiated AAC that MWC can offer a package that is so clearly superior they feel they have to take it. I believe also if Houston is taken by the Big XII that Rice is extremely likely to go AAC. SMU, Tulane, and Tulsa are all highly likely to support a Rice candidacy and they comprise enough votes to block any other addition. It's not a hard sell either, puts AAC back in Houston.

That means plan B is more likely and then you are talking UTEP plus either one of UTSA and UNT both of which are problematic to sell to the league, especially the front range because both have been disappointing or a four team addition and then you are looking at Arkansas State, Louisiana Lafayette, Louisiana Tech, and Southern Miss coming into the mix as well and I don't believe La.Tech would consider it unless USM were on board.

That makes Plan B a hard sale to the membership. I don't think NMSU enters the mix, they aren't an addition that either New Mexico or UTEP is going to be crazy about. New Mexico will do all the right things but the reality is they both like NMSU being available to fill one of those non-conference dates on the schedule that can be hard to find a home/home for.

Amazes me how NIU gets overlooked on these boards. Why not NIU to the MW?

(09-04-2016 07:36 PM)arkstfan Wrote:  I was able to have a couple of extended off-the-record visits with Thompson when he was at the Sun Belt. I also used to get insight via a mutual friend who unfortunately has since retired. That doesn't make me an expert on how his mind works but taking all that into account along with what he did with the SBC and what he has done with MWC I have a theory.

I believe that he is dealing with a dissatisfied front range and needs his brand moved further east to survive the renewal of the next TV deal.

Models on the table will be 14 (which moves Boise to the west) and 16 (which moves Boise and USU to the west).

I believe his plan A at a minimum is UTEP (helps the front range) plus at least Rice and probably SMU and Tulsa.

I think Plan A is a non-starter. I don't think Tulsa or SMU have any interest going west again and I don't think even in a raided and TV renegotiated AAC that MWC can offer a package that is so clearly superior they feel they have to take it. I believe also if Houston is taken by the Big XII that Rice is extremely likely to go AAC. SMU, Tulane, and Tulsa are all highly likely to support a Rice candidacy and they comprise enough votes to block any other addition. It's not a hard sell either, puts AAC back in Houston.

That means plan B is more likely and then you are talking UTEP plus either one of UTSA and UNT both of which are problematic to sell to the league, especially the front range because both have been disappointing or a four team addition and then you are looking at Arkansas State, Louisiana Lafayette, Louisiana Tech, and Southern Miss coming into the mix as well and I don't believe La.Tech would consider it unless USM were on board.

That makes Plan B a hard sale to the membership. I don't think NMSU enters the mix, they aren't an addition that either New Mexico or UTEP is going to be crazy about. New Mexico will do all the right things but the reality is they both like NMSU being available to fill one of those non-conference dates on the schedule that can be hard to find a home/home for.

Interesting insight, I guess a UTEP, La. Tech, Arkansas St, Southern Miss 4some makes sense for an eastward expansion. My question is whether or not Southern Miss would be receptive to the idea?

(09-04-2016 07:54 PM)bigredmachine Wrote:  Amazes me how NIU gets overlooked on these boards. Why not NIU to the MW?

Because it isn't likely that MWC is going to put enough new dollars on the table to make it worth NIU's trouble to have the closest league opponent 900+ miles away.