Documents show Big 12 flirting with Houston, Memphis, others

[HuskyHawk]

Meanwhile, UConn's president was quietly absent from both the women's visit to the White House and UConn STEM day, while at the same time a private plane flew from Bradley to a small airport in Addison, TX, about 12 miles from Big 12 HQ. Huh.

Damn. I want to believe.

 

[CashewCrew]

You guys should work for the CIA tracking terrorists. But the planes to Texas were empty. Head fake. Keeping everyone off the B1G trail.

I legit laughed out loud at my desk at this haha

 

[LRock34]

Is anyone else concerned that NO ONE is mentioning UCONN as a possibility for the Big 12? I'm just getting caught up on this today, I ran a "Big 12 Expansion" search in Google and one article (the dumb "weary" one) came up with a UCONN mention. Everyone is talking about Memphis, Houston, UCF, BYU, Colorado State and Cincinnati. This feels a lot like Louisville.

 

[huskymedic]

Is anyone else concerned that NO ONE is mentioning UCONN as a possibility for the Big 12? I'm just getting caught up on this today, I ran a "Big 12 Expansion" search in Google and one article (the dumb "weary" one) came up with a UCONN mention. Everyone is talking about Memphis, Houston, UCF, BYU, Colorado State and Cincinnati. This feels a lot like Louisville.

You haven't spent enough time looking...

Carlton: Expansion, title games, the Longhorn Network; what factors into the future of the Big 12? | SportsDay
>>Since any expansion dovetails with a TV network, look to the markets of possible candidates. For now, the top four are believed to be Connecticut, BYU (which has a national following), Cincinnati and possibly Colorado State (Denver market), although the situation is fluid.<<

 

[LRock34]

Is anyone else concerned that NO ONE is mentioning UCONN as a possibility for the Big 12? I'm just getting caught up on this today, I ran a "Big 12 Expansion" search in Google and one article (the dumb "weary" one) came up with a UCONN mention. Everyone is talking about Memphis, Houston, UCF, BYU, Colorado State and Cincinnati. This feels a lot like Louisville.

You haven't spent enough time looking...

Carlton: Expansion, title games, the Longhorn Network; what factors into the future of the Big 12? | SportsDay
>>Since any expansion dovetails with a TV network, look to the markets of possible candidates. For now, the top four are believed to be Connecticut, BYU (which has a national following), Cincinnati and possibly Colorado State (Denver market), although the situation is fluid.<<

This article is 3 days old. No one is talking about UCONN today, that's why I said this feels like Louisville.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Is anyone else concerned that NO ONE is mentioning UCONN as a possibility for the Big 12? I'm just getting caught up on this today, I ran a "Big 12 Expansion" search in Google and one article (the dumb "weary" one) came up with a UCONN mention. Everyone is talking about Memphis, Houston, UCF, BYU, Colorado State and Cincinnati. This feels a lot like Louisville.


This article is 3 days old. No one is talking about UCONN today, that's why I said this feels like Louisville.

You need to do something else.

 

[Fairfield 1st]

Flight Finder ✈ Bradley Intl (KBDL) - Addison (KADS) ✈ FlightAware

THIS needs its own thread! And it needs to be tweeted out for all the CR world to see (who cares about its significance or accuracy, just the inference makes us look good!

 

[TRest]

THIS needs its own thread! And it needs to be tweeted out for all the CR world to see (who cares about its significance or accuracy, just the inference makes us look good!

The dopes on the csnbbs board are already running with it.

 

[CAHUSKY]

Is anyone else concerned that NO ONE is mentioning UCONN as a possibility for the Big 12? I'm just getting caught up on this today, I ran a "Big 12 Expansion" search in Google and one article (the dumb "weary" one) came up with a UCONN mention. Everyone is talking about Memphis, Houston, UCF, BYU, Colorado State and Cincinnati. This feels a lot like Louisville.

People who understand the metrics that are important to BigXII expansion are mentioning UCONN. Rubes who are lazy, haven't done their research and believe it has more to do with regional rivalries and football than cable boxes aren't mentioning UCONN because it doesn't make sense to them.

 

[MattMang23]

UConn to the PAC!!

NetJets Aviation #929 ✈ 12-May-2016 ✈ KBDL - KSFO ✈ FlightAware

• NetJets Aviation 929
  Cessna Citation X (twin-jet)
  (C750)
  
  
• 
  Scheduled (in 21 hours 4 minutes)
• KBDL
  KSFO
  05:18
  
  
  
  
• Origin
  Windsor Locks, CT
  Bradley Intl (KBDL)
  
  
  
  05/12/2016 04:45PM EDT
  
  Scheduled: 04:51PM
  
  
  
  
• Destination
  San Francisco, CA
  San Francisco Intl (KSFO)
  
  05/12/2016 07:03PM PDT
  
  Scheduled: 07:09PM

 

[UCFBfan]

Is anyone else concerned that NO ONE is mentioning UCONN as a possibility for the Big 12? I'm just getting caught up on this today, I ran a "Big 12 Expansion" search in Google and one article (the dumb "weary" one) came up with a UCONN mention. Everyone is talking about Memphis, Houston, UCF, BYU, Colorado State and Cincinnati. This feels a lot like Louisville.


This article is 3 days old. No one is talking about UCONN today, that's why I said this feels like Louisville.

I disagree. When we got snubbed for Louisville, it came out of nowhere. We were an absolute shoe in for the open spot in the ACC until the last second when it was announced Louisville was getting the spot. There still a month or so before anything official comes out for the Big 12.

This all sounds like grovelling and begging from people look from the outside in and knowing that if they don't get these last few lifeboats, they are in deep crap for awhile.

Here's to praying our silence is a good thing and that we are on one of those last few lifeboats.

 

[Jimbo]

I disagree. When we got snubbed for Louisville, it came out of nowhere. We were an absolute shoe in for the open spot in the ACC until the last second when it was announced Louisville was getting the spot. There still a month or so before anything official comes out for the Big 12.

I agree with you. If anything, this feels like the opposite of the Louisville debacle. Hopefully that means it leads to the opposite outcome this time around.

The one thing mentioned in the ESPN piece that I don't quite understand is Gee's trip to Houston to tour the athletic facilities and hobnob with officials there. Does anybody have a take on this or know if he's made similar visits to other schools? I'd be more concerned if I thought Houston made any sense at all as a Big 12 expansion candidate, but I'm still curious about why he'd make the trip there.

 

[huskymedic]

The one thing mentioned in the ESPN piece that I don't quite understand is Gee's trip to Houston to tour the athletic facilities and hobnob with officials there. Does anybody have a take on this or know if he's made similar visits to other schools? I'd be more concerned if I thought Houston made any sense at all as a Big 12 expansion candidate, but I'm still curious about why he'd make the trip there.

FWIW: UH officials hope Gordon Gee recalls visit when Big 12 mulls expansion
>>Gee's visit to Houston, however, was part of a regularly scheduled appearance to discuss the university's capital campaign. "He was not here in regard to expansion. He was here for a development exercise," said Hunter Yurachek, UH's vice president for intercollegiate athletics. Yurachek added that while Gee was on campus, UH officials "took the opportunity to showcase our new and improved athletic facilities."<<

 

[Jimdish255]

The competition for membership seems to be putting out a lot of self-promotion this past week and they must think the time is now for some reason. I'll give it 30-45 days and then Rule #1 kicks back in.

 

[UConnNick]

FWIW: UH officials hope Gordon Gee recalls visit when Big 12 mulls expansion
>>Gee's visit to Houston, however, was part of a regularly scheduled appearance to discuss the university's capital campaign. "He was not here in regard to expansion. He was here for a development exercise," said Hunter Yurachek, UH's vice president for intercollegiate athletics. Yurachek added that while Gee was on campus, UH officials "took the opportunity to showcase our new and improved athletic facilities."<<

They better have kept Hofheinz Pavilion locked up tight during his visit. It's a dump.

 

[dwalks93]

IMO the recent lobbying drama is nothing more than a public extension of the already hugely overinflated egos of the Big12.

It's impossible to listen to the Big12 and not conclude its a directionless disfunctional entity. How does the Big12 counter that perception? By publicizing all the G5 schools begging to get in. For the Big12 that is affirmation they are still a sought after desiresable entity. The more ridiculous the offer, the more the Big12 wants to showcase it. I'm waiting for "UCF promises to move the Big House in Michigan to Orlando" or "Fedex offers to buy Memphis a small Caribbean island to house an amusement park for the Big 12."

It's like watching North Korea televise a prisoner begging for forgiveness prior to them convicting and executing him. It has nothing to do with justice and everything to do with demeaning the victim. Memphis, UCF, Temple et al are begging but life in the gulag is awaiting. I still believe Big12 expansion will be metrics driven....tweets from school Presidents and unobtainable financial promises won't change those numbers. It just makes those schools look pathetic.

The idea that UConn needs to publicly beg the Big12 for admission is wrong. UConn is head and shoulders above programs like Memphis, Temple, Houston and UCF in every metric. By even publicly lobbying against them we lower ourselves to their level.

The deafening silence out of Storrs is killing me like everyone else but I trust our Athetic Department and President. A program can't regain its dignity once it is lost and no one respects desperation. UConn has shown a lot of discipline and composure the past couple weeks. If we get in a P5 conference it be like an ice water shooter knocking down a winning 3 point shot and walking off the court without saying a word....dead eye

 

[CougarRed]

They better have kept Hofheinz Pavilion locked up tight during his visit. It's a dump.

Houston has selected Greg Brown of AECOM as the architect for the $60M arena renovation project. In recent years, he's designed the renovations at Arizona, Clemson, Illinois & Ole Miss.

This thread contains several initial conceptual renderings.

The design phase will be complete by early 2017 and we'll have finalized renderings at that point. The construction phase will begin as soon as the season is over. Houston will play off campus in 2017-18 and move into the new arena in November 2018.

The $25M Guy V. Lewis Basketball Development Center opened in December of 2015. It wraps around one corner of Hofheinz and provides clues about how the new arena exterior will look.

 

[CTMike]

The B12 has been compared to North Korea. I love it. Lol

 

[UConnNick]

Houston has selected Greg Brown of AECOM as the architect for the $60M arena renovation project. In recent years, he's designed the renovations at Arizona, Clemson, Illinois & Ole Miss.

This thread contains several initial conceptual renderings.

The design phase will be complete by early 2017 and we'll have finalized renderings at that point. The construction phase will begin as soon as the season is over. Houston will play off campus in 2017-18 and move into the new arena in November 2018.

The $25M Guy V. Lewis Basketball Development Center opened in December of 2015. It wraps around one corner of Hofheinz and provides clues about how the new arena exterior will look.

Reducing the seating capacity is the wrong way to go if you're trying to impress the B12. With teams like UT and Baylor coming in for games, they'll have to play them in the Toyota Center to take any advantage of the kind of crowds they'll draw. Most of the other B12 teams have a sizable alumni population in metro Houston as well. They should level Hofheinz and build something in line with major conferences. Their thinking is AAC driven, which is not good.

 

[huskymedic]

With teams like UT and Baylor coming in for games, they'll have to play them in the Toyota Center to take any advantage of the kind of crowds they'll draw .

... and the 10 miles down the road to Toyota Center from Campus is gonna kill them how? On-Campus/Off-campus options close-by mirrors their on-campus/off-campus football options. Seems to be the best of both worlds.

 

[CougarRed]

Actually, Toyota Center is 2.5 miles from campus. But the Rockets own it. So we can't use it for all our games due to scheduling conflicts. Eventually, if the demand is there for bigger games, we should have the ability to go to a UConn Gampel/XL set up.

As for football, aside from the new $128M 40K football stadium that is easily expandable to 50K to 60K, we have hired the architects to design a $20M indoor practice facility set to open in late 2017. It will be located adjacent to the stadium.

After that, the final project is to move football headquarters from its current home to the West End Zone of the new stadium near the new IPF. That's a $30M project with an ETA of ~2020.

So while we have the ability to play at NRG Stadium (about 6-7 miles from campus), I doubt we play many games there given the investment we've made.

 

[jostar1]

IMO the recent lobbying drama is nothing more than a public extension of the already hugely overinflated egos of the Big12.

It's impossible to listen to the Big12 and not conclude its a directionless disfunctional entity. How does the Big12 counter that perception? By publicizing all the G5 schools begging to get in. For the Big12 that is affirmation they are still a sought after desiresable entity. The more ridiculous the offer, the more the Big12 wants to showcase it. I'm waiting for "UCF promises to move the Big House in Michigan to Orlando" or "Fedex offers to buy Memphis a small Caribbean island to house an amusement park for the Big 12."

It's like watching North Korea televise a prisoner begging for forgiveness prior to them convicting and executing him. It has nothing to do with justice and everything to do with demeaning the victim. Memphis, UCF, Temple et al are begging but life in the gulag is awaiting. I still believe Big12 expansion will be metrics driven....tweets from school Presidents and unobtainable financial promises won't change those numbers. It just makes those schools look pathetic.

The idea that UConn needs to publicly beg the Big12 for admission is wrong. UConn is head and shoulders above programs like Memphis, Temple, Houston and UCF in every metric. By even publicly lobbying against them we lower ourselves to their level.

The deafening silence out of Storrs is killing me like everyone else but I trust our Athetic Department and President. A program can't regain its dignity once it is lost and no one respects desperation. UConn has shown a lot of discipline and composure the past couple weeks. If we get in a P5 conference it be like an ice water shooter knocking down a winning 3 point shot and walking off the court without saying a word....dead eye

From Susan Herbst's letter dated December 12, 2012:

"I realize that this is aggravating to hear, but as in all things, we can only affect what is in our control. As a result, we strive for excellence at UConn daily across all departments, something very much in our control. We stand tall at UConn and we need not beg, plead, nor despair. That is not who we are, and my reading of our university history -- from 1881 to today -- conveys the pride of every generation, in good times and bad."

 

[huskymedic]

Actually, Toyota Center is 2.5 miles from campus.

Yup, thx. I meant 10 minutes - not 10 miles. Been there, done that.

 

[Charley Horse]

There's so little actual information going on record from credible sources that sports enthusiasts are digging up every morsel they can find, embellishing those tidbits with credibility they don't deserve and then broadcasting their extrapolations as the gospel truth for the info-hungry hoards to devour.

So Gordon Gee interacted with a few schools and sent them pleasant, complimentary, non-committal replies?

I wouldn't read too much into that.

I doubt he will have a whole lot of input.

If OU can rock Texas' complacency enough to move forward on expansion, both OU and Texas will try to be the one to pick the expansion teams.

OU will probably be for BYU and Cincinnati because they're both safe, sensible picks.

Having dealt with the likes of Baylor, TCU and SMU for a century, Texas will throw up in its mouth at the thought of another church school. Especially one that doesn't play baseball on Sundays.

Texas will likely champion UConn and UCF to expand the Big 12 footprint into more homes and because of academics.

Heads will butt, the other eight schools will intercede and in the end Texas and OU will compromise by bringing on Cincinnati and UConn.

That's how I see it most likely playing out.

 

[auror]

If OU can rock Texas' complacency enough to move forward on expansion

This is the root of the problem, though. No need for Texas to give up it's cushy LHN spot. Might take a season where Texas is close to football playoffs but misses because somebody jumps them due to lack of championship game.