Cincy, Houston, UCF and BYU

[BlueandOG]

Blue Dogs is 100 percent right on this one. UConn failed to keep its eyes on the prize. Instead, there were dreams about a long-gone Big East conference. We have to move from football independence and the so-called New Big East to a P5 or P4 conference in the near future.

Flush out your head gear, new guy. Maybe you haven't been keeping up on current events, but joining a P5 is not something we can just do.

 

[phillionaire]

Add to this that in Randy's 1st year back they took Cincinnati down to the final snap (Hergy Mayala) celebration penalty, and its beyond baffling how terrible our hires have been.

Its why its infuriating to hear Randy talk about how doesn't give a if its "sexy" he is going to do what he believes gives the team the best chance to win. That is great when you win, not when you are getting curb stomped in route to 107 yards of offense.

Its painful to watch our struggles. People cannot believe i waste Saturdays watching either on TV or in person this program. That is how far we have fallen in such a short period of time.

That celebration penalty cost me hitting the over for wins that year. In retrospect it’s hilarious but I was pretty mad for a week afterwards.

 

[uconntailgater]

The new big 12 conference will be a decent conference, obviously, no where’s near as good with Texas and Oklahoma departing. It will be interesting what their new television contract will be when the four new teams are added. One of the drawbacks will be West Virginia, Kansas, and Iowa State will have 1 foot out the door if the Big Ten, ACC, or SEC come calling.

It was the right move to leave the AAC for independence as I don’t think the big 12 will invite us. Our basketball program can grow in the Big East and we can create a wining schedule via independence, and hopefully return to some form of relevance.

if the three teams do leave the AAC it will be interesting to see what happens to that conference. Navy will almost certainly return to independence and temple may do the same? If they AAC dissolves ESPN loses a lot of inexpensive content.

I feel bad for SMU as they have been recruiting very well and have made great coaching hires. Who knows, maybe the SEC can bring them on as a counter to Vanderbilt in the east?

Hopefully this turmoil will make our independence scheduling a little easier.

 

[Kolumbo]

The Big XII would be some conference if it added those 4 programs and then Texas and Oklahoma stayed.

So with this move is it officially the P4?
P4 = 57 programs
P5 = 69 programs

 

[JMick]

Flush out your head gear, new guy. Maybe you haven't been keeping up on current events, but joining a P5 is not something we can just do.

Are you sure? Maybe Dave just didn't think about it. We should tell him.

 

[mike012]

I actually thought us not playing last year was a good thing. Tomorrow could very well be the end of the football program.

 

[buddy]

Ironic how some here mocked UCF "commuter school" and now they have leapt over UConn.

 

[huskysupporter]

Ironic how some here mocked UCF "commuter school" and now they have leapt over UConn.

Crazy what a commitment to the only sport that matters can do for a school.

 

[How Sway?!]

Once Texas and Oklahoma leave the Big 12, there will be officially be a P4. Once the current B12 schools see their tv revenue go down by 25MM, we'll see if they are still able to compete as they currently are.

 

[phillionaire]

Crazy what a commitment to the only sport that matters being in florida can do for a school.

FTFY

 

[Waquoit]

Lew Perkins left before his child was born.

Lew did wonders with his subsequent FB program. They were worse than UConn.

 

[storrsroars]

It's unlikely the B12 comes out of this with a media deal anything like the deal currently in place. The P5 could easily be moving to the P4. The more and more I see of this, the more I am convinced that conference realignment and NIL are going to bifurcate athletic programs with a group breaking away from the NCAA. It will be all about the money and programs like Wake Forest, etc. aren't going to be on that bus. I think it's 40 to 60 programs. Pro sports under a college banner with 18 year-olds making big money. Holds little interest for me, but I guess the powers that be think that market is what they want.

I've been reading rumblings about the same. The "weak sisters" will be cast aside for a superconference or two. UConn, under even the most perfect of circumstances, would never be considered for a superconference(s) comprised of the best SEC, B1G, ACC or Pac10 teams in terms of drawing power or performance.

However, some time down the road, probably before 2030, depending who gets the boot, it's not out of the question that another Northeast-ish football conference could arise from those ashes. It won't be a "power" conference equal to the big boys, but might include some old friends and foes.

 

[Bongo Fury]

This isn’t on Benedict. It’s 100% on Susan and Warde. Susan didn’t care and Warde was too busy lobbying for the Michigan job to be bothered with UConn. Or too clueless. He lacked the guts to stand up to Calhoun, he hired both coaches who drove the program into a ditch, then he left others with a huge mess. I disagree with Benedict on the NEWBIE, but I get why he did it.

Warde reluctantly hired KO who delivered a national championship. That is not an easy task.

 

[uconndogs]

I've been reading rumblings about the same. The "weak sisters" will be cast aside for a superconference or two. UConn, under even the most perfect of circumstances, would never be considered for a superconference(s) comprised of the best SEC, B1G, ACC or Pac10 teams in terms of drawing power or performance.

However, some time down the road, probably before 2030, depending who gets the boot, it's not out of the question that another Northeast-ish football conference could arise from those ashes. It won't be a "power" conference equal to the big boys, but might include some old friends and foes.

Honestly, I think that would be a great outcome.

College athletics is quickly heading down a road that holds minimal interest for me personally. Money has completely taken over and while the concept of "student athlete" has always been under stress I think it's about to go completely to the wayside. I've always maintained that if I want to watch professional football I'll watch the best in the world play on Sundays. College football is/was something different.

 

[BugsyCT]

Was expecting the B12 to poach the AAC bigwigs as soon as Texas and OU announced they were bolting. (Either that or all the other P4s would get the B12 leftovers)

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Ironic how some here mocked UCF "commuter school" and now they have leapt over UConn.

Well...I wouldn't get too crazy here....they weren't invited to the ACC or SEC. They are still the #4 school in Florida. Yes...they have progressed... mainly because of commitment and location.

They are still a commuter school.

 

[BlueDogs]

People seem to forget that UConn applied to the Big 12 last go round so Benedict knew what the Big 12 thought about adding UConn, a total geographical outlier. Apparently, the Big 12 did not rank UConn’s application high last go round.

I think most college administrators that follow realignment closely thought Texas and probably Oklahoma were not committed to the Big 12 long term and there could be openings in the Big 12 in the future and UConn wasn’t on the short list of candidates.

Imagine if UConn was still in the AAC today and Cinci, UCF, and Houston left? The new AAC would be a total dumpster fire. Is independent football and Big East basketball ideal LT? No, but it sure beats ending up in a new AAC conference.

There is plenty of pundits who thought UConn was in the top 4 of candidates the last time around. We are now a total non-consideration.

 

[Kolumbo]

Well...I wouldn't get too crazy here....they weren't invited to the ACC or SEC. They are still the #4 school in Florida. Yes...they have progressed... mainly because of commitment and location.

They are still a commuter school.

No matter what becomes of the Big XII, UCF just received a big helping of legitimacy. Time are changing. Location location location.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

UConn, under even the most perfect of circumstances, would never be considered for a superconference(s) comprised of the best SEC, B1G, ACC or Pac10 teams in terms of drawing power or performance.

That may not necessarily be true depending on how things go. Depends if the Super conferences break off from the NCAA for football only, or for all sports. If they are breaking off from the NCAA completely for all sports, then basketball is actually a consideration. Right now College Football drives 99% of the decisions because they get the money for football media rights, but on the basketball side the money goes through the NCAA right now. But if the Super conferences are completely separating from the NCAA for all sports, then the basketball money they would be getting would be significant. In that case, they bring along some of the key basketball schools to ensure they take the entire "college basketball" revenue with them too--as that money in total is actually larger than the Football money I believe. In that case, then you could see the Football schools take along the key basketball powers as well (UConn, Duke, Kansas, etc) to ensure they maximize the money (which we all know is the driving force).

But that is a long bridge to get to.

 

[ASweet3781]

FTFY

There is plenty of pundits who thought UConn was in the top 4 of candidates the last time around. We are now a total non-consideration.

and they hide behind the total false premise of “well at least we are in the big east and didn’t get left behind in the AAC! It was the right move! Hooray Benedict!”

 

[Exit 4]

We had no chance at the b12…. None.

People who think we did probably haven’t traveled very much.

 

[ASweet3781]

We had no chance at the b12…. None.

People who think we did probably haven’t traveled very much.

oh you are right. We did have no chance. Pouring gasoline and lighting a match on the football program for a decade ensured that.

 

[storrsroars]

There is plenty of pundits who thought UConn was in the top 4 of candidates the last time around. We are now a total non-consideration.

And that consideration, back in 2016, had almost zero to do with the football program. It had to do with the potential for the NYC media market should a Big12 Network be proposed, national championships in non-football sports (which add money for everyone in the conference), and academics.

There was only one favored choice: Cincy. Of the other two schools most mentioned, Houston created problems due to recruiting for the other Texas schools, and BYU created it's own set of non-PC behavioral issues.

 

[Waquoit]

oh you are right. We did have no chance. Pouring gasoline and lighting a match on the football program for a decade ensured that.

It's so much easier living in fantasy world than facing reality.

 

[businesslawyer]

Look like they get the B12 golden tickets. Big 12 expansion: League wants four teams with focus on BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF, per report

Cincy kept investing in and building their football program, showed patience, made great hires and didn’t jump to a Catholic schoolgirls’ basketball conference to relive prom nights long since past. Doing things right matters. Sad. But hey, Let’s go whip some FCS butt this week and get all giddy.

More like Bronze tickets. Better to move than stay in the AAC but are you in the game?

But there’s nothing magic about the 5 in P5. Does anyone really think that after TX and OK leave, the 4 power conferences are going to treat the XII as one of them, as opposed to with the AAC and MWC in the next grouping?

That may not necessarily be true depending on how things go. Depends if the Super conferences break off from the NCAA for football only, or for all sports. If they are breaking off from the NCAA completely for all sports, then basketball is actually a consideration. Right now College Football drives 99% of the decisions because they get the money for football media rights, but on the basketball side the money goes through the NCAA right now. But if the Super conferences are completely separating from the NCAA for all sports, then the basketball money they would be getting would be significant. In that case, they bring along some of the key basketball schools to ensure they take the entire "college basketball" revenue with them too--as that money in total is actually larger than the Football money I believe. In that case, then you could see the Football schools take along the key basketball powers as well (UConn, Duke, Kansas, etc) to ensure they maximize the money (which we all know is the driving force).

But that is a long bridge to get to.

Title IX will prevent the fantasy some have that they will leave the NCAA for football and nothing else. If you pay football players, you have to pay an equivalent number of female athletes. How do you do that in an NCAA where a majority doesn’t pay female athletes and won’t want to compete against them?

When this happens — not if, although it may not happen anytime soon — the power football schools will leave the NCAA altogether. That will make basketball less financially powerful for both the football powers and everyone else, but the football powers won’t care because the extra football money will dwarf the basketball losses.