since we're going to be in the AAC for a while

[amory]

I wish they'd at least change that crappy logo.

Looks like someone made it in 5 minutes using wordart and then noticed later that the star was crooked but figured they'd just tell people it's supposed to be that way.

Are the arms on the star supposed to show where the conference stretches? Like the right arm is for ECU/Memphis, then the lower right goes down to florida...then the lower left to Texas...then the left to oklahoma I guess and then the top is skewed way up and to the right for the Northeast schools?

....

aw who cares.

 

[CL82]

Look here for a bunch of alternatives logos that are better, IMO

I always thought it looks suspiciously like Arizona's logo:

 

[amory]

I like this one, but it's just a little too "this might be an insurance company"

 

[pj]

New AAC uniforms:

 

[Afroabe224]

As much as I dislike UConn being in the AAC, I do think the name/logo/branding has been decent.

It could have been much worse...
Great American Conference
The American 12
Big Metro American

 

[uconndogs]

Yeah, that's what really bugs me........'n logo.............

 

[SellersElbow]

Ha, if the logotastrophe gets to you, just try googling "AAC".
...waiting for it...
Yep, our venerable conference doesn't even appear on the first page of search results. It's behind Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, and other more prominent AAC's.

I think we can all agree that the confence communications folks have a lot of work to do. #AmericanRising

 

[CoastAtlantic]

Let me say this (and this is not a self-serving thing): I think the American Athletic Conference has potential to become a truly competitive conference. You have a lot of rising programs in UCF, ECU having the best football program in NC and competitive programs in Cincy and UConn. Tulane has stopped its decline. I read that season tickets for their new season are going well for them. Memphis has proven to be competitive in basketball. Temple and Tulsa are open question marks at this point.

IMO, there should've been a P6 conference that has the best of programs who aren't in the other 5.

 

[Sea Goat]

Let me say this (and this is not a self-serving thing): I think the American Athletic Conference has potential to become a truly competitive conference. You have a lot of rising programs in UCF, ECU having the best football program in NC and competitive programs in Cincy and UConn. Tulane has stopped its decline. I read that season tickets for their new season are going well for them. Memphis has proven to be competitive in basketball. Temple and Tulsa are open question marks at this point.

IMO, there should've been a P6 conference that has the best of programs who aren't in the other 5.

Please spare us from this patronizing BS

 

[amory]

Let me say this (and this is not a self-serving thing): I think the American Athletic Conference has potential to become a truly competitive conference. You have a lot of rising programs in UCF, ECU having the best football program in NC and competitive programs in Cincy and UConn. Tulane has stopped its decline. I read that season tickets for their new season are going well for them. Memphis has proven to be competitive in basketball. Temple and Tulsa are open question marks at this point.

IMO, there should've been a P6 conference that has the best of programs who aren't in the other 5.

Don't worry, once any program has a year or two of success (so long as that program isn't UConn) they'll be snatched up by one of the other conferences. The American will never be allowed to be truly relevant.

 

[B1GOSU]

Don't worry, once any program has a year or two of success (so long as that program isn't UConn) they'll be snatched up by one of the other conferences. The American will never be allowed to be truly relevant.

I agree 100%. If any AAC school can increase the $ for any of the other Power 5 conferences, they will be snatched up. The AAC will have to back fill with Sun Belt teams, CUSA teams or MAC teams. It's a food chain. Other than UConn and Temple, the AAC is essentially the old CUSA. Teams thought they upgraded, only to be partnered with the exact same teams more or less - just under a different conference name.

Since the B1G and SEC will be making twice as much as the other P5 conferences, it is likely that AAC teams that won't increase the $ for those two could increase the $ for the ACC or maybe the Big 12. The B1G and SEC will be making over $40 million per school in the not too distant future. The B1G will get there first, but I think the SEC can get there too or close to it.

 

[upstater]

People, start looking at the money. It all comes down to that. AAC = death sentence.

 

[Dooley]

The American has as much of a chance becoming a P6 conference as they do of ever having a FB conference champion playing for a National Championship. As amory said, as soon as any school strings together some success, they will be added by the B12/B1G/ACC. UCF is up next if they can win the conference this year and p1mp up their hoops a bit. I still foresee a UCF and Cincinnati escape pod to the B12 in a few short years. Then the AAC will back fill with 2 from the UMASS/Buffalo/Southern Miss/UAB/Army/Ohio class.

 

[Hoophound]

The American has as much of a chance becoming a P6 conference as they do of ever having a FB conference champion playing for a National Championship. As amory said, as soon as any school strings together some success, they will be added by the B12/B1G/ACC. UCF is up next if they can win the conference this year and p1mp up their hoops a bit. I still foresee a UCF and Cincinnati escape pod to the B12 in a few short years. Then the AAC will back fill with 2 from the UMASS/Buffalo/Southern Miss/UAB/Army/Ohio class.

The AAC would HAVE to get Boise, Fresno, SDSU and UNLV at that point. The bigger name schools need each other to maintain some level of relevance. Staying separated would be suicide.

 

[CoastAtlantic]

The theory that there will continue to be programs moving up the chain has a flaw and that flaw is conference cohesion at the top when adding members. I have already read stories about fans complaining about not playing old rivals as much as before. At what point do conferences become leagues? Would a football schedule be determined by a lottery instead of the programs scheduling individually? In the meantime, conferences are more jealously guarding the money being generated in competition. We may well be hitting the true limits in
size at the top. Still, I just know that 65 is too few a number. I believe that a number between 75 & 80 is fair. No more than that. Certainly enough room for a sixth conference. I am not being condescending.

 

[Gampeltiles]

Don't worry, once any program has a year or two of success (so long as that program isn't UConn) they'll be snatched up by one of the other conferences. The American will never be allowed to be truly relevant.

OK, when does the paranoia get really troubling? We were the only non-Catholic school in the original Big East. Where would we be if that didn't happen? Duking it out with URI for a sliver of national recognition? So the blackballing only started when WE became relevant?

 

[amory]

OK, when does the paranoia get really troubling? We were the only non-Catholic school in the original Big East. Where would we be if that didn't happen? Duking it out with URI for a sliver of national recognition? So the blackballing only started when WE became relevant?

What's your point, Gampeltiles?

 

[Gampeltiles]

I think I am pretty clear. The sentiment here is that "they" are trying to kill our athletic dept. Cinncy, UCF and anyone who isn't UCONN will get invites to better conferences. They, presumably, being the P5 conference schools.

We would not be where we are, as a basketball program and as a University if we didn't get a break from Dave Gavitt who let us into his league. The world isn't against us. The Big East helped UCONN become a basketball powerhouse. If not for that break, the old ECAC probably would still be in tact and Dom Perno Jr. would be coaching the team at the Fieldhouse.

 

[Stray_Dog]

Let me say this (and this is not a self-serving thing): I think the American Athletic Conference has potential to become a truly competitive conference. You have a lot of rising programs in UCF, ECU having the best football program in NC and competitive programs in Cincy and UConn. Tulane has stopped its decline. I read that season tickets for their new season are going well for them. Memphis has proven to be competitive in basketball. Temple and Tulsa are open question marks at this point.

IMO, there should've been a P6 conference that has the best of programs who aren't in the other 5.

Who is paying you? And, do the P5 appear to care whether a particular school is re-branding itself, especially if said school is a lower tier school within their conference??? Why are we talking up ECU or Tulane on the Boneyard? I care about one thing and one thing only, UConn and making us THE ONLY Attractive thing within the AAC.

 

[upstater]

I think I am pretty clear. The sentiment here is that "they" are trying to kill our athletic dept. Cinncy, UCF and anyone who isn't UCONN will get invites to better conferences. They, presumably, being the P5 conference schools.

We would not be where we are, as a basketball program and as a University if we didn't get a break from Dave Gavitt who let us into his league. The world isn't against us. The Big East helped UCONN become a basketball powerhouse. If not for that break, the old ECAC probably would still be in tact and Dom Perno Jr. would be coaching the team at the Fieldhouse.

BC and Syracuse have been explicit about blackballing UConn. This isn't sentiment. It's fact.

 

[uconndogs]

I think I am pretty clear. The sentiment here is that "they" are trying to kill our athletic dept. Cinncy, UCF and anyone who isn't UCONN will get invites to better conferences. They, presumably, being the P5 conference schools.

We would not be where we are, as a basketball program and as a University if we didn't get a break from Dave Gavitt who let us into his league. The world isn't against us. The Big East helped UCONN become a basketball powerhouse. If not for that break, the old ECAC probably would still be in tact and Dom Perno Jr. would be coaching the team at the Fieldhouse.

There is so much misperception here it's hard to no where to begin. At the time of the formation of the Big East UCONN was as deserving as most of the founding members. Certainly the likes of Syracuse and St. Johns had more hoops success, but outside of them, UCONN played fairly competitively on a regional basis. Recruiting had just taken a major uptick as well.

There were many, many folks within the UCONN community who did not want UCONN in the Big East. The general consensus was that UCONN could never compete in a major athletic conference. Calhoun and then Geno proved beyond a doubt how wrong that thinking was. UCONN was a tremendous asset to the Big East and became immediately competitive on the football side of the equation with a wonderful trajectory until Hathaway hired an idiot to replace Edsall.

Nobody and I mean nobody handed UCONN anything. UCONN built its success with excellent management and hires (save a couple).

 

[uconndogs]

BC and Syracuse have been explicit about blackballing UConn. This isn't sentiment. It's fact.

I've already posted too much about how stupid this is because it's not even in their best interest to take that position, yet they continue to do this. Just stupid.

While I hate our present predicament in the AAC, I do see one ray of hope with regards to our regional counterparts. BC, Syracuse and Rutgers, while in the P5, are all a long, long way from competing at the highest levels of those conferences. (BC entered the ACC with some very significant success on both the grid iron and hardwood, but in typical BC fashion squandered that.) All those programs are a long way from competing for conference championships and national relevance - a long way. Let me know the next time one of those programs beats a FSU, Clemson, OSU, etc. At some point, the fan base (especially in the northeast) gets ambivalent about mediocrity, or worse.

In the AAC, UCONN has a much easier road to consistent conference success. Does UCONN's brand and success on the football field translate to better regional recognition and appeal? I think it's reasonable to believe it does.

Of course, that means we have to start winning football games and hold on financially. Neither of which is a given.

 

[NickyNewark]

Let me say this (and this is not a self-serving thing): I think the American Athletic Conference has potential to become a truly competitive conference. You have a lot of rising programs in UCF, ECU having the best football program in NC and competitive programs in Cincy and UConn. Tulane has stopped its decline. I read that season tickets for their new season are going well for them. Memphis has proven to be competitive in basketball. Temple and Tulsa are open question marks at this point.

IMO, there should've been a P6 conference that has the best of programs who aren't in the other 5.

Don't underestimate Temple FB....they've had some great coaching since Al Golden/Addazio/Rhule and been more than competitive in recent yrs and don't get the credit they deserve!! I love the dual purpose young QB out of Elizabeth NJ that RU passed on PJ Walker and see nice things out of them this and next year...not great but solid....8/9 wins not out of the question though admittedly I havent perused their schedule yet!?! One thing about me and many others here...we love an underdog!! When UConn leaves for the P5 I'll root for Temple FB to make lots of noise in the AAC and hope when the ACC backloads they'll give Temple some consideration though their fans will have to start showing up to FB games.But isn't the ACC loaded with teams with less than stellar(exceptions FSU/Clem) fanbase support not much better than Temple already? I don't think even Cuse gets more than 25G home support(though usually listed 34G in a 49G venue) unless a big name slips in their circus tent!?!

 

[Marty Jackson]

I've already posted too much about how stupid this is because it's not even in their best interest to take that position, yet they continue to do this. Just stupid.

While I hate our present predicament in the AAC, I do see one ray of hope with regards to our regional counterparts. BC, Syracuse and Rutgers, while in the P5, are all a long, long way from competing at the highest levels of those conferences. (BC entered the ACC with some very significant success on both the grid iron and hardwood, but in typical BC fashion squandered that.) All those programs are a long way from competing for conference championships and national relevance - a long way. Let me know the next time one of those programs beats a FSU, Clemson, OSU, etc. At some point, the fan base (especially in the northeast) gets ambivalent about mediocrity, or worse.

In the AAC, UCONN has a much easier road to consistent conference success. Does UCONN's brand and success on the football field translate to better regional recognition and appeal? I think it's reasonable to believe it does.

Of course, that means we have to start winning football games and hold on financially. Neither of which is a given.

why couldn't Uconn have the season UCF had last year? I certainly think that with Diaco at the helm it's not only possible but possible in the next 2-3 years. And should get the AAC a bid to the BCS games...

just wondering at what point a top 10-15 AAC team is passed over for a 9-4 ACC champ because mediocrity starts to hit one of the P5 conferences.

 

[uconndogs]

Temple has some nice geography, but they have historically been inconsistent with their commitment to athletics. I don't see them in it over the long run. They have had a nice run of football coaches, although how they lost at home to the train wreck that was UCONN football last season escapes me.