American Athletic Conference (AAC)

[ScriptOhio]

American targeting Mountain West powers among handful of expansion candidates in realignment

The Mountain West could suffer significant blows if the AAC corrals the teams it's targeting

The American Athletic Conference is settling on a handful of expansion candidates that will likely kick off the next round of realignment at the Group of Five level, multiple sources told CBS Sports. The timing of that next round could be impacted if Texas and Oklahoma attempt to make an early entry into the SEC.

In reaction to the Big 12's recent raid of Cincinnati, Houston and UCF, the AAC has focused on recruiting a group of schools that includes Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State and UAB, sources tell CBS Sports. UAB, a member of Conference USA, is the only non-Mountain West team on that short list.

Entire article: https://www.cbssports.com/college-f...ndful-of-expansion-candidates-in-realignment/

The conference realignment "domino effect" continues......

 

[Woody1968]

I'd think the MWC is more viable than the AAC at this point, but what do I know.

 

[ScriptOhio]

AAC Expected to Add Six Schools from Conference USA in Latest College Football Realignment Move

Before the AAC news broke, sources told the Action Network that officials at North Texas, Rice, UTSA and UTEP had contacted the Mountain West about joining the conference. North Texas and Rice had the most serious discussions, but ultimately, the Mountain West decided to remain at 12 schools, sources said.
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Here’s the reality that fans don’t want to hear: The commissioners are powerless to stop realignment.

A commissioner — whether its former Big East commissioners Mike Tranghese and John Marinatto, Big 12 commish Bob Bowlsby, AAC commish Mike Aresco or C-USA commish Judy MacLeod — can’t keep a school from leaving its league for another league where they will make more money.

Realizing several of its schools would be targets of the AAC or Mountain West, Conference USA recently contacted the American about combining the schools in both leagues and then dividing them into two new leagues geographically.

However, there was “absolutely no interest” from the AAC, sources said.

Entire article: https://www.actionnetwork.com/ncaaf...nment-charlotte-fau-north-texas-rice-uab-utsa

“We will be much better without those six schools,” a C-USA source said. “The AAC will see their College Football Playoff rankings drop in the Group of Five. We have a chance to leapfrog them. This is a good day for C-USA.”

That's a joke....

Source: Six schools officially apply to join American Athletic Conference

The American Athletic Conference has received applications from six schools hoping to join the conference, and the AAC is expected to send them each a formal letter by the end of the week detailing the terms of expansion, a source with knowledge of the process told ESPN on Tuesday.

Florida Atlantic, Charlotte, North Texas, UTSA, Rice and UAB have each officially requested to join the AAC, a move that was first reported by Yahoo Sports on Monday. It's the first step in the realignment process, which is expected to move quickly this week after the university presidents and their general counsels have time to review the terms.

The AAC's desire to expand comes after Cincinnati, UCF and Houston decided this fall to eventually join the Big 12. UConn also left after the 2019 season. The addition of six more schools would expand the AAC to a 14-team conference in football and basketball while crippling Conference USA, where all of the schools currently call home.

Entire article: https://www.espn.com/college-footba...ially-apply-join-american-athletic-conference

The bottom line is that the "have not conferences" like AAC and C-USA will now have even less.

 

[ScriptOhio]

New-look AAC to go without divisions with 14 teams in 2023

The new-look American Athletic Conference will not use divisions and play an eight-game league football schedule when it expands to 14 teams next season, the league announced.

The scheduling model was approved for use the next four seasons (2023-26) by the American’s athletic directors.

The American will continue to go division-less and match the top two teams in the regular-season conference standings in its championship game.

The AAC is losing three of its current 11 members to the Big 12 next year, but adding six new schools from Conference USA.

Replacing Houston, Central Florida and Cincinnati will be UAB, Florida Atlantic, Charlotte, UTSA, Rice and North Texas.

The plan calls for the 14 teams to face each other at least twice during the four-year cycle – once at home and once on the road.

Entire article: https://collegefootball.nbcsports.c...o-go-without-divisions-with-14-teams-in-2023/

 

[ScriptOhio]

AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco calls for Power 5, Group of 5 labels to be abolished in college sports​

American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco, in a lengthy statement, called for the "Power 5" and "Group of 5" labels in major NCAA athletics to be abolished as the college landscape continues to evolve amid conference realignment. Aresco, in the statement released before the start of the AAC Men's Basketball Tournament, said he was troubled by what he describes as "media-manufactured labels" giving elevated influence to five conferences — the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC and Pac-12 — that "do not speak for all of college athletics."

"It is troubling to see media-manufactured labels, confirmed by college sports leadership, which do not reflect the reality of college sports going forward," Aresco's statement reads. "This creates a divide at five that should not exist and creates harmful effects. Documents have recently come to light that describe a P5 legislative initiative around NIL that has not been shared with the wider membership. This is not a healthy approach, as such an initiative should be a collaborative effort among the wider Division I membership, including all FBS conferences.

"These five conferences do not speak for all of college athletics. The Power Five and Group of Five labels should be discarded and confined to collegiate history. There are 10 FBS conferences, some more successful than others, but all sharing similar goals, experiencing similar challenges and competing successfully against each other."

 

[LovelandBuckeye]

AAC Commissioner Mike Aresco calls for Power 5, Group of 5 labels to be abolished in college sports​

American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco, in a lengthy statement, called for the "Power 5" and "Group of 5" labels in major NCAA athletics to be abolished as the college landscape continues to evolve amid conference realignment. Aresco, in the statement released before the start of the AAC Men's Basketball Tournament, said he was troubled by what he describes as "media-manufactured labels" giving elevated influence to five conferences — the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC and Pac-12 — that "do not speak for all of college athletics."

"It is troubling to see media-manufactured labels, confirmed by college sports leadership, which do not reflect the reality of college sports going forward," Aresco's statement reads. "This creates a divide at five that should not exist and creates harmful effects. Documents have recently come to light that describe a P5 legislative initiative around NIL that has not been shared with the wider membership. This is not a healthy approach, as such an initiative should be a collaborative effort among the wider Division I membership, including all FBS conferences.

"These five conferences do not speak for all of college athletics. The Power Five and Group of Five labels should be discarded and confined to collegiate history. There are 10 FBS conferences, some more successful than others, but all sharing similar goals, experiencing similar challenges and competing successfully against each other."

He's got a point. It should be the Power 2 and Group of 8.

 

[ScriptOhio]

Source: Free agent Ngakoue reunites with Ravens

Free agent linebacker Yannick Ngakoue, who has 69 career sacks, is returning to the Ravens, for whom he last played in 2020, a source told ESPN.

www.espn.com

Memphis, Tulane, USF, UTSA commit to AAC amid Pac-12 interest​

Some of the highest-profile targets of the Pac-12's expansion have rebuffed its interest, as Memphis, Tulane, USF and UTSA publicly committed to stay in the American Athletic Conference on Monday.

The schools announced their intentions on social media, which solidifies the AAC in the short term and leaves the six-team Pac-12 in flux as it searches for at least two more members to complete its rebuild.

The Pac-12 added Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State and San Diego State in recent weeks, with the goal to create a clear-cut fifth-best football conference. The school is in discussions with Gonzaga as a basketball addition, which sources told ESPN would come with a full revenue share. ESPN is also reporting preliminary discussions with Saint Mary's for the Pac-12.

But some of the Pac-12's momentum to become the top football conference outside the Power 4 leagues has stalled, as Memphis loomed as the linchpin of any potential additions.

The schools issued statements filled with standard jargon about student-athletes and academics, but the reality is that a significant financial risk loomed if any of them decided to join the Pac-12. AAC commissioner Tim Pernetti has aggressively tried to leverage private equity money to help boost cash flow in his league.

The four schools released a joint statement that read, in part: "While we acknowledge receiving interest in our institutions from other conferences, we firmly believe that it is in our individual and collective best interests to uphold our commitment to each other."
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