According to several sources throughout the league, the American Athletic Conference is looking for a way to upgrade its rankings in basketball with an expansion blueprint focused primarily on Wichita State, but also including other higher profile basketball schools such as Dayton and Virginia Commonwealth.
According to several sources throughout the league, the American Athletic Conference is looking for a way to upgrade its rankings in basketball with an expansion blueprint focused primarily on Wichita State, but also including other higher profile basketball schools such as Dayton and Virginia Commonwealth.
I am fully on board with Wichita State. Talk here in town is they are going to be adding football.
Interesting history here for those who think it can't get worse around here. For its last wins, WSU beat Tulane in Superdome in 1986 then Central Florida the next week (it was not Div 1A then if I recall.) Some weeks later it dropped football.
My memory is fuzzy but I think this is the game where Terrence Jones stretched to score a TD and fumbled ball through the end zone for a touchback. WSU won by one point so I always have bad flashbacks when I see a Tulane player try the same thing now.
Also internet rumor last year was WSU was romancing MWC. Obviously that's a better geographical fit for it but I guess there was no interest there. If Dayton is interested in AAC then that means its Catholic brethren in the Big East have said no room at the inn there.
Baywave1 wrote:Also internet rumor last year was WSU was romancing MWC. Obviously that's a better geographical fit for it but I guess there was no interest there. If Dayton is interested in AAC then that means its Catholic brethren in the Big East have said no room at the inn there.
Obviously all idle speculation.
Tulsa is only like 3 hours from here. Dallas 6. How close are we to the other conference schools?
Baywave1 wrote:Also internet rumor last year was WSU was romancing MWC. Obviously that's a better geographical fit for it but I guess there was no interest there. If Dayton is interested in AAC then that means its Catholic brethren in the Big East have said no room at the inn there.
Obviously all idle speculation.
Tulsa is only like 3 hours from here. Dallas 6. How close are we to the other conference schools?
If you're willing to embrace SMU to UConn, WSU and Dayton are both easy fits....
Individually, I like all three schools mentioned. But I worry about adding 3 more non-football schools. I like when a conference is MOSTLY all sport institutions.
If WSU would come in for all sports besides football, it would actually be a nice balance for Navy (and maybe we could do divisions for basketball to save on travel?). But three affiliate members sounds like a lot, especially when we already have Navy.
“We will expect success in all endeavors and be prepared to assess and hold ourselves accountable when we aren't successful. Tulane is a top 40 academic institution and it should expect nothing less from its athletic department.”--Troy Dannen 11.5.16
Baywave1 wrote:Also internet rumor last year was WSU was romancing MWC. Obviously that's a better geographical fit for it but I guess there was no interest there. If Dayton is interested in AAC then that means its Catholic brethren in the Big East have said no room at the inn there.
Obviously all idle speculation.
Tulsa is only like 3 hours from here. Dallas 6. How close are we to the other conference schools?
Wichita was the launching point to the Wild and Wooly Cowboy West not the Plantation South nor the Yankee North and East. Wyatt Earp was not the Sheriff of Philadelphia.
Just having fun, friend. I'd be ok if WSU was in AAC but I'd bring in SLU before VCU. Dayton?? Who knows?
No one should be added who does not have a 1-a football program. If Wichita State gets one I'll be intrigued with the possibilities. Until then, no. The quickest way to make this league better is to strengthen football.
And may our enemies, if they exist, be unconscious of our purpose. - From The Lady Vanishes
long green wrote:No one should be added who does not have a 1-a football program. If Wichita State gets one I'll be intrigued with the possibilities. Until then, no. The quickest way to make this league better is to strengthen football.
I agree with this and Prof above. I'd prefer that any more additions have an already established football program (I think Navy should be in for all sports, but at least football is the one), but I don't mind if we have 1 or 2 schools (keep it even) that only add to the basketball resume.
As for Witchita, St, I don't know about their BBall because I don't follow basketball as much on a national level anymore (thanks in part to the "one and done" phenomenon) but I know they would add to baseball, though like ML said, that shouldn't be the reason they join.
Tulane Greenbackers
"If you want to win you have to have good players." Vince Gibson
long green wrote:No one should be added who does not have a 1-a football program. If Wichita State gets one I'll be intrigued with the possibilities. Until then, no. The quickest way to make this league better is to strengthen football.
I agree with this and Prof above. I'd prefer that any more additions have an already established football program (I think Navy should be in for all sports, but at least football is the one), but I don't mind if we have 1 or 2 schools (keep it even) that only add to the basketball resume.
As for Witchita, St, I don't know about their BBall because I don't follow basketball as much on a national level anymore (thanks in part to the "one and done" phenomenon) but I know they would add to baseball, though like ML said, that shouldn't be the reason they join.
Um, they're usually pretty good, they'd probably be one of the top programs in our conference off the bat.
Using big words is not a personal attack
#cousins don't count
Also I have a vague recollection that someone mentioned that WSU coach might be paid more than any current AAC coach (especially now that Brown is gone.)
If UConn wants to go, AAC can make the trade and at least for MBB and baseball elevate the conference. I won't make argument for football that it will be addition by subtraction but there is that too. However I will miss Auriemma.
BTW I don't think UConn is going to BE. Just doing "what if" speculation.
sr wrote:... and VCU was such a great road experience.
I loved playing there!
1. Nice arena, 2. we usually won, 3. hotel connected to the arena so we literally walked to shootaround and the game, 4. hotel also connected to a mall (something to do during down time!), 5. we always ate at an awesome all-you-can-eat seafood restaurant.
sr wrote:... and VCU was such a great road experience.
I loved playing there!
1. Nice arena, 2. we usually won, 3. hotel connected to the arena so we literally walked to shootaround and the game, 4. hotel also connected to a mall (something to do during down time!), 5. we always ate at an awesome all-you-can-eat seafood restaurant.
From what I understood the crowd, students, whomever - weren't always civil in their remarks or comments to the team ...
VCU? Their fans weren't that close to our bench... I can't speak to after I was done, maybe some crude comments were made which led to that rumor. But playing there was not tough in terms of a road crowd. Large arenas were always surprisingly quiet down on the floor, because the noise would get lost in the rafters. Freedom Hall was the biggest surprise - both because the place was so big and because they had a large contingent of the so-called "wine and cheese" crowd. It was really only hard to play there because it was a large arena (deep backdrop behind the basket) and because Louisville was always good.
Local paper (Wichita) article about possibility of AAC adding Wichita State or another non-football school. Aresco seems to indicate we would not take more than one (if any). http://www.kansas.com/sports/college/wi ... 62268.html
“We will expect success in all endeavors and be prepared to assess and hold ourselves accountable when we aren't successful. Tulane is a top 40 academic institution and it should expect nothing less from its athletic department.”--Troy Dannen 11.5.16