AAC going to 16, why not?

[Fishy]

If the Big 12 only loses two schools, they're just going to backfill with two teams and that will almost certainly mean we're even worse off than we are now.

 

[CTBballfan243]

The ACC already soiled their academic profile by inviting Louisville to the conference. If the B12 breaks up, the ACC will grab WVU to keep football schools happy and Kansas to keep the basketball schools happy. We will be left at the station with our face pressed up against the glass as the last train leaves the station for the P5.

 

[Sky ball]

If the Big 12 only loses two schools, they're just going to backfill with two teams and that will almost certainly mean we're even worse off than we are now.

Houston and Cinci to Big 12.

 

[billybud]

The ACC already soiled their academic profile by inviting Louisville to the conference. If the B12 breaks up, the ACC will grab WVU to keep football schools happy and Kansas to keep the basketball schools happy. We will be left at the station with our face pressed up against the glass as the last train leaves the station for the P5.

Take a lap...

 

[Fishy]

I don't think academics will keep West Virginia out of the ACC, but essentially being in the same television market as Pittsburgh likely would.

 

[billybud]

Kansas seems a real outlier to an east of the Missippi conference...more likely a Big 10 pull if Oklahoma bolts.

 

[Fishy]

I'd agree - it's hard to see how Kansas fits into the ACC.

I'm not convinced they fit into the Big Ten either.

 

[dayooper]

I'd agree - it's hard to see how Kansas fits into the ACC.

I'm not convinced they fit into the Big Ten either.

Yeah, by themselves Kansas really doesn't fit. As a tag along with a school like Oklahoma, they do.

Kansas has a national basketball brand that is noticed by the casual fan. There are some Big10 presidents that have their doubts on how long football will be the top dog so a school like Kansas would appeal to them. Yes, UConn would as well, in my book.

 

[dogged1]

The ACC already soiled their academic profile by inviting Louisville to the conference. If the B12 breaks up, the ACC will grab WVU to keep football schools happy and Kansas to keep the basketball schools happy. We will be left at the station with our face pressed up against the glass as the last train leaves the station for the P5.

Have to agree with this, but I can't press the like button.

 

[Adios]

Yeah, by themselves Kansas really doesn't fit. As a tag along with a school like Oklahoma, they do.

Kansas has a national basketball brand that is noticed by the casual fan. There are some Big10 presidents that have their doubts on how long football will be the top dog so a school like Kansas would appeal to them. Yes, UConn would as well, in my book.

It's surprising people would think Kansas has more appeal than Connecticut. I mean, really? Vast cornfields are superior to Connecticut. Some crap said here is mind boggling. We have way more elite schools in New England than New Jersey or Pennsylvania. Or Kansas.

I know much of this board thinks women don't matter, but pageantry does matter to school presidents, since college is essentially pageantry. A Big 10 vs SEC women's basketball challenge would require UConn (vs Tennessee). No one else in the Big 10 is relevant. UMD and Purdue only have one national championship each.

Football is going to stick around. The sport is not disappearing and will still have a strong following. Just an issue of whether it matters the sport being #1 in perception, since sports interests have become more diverse with time.

(UConn women's basketball will be in very good hands with Shea Ralph, too.)

 

[CL82]

It's surprising people would think Kansas has more appeal than Connecticut. I mean, really? Vast cornfields are superior to Connecticut. Some crap said here is mind boggling. We have way more elite schools in New England than New Jersey or Pennsylvania. Or Kansas.

I know much of this board thinks women don't matter, but pageantry does matter to school presidents, since college is essentially pageantry. A Big 10 vs SEC women's basketball challenge would require UConn (vs Tennessee). No one else in the Big 10 is relevant. UMD and Purdue only have one national championship each.

Football is going to stick around. The sport is not disappearing and will still have a strong following. Just an issue of whether it matters the sport being #1 in perception, since sports interests have become more diverse with time.

(UConn women's basketball will be in very good hands with Shea Ralph, too.)

Kansas is a better geographic fit if they decide to take Okla. and is already AAU. It isn't unreasonable for the Big 10 to invite them under that circumstance.

 

[SubZero]

Isn't the mid-west more conservative? Why would they want a liberal school from the Northeast?

 

[billybud]

Kansas is a better geographic fit if they decide to take Okla. and is already AAU. It isn't unreasonable for the Big 10 to invite them under that circumstance.

I also think it is not unreasonable......ties together Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota as part of the Big Ten West.

 

[chicago312]

Isn't the mid-west more conservative? Why would they want a liberal school from the Northeast?

You have to separate the Great Plains from the Great Lakes. Culturally, they are very different though once you get out of cities these days the cultural/political gap fades pretty quickly. As for schools, most B1G universities are pretty liberal--Wisconsin and Michigan above all, but Illinois, OSU, Indiana, Minnesota, Sparty and Iowa are all very liberal campuses. Purdue, Nebraska and The Peds seem to be the more conservative campuses in the conference.

That being said, they are still large flagship state campuses, and there's a bit of everything on all of them. Hell, even Berkeley has plenty of frat boy, young Republican, business majors on campus.

 

[kobe]

We need to decrease the number of schools in the AAC, not increase. ECU and Tulane should be booted yesterday.

 

[temery]

That would be like an overloaded special ed class. Nothing would get done.

 

[Adios]

Kansas is a better geographic fit if they decide to take Okla. and is already AAU. It isn't unreasonable for the Big 10 to invite them under that circumstance.

When Delany has made clear he wants to expand to the coast? There are many reasons why he is fixated on eastwards expansion to the coast. And UConn certainly is doing it's part to fill that role. Already declaring Big Ten schools to be peer schools. Which is quite a bold step.

 

[Adios]

Isn't the mid-west more conservative? Why would they want a liberal school from the Northeast?

You are aware that universities are generally liberal? Unless run directly by smaller religious organizations where mass marketing doesn't matter.

The states that voted for Hillary are going to look heroic in the future. I never voted, don't care for politics. So yeah, we have a strong appeal to the Big Ten. The Big Ten is not conservative. Nor is any other major conference, really. Sex scandals at Baylor prove that. The only school that would be conservative is BYU. That's it.

 

[CL82]

When Delany has made clear he wants to expand to the coast? There are many reasons why he is fixated on eastwards expansion to the coast. And UConn certainly is doing it's part to fill that role. Already declaring Big Ten schools to be peer schools. Which is quite a bold step.

Yes.

He's aware of us and, under the right circumstances, they might have an interest. But if the decide to go with Oklahoma, Kansas is their natural partner. Kansas resume is very similar to ours.

 

[UConnDan97]

Yes.

He's aware of us and, under the right circumstances, they might have an interest. But if the decide to go with Oklahoma, Kansas is their natural partner. Kansas resume is very similar to ours.

Their resume might be similar to ours. Their demographics, tv revenue potential, and penetration into major cities are not...

 

[buddy]

I think we can be certain that Warde and Delany are monitoring the situation.

 

[CL82]

Their resume might be similar to ours. Their demographics, tv revenue potential, and penetration into major cities are not...

Kansas · Population

2.91 million (2016)

Kansas City · Population
151,709 (2016)

Connecticut · Population

3.58 million (2016)

Hartford's population was 124,775 (2010)

 

[UConnDan97]

Kansas · Population

2.91 million (2016)

Kansas City · Population
151,709 (2016)

Connecticut · Population

3.58 million (2016)

Hartford's population was 124,775 (2010)

The demographics I'm referring to include our "6th borough". Also, we're bigger in Massachusetts than Massachusetts is...

 

[CL82]

The demographics I'm referring to include our "6th borough". Also, we're bigger in Massachusetts than Massachusetts is...

Preaching to choir brother. There are definite advantages for UConn, but we're kidding ourselves if we don't think Kansas is attractive.

 

[UConnDan97]

Preaching to choir brother. There are definite advantages for UConn, but we're kidding ourselves if we don't think Kansas is attractive.

I didn't say they aren't attractive. Just that we are more attractive.

I just took a look at that US map by fanbase again, and unlike Kansas who has a fair amount of penetration by KState, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, we own our entire state outright. It also shows our penetration into Westchester county, greater Springfield, and Rhode island.

Plus, NYC is clearly the prize that the ACC and B1G covet. From a dollars standpoint, it should be a no-brainer...

 

[CL82]

I didn't say they aren't attractive. Just that we are more attractive.

I just took a look at that US map by fanbase again, and unlike Kansas who has a fair amount of penetration by KState, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, we own our entire state outright. It also shows our penetration into Westchester county, greater Springfield, and Rhode island.

Plus, NYC is clearly the prize that the ACC and B1G covet. From a dollars standpoint, it should be a no-brainer...

All good points.

KU is AAU and contiguous. Both pluses.

 

[UConnDan97]

All good points.

KU is AAU and contiguous. Both pluses.

I think the AAU thing is not nearly as important as others do. I mean, some of the institution members were actually responsible for Nebraska losing their membership, weren't they?

As for the contiguous thing, it's a good point. But then I'll personally bring a map to Delany and draw a line connecting New Jersey to Connecticut. Shouldn't take too much ink...

 

[CL82]

I think the AAU thing is not nearly as important as others do. I mean, some of the institution members were actually responsible for Nebraska losing their membership, weren't they?

As for the contiguous thing, it's a good point. But then I'll personally bring a map to Delany and draw a line connecting New Jersey to Connecticut. Shouldn't take too much ink...

I hate to say it, but I think it's a long shot for us.

 

[CTBballfan243]

I didn't say they aren't attractive. Just that we are more attractive.

I just took a look at that US map by fanbase again, and unlike Kansas who has a fair amount of penetration by KState, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, we own our entire state outright. It also shows our penetration into Westchester county, greater Springfield, and Rhode island.

Plus, NYC is clearly the prize that the ACC and B1G covet. From a dollars standpoint, it should be a no-brainer...

If the NYC market is so coveted, we'd already be in the P5. Obiviously we (UConn) have a much higher opinion of ourself than either the ACC or B1G do. We need to focus on making the AAC the best conference possible, because we will be here for probably most of our lifetimes.

 

[dayooper]

I think the AAU thing is not nearly as important as others do. I mean, some of the institution members were actually responsible for Nebraska losing their membership, weren't they?

As for the contiguous thing, it's a good point. But then I'll personally bring a map to Delany and draw a line connecting New Jersey to Connecticut. Shouldn't take too much ink...

I think UConn, like Kansas, would be a great addition to the Big10. I agree that Kansas and UConn have very similar athletic profiles. The biggest issue I see is that neither Kansas nor UConn are the main prize in this go around. If we assume that the Big12 is the only vulnerable conference and football is still driving the bus, then Texas and Oklahoma are the real prizes. If Texas is unattainable (I think it is), its Oklahoma or nothing. Kansas does a better job of enticing Oklahoma than UConn does.

If football isn't driving the bus anymore, than all bets are off.