Dooley
Done with U-con athletics
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2012
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If this realignment is TRULY about adding TV marketshare, Notre Dame is the second most popular team in NYC (according to the demographics poll article in the NY Times) and UConn is fourth...ahead of Michigan, Syracuse, Miami, then Army. UConn and Notre Dame both also have a tremendous pull in Boston...a fact that many BC supporters are unwilling to admit. Why do you think rumors were swirling about a Notre Dame vs UCONN game at Fenway recently?? Notre Dame knows a game against UConn would carry much more national appeal and zest within Boston and the northeast. Pick up a copy of The Globe or turn NESN on your TV and you see UConn scores and news carried as often as Boston College. If the B1G wanted more of a northeast footprint for their TV network, it seems pretty obvious that ND and UConn would deliver the best.
Notre Dame would bring the football prestige and UConn would bring the basketball prestige. Both bring well respected academics. Both are not AAU members (neither was Nebraska) but are very highly ranked and respected.
Finally, I don't think people across the country realize the growth potential in UConn. Because of its location and being "the only show in town", all of its sports programs would explode if invited to the B1G. Similar to how UConn basketball became a national powerhouse program and UConn football has achieved early success since joining the Big East, a B1G invite would instantly expand Rentschler Field (which we all know was designed and built to accommodate very large expansions) and renovate the XL Center so that both programs can continue their unprecedented growth.
If conference expansion/re-alignment is truly about TV marketshare, academics and quality athletics, there really aren't two better options than Notre Dame and UConn. The B1G would be very smart and proactive to secure both to own majority marketshare in the highly coveted northeastern footprint.
Notre Dame would bring the football prestige and UConn would bring the basketball prestige. Both bring well respected academics. Both are not AAU members (neither was Nebraska) but are very highly ranked and respected.
Finally, I don't think people across the country realize the growth potential in UConn. Because of its location and being "the only show in town", all of its sports programs would explode if invited to the B1G. Similar to how UConn basketball became a national powerhouse program and UConn football has achieved early success since joining the Big East, a B1G invite would instantly expand Rentschler Field (which we all know was designed and built to accommodate very large expansions) and renovate the XL Center so that both programs can continue their unprecedented growth.
If conference expansion/re-alignment is truly about TV marketshare, academics and quality athletics, there really aren't two better options than Notre Dame and UConn. The B1G would be very smart and proactive to secure both to own majority marketshare in the highly coveted northeastern footprint.