On Tuesday, Conference USA sent a letter obtained by The Athletic to the American Athletic Conference requesting a dialogue on conference realignment and regionalization.
The idea would be to discuss potential reorganization between the two leagues, such as creating one conference in the east and one in the west. Various models have been discussed in C-USA, but there’s not one singular plan in place. An AAC league source said the conference has no interest in such a move, but C-USA is hoping simply to create more discussion among presidents. The source also indicated that AAC commissioner Mike Aresco is still focused on creating the top Group of 5 league and a push for Power 6 status.
The letter is from C-USA board chair and North Texas president Neal Smatresk and commissioner Judy MacLeod and is addressed to Tulane president Michael Fitts and Aresco.
“We believe that it would be beneficial to have a conversation about the future landscape of intercollegiate sports in this time of great national uncertainty,” the letter reads. “Our colleagues in Conference USA have spent a good deal of time over the past several weeks discussing the developments triggered by the latest wave of conference realignment. Rather than continuing to perpetuate the pattern of universities moving from conference to conference in pursuit of modest media revenues, we see an opportunity to develop a more sensible and sustainable conference model.”
Sports Illustrated first reported on the letter.
With the upcoming departure of Cincinnati, Houston and UCF from the AAC to the Big 12, conference realignment at the Group of 5 level has come to the forefront again. Two weeks ago, four Mountain West schools (Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State and San Diego State) turned down interest from the AAC, reaffirming commitment to the MW.
As a result, the AAC has turned its eyes back to schools in the league’s footprint, some of which are in C-USA. UAB is believed to have the most support among AAC stakeholders regarding potential additions, but a consensus on other schools hasn’t been reached, and a new timeline on future AAC expansion is not clear. The AAC and Conference USA both stretch from the Eastern Seabord to Texas, with overlapping members in many states.
At the conference level, the Sun Belt has no interest in such a move either, something many fans in the two leagues have desired. Both the AAC and Sun Belt believe they are better positioned than C-USA and don’t want to give up that advantage. Some athletic directors in those leagues see the appeal of such a move but believe factors such as conference exit fees, current television deals and local political clashing make such a move untenable.
“The first hope is people are at least willing to get together and talk,” MacLeod told The Athletic. “There’s so much uncertainty and so much we can’t control, but we believe there are better ways of doing things. I’ve heard some people that are very interested and others (aren’t). … I just feel like we’re perpetuating this model that doesn’t make a lot of sense. This isn’t a new idea, but I’m not sure there hasn’t been a better time to dive in and figure it out.”
Former Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany is working as a consultant for C-USA, but MacLeod said there was not a grand reorganization presentation Monday. Rather, it was a previously scheduled board meeting that continued regionalization talks that have been ongoing for a long time.
Several models have been drawn involving two conferences or three. One example of a two-conference model between AAC and C-USA members would include 12 teams in a western league and 10 in an eastern league with two potential additions. The west would include UTEP, North Texas, SMU, UTSA, Rice, Tulane, Tulsa, Louisiana Tech, Southern Miss, UAB, Memphis, and Wichita State, The eastern conference would feature Middle Tennessee, Western Kentucky, Marshall, East Carolina, Charlotte, Old Dominion, Temple, South Florida, FAU, FIU and the two potential open spots. But it’s just one example
(Photo of Tyler Johnston: Dale Zanine / USA Today)
GO DEEPER
Conference realignment: After the AAC added 6 teams from Conference USA, Sun Belt expansion may be next
What is the point of this?
Chris Vannini, national college football reporter: The idea of redrawing the maps in the Group of 5 has been around for years. The conversation always starts in C-USA because it’s the most geographically and financially disadvantaged conference, a result of poor decisions during the last round of realignment when it raided the Sun Belt and added schools like Old Dominion in hopes the media markets would lead to an increase in television rights. It did not, and travel increased.
At the conference level, the AAC and Sun Belt are not even considering this, because of the reasons mentioned above. But I don’t think this has been framed quite properly. After talking with people within C-USA, this isn’t C-USA begging the AAC for a swap for the sake of helping C-USA. The leaders in C-USA know the AAC won’t go for that. Instead, it’s trying to take these side discussions about regionalization to a higher level on the chain, and it’s appealing to the school presidents, the people who actually might understand the case C-USA is trying to make. And it’s not about making a move right now, but maybe five or 10 years down the road.
“I think presidents for a long time have been talking about, is our model sustainable?” MacLeod said.
Will this happen?
Vannini: Probably not, and certainly not anytime soon. Individual schools are always looking out for themselves, which is understandable, and trying to move up the food chain is always the goal. In this case, the AAC remains the most desirable landing spot for G5 schools east of the Rocky Mountains. Another key point specific to the AAC and C-USA: They’re both headquartered in Dallas. The AAC just recently moved from Providence. If one of them became an eastern conference, an HQ in Texas might not fit anyway.
But depending on what college sports look like coming out of the special constitutional convention, there may come a point down the road where the television revenue difference between the leagues is so indistinguishable that they consider reorganizing. That’s the conversation C-USA is trying to start. But whether or not anyone will listen is a different issue.