Interview with Delany

[Jimdish255]

I think Delany is counting on product (B1G sports) coupled with customer affinity (Rutgers/B10 alums) to drive demand.

Except the B1G alums would come along at least as strong if it was UConn in the same slot.

 

[uconNYC]

My only take away from the article is that UConn has as many national championships in Mens Basketball than 3 of the 5 P5 conferences — combined.

UConn has also won two national titles since the last time an ACC school reached a Final Four.

And this is why CR has absolutely killed college sports for me. Yeah, I follow UConn, but I used to love cheering for and hating Big East teams. Whether basketball or even football in the BCS era. Now? No one cares about anyone but themselves. These conferences are all messes of schools thrown together with zero history. Sure there's a core group in each conference, but overall, these fan bases have nothing to hate about schools in their own conference. College sports are all about rivalries and with all this CR, they have successfully crushed a large amount of these rivalries.

On the other hand I no longer feel compelled to root for Syracuse in basketball and Rutgers in football like I did when the Big East was the media punching bag.

 

[noeynox]

I want to like that post ^^^^ twice. One for each salient point.

 

[Stray_Dog]

If the conversation is about the Big Ten Conference, I won't be commenting. I don't know much about it, and I'm not interested really. I just can add when the comment is about about UVA, which this one was. I do know what UVA thinks.

wow...you are really smart! I don't know and can't even know what my wife thinks but you know what an entire University thinks. YOU ARE SO AWSEOME!! I'll say this, I know very little and knowing that means I know more than most! Very little especially when comparing my knowledge to the collective intelligence of a university! Heck, I wouldn't begin to think I knew everything about a major I received my degree in.
I also think with your keen knowledge of everything UVA, that UVA should rid themselves of all the administrators in the athletic department. In fact with your insight, you should coach all of UVA's athletic teams. You know everything they do that works and what they need to do. SO go apply for all those jobs, when your done please come back here and report all the things you will be doing there that will impact UConn. Til then I sincerely wish you the best!!!

 

[kyleslamb]

Perhaps someone should inform Stimpy that the AD isn't the one that will be making decisions about conference affiliation, not that it matters since the AD certainly wouldn't disclose any conversations they've had with other leagues the past couple years (and they've had them, and they haven't involved a simple 'we're not interested').

Perfect world: yes, Virginia would rather stay in the ACC especially when focusing on athletic implications. But when other academic and financial considerations are entered into the equation, it's not a perfect world and there are better options out there. Virginia knows this, regardless of what the AD might make in some mundane conversation, and that's why the door has very much NOT been closed.

 

[billybud]

Oh God!

Folks...the "Dude" virus must move like Ebola.

Virginia isn't going to the Big Ten and neither is Kansas. This all Dude dreaming.

The P5 conferences will not lose anyone, but may add.

 

[dayooper]

Oh God!

Folks...the "Dude" virus must move like Ebola.

Virginia isn't going to the Big Ten and neither is Kansas. This all Dude dreaming.

The P5 conferences will not lose anyone, but may add.

Hmmmmm . . . UVA? My guess is not. I do think there are Big12 teams that would go if they could, and I'm not talking about the Baylor's, KSU's and WVU's either.

 

[Ldandy]

Is it just me? Or does the conference "strength" that conference fans banter back and forth about seem to be mostly about football? Which conferences? If it's The SEC or Big 12 sure. The deep South and Texas are football crazy areas. The other P5 Conferences seem to weigh the value of basketball and other sports in their discussions. That said football will always be at the forefront of any realignment discussion as it is the number 1 revenue generator for all conferences.

Basketball teams stand on their own merits because they are allowed to. It did not matter that UCONN was outside The P5 Structure this year, they won the tournament they are the champs. End of story. Football is broken maybe beyond repair. It allows entities like ESPN to mold and distribute the message, while they hold vested ownership interests in some of the products they are promoting. They shape perception, perception becomes reality. It is self fulfilling prophecy. I'm glad that FSU won the title this year, as hype would have reached an all time high. Maybe the coming tournament fixes things although I'm highly skeptical for obvious reasons.

I am not really a conference fan, I am primarily a fan of my school. I could care less about Louisville, BC, Syracuse, etc. and do follow Miami and Clemson. But when SEC and Big 12 fans talk conference strength...it is almost wholly a measure of football strength.I hope all fans are primarily fans of their schools first, and conferences a distant second. Those who talk smack about conferences are typically fans of programs that never accomplish anything themselves. You'll never catch me at a PSU event chanting B 1 G. In fact you'll never catch any PSU Fan doing this. If you do please promptly punch them in the face. That said if NW is playing TCU in some 7th place bowl game I'll pull for them. Finally I touched on SEC/Big 12 fandom previously. It's primarily football focused, with fans of the the conferences' doormats living vicariously through the success of its' headliners.

 

[whaler11]

At some point you guys will come to grips with the idea that every P5 school with value is where they want to be or isn't wanted by where they want to go.

Virginia and UNC don't want to be in the Big 10. Texas doesn't want to be in the Pac 12. The SEC doesn't want Florida State and Florida State doesn't want to join the Big 12. The Big 10 doesn't want Kansas or Missouri and Missouri doesn't want to leave the SEC. Nobody but the Big 12 wants WVU.

Sure there are some fan bases like NC State who fantasize about the SEC, but that isn't based on anything. I don't even think Virginia Tech would go if they were offered.

For the non P5 schools that have any semblance of value: BYU doesn't want to join the Big 12. The ACC and Big 10 don't want UConn yet and nobody has found any need for UCF, USF or Cincinnati.

It's a few hundred internet posters having a discussion in an echo chamber.

There are only two things that will cause any changes:
The Big 12 needing members if they end up locked out of the football playoffs due to their structure and the BTN not winning the battles in NY/NJ/Ffld Cty with the cable operators.

 

[huskyrob1]

+1
This is a good post. Delany appears to have a cogent plan in place and the resolve to see it through despite the struggles he knows the conference will face.

OTOH ACC expansion has felt reactionary and without regard to a bigger vision. They left a school like BC isolated for nearly a decade, when any number of Big East Teams could have eased their transition. They later take a school like Louisville which was light years behind UConn academically, and only marginally better than them in football over the previous decade.

I remain a believer that The B1G's Plan is focused entirely on easternward expansion. Kansas and Missouri have both coveted conference membership in the past and both could have been had on more than one occassion w/o the entanglement of grant of rights agreements. Neither have recieved an offer to date.

IMO Delany's original plan was to shake the ACC up enough with a UMD offer in order to grab UVA and UNC. The ACC closed ranks with their GOR and subsequent lawsuit against The Terps. The outcome of this lawsuit will be telling for how hard he will continue to pursue the one ACC Property that makes the most sense for The B1G, UVA. UCONN could be free and clear in 27 months. It will be interesting to see unfold.

Can someone please tell me what UVA has that Delaney wants so bad for the B1G? And what does UVA have from a marketing the northeast/New England point of view? I mean if I know my history, the state of Virginia is and always has been a southern state with a lot of southern ties, ask General Lee if you don't believe me. And last but not least, what does UVA bring to the table that UCONN does not in terms of capturing the northeast/NYC market in a sports marketing arena????? Don't get me wrong, UVA is a decent school, on the northern border of the south, but I don't see Delaney getting all hot and bothered about adding them to the B1G. I mean Delaney opened an office in NYC, not in Richmond or Norfolk.

 

[B1GALUM]

Can someone please tell me what UVA has that Delaney wants so bad for the B1G? And what does UVA have from a marketing the northeast/New England point of view? I mean if I know my history, the state of Virginia is and always has been a southern state with a lot of southern ties, ask General Lee if you don't believe me. And last but not least, what does UVA bring to the table that UCONN does not in terms of capturing the northeast/NYC market in a sports marketing arena????? Don't get me wrong, UVA is a decent school, on the northern border of the south, but I don't see Delaney getting all hot and bothered about adding them to the B1G. I mean Delaney opened an office in NYC, not in Richmond or Norfolk.

Population (BTN, Washington D.C. DMA), Geography ("Contiguous" to Maryland, Football Recruiting Grounds), Academics (AAU public research university) and neighbor and rival to the basketball brand and alma mater of Delany: UNC.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

Can someone please tell me what UVA has that Delaney wants so bad for the B1G? And what does UVA have from a marketing the northeast/New England point of view? I mean if I know my history, the state of Virginia is and always has been a southern state with a lot of southern ties, ask General Lee if you don't believe me. And last but not least, what does UVA bring to the table that UCONN does not in terms of capturing the northeast/NYC market in a sports marketing arena????? Don't get me wrong, UVA is a decent school, on the northern border of the south, but I don't see Delaney getting all hot and bothered about adding them to the B1G. I mean Delaney opened an office in NYC, not in Richmond or Norfolk.

The way I read the tea leaves, Delany would like to be the NCAA sports player in the Northeast. The Northeast represents a huge population that is underserved/fragmented in the arena of college sports. Delany doesn't appear interested in selling out his conference's identity, e.g., Swofford/ACC, in pursuit of his objective. What is the B1G identity? Large state universities with high academic standards and highly competitive athletic programs. In short, those institutions that appeal to and are able to serve large, diverse populations of talented, motivated students. The Northeast is not exactly chock-a-block with such institutions.
UVA would be a natural fit with Maryland to anchor the southern end (Balto/DC) of the region.

 

[BC1978]

It's almost irrelevant now. I do think Syracuse could help them a bit by being paired up, BUT BC's AD is in a tailspin, and you can really see this with their coaching hire for BB. Death throes there. They might be Wake Forest-ing themselves into oblivion.

"Tailspin"? Really? Hyperbole much!? Of the three major sports at BC, the biggest, the FB program, had two consecutive losing seasons in the last 12 and turned it around last year with a winning season. The new staff has revitalized the program and recruiting is better than it has been in quite some time. Hockey remains an elite program. Basketball has been in free fall the past couple of seasons. You can argue about the head coaching hire - but take a look at the assistants they brought on - very well regarded Northeast recruiters. We shall see how it all works out.

Meanwhile, FB is back. In the end, that is what drives the bus.

 

[uconndogs]

I like Addazio and he did a nice job last year. "Out of the woods" is very premature unless your bar is set really low. If I had a nickel for every time someone said recruiting was going great based on the recruiting sites I could retire early. You cannot tell yet how Addazio recruits at BC.

Kids like to play hoops under great coaches in great environments. They dam well better be "well regarded Northeast recruiters" because they have nothing to offer.

Football drives the bus, basketball is on the bus, and hockey doesn't even get to stand at the bus stop.

 

[btstimpy]

Is it just me? Or does the conference "strength" that conference fans banter back and forth about seem to be mostly about football?

Basketball programs are good or not good, but seem to stand more on their own merits.

I am not really a conference fan, I am primarily a fan of my school. I could care less about Louisville, BC, Syracuse, etc. and do follow Miami and Clemson. But when SEC and Big 12 fans talk conference strength...it is almost wholly a measure of football strength.

SEC and Big XII fans are certainly not going to talk about Basketball. Kentucky and Florida have great basketball teams, but they have no competition in their league. You can go back 25 years, and I doubt anyone else has won that league in basketball.

The Big XII was really hyped by ESPN this year in basketball. They do have Kansas who is good. The rest folded as usual. The ACC had a bad tournament showing this year, but we have more than 1 or 2 teams that can do well going forward.

 

[billybud]

Well Stimpy...look where their bread is buttered.

LSU brings in an astounding 14 times the revenue in football than in basketball...Bama 7 times the revenue, Michigan 6.5 times the revenue, Texas 6 X, Oregon 7X, Oklahoma 7.5X....

 

[btstimpy]

wow...you are really smart! I don't know and can't even know what my wife thinks but you know what an entire University thinks. YOU ARE SO AWSEOME!! I'll say this, I know very little and knowing that means I know more than most! Very little especially when comparing my knowledge to the collective intelligence of a university! Heck, I wouldn't begin to think I knew everything about a major I received my degree in.
I also think with your keen knowledge of everything UVA, that UVA should rid themselves of all the administrators in the athletic department. In fact with your insight, you should coach all of UVA's athletic teams. You know everything they do that works and what they need to do. SO go apply for all those jobs, when your done please come back here and report all the things you will be doing there that will impact UConn. Til then I sincerely wish you the best!!!

No. The UVA administration is doing well. We have 25 athletic programs, and 12 of those have been ranked in the top 10 this season. We have problems with football and softball right now, and the administration is trying to address these. I am not a coach, so I trust their judgement. I know I can coach better than our football coach at different points in the games, but that is beside the point.

UVA doesn't have an egomaniac willing to flush 7 athletic programs to build himself a mansion to live in and to discount the opinion of his entire fan base to make unpopular change while willing to hire a PR firm to try to put lipstick on his pig. I am confident UVA does not have this situation. Very confident actually.

 

[btstimpy]

Well Stimpy...look where their bread is buttered.

LSU brings in an astounding 14 times the revenue in football then in basketball...Bama 7 times the revenue, Michigan 6.5 times the revenue, Texas 6 X, Oregon 7X, Oklahoma 7.5X....

What is attractive about the ACC is that the ACC has good product to watch in the fall, in the winter, and in the spring. The SEC falls off the pumkin wagon for the winter. Kentucky only plays so many games.

 

[BCINGYA]

I like Addazio and he did a nice job last year. "Out of the woods" is very premature unless your bar is set really low. If I had a nickel for every time someone said recruiting was going great based on the recruiting sites I could retire early. You cannot tell yet how Addazio recruits at BC.

Kids like to play hoops under great coaches in great environments. They dam well better be "well regarded Northeast recruiters" because they have nothing to offer.

Football drives the bus, basketball is on the bus, and hockey doesn't even get to stand at the bus stop.

If hockey is so unimportant as you claim it is.......then why the move to Hockey East? and talk of a new rink etc etc...seems you would be satisfied with just remaining in the Atlantic and remaining competitive against schools with a similar Hockey profile. You dismiss the sport because B.C. has won five national titles. As far as Im concerned.... if its good enough for the BIG to create a hockey conference of its own, then the sport must have an audience of some significant proportion and certainly can produce revenue if given proper resources. Delany knows it, Susan and Ward know it, but i guess you know better.

 

[BC1978]

I like Addazio and he did a nice job last year. "Out of the woods" is very premature unless your bar is set really low. If I had a nickel for every time someone said recruiting was going great based on the recruiting sites I could retire early. You cannot tell yet how Addazio recruits at BC.

Kids like to play hoops under great coaches in great environments. They dam well better be "well regarded Northeast recruiters" because they have nothing to offer.

Football drives the bus, basketball is on the bus, and hockey doesn't even get to stand at the bus stop.

ucoondogs: My post was replying to Upstater which, I think you will agree, was engaging in a bit of hyperbole in his comments.

Yes, I do think BC FB is back. Oh, they may have a bumpy season in the next year or two given some of the holes the Spaz era left them. But, make no mistake, they are back. Addazio took a 2-win team the prior year and made them into a winning team with a bowl invite. He took a running back going nowhere and put him on the Heisman finalist platform in NYC. More importantly, he has given the program an identity and relentlessly recruits and markets the program - something not easy to do in Boston. I agree that recruiting success is always an iffy process. That said, when BC's recruiting declined with the dawn of the Spaz era, a lot of BC fans dismissed it. Well, a couple of years later, the results were evident for all to see.

Good recruiting does not guarantee success, but poor recruiting does guarantee failure. Addazio is doing all the things and, I will tell you this, is probably the most exciting coach BC has had since Tom Coughlin. We shall see how it all turns out, but BC FB fans have every reason to be excited.

I think if the new Uconn HC replicates what Addazio has done in his first season, don't you think Uconn fans will likewise be excited?

BB, well we shall see. BC has put serious dollars into the three assistants. Skinner enjoyed his most success when he had assistants who were effective recruiters. To say "BC has "nothing to offer" in their BB program is a bit excessive, IMO. For one, they offer immediate and extensive playing time against ACC competition. I think you will be surprised at how that message will resonate with some. Again, we shall see.

BTW, based on your comments about BC FB, I assume you also think the "jury is out" on Uconn FB, even more so than BC, as Uconn has endured 3 consecutive losing seasons and has a new coach who has yet to coach a snap as a HC.

 

[Pat125]

UVA doesn't have an egomaniac willing to flush 7 athletic programs to build himself a mansion to live in and to discount the opinion of his entire fan base to make unpopular change while willing to hire a PR firm to try to put lipstick on his pig. I am confident UVA does not have this situation. Very confident actually.

You once referenced this to Dr. Loh, president of Maryland, in the past, and I assume you are referring to him now. If so, let me correct the record. The "mansion" you referred to was planned to be built before Loh became president. The president's house was in need of repair, and I'm sure they could have opted for more modest renovations. However, they decided to build it over at a cost of $7 million, $5 million of which is devoted to non living area devoted to fund raising and other events. The living quarters is smaller than the previous house. I also read an article that had a similar spin as yours. So which story is correct, can't say I know for certain. But since this is Dr. Loh's first gig as president, Common sense dictates that he would not be able to make such a demand.

I will agree with you that the decision to cut sports was a terrible decision by Dr. Loh. But he was faced with a previous athletic director that was financially irresponsible and had to do something, which should not have included cutting sports, or at least should have been minimized.

As for leaving the ACC, I won't pretend to know for certain what other fans think. But it appears to me that, at least now, most fans are in favor of the move. I'll admit, that was probably not the case at first. And Swofford's actions (regardless of whether you or anyone else think were proper) left such a distaste that it helped accelerate fans changing their mind.

The fact is, the ACC has changed. We can debate whether it's for the better or worse, but it is different. The administrations of the seven universities that moved to the ACC in the past ten years thought it was in their best interest to change. Maryland also felt it was the right time for a change.

The landscape also changed sixty plus years ago. It was Virginia that first decided it was the right time for a change when they left the Southern Confernce. Eventually, it led to the creation of the ACC.

I'm sure Virginia believes that the ACC is the best fit for them now. But I'm confident that they have considered alternate options, and will opt for change if and when it is in their best interest.

 

[uconndogs]

If hockey is so unimportant as you claim it is..then why the move to Hockey East? and talk of a new rink etc etc...seems you would be satisfied with just remaining in the Atlantic and remaining competitive against schools with a similar Hockey profile. You dismiss the sport because B.C. has won five national titles. As far as Im concerned.... if its good enough for the BIG to create a hockey conference of its own, then the sport must have an audience of some significant proportion and certainly can produce revenue if given proper resources. Delany knows it, Susan and Ward know it, but i guess you know better.

I replied to someone else's comment that "football drive's the bus" referring to conference realignment. Hockey has nothing to do with conference realignment.

Do me a favor. The next time you make a snide a comment about me, understand what you are talking about. As a common courtesy, you might even want to act like a guest on this board.

 

[uconndogs]

ucoondogs: My post was replying to Upstater which, I think you will agree, was engaging in a bit of hyperbole in his comments.

Yes, I do think BC FB is back. Oh, they may have a bumpy season in the next year or two given some of the holes the Spaz era left them. But, make no mistake, they are back. Addazio took a 2-win team the prior year and made them into a winning team with a bowl invite. He took a running back going nowhere and put him on the Heisman finalist platform in NYC. More importantly, he has given the program an identity and relentlessly recruits and markets the program - something not easy to do in Boston. I agree that recruiting success is always an iffy process. That said, when BC's recruiting declined with the dawn of the Spaz era, a lot of BC fans dismissed it. Well, a couple of years later, the results were evident for all to see.

Good recruiting does not guarantee success, but poor recruiting does guarantee failure. Addazio is doing all the things and, I will tell you this, is probably the most exciting coach BC has had since Tom Coughlin. We shall see how it all turns out, but BC FB fans have every reason to be excited.

I think if the new Uconn HC replicates what Addazio has done in his first season, don't you think Uconn fans will likewise be excited?

BB, well we shall see. BC has put serious dollars into the three assistants. Skinner enjoyed his most success when he had assistants who were effective recruiters. To say "BC has "nothing to offer" in their BB program is a bit excessive, IMO. For one, they offer immediate and extensive playing time against ACC competition. I think you will be surprised at how that message will resonate with some. Again, we shall see.

BTW, based on your comments about BC FB, I assume you also think the "jury is out" on Uconn FB, even more so than BC, as Uconn has endured 3 consecutive losing seasons and has a new coach who has yet to coach a snap as a HC.

You say upstater is engaging in hyperbole......lol

 

[BC1978]

You say upstater is engaging in hyperbole.lol

With all due respect, what have I said that is untrue?:
1. He did take a 2 win team in 2012 and turn it into a 7 win team in 2013.
2. He did take an unknown, unheralded RB and make him the top RB in the country; and put him on the Heisman Finalist Platform in NYC.
3. He has drastically improved recruiting - putting it at a level not seen at BC in many years.
4. He is all over social and traditional media (ESPN, etc.) in ways no BC coach has ever done before.

If BD does similar things at Uconn, you guys will be just as excited and no one will be accused of engaging in hyperbole!

 

[kingdobbs]

If hockey is so unimportant as you claim it is..then why the move to Hockey East? and talk of a new rink etc etc...seems you would be satisfied with just remaining in the Atlantic and remaining competitive against schools with a similar Hockey profile. You dismiss the sport because B.C. has won five national titles. As far as Im concerned.... if its good enough for the BIG to create a hockey conference of its own, then the sport must have an audience of some significant proportion and certainly can produce revenue if given proper resources. Delany knows it, Susan and Ward know it, but i guess you know better.

Hockey is VERY important to the schools who play it, but not so vital that schools are champing at the bit to add hockey programs, and its weight in what decisions are being made across the board is minimal.

The B1G made its decision because it added some value to the BTN, but as a result of seizing an opportunity rather than seeking one out. If Penn State hadn't added hockey, though, the B1G would have been just fine leaving things as it was.

UConn made the decision it did to try and elevate hockey because things came to a situation where it would be either now or never. While Commissioner Bertagna had been on record saying he'd like to have all the New England publics playing HEA hockey, there was no way Hockey East would wait forever for us, especially not when Notre Dame had just signed on and unbalanced things. And although as much as we would like to say success will elevate our athletic prestige even further...we've got enough prestige in other sports, and none of it has helped our conference future. Some might even say chasing prestige in a sport which only certain regions of the country care about, and which only eight "major conference" schools even play, is a futile gesture on UConn's part.