Why aren't we members of the

[BR Eagle]

American Athletic Conference? They have 11 members (wouldn't 12 be natural?). Rivals Memphis, ECU, Tulane are in. Former CUSA schools Tulsa, UCF, Houston.

Not that it is a GREAT conference, but it would be a MUCH better fit than where we're at now. Has anyone asked AD about this? What are his thoughts?

Am I way off base on suggesting this? Do they just not want us?

 

[Shifty_Eagle]

What makes you think they would want anything to do with us? Have you been watching our football team the last 3 years? Did you watch last night?

I'm not sure the Sun Belt would take us.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[BR Eagle]

SMU would want us....

But it is not just one night, or two seasons that matter. Just seems like they would be better with 12 teams (or even 14) and we'd fit, based on our recent ties to many of the members of the conference.

 

[sprint-draw gandy!]

it def would be a better fit. I agree it would be better for the school and fans if we joined and played those schools. id rather be independent and play more teams from the Big 5 than stay in this conference.

 

[ahma]

I fail to see the difference in playing teams like Temple, Tulane, Tulsa, SMU and the like versus the teams in our conference. The competition is the same, pay is close to the same, the bowl contracts are virtually the same, the aacK does play (for now) on ESPN but mostly on Friday night and Saturday mornings. At least in CUSA we have one team, Louisiana Tech, who will bring a few fans to Hattiesburg. I think all the P5 teams should band together, do away with the conferences, divide the teams into 4 regions (to promote rivalries) and have their own 8 team playoff. This would be a lot more fun to follow than what we (we being all the P5 teams not just USM) have now and would probably generate a few extra dollars as well. It is headed in this direction the only question is how long will it take to get there.

 

[shortbob]

Navy joins the AAC next year I think as an associate member like ND in the ACC. Makes one wonder how the AAC will work out for ND. ND always has a very good schedule year to year. Will the ACC teams dumb the schedule down?

 

[crawgator]

Two words: television sets.

Take a look at the schools in the AAC. They're all located in large television markets. As was with the Big East, It's all about money with that conference. Southern Miss doesn't have enough TV sets r name recognition to get into another conference.

This post was edited on 11/2 11:18 AM by crawgator

This post was edited on 11/2 11:19 AM by crawgator

 

[B&GBU]

I'd be interested to know what exactly the AD, pres., etc.are doing to beg, borrow or steal our way in. What is their strategy and list of actions taken and to be taken. At some point the myth of TV market for some like Tulane, Memphis, SMU has to evaporate.

 

[cajun eagle]

We have a long history with a lot or most of the AAC. Each of us has scratched each others back over the years through scheduling, changing schedules, and most other aspects of sports. One year we played Memphis twice, once just so they would have scheduled games against enough Div 1A teams to maintain their status. Dr. Lucas demanded ECU being admitted to cusa, and there are others. I want our administration to do the following. First, openly announce that we are leaving cusa either by moving to another conference or taking the independent route. Secondly, report to us just what or why each of the schools we have helped are either for or against us. What do we have to lose? This crappy conference isnt going to kick us out one way or the other. If we cant move up then move on out the indy route. We can schedule South Ala, Troy, UAB, ULL, ULM, Arky State, Tx State & other which are JUST AS GOOD AND PRESTIGEOUS as the bunch we are aligned with now. I will be willing to back the program 100 percent if they do that, if not then I am gone.

 

[Etowah]

We have history with schools like Tulane and Memphis. I'd rather see us playing those than playing schools that a lot of people don't even know play football.

 

[eagleboy415]

Marshall is on their list ahead of us.

 

[Shifty_Eagle]

So is Rice, UTSA, MTSU, ODU.

 

[Mao Tse-gore]

And probably UAB.

 

[Herd Fever]

I always said Rice, UTSA, UTEP, and Houston should go to the Mountain West

Marshall, Southern Miss, WKU, MTSU, and North Texas should go to the AAC. That would make 2 major 16 team conferences

 

[Eaglebird Humperdink]

Originally posted by BR Eagle:
American Athletic Conference? They have 11 members (wouldn't 12 be natural?). Rivals Memphis, ECU, Tulane are in. Former CUSA schools Tulsa, UCF, Houston.

Not that it is a GREAT conference, but it would be a MUCH better fit than where we're at now. Has anyone asked AD about this? What are his thoughts?

Am I way off base on suggesting this? Do they just not want us?

Sorry, BR. This topic is scheduled semi-annually for March (just after the C-USA schedule is released) and early December to allow ample time for disgust wallowing prior to the beginning of bowl season.

 

[94Eagle]

Seriously? People are still asking this question? I would've figured that the reality of the past few years had finally removed e'body's gold-colored-glasses. All those folks who thought RG could wave a magic wand and get us into any number of conferences - should've been our choice, right? And that's when we were strong. But by the standards that conferences are using to select members, we were undesirable then, so what the crap do you think that makes us now??? We ain't going nowhere, folks. Get used to it.

 

[bartletteagle]

I wish we were. Great basketball and all our rivals are there. Now we play teams that no one has ever heard of.

This post was edited on 11/7 12:53 AM by bartletteagle

 

[Goldenbuc]

Navy will be a football only member. I'd rather have y'all than Tulane and/or Tulsa. We enjoyed the AAC last year while it was a BCS AQ, but it's rather blah now. Of course ECU thinks they're the new flagship. Good luck to y'all.