Delany on BTN Live from MSG about Conference Expansion

[FDNY99]

 

[jostar1]

Notice the irony. Delany is in New York and the scroll says at 1:33: Connecticut won six NCAA national championships during Manuel's tenure.

 

[Dooley]

Talk about fast work. That was not a lot of time between Warde's "UConn should be in a Power conference soon" comment in his press conference to Delany's interview about expansion. I guess being the AD at Michigan has more weight to Delany than UConn after all.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Istening to this makes me want to throw a chair through the wall of that studio Delany's talking in, and have Jonathan walk through the hole into the room

 

[BUConn10]

Talk about fast work. That was not a lot of time between Warde's "UConn should be in a Power conference soon" comment in his press conference to Delany's interview about expansion. I guess being the AD at Michigan has more weight to Delany than UConn after all.

I'm starting to see this Manual hire as a huge source of friendly influence in the conference expansion race. Michigan is one of the most powerful ADs in the nation and they will certainly be in the B1G's ear. These comments Warde made today only reinforce his position on the issue of UConn's place in college athletics.

 

[Hoophound]

Istening to this makes me want to throw a chair through the wall of that studio Delany's talking in, and have Jonathan walk through the hole.

Lol. That's a great post.

 

[mavblues]

I think I spotted Dooley in the background...

 

[RatholeMA]

Notice the irony. Delany is in New York and the scroll says at 1:33: Connecticut won six NCAA national championships during Manuel's tenure.

I'm probably nitpicking here, but how is this an example of "irony"?

 

[Matrim55]

I'm starting to see this Manual hire as a huge source of friendly influence in the conference expansion race. Michigan is one of the most powerful ADs in the nation and they will certainly be in the B1G's ear. These comments Warde made today only reinforce his position on the issue of UConn's place in college athletics.

Yup. And Warde did not have to make those comments - he could've thanked the UConn community, praised a few people, and moved on. But he specifically brought up the P5 issue.

It's a statement of intent, and I don't think it's an emotional one. He knows the numbers and understands our value, both present and future.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

If B1G is looking for info on UCONN, they can always contact Warde for due diligence. Warde knows us inside and out. In addition, he mentioned he knows Delany personally. Hopefully, this will help us with B1G. I am so tired of this conference realignment crap. I just want UCONN to be in a stable P5 conference and we can toss this board into the ocean.

 

[Matrim55]

If B1G is looking for info on UCONN, they can always contact Warde for due diligence. Warde knows us inside and out. In addition, he mentioned he knows Delany personally. Hopefully, this will help us with B1G. I am so tired of this conference realignment crap. I just want UCONN to be in a stable P5 conference and we can toss this board into the ocean.

I have a bottle of Ardbog saved and ready for the occasion.

 

[Sea Goat]

If B1G is looking for info on UCONN, they can always contact Warde for due diligence. Warde knows us inside and out. In addition, he mentioned he knows Delany personally. Hopefully, this will help us with B1G. I am so tired of this conference realignment crap. I just want UCONN to be in a stable P5 conference and we can toss this board into the ocean.

and have our lives back? I might have to talk to my wife for ! Let's agree to come up with something new to Kvetch about if we get out of the gulag - ok? It is clear most of us need something to bitch about as a matter of course.

 

[dwalks93]

Listening to Delany's interview I was struck by how invested the Big10 is in the NY metro area. Delany noted the Big10's second home is now the NE. He specifically mentioned the Big10 desiring academic and geographic equals in terms of it teams. This makes me thing if the Big10 expands it will either be in the NY area or the DC area. The Big10 is not "team shopping" but more region acquiring and the region they have chosen is the NE.

The fact there is now a Big10 NYC office makes me think further expansion in the NY area is more likely. The Big10 does not absolutely require UConn to have a presence in NYC but adding UConn allows them to further solidify their foothold. The Big10 will not make the same dumb mistake the ACC made and leave the door open for other conferences else to grab influence in NYC.

I really believe if UConn gets AAU certified we will be the Big10 expansion partner. At that point we become a geographically and academically comparable in an area the Big10 wants to control.

 

[dayooper]

Again, my own opinion, but I still think that OU and UConn will in the Big10 sooner than later. UConn for basketball, the NYC and NE, while OU adds to the national appeal with football.

 

[Seaa Blue]

sooner than later..

I tend to agree, but there's a gap there (figuratively and literally), and I don't know how it will get crossed. GOR, contiguity, etc.

Something does seem to be going on over there in soonerville.

 

[Seaa Blue]

Notice the irony. Delany is in New York and the scroll says at 1:33: Connecticut won six NCAA national championships during Manuel's tenure.

Noted:

 

[History Geek]

I have a bottle of Ardbog saved and ready for the occasion.

Lagavulin for me. Although Ardbeg is tasty.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Yup. And Warde did not have to make those comments - he could've thanked the UConn community, praised a few people, and moved on. But he specifically brought up the P5 issue.

It's a statement of intent, and I don't think it's an emotional one. He knows the numbers and understands our value, both present and future.

No to mention that having UConn join the league thus allowing Michigan teams to play in the Northeast on a regular basis (football could flip each year between UConn and Rutgers) would make a lot of New York and Boston based Michigan alumni very happy and happy alumni spend more money on their university, which is job #1 for the AD.

 

[The Viking]

Again, my own opinion, but I still think that OU and UConn will in the Big10 sooner than later. UConn for basketball, the NYC and NE, while OU adds to the national appeal with football.

How does OK escape the Big 12 soon? They break the GOR?

 

[The Viking]

Delany talks so much about NYC it's important to remember he was in the stands when MSG was overrun by UConn during the Elite 8.
If he ever adds UConn I dont think he understands what a jolt that will give our school and fan base considering we've been stuck in the Sahara for so long.
But they can't add us if there is no 16th school available.
So frustrating

 

[Ldandy]

JMO but I don't buy the OU to The B1G Rumors. I understand that The Sooner Football Brand has great value, but that in and of itself does not feel like enough to motivate Delany. OU would be a geographically isolated, non AAU School from a low population state. Add in potential little brother issues with Ok State and they become even less appealing. OU has neither the market or mind share that he covets.

Delany's true focus has always been on The ACC. His wet dream is a UNC/UVA combo, however The Heels are The ACC. I can't see any scenario short of total collapse that would cause them to walk out the door. Their alumni would burn Chapel Hill to the ground if they knew it's leadership sought membership in that Yankee Conference. UVA is less religious about the conference, but as a wealthy institution they are not motivated to act solely for financial reasons. The real targets should be VPI and GT. Both schools do not have century long attachments to the conference, and are more in line with the research oriented state schools of the B1G. Inclusion also brings the conference into large population states for cable boxes and recruiting students and student athletes. This scenario would work out well for UCONN. Should Delany succeed in shaking one loose, he'd have a willing and ready partner in CT. Should he land both UCONN would have to be tapped by ESPN for ACC inclusion. Either way The AAC Nightnare would be over.

 

[dayooper]

How does OK escape the Big 12 soon? They break the GOR?

Don't know. Since I'm not a contract lawyer, I don't know the ins and outs of the GoR or how to get out of it. If OU is looking to get out, than I'm sure they have top people looking on it. There's a reason why Boren is been so vocal about CCG and networks. He's a very smart guy who knows how to frame his point of view to get what he wants and I think he's setting the stage showing how the conference hasn't lived up to their end of the bargain. He's setting he stage for a lawsuit. I don't agree with him, but politics has never been my strong suit.

 

[djct1999]

I tend to agree, but there's a gap there (figuratively and literally), and I don't know how it will get crossed. GOR, contiguity, etc.

Something does seem to be going on over there in soonerville.

If you listen to Delaney, he says something about being respectful about the tradition of the B1g, but you also have to think of the future and evaluate the risk/reward. UConn and OU are easy sells and blows this risk/reward metric out of the water. OU on football tradition alone. UConn on just about everything else. I still contend that UConn was always the second phase of B1g expansion. Just look at what we done over the last 5 years. It screams B1g 10.

Which got me thinking...............I love this Super Saturday concept. Just think how great it would be if it were UConn, Maryland, Michgian State, Michigan(make it a mens/womens doublheader instead of hockey). Why not do a similar thing in football? Michigan, Ohio State, Maryland(or Rutgers), and UConn. Call it a home game for the Huskies and Terps or Rutgers. We don't care.

 

[Stinger92860]

If you listen to Delaney, he says something about being respectful about the tradition of the B1g, but you also have to think of the future and evaluate the risk/reward. UConn and OU are easy sells and blows this risk/reward metric out of the water. OU on football tradition alone. UConn on just about everything else. I still contend that UConn was always the second phase of B1g expansion. Just look at what we done over the last 5 years. It screams B1g 10.

Which got me thinking.....I love this Super Saturday concept. Just think how great it would be if it were UConn, Maryland, Michgian State, Michigan(make it a mens/womens doublheader instead of hockey). Why not do a similar thing in football? Michigan, Ohio State, Maryland(or Rutgers), and UConn. Call it a home game for the Huskies and Terps or Rutgers. We don't care.

Why don't we just do it ourselves? Hell, offer a triple header to ND, Michigan, etc. at MSG. A double should be easy. Who else in the region has the juice to do this on their own? Think out of the box, leverage the women's team and local hockey interest.

 

[dayooper]

JMO but I don't buy the OU to The B1G Rumors. I understand that The Sooner Football Brand has great value, but that in and of itself does not feel like enough to motivate Delany. OU would be a geographically isolated, non AAU School from a low population state. Add in potential little brother issues with Ok State and they become even less appealing. OU has neither the market or mind share that he covets.

Some schools are just worth more than others, and Oklahoma fits in that category. They would bring money on the new media contract. Games against Nebraska every year and every once and a while conference games against Michigan, OSU and PSU that actually mean something makes for great TV (advertising dollars). The money making model for the Big10/BTN has to diversify, and the easiest way to do so is with advertising. Being the national name Oklahoma football is, the ad dollars when they play on the BTN would be tremendous.

As far as being isolated, this isn't a WVU type of problem. They have a former conference mate in Nebraska and are much closer to many of the Big10 schools as WVU is to the Big12 schools. The closest school to WVU is ISU, which is 862 miles by road. Big10 schools they are closer to than WVU is to ISU: Nebraska (454 mi), Iowa (675), Illinois (694 mi), Indiana (738 mi), Purdue (788 mi), Minnesota (804 mi), Northwestern (822) and Wisconsin (854 mi). That the entire western division of the Big10. That smallest distance really isn't that uncommon. Miami's closest teams is FSU (486 mi), Georgia Tech (667 mi) and Clemson (767 mi). Oklahoma and Nebraska have a relationship that dates back to 1920 and share a collegial and athletic partnership. Adding Oklahoma gives balance to the divisions. The East has three traditional anchors in Michigan, OSU and PSU while the West only has Nebraska (Wisconsin was the dregs until the mid '90's when Alvarez took over).

The academics may be an issue, but we aren't talking about a horrible school. They are on par with Nebraska and Kansas, but offer more in the ways of national exposure and money than KU.