After Cincy, UCF, and Houston chose to depart the American Athletic Conference for the Big XII, we have a significant update to the AAC.
We've announced the addition of @UAB_Athletics, @Charlotte49ers, @FAUAthletics, @MeanGreenSports, @RiceAthletics and @UTSAAthletics. Full story 🔗 - https://t.co/3Lyj6Mz0PT#AmericanPow6r pic.twitter.com/AYiQVgjksB— The American (@American_Conf) October 21, 2021
This leaves conference usa with 8 teams. Not to be outdone, the Sun Belt might raid a few to bolster its ranks. Conference usa might end up as the big east did unless it makes some moves itself.
Sources: The Sun Belt is examining expansion. The league is considering adding up to four schools. Among those targeted are Southern Miss, Marshall, ODU and James Madison. Also, Conference USA is exploring additions. Those include Liberty and James Madison.— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 20, 2021
Comments
Yawn, this is only widening the gaps between the haves and have nots. The lower conferences are fighting to stay alive in a world that is accelerating away from them. NCAA either doesn't care or can't come up with a plan to put parity back into the sport. Expanding the playoffs will only give more P5 teams a spot or would add sacrificial lambs to the first round.
Counter...this is the set up for the P5 to break off to form their own "division" of sorts, nearly independent of the NCAA. And the rest will still fall under the NCAA umbrella.
Not necessarily - this may not be the case every year, in 2017 UCF went 13-0. They beat a good Auburn team that had beaten Alabama and Georgia. I think they probably deserved a spot in the playoffs. The following year they went 12-1, beating Pitt, a ranked Cincy team, before finally losing 32-40 against 11th ranked LSU. And speaking of Cincy, they are making a case for being in this year.
I couldn't be more disappointed that they didn't put Charlotte and UNT's logos next to each other.
Also, I don't like the idea of JMU moving up only because it adds another FBS player in the state that we have to recruit against, even if they would be G5.
Jeez I'd love to meet the supergenius that realized this
I want to see the bidding war for JMU!
Meaningless deck chairs on titanic... nobody but alumni cares about or watches these schools on TV
Watching the Fun Belt on a Tuesday is the highlight of my week!
I really like watching teams I have no attachment to because I like football. Honestly I probably enjoy watching games as a neutral fan now more than our games. I feel like our games just beat the shit out of me at this point.
100% i hate having a rooting interest, its why I can't play fantasy football, it ruins the game.
I hate close VT games no matter the outcome, I love close football games.
Not sure this is true now that I'm older, but I could never watch more than a game or two (of any sport). Too much and I'd start twitching and feel the undeniable urge to actually go play.
Note the bottom: #AMERICANPOW6R
Man, I hope America has more power than this. Would be a lot of black outs or successful invasions of the US if our power supply or military was like this.
It's the American conference...don't extend it too far beyond that.
Oh yeah I got it. It's just how weak the teams are and putting the POW6R with the cutesy 6 in there was kind of pitiful. If you are talking about academics, Rice is real good, but as far as football powers ...
I'm sorry, what? How many unsuccessful invasions of the US have there been? Is this even actually a legitimate concern?
No, it's a joke about how the American Conference teams are so weak. So I was saying that it is a good thing our power grid and supplies (which do have issues) and the military are not as weak as the teams listed. Play on words and on their AMERICANPOW6R tag line.
Since recognized independence?
1814
1815
1846
1861
1862
1863
1864
1915
1916
1941
1942
That's 11 failed invasions in 245 years, so 1 every 22 years
Glad you chimed in as I was thinking about this and how it depends upon how you define success. Several British invasions from what is now Canada / then a colony in the Revolution or War or 1812, Baltimore and Washington and New Orleans in the War of 1812. Japanese occupation of Kiska and Attu in WW2. Wasn't even thinking of the Confederacy as an invasion, but yeah, I guess you could. What was 1915 and 1916? Something with Mexico.
Could have argued that sacking Washington was a success, but was that an invasion or a raid? And was the then overland repulse making the whole thing unsuccessful so burning of Washington was not enough? Does it have to be a total obliteration like Rome and Carthage to be a success? Conquest like Germany in WW2? Just get what you want politically like Prussia in the Franco Prussian War ...
None of those invasions scored a pussy touchdown.
Coincidence?
I think not!
Well we don't have relegation yet but at least there is some promotion going on.
oh man, I would love to see Promotion/relegation in CFB
Last placed Acc team goes down to Conference USA...ha..I love it
I'd love to see us drop/promote the bottom 8-10 FBS teams every year. See ya Uconn, Umass, New Mexico State, New Mexico, Kansas, Bowling Green. Hello JMU, NDSU, Montana, Jacksonville State etc. Keep it interesting.
Agreed, would be good for us to get knocked down to a lower conference, fuente may actually have a chance against the lower level competition
I thought maybe we had moved down! /s
Pretty indefensibly bad moves by Aresfo. If I was in charge I'd add UAB for both sports, UTSA, ULL and Georgia State for football, then something like VCU Dayton and Rhode Island for hoops. Gotta use your assets and right now that's basically only Memphis and Wichita hoops.
SZD had an interesting theory that the moves were pretty much dictated by ESPN. That checks out because their only interest is in the market size. However the quality and matchups will definitely suffer.
Sounds like ODU and JMU are headed to the Sun Belt
Southern Miss official. I don't get ODU at all but supposedly its them Marshall and JMU to make it 14
Marshall is dragging their feet. Paging ThunderingHokie
Supposedly they are about to announce new president and don't want to join before that.
ODU gets the invite because it fits the Sun Belt's strategy for regionalizing the conference. They're going to be splitting into West & East divisions, with the bulk of the additions coming in the East. Marshall, JMU, ODU, App State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, and Georgia State is going to be a really fun annual slate of games.
Plus, getting a foothold in Virginia recruiting is a smart strategy for the Sun Belt. While we lament the lack of top-end talent coming out of VA nowadays, there's still a lot of good football players that will be great players at the G5 level. Having a presence in the 757 is a part of that.
Not gonna lie, it's really cool to see my wife (JMU alum) and all of our JMU tailgate friends get excited about this move.
Looking from the outside... it's nice to be pumped up about football right now, so I'm living vicariously through them.