OT: AAC Fans Beyond Delusional

[Michael in Raleigh]

They are so bad they are calling Frank the Tank a "Well known troll". Thats pretty bad. Can someone PM him and let him know about this place please? I like Frank, he has been pretty spot on with his commentary and reasonable predictions and explanations of realignment. I love his blog, and anyone who thinks he's a "troll" is probably an idiot, who knows way less than Frank in all things college sports.

I completely agree. FTT is the most well-reasoned writer on conference realignment on the web. They're calling him a "troll" because he doesn't agree with them. I'm thankful I have not received that type of treatment at this site. While I think this new Big East is absolutely awesome and wish it all the success in the world, especially after enjoying watching Butler up close in its rise to prominence in my years as an Indiana resident from '06 to '11, I do consider myself an ACC fan first. Half of my wife's family loves NC State; the other half, UNC. My family and I love FSU. I grew up near Clemson and live close to three ACC schools. Both sides of the family love the ACC and love to hate the SEC. Sometimes I have said things that aren't 100% rah-rah for the Big East (especially the old Big East), but thankfully, the folks on this board are well-reasoned enough to see it's not "trolling" or raining on anyone's parade.

Too often people do not know how to disagree without telling someone else, "You suck!" or "Your a moron!" (Misspelling done on purpose.) It's childish, and it's not worth getting in typing bout with people who behave that way.

As for the general vibe I've gotten from reading that AAC message board, it really depends on the fanbase. I do not get the impression that UConn or Cincinnati fans (most of them, anyway) have any ill will towards today's Big East. They surely would have preferred the Catholic 7 stick with them, but I think they get it why they left. Some of them are bitter at the C7 for "destroying the 'real' Big East," considering them backstabbers, but these people are the same who want their teams in the ACC/B1G/Big 12. If they fail to see their hypocrisy, then it's not worth wasting one's time on them. I have no idea where USF fans stand on things.

UCF, Memphis, Houston, and SMU are mad because, when they signed up for the league, they thought that Louisville, Rutgers, Boise State, and San Diego State were going to be in the league; it would have been a higher-paying, better-on-the-field football league. For hoops, the Catholic 7 and Notre Dame were going to be a part of the league. They feel rejected by the Catholic 7. Memphis, in particular, was really excited about Big East basketball, and they missed out. But they all need to get over it.

Tulsa didn't join until after everyone had announced departures; they even knew that the league they were going to join was not going to be called the "Big East." Tulane fans, few as they are, probably didn't care for the bluntness that one C7 president used when he singled Tulane out as the final straw for the C7's decision to leave the league.

ECU is kind of unique. I can tell you from having lived near many of their fans and listening on the radio that they feel they should have been in the league a long, long time ago. They're very proud of what is honestly an impressive college football atmosphere and a pretty decent football history. (Nevermind that they pretend basketball doesn't exist.) They know the Catholic 7 was a big reason why they were initially accepted only as a football-only member, and they blame the Catholic 7 as the reason why it took them so, so long to get into the league, all the way until after basically all the original football members had left. Their mindset is that basketball doesn't matter, thus there was never a valid reason not to get into the Big East. Meanwhile they acknowledge basketball matters because they see the positive publicity their new conference is getting thanks to UConn and Louisville.

[Michael in Raleigh]

This Big East/Big 10 Challenge is certainly causing the unrest among AAC fans haha. Despite the fact that the Big East schools are making more than the American schools (and do not play football), and are going to get more recognition than the AAC, those knuckleheads still believe they are being unfairly recognized. Who would have thought Conference USA 2.0 wouldn't take off?

The AAC has a BCS Bowl victory and Men's and Women's NCAA Basketball Tournament Championships this year - and they STILL are not considered a P5 conference.

If the AAC is lucky, the Sun Belt could come to them for a conference challenge agreement in basketball.

Have fun with East Carolina, Tulane and Tulsa!

In fairness, the Big East isn't considered a P5 conference, either. The Power Five is the Power Five: Pac-12, Big 12, Big Ten, SEC, ACC. That's not changing even if the Big East, A-10, AAC, and MWC are the only leagues to win basketball titles over the next ten years. The P5 is all about mega-television money, the vast, vast majority of which is tied to football. Beyond money, what separates them is their ties to the best bowl games, their exposure during football compared with G5 leagues, and, of course, their upcoming autonomy in the NCAA.

IMO, there are seven power conferences for basketball purposes: American, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-12, and SEC. The A-10 and MWC are very close, somewhere between mid-major and power conference. The MVC and WCC are mid-majors with occasional flashes of brilliance from certain schools in certain years.

I think the AAC probably just won't have a conference challenge going forward. They're just not designed for it. Their traditions range from really strong (UConn, Memphis, Cincinnati, Temple) to not-so-much (everyone else). But it's not everything for them. Not having an official challenge does not inherently make them a non-major conference anymore than the fact the Pac-12 doesn't have one.

Do I think the AAC could use a conference challenge? Absolutely! Its best program, UConn, is as good as any in the country, and its next two (Memphis/Cincy)are very solid. But I'm not sure how favorably this league compares with, say, the late 90's/early 00's version of C-USA, when Louisville, Cincy, Memphis, Marquette, a much better DePaul, a much better UAB, and a better UNC-Charlotte were all in the league together. Could that league have attained a conference challenge?

Anyway, the Gavitt Games are terrific news for the Big East. It confirms that this league is a force to be reckoned with in the college basketball landscape.

[Jet915]

I could be wrong but I think Frank the Tank has posted here before....

[Bluejay]

Anybody got a link to this AAC board?

[Jet915]

Anybody got a link to this AAC board?

It's that csnbbs board, I haven't been there in months.

[Bearcat_Bounce]

We (well I) don't have any animosity towards the Big East, though if I actually felt some pride in this pathetic AAC conference then maybe I'd feel more competition with the Big East.

I really only care what UConn fans have to say, while the ECU/UCF/Memphis are more of just delusional pests.

[Boyee]

While Louisville (ACC) and Rutgers (Big Ten) will no longer be in The American,

The only AAC members that have never been in Conference USA are Connecticut and Temple.

It The American, UCF, South Florida, Cincinnati, Houston, Louisville, East Carolina, Tulane, Tulsa, Memphis and SMU have all been in C-USA at one point. Of The American schools only Louisville, South Florida, Temple, Cincinnati and Connecticut are former Big East.

Of the current Big East only DePaul and Marquette are former Conference USA.

All 10 current Big East basketball teams have been good at some time or another historically.

Next season in The American, only Cincinnati, Connecticut, Temple, Houston and Memphis have history of having good basketball teams

[Bill Marsh]

Basketball in the AAC is in trouble. Not only are they losing teams (Louisville, Rutgers), but they are losing top players to the transfer route. Promising big time center John Egbunu has left USF for Florida. Temple's leading rebounder Anthony Lee is transferring, and former 5* recruit Jermaine lawrence has left Cincinnati after just one year.

[Jet915]

The problem is, most of the schools in the AAC could care less about basketball. I remember watching a ranked UCONN team playing AT Houston last year and there were probably 500 people in the stands. UCONN was probably WTF!?!?

[Bill Marsh]

The problem is, most of the schools in the AAC could care less about basketball. I remember watching a ranked UCONN team playing AT Houston last year and there were probably 500 people in the stands. UCONN was probably WTF!?!?

Exactly. It's a football-first conference for all but a few schools. And for some it's football-only.

Laughable to see the chest thumping that goes on over there about what "the conference accolished", based on UConn's championships. Even fans of schools like ECU that aren't even in the conference this year are claiming credit. Just crazy.