re: aTm / Mizzou fans - Explain to us the tangible benefits of the AAU

The AAU has very little to do with academic standards at the school and a LOT to do with research dollars. Schools inside a conference tend to share/cooperate on research, and there is SO much more money in research than in athletics. One of the B1G's biggest advantages as far as money goes is the CIC, an enormous cooperative of of the entire conference (and the U of Chicago) that rakes in money for their schools.