UConn President Says No Plans To Lobby Big 12

[amory]

Dooley, you are honestly the one poster I go to with this. Did you not find what she said discouraging?

Everyone should find it discouraging. Because it comes off as "head held high, ready to try again when the time comes".

It's "winning winners who like to win" all over again.

I'm not saying this is her telling us we're out, but it sure isn't dropping a hint that we're in either.

Next time just give a "no comment", Susan. At least then we could have some wildly irrational hope that an NDA is in place.

 

[Excalibur]

Yea, and he's also not going out there and literally saying "We are making no active effort to join the Big 12, if they take us they take us". That's what people are upset about. It would have been 100x better had she stuck with the "quiet campaign" motif and stayed absolutely silent on the issue, but she went and basically confirmed the fears of many.

That is not what she said, and don't try to twist it that way. She said that she doesn't believe that public lobbying is going to have any effect, and she's likely correct.

People are (rightly) upset that she basically insulted all of us with the last statement: "I know people roll their eyes at this, but this is supposed to be fun,'' she said. "You know the athletes are in it because they enjoy it. The fans go because they want to support our athletes and they enjoy it. So everyone, including presidents and deans and faculty, need to step back and remember why we are in it"

 

[whaler11]

My point was that BYU is a "favorite" and you don't see their president saying anything, is their president an idiot too?

Well like others have pointed out nothing would have been more effective. Let me know when someone else says that we need to keep it close to our hearts that this is all just fun.

 

[junglehusky]

Anyway, it's either over, or it's not. And if it's over, you guys are arguing over whether what kind of salad dressing Herbst should serve at the wake.

 

[Dizzy21]

Well like others have pointed out nothing would have been more effective. Let me know when someone else says that we need to keep it close to our hearts that this is all just fun.

I can't copy on my phone, but a few posts above I responded to that issue as it pertains to her strategy.

 

[whaler11]

I can't copy on my phone, but a few posts above I responded to that issue as it pertains to her strategy.

If they are actively pursuing UConn her comments make even less sense.

 

[amory]

Anyway, it's either over, or it's not. And if it's over, you guys are arguing over whether what kind of salad dressing Herbst should serve at the wake.

If we don't get into the Big 12, as long a shot as it was in the beginning, it's time for them to start answering some questions.

We'd want to know why we keep getting lapped by former CUSA schools.

It'd be less about salad dressing at the wake than about getting an autopsy to figure out how the hell the person died

 

[Dizzy21]

If they are actively pursuing UConn her comments make even less sense.

I don't know much about being attractive in conference alignment, but I know a bit about manipulating people into being interested in you and since it's human psychology, I would assume it carries over. If you walk up to a hot girl and tell her how much you like her and that you want to date her, maybe you are sexy as hell and they say yes, but 99 percent of the time you don't stand much of a chance. However, if you can manage to get her attention while slightly insulting her and acting disinterested, her instincts kick in and she becomes interested all of a sudden.

 

[whaler11]

I don't know much about being attractive in conference alignment.

Yep.

 

[sportsart]

Yea, and he's also not going out there and literally saying "We are making no active effort to join the Big 12, if they take us they take us". That's what people are upset about. It would have been 100x better had she stuck with the "quiet campaign" motif and stayed absolutely silent on the issue, but she went and basically confirmed the fears of many.

She said we are making no effort to join the Big 12?

 

[ASweet3781]

Part of "selling yourself" is on us too. Remember all of those passionate pleas to buy tickets, donate and 5K Donor Drive? They are all coming home to roost now.

There is not a school in CR more unfairly maligned, misrepresented, diminished, undervalued, and even smeared by national sports writers than UConn. These aren't guys living in their basement in West Virginia talking to their imaginary friend I am talking about. Guys who write for ESPN, CBS Sportline, Sports Illustrated, and many of the publications in the hometowns of Big 12 schools and schools we are competing for the invitations. The amount of lies and untruths about us are simply overwhelming. They misrepresent our tv market, our value, our athletic budget, our football program, it is endless. And it's not like any of it is justified based on the facts. It's not like its all not easily correctable. And on top of all that, they write articles overselling our competition. Just last week McMurphy spins that 0-12 UCF is turning around just at the right time for the Big 12 while Pete Thamel spins that the Big 12 would be dumb not to take Houston.

That's what we are up against. And it's not like we should be shocked because it happened to us in the battle for the ACC against Louisville. The same stuff happened than.

Literally the only people I see trying to combat this online are you Dooley, a couple of other brave souls on twitter, and the occasional article from Jacobs/Dimauro before they go back covering golf or minor league baseball. Just yesterday you were trying to correct to a Colorado radio host who was misstating (or outright lying about) several facts about us. Why doesn't UConn do this? It's out there daily. They have twitter accounts. A nice tweak fact check here and there would at least give us fans some solace that we are at least not going to take it sitting down. It helps morale more than anything. It can't all be on "us" like you said. You can't answer every smear but UConn answers none of it. And than we get these Herbst quotes and it just is really tough to swallow.

I mean for starters can we at least push back on the notion being GREAT at basketball and Olympic sports is a BAD thing? Our basketball success is constantly used now to diminish us. Well how do these guys think we got to the point where our football team made 5 straight bowls, won 2 conference titles, and made a BCS despite being D1 for 5 seconds? Because being surrounded by success breeds more. Our strong athletic program is a strength and is a big reason why with a good coach out football program will be rock solid. Just look at what UNC and Duke are doing in football now that they are really taking it seriously.

I think that's why a lot of us are so demoralized by some of those Herbst quotes. And than we have to listen to the excuse makers using location already as the reason (You see where Utah is on the map?) Time is running out. Spots in the P5 are filling up. Perhaps there is nothing that can be done and we are fighting an uphill battle. But you can't say UConn is going down guns blazing because we are not. We have the most unfair negative national perception of any highly successful athletic program I have ever seen. Quite frankly I think a lot of it stems from regional bigotry, a lot of good ole southern boys don't like acknowledging any success from a Yankee school. But UConn doesn't put up any fight against it. Perhaps it wouldn't make a difference here. But I sure would prefer missing out on the Big 12 feeling the school did everything possible than missing out knowing we didn't.

I hope those placing their faith in Herbst are rewarded in the end because it will be good for us all if she is handling this well behind the scenes. But there is a strong case to be made for UConn and I don't see it being made well from the school's end. Hence the negative reaction to the Courant article. Some of us feel we are out here fighting alone. And of course it will be the fans blamed for why we didn't make it when there's 20k on a Friday night game for ECU or SMU.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I don't know much about being attractive in conference alignment, but I know a bit about manipulating people into being interested in you and since it's human psychology, I would assume it carries over. If you walk up to a hot girl and tell her how much you like her and that you want to date her, maybe you are sexy as hell and they say yes, but 99 percent of the time you don't stand much of a chance. However, if you can manage to get her attention while slightly insulting her and acting disinterested, her instincts kick in and she becomes interested all of a sudden.

Peak Boneyard.

 

[amory]

There is not a school in CR more unfairly maligned, misrepresented, diminished, undervalued, and even smeared by national sports writers than UConn. These aren't guys living in their basement in West Virginia talking to their imaginary friend I am talking about. Guys who write for ESPN, CBS Sportline, Sports Illustrated, and many of the publications in the hometowns of Big 12 schools and schools we are competing for the invitations. The amount of lies and untruths about us are simply overwhelming. They misrepresent our tv market, our value, our athletic budget, our football program, it is endless. And it's not like any of it is justified based on the facts. It's not like its all not easily correctable. And on top of all that, they write articles overselling our competition. Just last week McMurphy spins that 0-12 UCF is turning around just at the right time for the Big 12 while Pete Thamel spins that the Big 12 would be dumb not to take Houston.

That's what we are up against. And it's not like we should be shocked because it happened to us in the battle for the ACC against Louisville. The same stuff happened than.

Literally the only people I see trying to combat this online are you Dooley, a couple of other brave souls on twitter, and the occasional article from Jacobs/Dimauro before they go back covering golf or minor league baseball. Just yesterday you were trying to correct to a Colorado radio host who was misstating (or outright lying about) several facts about us. Why doesn't UConn do this? It's out there daily. They have twitter accounts. A nice tweak fact check here and there would at least give us fans some solace that we are at least not going to take it sitting down. It helps morale more than anything. It can't all be on "us" like you said. You can't answer every smear but UConn answers none of it. And than we get these Herbst quotes and it just is really tough to swallow.

I think that's why a lot of us are so demoralized by some of those Herbst quotes. And than we have to listen to the excuse makers using location already as the reason (You see where Utah is on the map?) Time is running out. Spots in the P5 are filling up. Perhaps there is nothing that can be done and we are fighting an uphill battle. But you can't say UConn is going down guns blazing because we are not. We have the most unfair negative national perception of any highly successful athletic program I have ever seen. Quite frankly I think a lot of it stems from regional bigotry, a lot of good ole southern boys don't like acknowledging any success from a Yankee school. But UConn doesn't put up any fight against it. Perhaps it wouldn't make a difference here. But I sure would prefer missing out on the Big 12 feeling the school did everything possible than missing out knowing we didn't.

I hope those placing their faith in Herbst are rewarded in the end because it will be good for us all if she is handling this well behind the scenes. But there is a strong case to be made for UConn and I don't see it being made well from the school's end. Hence the negative reaction to the Courant article. Some of us feel we are out here fighting alone. And of course it will be the fans blamed for why we didn't make it when there's 20k on a Friday night game for ECU or SMU.

Hey cmon, this is supposed to be fun!

Guys lets just try to have a little fun while we contemplate not being able to take our kids to see a meaningful UConn game

 

[whaler11]

She is a university president speaking about sports. You have to excuse her if she doesn't sound like Vince Lombardi.

And if Memphis leaves ahead of us it will have nothing to do with any winners win speech and 1000% to do with FedEx's wallet.

I'm pretty sure it's not too much to ask of someone at her level to memorize 4 paragraphs of talking points that aren't begging but are better than the nonsense we get.

 

[MattMang23]

Peak Boneyard.

Only thing that would have made that more Boneyardish would have been a cameo by Senhor somewhere.

 

[whaler11]

There is not a school in CR more unfairly maligned, misrepresented, diminished, undervalued, and even smeared by national sports writers than UConn. These aren't guys living in their basement in West Virginia talking to their imaginary friend I am talking about. Guys who write for ESPN, CBS Sportline, Sports Illustrated, and many of the publications in the hometowns of Big 12 schools and schools we are competing for the invitations. The amount of lies and untruths about us are simply overwhelming. They misrepresent our tv market, our value, our athletic budget, our football program, it is endless. And it's not like any of it is justified based on the facts. It's not like its all not easily correctable. And on top of all that, they write articles overselling our competition. Just last week McMurphy spins that 0-12 UCF is turning around just at the right time for the Big 12 while Pete Thamel spins that the Big 12 would be dumb not to take Houston.

That's what we are up against. And it's not like we should be shocked because it happened to us in the battle for the ACC against Louisville. The same stuff happened than.

Literally the only people I see trying to combat this online are you Dooley, a couple of other brave souls on twitter, and the occasional article from Jacobs/Dimauro before they go back covering golf or minor league baseball. Just yesterday you were trying to correct to a Colorado radio host who was misstating (or outright lying about) several facts about us. Why doesn't UConn do this? It's out there daily. They have twitter accounts. A nice tweak fact check here and there would at least give us fans some solace that we are at least not going to take it sitting down. It helps morale more than anything. It can't all be on "us" like you said. You can't answer every smear but UConn answers none of it. And than we get these Herbst quotes and it just is really tough to swallow.

I mean for starters can we at least push back on the notion being GREAT at basketball and Olympic sports is a BAD thing? Our basketball success is constantly used now to diminish us. Well how do these guys think we got to the point where our football team made 5 straight bowls, won 2 conference titles, and made a BCS despite being D1 for 5 seconds? Because being surrounded by success breeds more. Our strong athletic program is a strength and is a big reason why with a good coach out football program will be rock solid.

I think that's why a lot of us are so demoralized by some of those Herbst quotes. And than we have to listen to the excuse makers using location already as the reason (You see where Utah is on the map?) Time is running out. Spots in the P5 are filling up. Perhaps there is nothing that can be done and we are fighting an uphill battle. But you can't say UConn is going down guns blazing because we are not. We have the most unfair negative national perception of any highly successful athletic program I have ever seen. Quite frankly I think a lot of it stems from regional bigotry, a lot of good ole southern boys don't like acknowledging any success from a Yankee school. But UConn doesn't put up any fight against it. Perhaps it wouldn't make a difference here. But I sure would prefer missing out on the Big 12 feeling the school did everything possible than missing out knowing we didn't.

I hope those placing their faith in Herbst are rewarded in the end because it will be good for us all if she is handling this well behind the scenes. But there is a strong case to be made for UConn and I don't see it being made well from the school's end. Hence the negative reaction to the Courant article. Some of us feel we are out here fighting alone. And of course it will be the fans blamed for why we didn't make it when there's 20k on a Friday night game for ECU or SMU.

This is a school that has sports information directors that have such ridiculous assignments it actually makes me laugh. It's an absolute embarrassment that they haven't spent every day since Louisville went to the ACC carpet bombing every traditional and non-traditional media outlet with data and facts.

Their approach is what it is for a reason. They don't want to put themselves on the line - because then more people would hold them responsible if they are unsuccessful.

It's much easier to do nothing - make vague references to success and then shrug when things go south.

 

[FartMan69]

This is the liveliest funeral I've ever been to

 

[sportsart]

This is the liveliest funeral I've ever been to

At least the dead guy isn't suffering anymore.

 

[FartMan69]

At least the dead guy isn't suffering anymore.

If being relegated to the minor leagues doesn't make some of you suffer than boy am I envious.

 

[Rumrunner]

This is a school that has sports information directors that have such ridiculous assignments it actually makes me laugh. It's an absolute embarrassment that they haven't spent every day since Louisville went to the ACC carpet bombing every traditional and non-traditional media outlet with data and facts.

Their approach is what it is for a reason. They don't want to put themselves on the line - because then more people would hold them responsible if they are unsuccessful.

It's much easier to do nothing - make vague references to success and then shrug when things go south.

At this point Enright is just cruising to that nice state pension, and has been for a looooong time. The lack of innovation in this respect out if UConn is Charles Barkley turrible.

 

[JeepCSC]

My point was that BYU is a "favorite" and you don't see their president saying anything, is their president an idiot too?

If they are a favorite, then of course their president isn't an idiot since whatever he is doing is working.

Now I will say I am an ACC guy. And while all this expansion of the Big East turf wasn't my initial desire, I've come to accept and even appreciate it. But UConn has been my first choice for the last few expansion picks (even if only to say thank you for stopping K when you could). You seem like the ideal ACC choice, the one I would love to have, and I've followed this board here since way back when.

That said, I think the frustration comes from how this looks exactly like how the Louisville-ACC situation played out. UConn stays quiet and calm, Louisville goes berserk. UConn, in a much better spot than now, appeared to get outhustled for the last spot on the lifeboat. Now it's of course questionable if there was anything they could have said to convince FSU/Clemson, but the fact is that the perception was UConn simply sat on its hands. Despite pretty much every major move of the last few years being a proactive move by someone (Mizzou, VPI, Maryland, etc), UConn seems to have mastered the art of Zen Buddhism while the Big East collapsed around them. It's probably not fair to say the public engagement was the sum total of all UConn's actions (Maryland was proactive AND stealthy), but perception is reality. And the reality is UConn is in stealth mode with nothing to show for it. And as a fan, that must be terribly discouraging. So go all out now with a full-court media press. Even if the Big XII doesn't choose you, you make the other conferences notice that UConn is alive and well and ready. Sports isn't so high-brow that a little heat can't go a long way.

 

[whaler11]

At this point Enright is just cruising to that nice state pension, and has been for a looooong time. The lack of innovation in this respect out if UConn is Charles Barkley turrible.

My favorite assignment is Bill Peterson's.

Assistant director with responsibility for men's hockey and m/w tennis.

But they have a $30 million dollar gap to fill.....

 

[IceBus]

If they are a favorite, then of course their president isn't an idiot since whatever he is doing is working.

Now I will say I am an ACC guy. And while all this expansion of the Big East turf wasn't my initial desire, I've come to accept and even appreciate it. But UConn has been my first choice for the last few expansion picks (even if only to say thank you for stopping K when you could). You seem like the ideal ACC choice, the one I would love to have, and I've followed this board here since way back when.

That said, I think the frustration comes from how this looks exactly like how the Louisville-ACC situation played out. UConn stays quiet and calm, Louisville goes berserk. UConn, in a much better spot than now, appeared to get outhustled for the last spot on the lifeboat. Now it's of course questionable if there was anything they could have said to convince FSU/Clemson, but the fact is that the perception was UConn simply sat on its hands. Despite pretty much every major move of the last few years being a proactive move by someone (Mizzou, VPI, Maryland, etc), UConn seems to have mastered the art of Zen Buddhism while the Big East collapsed around them. It's probably not fair to say the public engagement was the sum total of all UConn's actions (Maryland was proactive AND stealthy), but perception is reality. And the reality is UConn is in stealth mode with nothing to show for it. And as a fan, that must be terribly discouraging. So go all out now with a full-court media press. Even if the Big XII doesn't choose you, you make the other conferences notice that UConn is alive and well and ready. Sports isn't so high-brow that a little heat can't go a long way.

UConn didn't get out-hustled by Louisville. UConn was too loyal to the Big East when Pittsburgh and Syracuse left. But the ACC chose Louisville. Not a damn thing UConn could have done. A couple more powerpoint presentations and press conferences would not have changed anything.

 

[gopher2]

That is not what she said, and don't try to twist it that way. She said that she doesn't believe that public lobbying is going to have any effect, and she's likely correct.

People are (rightly) upset that she basically insulted all of us with the last statement: "I know people roll their eyes at this, but this is supposed to be fun,'' she said. "You know the athletes are in it because they enjoy it. The fans go because they want to support our athletes and they enjoy it. So everyone, including presidents and deans and faculty, need to step back and remember why we are in it"

That last statement is bewildering and perplexing and comes at such a bad time in this process given the high level of anxiety around CR. It makes me think she has no understanding whatsoever of how important UConn athletics are to so many of us. She just can't relate to what we feel.

 

[JeepCSC]

The ACC chose 3 teams to expand by once upon a time. And somehow when it came time to announce bids, only one of those 3 was offered one spot and a previously unthought of 4th team claimed the second spot. Everything is negotiable, nothing is set in stone.