AAC

[noeynox]

Saw this on Twitter

Would love to see how other G5s are faring during a similar stretch.

If only we weren't dragging this league down like we currently are.

Check out @ChrisVannini’s Tweet:

 

[Adios]

GT/USF and Houston/AZ were tied for the sixth most watched game nationally in week 2.

 

[Adios]

UConn/UCF had an almost similar audience size on the same channel (ESPNU) the next day, same time (7PM), as Army/Duke in week 1. Not bad. Was only around 500K but shows the AAC has a pull. Who saw this coming?

 

[WestCoastHusky]

AAC definitely belongs to Power 6 based on field performance. AAC has been ESPN's best bargain by far when it comes to conference media deals too.

Let's hope this translates to much higher payout during the next upcoming media negotiation in a few months.

 

[Dooley]

The top of the AAC is every bit as good as the top of most of the P5 conferences. It's nice to see that people are finally catching on. The bottom (looking in the mirror) - not so much.

As for AAC TV deal, we're not pulling our weight whatsoever. Coach Hurley should help that. We're a basketball school - a goddam elite basketball school - that should be in Final Four contention in most seasons. We just need to play fairly competitive football so that we can generate those highly coveted northeast market ratings throughout the year.

 

[Pudge]

The top of the AAC is every bit as good as the top of most of the P5 conferences. It's nice to see that people are finally catching on. The bottom (looking in the mirror) - not so much.

As for AAC TV deal, we're not pulling our weight whatsoever. Coach Hurley should help that. We're a basketball school - a goddam elite basketball school - that should be in Final Four contention in most seasons. We just need to play fairly competitive football so that we can generate those highly coveted northeast market ratings throughout the year.

Back to that debate?

But there’s no buyers for that content. None. Or ... maybe one. (Or eke out a few channels)

Valuation. It makes zero sense to me that one P5 Conference is worth 10 times more per game (or greater) than the AAC. Or 20. Its content below the top 5 games per week. Particularly when one of those conferences is in a time zone that major markets are Zzzz. AAC has market appeal to a bunch of EST. And ... if only the one closest to NYC & NE can produce wins.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Most of these games are the AAC top teams vs other conference dregs TBH.

 

[Pudge]

That’s funny. And dismissive.

Arizona - I saw them in SI’s top 20 Preseason. Georgia Tech under Paul Johnson is always formidable. UNC getting beat by ECU?

The truth is AAC can’t compete with the top 10 P5. The best 5 games every week should outdraw eyeballing. However ... even on their Home field ... the qualitative performance of this conference is impressive. So far

 

[Dooley]

Okay, so I think we all agree that Alabama and maybe Clemson are in a league of their own every year. Maybe Ohio State too. But I do think that top 1-3 teams in the AAC can play with and beat everyone else in the country. I think UCF can beat the Oklahomas, Washingtons, Auburns, etc of the P5 world.

The separation between the AAC and the P5 conferences has traditionally been in the bottom half of the standings. We got crushed by BC last year. We are about to get crushed by Syracuse this weekend. We need to pull our weight and play more competitively in these types of games, even if that means being competitive for 2-3 quarters. Tulsa played Texas tough a few weeks ago. SMU hung with TCU for a half, thanks to thunderstorms and a 3 hour delay to start the game. ECU beat UNC. Tulane lost to Wake in OT (for Tulane, that's a good showing). Don't get me wrong, none of these games are needle movers by any stretch. But they are small signs that the bottom half of our league is improving somewhat. The ol' trickle down effect. While trickle down is a failed economic concept, it does work in collegiate athletic conferences. Everyone follows the top dog to improve themselves and, collectively, it improves the conference.

 

[SubbaBub]

The AAC doesn't have a bell cow like the other P5. Bama, Clemson, Ohio State, and OU are given playoff contenders year in and year out that bouy the rest of the conference. Only the Pac 12 is in a similar situation currently but they have legacy programs at USC, Oregon, and Stamford to help maintain perceptions.

Half the country thinks UCF is USF, FIU. FAU or even FGCU.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Half the country thinks UCF is USF, FIU. FAU or even FGCU.

And truthfully, most of them couldn't even give a F.

 

[Ldandy]

In a vacuum The AAC is a truly fun league. I enjoy watching it on a weekly basis. It reminds me a bit of the old WAC of the 80's when BYU was a national program. Lots of shoot outs and crazy upsets. That said it will always suffer from a perception problem that it is comprised of directional and city schools. Historically these programs do not get much respect as they lack the pedigree of schools that have been playing for a century or more. Its not fair in any way but it is what it is. Perception is reality. A conference carried by Central Florida, Memphis, and Houston will never threaten the dollars of conferences anchored by CFB Bluebloods regardless of how those teams perform. Even Boise State that has done more to carry the banner of G5 Schools than the next 5 teams combined, is easily dismissed when they get beaten by a top 25ish Okie State School. Nobody thinks for a second that OSU is competing for anything this year, and by association Boise now has no business in the playoff. The only thing The AAC can do is hope that its bottom tier can get better w/o taking too much away from the top tier performers. Sell the product as a whole because no network is laying down big dollars for UCF and the 11 dwarves.

 

[SubbaBub]

And truthfully, most of them couldn't even give a F.

That would actually be the other half.

 

[Hogoff]

That’s funny. And dismissive.

Arizona - I saw them in SI’s top 20 Preseason. Georgia Tech under Paul Johnson is always formidable. UNC getting beat by ECU?

The truth is AAC can’t compete with the top 10 P5. The best 5 games every week should outdraw eyeballing. However ... even on their Home field ... the qualitative performance of this conference is impressive. So far

I think that AACs wins in New Years bowl games proves that it can compete with the top 10 in college football.

 

[Hogoff]

In a vacuum The AAC is a truly fun league. I enjoy watching it on a weekly basis. It reminds me a bit of the old WAC of the 80's when BYU was a national program. Lots of shoot outs and crazy upsets. That said it will always suffer from a perception problem that it is comprised of directional and city schools. Historically these programs do not get much respect as they lack the pedigree of schools that have been playing for a century or more. Its not fair in any way but it is what it is. Perception is reality. A conference carried by Central Florida, Memphis, and Houston will never threaten the dollars of conferences anchored by CFB Bluebloods regardless of how those teams perform. Even Boise State that has done more to carry the banner of G5 Schools than the next 5 teams combined, is easily dismissed when they get beaten by a top 25ish Okie State School. Nobody thinks for a second that OSU is competing for anything this year, and by association Boise now has no business in the playoff. The only thing The AAC can do is hope that its bottom tier can get better w/o taking too much away from the top tier performers. Sell the product as a whole because no network is laying down big dollars for UCF and the 11 dwarves.

OSUs win against Boise State could mean that maybe they are possibly able to be in playoff conversations. But it’s way too early to tell.

 

[uconnphil2016]

We might be better than the PAC 12. Other than that, the rest of P5 is better than us