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AAC football: 5 programs that should replace UConn as newest member

By John Scimeca

BOISE, ID - SEPTEMBER 8: Boise State Bronco fans show their preference for potatoes during first half action between the Connecticut Huskies and the Boise State Broncos on September 8, 2018 at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho. (Photo by Loren Orr/Getty Images)
BOISE, ID - SEPTEMBER 8: Boise State Bronco fans show their preference for potatoes during first half action between the Connecticut Huskies and the Boise State Broncos on September 8, 2018 at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho. (Photo by Loren Orr/Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GA – APRIL 06: The mascot for the Wichita State Shockers performs against the Louisville Cardinals during the 2013 NCAA Men’s Final Four Semifinal at the Georgia Dome on April 6, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – APRIL 06: The mascot for the Wichita State Shockers performs against the Louisville Cardinals during the 2013 NCAA Men’s Final Four Semifinal at the Georgia Dome on April 6, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

3. Wichita State Shockers

In this dreamy scenario, Wichita State revives its dormant football program and joins the AAC. Wichita State football was disbanded in 1986 after 90 seasons of existence.

The football program would join the rest of the Shockers’ athletic programs that are already currently part of the AAC, so the transition to a new conference would be minimal. The Shockers famously bring a strong men’s basketball pedigree, having reached the 2013 Final Four and fielding consistently strong teams.

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On the gridiron, the Shockers could supplant Navy in the AAC West and would give Tulsa, SMU, and Houston, Memphis, and Tulane an additional Central Time Zone opponent. A football rivalry between the Shockers and the Tulsa Golden Hurricane would also be a great regional showdown on the conference’s northwestern frontier.

Wichita State’s former president, the late John Bardo, caused a stir three years ago when he tweeted a picture of a WSU football helmet. The financial commitment is obviously a huge one and not without its risks — it takes millions annually to maintain a football program, not to mention the money needed to refurbish the current on-campus Cessna Stadium.

But, the Shockers could have a significant advantage over other brand-new FBS programs: a guaranteed spot in a competitive conference.

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