Big East to AAC

Cougar Football
1

I’m not saying the Big 12 will follow the same roller coaster ride of when we accepted an Invitation to join the Big East to when we played our first game in the American Athletic Conference, but it is a good learning experience to remind us to continue to keep all of our options open in this ever-changing landscape of Conference realignment. A lot can happen before we even play our first game, we’ve already lived through it once!

Here is the time line:

November 29, 2010: TCU accepts an invitation to join the Big East. To begin play in 2012.

September 18, 2011: Pittsburgh and Syracuse announce they will be leaving the Big East for the ACC

October 10, 2011 : TCU accepts an invitation from the Big 12

October 28, 2011: West Virginia invited to the Big 12

October/November 2011: Big East invites Houston, SMU, Memphis & UCF as full members and Air Force, Navy, BYU, Boise State & San Diego State as Football-Only members.

Only Houston, SMU, Memphis, UCF, Navy, Boise State, & San Diego State accept.

March 7, 2012 : Announced that Temple would be rejoining the Big East

November 20, 2012: Rutgers announces it has accepted an invitation to join the B1G Ten

November 27, 2012 : East Carolina, Tulane, & Tulsa accept invitations to join the Big East

November 28, 2012: Louisville announces it has accepted an invitation to join the ACC.

December 15, 2012: The 7 Basketball only Catholic Schools announce they will be leaving the Big East.

December 31, 2012: Boise State notifies the Big East they have opted to remain in the MWC, contingent upon the MWC extending an offer to San Diego State .

January 16, 2013: San Diego State is released from the obligation to join the Big East

June 30, 2013: Catholic 7 leave the conference and take the name of the Big East Conference with them.

August 2013: UCONN, Cincinnati, UCF, Houston, SMU, Memphis, South Florida, Temple, Louisville, & Rutgers begin play in newly named American Athletic Conference.

11 Likes
2

It is certainly possible.

3

Heck of a timeline

I don’t think we’re through with realignment

Fingers crossed :crossed_fingers: B12 holds together

[EDIT: I don’t think we’re through with P5 realignment ]

3 Likes
4

:+1:

5

UH1927 you make a great point and thanks for putting in the time compiling the timeline.
There is more stability this time around with the Big 12 than the old Big East, but as a university UH should always keep its eyes open and be pro active.
It’s good to have options.

2 Likes
6

Some interesting dates in there.

I didn’t know it was a whole year in between accepting the conference invitation and Rutgers/Louisville departing.

I also wrongly remembered Temple getting in before Memphis. Or maybe that was a matter of paperwork and Temple was announced before Memphis even if officially invited after.

I remember at one point having an assumption that Cincinnati and UConn would also get an ACC invitation, which didn’t happen. UConn of course left on its own accord but only after the conference was on sure footing (and only after it became apparent that their days of competitive football had passed).

I was kind of relieved when Boise and SDSU bailed. I think the benefits of their inclusion would have been outweighed by the lack of cohesion.

One thing to remember is that Louisville withdrew from the conference well before they got the ACC invite. They were banking on an invite somewhere, and took a hell of a risk. They all agreed to keep it quiet. The addition of a 13th team (I thought Memphis, but maybe it was Temple) was kind of odd, but makes sense if you have a team withdrawing (even if their departure wasn’t certain).

Air Force is listed by mistake, I believe.

1 Like
7

Great work ! Very helpful of what UH could potentially be up against…although this time around UH is in a much better position to not be on the outside looking in…that’s why I love the PAC12 rumors. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love for the Big 12 to remain but way too much uncertainty right now…

8

I wonder how the decision by SDSU to join the MWC instead of the AAC affected them in this round of Big 12 expansion… ?

If they had won an AAC Conference title in football would they be in and UH/UCF/Cincy on the other side…?

Just a thought that popped up in my head…

9

Airforce was invited as part of their Western expansion. They declined.

10

Only this time UH might be the one is that is leaving if the Pac 12 offers.

5 Likes
11

Ahhh, my bad. I knew they were heavily discussed but did not know they were actually extended an invitation. I thought this was one of those “Never ask a question (or extend an invite) you don’t know the answer to” sorts of things.

12

I’m not sure how much of a choice San Diego State had, once Boise State backed out.

1 Like
13

You’ll know how stable the conference is when you start hearing numbers leaked from the networks a year from now.

If they’re willing to pay you can bet your bippy they’re convinced of their investment.

14

It probably didn’t affect them. I think the Big12 is going to stay away from the west coast in appreciation to the Pac-12 for not expanding and taking some of its teams.

2 Likes
15

However, this time we are in a much better position with a P5 Invite in hand.

If the Pac 12 calls later, it’s a great problem to have!

2 Likes
16

The BIG in not expanding. The SEC is complete. The ACC is locked in their GOR until 2036. The pac12 is not going to expand if the the BIG 10 isn’t.

No more expansions within the major conferences. The debate going forward is the CFP format and NCAA governance structure.

1 Like
17

These additions killed the big east.

3 Likes
18

I agree with most of what you said Tom, but I think the PAC may have no choice to expand regardless to what the BIG does…

2 Likes
19

The Pac 12 needs The state of Texas for a better TV deal. They will expand to 14 or 16

2 Likes
20

I didn’t remember being in the conference with Rutgers