With the departure of UConn, now is the time that the AAC can make a move not only on one team but on three teams or more. It appears that the AAC is really trying to get to the P5 level and by essentially dropping the worst team and then gaining three really good teams, they could very well be considered in that conversation against the Big 12 and Pac 12 conferences.
But they would have to specific teams, and one of them has to be Boise State. The other school would have to be another well recognized team that has spent significant time ranked in the past five years or so. Those teams would include Utah State, Appalachian State, Middle Tennessee, Army, or Air Force.
The biggest complaint that I have heard to this point is that there is no way that BYU is going to buy out their games with the schools they already have scheduled. In the near future, BYU already has full schedules which would be really tough on the buyouts. But after 2022 BYU can work around that pretty easily.
The proposal would be that BYU Football doesn’t join until the 2023 season (other sports can join in 2021 when UConn leaves) and has the option to back out if invited by a P5 by then. The second half of the proposal would be that BYU gets to choose the four games they get to keep each season through 2027.
I haven’t looked it up yet but just how much time have USU, APP ST, MTU, Army, or AFA spent in the top 25 in the last 5 years? Say number of weeks ranked over total number of weeks. If any of them break 20% I’ll be surprised.
BYU - I am a big fan of church going junk punching 29 year old freshmen. I always have been.
both Air force and Army
I love that the UConn move has created the narrative that the AAC is clearly the best of the rest and UConn made the move because they couldn’t compete in football.
That’s hilarious. There is an argument for expanding big, but with those schools? Are you kidding me? This is the dumbest thing I’ve heard today and there is a lot of competition for that.
Try to get the NCAA to allow you to have three divisions. Get BYU plus six MWC teams (Boise, SDSU, UNLV, CSU, AFA, and UNM in the central division). Playoff is the top two division leaders.
That’s hilarious. There is an argument for expanding big, but with those schools? Are you kidding me? This is the dumbest thing I’ve heard today and there is a lot of competition for that.
Try to get the NCAA to allow you to have three divisions. Get BYU plus six MWC teams (Boise, SDSU, UNLV, CSU, AFA, and UNM in the central division). Playoff is the top two division leaders.
Not as far fetched as you think. The NCAA allows for PODS for conferences that have 16 schools. Take the picks of the litter from MWC, C-USA, and Independents. SDSU, Boise, St., BYU and Utah State/Colorado State in the Western pod. UH, SMU, Tulsa and Tulane in the Southwestern Pod. Navy, Temple, ECU, and Cincinnati in the Eastern pod. UCF, USF, Memphis and ? for the Southern Pod.
Everyone keeps bringing up trying to add Air Force or Army. I’m pretty sure none of the football coaches like the idea of playing 2 option teams in a year. Even though mentioning Tom Herman’s name is like a four letter word (rightfully so), he had a point when talking about how hard it is to win after playing Navy because of the health problems it presents with the line and having people constantly diving at your knees. It’s bad enough with Navy (ie Ed Oliver, and Payton Turner this year) but to bring 2 to 3 more weeks of that into our season is something I’m sure no AAC coach is willing to vote for.
I wouldn’t personally scoff at Appy State. They’ve been pretty good and wouldn’t take them lightly. Besides… i’d travel to Boone (and Asheville) in a second. But that’s just me.
Fun fact… BYU hasn’t finished in the top 25 since they were last in a conference (2009 in the MWC). This is their longest streak since 1977 when they finally found themselves as a program (had not ended ranked ever before 1977).
Being indy sucks unless your ND. They thought they could be ND. They aren’t ND.
They will never make the playoffs much less a NY6 bowl without being in a conference. The scheduling is too hard from an indy position. They would be much better off in any conference.
Football only would be a big win for BYU and the AAC.
Win the AAC go to a NY6 bowl.
Go undefeated maybe get into the playoffs.
No Sunday games…no problem.
I bet the AAC would work with them on 3rd tier media and joining timing.
It makes way too much sense which means its highly unlikely of course…this is CFB after all.
I doubt moving their already contracted games would be that much of an issue…just move some out to different years. Happens all the time. Maybe AAC teams could help by picking up some of the dropped opponents…maybe some cash could exchange hands for that if need be. But friggin don’t let that stand in the way.
It would be nice, maybe mandatory, to get some guarantee that they’d actually join and not bolt for the B12 before getting through the AAC door.
BYU would never sign that guarantee. But we could make sure we get a pretty nice payout.
Main sticking point will be TV money and TV rights. I don’t think the AAC is going to be cool with BYU having a separate contract. The conference and the school already had that discussion when it first formed. And I don’t think BYU takes a pay cut (if they are negotiating for a higher payout than we have, which they think they are) and they definitely don’t sacrifice on the Tier III stuff.
Yea, “guarantee” is probably too strong a word…a big payout would be the most the AAC could get.
Does anyone have a link or solid info on what BYU is currently getting media wise for the FB games and maybe a contrast with what they could get with the AAC? How much of ESPN’s $6.9M/team payout in the new contract is for football?
Assuming the AAC sticks to an 8 game schedule BYU would get the FB payout plus the money from their 4 non-conf games. Would that be more or less than they’re making now?
Here’s a good pros/cons article from the Salt Lake Tribune yesterday…
Couple notes on the cons…
AAC might mean less money - If they’re getting $7M from ESPN now and AAC is paying $6.9M for all sports then yes, less money. But…What would their AAC football only payout be and how much could they still be making for their non-conf schedule? That’s four games they could still schedule big on and probably pull in another $4-6M.
Would the AAC let them put a game on their network once a year? Sure…if they sign a decent buyout…I’d make that bargain.