OT: It's official — AAC officially adds ECU, Tulane, Tulane

[PonyPride]

From the American Athletic Conference:

Commissioner Aresco welcomes ECU, Tulane, Tulsa to AAC

July 1, 2014

I want to take the opportunity this morning to welcome three outstanding institutions - East Carolina University, Tulane University and the University of Tulsa – as new American Athletic Conference members. We also welcome presidents Steve Ballard of ECU, Michael Fitts of Tulane, and Stead Upham of Tulsa and athletic directors Jeff Compher, Rick Dickson and Derrick Gragg, respectively. We have gotten to know and work with each of them, and we are privileged to have them with us.

Our new schools will bring energy, strong athletic programs and academic quality to our distinguished Conference. We have enjoyed a remarkable inaugural year. We quickly established ourselves as one of America’s premier conferences, and we are firmly in the power conference conversation. We will accept nothing less than excellence.

We also take satisfaction in the knowledge that our conference composition as of today will be our composition going forward, with the notable exception of adding the United States Naval Academy next summer. We will be delighted to welcome this great national institution whose students are the best America has to offer. I want to take a moment to salute outgoing superintendent, Vice Admiral Mike Miller, who has been instrumental in building the foundation of our reinvented conference and whose friendship and support has meant a great deal to all of us. I also would like to recognize and thank Dr. Scott Cowen, who is retiring as president of Tulane University after a long and distinguished career, and who was instrumental in bringing Tulane into our conference as well as providing valuable guidance and support.

Our new schools will enjoy unprecedented television coverage, which will serve to build their identities and their brands. They will become better known nationally, and viewers around the country will see the quality of their programs. They will be joining a group of schools which are determined to continue to challenge for championships and national recognition.

We as a conference will move forward with confidence, energy, dedication, commitment and tremendous optimism. Our student-athletes will continue to compete at the highest level in the classroom as well as on the fields and courts.

On behalf of the American Athletic Conference, I take great pride in extending a warm welcome to our new schools, and wish them well in the intense and rewarding competition ahead. We all know that the best is yet to come!

Thank you.

Mike Aresco
Commissioner

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

American Rising

[leopold]

Tulsa has always been an overachiever in sports, and ECU has shown that they are committed. Now that Tulane has shown that they have a plan and an actual desire to compete this is only going to make things more interesting.

"American Rising."

I like that.

[malonish]

Double Tulane all the way.

[Junior]

Tulane^2

[birddogger]

I do not share the excitement. I am looking forward to AAC basketball in NOLA and may even buy Tulane season tix in order to secure seats for SMU, UCONN, Cinn, etc.

[redpony]

welcome to CUSA-2. Tulsa brings nothing in marketshare and tradition. Oh well, who really cares.
We are now a bball school and will move forward without any fball credentials..

[NewAgeMustange]

I thought that I might be the only person that saw it that was. Conference USA 2.0, what's going to change we are going back to playing the same old teams and a couple new ones.

[Bergermeister]

Double Tulane all the way.

Twolane

[mrydel]

No. Double Tulane would be Fourlane.

[birddogger]

No. Double Tulane would be Fourlane.

Or, alternatively, a Two-levard.

[East Coast Mustang]

I always thought Tulane had a lot of potential, but building a 25,000 seat on campus stadium with zero room for expansion kind of limits them to second-tier status indefinitely.

Tulsa- solid athletic program that's been a thorn in our side, and a good addition for the confernece.

ECU has historically been a good program with a great fanbase- they have a nice 50,000 seat stadium and solid attendance. I think they'll compete year in and year out with Cincy, UCF, and USF in the East.

Bottom line- yes, it's CUSA 2.0, but it's a helluva lot better than still being in CUSA.

[AusTxPony]

And it's even better than being in the old CUSA much less the current one. Talking FOOTBALL only, the AAC has the best of CUSA and some good hold overs from BE. Would you really rather have Rutgers (about equal to Tulane), Pitt (Tulsa is better), and Syracuse (ECU, not even close) than any the American has. I wouldn't trade Cincinnati, USF or UConn for any recent departees except Louisville.

[East Coast Mustang]

Bottom line- there's no reason we shouldn't recruit as well as anyone in the West division and compete for the West division title and shot at the AAC champ game every year. No other school in the West has our combination of facilities (especially if IPF gets built soon, as has been alluded to), campus, academics, location, and tradition.

Right now, for 2015, we are second in the AAC in recruiting on Rivals only behind Cincinnati, who has seven more commits than us.

[sbsmith]

And it's even better than being in the old CUSA much less the current one. Talking FOOTBALL only, the AAC has the best of CUSA and some good hold overs from BE. Would you really rather have Rutgers (about equal to Tulane), Pitt (Tulsa is better), and Syracuse (ECU, not even close) than any the American has. I wouldn't trade Cincinnati, USF or UConn for any recent departees except Louisville.

Of course I'd rather have Rutgers, Pitt and Syracuse. The conference would be far more valuable with those three in it.