Miami radio saying UConn to B1G

[Adios]

This is getting better and better.

 

[SAMCRO]

Shalala

 

[husky91]

Haha, now this is turning into a comedy routine

The pressure is building with every second. People in Shalala's office are frantic!!

 

[Adios]

I hope we hold out and get the B1G invite. Only way to go.

 

[uconnbaseball]

I hope we hold out and get the B1G invite. Only way to go.

Yeah! I don't WANT this life raft! I want THAT one, with leather upholstery and cupholders!

 

[Adios]

Yeah! I don't WANT this life raft! I want THAT one, with leather upholstery and cupholders!

THAT one wouldn't be a life raft. It would be a damn yacht.

 

[SAMCRO]

THAT one wouldn't be a life raft. It would be a damn yacht.

One mans life raft is another mans yacht. Deep.

 

[Adios]

Here's stuff I posted a while ago that I had to dig up. It goes to show we've been on the B1G's radar for a while (over 2 years).

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/33548/tranghese-big-ten-could-be-big-winner

"Tranghese also discussed whether the Big Ten would pursue Rutgers and Connecticut.

'I don't think so. ... Before the Big Ten took Nebraska, knowing Jim Delany as well as I do ... Jim did a lot of work. He did a lot of analysis, and I believe that Rutgers was looked at, and Pittsburgh was looked at, and Syracuse was looked at, and Connecticut was looked at. And a lot of schools were looked at. And I think the Big Ten came to the conclusion that the addition of any one of those schools wasn't going to deliver them the New York market. ... So that's why I think that ultimately led them to Nebraska. Now they sit there and they ask themselves the same question: Can they get the New York market with Rutgers or Connecticut? You can do it with Notre Dame.'"

(Adding UConn and Rutgers [and UMD and UVA] can force ND to go to the B1G if these conferences ever go to 18.)

http://www.cleveland.com/livingston/index.ssf/2010/01/if_the_big_ten_does_expand_it.html

"CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Big Ten, with 11 members, is seriously considering expanding, either to 12 or to an even Bigger 14.

Expansion by one member is a plan driven by television markets. It should focus on Connecticut, and I have reason to believe that is exactly what is happening at Big Ten headquarters in Chicago."

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6270202/21083956

"Rating the Big Ten expansion candidates", written by Chris Dodd. We're #2 behind Notre Dame.

As far as our football program goes, we do have a top 50 football program when it comes to viewership. I can dig out some Texas grad's numbers if desired.

 

[Dooley]

I hope we hold out and get the B1G invite. Only way to go.

Agreed. Sit out this wave of conference alignment and hold out for the B1G. The ACC will always be there once more of their schools defect for the SEC or other conferences.

 

[businesslawyer]

Agreed. Sit out this wave of conference alignment and hold out for the B1G. The ACC will always be there once more of their schools defect for the SEC or other conferences.

Is it April's fool day and football season has put me into a coma? No one could really have written that seriously, could they have?

If the Big Ten wants us in the future and we're in the ACC, and we want to switch again, we will switch again.

 

[Dooley]

Is it April's fool day and football season has put me into a coma? No one could really have written that seriously, could they have?

If the Big Ten wants us in the future and we're in the ACC, and we want to switch again, we will switch again.

Nice. But who's going to pay the $50M exit fee??? Do you really think that a state school can justify paying another $50M right after paying $10M+ to defect the Big East a year or so ealier???? Not in this economy. Sit out a year. And no, it's not April Fool's Day. Just Fiscal Cliff Eve.

 

[UConnDan97]

Nice. But who's going to pay the $50M exit fee???

It would likely be handled the way that Maryland is planning on doing it if they are held to the 50 million ACC buyout: they will deduct it over a period of time from the Big10 revenues. When I find the link, I'll copy it to this post...

 

[businesslawyer]

Nice. But who's going to pay the $50M exit fee??? Do you really think that a state school can justify paying another $50M right after paying $10M+ to defect the Big East a year or so ealier???? Not in this economy. Sit out a year. And no, it's not April Fool's Day. Just Fiscal Cliff Eve.

You would pay the exit fee out of the greater revenues from switching conferences. And if the difference isn't great enough to justify the exit fee over an eight year period, then it's probably not a big deal not to switch.

 

[husky91]

Yes for the B1G, it is the premier conference by a mile+. It is worth the initial investment.

You would pay the exit fee out of the greater revenues from switching conferences. And if the difference isn't great enough to justify the exit fee over an eight year period, then it's probably not a big deal not to switch.

 

[Adios]

How about negotiating a lower buy-out with the ACC if we are invited and the B1G only expands by two schools for now? A lot can be done with that kind of money.

 

[Dooley]

It would likely be handled the way that Maryland is planning on doing it if they are held to the 50 million ACC buyout: they will deduct it over a period of time from the Big10 revenues. When I find the link, I'll copy it to this post...

Okay, but that would still assume that we'd have to pay another exit fee (however negotiated with the ACC) in addition to paying an exit fee from the Big East. That's a tough sell for a state school in an economy like this and a state that is $1B in the hole.

All I'm saying is that if there is the slightest chance of getting an invite from the B1G in the next next year or so, and I think that there is (we were on their radar back in 2010), then I think the play is to hold out for it. Like I said in other posts, the ACC will always be there and will probably have a few open slots when the SEC raids FSU/Clemson/VT.

 

[ZooCougar]

How about negotiating a lower buy-out with the ACC if we are invited and the B1G only expands by two schools for now? A lot can be done with that kind of money.

Maryland doesn't believe that 50 Million will ever hold up in court. And I suspect that they are right.

When you set your buyout at 50 mil, then that says something about the overall stability of your conference. Not too good, but better than the Big Least.

 

[nomar]

Maryland doesn't believe that 50 Million will ever hold up in court. And I suspect that they are right.

When you set your buyout at 50 mil, then that says something about the overall stability of your conference. Not too good, but better than the Big Least.

Posturing by Maryland. Of course they're saying that. But there is no way a court would invalidate the entire exit-fee increase. But as in most litigation, because there is risk for both sides, they'll work something out.

 

[junglehusky]

While I think it's perfectly feasible that UConn could/should be talking to the B1G through back-channels right now, i have a hard time believing we'd be as realistic of a shot as MD or RU until our stadium is filled and plans were going forward to expand to the size of their stadiua (at least 50k). They miiiight give us a little leeway because of basketball but I don't think it would be much.

Now as to whether to stay in the NNBE while waiting on the B1G, this should be done ONLY if Herbst can get some assurances that Uconn will definitely be invited in ~5 years if we do X, Y and Z in terms of the stadium or whatever.

 

[Dooley]

Maryland doesn't believe that 50 Million will ever hold up in court. And I suspect that they are right.

When you set your buyout at 50 mil, then that says something about the overall stability of your conference. Not too good, but better than the Big Least.

I'm no lawyer but I'm going to guess that they think way because they voted against the exit fee hike. IF UConn were invited and accepted said invite into the ACC, then I would assume that they would be bound by the conference bylaws that they agreed to join and that were in place at the time that they agreed to join, aka a $50M exit fee. Could it be negotiated down? Sure, I guess. TCU successfully got out of the Big East for the B12 but they did waste $5M by accepting their first offer. I'd hate to see UConn have to explain to CT taxpayers (who aren't sports fans) that paying two exit fees within a few years of each other is a good idea.

IF we got into the B1G, we'd no longer have to worry about conference realignment ever again and it would only cost the CT taxpayer one "reasonable" exit fee.

 

[Dooley]

While I think it's perfectly feasible that UConn could/should be talking to the B1G through back-channels right now, i have a hard time believing we'd be as realistic of a shot as MD or RU until our stadium is filled and plans were going forward to expand to the size of their stadiua (at least 50k). They miiiight give us a little leeway because of basketball but I don't think it would be much.

Now as to whether to stay in the NNBE while waiting on the B1G, this should be done ONLY if Herbst can get some assurances that Uconn will definitely be invited in ~5 years if we do X, Y and Z in terms of the stadium or whatever.

I agree. It's risky but I really do think that UConn and the B1G makes sense. It almost happened a few years ago and might have if we had an AD other than Hathaway. But yes, if Herbst is told that UConn is a B1G long-shot, then go to the ACC.

 

[ZooCougar]

We're not getting into the B1G.

If we get into the ACC and then the B1G comes calling, well that's a great problem to have. In which case, we'll figure it out.


Till then, back to reality.

 

[mavblues]

I live in Miami. I have heard no mention at all on WQAM.

 

[businesslawyer]

I agree. It's risky but I really do think that UConn and the B1G makes sense. It almost happened a few years ago and might have if we had an AD other than Hathaway. But yes, if Herbst is told that UConn is a B1G long-shot, then go to the ACC.

You keep saying it "almost" happened. Exactly how did it "almost happen." The only thing we know (and we don't even really know this but it seems a safe bet) is the Big Ten looked at us when they were looking at all the possibilities.

 

[UConnDan97]

Okay, but that would still assume that we'd have to pay another exit fee (however negotiated with the ACC) in addition to paying an exit fee from the Big East. That's a tough sell for a state school in an economy like this and a state that is $1B in the hole.

All I'm saying is that if there is the slightest chance of getting an invite from the B1G in the next next year or so, and I think that there is (we were on their radar back in 2010), then I think the play is to hold out for it. Like I said in other posts, the ACC will always be there and will probably have a few open slots when the SEC raids FSU/Clemson/VT.

What I'm saying to you is that the state of Connecticut will not have to pay a dime, even if it is hit with a 50 million dollar exit fee. This is something like how it would work (and how it will work for Maryland as well):

Year 1 of B1G: UConn gets 5 million in revenue instead of 24 million, 19 to the repayment of the B1G for covering the ACC buyout (I haven't found the link yet)
Year 2 of B1G: UConn gets 7 million in revenue instead of 24 million, 17 million to the repayment
Year 3 of B1G: UConn gets 10 million in revenue instead of 24 million, 14 million to the repayment
Year 4 of B1G: UConn has fulfilled its repayment to the B1G of the ACC, receives full 24 million dollar amount.

This is already being discussed for Maryland, because if you think there are hard times for money for UConn, Maryland is in the crapper (they've already scrapped multiple athletic programs)...