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Report: Wichita State could leave for the AAC as soon as next season

NCAA Basketball Tournament - Second Round - Wichita State v Kentucky

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 19: Head coach Gregg Marshall of the Wichita State Shockers reacts in the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second round of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 19, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

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Wichita State is in advanced talks to leave the Missouri Valley for the American Athletic Conference, and the move could happen as early as next season, according to a report from Sports Illustrated.

From SI:

There’s strong mutual interest between both sides, and sources said that a final decision could be made within the next month or in as few as the next two weeks. Any decision would need to be approved by the American Athletic Conference’s presidents, but the mutual interest is strong enough where neither side sees any looming issues.

Getting the deal done sooner rather than later appears to be the goal, as, according to the report, neither side wants to deal with having to play a year in the MVC when everyone knows that they’ll be leaving the conference after it.

I’m not quite sure how smart this move is for the AAC. While Wichita State is a terrific basketball program right now, that all depends on just how long they hold onto Gregg Marshall. He’s got a team that will be a borderline top 10 team next season, but if he eventually does decide to leave the school, it’s fair to wonder if that success can continue.

The other side of this, however, is that getting into a bigger league probably makes it more likely that the Shockers can hold onto Marshall in the long-term.