BC would be crazy to try and block us

[Glastonhusky]

and here's why.

1. It would give them a natural rival, something they don't have now.
2. Their fans would actually be able to drive to see them on the road. How's that for a crazy idea.
3. The ACC would lock up the NE TV market and with UConn make inroads in to the NYC market.
4. Most importantly, ratings. Let' s face it there's been some bad blood between us over the years and
nothing drives up TV ratings like two hated rivals facing off against each other, think Yanks and
Sox, UNC and Duke. If Duke and UNC can coexist in the same conference so can UConn and BC.

 

[zls44]

If you block UConn, their program may die off as a CUSA team. Then you don't have to compete with them. Then you're the big dog in New England.

That's their line of thinking, and you can't say it's, at the moment, flawed. If they freeze UConn out, they have less competition.

 

[The Viking]

They fear us. Nothing more, nothing less. Look where we are after just 7 years as a div 1 team. Just as good if not better than them. They want us to whither on the vine.

They got their buddies Cuse and Pitt in and they'll tell everyone those were their real rivals anyway, so time to move on.

 

[The Funster]

If you block UConn, their program may die off as a CUSA team. Then you don't have to compete with them. Then you're the big dog in New England.

That's their line of thinking, and you can't say it's, at the moment, flawed. If they freeze UConn out, they have less competition.

BC's support isn't strong enough for them to be the big dog in NE. You could make the point that it's football and basketball have suffered since the move. They've had no natural rivals and it's lukewarm support has gotten even more tepid. I guess Syracuse could be that rival but they never really were before. I think BC needs us. FWIW, we need Pitt and Syracuse, too.

 

[Danzz]

BC's support isn't strong enough for them to be the big dog in NE. You could make the point that it's football and basketball have suffered since the move. They've had no natural rivals and it's lukewarm support has gotten even more tepid. I guess Syracuse could be that rival but they never really were before. I think BC needs us. FWIW, we need Pitt and Syracuse, too.

Syracuse and Pitt have been our biggest rivals of late and it is a huge loss for us not being in the same conference. BC operates in a pro sports market that could care less about college sports. BC basketball and football finish a long distance behind the Patriots, Sox, Celtics, Bruins and college hockey.
Why are the blocking us? 1.We compete with BC for NE talent. 2. maybe they are tired of Uconn whipping their butts in basketball. 3. They just don't like us.

 

[Vowelguy]

If you block UConn, their program may die off as a CUSA team. Then you don't have to compete with them. Then you're the big dog in New England.

That's their line of thinking, and you can't say it's, at the moment, flawed. If they freeze UConn out, they have less competition.

Definitely. Why is this so hard for everyone to understand?

 

[Section205]

Channel 8's Noah Finz just stated that Pres Herbst is arranging to actually meet face to face with Fr. Leahy and other officials. Face to face??? I almost fell off my chair.

 

[uconNYC]

Even if UConn is left out it will be a TCU-Baylor scenario where we are TCU and they are Baylor or Gonzaga-Washington State in basketball.

 

[epark88]

Channel 8's Noah Finz just stated that Pres Herbst is arranging to actually meet face to face with Fr. Leahy and other officials. Face to face??? I almost fell off my chair.

If true, then it's about time.

But I did just get a visual of the meeting going down like when Captain Kirk and his crew met the Romulans face-to-face in one of those old Star Trek flicks...

 

[SkyWalker2011]

Can someone please clarify for me exactly how much power BC actually has to block us out? It's not like they're a founding school in the ACC and some of the other schools seem to want us there.

 

[ctchamps]

If you block UConn, their program may die off as a CUSA team. Then you don't have to compete with them. Then you're the big dog in New England.

That's their line of thinking, and you can't say it's, at the moment, flawed. If they freeze UConn out, they have less competition.

That argument has a lot of merit. But it has limitations. They would be the big dog of the NE but without any exciting rivalries. The best case scenario for sports junkies and the media is to see natural rivalries between equal caliber teams in close proximity to one another. It isn't important for BC and UConn to be in the same league but it would benefit both of them if they could generate a rivalry between each other, with both teams being decent or better. Rivalry week is crazy between Auburn and Alabama, SC and Clemson and Florida and FSU. In some cases the victory against their hated rival equals conference championships. BC and UConn have the proximity to generate this type of excitement. It would take time, but it isn't impossible. So burying UConn would be very shortsighted on the part of BC imo.

 

[intlzncster]

Can someone please clarify for me exactly how much power BC actually has to block us out? It's not like they're a founding school in the ACC and some of the other schools seem to want us there.

Not a lot. They have one vote. They can also try to drum up other votes by pushing the "add better football schools" angle, but any support they garner will not be because anyone gives two sh1ts about what BC says. The southern contingent of ACC schools wants better football teams added. BC can merely add their to this group.

 

[MattMang23]

My take for what it's worth: People are talking about BC blocking us for competitive reasons. If it's market competition, we won't own Boston. They do, and they will continue to. That isn't going to change. Our possible MA territory comes west of Springfield- at least in football- in my estimation, and extends to the City. If it's recruiting competition, well we are already beating them in the recruiting war.

So if I'm BC, wouldn't I be at least open to the idea of UConn joining the league since not only would it drum up more interest in the New England region as others have stated, but if I can beat UConn on the field, wouldn't I stand a better shot at keeping UConn's potential MA recruits (both football and bball) home and at BC? Eliminate competition by victory on the field. That way they could pitch kids by saying "not only is our football team more historic than UConn, but we kick their rear ends on the field too."

Maybe I'm off base and don't get it, but I'm not sure if I'm BC that locking out UConn would kill of all competition. After all, recruits still choose Memphis, Butler, Gonzaga, etc in basketball, and Boise State, and TCU in football, and not for conference affiliation but because those schools are winners. Could UConn not continue to win- even in a watered down Big East- and keep taking BC's recruiting targets? Perhaps the best way for BC to ensure they win the recruiting war against us is to allow us into the league, steal a few W's against us, and keep the kids home that way?

 

[SO#1]

Being the king of the sand box by default is a very simple logic.
It’s easy to understand but in sport having regional rivalry especially with population density in this region brings a lot of eyeballs.

 

[epark88]

Or...

Herbst could go to Leahy's office with a fruit basket and the right words, then both agree to form an alliance to try and recruit Notre Dame to the ACC. That would be pretty cool if it went down...