OT: In the Event of Doomsday...

[uconnphil2016]

Here's my top 3 schools for IF the AAC ever needed to fill a void (wheather that's Cincy or someone else):

Army- its makes sense since we have Navy now, and the annual game becomes an in-conference game... imagine?

BYU- Football tradition and geographic expansion. Period.

NIU (Northern Illinois)- NIU has made some big strides over the last decade or so in Football. Many years they probably would have beaten UConn. They lack in many of the other sports and their stadium (23K seats) would need a pretty massive upgrade to fit in the AAC. Though a plan is apparently underway to expand Huskie Stadium to 35,000 seats and upgrade the entire facility making it the largest in the MAC.

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Also in consideration:

Marshall- One good year in football out of dozens doesn't mean much, but hey!

Boise State- Although the Boise today may not be the Boise of old, the football tradition can't be ignored. However, based on how well the "Boise's joining the Big East" went... I doubt they'd except an invite to the AAC.

FAU (Florida Atlantic)- New stadium (29K seats), great recruiting area for all of the conference teams. Slowly improving football program.

UMass- If we want to remain the single greatest big-boy college football program in New England then this won't jive, but UMass isn't really much of a threat as is right now anyway. Aside from football they're sports have little to no national brand ID or recognition- think about it? Plus, their stadium situation is a mess.

Southern Mississippi- Why? Because at some point long ago, Southern Miss actually meant something. And a decent stadium (35K seats) with lots of southern, prideful, football fans in the bayou's of Mississippi sounds like a fun time for road contests.

Agree with Army, but there's no way BYU would come to the American and NIU is questionable. A move from MAC to American is almost lateral, at least from a football perspective. When we've replenished the conference in the past, it's been from Conference USA almost every time (except Navy). I'd personally like UMass but I doubt we'd take a team who was just kicked out of MAC. Marshall and Southern Miss would definitely be legitimate possibilities. Let's just hope we aren't there once that happens.

 

[huskymedic]

I'd personally like UMass but I doubt we'd take a team who was just kicked out of MAC.

I'm not sure "kicked out" is exactly accurate - it was a known inevitability when they joined. There was a a choice per their initial MAC agreement; move all athletic teams out of the Atlantic 10 into the MAC when offered full membership, or if they decided not to do that, they could only play two more years as a football only member.

>>UMass joined the MAC in April 2011 in football only, giving the conference 14 football-playing schools. Since then, Temple has left for the American Athletic Conference. The UMass departure leaves the MAC with 12 members in football. When Temple left in March 2012, the conference had the ability to convert UMass' membership agreement to a term (number of years) agreement. That clause was exercised in February and provided for a minimum of two years of membership. The school was basically given roughly a month to decide whether it wanted to be a full member. The Minutemen will play football in the 2014 and 2015 seasons in the MAC.<<

Seems they are banking on further CR.

 

[UCFBfan]

Why would they even bother to add anyone? To me it seems rather dumb.

If we are left out during another round of realignment then we might as well just shut it all down. There's clearly a reason we are left out if this happens another time. I'm not sure I could stomach this happening to be honest. It's hard enough to deal with it now.

Our best case if we aren't taken by the Big 12 is that nothing happens. Gives us time to get football back on track so the rest of the country sees us as a no brainer add.

 

[BugsyCT]

If the Big 12 adds 2 and one of them Cincy then who's most likely next in line? Is it us? BYU? Or maybe Memphis *gag* or Houston? Even UCF if they get back to 2013 form?

 

[HuskyHawk]

Good Lord this is awful. UConn being stuck in the AAC and having to backfill with these unworthy options is a nightmare. UMass is the least bad option. Next up would be Rice, because while their sports stink, they were once in the SWC, and their academics are superb. They aren't an embarrassment by association.

 

[scdono]

In the event of a Cincy(and most likely Houston or Fla school) departure UConn just has to worry about UConn. Improve it's football program and fan base, remain a basketball power, enhance the academics and bide it's time. Everyone knows UConn is a Power 5 school not in a Power 5 conference and the next major conference shake up should have UConn sitting pretty as a school with the ability to pick or choose from more than one suitor. For example: someone besides the Big 12 decides it's time to improve their league. Chances are the ACC gets poached. Now does the B1G and Big 12 just sit by and watch UConn get snapped up by the ACC or do they try and make a move first? Another scenario: What happens if the SEC goes after Texas and Oklahoma? Does that open a flood gate of 4 AAC schools being invited to the Big12 and if so does the ACC take the risk that UConn might not be on the table much longer if they get poached again by the B1G?

I don't see Houston under any circumstances leaving. They're totally in AAC purgatory.

 

[BlueandOG]

We go for the McGill University Redmen. We structure it like the NHL: play both National Anthems, when the games are in Canada we play on their field, in the US they play on ours. Plus (bonus!) the winner of the AAC gets to compete for the Grey Cup.

 

[UC1995]

Is it bad that I had to go to the AAC website to remember who is in this league still?

 

[CL82]

Not to incite hysteria here, but imagine that Cincy leaves the AAC and the Big 12 doesn't come calling. Who would we want to go after to make the AAC as strong as possible? I'd definitely be interested in adding someone like Western Kentucky. Would also be interesting if we dropped Tulane for noncompetitiveness and maybe added either Georgia Southern or App State. WKU and App State would definitely strengthen football in the American.

 

[Dooley]

We have other threads discussing this doomsday scenario. One thread is enough. I'd rather read and talk about our P5 chances than being stuck in this God awful mess any longer than we have to be.

 

[uconnphil2016]

We have other threads discussing this doomsday scenario. One thread is enough. I'd rather read and talk about our P5 chances than being stuck in this God awful mess any longer than we have to be.

Fair enough. I'm not hoping for it by any means!