If Army declines, then choose UAB or SDSU. Also consider shoring up basketball by adding someone like St. Louis or VCU for all sports except football.
Quotes per Mike Aresco:
"We would want institutions that would enhance our brand and had the resources to be as competitive at the top level. If there are schools interested in us that would enhance our brand and be a good cultural and competitive fit, then why wouldn’t we consider them?"
Athletic department revenue, Air Force in the Mountain West, East Carolina (AAC) and Colorado State (Mountain West).
The top options are likely to start with UAB, a rising power in the G5 located in the heart of the Deep South. Several others may fit that mold, including Air Force, Army, Colorado State, Boise State, North Texas, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina and Arkansas State.
The most important thing for the AAC is that these teams have large enough fanbases or a large enough opportunity to grow a fanbase that they can salvage their media deal.
Aresco said his conference plans to move "deliberately and expeditiously" to add two to four teams and beef up the league to 10 or 12 following the three departures. Aresco declined to name specific schools the AAC is interested in, but said it would only "entertain institutions that have shown an interest in us."
"Ultimately we want to be stronger than we were," he said. "We think there are schools interested in us who would help us do that.”