Another Athletic program in flux

[HRE Otto IV]

IMO the B1G should try for as many AAU schools as possible. I think they can get 17-20 of the schools. Then add in a few exceptions to even out the divisions.

If they went 7 divisions of six schools it would be easy to schedule. For football 5 division games plus one team from the other divisions on a rotating basis. So you play home and away every 12 years. Playoffs are the 7 division champs plus one at large. For BBall you play 10 division games and 2 teams from each the other divisions on a rotating basis. So you play home and away every 6 years. Conference Tourney is division champs plus 5 at larges.



ACC
AAU- Duke, GA Tech, Pitt, UNC, UVA
I think all of them fit but the ACC needs to breakup for them to go.

Non AAU potentials- BC, Clemson, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame, Syracuse
Clemson has the FB brand, good academics, and connects NC with GA. FSU has the brand and adds Fla. Miami has academics, the brand, and gives additional Fla exposure. BC and SU have academics and give a greater Northeast presence. Notre Dame has academics, FB brand, and national exposure. If the B1G ever wanted UNC/UVA they need to strike first within this group IMO.

Left out- Louisville, NC State, VA Tech, Wake
NC State and VA Tech would land in the SEC, Maybe Louisville as well. Wake is screwed.

B12
AAU- Iowa State, Kansas
ISU might be hard to add already having a team in Iowa. KU makes sense.

Non AAU potentials- BYU, UCF
UCF is a long shot but having 3 Fla schools would help get kids up North. But UCF is not really a fit academically. They could be a candidate for the SEC as well. BYU has the national brand but do they add enough? If geographically another Western team is needed, they would fit.

Left out- Baylor, Cincinnati, Houston, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, West Virginia
SEC could be interested in Cincy, K State, Okie State, WV. If they lost Texas or A&M then Baylor, Houston, Texas Tech are in play.

P12
AAU Arizona, Cal, Colorado, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Utah, Washington
The P12 schools need money. Going B1G would solve that while cutting the fat.

Non AAU potentials- None

Left out- Arizona State, Oregon State, Washington State
ASU might end up in the B12. Otherwise these 3 are looking at MWC.

SEC
AAU- Florida, Missouri, Texas, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt
Florida would be a no. Mizzou IMO would be a Yes. They get to be back with Big 8 schools and Illinois. Vandy would be interesting to see what they would do. Texas/A&M would one be willing to leave the SEC not wanting to be in the shadow of the other?

Non AAU potentials- None
Left out- no one as SEC is still a top league

G5
AAU- Buffalo, Rice, Tulane
UB doesn't have the sports and they are far from the rest of NY State. Rice/Tulane are too far away from the rest of the schools.

Non AAU potentials- Air Force, Army, Navy, UConn
I don't think the service academies offer enough and they won't be competitive. UConn has the BBall brand and helps with Northeast exposure. If geographically another team is needed, then they fit.

Left out- everyone else
Potentially USF could make the SEC if they wanted more Fla schools.

Non Ivy FCS
AAU- Stony Brook, UC Davis
UC Davis is redundant in Cali. Stony Brook would be a risk but looking long term might be a good add.

Non AAU potentials- None
Left out- everyone else

Canada
AAU- McGill, Toronto
Too much to deal with crossing the border.

 

[orangecuse]

Maryland has more hypothetical ncaa chances in the Big 10, but leaving your roots behind came back to bite them in recruiting. Ditto for us. All zone all the time did not hurt us when we were successful because we had talent. It is now another hurdle in recruiting. two recruiting strikes: 1) leaving our roots, 2) sticking to an ineffective zone.
Arguing that we had no choice is irrelevant to an assessment of the current situation. It may well be that this is our best option but that does not make it a good situation. Sometimes there are no good options.

 

[SWC75]

Maryland has more hypothetical ncaa chances in the Big 10, but leaving your roots behind came back to bite them in recruiting. Ditto for us. All zone all the time did not hurt us when we were successful because we had talent. It is now another hurdle in recruiting. two recruiting strikes: 1) leaving our roots, 2) sticking to an ineffective zone.
Arguing that we had no choice is irrelevant to an assessment of the current situation. It may well be that this is our best option but that does not make it a good situation. Sometimes there are no good options.

I'm always pointing out that if you go to a conference that has a bigger pay-out, that gives you no competitive advantage against your fellow conference members as they are getting the same money.

 

[bballbeadle]

Yeah one thing that has always made college basketball great are those larger-than-life coaching personalities. Like even though Rick Pitino is a shady character, the sport is so much better when he's at a big-time program as opposed to Iona.

The best coaches today (guys like Tony Bennett, Jay Wright, Mark Few, Scott Drew, etc.) are brilliant basketball minds, but they're just kind of boring on a personal level.

We absolutely do NOT have a boring coach!

 

[SUGIANT]

‘There’s just a disconnect’: Maryland basketball, great expectations and the stark reality of a program at a crossroad

Maryland's basketball future depends on more than just its next coach

theathletic.com

"Some programs in that rare air are obvious. Your Dukes, Kentuckys, North Carolinas, and so on.

Others, not so clear. What do we make of Indiana or UCLA or Syracuse or Louisville, so on?"


"This is the trend, overall. Since sending nine teams to both the 2017 and 2018 NCAA Tournaments, the ACC sent seven in 2019, was projected to send five in 2020, sent seven last season. It’s expected to have a potentially woeful 2022 Selection Sunday showing. The Big Ten, meanwhile, produced eight NCAA bids in 2019, was projected for 10 in 2020, sent nine teams to the bracket last season and is in line for eight or so bids this season.

So while the likes of Duke, North Carolina and Virginia might be more natural rivals and allies for Maryland, it’s the Big Ten that’s provided more paths to success."


My own opinion is that when you leave your roots behind, you are likely to suffer for it. it still kills me that there's no (North) Eastern conference and I think all the potential schools (Boston College, Connecticut, Army, Navy, Syracuse, Rutgers, Penn State, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Temple, Maryland and maybe Cincinnati if we couldn't get Notre Dame), would be better off in it.

I kind of said something similar back before SU went to the ACC. Lamented that it was disappointing a Northeast conference couldn’t make it. Specifically mentioned the Big East at the time but the message is the same. I thing SU and the ACC will eventually be ok, one year from a sweet 16 isn’t all bad, but this year is very disappointing, especially for the players. but wouldn’t a conference with Penn St and our old rivals be so much better, I don’t know. It’s easy to look back and say it was the wrong move, so many were adamant this is how SU will survive. And who knows, maybe they were right. It is fun to wonder though.

 

[OrangeAl]

Can you explain what an AAU school is and what a non-AAU school is?