AAC Commish: UConn replacement unlikely for now
GREENVILLE, N.C. — Don’t expect USF’s conference to find a replacement for UConn after the Huskies depart — at least for the foreseeable future.
The NCAA granted the AAC a waiver to continue playing a conference championship game without 12 members for the 2020 and 2021 seasons, and it doesn’t sound like the league is looking for a new team at the moment.
“There are only a handful of schools out there — and I’m not going to start getting into names — that I think would enhance the brand of this league,” AAC Commissioner Michael Aresco said to reporters before the USF-East Carolina game Saturday. “The last thing we need to do is water down the brand — take a school that really doesn’t fit what we’re trying to do.”
Aresco added that the conference could apply to extend the waiver after 2021, though he did not seem optimistic about that, or press for legislation to make the waiver permanent.
Without a waiver, the AAC would have to play a round-robin format to hold a title game, requiring each member to play each other every season, similar to the Big 12.
“The round robin was completely impractical for us because there was no way we were going to play 10 conference games,” Aresco said. “That would eliminate a lot of our nonconference games.”
UConn will leave the AAC at the end of the 2019-20 academic year.
More Stories
We need your help.
Dear reader: Reporters for USF’s award-winning student newspaper, The Oracle, have recently navigated through a pandemic, a rapidly evolving political climate and a change in university president – all with the goal of sharing important news and stories. Though The Oracle has been an integral part in keeping the USF community informed since 1966, we […]
COLUMN: Cherish the press box moments
I still remember standing at mid-field as USF Football celebrated its Boca Raton Bowl win over Syracuse. Picture this scene: The crowd rushes to the field to surround the team and catch a glimpse of the Boca Raton Bowl trophy. “Go Bulls” echoed throughout the stadium, and green and gold confetti was everywhere. I soaked […]
Here’s how these undrafted USF football players’ careers turned out
Ahead of Thursday’s NFL Draft, many players wait in anticipation to hear their names called in the first round. For some, it’s an instant ticket to stardom. But being selected on the first day of the draft isn’t the only route to a successful career. Fifteen former undrafted NFL players are enshrined in the NFL […]
Column: USF men’s basketball, thanks for the fun season
This is a personal column about assistant sports editor Noah Vinsky’s first-hand experience covering men’s basketball. Sports have always run in my blood. Growing up, ESPN was nearly on a constant loop on my living room television. I came to USF knowing I wanted to be a writer. The Oracle seemed like a great place […]
USF’s Mindy McCord builds culture of “family and love” into lacrosse
At 23 years old, a career in coaching was not what Mindy McCord had envisioned. After a stint playing for one of the top field hockey teams in Australia following a successful college playing career, she returned to America. McCord was on track to earn a master’s degree in counseling at Virginia Tech while coaching […]
USF campus ministers offer perspective on stadium development: ‘Exciting benefit of exposure.’
Take a tranquil stroll down Sycamore Drive. It’s a quieter part of campus, hidden away from the usual hustle and bustle of USF. It’s home to an area colloquially known as “Religious Row,” a collection of on-campus religious organizations. In just a few years – with the construction of an on-campus football stadium – the […]