Updates from Newport: Day 1
The American Athletic Conference kicked off the first of two media days in Newport, RI today and did they do it in style. Early afternoon saw the likes of Warde Manuel, Joe D’Ambrosio, Dennis House and many others tee it up at the Newport National Golf Club. For those that are concerned, Warde’s pairing came out on top in the scramble tournament.
Following golf, the conference hosted a clambake, featuring lobsters, clams, clam chowder, steak, fried chicken, sausage and peppers, corn on the cob, you name it, they had it. Fun fact of the day, the record for most lobsters eaten at a Big East/American media day, was nine by a former South Florida offensive lineman. A perfect dinner at the Hyatt on Goat Island.
Over dinner, I had a chance to sit down with a conference official, who spoke on conditions of anonymity for obvious reasons. For background, this morning, administrators and coaches met with conference officials to talk about the current state of the American and where they stand in the landscape of college athletics in comparison to some other conferences.
“Some coaches, Memphis in particular, flat out think we should not play any so-called ‘Power 5’ teams out of conference moving forward. If those conferences want to cut us out, we should cut them out altogether, all conferences, don’t play them. Let ‘them’ play each other and go 6-6 every year because they won’t be playing teams from the Sun Belt or FCS. It will dilute their product.”
“Others, however, have the mentality that we need to build up our brand as much as possible by playing anyone, anywhere and anytime. We realize that perception will be an issue, but we have a plan to separate ourselves from the rest of the other five (Conference USA, Sun Belt, MWC, etc). We know we belong in the top half of college football and we will do whatever it takes to get there and earn the respect of those schools.”
The term ‘Power 5’ clearly frustrates the brass of the American.
“We realize there’s only going to be one way that term is not used and that’s if media outlets, conference officals, school adminstrators and coaches stop using it. From here on out, we will not be calling them the Power 5. They aren’t special, they aren’t athletically better, they aren’t academically superior. We are a conference coming off of a BCS win. None of them won a basketball championship a season ago. Look at UCONN for example; basketball, football back on the rise, men’s and women’s soccer, even baseball. They are a top notch athletic university and one that all of our members want to follow.”
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