AAC True P6? | The Boneyard

AAC True P6?

BlueandOG

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Aresco has been pushing the AAC is a Power Conference, but in this article from This is UCONN Country he posts some interesting stats to back the claim. This led to 2 questions for me:

1. Can the conference renegotiate the TV deal to get comparable revenue with the P5?
2. If the answer to #1 is yes, would people be OK with us staying in the AAC?
 

Fairfield_1st

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I think more money would lessen the financial pain, but we still have a bunch of schools we have nothing in common with. I would still rather be in a conference where I have genuine dislike for some of the other schools (ACC) or at least a greater desire to compete against them (B1G).
 
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I think more money would lessen the financial pain, but we still have a bunch of schools we have nothing in common with. I would still rather be in a conference where I have genuine dislike for some of the other schools (ACC) or at least a greater desire to compete against them (B1G).

having the money situation stabilized would be great, but there's not one school in this conference that gets my blood going. We had an embarrassment of riches with rivalries in the old Big East.
 

HuskyHawk

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Money is nice, we certainly need more of it. I'll never be happy playing this slate of schools. Ever. None of the aside from Cinci are even remotely interesting. But since we don't have any choice in the matter, why is it relevant?
 

Husky25

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1. No.
2. Moot.

Reality realigns to perception far easier than the other way around. Right now the AAC is inferior by virtue of being classified as a G5 conference and there really is no way around that. The five big brothers and Notre Dame formed a club and the books are closed on membership because 92% of the more prestigious programs in the country are in the club.

The Networks are going to use it as a negotiation ploy with the little bothers and that's where the money is. Even if the AAC performed better than a P5 conference or two, the networks are going to chalk it up to an outlier season.

I think the AAC will probably get a little more money, but it won't approach P5 level unless and until there is a major realignment shakeup.
 
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How many AAC teams have, at a min, 50K on Campus Stadiums? Not a litmus test but if you want to be considered a P5 conference.

Answer: 1 ECU at 50K
 

BUConn10

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No, because performance and metrics have nothing to do with the P5 title.

Its all about exclusivity and reduction of avenues for "lesser" programs to sneak into the holy College Football Playoff. Once schools like Boise St started making noise, the Alabama's and Michigans of the world needed extra insurance. Keep out the programs that present "lose lose" scenarios for traditional powers (in a bowl game, if you beat them you should have won easily, if you lose its an embarrassment), while simultaneously creating fewer slices of the pie that needs to be shared. There are only so many networks willing to pay big money for college TV contracts, and its pretty much just ESPN and Fox, and for them financially supporting 5 major conferences with the ""valuable" bones of the sixth conference is more financially feasible than supporting 6 behemoths.

Realistically the next move is a P4, not a P6. You guys got it backwards.
 

whaler11

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Aresco has been pushing the AAC is a Power Conference, but in this article from This is UCONN Country he posts some interesting stats to back the claim. This led to 2 questions for me:

1. Can the conference renegotiate the TV deal to get comparable revenue with the P5?
2. If the answer to #1 is yes, would people be OK with us staying in the AAC?

If Mike Aresco can negotiate a TV deal for the AAC where they get even Big 12 money.... I'll send him to the Bahamas with my wife for a weekend and have a shrine built in the middle of the Connecticut River that puts the Statue of Liberty to shame.
 

Exit 4

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With the cable box world eroding, its difficult to imagine the conf can muscle up a big increase in tv money. Anything extra would help, just not confident there will be much available. I'm not sure there will be any bidders beside ESPN, perhaps FOX? I suspect ESPN's new investment in the ACC would give them more midweek football and BB games eating into our conf roll as midweek fair further diluting our value.

Bowl access is really hurting our perception and our opportunity as a conference. Aresco needs to find a way to boost our bowl profile and that won't be easy.
 
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No, because performance and metrics have nothing to do with the P5 title.

Its all about exclusivity and reduction of avenues for "lesser" programs to sneak into the holy College Football Playoff. Once schools like Boise St started making noise, the Alabama's and Michigans of the world needed extra insurance. Keep out the programs that present "lose lose" scenarios for traditional powers (in a bowl game, if you beat them you should have won easily, if you lose its an embarrassment), while simultaneously creating fewer slices of the pie that needs to be shared. There are only so many networks willing to pay big money for college TV contracts, and its pretty much just ESPN and Fox, and for them financially supporting 5 major conferences with the ""valuable" bones of the sixth conference is more financially feasible than supporting 6 behemoths.

Realistically the next move is a P4, not a P6. You guys got it backwards.
Which is why we will never be at the big boys table. Get used to it.
 

nelsonmuntz

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Aresco is just doing his job and trying to get a better TV deal. I suspect it will be a little better, because it can't be any worse.
 

MASSconn

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It's the "Power 5." We need an invited seat at the table now, not a self-proclaimed new membership and a title change. Nobody will start calling it Power 6. It's slightly embarrassing.
 

BlueandOG

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No, because performance and metrics have nothing to do with the P5 title.

Its all about exclusivity and reduction of avenues for "lesser" programs to sneak into the holy College Football Playoff. Once schools like Boise St started making noise, the Alabama's and Michigans of the world needed extra insurance. Keep out the programs that present "lose lose" scenarios for traditional powers (in a bowl game, if you beat them you should have won easily, if you lose its an embarrassment), while simultaneously creating fewer slices of the pie that needs to be shared. There are only so many networks willing to pay big money for college TV contracts, and its pretty much just ESPN and Fox, and for them financially supporting 5 major conferences with the ""valuable" bones of the sixth conference is more financially feasible than supporting 6 behemoths.

Realistically the next move is a P4, not a P6. You guys got it backwards.

I think this is the future too. P4 with the B12 going kaput. The key is to make UCONN more attractive than Iowa State, etc. before that happens.
 
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I think this is the future too. P4 with the B12 going kaput. The key is to make UCONN more attractive than Iowa State, etc. before that happens.

Big 12 is the new old Big East. They lose the Texas/Oklahoma duo, and it's over for them.
 

The Funster

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We're stuck in a G5 conference and I think we'll be lucky to match our last contract when it comes to discussng the new one.
 
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Money is nice, we certainly need more of it. I'll never be happy playing this slate of schools. Ever. None of the aside from Cinci are even remotely interesting. But since we don't have any choice in the matter, why is it relevant?


Close your eyes. It is 1980 and we just played a big game at Yale. Our rivals are? Yeah ... several we have today would be hugged for bringing us along. Accept Cincinnati. That has been a super Program since they kicked out Rick Minter and went with Mark Dantonio. We now have two others in Temple and Navy; both regional and both definitely as high as they ever have been. (we should insist that Navy always be on our schedule)

Are we crying because we don't have Pitt or Syracuse or Boston College? Yes. We know what we had and they are gone. (and somehow ... excepting a game or 2, I don't feel that way for the Mountaineers). Neither Buffalo or UMass comes near a level that should excite any of us; nothing to see there.

Florida? We have two solid Programs to play in USF and UCF (the first we have played regularly for 12 years) This is solid. There you have 5 really good games that we should be happy with in our side of the country.

We drifted into this Southern/Texas nexus. Aresco went fishing for Tulsa and Tulane and East Carolina after bringing on SMU, Memphis, Houston, (Boise State), (San Diego State). The AAC argument is basically that wing of the other side of the conference. And frankly that is not a big dominant problem for our Football schedule because we only play 2 of them per year (if we always play Navy).

PROSPECTIVELY; You are going to have the B12 fall apart. What does that do for us? Are we excited to get the Mountaineers back? A little. Other than that ... meh. You aren't going to have a Texas nor Oklahoma (or even Oklahoma State on your football). For basketball, most years we should want top 30 Programs like Virginia Commonwealth or Wichita State as hybrid adjuncts to the conference. Just a little boost like that - I think - would do a lot. The Football to watch is advancements in Fanbase and stature of ... Old Dominion in a good Norfolk, VA market & UTSA in a big San Antonio, TX market & watch Liberty University as crazy as that sounds. Plus BYU.

We are basically the Marshalls of the FBS football world. Would you pay all the Rutgers, Dukes, Wakes, Cuse, Northwestern, Minnesota, Vandy $25m to $50m per annum and then you look at this year's Houston team at $2m? You can't tell me that there is nowhere anywhere that Aresco can't place the bulk of our Conference - in Football and Basketball - at far higher than the current status. Maybe not $10m+ ... but several times $2m? That would help.
 

HuskyHawk

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Close your eyes. It is 1980 and we just played a big game at Yale. Our rivals are? Yeah ... several we have today would be hugged for bringing us along. Accept Cincinnati. That has been a super Program since they kicked out Rick Minter and went with Mark Dantonio. We now have two others in Temple and Navy; both regional and both definitely as high as they ever have been. (we should insist that Navy always be on our schedule)

Are we crying because we don't have Pitt or Syracuse or Boston College? Yes. We know what we had and they are gone. (and somehow ... excepting a game or 2, I don't feel that way for the Mountaineers). Neither Buffalo or UMass comes near a level that should excite any of us; nothing to see there.

Florida? We have two solid Programs to play in USF and UCF (the first we have played regularly for 12 years) This is solid. There you have 5 really good games that we should be happy with in our side of the country.

We drifted into this Southern/Texas nexus. Aresco went fishing for Tulsa and Tulane and East Carolina after bringing on SMU, Memphis, Houston, (Boise State), (San Diego State). The AAC argument is basically that wing of the other side of the conference. And frankly that is not a big dominant problem for our Football schedule because we only play 2 of them per year (if we always play Navy).

PROSPECTIVELY; You are going to have the B12 fall apart. What does that do for us? Are we excited to get the Mountaineers back? A little. Other than that ... meh. You aren't going to have a Texas nor Oklahoma (or even Oklahoma State on your football). For basketball, most years we should want top 30 Programs like Virginia Commonwealth or Wichita State as hybrid adjuncts to the conference. Just a little boost like that - I think - would do a lot. The Football to watch is advancements in Fanbase and stature of ... Old Dominion in a good Norfolk, VA market & UTSA in a big San Antonio, TX market & watch Liberty University as crazy as that sounds. Plus BYU.

We are basically the Marshalls of the FBS football world. Would you pay all the Rutgers, Dukes, Wakes, Cuse, Northwestern, Minnesota, Vandy $25m to $50m per annum and then you look at this year's Houston team at $2m? You can't tell me that there is nowhere anywhere that Aresco can't place the bulk of our Conference - in Football and Basketball - at far higher than the current status. Maybe not $10m+ ... but several times $2m? That would help.

I'm not sure how to explain this, but in part it relates to how UConn is likely perceived outside our region. I grew up as a Big 8 fan (Nebraska in particular), but also liked Michigan and USC back in the day. I have relatives who went to LSU and UGA, so tend to pull for them. I loved the Clemson paw print as a kid and thought they were cool as hell. I used to babysit for a guy who was a retired DE from the Redskins, and he played at U Washington, so I kind of followed them.

Temple, directional schools in Florida, ECU, Memphis, I don't really care if they are good or not. It doesn't even matter. So yes, I'd be far more excited to see K State, Iowa State than even a better USF team. I'd rather play NC State than Tulsa, even if Tulsa is better (and they are). Cinci I can appreciate. Houston is ex SWC and very good, so gets a pass. Oddly, Tulane is a world class university that once played with the SEC schools, so I'd rather play them than say, Memphis. Back in my college football formative years, did these teams even exist? There was no "P5" then, but UCF started in 1979. USF in 1997. It's probably the reason people knock UConn as well, but I'll just have to be a hypocrite in that regard.

Aresco is doing the best he can. I accept that we are in this league, I just can't embrace it. Maybe younger guys are different.
 
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I'm not sure how to explain this, but in part it relates to how UConn is likely perceived outside our region. I grew up as a Big 8 fan (Nebraska in particular), but also liked Michigan and USC back in the day. I have relatives who went to LSU and UGA, so tend to pull for them. I loved the Clemson paw print as a kid and thought they were cool as hell. I used to babysit for a guy who was a retired DE from the Redskins, and he played at U Washington, so I kind of followed them.

Temple, directional schools in Florida, ECU, Memphis, I don't really care if they are good or not. It doesn't even matter. So yes, I'd be far more excited to see K State, Iowa State than even a better USF team. I'd rather play NC State than Tulsa, even if Tulsa is better (and they are). Cinci I can appreciate. Houston is ex SWC and very good, so gets a pass. Oddly, Tulane is a world class university that once played with the SEC schools, so I'd rather play them than say, Memphis. Back in my college football formative years, did these teams even exist? There was no "P5" then, but UCF started in 1979. USF in 1997. It's probably the reason people knock UConn as well, but I'll just have to be a hypocrite in that regard.

Aresco is doing the best he can. I accept that we are in this league, I just can't embrace it. Maybe younger guys are different.

Do you recognize what you just did?

YOU invalidated all that UConn has become and what we achieved in sports through the Big East. You are basically stating that the College Football World - or what the BIGTIME pundits like to pontificate about - really ended and got structured in 1988 when someone other than the Ohio State Buckeyes went to the Rose Bowl and Notre Dame was on every Sunday morning. I am not saying that you are wrong. I am saying this is exactly what Branding and Mike Aresco/David Benedict needs to fight.

We can get back to near 40,000 attendance; but part of the fight is exactly what you just presented. WE AREN'T BIGTIME. And that's BS because we are UCONN and that is a Big Brand. Far bigger in most 40 markets than a Iowa State or Kansas State.

USF or UCF? Frigging growing like weeds. I just looked: Did you know Liberty University has 20,000 on Campus and 100,000 Online. So the Vandy and Northwestern and Stanford size is small. And influence in things beyond Athletics? This is always changing and I will tell you that a Sizable University in Florida will have far more influence in 20 years than the Texas Tech or Iowa State or Indiana. Why? Demographic gravity.

These things are changing. In another thread, you can read Connecticut people talk about the perception of the school in 1990 - like that still is the way it is. We are a top 60 Public and often listed higher in important rankings. It is harder to get into UConn than many of the Bigtime Names you would suggest. In the future, this Public has HUGE advantages. Why? Location is going to make it consistently more attractive to foreign kids and out-of-state on Brand.
 

HuskyHawk

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Do you recognize what you just did?

YOU invalidated all that UConn has become and what we achieved in sports through the Big East. You are basically stating that the College Football World - or what the BIGTIME pundits like to pontificate about - really ended and got structured in 1988 when someone other than the Ohio State Buckeyes went to the Rose Bowl and Notre Dame was on every Sunday morning. I am not saying that you are wrong. I am saying this is exactly what Branding and Mike Aresco/David Benedict needs to fight.

We can get back to near 40,000 attendance; but part of the fight is exactly what you just presented. WE AREN'T BIGTIME. And that's BS because we are UCONN and that is a Big Brand. Far bigger in most 40 markets than a Iowa State or Kansas State.

USF or UCF? Frigging growing like weeds. I just looked: Did you know Liberty University has 20,000 on Campus and 100,000 Online. So the Vandy and Northwestern and Stanford size is small. And influence in things beyond Athletics? This is always changing and I will tell you that a Sizable University in Florida will have far more influence in 20 years than the Texas Tech or Iowa State or Indiana. Why? Demographic gravity.

These things are changing. In another thread, you can read Connecticut people talk about the perception of the school in 1990 - like that still is the way it is. We are a top 60 Public and often listed higher in important rankings. It is harder to get into UConn than many of the Bigtime Names you would suggest. In the future, this Public has HUGE advantages. Why? Location is going to make it consistently more attractive to foreign kids and out-of-state on Brand.

Because UConn is a flagship state U, and has done amazing things in one of the two sports that matter, we stand apart in the AAC and the G5 really. Had Nevada done great things, so would they. Or Wyoming. Or New Mexico. You can pretend it doesn't matter, that this is a meritocracy of some kind, but it is not. UCF puts out loads of alumni, who all root for Florida or Florida State. That's how this works. By the way, when it stops working, when people stop following what is effectively AAA baseball level football and basketball because it is played by the beloved local flagship state U or reverd private U, college sports will be over. Do you see a lot of minor league baseball or hockey on TV? The Providence Bruins would destroy any college team and nobody cares. The attachment to a few major universities, irrationaly really, drives all of this. College sports being what it is doesn't even make logical sense. So don't expect much to change.
 
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While past performance is revered, the #1 job for the Huskies is to remain relevant in the present.

Continue having the men's basketball program putting up teams that compete for the national championship and building a football program that can regularly challenge for the conference championship.

It is like a work career in a large organization....sometimes when you seem stalled, all you can do is build your skills, show your competence, and stay positioned for the next opening.

Preserve the fire. "Tradition is not the worship of ashes but the preservation of fire."
 

HuskyHawk

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I've been doing some thinking on this since Big 12 CR collapsed. Trying to do so without Husky blue colored glasses. These are the areas where I think a school needs to "check the box" for P5. They don't need all of them, just a majority, 5 out of 8. Find me a P5 school that doesn't tick at least 5.
  1. Flagship or clear 2nd Tier (e.g. "X State") public or elite private university
  2. History in D1 football (basketball history not important because that group is too large)
  3. Large fan following (across football and/or basketball). Attendance as a measure
  4. Large endowment ($750M+)
  5. Football program accomplishment (not just recent)
  6. Basketball program accomplishment (not just recent)
  7. Strong research or AAU
  8. Overall AD budget/commitment to athletics
So, 8 metrics. Let's look AAC schools. UConn. Checks boxes 1, 3, 6 and 8. Borderline. Memphis: boxes 2, 3, 6. Out. UCF: checks box 5. Out. USF: Boxes 5, 7. Out. Houston: Boxes 2, 4, 5, 6. Borderline. Tulane: Boxes 1, 2, 4, 7. Borderline. Cincinnati: Boxes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Should be in.

How about the newest P5 schools? Louisville: Box 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8. In. TCU: Box 2, 3, 4, 5, 8. In. Utah: Box 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8. In. Rutgers: Boxes 1, 2, 4, 7, 8. In.

A school can't fix #2, only time can do that. UConn is working on 3, 4, 5 and 7. You can see our efforts are pointed in the direction of checking more of the boxes we can check.
 
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I don't like this trend of people starting to accept the AAC as a viable conference where we can stay competitive in the long term.

It's not, and we can't.

Of course, with the exception of women's basketball our teams don't even look like they're up to the competition in this conference, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
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I don't like this trend of people starting to accept the AAC as a viable conference where we can stay competitive in the long term.

I hear you, but I think it's that reality is really sinking in now.
 
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This thread just gave me an idea.

You know how everyone is talking about the P5 breaking away from the NCAA? That they will eventually form their own league and allow players to be paid/take endorsements/etc.?

What if the AAC and MWC merged and did this first? They could attract all of the best players if they could be paid.

I know this really isn't feasible but it's a fun thought.
 

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