AAC Basketball: Examining 8 potential candidates for expansion
By Joey Loose
Colorado State
As already mentioned earlier with Boise State, there are a number of west coast teams that could certainly boost the AAC, though we don’t have time to pick at each of the members of the Mountain West. We’re looking specifically at Colorado State here for a few reasons, so don’t let the football team’s recent failures get you down on what they could add to the AAC.
The Rams have already been mentioned as part of a potential west coast unit of the AAC. Colorado State’s facilities and athletic history make them an ideal member of a newly-revamped AAC. The basketball program is trending upwards and could legitimately contend for the AAC title next season in a league without Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF. With the Mountain West perhaps hemorrhaging a few members elsewhere, this would be a great proactive move for Colorado State to make.
Yes, the Rams just lost by double-digits at home to an FCS team, a very talented South Dakota State squad. Yes, they haven’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2013. However, the program would have plenty of chances for improvement and growth playing in a rebooted AAC. Football still has a ways to go with its rebuild but basketball could be the real deal under coach Niko Medved in the near future. The real question is what would Colorado State athletics look like by the time they’d officially join the conference.