AAC contract...

[uconnyankee]

My question is this:
If The Big East becomes even stronger and more popular with UConn driving the ratings, the basketball program returns to deep NCAA runs, and the football team (Independent) beats up on nobody teams while reducing the athletic deficit, does UConn not become more attractive for the next round of expansion?
As opposed to living in the basement of the fifth or sixth best football conference while the basketball programs sputter in front of 350 people, but the baseball team has a slightly higher RPI?

Yes. Next round of expansion, UConn can hope for invite to AAC.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Did you really just pick the 3 best AAC teams and 3 worst Big East teams and try to argue that people think the AAC ones are better than the Big East ones?
Stop.

Well people keep saying "Nova, Georgetown, PC instead of ECU, Tulsa, and Tulane so....

 

[Adios]

98% chance we were not getting into the P5? Wow. We're one of the richest and winningest G5 athletic departments but we only have a 2% chance. Sandwiched in between NYC and Boston, too.

Louisville suffered much worse than us and they still fought.

 

[Doctor Hoop]

I am less concerned about the revenue model of the new conference and football deal than I am with the intangible feeling we no longer have real aspirations to be in the power conferences. That hope dies with this move and we all know how hope matters when you are in Shawshank.

First, absolute props for the Shawshank reference.

Second, I haven't weighed in to this point because, like with almost every argument on the 'yard I can see and sympathize with both sides. The AAC seemed to be getting better year-by-year in both football* and basketball. There was a not-insignificant chance that enough AAC football teams would get good enough to challenge the power conferences in bowls regularly. Maybe not Alabama, Auburn or OSU, but most others were on the table for competitive games for Cincy, Temple, Memphis, Houston. Plus, rivalries and conference growth takes time.

But that AAC contract stunk to high heaven, and tied things up until 2032, no matter how good the football got. Ugh. And UConn is basketball first and second, baseball and field hockey and soccer and hockey third, and football fourth. The conference was always a marriage of red-headed step children, and while in the conference we were one of them.

Still, I agree on that intangible feeling. I have that too, and it's sad. Hoping that as an independent the school can schedule and recruit well enough to keep football going, and that a P5 eventually comes calling. There are a lot of schools that lose money on their athletic programs, but keep them going anyway for other reasons.

*except us

 

[gtcam]

Although the new BE is not as exciting as the old one, it is probable that there will be some excitement in the short term for a return.

Probable short term gain for possible long term pain
Don't know if that is the way to go but agree it may create more excitement around mens basketball
Also - I think Geno may have something to say about what is the Marquee sport at UConn!!!!

 

[Adios]

Wonder why the AD crticized the fanbase for not going to AAC in-conference games.

So we could look good to the Big East?

 

[That Guy]

98% chance we were not getting into the P5? Wow. We're one of the richest and winningest G5 athletic departments but we only have a 2% chance. Sandwiched in between NYC and Boston, too.

Louisville suffered much worse than us and they still fought.

I am a lifelong Connecticut resident, UConn alum, and die-hard UConn fan and even I can admit that we are NEVER, and I mean NEVER getting a P5 invite. We didn't receive one when we had one of the best periods of success for our school, we had just won a national title in MBB, our football program just came off a BCS bowl appearance, WBB was continuing to DOMINATE, and our academics were FAR superior to Louisville's. Even with all that we STILL couldn't get that invite. Few years later, B12 is thinking about expanding, they take a long hard look at us and say "no thanks". And here we are now with a MBB program thats fallen on hard times and the worst FBS program in the country and you still think that we are somehow getting a P5 invite in 5 or 6 years?! As much as it pains me to say this, Cincy, Houston, and even UCF are all much more appealing options for invites than we are.

 

[BRG 1]

A couple of thoughts.....

1. With UConn / Hurley coming to the BE I believe EVERYONE else will up their game recruiting wise. Now a recruit will come to UConn knowing he will play against his high school teammates/ childhood friends from the block twice a year AND in March in front of family in the Garden, not in another conference in front of nobody in a cavernous arena.
2. How many people on BONEYARD had a kid who went to UConn or PC or Villanova, nephew at Set on Hall, kid's best friend at GTown, etc.? I bet the best friend / nephew didn't go to Houston, East Carolina or UCF. So games in BE become family affairs, driving interest. Many fans/alums of all schools are boomers who are Nostalgic, driving interest. Finally many UConn friends told me they REALLY missed driving/busing to THE MECCA (Garden) and could care less about UCF or Memphis hosted tournaments. Olympic sports recruiting I believe will get a boost- another chance at going to a school competing in front of family and friends at top flight level.

 

[StunningSteve]

The NBE media deal had a clause that increased the value if an 11th team was added. Let's wait to see what the new deal looks like after everything is finalized.

It’s a pro-rata share. 4 million.

Also, it’s FS1 so the value of the exposure (eyeballs) is a value of the deal that isn’t quantified in many spread sheets.

In many ways the value of the exposure is worth much more (or less) than the monetary value on the deal.

 

[djct1999]

Yes. Next round of expansion, UConn can hope for invite to AAC.

Hopefully we say NO this time.

 

[djct1999]

98% chance we were not getting into the P5? Wow. We're one of the richest and winningest G5 athletic departments but we only have a 2% chance. Sandwiched in between NYC and Boston, too.

Louisville suffered much worse than us and they still fought.

And the richest and winningest G5 atheletic department saw the writing on the wall. If they can't get an invite to the big dance, who can? You don't make this decision without knowing expansion won't happen. Ever, Surely, the rest of the G5 will follow.

 

[StunningSteve]

1. With UConn / Hurley coming to the BE I believe EVERYONE else will up their game recruiting wise.

Hurley has already made it clear in many podcasts that his recruiting model is more geared toward development.

This years recruiting class was a solid Top 20 class. I don’t see him swimming further upstream than this.

He still won’t get certain guys (Kofi, Achiuwa, Wahab, etc) because he only appeals to certain guys that want that style of coach.

The idea that the brand now has some magic that will draw Duke classes is very optimistic. Most schools in the big east aren’t getting Top 100s.

He basically landed a class in the AAC that he will try to replicate in future classes.

 

[superjohn]

Hurley has already made it clear in many podcasts that his recruiting model is more geared toward development.

This years recruiting class was a solid Top 20 class. I don’t see him swimming further upstream than this.

He still won’t get certain guys (Kofi, Achiuwa, Wahab, etc) because he only appeals to certain guys that want that style of coach.

The idea that the brand now has some magic that will draw Duke classes is very optimistic. Most schools in the big east aren’t getting Top 100s.

He basically landed a class in the AAC that he will try to replicate in future classes.

There is so much dumb stuff said here.

 

[StunningSteve]

There is so much dumb stuff said here.

I really like UConns class. I hope it’s not dumb.

Time will tell.

 

[3rdbass]

Hurley has already made it clear in many podcasts that his recruiting model is more geared toward development.

This years recruiting class was a solid Top 20 class. I don’t see him swimming further upstream than this.

He still won’t get certain guys (Kofi, Achiuwa, Wahab, etc) because he only appeals to certain guys that want that style of coach.

The idea that the brand now has some magic that will draw Duke classes is very optimistic. Most schools in the big east aren’t getting Top 100s.

He basically landed a class in the AAC that he will try to replicate in future classes.

So you are saying the cache of Big East won't help us over playing in the AAC? Ok you are a very delusional.

 

[StunningSteve]

There is so much dumb stuff said here.

There’s a podcast he just did with the Courant I believe, in which he talks about certain kids not being cut out for his style, and ending other recruitments very early because many kids are too caught up with making the NBA.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The P5 is more likely to get smaller than bigger. If Texas and Oklahoma leave the Big 12, that league is worse than the American. Betting on a P5 invitation was stupid once Louisville took the last slot in the ACC.

 

[StunningSteve]

So you are saying the cache of Big East won't help us over playing in the AAC? Ok you are a very delusional.

The idea there’s a cache in the first place isnt born out by the conference recruiting as a whole vs other conferences.

Nova pulls great classes. Xavier has 1 Top 100.
Otoh, Memphis has the #1 class. Houston has two Top 100s in 2020.

 

[Waquoit]

There’s a podcast he just did with the Courant I believe, in which he talks about certain kids not being cut out for his style, and ending other recruitments very early because kids are too caught up with the NBA.

So you took that mean his recruiting level has reached a ceiling pre-move? That's a big leap. I bet more doors that would never consider the AAC open up now.

 

[bendm]

The idea there’s a cache in the first place isnt born out by the conference recruiting as a whole vs other conferences.

what.a.hater.

so funny.

PS- hurley disagrees with you.

 

[Rico444]

There’s a podcast he just did with the Courant I believe, in which he talks about certain kids not being cut out for his style, and ending other recruitments very early because many kids are too caught up with making the NBA.

Calhoun had the same high standards for kids he recruited; that doesn't mean he wasn't able to put together some terrific classes.

 

[StunningSteve]

So you took that mean his recruiting level has reached a ceiling pre-move? That's a big leap. I bet more doors that would never consider the AAC open up now.

That may or may not be true.
If Benedict was indeed going through channels these last 6 months, it’s likely that the 2019 class was fully aware they were going to play elsewhere.
So, this class may be an early reading.
Most schools will nudge recruits and tell them these things.
I’ll add that UConns 2019 class is disproportionate with ordinary classes in that league. Ranked much higher.

 

[StunningSteve]

Calhoun had the same high standards for kids he recruited; that doesn't mean he wasn't able to put together some terrific classes.

Jim Calhoun recruited to a much richer conference and he had ESPN.

There are too many people blinded by nostalgia in here.

 

[3rdbass]

The idea there’s a cache in the first place isnt born out by the conference recruiting as a whole vs other conferences.

Nova pulls great classes. Xavier has 1 Top 100.
Otoh, Memphis has the #1 class. Houston has two Top 100s in 2020.

Memphis isn't due to the AAC. It is due to Penny's AAU connections and Houston is the best team in the league. You are still delusional if selling recruits the chance to play local teams like G-Town, Villanova, Seton Hall, Marquette, Butler and Xavier don't have more attraction than Houston, SMU, USF and UCF. Cincy is the only basketball team I will miss. At least they will be playing in mostly sold out stadiums compared to 3K to 4K people in some of those others. Also, UConn at MSG just sounds so good. A lot better than playing in Memphis or Dallas for the tourney. This is definitely going to help our recruiting and to think otherwise is a little delusional. Now it hurts football big time but we are talking about basketball recruiting here.

 

[Rico444]

Jim Calhoun recruited to a much richer conference and he had ESPN.

There are too many people blinded by nostalgia in here.

That wasn't the point I was arguing, though. You said there are certain kids Hurley won't get because they're too focused on the NBA. Calhoun had to deal with the same thing but he still found supremely talented kids that were willing to work hard and play to win. If Hurley has success in the Big East you can be damn sure he'll be able to reel in bigger fish than he did in 2019.