AAC Apparently Has Lost Liberty Bowl

[Stallion]

I know I should care more but not sure I really do. In my mind I keep seeing freezing fans in parkas trying to keep warm in frigid weather at an old stadium in Memphis. It was an opportunity to play a bottom division BCS program though-and our bowl matchups are not strong.


https://twitter.com/McMurphyESPN/status ... 9969567745

[ponyinNC]

Any way you look at it, this was a slap in the face to the AAC (especially Memphis) and is completely opposite from what Aresco told us just a few days ago.

Our champion (if excluded from the access bowl) has no dedicated bowl game. The #1 AAC team will play in about the same level of bowl as our AAC #4.

AT this point, I'd suggest that we have AAC#1/2 always play MWC#1/2. Other plan would be to stay patient, and backfill the higher slots when the SEC or B12 run out of bowl eligible teams.

Both solutions stink.

[StallionsModelT]

That kind of sucks.

[blackoutpony]

That kind of sucks.

No, that REALLY sucks

[AusTxPony]

Expected, but sucks. What happened to UMemphis promising FedEx and the Liberty Bowl. Ha!

[mustangxc]

I think this is why we are creating our own bowl game in Miami to face a PAC12 team.

[SMU 86]

Do they mean CUSA? I did not think the AAC had any primary tie ins to the Liberty bowl anyway.

[ponyboy]

Confused. I too thought the Liberty bowl was a CUSA bowl.

Edit: Apparently tied in to both CUSA and the AAC

The league is working hard to finalize its bowl lineup, which will look different beginning in 2014. The league will no longer have tie-ins to the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, Belk Bowl or Russell Athletic Bowl. Aresco said that the league is working on continuing its tie-ins with the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl in St. Petersburg, Fla., the BBVA Compass Bowl in Birmingham, Ala., and the Liberty Bowl in Memphis. He also added that the league has been in discussions about a bowl game in Texas, New Orleans, perhaps the Military Bowl in Washington, D.C., and occasionally in Hawaii (that bowl has a tie-in with Conference USA that ends this season).

As for opponents, Aresco expects to continue to play the SEC in Birmingham. The Liberty could feature the Big 12, as could the Texas Bowl game. The league wants to keep playing the ACC as well. Aresco also mentioned there have been preliminary discussions about playing the Pac-12 in the new South Florida bowl game the American wants to create, and to play in Marlins Park.

Aresco hopes to have more bowl tie-ins than the current five, though he also acknowledged the league may be in a good position to receive at-large bids, too. He hopes to have some announcements in the next two to four weeks.

"We’ll end up fine," Aresco said. "We’ll have a chance to challenge. The key thing, too, is we do have access to the college football playoff system. If our champion is the highest-ranked team of the five conferences, we would be playing on New Year’s Day. That’s what we hope our champion is doing a good part of the time. We feel we have a good opportunity there."

[bubba pony]

JJ rather play the Hawaii Bowl anyway. now he can win the conference and not make an excuse not to play in Memphis

[mustangxc]

Do they mean CUSA? I did not think the AAC had any primary tie ins to the Liberty bowl anyway.

It is a CUSA/SEC/Big East bowl so the AAC has a tie in.

[PonySnob]

JJ rather play the Hawaii Bowl anyway. now he can win the conference and not make an excuse not to play in Memphis

If we win the conference aren't we guaranteed a BCS bowl this one season?

[Grant Carter]

JJ rather play the Hawaii Bowl anyway. now he can win the conference and not make an excuse not to play in Memphis

If we win the conference aren't we guaranteed a BCS bowl this one season?

Yes, but this change to the liberty bowl does not start until next year anyway.

[Bergermeister]

JJ rather play the Hawaii Bowl anyway. now he can win the conference and not make an excuse not to play in Memphis

Indeed the upside.

[GiddyUp]

Meh, terrible bowl anyway

[leopold]

We're losing a bowl that is geographically close to our school, actually has a little bit of history, and is in a city perfectly suited to play host for three or four days and that absolutely loves college football - not to mention the chance to play a team from a conference people care about. This was the best bowl available for us after a BCS game. This is absolutely a loss.

Not to mention, you watch - the SEC and Big XII will fill it up year after year.