Wichita State Emerges As Potential Basketball Only Add To AAC (Officially Official)

[jfuchs91]

Wichita State to the AAC is happening and has been a done deal for at least a month or so now.

I don't love the move, but as a partial member I at least understand it. If nothing else, it'll add some much needed basketball clout to the conference.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

I guess I'm in the minority here but I think this could be a really intriguing and promising move for the American. WSU has enjoyed phenomenal success in basketball for a MVC team and has proven they are ready for a step up in level of play not just from their on the court success, but also their investment in the program (Marshall makes $3.3m/year, nice arena with plans to upgrade even further, Koch $$) and fan support. They are a natural rival with Tulsa from being in the MVC together forever ago and Would be a fan base that actually travels to the conference tournament more likely than not.

Depending on how they work the financials, I think this could be a really good thing for the AAC and Wichita both.


Link for arena upgrades: Millions pledged for Koch Arena expansion project

I'm not a huge fan of the idea though you make good points. The problem is, WSU hasn't shown they can be successful without Marshall, and it's a very real possibility he is poached by someone else in the near future.

 

[don356]

I think if Marshall was going to leave he would already be gone. He makes top 10 money now north of 3.5mm. He clearly likes it there. I like the move.

 

[4in16]

Wichita State to the AAC is happening and has been a done deal for at least a month or so now.

I don't love the move, but as a partial member I at least understand it. If nothing else, it'll add some much needed basketball clout to the conference.

I agree it's a good move basketball wise, what's your source on this? We've heard done deals on this forum before that never happened.

 

[pick6s]

Would Wichita State be a better basketball-only/non-football add than VCU?

 

[Bobol]

Wichita State's addition to the AAC won't help UConn.

UConn needs a geographic rival to prosper in the AAC.....

 

[UConnDan97]

The American Athletic Conference Needs to Expand

Suggesting Nova and Georgetown upgrade to FBS? For real?

If Nova and GTown were both serious in upgrading their football, they would make much more sense. Nova was at one point in time serious about it anyways. They would both bring very strong olympic sport brands and natural rivals for us and others (temple, etc.). The fact that they would be lower-tier football teams would likely only be temporary.

Wichita State, while seemingly bringing a very good bball team, would not bring anything else in a bball-only move, and they are one bad season from becoming Tulsa as others have mentioned.

Finally, they don't fit the Aresco large market model, which was supposed to be the driver behind the next tv contract. It makes us better in bball, but only temporarily...

 

[shizzle787]

If Nova and GTown were both serious in upgrading their football, they would make much more sense. Nova was at one point in time series about it anyways. They would both bring very strong olympic sport brands and natural rivals for us and others (temple, etc.). The fact that they would be lower tier football teams would likely only be temporary.

Wichita State, while seemingly bringing a currently good bball team, would not being anything else in a bball-only move, and they are one bad season from becoming Tulsa as others have mentioned.

Finally, they don't fit the Aresco large market model, which was supposed to be the driver behind the next tv contract. It makes us better in bball, but only temporarily...

Although the idea of bringing Nova and Georgetown into the fold sounds sexy, what if they get good enough at football that they get invites to the B1G or ACC instead of us?

 

[UConnDan97]

Although the idea of bringing Nova and Georgetown into the fold sounds sexy, what if they get good enough at football that they get invites to the B1G or ACC instead of us?

You are talking about an 8 to 10 year look out. I can't even predict how many conferences there will be in that time-frame, much less who will be in them. And if we can't get our $#it together in another decade of football, we probably don't deserve the invite anyways...

 

[shizzle787]

You are talking about an 8 to 10 year look out. I can't even predict how many conferences there will be in that time-frame, much less who will be in them. And if we can't get our $#it together in another decade of football, we probably don't deserve the invite anyways...

Hopefully, the dirty ACC rumor turns out to be true and we don't have to worry about any of this.

 

[Drew]

Sources: A Wichita State move to AAC grows more likely

The possibility of Wichita State joining the American Athletic Conference has been discussed at the presidential level and is seen as increasingly likely, according to several sources in college athletics who recently spoke on the topic on the condition of anonymity.

A source directly connected to AAC members described Wichita State’s candidacy as strong and expectations among many schools are that the Shockers will be added. Another source involved in college athletics termed it “almost inevitable.”

A timetable is unclear for the possible addition of the Shockers, who would join the AAC for all of its current sports and give the conference a 12th basketball member.

Nine of the conference’s 12 members (football-only Navy will vote) are required to approve a new member. A vote could happen at spring meetings or by conference call.

No American or Wichita State officials have publicly confirmed the possibility of expansion.

People at American schools, Wichita State and the Missouri Valley Conference routinely decline comment on the matter because of the sensitivity of the expansion topic.

The American is, perhaps, interested in the addition to strengthen its basketball product and balance the schedule with a 12th school. Wichita State is looking for a home for athletics that would provide its powerful men’s basketball program a bigger stage and better opponents. WSU also wants to be aligned with higher-profile schools that are more similar to it in location and academic mission than the MVC’s mix of four private and five other public schools, all located in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Missouri.

National media reports add to the growing mood that Wichita State is well down the road to leave the MVC for the American.

 

[Exit 4]

The AAC doesn't have any money to share and its probably likely our media partners have no interest what so ever in a move to add a school.

Yes, I'm being a downer on purpose...why cheer for any of this lower school stepping up to join the ACC?

The only lesser schools that interest me are the Mtnwest Conf schools and BYU.

 

[SouthBayHusky]

I'm definitely in favor. Obviously does nothing for football, but it does strengthen our conference on the basketball side making it more tolerable the longer we're here.

 

[Towney007]

I'm all for better basketball in this conference

I hope our football stadium falls over anyway.

 

[UConn990411]

I haven't been one of the biggest supporters of UConn to the Big East, but this move would change that in a hurry.

Wichita State is a nothing addition.

 

[Fishy]

Anyone who gets excited about this one way or the other just is not paying attention.

Is Wichita a good addition? No. Are they a bad addition? No.

It doesn't matter.

It doesn't matter that they are a small market because the American has no way to monetize a larger market. It doesn't matter if they're one more mouth to feed; the difference per team is meaningless.

There is no one else out there. If Wichita joins and they earn some NCAA credits fine. If they don't, they'll fit right in. At least we'll play in a full building for a change.

But in the end, it doesn't matter. It won't affect anything.

 

[Towney007]

Everything is a nothing addition in this league. I mean .

The run down in this conference is basically this:

The good basketball schools are a burden to the good football schools.

The good football schools are a burden to the good basketball schools.

All of whom will make a half-ass commitment to beefing up their weaker programs - but with the lack of exposure, it's a pipe dream. A fruitless, expensive, stupid pipe dream.

I mean I laugh my face off reading people being down on adding Wichita State because their coach will leave and they'll be nothing. WTF do you think your football program is? Valuable? A desired destination by denziens of accomplished, grizzled pros? No. It's a place for P5 cast off coaches to settle in for a while before getting an undeserved second crack or for up and coming coaches to take a coffee break before taking a P5 job. That's this whole conference in the two major sports. That's just the reality of all of it. Does anyone honestly think that South Florida or UCF is sitting there saying to themselves 'UH OH UCONN HIRED RANDY EDSALL, HERE THEY COME.' Of course they're not! And travel expenses? I'm sure the entire rest of the conference - mostly nestled in the Midwest and South - LOVE sending their olympic sports all the way to butt-fk Connecticut for women's diving. We're the biggest burden on anyone in this conference in that regard.

So i'm just tired of hearing it. If this makes basketball a little more enjoyable for the short period of time between us being here and leaving here - wherever that leads - whether that's a pipe-dreamy P5 bid which I don't think is ever going to happen or the more likely 'we let football float into space' while heading to the new Big East... then fine. I'll live with it.

 

[JMick]

I haven't been one of the biggest supporters of UConn to the Big East, but this move would change that in a hurry.

Wichita State is a nothing addition.

It seems extremely short sighted. What happens when Marshall leaves? More dead weight in the conference? More mouths to feed? I don't get it.

 

[bballgrda]

Anyone who gets excited about this one way or the other just is not paying attention.

Is Wichita a good addition? No. Are they a bad addition? No.

It doesn't matter.

It doesn't matter that they are a small market because the American has no way to monetize a larger market. It doesn't matter if they're one more mouth to feed; the difference per team is meaningless.

There is no one else out there. If Wichita joins and they earn some NCAA credits fine. If they don't, they'll fit right in. At least we'll play in a full building for a change.

But in the end, it doesn't matter. It won't affect anything.

Nothing matters

 

[pick6s]

I'm not sure anyone chimed in on this the first time- would VCU be a better addition than Wichita St? Bigger market, the market has more wealth so more tickets sold etc, bigger school, bigger endowment, better academically (US News has VCU top 200 while Wichita St is unranked), keeps the conference from becoming too midwestern-heavy.

 

[pick6s]

It seems extremely short sighted. What happens when Marshall leaves? More dead weight in the conference? More mouths to feed? I don't get it.

That may be a good point from the perspective of the other members of the conference but for UConn the short term is more important than the long term right now. If they don't get into a power conference during this next realignment, they may very well be out of a power conference for good. That could also be cause for re-evaluating the football program as a whole and whether we want/can afford to be an FBS school, in which case we would bolt the American for another conference like the Big East anyway. Thus, in UConn's case, this is a good time to take a gamble that has short-term benefits.

 

[Slasher]

It may not matter, but two games against WSU is certainly better than playing ECU and Tulane twice...

 

[lv99]

Before we jump in without thinking and add Wichita State, I think we need to assess all possible additions.

There might be some other schools that have football that might be interested in joining just in basketball. We might want to consider UMass. They have been wanting to join a long time. And let's not forget East Carolina. We are always hearing East Carolina whining about finally getting their chance to join. We could bring in East Carolina in basketball only. Then, in a few years, after schools leave or get kicked out (Temple), we might add East Carolina as a full member. It would be a good deal for a school like East Carolina because they would just need to bide their time and eventually they might get to be a full-fledged member.

 

[Slasher]

Before we jump in without thinking and add Wichita State, I think we need to assess all possible additions.

There might be some other schools that have football that might be interested in joining just in basketball. We might want to consider UMass. They have been wanting to join a long time. And let's not forget East Carolina. We are always hearing East Carolina whining about finally getting their chance to join. We could bring in East Carolina in basketball only. Then, in a few years, after schools leave or get kicked out (Temple), we might add East Carolina as a full member. It would be a good deal for a school like East Carolina because they would just need to bide their time and eventually they might get to be a full-fledged member.

2/10

 

[huskymedic]

Before we jump in without thinking and add Wichita State, I think we need to assess all possible additions.

There might be some other schools that have football that might be interested in joining just in basketball. We might want to consider UMass. They have been wanting to join a long time. And let's not forget East Carolina. We are always hearing East Carolina whining about finally getting their chance to join. We could bring in East Carolina in basketball only. Then, in a few years, after schools leave or get kicked out (Temple), we might add East Carolina as a full member. It would be a good deal for a school like East Carolina because they would just need to bide their time and eventually they might get to be a full-fledged member.