A Nova proposal for UConn to the Big East

[Zissou]

Wichita State to the AAC fits well into the UConn to the Big East scenario.

With he proposed plan of 6 UConn games and 1 Nova game into the AAC OOC schedule, plus Wichita State in conference, the net effect is a higher RPI SOS for the remaining AAC schools.

If UConn keeps football-only in the AAC, they make out better financially with a full Big East payout and an 80% share of an AAC payout. The Big East 100% share will be greater than the 20% of the AAC that UConn gives up.

Come home, UConn.

 

[Bobol]

......If UConn keeps football-only in the AAC......

Even if UConn desired to pursue your cockamamie suggestion that it quit the ACC in all sports but football and join the New Big East, then why in the world do you believe that that the AAC would agree that UConn could keep its football program in that AAC ?

IMO the AAC would tell UConn that its membership must be all sports or nothing.

 

[Zissou]

Even if UConn desired to pursue your cockamamie suggestion that it quit the ACC in all sports but football and join the New Big East, then why in the world do you believe that that the AAC would agree that UConn could keep its football program in that AAC ?

IMO the AAC would tell UConn that its membership must be all sports or nothing.

I think you are on to something. That is one of the two scenarios if UConn made the switch to the Big East. The ACC would allow UConn football to stay, or it wouldn't.

 

[huskypantz]

Even if UConn desired to pursue your cockamamie suggestion that it quit the ACC in all sports but football and join the New Big East, then why in the world do you believe that that the AAC would agree that UConn could keep its football program in that AAC ?

IMO the AAC would tell UConn that its membership must be all sports or nothing.

They let Navy do it, so it would be an interesting conversation if it came to pass.

 

[Zissou]

They let Navy do it, so it would be an interesting conversation if it came to pass.

They not only have the precedent of Navy as football only, they have already placed a pay-out precedent to Navy, whatever that might be. I am guessing 80% for football only.

Come home, UConn. Big East Basketball. Nova, Georgetown, St. Johns, Xavier, Providence... MSG... you belong with us.

It's not all about money, or shouldn't be. But even if it were, the Big East Basketball plus the AAC Football is your best financial option. If the Big10 calls in 10 years, this doesn't stop you.

Who are your rivals in the AAC?

 

[Hoophound]

You really don't need to convince anyone of anything other than whether or not we can keep football in the AAC. There is literally no one here that prefers AAC basketball.

 

[Adios]

Doesn't matter, we're not leaving for the Big East. Please.

 

[TRest]

The Yard has no ability to decide our conference affiliation. Even though we shared a conference for 30 years or so, UConn has little in common with the tiny urban Catholic schools that make up the NBE. I just toured PC with my daughter, holy crap is that place tiny.

 

[Zissou]

You really don't need to convince anyone of anything other than whether or not we can keep football in the AAC. There is literally no one here that prefers AAC basketball.

I'm not so sure:

Even though we shared a conference for 30 years or so, UConn has little in common with the tiny urban Catholic schools that make up the NBE.

TRest, who are your AAC rivals? I am truly curious what AAC teams UConn fans really get excited about when your schedule comes out. And financially, the AAC doesn't pay. So why would you want your basketball in the AAC over the Big East? Or is it just that you are not used to someone wanting UConn,and the proposition is therefore emotionally confusing?

 

[Hoophound]

None. Everything you see now in terms of people preferring the AAC for basketball is self soothing. We do have something in common with those small Catholic schools, we were in the same conference for decades and made a lot of great memories. We also sold a lot of tickets.

Here is the issue I see going forward. If UConn doesn't get a P5 invite and remains in the AAC waiting and waiting, young fans won't value the old Big East rivals. It has been a few years and 15 year old boys are already losing any appreciation for PC or SJU. Those schools bring ticket sales and we have history with them. A few more years of this and UConn fans won't show up for a game against PC, the younger fans will no longer "get it". When that happens, we better be in the ACC or B1G because if we aren't, it's over.

 

[TRest]

I'm not so sure:


TRest, who are your AAC rivals? I am truly curious what AAC teams UConn fans really get excited about when your schedule comes out. And financially, the AAC doesn't pay. So why would you want your basketball in the AAC over the Big East? Or is it just that you are not used to someone wanting UConn,and the proposition is therefore emotionally confusing?

None, but that not in our control. The state spent $90 million for a football stadium, which is just a small part of the price to upgrade football. We can't walk away from it so easily. And Syracuse and Pitt were our biggest rivals in basketball near the end, most of the Catholic schools had already started their path to irrelevance.

 

[Zissou]

None. Everything you see now in terms of people preferring the AAC for basketball is self soothing. We do have something in common with those small Catholic schools, we were in the same conference for decades and made a lot of great memories. We also sold a lot of tickets.

Here is the issue I see going forward. If UConn doesn't get a P5 invite and remains in the AAC waiting and waiting, young fans won't value the old Big East rivals. It has been a few years and 15 year old boys are already losing any appreciation for PC or SJU. Those schools bring ticket sales and we have history with them. A few more years of this and UConn fans won't show up for a game against PC, the younger fans will no longer "get it". When that happens, we better be in the ACC or B1G because if we aren't, it's over.

Big East fans won't like to admit it, but if you join the Big East it is honestly only until if/when a P5 invite comes. The Big East is a better landing spot if the invite never comes, and a better waiting spot if it is for the next 5 or 10 years.

There are no sure bets on the future, regardless of what some of your fans think. It's better to be in a stronger alliance for at least the short term. Then take a P5 opportunity if it comes.

 

[Zissou]

None, but that not in our control. The state spent $90 million for a football stadium, which is just a small part of the price to upgrade football. We can't walk away from it so easily. And Syracuse and Pitt were our biggest rivals in basketball near the end, most of the Catholic schools had already started their path to irrelevance.

As reigning National Champs for one more day, I'm not feeling irrelevant.

You shouldn't walk away from football. You shouldn't punish basketball for it either (and all of your student athletes in other sports).

 

[HuskyinWRNY]

Big East fans won't like to admit it, but if you join the Big East it is honestly only until if/when a P5 invite comes. The Big East is a better landing spot if the invite never comes, and a better waiting spot if it is for the next 5 or 10 years.

There are no sure bets on the future, regardless of what some of your fans think. It's better to be in a stronger alliance for at least the short term. Then take a P5 opportunity if it comes.

And I'm not so sure we'll ever get a P5 invite.

 

[Zissou]

And I'm not so sure we'll ever get a P5 invite.

That is one very plausible scenario. It is also very possible that someday you do. Why wait it out in the AAC? Whether one comes or doesn't, the Big East is a better fit.

Some may argue that you need the AAC for football to stay best positioned for a P5 invite. The AAC doesn't give you a great platform. Low money, poor rivalries, low interest. It is a decent platform, but not a great platform. UConn should be able to competently negotiate a football-only deal like Navy's deal. If the AAC is heavy handed and won't make a deal, then do the independent route and may an alliance of independents, with the alliance doing its own TV deal (Fox, YES, SNY, regional sports net, etc).

If you start winning 9 or 10 games a year, the Big10 isn't going to look down too harshly on Independent vs. AAC.

 

[Zissou]

Syracuse and Pitt were our biggest rivals in basketball near the end, most of the Catholic schools had already started their path to irrelevance.

 

[Zissou]

Syracuse and Pitt were our biggest rivals in basketball near the end, most of the Catholic schools had already started their path to irrelevance.

Just an update for those that have not been following college basketball:

After Pitt and Cuse left you, UConn and Nova have each won a National Championship.

Pitt, the team that has not gone to the Final Four since joining the Big East in the early 80s, lost Jamie Dixon and hired Kevin Stallings as the replacement. Pitt fans are up in arms that they have lost their recruiting base in the NE corridor because they are now in the ACC and not playing in DC, Philly, and NY. They have more money, but that's about it. I don't miss Pitt and don't care about playing them. They might be the next BC.

Seton Hall has become the Pitt of the oBE. They are competitive, sometimes a bit nasty, and pull off some big wins. The only difference is that the Hall has competed for a National Championship in the modern era.

I would like to continue playing Cuse. JB was against the move to the ACC. Cuse was a factor in the ACC moving their tournament to Brooklyn and clearly misses MSG. It was an attempt at some NYC footprint, but was overshadowed by the Big East in MSG. Jimmy just played a Jay Leno and rescinded his retirement deal and the previously announced transition to Hopkins. Hopkins left in response.

I don't think Pitt or Cuse is more relevant since leaving the Big East. Pitt is surely much less.

The Big East placed 7 in the Tourney this year. I'll take X, Butler, and Creighton over Pitt, BC, Rutgers, VT, and WVU. The alliance loss regrets I have are UConn, Ville, and Cuse.

 

[TRest]

The Big East placed 7 in the Tourney this year. I'll take X, Butler, and Creighton over Pitt, BC, Rutgers, VT, and WVU. The alliance loss regrets I have are UConn, Ville, and Cuse.

You are selling us on rejoining our classic old rivals. I was on campus when the BE formed. X, Butler, Creighton aint them. Not to mention I haven't cared about playing Marquette, Seton Hall, St. Johns and Providence since the beginning of time. Basically, come back to the BE so we can play some meaningful games with Nova and maybe Gtown.

 

[don356]

If i read another comment about the New Big East and those 7 teams in this year's tourney i'm gonna puke. They all flamed out the first weekend and several of them would never have gotten in if Creighton and Xavier didn't completely tank in February. Providence, Seton Hall and Mq got quality wins at the expense of teams that were hurt and/or playing poorly. They are not that good.

 

[Zissou]

If i read another comment about the New Big East and those 7 teams in this year's tourney i'm gonna puke. They all flamed out the first weekend

Alternate facts. Google the bracket.

 

[HuskyinWRNY]

That is one very plausible scenario. It is also very possible that someday you do. Why wait it out in the AAC? Whether one comes or doesn't, the Big East is a better fit.

Some may argue that you need the AAC for football to stay best positioned for a P5 invite. The AAC doesn't give you a great platform. Low money, poor rivalries, low interest. It is a decent platform, but not a great platform. UConn should be able to competently negotiate a football-only deal like Navy's deal. If the AAC is heavy handed and won't make a deal, then do the independent route and may an alliance of independents, with the alliance doing its own TV deal (Fox, YES, SNY, regional sports net, etc).

If you start winning 9 or 10 games a year, the Big10 isn't going to look down too harshly on Independent vs. AAC.

This is all true. But I feel that if we were going to be included in the P5, we would have been there already. Everyone ids locked i with GOR's for quite some time. The P5 is now at a point where they can make money and plan how to take their cartel to the next level. I would not be surprised to see them split off eventually from the NCAA and form their own organization. They are very powerful politically as it is. I see them as the tail wagging the dog in the future.

 

[HuskyHawk]

This is really all about leverage. Who has it, and when. UConn will certainly be talking to Fox, and Aresco, and ESPN, and the Big East. I don't know what will happen, but I don't think our leadership is going to allow the new American Conf. contract to be negotiated unless UConn has options. If ESPN wants to lowball UConn and the AAC, and UConn can't get special treatment, we need to be able to walk. Whether that means BE plus Independent or something else, I don't know. But the threat has to be there. We can't survive in this league with the money it brings in.

I think Fox would love to steal UConn away from ESPN. As Fishy and others have pointed out, even in a bad year, UConn had far more ESPN, CBS and ESPN2 games than even most P5 programs. We are a cash cow for ESPN. Now, what would Fox do to make that happen? I don't know. What would ESPN do to keep it from happening? I don't know that either. But it's the scenario UConn has to rely upon.

Three scenarios I think are at least possible

• UConn stays in AAC, bigger payout and keeps tier 3 rights including perhaps a separate amount for WBB.
• UConn Olympics to ACC, football independent (with ACC scheduling deal) or AAC (ESPN tells AAC they want us there).
• UConn Olympics to Big East, football independent (with B1G scheduling deal). Hockey to B1G.

What I don't see is Big East plus AAC for football, unless Fox outbids ESPN for the next AAC deal. ESPN isn't going to do our football any favors if they lose basketball to Fox.

 

[buddy]

This is really all about leverage. Who has it, and when. UConn will certainly be talking to Fox, and Aresco, and ESPN, and the Big East. I don't know what will happen, but I don't think our leadership is going to allow the new American Conf. contract to be negotiated unless UConn has options. If ESPN wants to lowball UConn and the AAC, and UConn can't get special treatment, we need to be able to walk. Whether that means BE plus Independent or something else, I don't know. But the threat has to be there. We can't survive in this league with the money it brings in.

I think Fox would love to steal UConn away from ESPN. As Fishy and others have pointed out, even in a bad year, UConn had far more ESPN, CBS and ESPN2 games than even most P5 programs. We are a cash cow for ESPN. Now, what would Fox do to make that happen? I don't know. What would ESPN do to keep it from happening? I don't know that either. But it's the scenario UConn has to rely upon.

Three scenarios I think are at least possible

• UConn stays in AAC, bigger payout and keeps tier 3 rights including perhaps a separate amount for WBB.
• UConn Olympics to ACC, football independent (with ACC scheduling deal) or AAC (ESPN tells AAC they want us there).
• UConn Olympics to Big East, football independent (with B1G scheduling deal). Hockey to B1G.

What I don't see is Big East plus AAC for football, unless Fox outbids ESPN for the next AAC deal. ESPN isn't going to do our football any favors if they lose basketball to Fox.

If there was any scenario, which there isn't, as UConn will remain in the AAC all in, is the scenario that you don't see happening. Big East plus AAC for football, although unlikely, is the most likely of the 4 scenarios that you posted. The ACC does not want UConn and neither does the B1G for hockey or anything else. You did make me laugh when you speculated UConn hockey to the B1G with a football scheduling deal.

 

[MASSconn]

The only way UConn joins the ACC is if Notre Dame goes full athletics. The only way UConn joins the B1G is if Kansas leaves the B12 (or some crazy TX/OK scenario).

Other than that, The Big East is the best option right now. I know there have been rumblings but I would eat any fee to join. Would help our brand so much. I don't give a crap if it's all catholic schools, it's better than the laughing stock Conference USA filler conference.

 

[HuskyHawk]

If there was any scenario, which there isn't, as UConn will remain in the AAC all in, is the scenario that you don't see happening. Big East plus AAC for football, although unlikely, is the most likely of the 4 scenarios that you posted. The ACC does not want UConn and neither does the B1G for hockey or anything else. You did make me laugh when you speculated UConn hockey to the B1G with a football scheduling deal.

This is among the more ridiculous, uninformed posts I've seen on the CR board, and that is saying a lot. The B1G would take UConn hockey in a heartbeat. I think your view on what the ACC wants is equally uninformed. UConn has support among a number of ACC schools, and the ACCs recent football success means they don't have to focus on football. It's more about what ESPN needs for that new digital network it funded, and that is all about content that doesn't run on the main channels, and about subscribers and markets. The ACC is in a different place once that launches. We know the BTN would see UConn women's hoops as a huge moneymaker, and that the B1G already declared UConn football a P5 team for scheduling purposes.

Everything now is a play between the various networks. The Big XII expansion fell apart mostly because ESPN chose the ACC.

 

[don356]

Unfortunately the networks are no longer in a position to add incremental dollars to anything as they are more entrenched in their survival. I'm more optimistic that conference will again realign simply because the money is going to dry up sooner rather than later.

 

[Ha Who]

This is among the more ridiculous, uninformed posts I've seen on the CR board, and that is saying a lot. The B1G would take UConn hockey in a heartbeat. I think your view on what the ACC wants is equally uninformed. UConn has support among a number of ACC schools, and the ACCs recent football success means they don't have to focus on football. It's more about what ESPN needs for that new digital network it funded, and that is all about content that doesn't run on the main channels, and about subscribers and markets. The ACC is in a different place once that launches. We know the BTN would see UConn women's hoops as a huge moneymaker, and that the B1G already declared UConn football a P5 team for scheduling purposes.

Everything now is a play between the various networks. The Big XII expansion fell apart mostly because ESPN chose the ACC.

Wow, I guess we are in.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Wow, I guess we are in.

Did you even read it? There is a big assed wide gulf between "in" and "completely unwanted and out of consideration". It's where we've always been. I reject the notion that we aren't a school the ACC or B1G would want, if they wanted anybody.

 

[buddy]

This is among the more ridiculous, uninformed posts I've seen on the CR board, and that is saying a lot. The B1G would take UConn hockey in a heartbeat. I think your view on what the ACC wants is equally uninformed. UConn has support among a number of ACC schools, and the ACCs recent football success means they don't have to focus on football. It's more about what ESPN needs for that new digital network it funded, and that is all about content that doesn't run on the main channels, and about subscribers and markets. The ACC is in a different place once that launches. We know the BTN would see UConn women's hoops as a huge moneymaker, and that the B1G already declared UConn football a P5 team for scheduling purposes.

Everything now is a play between the various networks. The Big XII expansion fell apart mostly because ESPN chose the ACC.

If the B1G would take UConn hockey in a heartbeat, why haven't they? I think the B1G would take Quinnipiac hockey before they take UConn. Have you ever seen a UConn hockey game? They are pretty bad. What would UConn hockey bring to the B1G that makes them so attractive? At least half of the ACC schools are opposed to UConn that we are aware of: BC, FSU, Cuse, Clemson, GT, NC State. Women's basketball is meaningless in CR. It it was UConn would have been in a P5 Conference years ago. ESPN advised the Big 12 not to expand, thus the Big 12 took heed of that warning, had nothing to do with the ACCN. It is my opinion that your post, although I wish it were true, is the most ridiculous, uninformed post that I have ever read.

 

[buddy]

Did you even read it? There is a big assed wide gulf between "in" and "completely unwanted and out of consideration". It's where we've always been. I reject the notion that we aren't a school the ACC or B1G would want, if they wanted anybody.

They made UConn P5 so that Illinois and Indiana may play a team that they might be able to beat. Of course, that was pre-Edsall.