A UConn Guide to the Big East

[AllAbout5]

Wintrust is DePaul's new place.

Thanks I feel like a dumb ass now

 

[John]

The original 4 were Providence (Gavitt), St. Johns, Georgetown, and Cuse. They invited the others in for formation of the conference. Seton Hall, UConn, and BC accepted invites and were part of the first season (7 teams).

Rutgers turned down an initial offer as it felt closer to its Eastern Eight affiliation with Penn State. The eastern Eight at the time was Villanova, Duquesne, Penn State, West Virginia, George Washington, Massachusetts, Pittsburgh, and Rutgers.

Holy Cross was considered and there were discussions. They may or may not have been formally invited, but they did not have the interest and did not join.

Villanova joined in time for the start of the 2nd year, leaving the Eastern Eight for the new Big East. Villanova was a credible Div 1A football at the time (see Howie Long).

The formation of the Big East created a conflict for Penn State. JoePa floated forming a football centric eastern conference, but Cuse and BC prevented that by preferring to stay in the newly formed Big East. Without being able to pull them away, Penn State's back-up was to ask to join the Big East. The Big East was a basketball centric conference, and with Penn State's request they considered the expansion. Some thought Pitt would be a better basketball partner, and most thought that they should invite only one of the two rivals. Pitt was chosen over Penn State and joined in the conference's 4th year.

Wasn't Holy Cross approached to be part of the original group, and when they said no then UConn was approached instead? I'm pretty sure HC was a very early target.

 

[Guapo]

Wasn't Holy Cross approached to be part of the original group, and when they said no then UConn was approached instead? I'm pretty sure HC was a very early target.

Nope, both HC and UConn were part of the original plan.

 

[mauconnfan]

Georgetown was the dark side back in the day. Pinkney was a beast. #34 had to battle many in those days.

View attachment 44288

Loved Tim Coles. Undersized beast always played like a man and handled the paint in a big way for a 6'7 center. Take him right now please!!

 

[kobe]

never liked ucant anyways easily like my 32nd favorite team. later loserz

 

[Zissou]

Yeah I’m aware quantity does not equal quality, but the UConn fan base in many ways is underrated nationally imo.

Realizing that there will be a bump in UConn interest, I'm going to rate the fan bases just off of the top of my head with no research.

1. Marquette
2. Creighton
3. Nova
4. Xavier
5. Providence
6. UConn
7. St Johns
8. Butler
9. Georgetown
10. Seton Hall
11. DePaul

I should pull up the home attendance for last year, but I didn't.

 

[Guapo]

Realizing that there will be a bump in UConn interest, I'm going to rate the fan bases just off of the top of my head with no research.

1. Marquette
2. Creighton
3. Nova
4. Xavier
5. Providence
6. UConn
7. St Johns
8. Butler
9. Georgetown
10. Seton Hall
11. DePaul

I should pull up the home attendance for last year, but I didn't.

Based on what?

 

[Pudge]

Realizing that there will be a bump in UConn interest, I'm going to rate the fan bases just off of the top of my head with no research.

1. Marquette
2. Creighton
3. Nova
4. Xavier
5. Providence
6. UConn
7. St Johns
8. Butler
9. Georgetown
10. Seton Hall
11. DePaul

I should pull up the home attendance for last year, but I didn't.

Silly

Friday or Saturday night in the MSG BET, there’s none like us.

 

[Zissou]

Silly

Friday or Saturday night in the MSG BET, there’s none like us.

You haven't been around for a while. The last few years have been pretty great.

 

[Zissou]

Based on what?

Fans showing up and actively supporting the team.

 

[Guapo]

Fans showing up and actively supporting the team.

Just based on gut or...?

I would also caution against using raw attendance numbers to measure this.

 

[Zissou]

Just based on gut or...?

I would also caution against using raw attendance numbers to measure this.

Gut, watching the games, seeing how the fans travel, NYC BET every year, etc. I went to Nova at UConn two years ago, but only watched the MSG neutral site on TV last year. I do go to a lot of games.

 

[kobe]

here's a primer to xavier fans:

think of that all boys catholic high school and how obnoxious those kids are and multiply by 1000.

 

[Guapo]

Gut, watching the games, seeing how the fans travel, NYC BET every year, etc. I went to Nova at UConn two years ago, but only watched the MSG neutral site on TV last year. I do go to a lot of games.

That’s fine. Just as long we acknowledge that you’re not basing this on any real statistical analysis.

I will say this to expand on what I meant by UConn fandom being different by nature of it being a flagship state school; UConn, and it’s athletic department, are woven into the fabric of the state’s culture, especially in greater Hartford and the northern and eastern part of the state, in a way that a tiny religious school cannot be in their respective cities. It’s difficult to explain unless you’ve lived it.

And thats not to take anything away from Villanova and the other schools and their fans. I’m very excited to be in a conference with teams with real fanbases again.

But, for lack of a better phrase, in Connecticut “it just means more.”

(And I acknowledge that this is also a gooey gut based response )

 

[Zissou]

That’s fine. Just as long we acknowledge that you’re not basing this on any real statistical analysis.

I will say this to expand on what I meant by UConn fandom being different by nature of it being a flagship state school; UConn, and it’s athletic department, are woven into the fabric of the state’s culture, especially in greater Hartford and the northern and eastern part of the state, in a way that a tiny religious school cannot be in their respective cities. It’s difficult to explain unless you’ve lived it.

And thats not to take anything away from Villanova and the other schools and their fans. I’m very excited to be in a conference with teams with real fanbases again.

But, for lack of a better phrase, in Connecticut “it just means more.”

(And I acknowledge that this is also a gooey gut based response )

The Top 60 are 8,000+ average attendance. This doesn't tell the whole story but it is relevant. Nova plays on campus to an always sold out 6,500 crowd, and averages up with its games at WFC (Sixers arena).

Seton Hall and DePaul don't make the Top 60, but neither do big state schools like various P5 teams (and FSU).

 

[MU in MKE]

I will say this to expand on what I meant by UConn fandom being different by nature of it being a flagship state school; UConn, and it’s athletic department, are woven into the fabric of the state’s culture, especially in greater Hartford and the northern and eastern part of the state, in a way that a tiny religious school cannot be in their respective cities. It’s difficult to explain unless you’ve lived it.

If anyone gets this, it is a Marquette fan. In Wisconsin you have two high major MBB programs in University of Wisconsin Madison and Marquette. Wisconsin fans have the same perspective as described above. The media tends to cover the Badgers to a much greater extent. It is almost expected that if you live in WI that you are a Badger fan. This is infuriating to MU fans and has created a fierce rivalry.

However, in the end, they both have strong fan bases and the product is more exciting because of the dynamic. If you think being a state school somehow raises UConn above the rest of the conference, you may find otherwise. Where a state school has pure numbers of alumni and a general presence, the smaller private colleges usually have a much more engaged (as a percentage) following.

 

[Zissou]

I feel more confident in my gut ranking after looking at the numbers!

 

[mauconnfan]

I feel more confident in my gut ranking after looking at the numbers!

Ask St Johns old coach Jarvis (they wouldn’t have a Saturday game anymore because it wasn’t a home game so many of us showed up) and Tom Izzo about UConn at MSG. No one travels better there than UConn in the Big East period, new or old league. We need to win again as well as get some solid rivalries going again which will happen. Then maybe we allow Huskymania to return.

 

[Pudge]

View attachment 44406

The Top 60 are 8,000+ average attendance. This doesn't tell the whole story but it is relevant. Nova plays on campus to an always sold out 6,500 crowd, and averages up with its games at WFC (Sixers arena).

Seton Hall and DePaul don't make the Top 60, but neither do big state schools like various P5 teams (and FSU).

Pffft

You’re Soon going to make the case for Siena being in the Big East

Whatever. On a night in MSG, given proximity or wealth or passion, the UConn Fanbase dominates. Roar

 

[Guapo]

I feel more confident in my gut ranking after looking at the numbers!

Lol, I can make up my own list based totally on subjective reasoning in which UConn is number 1

 

[Zissou]

Here's 2018, slightly different format.

 

[Guapo]

Here's 2018, slightly different format.
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I cannot believe you’re attempting to measure this using attendance numbers

 

[Zissou]

I cannot believe you’re attempting to measure this using attendance numbers

"This doesn't tell the whole story but it is relevant."