Boise State to the AAC?

[SMUstang]

Could Boise State be poised to leave the MWC and join the AAC for football only? If they did, where would their other sports compete?

[Charleston Pony]

We actually need a full member to replace UConn and while Boise might be attractive as a competitive football and even bball school, their location becomes a challenge

[SMUstang]

We currently have 12 members for everything but football. I think adding a football only team makes sense. I'll admit that the geography would be a challenge, and maybe someone like Air Force would make more sense.

[JasonB]

Could Boise State be poised to leave the MWC and join the AAC for football only? If they did, where would their other sports compete?

Follow the BYU model.

[Charleston Pony]

We currently have 12 members for everything but football. I think adding a football only team makes sense. I'll admit that the geography would be a challenge, and maybe someone like Air Force would make more sense.

So you want 12 football but only 11 bball schools after UConn leaves? Sorry but I don't even like having WSU and Navy as one sport members and would still like to replace UConn with another "full member". I will concede it might be easier to play with only 11 bball schools...if we played a 20 game conference schedule so things are balanced and seeding in the AAC Tourney is fair.

[ozfan]

We currently have 12 members for everything but football. I think adding a football only team makes sense. I'll admit that the geography would be a challenge, and maybe someone like Air Force would make more sense.

So you want 12 football but only 11 bball schools after UConn leaves? Sorry but I don't even like having WSU and Navy as one sport members and would still like to replace UConn with another "full member". I will concede it might be easier to play with only 11 bball schools...if we played a 20 game conference schedule so things are balanced and seeding in the AAC Tourney is fair.

Be better to add Marshall closer to other east schools.

[Charleston Pony]

Be better to add Marshall closer to other east schools.

Actually, Western Kentucky and La Tech have been the stronger CUSA members in terms of having both successful football and bball programs in recent years

[tristatecoog]

WSU is a full member. Just no football.

[SMUstang]

I apologize to Charleston Pony. We do have 12 members, but only 11 play football and 11 play all sports. So bringing in a team that only plays football makes less sense unless you want 12 football teams and 11 basketball teams. And that only makes sense if the addition adds value to your conference. Sorry but as good as they are, Marshall, Western Kentucky, and La Tech don’t add value. In my opinion, adding either Air Force or Boise State for football only does add value.

We are probably better off staying exactly where we are with 11 members participating in all sports assuming that ESPN and the NCAA are OK with that.

[Stallion]

I'm not sure how I feel about it but some are projecting a Virginia Commonwealth as a possible basketball only team. Currently 48 in RPI and 10 NCAA Tournament appearances in 12 years

[Charleston Pony]

VCU would be a good bball only addition but it will not be easy to add a football only member. I really don't like the idea of playing football with only 11 teams and trying to play a championship game

[Stallion]

yeah I meant only if Boise takes the 12th spot in Football only like BYU is doing right now in the West Coast Conference with their Olympic sports-along with schools like Gonzaga, BYU, St. Mary's, San Francisco, Santa Clara

[Charleston Pony]

yeah I meant only if Boise takes the 12th spot in Football only like BYU is doing right now in the West Coast Conference with their Olympic sports-along with schools like Gonzaga, BYU, St. Mary's, San Francisco, Santa Clara

Have to wonder whether Boise would be welcome and whether they would be happy in the West Coast Conference for bball and their other sports. If the WCC did not want to go to 11 members, their options might be really limited and I'm not sure they would want the Big Sky or WAC. Bottom line is that if it's really all about football, Boise might be ready to make a move given their current litigation with the MWC.

[leopold]

Look I know everybody loves the idea of a strong football-only and a strong basketball-only program both joining the AAC but I can't get behind this idea. I think we're better off playing the long game and taking one school for all sports and working to develop that school rather than looking for short term gains that threaten the long term development of the AAC.

A couple of years from now there is going to be more realignment. When that happens, if the American already has two football-only and two basketball-only schools that even more spread out than we already are, then there is going to be a real issue when we have to decide on the replacement schools, and the conference could very well bring in more one-sport schools. At that point we will have a basketball arm to the conference, completely out of sync with our long term goals.

When that happens, the AAC is a poor-man's Big East, complete with a hybrid structure, no geographical or historical connections, and what will be shown to be VERY different visions for the conference. There could be four (or more) schools effectively forming a voting block against our needs and setting the stage for yet another minor conference split. Whatever gains this conference has made can quickly be thrown out the window if the AAC loses sight of it's main goal, which should be POWER 6 MEMBERSHIP. That needs to be the main priority, far above basketball. That's why losing UConn wasn't a major loss, despite their being the premier basketball program in the conference, why creating a basketball-only arm to the conference is self-defeating, and why bringing in a school completely off the map geographically, historically, culturally, logistical, and in other areas is could quite possibly be an issue in the future.

[mrydel]

Right or wrong in your thoughts, the P5 is never going to allow another conference to split their goodies.