Herbst hires Traghese & UConn-Big 12 CR rumors

[JSM1970]

In the 90s everyone was talking about the future super conferences, which would be all sports and emphasize football. Instead of seeing that he focused on this fragmented basketball model. We know the results.

Yes, he would have had to eradicate the original BE design, but so be it, it was no longer viable.

Look at Aetna, Apple, Travelers, etc. many examples of companies completely changing their business and thriving.

I don't see him at fault for what happened in the old BE... he was trying to keep it together, and it was through his pedigree as Dave Gavitt's chosen one that kept the Conference together (remember Syracuse was gonna bolt when BC did).

He was widely respected as BE commissioner throughout the NCAA during his tenure.. Marriato (sp?) was the one that did us in...

 

[businesslawyer]

He's also the same guy that when many were predicting future all sports super conferences he cobbled together some basketball conference that would later splinter.

When he should of been building an all sports conference he was inviting members like DePaul and Marquette. This guy destroyed the Big East and is the reason UConn is languishing in this league. Maybe he learned from all his failures and can assist.

His job -- his obligation -- was not to serve UConn. It was to serve his entire membership. He did.

 

[NYUConn]

Although I am not a Tranghese fan, I don't think all of the above statements are fair.

First, Dave Gavitt was the commissioner of the Big East in 1982 when the Big East voted 5-3 on Penn State's membership (needed 6 votes to get in.) The nay votes (reportedly) were Georgetown, Villanova, and St. John's. UConn, BC, Syracuse, Providence, and Seton Hall were (reportedly) the yes votes. Supposedly, Tranghese told Gavitt after the vote that the Big East would regret the outcome in the future.

When Tranghese became Big East Commissioner in 1990, one of his first steps was to create the Big East football conference by inviting Miami as a full member and West Virginia, Virginia Tech, Rutgers, and Temple as football only members. He thought it was the only way to save the Big East was to create a football conference. Penn State accepted their Big 10 invite in 1989 while Gavitt was commissioner.

At the time Miami was invited to the Big East, they were also flirting with other conferences, but decided on the Big East. Hard to say if another conference invite was coming.

Florida State accepted an offer to join the ACC before the Big East offered an invite to Miami. Supposedly, FSU was considering the SEC and ACC at the time and the Big East was never a consideration.

As for the football alliance with the ACC, that seems to be true.

End of the day, the Big East was founded by a bunch of Catholic and private schools of which only 2 played 1A football at the time. It was a basketball conference. The only thing that could have created a still standing Eastern college football conference is if Joe Paterno had been successful in creating a league in the early 1980s.

Thank you. This is 100% spot on.

Tranghese wasn't perfect as commissioner, but he was hardly the disaster that some here are painting him as.

Also, after the first round of ACC exodus, Tranghese's response to add Cincy, USF, Louisville, Marquette and DePaul not only kept the Big East's BCS auto-bid, but also created the most powerful basketball conference ever. So for people to all over that is seriously absurd.

 

[Kolumbo]

The Big East was what it was the and basketball schools voted in their best interests. In hindsight, it was never going to survive with the two divergent interests. Two steps forward (Cincy, Louisville) two steps back (Marquette, Depaul).

 

[businesslawyer]

For more rehash:
When he should have been impersonating Keneshaw "Mountain" Landis with the B.E. Presidents & instilled his will on the vote of PSU's candidacy, he instead acted like Neville Chamberlain.
When Miami was extended the invite to join the B.E., he didn't have the foresight to also get FSU voted in before the ACC could pluck fruit from the vine.
When Miami & the 1-A football schools first threatened to revolt, he ofered them to the ACC for football only, thus putting "visions of sugarplums" into Swoffard's cranium.
Three mortal sins from which he can never be absolved.
On the other hand, Susan couldn't have selected anyone better when it comes to media relations

Oh, & he never moved the B.E. (now AAC) offices to Manhattan. The B1G now has a satellite office plunked there.

The revisionist history on Penn State is nuts. PSU begged to come to the Big East as a basketball school. There were discussions about PSU coming to the Big EAst as a football school, BUT ON THE SAME TYPE OF UNEQUAL REVENUE TERMS FOR WHICH MOST HERE THINK CONFERENCES ARE IDIOTIC TO OFFER TO NOTRE DAME. I have yet to see a credible source say that PSU offered to join the Big EAst for football on an "all members are equal" basis.

 

[TDog9]

Sure hope this "dance w/the Big XII" is like that time in HS I paid the hot chick to go out with me to make the girl i really liked (B1G) jealous, and then make love to me in my 1987 Ford Tempo.

 

[CL82]

The revisionist history on Penn State is nuts. PSU begged to come to the Big East as a basketball school. There were discussions about PSU coming to the Big EAst as a football school, BUT ON THE SAME TYPE OF UNEQUAL REVENUE TERMS FOR WHICH MOST HERE THINK CONFERENCES ARE IDIOTIC TO OFFER TO NOTRE DAME. I have yet to see a credible source say that PSU offered to join the Big EAst for football on an "all members are equal" basis.

Biz this is the first I've seen that PSU demanded a special deal. Do you have a source for that?

 

[NYUConn]

Sure hope this "dance w/the Big XII" is like that time in HS I paid the hot chick to go out with me to make the girl i really liked (B1G) jealous, and then make love to me in my 1987 Ford Tempo.

Are you John Cusack?

 

[junglehusky]

Are you John Cusack?

Hmm can someone photoshop Susan's face onto this?

 

[Nostical]

Sure hope this "dance w/the Big XII" is like that time in HS I paid the hot chick to go out with me to make the girl i really liked (B1G) jealous, and then make love to me in my 1987 Ford Tempo.

So it's not clear which girl was actually in the Tempo---The BIGXII "hot chick" or the "B1G girl you really liked"?

 

[CTMike]

Hmm can someone photoshop Susan's face onto this?

Dammit I don't have the pic on my phone but a couple of years ago I'm sure I posted this with Warde's head on it...

 

[TDog9]

So it's not clear which girl was actually in the Tempo---The BIGXII "hot chick" or the "B1G girl you really liked"?

The B1G was in the Tempo

 

[HuskyHawk]

The B1G was in the Tempo

But the reality is, it was a win-win either way. Same here.

 

[uconnphil2016]

He's on the CFB playoff selection committee, so that's really intriguing. Probably can muster up a really good report of what, exactly, UConn can bring to the table that will help the Big 12 get what they ultimately want (easier access to the CFB playoffs).

 

[DarthGrumpy]

My guess is they have used him to relay info to decision makers (including media partners) and get a pulse on if UConn could fit in and add value to a network.

Note: "hired" may be too strong of a term here, especially if he's on the Providence payroll.

If true, UConn would likely hire him as a consultant/independent contractor in a way the protects any conversations he may be having on realignment from becoming released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) until UConn is ready to release such.

 

[businesslawyer]

In the 90s everyone was talking about the future super conferences, which would be all sports and emphasize football. Instead of seeing that he focused on this fragmented basketball model. We know the results.

Yes, he would have had to eradicate the original BE design, but so be it, it was no longer viable.

Look at Aetna, Apple, Travelers, etc. many examples of companies completely changing their business and thriving.

You are so wrong. Aetna is run by a board who is entrusted, primarily, to make money for shareholders. Tranghese was entrusted, primarily, to work for the benefit of the conference members, a majority of whom were Catholic schools that did not play football.

No matter how many times people here say it does, the world does not revolve around your desires for UConn sports.

 

[Jimdish255]

Whether it's window dressing or specific contacts that Tranghese brings, letting other conferences know we're serious about accepting a Big 12 invite is crucial to the perception of not just the Big 12 but all P5 conferences. Our previous issues had to do with late entry to football, the BC block, Pitt maneuvering, poor perception generated by the Fiesta bowl and Edsall departure, and to a lesser extent recruiting area. And we haven't marketed ourselves well until recently.

Our main problem now is our "availability". It seems no one wants you until everyone wants you. If the narrative switches to opportunities like NYC exposure, media markets, multi-sport content and strong academics the opportunity cost of not taking us and the threat of another conference moving first becomes a real driving force to lock us in as a long-term revenue generating property. Changing the perception is huge and it feels like we're making progress. No doubt the end game of CR is unpredictable and openings may be rare for outsiders from here on in, but public indications of our seriousness can't hurt. The more birds chirping in more ears the better.

 

[Exit 4]

did not play basketball.
.

<--football?

 

[businesslawyer]

Biz this is the first I've seen that PSU demanded a special deal. Do you have a source for that?

There have been stories linked here years ago about the Big East's talks to bring in PSU before the Big EAst became a football conference. You will need someone with more free time and better internet skills than I to find them, but they are out there.

"The vote" that people talk about was to bring PSU in when we were a basketball only conference. Ask Pitt if PSU ever was willing to play football in the Big EASt as an equal member. Old timers are still resentful that PSU wanted a deal where revenues were shared equally for hoops, but not pigskin.

 

[businesslawyer]

<--football?

Thank you. My mistake.

 

[dwalks93]

Consulting with Traghese is really smart. UCONN needs to drum up interest (behind the scenes) and insure the ACC, Big12 and Big10 know UCONN is ready to move on the first offer.

Past conference realignment indicates it only takes one power conference to start seriously considering acquiring a new program before the other conferences react and try to grab the most sought after teams first.

In the last ACC realignment UCONN suffered from a belief they would always be there when the ACC came a calling. Louisville was viewed by the ACC as both a "hotter" sports program (especially in football) and a more sought after expansion partner which would be taken by another conference if the ACC did not grab them. UCONN did not do itself any favors by publicly going "all in" on its sole desire to join the ACC and that strategy likely explains how Rutgers was able to work itself to the Big10.

Last time UCONN publicly stated we wanted the ACC and it really hurt us. This time we should just let a trusted messager extoll our virtues with the message "UCONN is actively being looked at for expansion and we will take the first and best offer we receive." The Big1o and ACC may not want to expand now but they might if they believe their future expansion partner won't be available if they wait.

 

[whaler11]

You are so wrong. Aetna is run by a board who is entrusted, primarily, to make money for shareholders. Tranghese was entrusted, primarily, to work for the benefit of the conference members, a majority of whom were Catholic schools that did not play football.

No matter how many times people here say it does, the world does not revolve around your desires for UConn sports.

Let's not forget UConn worked the hardest to keep the Big East viable as long as they did.

So he was doing what UConn wanted anyway.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

To say Tranghese is the reason we're in the AAC is so ridiculously crazy it's not worth the time thinking about it.

 

[IMind]

Let's not forget UConn worked the hardest to keep the Big East viable as long as they did.

So he was doing what UConn wanted anyway.

There's not a doubt in my mind that Hathaway wanted to keep the basketball schools together as long as possible. In fact I'm pretty sure he probably sided with the basketball schools on a few issues that probably were not in the long term interests of UConn. *cough* Villanova upgrading *cough* Not to mention during those years you had Miami, BCU, Piit, and Syracuse all actively undermining the conference at various points in time. There's no way you can pin any of that crap on Tranghese. Not to mention a lot of the stupid that happened with the Catholics occurred after Tranghese's time as well.. most of that falls on old Rose sending Marinatto. Perhaps one of the dumbest men to emerge from the bowels of Providence.

 

[JSM1970]

He's the reason the old big east imploded. It's fair to say he's not responsible for UConn's fate, but had he listened when BCU lobbied for an all sports BE conference it would still exist with strong members and likely the ND alignment the ACC now has.

To say Tranghese is the reason we're in the AAC is so ridiculously crazy it's not worth the time thinking about it.