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[UACFlyer]

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?)

	Rhode Island RHODE ISLAND The University of Rhode Island was chartered as the state's agricultural school in 1888. The school became the Rhode Island College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts in 1892. Located in southern Rhode Island, URI is a quintessential New England campus - rural in feeling yet close to the city of Providence, the state's capital. Linked to the city, the beaches, and nearly every corner of the state by both rail and public transit, the campus is easily accessible from Boston and New York URI currently offers 100 majors in seven degree-granting colleges. There are more than 12,000 students on the Kingston campus, about 3,000 in Providence, and a complement of about 700 faculty. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Rams.

	St Joseph's ST. JOSEPH'S Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851, Saint Joseph's University advances the professional and personal ambitions of men and women by providing a demanding, yet supportive educational experience. One of only 139 schools nationwide with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter and AACSB business school accreditation, Saint Joseph's is home to 4,200 full-time undergraduates and 3,100 graduate, part-time and doctoral candidates. Located in urban Philadelphia, SJU is a fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Hawks. Athletic claim to fame is is the Hawk mascot, a university student on full scholarship who wears a Hawk uniform and flaps his wings continuously for an entire athletic event. School spirit slogan is "The Hawk Will Never Die."

	Saint Louis SAINT LOUIS Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 12,700 students. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Located in St. Louis, MO, and just five minutes from the Gateway Arch, SLU offers 85 undergraduate programs and over 50 graduate study tracks. Over 99% of the SLU faculty hold the highest degree in their respective fields. Fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Billikens, but also commonly known as "Sloo", the phonetic pronunciation of the school's initials. Athletic claims to fame include multiple national titles in men's soccer and men's basketball star Larry Hughes.