cincy, hou and ucf bailing out early

[SoCal_Pony]

and lol, i think redpony represents the grumpy old dark side many of us have towards SMU in general and SMU athletics specifically.

Over the past 33 years:

SMU FB has not won a Conference Championship.
SMU MBB has not won an NCAA tournament game.
SMU WBB has won 3 NCAA tournament games*

* - yet we kept Rhonda around for 25 years

That’s not mediocrity, that’s ineptitude.

[JasonB]

According to CBS Sports:

The buyout for the teams to exit the conference early is $18 million per school to be paid over 14 years, according to The Athletic. Those totals come to $54m.

Understand. I only used one as an example. Want the real figures then use the 54 mil. @14 yrs@ 8.6% inflation. The results will be even more blatant on how Aresco sold the rest of us down the river.

Apparently the deal is front-loaded:

"Each departing school agreed to pay the AAC $18 million, with more than half paid out by 2024 and the rest due over a period of 12 years, two people with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press."

That is actually a good deal for us. That front loaded piece (27-30M)will be split by the remaining schools, and we aren't going to see the rest anyway because we are out by 2025.

[redpony]

[quote="SoCal_Pony"]and lol, i think redpony represents the grumpy old dark side many of us have towards SMU in general and SMU athletics specifically.

yep- you are very likely correct. have been a fan for over 70+ years so I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. Not much time left to enjoy future good if it ever happens.
Just can't stand mediocrity and ineptitude.

[mtrout]

and lol, i think redpony represents the grumpy old dark side many of us have towards SMU in general and SMU athletics specifically.

Over the past 33 years:

SMU FB has not won a Conference Championship.
SMU MBB has not won an NCAA tournament game.
SMU WBB has won 3 NCAA tournament games*

* - yet we kept Rhonda around for 25 years

That’s not mediocrity, that’s ineptitude.

Preach.

Regarding Rhonda, it's not like Mays did any better. Best thing he did was bring in Eric Thomas to yell at the team and ask them if their goal is to be 11-19 again.

Also we have no athletic department goals except "compete" so don't be surprised when failure and mediocrity are what we find in the end. If you have no real goals then there's no definitive failure so nothing ever changes.

But hey we're highly ranked on the 247 portal transfer metrics so we'll treat that like we just made the college football playoff.

[JasonB]

and lol, i think redpony represents the grumpy old dark side many of us have towards SMU in general and SMU athletics specifically.

yep- you are very likely correct. have been a fan for over 70+ years so I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. Not much time left to enjoy future good if it ever happens.
Just can't stand mediocrity and ineptitude.

The 2023 season of SMU with this roster in the remaining AAC is going to be the football equivalent to watching UNLV in the Big West in 1991.

[peruna81]

and lol, i think redpony represents the grumpy old dark side many of us have towards SMU in general and SMU athletics specifically.

yep- you are very likely correct. have been a fan for over 70+ years so I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. Not much time left to enjoy future good if it ever happens.
Just can't stand mediocrity and ineptitude.

The 2023 season of SMU with this roster in the remaining AAC is going to be the football equivalent to watching UNLV in the Big West in 1991.

well, I am grateful for both your analysis and enthusiasm.
The old Russian proverb came to mind as I read: Доверяй, но проверяй...that "trust but verify" thingy. I trust that you know more than just about anyone here, but am eagerly awaiting verification against NTSU and our other foes this fall and next.

Going 3-0 out of the gate this year is going to be YUGE.

[Mustangs_Maroons]

I’m not sure aspiring to be the tallest midget gets us in any more in considering how diluted the next worst conference is (B12). That ship may have sailed. We’re a decade late I think.

[peruna81]

AAC to ACC

It is just one letter.

[JasonB]

I’m not sure aspiring to be the tallest midget gets us in any more in considering how diluted the next worst conference is (B12). That ship may have sailed. We’re a decade late I think.

The big unknown is if being the tallest midget will bring a gate and TV eyeballs. If that happens, change will come quick. If not, it is going to be a long decade.

[Insane_Pony_Posse]

am eagerly awaiting verification against NTSU and our other foes this fall and next. Going 3-0 out of the gate this year is going to be YUGE.

Yes me too. We have a new head coach, lots of new players, most likely a new QB, and will be on the road. We must win the first 2 games...before we face Maryland on the road, then TCU, followed by UCF on the road. Will we be favored in those games against Maryland, TCU, or UCF? I doubt it. Winning 7 games this year wont be cake-walk.

[PonyPride]

The release from the AAC:

American Athletic Conference Announces Agreements With UCF, Cincinnati and Houston on Departures From The American

IRVING, Texas – American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco has announced that The American has reached agreements with the University of Central Florida, the University of Cincinnati and the University of Houston regarding the departure of those institutions from The American.

Under the terms of the agreements and in accordance with conference bylaws, The American’s member institutions voted to terminate the membership of UCF, Cincinnati and Houston effective July 1, 2023.


American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco
“I would like to thank UCF President Alexander Cartwright, Cincinnati President Neville Pinto and Houston President Renu Khator – as well as Tulane President Michael Fitts, who is chair of our Board of Directors - for their efforts and leadership to arrive at a sensible resolution to the three schools’ departure from the conference. All three institutions enjoyed tremendous success under the American Athletic Conference banner, and all three were instrumental in taking the conference to great heights, both athletically and academically. We wish them the best and look forward to having them compete in our conference in 2022-23.”