Key tweets, and it's all gone to Hell.

[UConnSportsGuy]

Only hope is some rich booster is willing to step up and get Mora market salary. He is under no pressure to win huge at UCONN, and he can coach as long as he wants. At other P4 schools, he will be under pressure from day 1. At his age, it might not be worth the stress.

He is too proud and will get too frustrated. If it was just the under-funded program, I think Mora could take that build a winner here even with the disadvantages. But with the added combination of the upcoming NIL explosion and open transfers, even if he develops great players, they will leave for significant NIL money.

If Mora feels he cannot compete, he will get frustrated and leave and I can't blame him. Heck, I could see him replacing Prime Time at Colorado when he crashes and burns in two years time.

 

[JMick]

Can someone give a single possible scenario where our football department doesn’t crumble in the next few years?

it's over. I can't think of a single reason why keeping the football program afloat makes sense anymore. We aren't going to be taken by the Big XII and not enough ACC teams are going to be leftover to form a conference.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The problem is that the money is not there for the ACC to expand. ESPN isn't going to take pro-rata, and the current ACC schools sure as heck are not going to take a reduced per school payout to expand.

The time of network dollars driving expansion is over unfortunately. There will be expansion by the B1G and SEC when the ACC GOR expires. After that happens, there is more likely to be contraction than expansion.

Except that we know ESPN approved paying for UConn in the Big XII. They now have zero west coast content.

I was right in June when I said we’d be behind all 4 corner schools. The ACC is stealthy. The Big XII is a bull in a China shop. It would be a smart move, would be viewed positively by ND and the Presidents in the ACC who can tout the ACC academics as top of the heap.

 

[LoyalFanCT]

One thing to remember it took BYU a long time before any power conference would take them. Do we have to play at that level to be taken seriously. That is a great challenge.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

it's over. I can't think of a single reason why keeping the football program afloat makes sense anymore. We aren't going to be taken by the Big XII and not enough ACC teams are going to be leftover to form a conference.

The only chance is a football-only conference with Stanford, Cal, Oregon St, Washington St… thrown in Memphis, SMU, etc.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Only hope is some rich booster is willing to step up and get Mora market salary. He is under no pressure to win huge at UCONN, and he can coach as long as he wants. At other P4 schools, he will be under pressure from day 1. At his age, it might not be worth the stress.

If there are UCONN boosters we can fund his salary and the NIL that's required in this day and age, it is possible football can still survive and thrive since we can pretty much schedule to get wins as an indy.

While the further concentration of power schools may add to the difficulty, our scheduling as a football independent has been far better than anticipated when we left the AAC.

After this season the CFP will expand to twelve schools. If we can somehow build something like what Houston did not quite a decade ago, UCF a few years back or Cincinnati recently, we have a shot at landing there (and as an independent, not sharing our take with conference members). It's a tall task but if Mora can build something we can a) make survival under our current situation much easier and b) become attractive enough to power conferences where it won't take both a massive sales job and the good fortune of limited competition for the open spot to land in one of those conferences.

Our only other hope is the professor working on the time machine (if that's still going on). Once he gets it working he can go back to the Fiesta Bowl, convince JH to fire RE before the game and then convince JH to hire someone like say Matt Rhule to replace RE.

 

[LoyalFanCT]

Do we think FSU will find a way to leave within two years. That may be our only possible strategy if we have 8 to 4 records in FB each year.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

The only chance is a football-only conference with Stanford, Cal, Oregon St, Washington St… thrown in Memphis, SMU, etc.

Why would a school that is already in a football conference leave that conference for what you are recommending?

 

[LoyalFanCT]

The only chance is a football-only conference with Stanford, Cal, Oregon St, Washington St… thrown in Memphis, SMU, etc.

It may not pay a lot but being with these schools will make us feel better about ourselves.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Except that we know ESPN approved paying for UConn in the Big XII. They now have zero west coast content.

I was right in June when I said we’d be behind all 4 corner schools. The ACC is stealthy. The Big XII is a bull in a China shop. It would be a smart move, would be viewed positively by ND and the Presidents in the ACC who can tout the ACC academics as top of the heap.

I’d love an ACC move if the top schools over there weren’t likely to get poached. Playing in a conference with Syracuse, Pitt, Louisville, + UNC and Duke sounds amazing.

Maybe they can go from NC to NYC for the conference tournament every year too.

Hopefully the Big Ten only goes calling for like Clemson, Miami, and FSU. The football schools.

 

[JMick]

The only chance is a football-only conference with Stanford, Cal, Oregon St, Washington St… thrown in Memphis, SMU, etc.

I find the probability of that to be very very small.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

The only chance is a football-only conference with Stanford, Cal, Oregon St, Washington St… thrown in Memphis, SMU, etc.

No offense, but what does that solve? Still would get minimal money and doesn't solve any of our problems.

Our only chance is to have a miracle run in the next couple of years with Mora putting UConn in the Top 25 consistently (think late 2000s UConn, but even a little better). First, not likely to happen given the many challenges we have...and even if we did, I am not sure if it would even make a difference. But that is honestly our only hope.

 

[JMick]

I’d love an ACC move if the top schools over there weren’t likely to get poached. Playing in a conference with Syracuse, Pitt, Louisville, + UNC and Duke sounds amazing.

Maybe they can go from NC to NYC for the conference tournament every year too.

Hopefully the Big Ten only goes calling for like Clemson, Miami, and FSU. The football schools.

the math doesn't add up. The B1G is going to take 2. The SEC is going to take 4. The Big XII is going to take 4. So only 4 teams will be left in the ACC.

 

[LoyalFanCT]

Why would a school that is already in a football conference leave that conference for what you are recommending?

if the Pac12 only has four members they have to add a bunch. So let's say Stanford, Cal, Ore State, Wash State, Air Force, Army, Navy, Tulane, USF, SMU, UConn, Rice

 

[ZooCougar]

This isn't over yet. I feel dirty saying go FSU but it is what it is. ESPN the daddy posted this.

FSU mulls ACC exit due to revenue distribution

Florida State President Richard McCullough said the school's goal is to stay in the ACC but said it's "hard for us to figure out how we remain competitive" unless the conference makes a major change to its revenue distribution model.

www.espn.com

For us it’s over.

If they leave there will be another Big East/PAC 12 meltdown.

We’ll be in a group of leftovers.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

the math doesn't add up. The B1G is going to take 2. The SEC is going to take 4. The Big XII is going to take 4. So only 4 teams will be left in the ACC.

I’m not too taped in to how conference alignment is suppose to happen all the way. I went with the assumption that the ACC may still be around. Outside of a few poached teams.

 

[huskypantz]

I understand the sentiment but I think there’s enough basketball talent to support more teams than just P4.
More likely there will be some separation of football and other sports. There may be a P2 arrangement where non contributors like BC, Wake, and similar are booted. Than a tier 2 level forms. Interesting thing would be there is enough non P2 alumni and talent to provide an entertaining product.

The threat is that the Px just creates their own end of season tournament and separates from the NCAA tournament. They rebrand it to match the CFB championship. They keep 100% of the income. The leftover conferences play in what becomes the NIT. This is literally the football model.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

It’s still fascinating that there’s been nothing firm from ASU or Utah. Just rumors. We’re not dead until they’re official.

So far, we're only mostly dead.

 

[RioDog]

That will be the end of elite basketball as well. We’ll be “second division” when the Px break off.

A reasonable assessment. I can only imagine continuing time in non-Px purgatory will only accelerate the downward spiral for all Uconn revenue athletics.

TBH, this s all so exhausting and distasteful that I'm not sure I can stomach wasting my time with any college athletics. I would never have believed I would say this a few months ago, but that includes my beloved UConn athletics. College athletics has become a twisted, money-grubbing, corrupt, GROTESQUE institution. I can't squint my eyes hard enough anymore to suspend disbelief and pretend that it is anything else. If the Huskies could operate with just and average Px budget, and have a some path to the BCS playoff, I could justify staying interested. That seems further from happening now than ever before, while a gradual but accelerating decline appears inevitable.

I loved my time in Storrs as a graduate student; I had hoops and football players as students when I was a Grad Assistant including players from the '95 Women's NC team. It was a wonderful time. I have been a season ticket holder at the Rent. The fact that I read the realignment threads with far more interest than football threads about games with Rice, Georgia State, and FIU- just seems sad and pointless.

As a Uconn fan I have come to expect to compete at the highest level for national championships. As that likelihood fades I wonder who else among the UConn faithful feel the same? Will this not impact general fan support and the financial consequences that implies?

I sincerely hope that by some miracle Uconn gets a lifeboat to a sustainable place in top collegiate football. My energy and tolerance to keep getting jerked around is at an end.

 

[How Sway?!]

People need to relax, our fate hasn't been sealed yet. It all depends on how the CFP is scheduled after 2026. If 4 or more conference champions get an automatic berth, then the ACC will be fine and we would be in a prime position once FSU and Clemson bolt.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

A reasonable assessment. I can only imagine continuing time in non-Px purgatory will only accelerate the downward spiral for all Uconn revenue athletics.

TBH, this s all so exhausting and distasteful that I'm not sure I can stomach wasting my time with any college athletics. I would never have believed I would say this a few months ago, but that includes my beloved UConn athletics. College athletics has become a twisted, money-grubbing, corrupt, GROTESQUE institution. I can't squint my eyes hard enough anymore to suspend disbelief and pretend that it is anything else. If the Huskies could operate with just and average Px budget, and have a some path to the BCS playoff, I could justify staying interested. That seems further from happening now than ever before, while a gradual but accelerating decline appears inevitable.

I loved my time in Storrs as a graduate student; I had hoops and football players as students when I was a Grad Assistant including players from the '95 Women's NC team. It was a wonderful time. I have been a season ticket holder at the Rent. The fact that I read the realignment threads with far more interest than football threads about games with Rice, Georgia State, and FIU- just seems sad and pointless.

As a Uconn fan I have come to expect to compete at the highest level for national championships. As that likelihood fades I wonder who else among the UConn faithful feel the same? Will this not impact general fan support and the financial consequences that implies?

I sincerely hope that by some miracle Uconn gets a lifeboat to a sustainable place in top collegiate football. My energy and tolerance to keep getting jerked around is at an end.

Unfortunately I am right there with you.

 

[UConnMike04]

I’ve stayed away from this (and the board really - work is crazy and a 17 month old that’s even crazier), but I wanted a B12 invite and I’m disappointed - however, I also realize my frustration and disappointment is ptsd from being left in the AAC. We are in a conference we enjoy for all sports minus football, and we still have a good football schedule in the upcoming years. This isn’t 2011, 2013 or even 2016/17. Disappointed? Yes. Frustrated? Yes. Losing sleep? No. I always wondered how not having any real history with any schools except maybe Cinci and WVU and UCF (and they weren’t a hated rivalry, any of them) would’ve played out for the fanbase once the “hey we’re in a P5 novelty” wore off. After the first few years I don’t know how excited I’d be seeing Texas Tech and TCU on the schedule every year. Kansas, Baylor sure, but the others? Eh. At least that’s my opinion.

 

[That Guy]

it's over. I can't think of a single reason why keeping the football program afloat makes sense anymore. We aren't going to be taken by the Big XII and not enough ACC teams are going to be leftover to form a conference.

In theory we could form a conference with the ACC leftovers + a few AAC schools. It would be UConn, Cuse, BC, Wake, L'ville, Memphis, Tulane, ECU, USF, and let's throw in UMass.

Sounds great doesn't it?

 

[BoukofJames]

260 to 1.

$100 will win $2600. Not a bad deal. Especially when parlaying with some teams almost guaranteed to get 10 wins.

That’s 26/1, I.e. 2600/100

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

I’m not too taped in to how conference alignment is suppose to happen all the way. I went with the assumption that the ACC may still be around. Outside of a few poached teams.

It is most likely that the B1G and SEC take at least half of the current ACC when the time comes, and then the B12 picks the remaining meat off of the dead carcass to kill off the ACC.