UConn to Big East May Be Gaining Steam

[August_West]

Ive been here a long time. Long enough to know with 100% certainty that I say what lots of other people think and don't post. I'm fine with that.

Your no holds barred style of reporting is refreshing in this day and age of spin

 

[Deepster]

Your no holds barred style of reporting is refreshing in this day and age of spin

This guy GETS IT.

 

[auggie22]

This guy GETS IT.

I'm not sure that I do, yet.

1. Your support of football could make more likely, basketball seasons like those we had in the 90's thru 2014.

2. Your lack of support could make more likely an eternity of seasons where we have no realistic hope of a basketball championship before we play our first game.

Knowing 1 and 2 above, you are good with 2 because the time/money/mindshare of following UCONN football is not worth staying competitive in basketball to you?

 

[8893]

I'm not sure that I do, yet.

1. Your support of football could make more likely, basketball seasons like those we had in the 90's thru 2014.

2. Your lack of support could make more likely an eternity of seasons where we have no realistic hope of a basketball championship before we play our first game.

Knowing 1 and 2 above, you are good with 2 because the time/money/mindshare of following UCONN football is not worth staying competitive in basketball to you?

You need to brush up on your Tank McNamara.

 

[Deepster]

I'm not sure that I do, yet.

1. Your support of football could make more likely, basketball seasons like those we had in the 90's thru 2014.

2. Your lack of support could make more likely an eternity of seasons where we have no realistic hope of a basketball championship before we play our first game.

Knowing 1 and 2 above, you are good with 2 because the time/money/mindshare of following UCONN football is not worth staying competitive in basketball to you?

My "support"? You mean like the season I went into 1 of the 6 home games? Or that I should go in, sit there and watch something I don't like?

I don't care if the men's team wins another title. I'm a Mets and Jets fan. The Huskies have carried me for 10 lifetimes already.

 

[8893]

Also, Deepster went vegan this year, and that appears to have raised his estrogen levels.

 

[Deepster]

Also, Deepster went vegan this year, and that appears to have raised his estrogen levels.

I'm pescatarian.

 

[8893]

I'm pescatarian.

My brother was born in March, too!

ETA: We've been doing Blue Apron recently and a few of the recipes have featured Pacific Cod. Don't think we'd ever had that before (why would we, living in the land of Atlantic Cod?), but we've become fans and have preferred it to Atlantic Cod. Found some Alaskan Cod locally this past weekend and had that last night and it was also very good. Are we late to the Pacific Cod party?

 

[Stainmaster]

Creighton basketball fan here, been lurking around since news about Big 12 expansion came out. I have to say, I find it preposterous to think that Villanova will be resigned to the same fate as Incarnate Word if/when the P5 split from the NCAA occurs...I also find it preposterous to think that P5 schools, who have an entire football team's worth of players to pay, would be able to outrun the BE financially when the BE only has to pay for 13 scholarship basketball players. Do you seriously think more than, say, 10 to 15 players per year in all of D-1 athletics will make more than 500k while still in school? I will admit my knowledge on how tv money works is very rusty, but when you don't have a football program to finance you give yourself a lot more breathing room for the basketball program

Lastly, I don't see how any "March Madness" style tournament game the P5 forms after breaking off doesn't include the 3rd best basketball conference in the country, with programs like Nova G'town Marquette etc. being left out. CBB is the sport of the underdog. You already ruin the tournament by stamping out the chance for exciting upsets. Excluding some of the nation's most storied programs seems like suicide.

There are things to discuss when it comes to the future of CBB and how it relates to what is happening with football-driven realignment. But, I just don't see how the Big East will "fall behind". It doesn't seem feasible to me. With the way the conference has performed since the reformation a few years ago, its still clearly one of the best conferences for basketball, top to bottom.

Welcome. Unfortunately, you chose the wrong team to be a fan of. The P5 will indeed let the Big East wither and die. Enjoy the last few years.

 

[intlzncster]

The general publics hatred for you fuels this board.

Get over the Sansa thing man. Gotta let that go.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I'm not convinvinced the P5 is able to flex those kind of BB tournament muscles
There are about 60 teams in the P5 to have a viable tournement you need at least a base of 100 teams.
There may me marginally conference shut out but why.
The ACC ,B1G and Big 12 have good teams
The other two conferences not so much.

 

[CL82]

I'm pescatarian.

Does that mean you worship a fish deity?

 

[Towney007]

Yeah at least insofar as college hoops is concerned - I guess I just don't buy that the P5 conferences would shuffle off and leave markets like Philadelphia, Chicago, New York City, and Washington D.C to just flap in the wind. I can't envision a world where that's remotely possible - and even if they were to make that move, that they wouldn't try to suck in teams with 'more hoops, less football' as a KO blow.

I grew up a hoops fan, remain a hoops fan and I did season tickets to UConn football for two years and you know - it's just not that much fun. I've *tried* really hard to care about college football but I just can't seem to do it. The reality in the overarching reality is that football drives the bus, but it's also just not a part of the culture here. And UConn's attempt at it is entirely manufactured and in no way organic. And I think in the northeast - where you have so many options for entertainment of some sort - leaving out professional sports which 100% rule the roost - I'm just not sure it's a winnable battle.

You have Boston churning out professional championships on an almost annual basis. You have the Red Sox - which are literally a cultural institution more than a sports team. You have the New England Patriots who are beginning to approach that level. TO the south you have arguably the most iconic sports franchise in the world in the New York Yankees. The New York Mets who kind of scatter a shotgun spread of really loyal fans. The Jets and the Giants. The Rangers and Bruins are orignial six, bed rock franchises that have ravenous fan bases win or lose. The knicks and the celtics. You can see better sports and root for a winner in virtually any direction you go in.

There's no real football rivalry, nothing to rally around. A kind of sterile stadium where teams come from thousands of miles away to play games that are more of a rest stop for good teams than meaningful, competitive games in a state completely built on a generally disgruntled hoops fan base that shows up to football games because it's almost out of financial obligation to the basketball team. That's just not a formula for success.

I'd LOVE and much prefer to go to the Big XII over the Big East - but I think any involvement with the Big East is going to get minimal resistance and isn't as cataclysmic of a contingency plan as people might think that it is. It's the school trying to double down on it's strengths and with the help of traditional, meaningful rivalries build a buzz and cultural buzz around the hoops program that I think has been absent in recent years - sans the national title run - which was more of an unexpected gift than anything else.Using that as a rallying point seems sound as anything else to me.

To boot - an AAC without Memphis or Cincinnati specifically - presents almost no real value to the university in my mind on any level. I don't know if there'd be more of a movement towards trying to get hoops-only members like Wichita State or VCU into the fold.. maybe UMass is in the mix. But I don't know what the formula would be. At that point - I feel like it'd be most prudent to double down on your strength and throw football a lift preserver and hope that Hoops success can help get that invite the next time realignment comes around - if it comes around. It's the devil you know vs. the devil you don't I guess.

I know there's an ENDLESS number of people on here more privy to this stuff than I am who could probably pound me with advanced metrics on it - but I am just completely ambivalent to the idea of putting endless money and effort into propping up something that in 20 years just hasn't worked to stay in a further weakened AAC for football and an almost carved to shreds hoops conference where we play against a bunch of institutions that most of their students don't even know where their hoops team plays never mind putting strong programs on the floor.

So maybe it's just total ignorance on my part, but I just don't see any measurable difference or opportunity cost long term in the basketball team playing in the Big East - who btw - may decide to add more than UConn. And it's leaving out of the argument any attempts the B1G (who i heard have been quietly licking their lips at the prospect of adding UConn) or ACC might make as a counter punch. And who even knows what the Big XII's future looks like. I just don't know. Too many variables. But I don't think staying in the AAC is of any interest to the university.

 

[The Viking]

Please stop begging Deepster to go to a game. I'll give up my season ticket if I get a whiff of his stench anywhere near the Rent.

 

[djct1999]

Does it really matter? Most loyalists on the boneyard will support UConn athletics regardless. The reality is that if UConn remains in the AAC or joins the MAC or goes independent, football will continue to generate minimal interest. Come mid- November, it will be a minor miracle to get 25k packed in the Rent to play Tulsa or Tulane or Akron or Central Michigan. This is probably round 3 of 5 rounds of hot potato. For UConn, if the Big 12 doesn't select them, the music will have stopped.

 

[8893]

Does that mean you worship a fish deity?

Good avatar for fishy.

 

[dennismenace]

My brother was born in March, too!

ETA: We've been doing Blue Apron recently and a few of the recipes have featured Pacific Cod. Don't think we'd ever had that before (why would we, living in the land of Atlantic Cod?), but we've become fans and have preferred it to Atlantic Cod. Found some Alaskan Cod locally this past weekend and had that last night and it was also very good. Are we late to the Pacific Cod party?

Alaskan Cod (called "frozen at sea cod") can be found at Price Chopper at 5.99 lb. Taste is as good as fresh.

 

[chiller99.5]

The AAC doesnt really have any big draws to create a must see game type environment at this point in football.Same teams that draw 40k for a home game barely create a yawn when they are on the road .

 

[mauconnfan]

Please stop begging Deepster to go to a game. I'll give up my season ticket if I get a whiff of his stench anywhere near the Rent.

Then in that case I will take your ticket because at least if Deep's there I know I will have some fun!

 

[bluejaybud]

Welcome. Unfortunately, you chose the wrong team to be a fan of. The P5 will indeed let the Big East wither and die. Enjoy the last few years.

Can you elaborate? I made a lengthy post explaining why I don't think its feasible. Could you maybe address some of the points I and another poster have made?

I sometimes have trouble sleeping at night, but a first round tournament matchup of Washington State and Georgia Tech would for sure put me under for at least 6 hours. Hell, I might not even make it to the first media timeout before I slip into a coma

 

[Deepster]

Then in that case I will take your ticket because at least if Deep's there I know I will have some fun!

Hide your lawn chairs!

 

[Pudge]

I don't think many of the real football fans can understand the point of view from the old basketball fans, and that's ok. I'm the old basketball fan, field house - 70's an on. By the way not all bball fans are like me this is just my take.

Never went to a football game on campus in Storrs, I was a Notre Dame football fan growing up through dad and my uncles. I cared enough to read the paper to see how the Huskies did and when they had a good year, maybe read a little more but that was it. No reason to ruin a fall golf day to head to football game which ultimately wasn't going to entertain me. And I know more than likely that's my day to play golf and you know why, the Giants are on Sunday and I'm going to be in front of the TV watching that game.

Then they went D1 and opened the Rent - I was a season ticket holder. I went to most every game and it was fun, the party the game eh, but nonetheless it was a good time. Then I realized it wasn't good enough for me to lose both weekend days to not playing golf. I mean if I party all day at the Rent and take basically my Saturday away from my family how could I dare go out and play 18 holes and grab another chunk of the weekend from my family? Add to this the fact the team was decent but not overly entertaining as well as the venue itself. I mean I am sure most of you who are really loyal fans and I really do respect that, I get it, get po'd at the people who don't come into the games until late. I think it's embarrassing when they have a big game and it's 1/2 full for kick off the noise level which should be monstrous, is actually weak. Maybe this is because of "fans" like myself or maybe it's because they haven't put a product on the field which creates the passion necessary to put fannies in the stands? I don't know the answer but I know that people have a choice and for now, I'm not interested in going to the game just because people believe this is how we will get into the P5. I believe it is and will be a requirement, but so far they have underachieved in making this happen and I, as one person, have better things to do than to try to make this product better by going to the games. Remember, I started as a huge UConn basketball fan and a ND fan in football, that hasn't changed. What did change is they have my interest but now it's up to them to really peak it, not me. Sorry it's the way I feel, so far they've come up short. Golf and the Giants are much more important in weekends.

DUMP the Giants ... sheesh ... that's easy.

 

[dwalks93]

There are things to discuss when it comes to the future of CBB and how it relates to what is happening with football-driven realignment. But, I just don't see how the Big East will "fall behind". It doesn't seem feasible to me. With the way the conference has performed since the reformation a few years ago, its still clearly one of the best conferences for basketball, top to bottom.

Welcome to the BY....sorry to be the bearer of bad news but the reality is the P5 will likely eventually secede from the NCAA. Any university not part of a P5 conference when that happens will not be part of big time sports.

Football is not universally more popular than basketball. In fact, the overall revenue for football and basketball is probably much closer than the football purists of the SEC would believe. The major difference between football and basketball is the NCAA keeps half of the revenue from the NCAA basketball tournament while in football the schools/conferences keep nearly the whole amount.

The problem with a wildly increasing rate of return is it is difficult to sustain. Look at the money the P5 conferences are now making and realize this exponentially increasing rate is based on a changing cable network system. As cord cutting becomes more prevalent it is impossible to continue to force a population to pay for a channel many of them will not watch. As such, the money in the current P5 model cannot continue to increase and will likely decrease.

So what happens when the money starts to decrease because the networks will not pay any more? IMO The P5 will first look to charge their core consumers more and then if that doesn't generate the same money, the P5 will look for new revenue sources. The quickest and most readily accessible new source would be basketball. Think how much money Kentucky or Kansas basketball could make if they didn't need to share revenue with the Creightons and Georgetowns of the world. How about a new March Madness tournament limited to only P5 schools in which the P5 keeps the whole amount? Sounds crazy...well, is it any less crazy than the best basketball conference in the country, the old Big East, being destroyed or the University of Connecticut, which has won the most men's and women's basketball championships in the last 20 years, being left out of the P5 and trying to get into the Big12.

The P5 already used the death star on college football. I'd say the next ripe target is college basketball. "Iconic teams" won't be sparred if they are not in the P5. Just because it has not happened yet does not mean it will not happen. "Winning" and being "one of the best conferences" has nothing to do with it. As Husky fans we understand the power of greed all to well.

 

[mauconnfan]

Hide your lawn chairs!

You're a real pisser my friend - Rebel Yell and lawn chairs don't mix.

 

[bluejaybud]

A basketball tournament with only P5 schools will literally kill the sport. They're already having trouble with the ratings. You axe the Cinderella element from the tournament and you basically eliminate the casual sports fan's interest in March basketball. Seriously ask yourself, who will watch those games between Wake Forest and Auburn? That is the future for CBB you're proposing. Sorry, but that comes off as an argument from someone who doesn't understand the spirit of the sport. It is all about the money, you're right, but there's no longer a system to profit from if you change the tournament in the manner you're suggesting. It will ruin postseason CBB.

Honestly, I would rather watch a tournament with the Big East and the best of the G5's (MWC, A10, MAC) than watch a P5 only tournament. A lot of basketball fans would probably agree. Also Good Luck to the football dominant schools that try to convince the Dukes Kentuckys Kansas's and North Carolinas of the P5 that such a move is for the best interest of CBB. Highly doubt any of those school's ADs would agree to it.