SMUleopold

It's more expensive than you think.

You're certainly right. We're no longer in the forties. We're in the twenties and climbing.

Both the number of schools and the specific schools applying scream of ESPN's influence: six new schools, not two or four and all are in major media markets and not in a Boone, Ruston, or Hattiesburg. As such there is a real belief that when it all shakes out the current TV package will stay at $12M/school. If that's the case then the six new schools will effectively have done their jobs.

Yes. Muffy, Bunny and Daddy Moneybags are beside themselves. Daddy had to have three martinis last night. But seriously - few if anybody care. It's SMU: money talks and the rest walks. Just keep the TV money coming in and we'll all hold our noses up in the air when you show up at Ford. Outside of that, congrats if it turns out to be true.

Give them a call. I have a feeling their upcoming non-conference schedules will have an opening soon....

Texas State brought in all transfers last recruiting cycle - not a single HS kid, right? How's that working out for them?

1. No MWC team is going to look to join now anymore than, say, Colorado is interested in joining the Big XII after UT and OU left (not to say that the Buffs did in the first place). You can't take the top programs from a conference and demand the same interest for inclusion. 2. Rice won't be at the top of anybody's list until they choose to actually compete. Let us know when that happens. 3. Aresco has been smart enough to stay away from any stupid hybrid conference, basketball only additions outside of the one common-sense addition of WSU thus far - here's hoping that continues. 4. UTSA has a hot hand now but not sure about long-term stability. We'll see. 5. We'd be smart to find large geographically proximate state schools with the long term potential to win in Football, ie. Louisiana, App State, FIU/FAU, etc. - the same thing we're losing. 6. As with everything I'm sure ESPN will drive the bus, for good or for ill.

Runs out in '25. Most likely they just haven't gotten around to it, there's definitely room on our schedule in the upcoming years. Needs to be played for both schools, hope they're smart enough to make it work.

9-3, 10-2. We're continuing to improve but everyone else on our schedule is as well, including yourselves, and we haven't shown the ability to close out seasons yet. That being said, I'm looking at the 2022 season with big expectations.

Oklahoma spent 75 years in another conference. They can, and will, leave Texas behind if they think it's in their best interest.

Look, nobody would love to see SMU in a P5 conference more than myself but this is not a realistic scenario. You're suggesting bringing two schools with historically weak football teams and no TV markets along to a conference that has nothing culturally in sync with them, at a time when neither school has been mentioned once in conference realignment discussions. This at the same time they are going to kick out a reasonably successful member who has contributed for half a century - the politics of kicking out ASU alone could be overwhelming. No. Hell, why would schools want to join that conference? Texas is going to bitch and complain about their conference but they're making more money than anybody in college athletics and any movement away from there current position threatens that, so all other things being equal they're staying put. I could see OU leaving for the SEC, but that probably means OSU is coming along and the SEC has already said if they expand they want into NC/VA. I could also see CU looking at their move to the PAC 12 as a mistake and considering coming back, but that's also a bit drastic. The Big XII has already recently looked at expansion and gave it a big 'no' so it's probably a mute point unless the corporate gods at ESPN say otherwise. We've got to look at the AAC as our conference for the next generation and better start to build membership around that, otherwise we are going be in a permanent state of limbo until the second coming.

Aresco has said they will replace UConn, and it's worth noting that if the AAC did bring in more than 12 teams then we can renegotiate our TV contract with ESPN. But yeah, it's hard to see aggressive expansion in today's climate.

Army has apparently said 'no' early on and that's for the best. The AAC desperately needs a top 10 or even NC presence and Army isn't going to fulfill that. That, and since Army is likely to leave their other sports in the Patriot League with Navy then I don't want another stupid football team/basketball team addition. Frankly, I'm for leaving BSU in the MWC where there are currently few quality wins and bringing in a top team from the Sunbelt who is positioned to actually challenge the AAC as the 'best of the rest' in the coming future. The SBC could have 3 top 25 teams this year and any discussion over 'quality wins' ends, especially if ULL beats Texas this year.