Call me crazy, but in the new AAC after Houston, Cincinnati and UCF depart, i find the Sun Belt to be the more compelling and fun conference competitively…now of course im not saying the AAC wont have value but in all honesty id like to see the Sun Belt (in a perfect world) assimilate Memphis, Tulane, ECU, and maybe UTSA and USF from the AAC because i think those are really the only AAC programs that even keep the AAC in the argument as the best “G5” Conference. So am i crazy?
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I think both leagues have some good teams at the top and a lot of meh at the bottom. It’ll be interesting to track. I know a lot of people dont expect much from some of the new AAC adds but I dont think people expected much from Memphis (football wise) when they were added 10 years ago and they turned out to be one of the best teams in the league. So hard to know how this stuff will shake out.
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Good points, now clearly among “G5 Conferences” i think clearly the Sun Belt and AAC are at the top of the list with the PAC 10 a solid #3 and then the MAC and CUSA.
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There you go, shilling for Marshall again SMH
Kidding.
In case you missed it I have some comparisons on the Massey index before and after realignment. As things stand now, the Sun Belt has a slight edge over the realigned AAC. L
Of course, it’s going to vary from season to season. Last season the Mountain West Conference was WAAAAAY ahead of both conferences (like 15-20 spots), but this year are having what must be the worst season in conference history.
At the risk of being loyalty bias, I am pretty bullish on the AAC right now. Their TV deal is leaps and bounds ahead of bounds ahead of the others. The incoming team won’t be getting that much more than the SBC, but will benefit immensely from the exposure and increased investment.
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Yeah, i considered the superior AAC TV contract, and figure its illogical for Sun Belt to poach AAC, but i still think the Sun Belt has the better quality going forward…now honestly i think marshall drags the sun belt quality down and doesnt enhance it…if im the Sun Belt and get to make God like G5 decisions (not how it works, of course) id grab Memphis, ECU, Tulane, USF, and UTSA from the AAC and send the Marsha blundering terd to infect the AAC. Screw the Terdiots
This would have been a fun convo like 3 weeks ago when the sunbelt got all those upsets. they’ve all shown to be paper tigers since
SMU is currently the #1 recruiting g5 even with the aac 3… Tulane is currently ranked the highest among all leftover teams… Memphis is compelling… usf, navy and temple have all had recent top 25 seasons … utsa and uab have had recently top 25 season too … ecu who has the biggest fan base in all the g5 is in the middle of a revival
No offense but I’d turn on a SMU vs Memphis game , Navy vs Temple game way before I turn on app state vs coastal Carolina
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I kind of like both conferences in that each has really leaned into their identity. The latest Metro Conference (city schools, research institutions – moreso than the actual Metro Conference was) and a conference of directional schools and former teachers colleges with more traditional student bodies.
The two big outliers are East Carolina and Georgia State, each of which would be more “at home” in the other. Switch those two and the evolution is complete. Talking to ECU and Georgia State fans, though, each of them seem to be happy where they are though.
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I think that ECU might be at heart, the most undervalued “G5” program out there…in many ways they remind me of WVU but on a slightly smaller scale. They have an ultra passionate fan base that is far better than what the media evaluation suggests, and although they have been weak in recent years, they have an overall winning tradition. I really think they might be one of the most valuable “G5” properties going forward along with Tulane and Memphis.
BTW, you are right about SMU, they are valuable to any conference including potentially a P5 conference…i cant understand why i forgot about them…i feel that the likelihood is that the Pac 10 will expand to the PAC 12 again by adding SDSU and SMU (assuming of course that the godless atheists heathens in the PAC can accept the word Methodist, In any name in a member school).
One thing the reports from today have underscored is how smart the Big 12 was to get expansion out of the way rather than wait and see how it would play with the TV contract. I think it has really helped the Big 12 to have a conference to sell. Yes there may be Pac-12 schools coming later on, but the core of the conference is set.
Intuitively it makes sense that the Pac-12 should see some network numbers before deciding who to add, but I think they might actually be in a better position if they were coming in with a presentation that included San Diego and DFW (or San Diego and Fresno/Idaho/Vegas). But I think it speaks mostly to the consensus right now that they don’t have regarding their future.
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Lol love the needle at the Pac
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AAC and Sun Belt merge to form the first super conference before SEC or B1G.
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I had the same thoughts when all of the Sunbelt teams were beating the Goliaths earlier this season. I think Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina have one of the best G5 rivalries and the crowds and attendance during their matchups are amazing. When I look at the new AAC it seems a lot weaker and I’m not sure if they loose the title of being the premier G5 conference I see them loosing to the sun belt. I have no connection to these schools but I’ve been following the Sun Belt more than any other conference because the teams are exciting and the fans a passionate. I think SMU will run the AAC for a while since they have elite recruiting and near P5 donors but I’m curious to see if there is a big three that emerges after a few years. UTSA, UAB, Memphis, SMU, and Easy Carolina have the most potential to be consistent winners in my opinion.
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Sun Belt has arrived as real conference. All of their teams fit in their regional footprint. ECU would be a better fit for the Sun Belt. With the 3 teams leaving the AAC they have done a good job of adding teams and narrowing the gap between the 2 conferences.
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I like Sun Belt schools, there’s a lot of pride in those little college towns. Don’t see the same support in a lot of the city schools in the AAC. Atmosphere looks electric at some of those Coastal and App. State games.
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Helps when you’re good. Most of the city schools in the AAC have good atmospheres when they’re winning. Just look at Cincy and UCF and even us and Memphis from the earlier years of the league.
One thing I’ll say for the AAC is that a lot of people are underestimating the schools coming in. Sun Belt fans and boosters set up a narrative that the AAC took the market teams while the SBC took the good teams, but:
- The average ranking of the SBC-3 and the AAC-6 is almost identical (85 vs 86) and last year the AAC-6 had a better Sagarin average ranking than the SBC-3 (going to do Massey Index soon)
- In this year’s Conference USA, the only above-average team the AAC didn’t take was WKU and the only below average team they did was Charlotte. (Last year Charlotte was okay but Rice wasn’t, so a similar dynamic I think.)
- Since the last realignment, four teams in the AAC-6 have won conference championships a total of six times. The SBC has only one, and that was Marshall in the second year.
That doesn’t account for JMU or change that the SBC is doing slightly better this season than the AAC-14, but I think it is a point worth remembering. As much as anything else I think institutional profile was the main selection criteria for each conference. (Much to the dismay of WKU, the one conference power left behind.)
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WVU Fan I was watching the stadium after you guys beat Baylor. Looks very cool. Stadium singing Country Roads. My wife and I are looking forward to a road trip.
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Agree.
I’m becoming a big time T-Shirt fan. Mom’s family from NOLA Northshore & some went to U La-La (Ragin Cajuns) but more than that, I just like the regionalized nature of it.
AAC still offers massive exposure and if you commit the $ for facilities/staff, feels like those schools will get rewarded next expansion.
I like UTSA & UAB to kick it up a notch & join Memphis/SMU/Tulane (maybe) as the bell cows.
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I want Rice to kick it up a notch, and UAB is the underdog I root for when they play.
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