AAC & Grant-of-Rights

[HuskyHawk]

Why can't UConn drop football?

Too much invested in it, and even the future of basketball will depend on being an FBS caliber institution. Joining the Big East and dropping football would be a death sentence for the whole athletic department, including basketball.

 

[Tenspro2002]

I think a lot of players wanted to play for UConn because we had all these Big East games against teams like St. John’s, Villanova, Syracuse, and Georgetown. If we could get back into the Big East, I would be ecstatic.

Maybe in the 80's. By the 2000's, the premier programs were us, Pitt, Louisville, WVU, Syracuse. The current BE schools were largely afterthoughts, except Villanova and occasionally Marquette.

 

[Waquoit]

This makes it sound like the GOR request is solely aimed at UConn.

 

[upstater]

I’m sorry, but this is a totally 2 demensional way of looking at this.

The students who attend UConn have much more in common with the students who attend Villanova and Georgetown than attend either UCF or Memphis OR URI/UNH.

This is reflected in both academic rankings and the quality of student enrolling at UConn as shown in SAT scores, GPA, class rankings etc.

Furthermore, Georgetown and Villanova are academic powerhouses respected the world over (especially Georgetown) that far out paces any “size” issue you might have with them.

Any school would want their brands associated with them, either on the basketball court or in the classroom.

It takes a lot of mental gymnastics to say the same for ANY AAC school from UConn’s perspective.

You're referring to students. He's talking about schools, boards of trustees, administrators.

Pudge is right.

Schools like UCF, Cincy, Temple, SMU, Tulane, have a much brighter futures than most of the Catholics in the BE (though not all, Georgetown has an international reputation). ECU, Houston, Memphis, are questionable. A private like Tulsa is in the same boat as the Catholics. Why would you pay fr that instead of going to, say, Oklahoma St.?

 

[HuskyHawk]

I think a lot of players wanted to play for UConn because we had all these Big East games against teams like St. John’s, Villanova, Syracuse, and Georgetown. If we could get back into the Big East, I would be ecstatic.

We play in the AAC, and are coming off of two losing seasons and have a new HC...and we already have a top 15 class coming in, which will be a top 10 class when it is complete.

Our failures have nothing to do with the conference, they are all self inflicted.

 

[Drew]

Member when our AD would actually do public outreach with the fanbase? 2016 feels like a long time ago.

So frustrating- he goes on this show every week.

I have absolutely no idea what has happened with Benedict. Guy started off so strong and just ghosted right after the Diaco firing.

 

[huskymedic]

So frustrating- he goes on this show every week.

I have absolutely no idea what has happened with Benedict. Guy started off so strong and just ghosted right after the Diaco firing.

Moreso after Ollie/NCAA issues...

 

[Storrs South]

This makes it sound like the GOR request is solely aimed at UConn.

From my reading the article from SBJ, I got the exact opposite feeling.

 

[kansashusky]

Football is too big to drop. We suck at it, but we still need it

Why is it too big? What do we have invested in it? Im genuinely curious.

I visited Connecticut last weekend and it was truly eye opening. My cousin goes to URI and we went to the URI Providence game and it was electric. Great atmosphere at a fun arena.

We drove by Rentschler Field and it is embarassing. Attendance is a joke. It would seem like football costs the University money.

UConn currently has the worst rated AAC recruiting class and 128th class nationally. How does it change? How does it get better?

I am a KU graduate and our football was recently in a similar spot. KU finally made the financial commitment and brought in a legit coach and gave him money to build a competent staff. Do you ever see UConn doing that?

 

[Drew]

From my reading the article from SBJ, I got the exact opposite feeling.

I haven't read the article (just the summary posted on Reddit) but it doesn't even mention UConn in the "premier" programs right? Reddit said it was USF UCF Cincinnati Memphis Houston.

My guess is this is more about football and keeping teams like UCF, Memphis, Houston, Cincinnati involved in the league.

 

[AllAbout5]

Why is it too big? What do we have invested in it? Im genuinely curious.

I visited Connecticut last weekend and it was truly eye opening. My cousin goes to URI and we went to the URI Providence game and it was electric. Great atmosphere at a fun arena.

We drove by Rentschler Field and it is embarassing. Attendance is a joke. It would seem like football costs the University money.

UConn currently has the worst rated AAC recruiting class and 128th class nationally. How does it change? How does it get better?

I am a KU graduate and our football was recently in a similar spot. KU finally made the financial commitment and brought in a legit coach and gave him money to build a competent staff. Do you ever see UConn doing that?

I know that UConn invests a lot into football. I do agree that our football program is a joke.

 

[Towney007]

Sorry guys. Football dream's over.

 

[Towney007]

I just said this last night in this thread.

The problem with this conference -when you strip away all the BS - is that it started as an accidental refugee camp and turned into a permanent one. No one wants to be here and that's what's going to hold this conference back in TV rights. Full stop. No TV company is going to spend big money on a conference no one wants to be in.

Football's done. Over.

 

[JMick]

Memphis' AD went on a Memphis radio show this AM and they asked him about it (Hour 2 start at 26:00)

SPORTS 56 | REAL SPORTS TALK | WHBQ-AM Memphis, TN

Summary pulled from CSNbbs:

"Well, we're all caught off a little guard this morning. And, I got an email from the commissioner, Mike Aresco, this morning as well and asking everybody to refer all those inquiries to him. So, we're telling every media local, national and regional to go to the conference because the conference has to really address this at a national level. I mean, I can give my personal opinion on it, but I'm not gonna. But, it's unfortunate that it appears as there's been a breach of confidentiality on some discussions that have taken place. Nothing is what's being reported. I can tell you that. We're referring everything to Mike Aresco right now so he can come out and make a national statement about this and get this clarified and get this calmed down..."

Oof. Sounds like there's been a lot of back and forth and that ADs are not happy

 

[JMick]

I just said this last night in this thread.

The problem with this conference -when you strip away all the BS - is that it started as an accidental refugee camp and turned into a permanent one. No one wants to be here and that's what's going to hold this conference back in TV rights. Full stop. No TV company is going to spend big money on a conference no one wants to be in.

Football's done. Over.

That's the whole point of the GOR

 

[HuskyHawk]

Pulled this over from the thread on the CR site. Player compensation lawsuit vs. NCAA could usher in new round of conference realignment

 

[Ajs120102]

I think we are looking too highly on ourselves in terms of that article. To be honest UConn is behind the premier programs in the conference, we are very middle of the pack. Ahead of Tulane and behind Cincinnati. That GOR deal is aimed at the big football schools not leaving. Honestly, the rest of the schools and fans of the American don’t want UConn in the conference as much as UConn fans don’t wanna be in. Not to be that guy but UConn has no shot of P5 conference. I think we have peaked in terms of best conference and we don’t realize it yet. Only conference if we ever move will be big east and they would welcome us back with open arms. Do I see this happening? No. We are screwed and will be in this purgatory for a long time. The only thing UConn has that’s unique is good basketball and the New York market which isnt that huge a deal outside the P5

 

[Towney007]

That's the whole point of the GOR

No kidding. But NO ONE will sign it. No one. Because everyone wants out. Networks know this.

It's over.

 

[hardcorehusky]

Georgetown and Villanova are both major, national research universities.

UCONN's peer schools are not private Catholic Universities. They are public land grant schools with emphasis on research- which happen to reside in the Big Ten and ACC. In the last peer study I saw, we matched up with the University of Georgia.

Unfortunately, we are in the athletic league which doesn't fit us academically(Tulane thinks the same way). Our choice is to work on making Frankenconference better in all areas or not. The realignment train is gone as we know it. Contraction will be the next wave after Texas and Oklahoma go to the Big Ten and if we build a proper conference(all the schools), then we will be able to pick up those that are contracted. (Or if the remains of the Big 12 break apart because the money loss will cause them to freak).

 

[StunningSteve]

No kidding. But NO ONE will sign it. No one. Because everyone wants out. Networks know this.

It's over.

If everyone wanted out, they'd be out. There are no hostages. There are more regional conferences everyone can join tomorrow.

Wanting the 'golden ticket' is something entirely different.

 

[upstater]

Why is it too big? What do we have invested in it? Im genuinely curious.

I visited Connecticut last weekend and it was truly eye opening. My cousin goes to URI and we went to the URI Providence game and it was electric. Great atmosphere at a fun arena.

We drove by Rentschler Field and it is embarassing. Attendance is a joke. It would seem like football costs the University money.

UConn currently has the worst rated AAC recruiting class and 128th class nationally. How does it change? How does it get better?

I am a KU graduate and our football was recently in a similar spot. KU finally made the financial commitment and brought in a legit coach and gave him money to build a competent staff. Do you ever see UConn doing that?

Temple has good football.
Buffalo was ranked this year.
These programs were bottom feeders a blink of an eye ago.

 

[Ajs120102]

I haven't read the article (just the summary posted on Reddit) but it doesn't even mention UConn in the "premier" programs right? Reddit said it was USF UCF Cincinnati Memphis Houston.

My guess is this is more about football and keeping teams like UCF, Memphis, Houston, Cincinnati involved in the league.

Which reddit?

 

[Towney007]

If everyone wanted out, they'd be out. There are no hostages. There are more regional conferences everyone can join tomorrow.

Wanting the 'golden ticket' is something entirely different.

You have to get invited to a P5 conference. If any one of these schools did, they'd go yesterday.


This conference isn't getting a good TV deal unless everyone agrees to stick around, which no one wants to do or will.

There's literally no point in continuing football at this point to the detriment of our actually successful programs if there's no TV deal worth chasing.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

...and small private universities.

Just like Tulsa, Tulane, and SMU.

 

[Towney007]

Meanwhile, the Cincinnati, Houston, UCF, USF, Temple peers are the ones rising and developing far faster than the urban Catholic. In all ways academics as well.

Wait, are you honestly flipping comparing academics and flipping Houston, Cincy and UCF to...

Villanova and Georgetown?

Good lord.