Aresco Says AAC Will Expand

[redpony]

comet- while a lot you say is true I see little chance of an invite to little8. both tcwho and rapeU would be adamantly against it. IMO the MWC is not the conference to move to. They have no 'stars' especially if BSU and SDSU move to the little8 in the next expansion.
Our chances of moving up are slim. Even though fball is the dominating factor bball is important as well and in recent years we have shown no propensity to be relevant. We have an inept bball coach and no supporters who are willing to stand up and get us a known/winning/first level coach to replace him.

[Water Pony]

Aresco has been rebuffed several times now. Obviously AAC is in decline and we don't want lower quality teams just to fill numbers.. IMO we must move or become 'left overs' in DII. Perhaps ESPN could encourage ACC to accept us and another conference mate to bail us out.

Sadly RGT was more interested in building fountains than building top level sports teams years ago when it really mattered in developing our image.

ACC nor the PAC are going to look at SMU any time soon. They're still much more apt to poach BIG XII teams, let's be real.

SMU is currently set up, along with Memphis, as the top team for conference realignment outside of the P5. Winning now, and winning consistently has been great timing. The goal for SMU is to find a spot that puts them at the best chance of moving up.

Option 1: Stay in the new AAC - this conference just lost Houston, UCF, and Cinci. The teams that most excited me as a fan whenever SMU would play. They also make up 40% of the viewership for the conference. That's all gone now. AAC now has rumors of looking at Liberty, UAB, and other CUSA teams. Whether they backfill by getting 2 or 4, the replacements are diluting the brand and the tv revenue significantly. The silver lining here is that SMU would have absolutely NO excuse to not consistently tear up this conference and win it. This is a conference that you can remain in the top 25 in football and also get an NCAA basketball berth. However, the tv revenue will suck and the prestige of this conference will likely be less than the MWC (assuming the MWC continues to have Boise, SDSU, Fresno competing well for football - and that's not always the case).

Option 2: Move "laterally" to the MWC - if SMU were to move to the MWC AND this conference finds a way to get Wichita and Gonzaga in for basketball, then you're looking at a conference which has very good basketball and easily the best football in the G5. The downside here is that the markets of the MWC are hot garbage and the tv revenue will be significantly less than the current deal the AAC has (and maybe even less than a new deal the AAC could mint?). If SMU were to move here and compete, there would be a bit more of a national eye on that level of success. The MWC is a conference which has seen multiple of its teams move into the P5 via Utah, BYU, TCU. There could be an argument that succeeding well in the MWC might get more eyes on SMU than succeeding in a diluted AAC.

Those are really the only two real options. Regardless of what happens, the time to win is now. SMU can not take its foot off the gas. You do that, and you risk being left behind forever. There's a chance here for SMU to get invited into the Big XII if it goes to 14 (and definitely 16). The chance of SMU being invited into the ACC/PAC is not good at all, and only something which is viable after all the other major conferences have made major moves AND if SMU were to continue to dominate in football and become relevant in basketball again. Otherwise, it's a dream guys.

Straight forward summary. My only observation, perhaps more of a wish, is that both ACC and PAC12 would benefit from a move into the Central Time (CT) and Texas media markets. With an SMU, each of these conferences would gain a quality institution which, based on our last three years, will continue to be very competitive and exciting to watch.

My next question would then be who is picked up as our CT partner? Memphis is too far for PAC12, but very acceptable to the ACC.

[AusTxPony]

Moving into Texas/Central Time Zone for the PAC seems like a no-brainer. Since they are scholastically and non-religious oriented, perhaps TCU, SMU, UH and Kansas/Rice? Would add Dallas and Houston eyeballs and could split East (Original PAC and West (Newer PAC schools) or into Pods of 4, playing 3,2,2,2 in conference. Makes sense to me...

[Comet]

Aresco has been rebuffed several times now. Obviously AAC is in decline and we don't want lower quality teams just to fill numbers.. IMO we must move or become 'left overs' in DII. Perhaps ESPN could encourage ACC to accept us and another conference mate to bail us out.

Sadly RGT was more interested in building fountains than building top level sports teams years ago when it really mattered in developing our image.

ACC nor the PAC are going to look at SMU any time soon. They're still much more apt to poach BIG XII teams, let's be real.

SMU is currently set up, along with Memphis, as the top team for conference realignment outside of the P5. Winning now, and winning consistently has been great timing. The goal for SMU is to find a spot that puts them at the best chance of moving up.

Option 1: Stay in the new AAC - this conference just lost Houston, UCF, and Cinci. The teams that most excited me as a fan whenever SMU would play. They also make up 40% of the viewership for the conference. That's all gone now. AAC now has rumors of looking at Liberty, UAB, and other CUSA teams. Whether they backfill by getting 2 or 4, the replacements are diluting the brand and the tv revenue significantly. The silver lining here is that SMU would have absolutely NO excuse to not consistently tear up this conference and win it. This is a conference that you can remain in the top 25 in football and also get an NCAA basketball berth. However, the tv revenue will suck and the prestige of this conference will likely be less than the MWC (assuming the MWC continues to have Boise, SDSU, Fresno competing well for football - and that's not always the case).

Option 2: Move "laterally" to the MWC - if SMU were to move to the MWC AND this conference finds a way to get Wichita and Gonzaga in for basketball, then you're looking at a conference which has very good basketball and easily the best football in the G5. The downside here is that the markets of the MWC are hot garbage and the tv revenue will be significantly less than the current deal the AAC has (and maybe even less than a new deal the AAC could mint?). If SMU were to move here and compete, there would be a bit more of a national eye on that level of success. The MWC is a conference which has seen multiple of its teams move into the P5 via Utah, BYU, TCU. There could be an argument that succeeding well in the MWC might get more eyes on SMU than succeeding in a diluted AAC.

Those are really the only two real options. Regardless of what happens, the time to win is now. SMU can not take its foot off the gas. You do that, and you risk being left behind forever. There's a chance here for SMU to get invited into the Big XII if it goes to 14 (and definitely 16). The chance of SMU being invited into the ACC/PAC is not good at all, and only something which is viable after all the other major conferences have made major moves AND if SMU were to continue to dominate in football and become relevant in basketball again. Otherwise, it's a dream guys.

Straight forward summary. My only observation, perhaps more of a wish, is that both ACC and PAC12 would benefit from a move into the Central Time (CT) and Texas media markets. With an SMU, each of these conferences would gain a quality institution which, based on our last three years, will continue to be very competitive and exciting to watch.

My next question would then be who is picked up as our CT partner? Memphis is too far for PAC12, but very acceptable to the ACC.

I totally agree that both the PAC and ACC should move into Texas. The issue here is that they have so many other programs ahead of us to choose. They'll poach Baylor, TCU ahead of us, likely Houston too. All of those schools would leave the BIG XII in a heart beat. SMU is not bunny hopping those schools to get into the ACC or PAC. The only shot is that some of those schools (especially the ones who voted against SMU's addition into the BIG XII) are recruited by the ACC/PAC and the BIG XII backfills with SMU. That's the only realistic play here. Anything else I'm afraid is fanciful thinking.

[AusTxPony]

Doubt the PAC Presidents will select Baylor (Religion) or Tech (scholastics). Might consider Tulane (scholastics/market) with the Texas schools if the make the Texas move, but that Houston/Kansas Basketball is tough to turn down.

[SMUstang]

Currently, with a Western Division out of the question, the only remaining hope is UAB. What kind of a deal with ESPN can Aresco negotiate with and without UAB? Will it be more per school or less than the MWC is getting? What should SMU do besides keep winning in football and basketball? What kind of leverage in negotiations will the conference have going forward?

[Dukie]

Currently, with a Western Division out of the question, the only remaining hope is UAB. What kind of a deal with ESPN can Aresco negotiate with and without UAB? Will it be more per school or less than the MWC is getting? What should SMU do besides keep winning in football and basketball? What kind of leverage in negotiations will the conference have going forward?

UAB isn't a "hope." They'd come. But your questions about whether they are worth it are the correct ones. I think they are not.

[Water Pony]

Currently, with a Western Division out of the question, the only remaining hope is UAB. What kind of a deal with ESPN can Aresco negotiate with and without UAB? Will it be more per school or less than the MWC is getting? What should SMU do besides keep winning in football and basketball? What kind of leverage in negotiations will the conference have going forward?

UAB isn't a "hope." They'd come. But your questions about whether they are worth it are the correct ones. I think they are not.

I agree, Dukie. By themselves, UAB won't be a meaningful add; although I like them and Birmingham. The challenge is how does Aresco salvage a winning formula? A lesser AAC may be inevitable; but we should not be comfortable. If we continue to win and progress, we will have leverage and new possibilities.

[Bergermeister]

SMU isn't a "hope." They'd come. But your questions about whether they are worth it are the correct ones. I think they are not.

What the P5s are saying.

[SMUstang]

In my opinion, UAB and UTSA make sense because they both bring large markets and very little competition for attention. More so than UCF or Cincy.

[ponyboy]

Unfortunately, no matter how big the market, how big the fanbase, directional schools will always and forever be seen as lesser schools by the general public. Now that I think about it, it’s kind of an open question whether the “southern” in our name gives out a directional vibe.

[Bergermeister]

Unfortunately, no matter how big the market, how big the fanbase, directional schools will always and forever be seen as lesser schools by the general public. Now that I think about it, it’s kind of an open question whether the “southern” in our name gives out a directional vibe.

Like Southern Cal?

[SMUstang]

or UCLA?

[Dukie]

SMU isn't a "hope." They'd come. But your questions about whether they are worth it are the correct ones. I think they are not.

What the P5s are saying.

Yep, this is true. Gotta become worth it.

[AfricanMustang]

I really believe no one will court us until we make a couple of NY6 bowl games and create a t-shirt fan base. We don't move the needle much otherwise. Our time in the AAC, where we have a realistic shot at conference championships, is the best way to get noticed and promoted.

Obtaining AAU status or Top 50 status would also help, but this has been discussed before at length. At least it wouldn't give the BIG or PAC an excuse not to invite us.

Plus, University Presidents do look at a school's endowment. As of June 2020, our endowment was an estimated $2bm. Our newest fund raising campaign targets an additional $1.5bn. That's some serious cash and places us well within the Top Hundred School endowments.

SMU Ignited / Boldly Shaping Tomorrow

https://www.smu.edu/ignited

Our Endowment was $1.664 as of May 31st 2020. We had reason as high as $1.3 billion in 2008, because the financial crisis pushed us back to barely above $1 billion.

Our Endowment rose to $2,100,476,741 as of June 30th 2021.