There was talk of a CUSA-MWC around the 2012 realignment saga. The AAC is basically former CUSA now. If the merger didn't happen then, it's definitely not happening now.

It was slim to none before and now that the AAC has added 6 mostly terrible schools, slim just died.

If Big12 goes to 16 with Boise, SMU, Memphis and USF…

…and espn ditches being a part of upcoming Pac12 and Big12 contracts…

1). MW couldn’t get, say, UNT and UTSA and say Rice or Tulsa to make 14 because those 3 wouldn’t be able to pay the aac exit fees and make the same or less on MW’s Boise-less tv contract that follows Pac then Big12’s contracts.

2). ESPN saving on ignoring PAC and Big12 could get nice content fill in with this AAC!…

“( )” = football only

West/(Pacific) Div: (Hawaii), San Jose, Fresno, San Diego, UNLV, Nevada

West/(Mtn) Div: Utah St, Wyo, Colo St, AirForce, New Mex, UTEP

East/(Central) Div: Tulsa, UNT, UTSA, Rice, Tulane, (Navy), <Wichita St>

East/(East) Div: (Army), Temple, ECU, UNCChar, UAB, FAU

For all non-football sports, there would be max of 11 teams per 2 divisions. Not much crossover. And ESPN just might give all 24 football and Wichita State what CURRENT 11 team AAC members get per school in tv revenue.

I don’t see stand alone MW and AAC without SMU, Boise, USF and Memphis getting nearly what they could/might/maybe get as a coast to coast mega conference with all 3 military academies for football.

ESPN saving by nixing PAC and Big12 would give them more open capital for getting a nice 2nd Tier BigTen, more for SEC-16, and more for next CFP contract.

This AAC would be cheap to them but good for the 24 members filling in vacated espn content/slots that SEC-16 wouldn’t fill but a few games per season.

(05-04-2022 10:31 PM)Fresno Fanatic Wrote:  If Big12 goes to 16 with Boise, SMU, Memphis and USF…

…and espn ditches being a part of upcoming Pac12 and Big12 contracts…

1). MW couldn’t get, say, UNT and UTSA and say Rice or Tulsa to make 14 because those 3 wouldn’t be able to pay the aac exit fees and make the same or less on MW’s Boise-less tv contract that follows Pac then Big12’s contracts.

2). ESPN saving on ignoring PAC and Big12 could get nice content fill in with this AAC!…

“( )” = football only

West/(Pacific) Div: (Hawaii), San Jose, Fresno, San Diego, UNLV, Nevada

West/(Mtn) Div: Utah St, Wyo, Colo St, AirForce, New Mex, UTEP

East/(Central) Div: Tulsa, UNT, UTSA, Rice, Tulane, (Navy), <Wichita St>

East/(East) Div: (Army), Temple, ECU, UNCChar, UAB, FAU

For all non-football sports, there would be max of 11 teams per 2 divisions. Not much crossover. And ESPN just might give all 24 football and Wichita State what CURRENT 11 team AAC members get per school in tv revenue.

I don’t see stand alone MW and AAC without SMU, Boise, USF and Memphis getting nearly what they could/might/maybe get as a coast to coast mega conference with all 3 military academies for football.

ESPN saving by nixing PAC and Big12 would give them more open capital for getting a nice 2nd Tier BigTen, more for SEC-16, and more for next CFP contract.

This AAC would be cheap to them but good for the 24 members filling in vacated espn content/slots that SEC-16 wouldn’t fill but a few games per season.

How this would unfold…

1). BigTen> Tier1: Fox, Tier2: NBC & ESPN(a smidge less content than currently), Basketball: All 3 + CBS

2). Pac12> Tier1: Fox and NBC, Tier2: Apple and/or Amazon

3). Big12(16)> Fox/CBS

4). AAC(24)/22>. ESPN (maybe sublicense some content to cbssn and/or TruTV)