AAC & Grant-of-Rights

[yukonfan4]

once the NCAA loses in court again and schools start paying players,

for the millionth time- i'm not arguing that we should drop football and join the big east right now

we are in the AAC for at least the next 4-6 years no matter what. PERIOD.

BUT come 2025 when the next conference realignment is over...and IF we are left for dead in an AAC with only temple, tulane, tulsa, ecu, smu, and wichita/navy...

the ONLY WAY to keep hurley from leaving (his contract is also up in 2025 unless he signs an extension) will be to drop football and join the big east. i don't see another way of avoiding the doomsday scenario.

PS- if colleges can pay players by 2025 the big east with uconn will be able to pay more than an AAC with only uconn, temple, tulane, tulsa, ecu, smu, wichita and navy...that future AAC will NEVER EVER get a tv deal. It might as well just merge with the horizon league.

 

[HuskyHawk]

for the millionth time- i'm not arguing that we should drop football and join the big east right now

we are in the AAC for at least the next 4-6 years no matter what. PERIOD.

BUT come 2025 when the next conference realignment is over...and IF we are left for dead in an AAC with only temple, tulane, tulsa, ecu, smu, and wichita/navy...

the ONLY WAY to keep hurley from leaving (his contract is also up in 2025 unless he signs an extension) will be to drop football and join the big east. i can't see another way of avoiding the doomsday scenario.

PS- if colleges can pay players by 2025 the big east with uconn will be able to pay more than an AAC with only uconn, temple, tulane, tulsa, ecu, smu, wichita and navy...that future AAC will NEVER get a tv deal. It might as well just merge with the horizon league.

You may be saying that, many others here are saying we need to jump now and end football immediately.

You may be right. I'd give your predicted scenario (UConn in the AAC with those teams only) less than a 1% chance of happening though, so it's not anything worth worrying about. It is much more likely that in 5 years the AAC is a better basketball league than the Big East.

 

[browndog319]

I still don't know if Cincinnati and Villanova are good schools or not

Villanova claims to be the Notre Dame of the East Coast. They think they’re a good school.

 

[Drew]

‘We don’t need to wait another six years’: College...

This... is significant

"An eight-team format with a designated Group of 5 spot also would quell the chorus of those who believe it’s unfair that a team like UCF — with two consecutive undefeated seasons and limited opportunities to schedule Power 5 opponents on an annual basis — does not get a shot at playing for a national championship. The highest the Knights have been ranked in the CFP selection committee’s Top 25 has been No. 8, nowhere near close enough to get consideration for a top-four spot.

“I also want to be very clear: I think that there’s arrogance of us not taking a look at someone like the University of Central Florida, just saying, ‘Well, they’re not worthy of it,’ ” Gee said. “Maybe they are worthy of it based upon a number of considerations that need to be taken into account.”

Said Alvarez: “UCF should have that opportunity.”"

 

[superjohn]

I think UConn had a similar campaign where they raised 600 in 10 years. Nova obviously is better at fundraising, in part because it has to be to survive. Scholarships, capital improvements and other activities are all funded from their tuition + endowment.

In addition to these funds, UConn also has the state kicking in 200M or so a year in operating funds + 1.2B or so every 10 years for capital improvements.

I am actually shocked at how small Nova’s endowment is for a relatively high profile private. They are definitely vulnerable once students wise up to the tuition gauging.

I usually like polycom's posts but he's totally out to lunch on this.

 

[Dooley]

An expanded Playoff with a G5 rep will be a game changer for the AAC. That G5 rep will be, in most years, the AAC champ. Even if the AAC champ has 1-loss, the quality of competition will be enough to get into the Playoff in most years.

If the AAC wanted to get really aggressive (and potentially add more money to the upcoming TV deal), it should look into expanding with BYU & Boise. That would all but guarantee that the G5 Playoff rep will always be from the AAC just like the SEC always gets their champ in today.

 

[Ajs120102]

This is funny as a tweet but the actual article is literally referring to UConn without mentioning the school.

 

[manbyrd]

‘We don’t need to wait another six years’: College...

This... is significant

"An eight-team format with a designated Group of 5 spot also would quell the chorus of those who believe it’s unfair that a team like UCF — with two consecutive undefeated seasons and limited opportunities to schedule Power 5 opponents on an annual basis — does not get a shot at playing for a national championship. The highest the Knights have been ranked in the CFP selection committee’s Top 25 has been No. 8, nowhere near close enough to get consideration for a top-four spot.

“I also want to be very clear: I think that there’s arrogance of us not taking a look at someone like the University of Central Florida, just saying, ‘Well, they’re not worthy of it,’ ” Gee said. “Maybe they are worthy of it based upon a number of considerations that need to be taken into account.”

Said Alvarez: “UCF should have that opportunity.”"

Very significant and necessary. If a team can go undefeated in any sport/league and not even have a chance to play in whatever championship format exists, there's a problem with the championship format.

If there is a path in the AAC to a CFP spot, this boosts the value of the conference quite a bit and is a great insurance policy against realignment.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

The one last thing I'll add: The people that are so hell bent on dropping football and only playing basketball, why the Big East?

If we dropped football, wouldn't the better move be to petition for membership in the ACC? It would balance the basketball league with 16 teams and we would be tying our wagons to a P5 conference with more of our historical and recent rivals anyways.

 

[Ajs120102]

The one last thing I'll add: The people that are so hell bent on dropping football and only playing basketball, why the Big East?

If we dropped football, wouldn't the better move be to petition for membership in the ACC? It would balance the basketball league with 16 teams and we would be tying our wagons to a P5 conference with more of our historical and recent rivals anyways.

I don’t think ACC would do it. Really doesn’t add much in the big realm of things. Only reason ND is in there is Bc it’s kinda a foot in the door for football

 

[StunningSteve]

You may be saying that, many others here are saying we need to jump now and end football immediately.

You may be right. I'd give your predicted scenario (UConn in the AAC with those teams only) less than a 1% chance of happening though, so it's not anything worth worrying about. It is much more likely that in 5 years the AAC is a better basketball league than the Big East.

This. And the rest of the NBE sports are garbage, with HS facilities.
Most of their other sports are ranked 15-25, which may be typical for a religious league.

 

[AllAbout5]

This is funny as a tweet but the actual article is literally referring to UConn without mentioning the school.

what’s the link to the article

 

[gampelcrazies]

what’s the link to the article

Court Report: Mark Few continues to go after Mark Emmert; figuring out Kentucky's 3-point woes

 

[BY06518]

This truly highlights the differences in what is going on here. I would consider a UConn AD that looks like Villanova's as a complete and utter fail. They don't have an FBS football team, an NCAA tournament caliber baseball team or soccer team. Track has always been good there. On the whole, it is what I would call "small time".

That is nothing like what I want UConn's AD to look like. It's settling for a tier 2 existence.

As for long term viability, once the NCAA loses in court again and schools start paying players, not just in football, but basketball and other sports, D1 athletics at these small schools are dead. They don't have the money and can't fund it. So no, I don't think the Big East will even be competing in basketball at the highest level in the future. Those that are willing to pay to stay at the top will separate from those that won't. And even if Villanova decides to play with the big boys in basketball (which is much easier than football), most of the Big East schools won't be able to. There is no future in joining the Big East.

To be fair we don't have a FBS football team either.

 

[WrenchFan69]

The one last thing I'll add: The people that are so hell bent on dropping football and only playing basketball, why the Big East?

If we dropped football, wouldn't the better move be to petition for membership in the ACC? It would balance the basketball league with 16 teams and we would be tying our wagons to a P5 conference with more of our historical and recent rivals anyways.

Idk if the ACC would do it. They probably still want Notre Dame as a full member and could keep their options open for WVU should the B12 fall apart. That being said, if the ACC would accept it at the same payout ND gets, you absolutely do it.

 

[Towney007]

Yeah that was a hugely stupid post re: facilities, especially w/ regards to baseball.

Creigton plays in TD Bank Park - which is the same park they play the CWS in. St John's is the best program in the Northeast by a lot from a lot of different lenses.

The AAC is probably a top-3 or 4 baseball conference (and def. better than the Big East), but it's almost totally by mistake. It's unquestionably a better baseball conference than the Big East. But the Big East is still a pretty decent conference.

 

[Dooley]

The one last thing I'll add: The people that are so hell bent on dropping football and only playing basketball, why the Big East?

If we dropped football, wouldn't the better move be to petition for membership in the ACC? It would balance the basketball league with 16 teams and we would be tying our wagons to a P5 conference with more of our historical and recent rivals anyways.

Bingo. I will never understand the obsession with the Big East either. If we're going to pay an exit fee of $10M-$12M and split up our athletic department, we aren't going to do it to go to a small time conference that consists entirely of members that we have absolutely nothing in common with. And we're certainly not going to do it to go to a conference that will, in about 12 months, make less TV money than our current AAC conference.

We could, in theory, pay the exit fee and split up our AD for an arrangement with a P5 conference. Something along the lines of full-time hoops in ACC/Big 10/Big12 and a part-time football scheduling arrangement similar to Notre Dame & the ACC (ex - 5 games a year). We would keep our school and AD in the national public eye and not have to drop football. Also would establish a relationship with a P5 conference for any potential future expansion. I'm not saying that that will happen...but it's the ONLY exit fee / AD split option that actually makes sense for UConn hoops AND football going forward.

I think there are UConn fans who have some sort of weird inferiority, defeatist complex. I also think there are plenty of UConn fans who don't realize just how big the UConn brand actually is. We have a head coach now that understands just how huge the UConn brand is and is recruiting like it...and in the meantime, showing that the AAC conference was never a deterrent to recruiting top level talent. Losing and poor coaching was our only deterrent. Period.

This constant and endless Big East debate only accomplishes what it was designed to do by the dopes at ESPiN who started it: splits our fanbase in two and hurts UConn in all sports in trying to gain an advantage in recruiting and winning. When a head coach at one of our recruiting competitors can go into a recruit's home and use this Big East nonsense against us and Television Execs at ESPiN (and others) can use it to drive down the price of the next deal that we would benefit from, it's the very definition of UConn fans being more than willing to shoot themselves in both feet and complain about it.

 

[yukonfan4]

can we please just agree on the following so we can get back to talking about the 2018-19 season and recruiting, etc:

1. we are in the AAC for at least the next 4-6 years
2. the next conference realignment will happen between 2023-2025
3. if we get a P5 invite we take it (obviously)
4. if no programs from the AAC get invited to a P5 then we stay in the AAC (hopefully the CFP will expand to 6 or 8 teams once the tv contract ends in 2025)
5. if we don't get an invite to a P5 and the AAC loses ucf, memphis, houston, cincy or usf then we have no choice but to cut football and join the big east

i'm not saying which of those last 3 scenarios is more or less likely than the others so what is left to debate?

 

[BFieldHusky]

can we please just agree on the following so we can get back to talking about the 2018-19 season and recruiting, etc:

1. we are in the AAC for at least the next 4-6 years
2. the next conference realignment will happen between 2023-2025
3. if we get a P5 invite we take it (obviously)
4. if no programs from the AAC get invited to a P5 then we stay in the AAC (hopefully the CFP will expand to 6 or 8 teams once the tv contract ends in 2025)
5. if we don't get an invite to a P5 and the AAC loses ucf, memphis, houston, cincy or usf then we have no choice but to cut football and join the big east

i'm not saying which of those last 3 scenarios is more or less likely than the others so what is left to debate?

This is more than fair.

 

[StunningSteve]

The AAC is probably a top-3 or 4 baseball conference (and def. better than the Big East), but it's almost totally by mistake. It's unquestionably a better baseball conference than the Big East. But the Big East is still a pretty decent conference.

No mistake about it. A sport like baseball (and football) is inherently better with a southern presence.
You are free to google the venues. It’s night and day. Scott Googins couldn’t leave Xavier fast enough for Cincinnati.
The NBE is a 1 bid league.

 

[Towney007]

Scott Googins couldn’t leave Xavier fast enough for Cincinnati.

I'm (really) good friends with Scott. You're 1,000% wrong.

 

[CL82]

And, even if football gets better (still not going back to the 9-3 days...), you'd better work like heck to get 40,000 people in those seats. That's ALL that matters to the P5 conferences!

I'm not so sure since that doesn't put a dime in their pockets.

 

[Towney007]

No mistake about it. A sport like baseball (and football) is inherently better with a southern presence.
You are free to google the venues. It’s night and day. Scott Googins couldn’t leave Xavier fast enough for Cincinnati.
The NBE is a 1 bid league.

Using terms like 'it's only a one bid league' aren't very applicable to baseball. Mid Major teams beat 'major' teams a ton. The Big East's draft output has been pretty similar to the American's for a long time. Speaking of Googins, Xavier, Creighton and St Johns could come into this league and they're probably in the top 5 in the conference right off the bat.

There's WAY more parody in college baseball than in other sports. The Big East's problem is exactly the opposite. Villanova is terrible in baseball. Xavier, St John's, Creighton and Seton Hall are all pretty good to really good programs. Georgetown and Butler are literally .500 for life.

Conversely in the American, there just isn't a bad program, really. Tulane, ECU and Houston are all excellent. UCF and USF are very good. UConn is fast rising. Cincinnati - in spite of having amazing facilities - has been terrible over the years. Memphis is mediocre. Wichita State is pretty close to a being a blue blood even though they've struggled in recent years.

I don't think a BE move hurts our baseball program a bit.

 

[StunningSteve]

Using terms like 'it's only a one bid league' aren't very applicable to baseball. Mid Major teams beat 'major' teams a ton. The Big East's draft output has been pretty similar to the American's for a long time. Speaking of Googins, Xavier, Creighton and St Johns could come into this league and they're probably in the top 5 in the conference right off the bat.

There's WAY more parody in college baseball than in other sports. The Big East's problem is exactly the opposite. Villanova is terrible in baseball. Xavier, St John's, Creighton and Seton Hall are all pretty good to really good programs. Georgetown and Butler are literally .500 for life.

Conversely in the American, there just isn't a bad program, really. Tulane, ECU and Houston are all excellent. UCF and USF are very good. UConn is fast rising. Cincinnati - in spite of having amazing facilities - has been terrible over the years. Memphis is mediocre. Wichita State is pretty close to a being a blue blood even though they've struggled in recent years.

I don't think a BE move hurts our baseball program a bit.

You can disagree all you want but Googins took the job because he wanted to be in a high resource league.