SMU to the ACC/PAC-12 discussions

[tpstulane]

Who comes in the AAC in place of SMU?
I’d say USM but only a guess.

[NOLABigSteve]

[tpstulane]

Southern Miss

[anEngineer]

Hattiesburg does not fit the AAC model at all. If they add anyone, probably in the East, like a James Madison, near a population area.

[winwave]

The conference doesn't have divisions anymore so it's possible they don't add anyone. If it does expand as a Tulane fan USM woud be a good pick for the rivalry and the interest. They don't fit the market mold but they have shown a want to compete when they have the resources.

[golfnut69]

Hattiesburg does not fit the AAC model at all. If they add anyone, probably in the East, like a James Madison, near a population area.

add Georgia State in ATL
https://www.gsu.edu/

[tpstulane]

We’ll be at an odd number if we don’t add and that makes scheduling difficult. We’ll probably add at least one school to get back to even.

[DfromCT]

Hattiesburg does not fit the AAC model at all. If they add anyone, probably in the East, like a James Madison, near a population area.

Harrisonburg, VA is 140 miles from DC, 120 from Richmond. It's not really close to any city. ESPN put them into the SunBelt after Aresco promised them a spot in the AAC then stopped returning phone calls less than a week before the announcements were made. Not sure that JMU wants anything to do with Arresco. But the SunBelt is a likely target for the AAC to poach from, and taking one of their best teams would keep them at bay.

[greenphantom]

Hope not Southern Miss. I like that we've had a recruiting advantage over them since we've been in AAC..

[greenie78]

Yeah, if I was Tulane, I would try to nix USM, ULOL, and USA from entering the conference. That would hurt the school and they don't add any new area on the map. The AAC doesn't need them. Focus on Marshall, JMU, and Coastal Carolina, bring it to 16.

[NOLABigSteve]

[RobertM320]

Hattiesburg does not fit the AAC model at all. If they add anyone, probably in the East, like a James Madison, near a population area.

Harrisonburg, VA is 140 miles from DC, 120 from Richmond. It's not really close to any city. ESPN put them into the SunBelt after Aresco promised them a spot in the AAC then stopped returning phone calls less than a week before the announcements were made. Not sure that JMU wants anything to do with Arresco. But the SunBelt is a likely target for the AAC to poach from, and taking one of their best teams would keep them at bay.

Why does everyone seem to think ESPN will let us poach from the SBC, when they wouldn't let us do it last time? I wouldn't be surprised if Aresco and ESPN have a plan to dismantle the AAC and turn it into another CUSA. AAC was getting too strong, too powerful and was competing with their main brands (P5). So they poached a few and they'll kill off the rest. They want to make sure there's no question where the line between the Power conferences and the rest of FBS is. We were blurring that line.

[greenie78]

Hattiesburg does not fit the AAC model at all. If they add anyone, probably in the East, like a James Madison, near a population area.

add Georgia State in ATL
https://www.gsu.edu/

I agree Woodie. Army and Georgia St. A school like Georgia St will grow with increased resources, and it's a better for the new AAC compared to where it sits in the Sun Belt as a school in a major market.

[arkhou02]

I hope Coach gets an offer to join a team in the P5. He has done all he can for us. He deserves better. He deserves a chance on the biggest stage before he retires. Maybe a Florida type position opens up.

[HoustonWave]

I hope Coach gets an offer to join a team in the P5. He has done all he can for us. He deserves better. He deserves a chance on the biggest stage before he retires. Maybe a Florida type position opens up.

I think that is a likely scenario. After our glorious 2022 season and Cotton Bowl win, I think Fritz probably felt we were ready to take the big step up. But our past and current incompetence (take your pick) has done us in again--even after a wild six months of scrambling and realignment. He has to know, even better than us, what the CUSAAC will eventually do to our program. He's done all he can. He, his staff and the team gifted us 2022--Dannen and Fitts had little to do with it, other than jumping in front of the celebration starting in December.

[Greeniegb]

Coach Fritz is not going anywhere you debbie downers are sick puppies. It is Army to the AAC better than SMU, Army/Navy rivalry is huge!!!
With SMU off to the ACC, the American Athletic Conference is moving quickly to find its replacement. The conference is exploring Army as a potential 14th football member, according to a Friday evening report from ESPN's Pete Thamel. Per Thamel, AAC commissioner Mike Aresco has initiated “informally exploring Army as an expansion candidate.”

https://www.si.com/college/2023/09/01/a ... .%E2%80%9D

[anEngineer]

I hope Coach gets an offer to join a team in the P5. He has done all he can for us. He deserves better. He deserves a chance on the biggest stage before he retires. Maybe a Florida type position opens up.

I think that is a likely scenario. After our glorious 2022 season and Cotton Bowl win, I think Fritz probably felt we were ready to take the big step up. But our past and current incompetence (take your pick) has done us in again--even after a wild six months of scrambling and realignment. He has to know, even better than us, what the CUSAAC will eventually do to our program. He's done all he can. He, his staff and the team gifted us 2022--Dannen and Fitts had little to do with it, other than jumping in front of the celebration starting in December.

What are you talking about with "current incompetence"? They are actively looking for a location for an IPF, they just created top notch football locker rooms and they are rebuilding the coaches offices. What is incompetent about that?

[HoustonWave]

I hope Coach gets an offer to join a team in the P5. He has done all he can for us. He deserves better. He deserves a chance on the biggest stage before he retires. Maybe a Florida type position opens up.

I think that is a likely scenario. After our glorious 2022 season and Cotton Bowl win, I think Fritz probably felt we were ready to take the big step up. But our past and current incompetence (take your pick) has done us in again--even after a wild six months of scrambling and realignment. He has to know, even better than us, what the CUSAAC will eventually do to our program. He's done all he can. He, his staff and the team gifted us 2022--Dannen and Fitts had little to do with it, other than jumping in front of the celebration starting in December.

What are you talking about with "current incompetence"? They are actively looking for a location for an IPF, they just created top notch football locker rooms and they are rebuilding the coaches offices. What is incompetent about that?

They've been here six years and done nothing. They don't even seem to have plans thought out as to how to implement any of their grand announcements. We're still scratching our heads trying to figure out where to put an IPF, and figure out what to do with the Nimbys, and how to suddenly find the room for all the needs we have. You would have at least thought that they might have thought through some of these issues in advance--waiting for the day that they could move forward, but no, we are starting from Day 1--as though these were never needs that would have to be addressed. And had Fritz not dropped 2022 in their laps, we wouldn't be talking about an IPF or any other significant addition. But what else should we expect when Dannen himself has said that he has been spending 80% of his time chairing a NCAA sub-committee. Just keep in mind, Dannen and Fitts had nothing to do with the 2022 season surprise--other than letting most of the momentum fade away since the Cotton Bowl.

[anEngineer]

They've been here six years and done nothing. They don't even seem to have plans thought out as to how to implement any of their grand announcements. We're still scratching our heads trying to figure out where to put an IPF, and figure out what to do with the Nimbys, and how to suddenly find the room for all the needs we have. You would have at least thought that they might have thought through some of these issues in advance--waiting for the day that they could move forward, but no, we are starting from Day 1--as though these were never needs that would have to be addressed. And had Fritz not dropped 2022 in their laps, we wouldn't be talking about an IPF or any other significant addition. But what else should we expect when Dannen himself has said that he has been spending 80% of his time chairing a NCAA sub-committee. Just keep in mind, Dannen and Fitts had nothing to do with the 2022 season surprise--other than letting most of the momentum fade away since the Cotton Bowl.

OK, I get it now. Troy Dannen and Michael Fitts don't get credit for any of the good stuff but they are totally responsible for all of the bad stuff. Troy Dannen spends 80% of his time on NCAA business? Where did you get that metric?

[HoustonWave]

They've been here six years and done nothing. They don't even seem to have plans thought out as to how to implement any of their grand announcements. We're still scratching our heads trying to figure out where to put an IPF, and figure out what to do with the Nimbys, and how to suddenly find the room for all the needs we have. You would have at least thought that they might have thought through some of these issues in advance--waiting for the day that they could move forward, but no, we are starting from Day 1--as though these were never needs that would have to be addressed. And had Fritz not dropped 2022 in their laps, we wouldn't be talking about an IPF or any other significant addition. But what else should we expect when Dannen himself has said that he has been spending 80% of his time chairing a NCAA sub-committee. Just keep in mind, Dannen and Fitts had nothing to do with the 2022 season surprise--other than letting most of the momentum fade away since the Cotton Bowl.

OK, I get it now. Troy Dannen and Michael Fitts don't get credit for any of the good stuff but they are totally responsible for all of the bad stuff. Troy Dannen spends 80% of his time on NCAA business? Where did you get that metric?

From his own mouth, in an interview about two years ago. The only good stuff has been the 2022 football season and Cotton Bowl. Basketball hasn't been credible until this past season, and the jury is still out on it. Our baseball program has effectively been dismantled because of Dannen's coaching selections. And not only have there been no major sports facilities improvements, there apparently haven't even been any forethought or plans drawn up for such improvements. And please don't point to the new locker room and the athlete study area as major facility additions.

[anEngineer]

Hey, I get it. Don't point to actual upgrades as upgrades and you instantly have zero upgrades. Don't ask the players or recruits what they think about the new lockers rooms. Don't ask the coaches what they think about the new offices. Just say it doesn't count as anything. Just take an off the cuff remark by Dannen during the off-season and assume it applies forever.

[HoustonWave]

A brutally honest article from CBS about the most recent realignment. We've been culled and put in the group of schools that "don't matter".

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/ ... 42f6b&ei=7

[HoustonWave]

Hey, I get it. Don't point to actual upgrades as upgrades and you instantly have zero upgrades. Don't ask the players or recruits what they think about the new lockers rooms. Don't ask the coaches what they think about the new offices. Just say it doesn't count as anything. Just take an off the cuff remark by Dannen during the off-season and assume it applies forever.

Clearly the Big 12 and ACC don't count such upgrades. Even the Cow/Dick error gave us Hertz, Yulman and a upgrade of Turchin--and none of the recent "upgrades" even compare to that level of facility additions. Our own athletic department personnel have recently stated that we don't have P4 facilities. Playing like we do isn't going to make it so.

[arkhou02]

A brutally honest article from CBS about the most recent realignment. We've been culled and put in the group of schools that "don't matter".

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/ ... 42f6b&ei=7

It was made quite clear we have no where to go. Mr. Slatten was on here yesterday sounding like he was lost and somewhat defeated about the future. No one is interested in Tulane being in the upper echelon of college football. Our history has finally caught up with us. And how bad can you feel for Coach Fritz. I would advise him to move on to get his shot before he retires. The game today has little appeal. Same for games against Rice, UNT, UAB, Charlotte, Tulsa, etc. So little to get excited about.

[anEngineer]

A brutally honest article from CBS about the most recent realignment. We've been culled and put in the group of schools that "don't matter".

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/ ... 42f6b&ei=7

It was made quite clear we have no where to go. Mr. Slatten was on here yesterday sounding like he was lost and somewhat defeated about the future. No one is interested in Tulane being in the upper echelon of college football. Our history has finally caught up with us. And how bad can you feel for Coach Fritz. I would advise him to move on to get his shot before he retires. The game today has little appeal. Same for games against Rice, UNT, UAB, Charlotte, Tulsa, etc. So little to get excited about.

The past is not the present and the present is not the future. We've seen numerous news stories in the past several months that had no basis in fact and turned out to be nonsensical click bait. Most fit that category.