The formerly FCS dynasty has continued their run of gridiron glory after joining the FBS in 2014, winning six straight bowl games and several Sun Belt titles. BYU has proven they can survive independently, so why settle for something they don’t need or want? This one could go either way, and it might depend on what happens between now and when the dominoes start to fall.Īpp State: Ever since a certain sunny Saturday in September 2007, App State has named itself on the national scene as a football powerhouse. But aside from the controversy BYU would bring to the table, the Cougars themselves might be content to wait for an opening from an established power conference such as the Big 12. Love them or hate them, they’ve got a football pedigree (even if their recent success has been sporadic) and a passionate fanbase, something that the AAC would love to see in any new members. If the Broncos can find a place for those teams, then I like the chances of this move happening in the next few years.īYU: It’s BY-freaking-U. Boise has already discussed joining the AAC in football, but they would need to find a home for their other sports. They’ve been the cream of the non-power crop ever since they pulled off an individual historical-monument-named play, and the football benefits of adding them to the American are apparent. Don’t get me wrong, there are some other connections, but the AAC is a football conference at heart, and it would make sense for that to play into any expansion moves the conference decides to make over the next few years.įor the most part, these football-focused candidates are pretty obvious:īoise State: The Broncos are arguably the most successful non-power conference team in the past 15 years, and they’re the only non-AAC team not named Western Michigan to make a New Year’s Six bowl since the playoff system was created. And let’s face it, football has been the driving force behind the American’s existence. Potentially adding one or more of these teams could give the conference the “Power 6” status it has been so desperately craving. Adding a football-only member (or two, depending on who gets poached in the next round of realignment) would allow the American to cast a wider geographic net since schools won’t have to worry about flying their women’s’ field hockey and men’s’ fencing teams three thousand miles. A team from the AAC has been the Group of Five’s representative in the New Year’s Six in all but two years since the slot’s inception during the 2014 season (UCF’s two, along with one each for Memphis, Houston, and Cincinnati). It’s no secret that the American is striving to take up the Big East’s mantle as college football’s sixth power conference. With realignment threatening to poach some of the best and brightest of the conference (and room for expansion after UConn’s departure), the AAC has a few different paths forward.Įmbed from Getty Images The AAC’s Football Option: But that’s the past, and we’re looking towards the future here.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |