AAC football: 5 programs that should replace UConn as newest member
By John Scimeca
1. Georgia State Panthers
Sun Belt Conference member Georgia State offers the AAC a tantalizing chance to directly enter the Atlanta media market and into the state of Georgia, one of college football’s most fertile recruiting grounds.
Georgia State’s proximity, too, works in its favor: a team in the Georgia could enjoy regional conference rivalries with Tulane, South Florida and Central Florida.
The Atlanta metro area is home to 6.5 million people and is one of the ten largest metropolitan statistical areas in the country. In addition, the state of Georgia has produced 141 five-star recruits over the past five seasons — which comprises 8.5 percent of all five-stars nationally, the fourth-most out of any U.S. state. Adding the Panthers would result in the AAC’s increased exposure to more Georgia high school football players.
These demographic figures argue for Georgia State at the expense of its more successful FBS neighbor (and fellow FBS newcomer, too): Georgia Southern, located in Statesboro.
The Panthers established their football program only in 2010, joining the FBS level three years later. The team’s relative lack of success would be a concern with the addition into a stronger football league than the Sun Belt. With an all-time record of 29-77, the Panthers are not the most competitive option for the AAC to add.
In men’s basketball, Georgia State has made the NCAA Tournament two years in a row from the Sun Belt, not including a 2015 first-round upset of No. 3 seed Baylor.
In a scenario adding Georgia State, Navy could move divisions while the Panthers join the AAC West.