AAC Expansion Possibilities

[novasmu]

I think you could go to 16 teams. But since the pod system didn’t work in the WAC, I wouldn’t want to try that again. I would instead create 2 divisions as follows:

West

Boise State
BYU
Colorado State
Air Force
SMU
Houston
Tulsa
Tulane

East

Memphis
Central Florida
South Florida
East Carolina
Cincinnati
UCONN
Temple
Navy

Have 3 non-conference games, 9 conference games, plus a conference championship game.

The first 7 conference games are between division members.

The 8th conference game contains four quarter-final conference playoff games. The first-placed team in each division plays the fourth-placed team in the other division, and the second-placed-team in each division plays the third-placed team in the other division. The bottom four placed teams in each division play against their relative counterparts in the other division.

The 9th conference game contains two semi-final conference playoff games, where the winners from the quarter-final games play each other. The losers from the quarter-final games can play each other that week as well. Again, the bottom four placed teams in each division just have another game against a different opponent to finish out the season.

The winners of the semi-final games then play each other in the conference championship game. The other teams don’t play that week.

Downside is the scheduling issues it creates during the last weeks of the season (e.g., making sure each team gets enough home games, not knowing the travel destination for the visiting team earlier in the season, etc).

But on the upside, there would be a larger number of meaningful conference games, which could lead to increased TV revenue and excitement for the conference.

[SoCal_Pony]

Never Ever understood the appeal of Colorado St.

UNLV & SD St are better options with more upside, including cheaper travel costs & larger TV markets.

[ReedFrawg]

Never Ever understood the appeal of Colorado St.

UNLV & SD St are better options with more upside, including cheaper travel costs & larger TV markets.

I agree. My guess on CSU is because they have put a much more consistently good team on the field over the last 20 yrs. Otherwise I have no idea what the appeal would be.

[redpony]

Never Ever understood the appeal of Colorado St.

UNLV & SD St are better options with more upside, including cheaper travel costs & larger TV markets.

agree- but then I never understood the desire to add tiny no-nothing tulsa to our conference. They have no market, are almost as bad at fball as us and are worse at bball. What a waste of a slot that could have gone to a 'real' major market. I agree that Tulane is not good but they at least add NO to the mix.

[03Mustang]

Tulsa has been considerably better than us at both football and basketball over the past 10 years

[82Pony]

Boise State and SD State have already dropped out of the conference once right? You think they'll want back in?

[03Mustang]

What's the point? All we're doing is layering more lipstick on the pig. P5 conference or bust....all of this other stuff really doesn't matter.

[alyssa]

Never deal with BYU and a couple others.
I don't even like the conference we are in. It's not even worth talking about.
To me the conversation ends anytime anyone thinks to have a relationship with BYU........