UConn's commitment to Independence?

[MUsince96]

Hey guys, Marshall fan here. With all the recent talk from ODU about getting out of C-USA, JMU's interest in a Mid-Atlantic/East Coast FBS league, and just the general buzz of conference realignment due to the Covid-19 situation; it got me wondering if UConn had a commitment to Independence or if they had interest as a football only member to a potentially new G5 conference.

Old Dominion athletics faces drastic cost-cutting measures to remain financially solvent, study says

An independent study of Old Dominion’s athletic department commissioned by the university paints a potentially bleak picture for the future of many of its programs, in part because of the cor…

www.pilotonline.com

Bourne: Realignment Talk 'Ramped Up' Due To COVID-19

There were already monetary issues for mid-major athletic programs across the country.

www.dnronline.com

Others On The Same Page As JMU's Bourne

James Madison athletic director Jeff Bourne said he values well-established regional rivalries. He also thinks as college athletic departments across the nation face COVID-19 related financial losses, steps could be

www.dnronline.com

If a new Mid-Atlantic/East Coast G5 emerges would you want football only membership? Would you want other northern schools such as Army and UMass to come as football onlys? Perhaps Buffalo as an all sports add. Along with all-sports schools like Marshall, JMU, ODU, App State, Charlotte, possibly Delaware and a few more?

Or do you think your administration wants to remain Independent in football no matter what.

Interested to hear your thoughts. Thanks.

 

[Exit 4]

Hey guys, Marshall fan here. With all the recent talk from ODU about getting out of C-USA, JMU's interest in a Mid-Atlantic/East Coast FBS league, and just the general buzz of conference realignment due to the Covid-19 situation; it got me wondering if UConn had a commitment to Independence or if they had interest as a football only member to a potentially new G5 conference.

Old Dominion athletics faces drastic cost-cutting measures to remain financially solvent, study says

An independent study of Old Dominion’s athletic department commissioned by the university paints a potentially bleak picture for the future of many of its programs, in part because of the cor…

www.pilotonline.com

Bourne: Realignment Talk 'Ramped Up' Due To COVID-19

There were already monetary issues for mid-major athletic programs across the country.

www.dnronline.com

Others On The Same Page As JMU's Bourne

James Madison athletic director Jeff Bourne said he values well-established regional rivalries. He also thinks as college athletic departments across the nation face COVID-19 related financial losses, steps could be

www.dnronline.com

If a new Mid-Atlantic/East Coast G5 emerges would you want football only membership? Would you want other northern schools such as Army and UMass to come as football onlys? Perhaps Buffalo as an all sports add. Along with all-sports schools like Marshall, JMU, ODU, App State, Charlotte, possibly Delaware and a few more?

Or do you think your administration wants to remain Independent in football no matter what.

Interested to hear your thoughts. Thanks.

My quick thought- UConn is committed to independent football for a good while ahead.... at least in the world that existed before the COVid curveball.
And I think the future might be more independent football for other G5s with Olympic sports in more natural local conferences. Ahem, pretty much what UConn just did. No way UConn is moving it’s Olympic sports to anything but the BIG or ACC if there is ever a next move.

 

[hardcorehusky]

UConn is committed to football independence unless a P5 offer comes(which won't) I believe UConn was ahead of the curve because most schools are drowning in debt from athletics and possibly two things will occur: schools losing money will look to make cuts (G5) and will look to play a more regional schedule for all sports (if not cutting sports) and 2) a paring of the tree in some conferences as the big schools look to keep a bigger piece of the TV pie due to dwindling attendance prior to Covid 19 and what attendance could look like in the future.

UConn wants to be in the Big East for all sports except football. There is no upside to joining another league based off our proximity, history and potential of the Big East.

 

[Exit 4]

I will say - if Marshall wants to join the "American League of Independent FCS Football of America" (the ALIFFA!) they would probably find a rather warm welcome. The League could use a couple more "members." I think Temple and Navy are naturals for taking this path in the near future. Temple could go back to A10 basketball/all sports. Navy already has an independent tv contract and scheduling shouldnt be a program at all.

The AAC could/should just swap Southern Miss or Georgia State for Temple. With a Texas HQ, this is a southern conf now. If Temple goes independent, Cincy would be next on the clock.

 

[huskysupporter]

After Administration determine football doesn’t matter and joined a minor league conference for all other sports, I think a regional conference would be great for the program. Get programs in the area from other G5 conferences to join.

 

[kibblesnbits]

Wasn't there something punitive in UConn's agreement with the Big East that would make it unlikely that they'd join another conference for football? I don't remember the details but I vaguely remember some sort of penalty payment associated with it. Since none of the other BE schools sponsor football they wanted to avoid a situation where a member with a powerhouse football program (not a concern with UConn at this time) could have an athletic department that was dominant over all others.

 

[huskymedic]

Wasn't there something punitive in UConn's agreement with the Big East that would make it unlikely that they'd join another conference for football? I don't remember the details but I vaguely remember some sort of penalty payment associated with it. Since none of the other BE schools sponsor football they wanted to avoid a situation where a member with a powerhouse football program (not a concern with UConn at this time) could have an athletic department that was dominant over all others.

“UConn has agreed not to seek football membership at this time in any Power Five conference and to pay a $30 million exit fee if it leaves the Big East during its first six years of membership. The fee would eventually drop to $15 and later $10 million”

 

[freescooter]

I don’t think there is any penalty for joining any league as a football only, just as there wouldn’t be for joining Hockey East since no Big East hockey exists. there is a buyout for leaving the Big East to join say the ACC but we would pay it in a New York second.

 

[freescooter]

I was thinking a Possible new football league but if say the ACC called and offered a football only membership we would take it. And work out the details later.

 

[domerduck]

I was thinking a Possible new football league but if say the ACC called and offered a football only membership we would take it. And work out the details later.

If the ACC goes to 16 teams (assuming ND is #15), I'd say Cincy would be #1 choice unless West Va were to defect from the Big 12 which would be better for them. Both are strong in MBB but WVa is stronger in WBB & Olympic sports. I guess a third possibility might be UCF, but the other two help ND and Pitt and the ACC already has 2 Florida teams.

Nobody in the Big 10 or SEC are leaving, the conference given their TV contracts and both might even go after ACC/Big12 teams or ND if they try to get to 16 teams. The PAC12 is certainly willing to become the PAC16 as they almost had a deal with Texas/TT and Oklahoma/OSU the last realignment. If that happens the Big12 is dead and there will be 4 super conferences with 16 teams each.

UConn's football just has zero cache so the ACC for football is a pipe dream.

 

[ZooCougar]

If we can play those schools every year anyways and not be in a football conference then what difference would it make? Why give up the advantages of sovereignty and independence. It's not like the media fees would be all that great.

 

[UC1995]

I still think independent school pods that are aligned to one or two Power 5 conferences would be the smartest way to go if they want to play big-time football but can't handle the costs for all other sports. The challenge is to have them join a conference in all other sports. I don't think you need that many teams to get the benefit of this alliance.

 

[MUsince96]

You all have put together some nice independent schedules. The only drawback I see is not being eligible for the NY6 access bowl. That's why I wondered about a football only spot in a G5 with a Northern wing.

 

[Dooooooomed]

More schools should go Indy. Not sure where Marshall would park their Olympics tho.

 

[Hogoff]

More schools should go Indy. Not sure where Marshall would park their Olympics tho.

I would think the OVC would take Marshall.

 

[ZooCougar]

I would think Marshall would be a fit in the MAC.

 

[Hogoff]

I would think Marshall would be a fit in the MAC.

Definitely for all sports, but I’m not sure the MAC would take take just the Olympic sports.

 

[ZooCougar]

Definitely for all sports, but I’m not sure the MAC would take take just the Olympic sports.

That's what I was thinking.

 

[MUsince96]

From this Marshall fans perspective, I'd love to be in a more regional Olympic sports league with teams like JMU, ODU, Delaware, Charlotte, App State, WKU etc.

But on the football side of the conference include UConn, UMass and Army as football only additions.

It's purely my opinion, but I think flagship U's and a military school add name recognition and credibility with the average Joe and TV networks for a better TV deal.

On the football side we'd have 3 state flagships, a military school, and 2 of the biggest G5 names in Marshall and App State.

In return UConn, UMass, and Army join a football league that could rival the AAC and MWC giving them access to the NY6 bowl. While keeping their Olympic sports where they want. (Big East, A10, Patriot)

 

[hardcorehusky]

If the ACC goes to 16 teams (assuming ND is #15), I'd say Cincy would be #1 choice unless West Va were to defect from the Big 12 which would be better for them. Both are strong in MBB but WVa is stronger in WBB & Olympic sports. I guess a third possibility might be UCF, but the other two help ND and Pitt and the ACC already has 2 Florida teams.

Nobody in the Big 10 or SEC are leaving, the conference given their TV contracts and both might even go after ACC/Big12 teams or ND if they try to get to 16 teams. The PAC12 is certainly willing to become the PAC16 as they almost had a deal with Texas/TT and Oklahoma/OSU the last realignment. If that happens the Big12 is dead and there will be 4 super conferences with 16 teams each.

UConn's football just has zero cache so the ACC for football is a pipe dream.

WVU and Cinncinati do not have the commitment to Olympic sports. Cinnci just dropped men's soccer and WVU doesn't have a team either. That won't fit well with the ACC.

 

[MUsince96]

WVU plays soccer in the MAC.

 

[Bongo Fury]

G

From this Marshall fans perspective, I'd love to be in a more regional Olympic sports league with teams like JMU, ODU, Delaware, Charlotte, App State, WKU etc.

But on the football side of the conference include UConn, UMass and Army as football only additions.

It's purely my opinion, but I think flagship U's and a military school add name recognition and credibility with the average Joe and TV networks for a better TV deal.

On the football side we'd have 3 state flagships, a military school, and 2 of the biggest G5 names in Marshall and App State.

In return UConn, UMass, and Army join a football league that could rival the AAC and MWC giving them access to the NY6 bowl. While keeping their Olympic sports where they want. (Big East, A10, Patriot)
[/QUOTE
good luck with the tv deal. No matter how good the programs, the networks want to pay as little as possible

 

[uconNYC]

UConn's football just has zero cache so the ACC for football is a pipe dream.

I have little hope of getting into a major conference, but I will say that memories are extremely short in the sports world. If UConn has a few strong seasons in football, combined with men's basketball returning to elite status, UConn would be as attractive as anyone in potential realignments.

 

[billybud]

WVU and Cinncinati do not have the commitment to Olympic sports. Cinnci just dropped men's soccer and WVU doesn't have a team either. That won't fit well with the ACC.

Neither does FSU.

 

[buddy]

Then they should be thrown out!