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It isn't because of the termination clause insisted upon by NBC and inherited by ESPN which specifically mentions UConn;
It isn't because of Delany's slip concerning southern New England and Northern Virginia;
It isn't because of persistent rumblings from Big Ten AD's and media personnel with respect to their open fondness for east coast exposure;
It isn't because of Delany's comment this week that one of the reasons that Rutgers and Maryland were added was to combat the ACC's entry into "New York and Pennsylvania";
It isn't because of UConn unprecedented commitment to STEM funding and research, research, research, Jackson Park, Storrs Tech Center, and the poaching of high-value professors from elite universities;
It isn't because of Herbst's silence on UConn's long-term strategy and goal to improve its conference position;
It isn't because of Manuel's invisibility on the most pressing issue facing the athletic department;
It's because UConn agreed to something that it otherwise did not have to, and to which any prudent institution would have demurred, had it believed it was in the Metro/American 12 for a more than a temporary period of time. And that is allowing Navy to keep its home game revenue for and through the 2015, 2016, and 2017 season. The Big East's agreement runs through 2020. Who knows, and I doubt that even Navy does, what will happen after the 2017 season, but this much is known now:
UConn could have kept it's home tv rights, at least with respect to nonconference games, for basketball, both men's and women's, as well as it's home football tv rights which includes games against Michigan and Tennessee. Parenthetically, they already have a partner that can easily produce and sell the games.
It is specious to suggest that since Navy already was contractually obligated to CBS that that is the reason why it gets to keep the revenue. This revenue with a stroke of a pen could be assigned to the Metro 12/American 12. But it wasn't. It is neither a difficult thing to do this, nor is it unprecedented. In fact, it is the opposite It is easy and usual. yet the slippery slope was greased further, and UConn purposefully did not take advantage of it.
The addition of Navy for football is not needed in the sense that the Metro/American 12 needed to acquiesce to what objectively is a sweetheart deal. They provide imbalance with olympic sports, and with their most valuable attribute taken off the table ( Navy/Notre Dame and Army/Navy) what value then does Navy bring? That is why Tulsa, then UMass, will be added to the American 12/Metro 12. With Navy and its sweetheart deal, that is a comfortable 12 team conference.
And for all the faults that we attribute to Herbst and Manuel, there is no way that they would have not bargained for this had they believed that it would have mattered. And the only way that it would not matter would be if UConn isn't in the Metro/American 12.
It isn't because of Delany's slip concerning southern New England and Northern Virginia;
It isn't because of persistent rumblings from Big Ten AD's and media personnel with respect to their open fondness for east coast exposure;
It isn't because of Delany's comment this week that one of the reasons that Rutgers and Maryland were added was to combat the ACC's entry into "New York and Pennsylvania";
It isn't because of UConn unprecedented commitment to STEM funding and research, research, research, Jackson Park, Storrs Tech Center, and the poaching of high-value professors from elite universities;
It isn't because of Herbst's silence on UConn's long-term strategy and goal to improve its conference position;
It isn't because of Manuel's invisibility on the most pressing issue facing the athletic department;
It's because UConn agreed to something that it otherwise did not have to, and to which any prudent institution would have demurred, had it believed it was in the Metro/American 12 for a more than a temporary period of time. And that is allowing Navy to keep its home game revenue for and through the 2015, 2016, and 2017 season. The Big East's agreement runs through 2020. Who knows, and I doubt that even Navy does, what will happen after the 2017 season, but this much is known now:
UConn could have kept it's home tv rights, at least with respect to nonconference games, for basketball, both men's and women's, as well as it's home football tv rights which includes games against Michigan and Tennessee. Parenthetically, they already have a partner that can easily produce and sell the games.
It is specious to suggest that since Navy already was contractually obligated to CBS that that is the reason why it gets to keep the revenue. This revenue with a stroke of a pen could be assigned to the Metro 12/American 12. But it wasn't. It is neither a difficult thing to do this, nor is it unprecedented. In fact, it is the opposite It is easy and usual. yet the slippery slope was greased further, and UConn purposefully did not take advantage of it.
The addition of Navy for football is not needed in the sense that the Metro/American 12 needed to acquiesce to what objectively is a sweetheart deal. They provide imbalance with olympic sports, and with their most valuable attribute taken off the table ( Navy/Notre Dame and Army/Navy) what value then does Navy bring? That is why Tulsa, then UMass, will be added to the American 12/Metro 12. With Navy and its sweetheart deal, that is a comfortable 12 team conference.
And for all the faults that we attribute to Herbst and Manuel, there is no way that they would have not bargained for this had they believed that it would have mattered. And the only way that it would not matter would be if UConn isn't in the Metro/American 12.
