Mike Aresco crushed some sour grapes when discussing the loss of Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston to the Big 12. What did the guy expect? He shares a footprint with the Big 12. This is something he should have seen coming. It wasn't exactly like the iceberg heading for the Titanic. Perhaps he, like a lot of people, assumed that one of the teams would be Boise State and that the Big 12 would only take 2 to replace the two that were lost.
Although things happened fast, consider this. Do a Google search for the best non-power 5 football programs. In addition to BYU and Boise State, you would likely also find Central Florida and Cincinnati on that list. Houston, well its the largest market not currently in the Power 5. And no, College Station is not THAT close enough to Houston. It's about 90 minutes by car depending on traffic.
Also consider that the Big 12 looked into expansion in 2016. Chances are the Big 12 already knew who they were going to get soon after the PAC-12 decided not to poach their conference.
So what do you do in response? Poach the Mountain West. If they do, you would likely end up with a war on your hands. There are some cool things that AAC could do. However, they do not make enough money to make a 3 or 4 time-zone conference work. They can't afford a bidding war with the MW. While I am thinking about it, perhaps an agreement with the MWC not to poach each other for 5 years. If the AAC goes after Boise State, Colorado State or someone else, the MWC is going to go after Tulsa and SMU in retaliation.
There are not a ton of options. I would say, follow the example of the Big 12. Here are the three schools I would add.
1. Add the best football program neither in the Power 5 or the MWC. That can only mean one program. The Thundering Herd of Marshall.
Usually, they have a good program in Football. They are .518 all time and have a 12-5 record in bowl games. They have a 38,000 seat stadium. Outside of football, the men's soccer program is the reigning national champion.
Alternative: Southern Mississippi
2 &3. Add the largest sports market in the footprint, not in the AAC or power 5. That market is deep in the heart of Texas. It does not quite make up for the loss of Houston, but helps the conference keep a large footprint in the state. It will help with recruiting, as well. At the University of Texas San Antonio Road Runners.
UTSA does not have the history of Marshall, or a Houston. Also remember that the history of the University of Houston is not all roses and sugar cubes. UTSA does not have that. They have 2.5 million people. A little success, and the Alamodome will be filled to capacity every Saturday. This is the definition of drafting potential.
Another school in a large market that has a loner is Old Dominion. The Virgina Beach area is one of the fastest growing in the country. It is considered a good site for one of the major sports leagues for expansion. It is a good expansion site for the American.
Many people are also stating that Alabama Birmingham should be one of the teams. Since the Blazers brought back football, they have been doing very well. However, the AAC could add all three, UTSA, Old Dominion and UAB. It would raise their market profile, but not the football profile. They have to leave one of them out.
Alternative: Rice, Florida Atlantic, Florida International
4. Now that I've upset all 50 fans of Conference USA, let me suggest a Sun Belt Conference member for the last addition. No, it's not Boise State, but its who many think may be the next Boise State. They certainly looked like it the past two years. The Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina.
The Myrtle Beach/Conway area is about the size of Boise, perhaps a little smaller, but it is growing faster. If you like Boise State, Coastal Carolina has a lot of the same positives of Boise State, but in some ways they are better. Name the last time Boise State won the College World Series.
Alternative: Appalachian State
That would be three from Conference USA and one from the Sun Belt. Other commenters have mentioned Florida International and Florida Atlantic. Both are in the Miami area and both are in the shadow of Miami. That may or may not be a good move.
Other Conferences expansion options:
Mountain West: Coming Soon
Conference USA: Coming Soon
Sun Belt Conference: Coming Soon
Big Sky Conference: Coming Soon
Next: Does the West Coast Conference replace BYU?
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