Originally Posted by m21eagle45
I do not think the ACC or SEC is going to pluck schools from the AAC. The only hope for those schools is the Big12 and that is if the Big12 isn't raided by the SEC, ACC, and BIG10. The Big12 just signed a new TV deal and I do not believe will be looking to expand anytime soon.
|
A few thoughts:
1. It's complicated.
2. There's a lot more to it than athletics. The Big 10 didn't go after Rutgers and Maryland because of their athletics programs.
3. It's very complicated.
4. The Big 12 (with 10 schools) could expand to the East by adding four AAC schools....a move having a motivation similar to the Big 10s. But, there's a catch. Texas and Oklahoma call the shots in the Big 12...and those two schools know that the Big 10, SEC and ACC would jump at the chance to add either one. The other 8 Big 12 schools understand that. So, as long as UT and OU are content the Big 12 will remain as is.
5. It's really very, very complicated.
6. Recall, there was a time when UD thought it was a great idea to join the Great Midwest conference...the beginning of an embarrassing disaster for us.
It took a long time and much pain to recover from the GMW debacle....and we own the A10 plenty for applying the life support treatment needed at the time.
7. A10 schools like
SLU,
URI,
SJU and a few others really want to have very good men's BB programs and are investing accordingly. They will have good teams. A few others, well known to all, are not investing sufficiently. I think the best chance for UD is to act like the conference leader....teaming with a few other like-minded schools to pressure the laggards to shape up. UD jumping ship would be a dreadful loss for the A10. That being the case, UD with the support of a few others would seem to have leverage....leverage to move the conference in a direction beneficial to UD.
I have no idea what Neil is doing along those lines...perhaps Chris does. Also, it's unlikely that any of us really appreciate the inner dynamics/politics that accompany conference membership....nor do we appreciate the role of the commissioner.
My bottom line is that UD's best position remains in a strengthened A10. There are good schools in the A10 with solid athletics programs. Understandably, some years are better than others. I don't understand why a conference has to live with members that refuse to invest at a level required to have a top-tier program, e.g., FU, LU to name just two. Is having a member in NYC so important that FU can do/or not do what ever it wants? I'd be very interested if Chris would discuss issues like this with Neil. I'm sure there is much we don't understand.
Just opinions...uninformed opinions at that. (Did I mention I think it's complicated?)