I believe Fishy has been right all along

[Kolumbo]

The big 10 contract expires in 2016. If we're going anywhere else but the American conference, it sure seems like people in the ACC will need to have a vote, and vote differently than they did a few times in the past, or it will be the 2017 season.

What's really insane to me, is that it's crystal clear that the Big East conference folding, left a huge hole in the northeast corridor intercollegiate sports market, and that either conference that can stake a claim to replacing what the big east had - has not yet snatched up UCONN. To try to stake claim to the northeast corridor market without UCONN - ESPECIALLY with the way it's broken up now (with Cuse & BC in the ACC and Rutgers Maryland in the Big 10) - THAT'S insane.

The AAC owns the northeast corridor: UCONN, Temple, Navy. Serously though, from a football standpoint, the Big 10 has the most work to do in the northeast.

 

[Kolumbo]

I fully understand the hate for all the ACC schools, particularly BC, but BC has been to 3 ACC Championship games, winning 3 regular season titles between football and basketball ( thats better than 70% of the current ACC schools in a similar timeframe ). So how is this a " failed miserably " record when more than half the ACC schools have not reached the ACC Title games more than BC has since BC has been in the ACC. Its ok to hate things, but it shouldn't cloud your objective assessment it seems to me.

BC has won ACC titles? I suppose the fact that no one outside of Chestnut Hill knew/cared can be considered failing.

 

[Yawkey Way]

What's interesting (and by interesting I'm suggesting Conspiracy Kitty interesting) is that Indiana's AD in his formal quote after scheduling the home and home referred to UConn as a Power school. . .

I do think that Indiana could be easily persuaded to vote in favor of Uconn's admittance to the BIG if Uconn ever came up for a BIG vote. Indiana U. is not a football school... but it is a basketball school with great basketball traditions in the state, and Indiana U. probably appreciates the great things that Uconn has done in basketball probably better than any other BIG school. I could easily see Uconn winning over Indiana U's vote if it came to this.

 

[Yawkey Way]

BC has won ACC titles? I suppose the fact that no one outside of Chestnut Hill knew/cared can be considered failing.

Perhaps you havn't been to ACC Games. I've been to dozens of ACC games... both home and away,... and the ACC fans my wife and I have met, on the road especially, consider BC a more than worthy opponent ( except for 2012 in football, and 2012, 2013 in basketball ).Thats been my experience in my travels since BC has been in the ACC.. But yes, as one would expect, my family and friends in Connecticut that I know, and whom don't have my ACC travels experience do see things much differently on this... and I fully acknlowledge the parochial sentiment within the state of Connecticut for BC ( and now for ND and every other football program on the east coast in a P5 conf. )

 

[Cleanface]

I do think that Indiana could be easily persuaded to vote in favor of Uconn's admittance to the BIG if Uconn ever came up for a BIG vote. Indiana U. is not a football school... but it is a basketball school with great basketball traditions in the state, and Indiana U. probably appreciates the great things that Uconn has done in basketball probably better than any other BIG school. I could easily see Uconn winning over Indiana U's vote if it came to this.

You can add Purdue to that line of thinking. At least, this Purdue e-representative.

I would love to see UCONN in bc I'm IN hoops school guy. I said the same about Kansas long ago. Kansas & UCONN would be mmmmmmmmmmm...dreamy...but I digress.

Also, as diehard PU guy I must inform you that Purdue has;

Most B1G BBall Titles (22)
Only school with winning record vs all other B1G schools in BBall
Head to head vs IU = 113 -88
Gene Keady also had winning record vs Bob Knight
NCAA Tourney = we pretty much suck, but all that above ain't nothing to sneeze at!
(1932 Helms w Johnny Wooden at PG)

Also, you should know, many MANY IU fans turn in their IU bball tank-tops in the Fall for Notre Dame football jerseys. I grew up in central IN, the Reversable Jacket Hoosier/Domer is a sickness in this state. IU/ND all over the place. They are the worst people on the planet. Srsly. We also kick IU's ass in football, all-time 72 - 37 haha. Anyway...

Boilermakers don't change hats! Hope it all pans out for UCONN. Would be very happy to see you join.

 

[Yawkey Way]

You can add Purdue to that line of thinking. At least, this Purdue e-representative.

I would love to see UCONN in bc I'm IN hoops schools guy. I said the same about Kansas long ago. Kansas & UCONN would be mmmmmmmmmmm...dreamy...but I digress.

Also, as diehard PU guy I must inform you that Purdue has;

Most B1G BBall Titles (22)
Only school with winning record vs all other B1G schools
Head to head vs IU = 113 -88
Gene Keady also has wining record vs Bob Knight
NCAA Tourney = we pretty much suck, but all that above ain't nothing to sneeze at.

Also, you should know, many MANY IU fans turn in their IU bball tank-tops in the Fall for Notre Dame football jerseys. I grew up in central IN, the Reversable Jacket Hoosier/Domer is a sickness in this state. IU/ND all over the place. They are the worst people o the planet. Srsly. We also kick IU's ass in football, all-time 72 - 37 haha. IU sucks. Anyway...

Boilermakers don't change hats! Hope it all pans out for UCONN. Would be very happy to see you join.

Good point... Purdue would likely be a yes vote for Uconn as well.

 

[Adios]

And Illinois. And maybe Northwestern. Maybe, maybe Michigan.

 

[Stray_Dog]

And Illinois. And maybe Northwestern. Maybe, maybe Michigan.

With regards to Michigan...I think we are attractive but with one major disadvantage the size of our stadium and the contract we have with the Rent, which precludes from playing home games outside this arena. ...and this comment is not meant to spark another diatribe on the need to expand the stadium...BEEN THERE DONE THAT!!!

 

[CallMeBruce]

Perhaps you havn't been to ACC Games. I've been to dozens of ACC games... both home and away,... and the ACC fans my wife and I have met, on the road especially, consider BC a more than worthy opponent ( except for 2012 in football, and 2012, 2013 in basketball ).Thats been my experience in my travels since BC has been in the ACC.. But yes, as one would expect, my family and friends in Connecticut that I know, and whom don't have my ACC travels experience do see things much differently on this... and I fully acknlowledge the parochial sentiment within the state of Connecticut for BC ( and now for ND and every other football program on the east coast in a P5 conf. )

I love posts like this. BC is a great athletics program because other people that you've invented think they are. BC has been decidedly mediocre in the ACC in football, and since they fired Al Skinner (and it's not hard to see how that happened), they've been an utter disaster. There is absolutely nothing impressive about BC athletics in any sport that anyone cares about.

 

[Hoophound]

The Rent agreement will never screw up our getting into the Big Ten. The deal would be changed or UConn would breach it and force change.

 

[Yawkey Way]

I love posts like this. BC is a great athletics program because other people that you've invented think they are. BC has been decidedly mediocre in the ACC in football, and since they fired Al Skinner (and it's not hard to see how that happened), they've been an utter disaster. There is absolutely nothing impressive about BC athletics in any sport that anyone cares about.

Ok, if you believe I've " invented " my travel experiences to ACC games, you've convinced yourself of that assessment, and so thats that, I guess. Far be it for me to attempt to open a mind that seems permanently tied to their own created assessment of ACC venues, fan bases there, and what hundreds of ACC fans my wife and I have met think of BC, absent the 1 year in football, and the last 2 years in basketball. Its ok, no problem. We both know what we know based upon our own personal experiences, And neither is required nor obligated to alter that asssessment if they're not amenable to it..

 

[Fishy]

Guess what?

We don't give a f--- about who thinks what about Boston College.

So...stop.

 

[Yawkey Way]

And Illinois. And maybe Northwestern. Maybe, maybe Michigan.

Indiana, Purdue, Illinois, seem doable for yes votes.. Northwestern too, but it'd be a bit harder with Northwestern, as Northwestern sees themselves as a hoi poloi private Univ, and so they could be a challenge to get their vote for Uconn, imo. Michigan State could be a yes vote however, imo.

 

[minidarren]

Guess what?

We don't give a f--- about who thinks what about Boston College.

So...stop.

I thought we were getting rid of these people?

 

[noeynox]

The P5 combatants all survived, all got stronger financially and now they're consolidating power, access and counting the piles of cash. If anyone thinks they're concerned about throwing the velvet rope in front of UConn, BYU or Cincinnati, they're not.

Unless the Big 12 suddenly needs to get bigger - and they seem determined to stay at ten until Texas blows them up - this round of expansion has settled. There's a lack of movable parts, the networks have put away the checkbooks, etc.

So here we sit - a $65M athletic program fresh off of yet another pair of hoop championships who has been equally snakebit by bad timing, bad luck and the misfortune of having regional rivals who'd rather not have to deal with UConn on a level field. It's insane.

So in your opinion what happens next? UConn is going to be at a competitive disadavantage financially, if they have to troop the status quo for ten years. It is hard to see them surviving that long in the current set up. Do we scale back athletics?

 

[Fishy]

So in your opinion what happens next? UConn is going to be at a competitive disadavantage financially, if they have to troop the status quo for ten years. It is hard to see them surviving that long in the current set up. Do we scale back athletics?

I truly don't know.

This is an especially bad spot for UConn. The last two moves in realignment were murderous - the Big Ten expansion that ultimately caused Big East to implode and then the ACC's grant of rights. We lost our conference and then had the status quo frozen into place.

Most of the schools in the AAC and MWC are already used to not making any money and their athletic departments are scaled to size. We have a huge athletic department that will see dramatic increases in costs intersecting with dramatic decreases in revenue.

Eventually, we either get out or scale back.

Long-term, anyone not in the P5 is done. In a very short period of time, they've taken all of the television money, all of the bowls, most of the playoff money and are starting to build their own rules and enforcement. Anyone who thinks they won't eventually come for the hoop tourney cash isn't paying attention.

 

[bobbyinaz]

I truly don't know.

This is an especially bad spot for UConn. The last two moves in realignment were murderous - the Big Ten expansion that ultimately caused Big East to implode and then the ACC's grant of rights. We lost our conference and then had the status quo frozen into place.

Most of the schools in the AAC and MWC are already used to not making any money and their athletic departments are scaled to size. We have a huge athletic department that will see dramatic increases in costs intersecting with dramatic decreases in revenue.

Eventually, we either get out or scale back.

Long-term, anyone not in the P5 is done. In a very short period of time, they've taken all of the television money, all of the bowls, most of the playoff money and are starting to build their own rules and enforcement. Anyone who thinks they won't eventually come for the hoop tourney cash isn't paying attention.

Fishy - I have been saying this all along but, the naysayers tell me it will never happen because "they will ruin what has become a special event with the ability for underdogs like Butler to potentially win a championship".

My response has been that they don't care about Butler, all they care about is dollars. Granted, they might not get a deal worth billions like the current deal with CBS, TBS, TNT etc. etc. but it won't matter. They can create their own tournament using the P5 conferences & adding the Big East & A-10 if they wanted to and get a very healthy contract from someone that they won't have to share with 300+ other schools.

Now, the response to this from the naysayers is that they will end up in litigation because they are precluding schools from winning a "national championship". Again, IMO, I don't think any such litigation has a chance at being successful. The tournament they create can be called anything. It doesn't have to be called the "National Championship" They can call it the "P5 + the Big East & A-10 Championship" if they want to. What difference does it make? Remember, at one time the NIT was viewed as the "national championship" tournament. The NIT is still being played and the winner of that tournament is no longer recognized as the "national champions". The threat of litigation comes from the frustration that has left us where we are, without the ability to control our destiny but, the reality is there is no chance at winning any such case(s)

 

[uconnfan68]

I truly don't know.

This is an especially bad spot for UConn. The last two moves in realignment were murderous - the Big Ten expansion that ultimately caused Big East to implode and then the ACC's grant of rights. We lost our conference and then had the status quo frozen into place.

Most of the schools in the AAC and MWC are already used to not making any money and their athletic departments are scaled to size. We have a huge athletic department that will see dramatic increases in costs intersecting with dramatic decreases in revenue.

Eventually, we either get out or scale back.

Long-term, anyone not in the P5 is done. In a very short period of time, they've taken all of the television money, all of the bowls, most of the playoff money and are starting to build their own rules and enforcement. Anyone who thinks they won't eventually come for the hoop tourney cash isn't paying attention.

You certainly may end up being correct... but if those P5 conferences think Rutgers, Syracuse, and Boston College will own all the tvs and eyeballs in NY, NJ, and New England, well, I've got this bridge for sale...

 

[Seaa Blue]

With regards to Michigan...I think we are attractive but with one major disadvantage the size of our stadium and the contract we have with the Rent, which precludes from playing home games outside this arena. ...and this comment is not meant to spark another diatribe on the need to expand the stadium...BEEN THERE DONE THAT!!!

Um, Michigan just played at your place. I think that's a good sign.

I don't know much about Michigan's new president but I get a feeling his vote would have nothing to do with the size of your stadium. What you should be worried about most with Michigan is AAU status and if Michigan believes you are firmly on your way to getting there. Michigan would vote half the Ivy's in if they wanted in.

Your toughest votes are probably Michigan, Wisconsin and the western rim.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Litigation helped UConn out so much 10 years ago. I hope UConn doesn't go down that road again and piss off more ADs.

BCU troll.

If not for that lawsuit 11 years ago, the last 11 years of UConn athletic achievements would have never happened.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I agree about the P5 consolidating power. I think Fox will force the Big East inside the tent for at least the next TV contract as it relates to hoops, after that, who knows?

UConn will be a plaintiff, or, if things go well, a defendent. There is no way that this does not end up in an epic lawsuit that will change college sports forever, likely destroying it. I think this will happen within 5 years. Anyone who thinks 250 universities are going to allow their athletic programs to be quietly exterminated while 65 split several billion a year is not paying attention.

Personally, I think that the P5 collusion rises to the level of criminal activity. This administration is not going to do anything, but if there is a Democrat in the White House after 2016, do not be surprised if their is more aggressive anti-trust enforcement across the board.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I truly don't know.

This is an especially bad spot for UConn. The last two moves in realignment were murderous - the Big Ten expansion that ultimately caused Big East to implode and then the ACC's grant of rights. We lost our conference and then had the status quo frozen into place.

Most of the schools in the AAC and MWC are already used to not making any money and their athletic departments are scaled to size. We have a huge athletic department that will see dramatic increases in costs intersecting with dramatic decreases in revenue.

Eventually, we either get out or scale back.

Long-term, anyone not in the P5 is done. In a very short period of time, they've taken all of the television money, all of the bowls, most of the playoff money and are starting to build their own rules and enforcement. Anyone who thinks they won't eventually come for the hoop tourney cash isn't paying attention.

See, this is where I disagree, and I know I"ve asked before why you are so sure about this.

Alright, without a doubt 100% there is a HUGE gap in revenue streams annually going forward b/w the schools that make up the Pac12, SEC, Big 12, Big 10 and ACC as compared to the AAC, and the rest. The independants are plugging along with no changes really, except it getting harder to schedule for BYU, while Notre Dame jumped hosts from the now dead Big East, to the ACC. Can only hope that parasite kills them too......but I digress.

Huge gap - moving forward - no doubt.

But how does that affect UCONN? How much are we really losing? In television revenue dollars, we are making about a $1mill less per year - by my last reading/research - than we got out of the Big East contract. That's not a huge $ amount in the grand scheme. We are losing the share of the BCS we had - but the BCS no longer exists, and we only had that for 8 years of our entire existence.

I honestly don't know the numbers, no reason I should, but I don't see a huge change in the operating budget of the athletic department going forward. We will need to move tickets and expand the stadium, for real hard cash flow, but any athletic department needs that and it's about time we got serious about it.

So I think we won't have piles of cash to spend like schools in other conferences, but it's not like we're losing all this money we had. We never had any of it, and have gotten this far.

The thing that is the real problem, I see it, being outside the P5, is that we cannot afford to be bottom feeders and basement dwellers in the money maker sports. With winningn program, in men's, women's hoops and football, I think we're going to not just survive, but continue to thrive.

Without winning though, outside the P5, losing for an extended period of time, at UCONN, it will be a quick drop from thrive - to not being alive - skipping just surviving quickly. THere is no security blanket in revenue to come in, if you've got empty sports arenas and nothing to drive fund raising.

A school like Wake, or Rutgers, or any other, can plug along as a basement dweller and never be concerned. Not UCONN.

P---ssies anyway.

We'll do it, and we'll win more titles.

 

[itgoeslike]

College football and college sports in general are nearing a fork in the road. One path leads to the P5 pulling back slightly, successfully skirting the issues, and keeping much of what has been proposed intact. The other path leads to unionization, salaried players, and a litany of lawsuits. The momentum will be unstoppable and college presidents will be powerless in their attempts to put the genie back in the bottle. College sports could look very different tens years out.

 

[upstater]

Huge gap - moving forward - no doubt.

But how does that affect UCONN? How much are we really losing? In television revenue dollars, we are making about a $1mill less per year - by my last reading/research - than we got out of the Big East contract. That's not a huge $ amount in the grand scheme. We are losing the share of the BCS we had - but the BCS no longer exists, and we only had that for 8 years of our entire existence.

There seems to be a huge gap.

TV money: $20-22m (ACC) to $35m (B1G) v. $2m (AAC)
Football Playoff Money: $4m per P5 v. 1.5m per G5.
Rose/Orange/Sugar Bowl Money: $215m / 6 P5 = $35m per P5 conference or .5m per school

If they consolidate the NCAA tourney somehow, it might get even nuttier for the P5. As it is, the gap might be around $30m per year.

 

[noeynox]

We cannot compete with numbers like that. We won't be even able to retain our coaches. Soon those schools will be paying their coaches salaries we just won't be able to compete with.