AAC suddenly finds it’s in position to be picky

League is in no hurry to add another school following UConn’s departure to the Big East

On a conference call early this week, American Athletic Conference presidents listened as Susan Herbst, president of the University of Connecticut, outlined her school’s plan to depart for the Big East and hope to remain as a football-only member.

“It was a no,” a source with knowledge of the call said Thursday. “It wasn’t just a no … it was not happening.”

As UConn and the Big East officially announced the Huskies’ return to the basketball-centric league beginning in 2020, about 200 miles away, the AAC barely flinched.

AAC commissioner Mike Aresco released a one-paragraph statement.

“We wish UConn well,” the statement partly read.

Translation: Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

Oh, how things have changed. Three summers after almost half of its membership lined up for conference realignment’s version of speed dating — all for the chance to hook up with the Big 12 — the AAC, for once, is on the other side.

There remains a huge gap in revenue distribution between the Power Five and the Group of Five. And the AAC’s “Power Six” push has yet to gain traction for inclusion with the Big 12, SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Pac-12.

What has changed, however, is the AAC is now in a position of strength, thanks to a new 12-year, $1 billion TV deal, status as the premier Group of Five league and no need to rush or panic to find a replacement for UConn.

“It’s a buyer’s market, and we are in a great situation,” UH vice president for athletics Chris Pezman said.

Asked about UConn’s decision to leave, Pezman said: “They made a decision in their best interest; we’re going to make decisions that are in ours.”

Expand or stand pat

In an interview with the Houston Chronicle late Thursday, Aresco said the AAC has no interest in keeping UConn as a football-only member.

Aresco said AAC athletic directors will meet by conference call Friday to discuss the future of the league and again at the league’s football media days July 14-15 in Newport, R.I.

“I would think we’ll have a pretty good idea where we’re headed with conference membership by media day and how we want to structure football,” Aresco said.

One topic up for discussion is whether to explore adding new schools or staying with 11 teams.

“We’ll consider a 12th school, but unless that school helps our strength and really enhances our brand why would you do it?” Aresco said. “We’re not going to do anything that dilutes the brand and diminishes us at all.”

The AAC has a “very small list” of potential expansion candidates, according to a source, that is believed to only seriously include BYU and Army.

As one source added, the AAC has the luxury of “being picky.”

If the AAC looks to expand, Aresco said the league is not looking for a northeast presence to replace UConn, and cultural and strategic fits outweigh geography. The AAC still has a presence in the region with Temple in Philadelphia.

At the league’s spring meetings in May, Aresco floated the idea of eliminating the two-division format and having the two toprated teams face off in a championship game similar to the Big 12. Aresco said the idea was met with no interest from schools. Additionally, such a move would require a special waiver from the NCAA.

“I think things have changed,” Aresco said of possible interest.

Fewer pieces of the pie

Another important issue revolves around what impact if any, UConn’s departure will have on the league’s new media rights deal that goes into effect in 2020. The $1 billion deal has a clause that would allow ESPN to renegotiate if a member leaves, according to the Sports Business Journal. A source said the clause is specifically tied to five schools (Houston, Cincinnati, Central Florida, Memphis and South Florida), which UConn was not included.

Under the current terms, each AAC school was projected to receive about $7 million annually. UConn’s departure could mean an additional $700,000 bump.

The league will also have to decide with scheduling; for example, Houston had a home date against UConn scheduled for 2020. To replace that game, Pezman said the school would likely add a cross-division game (likely against Temple, East Carolina or USF) that may not count in the conference standings. Adding a fifth non-conference game is not an option.

The bigger impact on the AAC will be in basketball, where UConn is a national brand. The men’s basketball team won a national title in 2013 and the women’s program has gone 120-0 in league play and captured three straight national titles from 201316.

Even with UConn’s exit, the AAC is expected to remain strong with four teams — Houston, Cincinnati, UCF and Temple — earning NCAA Tournament bids in 2018.

Hours after Thursday’s announcement, Aresco was upbeat about the future of the AAC, which enters its seventh year.

“(Our member schools) are united, more determined than ever,” Aresco said. “This group is energized.”