AAC & Grant-of-Rights

[Guapo]

Reflection: There is no more old big east and no more yankee conference. The University and it's "Brand" need an identity. "We are "Uconn". Next it needs a mission. We want to excel to a championship level in every sport. I am not sure we know what this is; that it is spelled out anywhere. If the identity and mission above is correct it will entail a strong leadership communication that needs to be repeated and a massive investment. Please correct me if I am wrong; just the way it looks from here. It appears that we do not have the commitment (BOT and finances) to the football program to make it a winner. Perhaps that is why we seem to be dithering around in circles (state funded school, politics etc.) We are kind of a wanna be without the will and finances and "hoping" we can land in a P5. HOPE defined as Heaven on Planet Earth. We have one foot on the boat and one on the dock and the boat is leaving. Let's face it; this setup is not working and will take some MOVES or it will get worse. We have spent BILLIONS ON renovations and not complaining about that as a taxpayer. Now FINISH the damn job and get on board with the athletic program. At least our state government could get SOMETHING right. If we have to funnel $50 million a year to the city of Hartford to balance their budget surely there would be a better return by fighting to get Uconn to front of the line for something that will build the state instead of "hoping" it won't collapse.

Please excuse the rant.

We are UConn*

 

[Guapo]

Recruiting for Georgetown and StJohns certainly doesn't scream "POWER CONFERENCE"

St Johns was on Gaffney for years and Luther Muhammad longer than that, and BOTH players chose coaches who just took new jobs over going to St Johns.

They are filling up with transfers.

Get out with this BS hype-train about the NBE.

Outside of Nova, there is no discernible difference in conferences... and now that UConn/Memphis are recruiting better than Nova, that narrative is about to change as well.

Providence got schooled by Gregg Marshall with a bunch of unheralded freshmen.

Nope, you’re wrong.

DePaul out-recruits nearly ever AAC team including UC and Houston.

 

[StunningSteve]

Nope, you’re wrong.

DePaul out-recruits nearly ever AAC team including UC and Houston.

LOL You think DePaul is gonna be good with those 2 guys this year? Or do you think it buys Leitao more time to do more damage?

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I'm all aboard the "Fox wants UConn hoops in the Big East and will help with independent football scheduling" hype train.

Off the bat, no AAC or ACC team would schedule UConn as they are wholly owned ESPN properties. SEC, forget about it.

So you're looking at maybe two BIG games, two Big 12 games so say Illinois, Indiana, maybe a Kansas, Iowa State. Then the other independents that would need late in the season scheduling in BYU, Army, and UMass. Throw in an FCS game vs URI. That's 8 games and even that is a stretch.

I'm sure Fox wants UConn in the BE for hoop but not sure they have enough clout to help schedule 12 football games.

 

[yukonfan4]

And how does that improve the network's payout?

1. A grant of rights involves schools signing over their rights to their own TV money to the conference for a set term, making it effectively impossible for universities to leave for another league.
2. The AAC’s current seven-year, $126 million package with ESPN expires in 2020. A new deal could be three to four times higher, but only if the top AAC schools commit to stay in the conference
3. a network will pay big bucks to a conference that includes ucf, usf, houston, cincy, and memphis. however, they will not pay big bucks to a conference that might only include uconn, temple, tulsa, tulane, wichita, ecu and navy.
4. because if and when the big programs leave the aac, no one will be watching aac games anymore. poof there go the ratings and advertising money along with it.

 

[JMick]

Off the bat, no AAC or ACC team would schedule UConn as they are wholly owned ESPN properties. SEC, forget about it.

So you're looking at maybe two BIG games, two Big 12 games so say Illinois, Indiana, maybe a Kansas, Iowa State. Then the other independents that would need late in the season scheduling in BYU, Army, and UMass. Throw in an FCS game vs URI. That's 8 games and even that is a stretch.

I'm sure Fox wants UConn in the BE for hoop but not sure they have enough clout to help schedule 12 football games.

Does fox only have the B1G and Big XII?

 

[Guapo]

LOL You think DePaul is gonna be good with those 2 guys this year? Or do you think it buys Leitao more time to do more damage?

No, I don’t think DePaul is going to be good...because they’re DePaul

However, it highlights the point that there is simply more talent in the NBE and the conference as a whole is much deeper.

You can go around making the argument that the AAC and NBE are equal but, outside of some AAC fan club somewhere, all college basketball fans will laugh at you.

 

[Dooley]

Does fox only have the B1G and Big XII?

...and the PAC. But the PAC deal does nothing for them, hence the want to move east.

 

[Guapo]

Off the bat, no AAC or ACC team would schedule UConn as they are wholly owned ESPN properties. SEC, forget about it.

So you're looking at maybe two BIG games, two Big 12 games so say Illinois, Indiana, maybe a Kansas, Iowa State. Then the other independents that would need late in the season scheduling in BYU, Army, and UMass. Throw in an FCS game vs URI. That's 8 games and even that is a stretch.

I'm sure Fox wants UConn in the BE for hoop but not sure they have enough clout to help schedule 12 football games.

I’d sign up for that schedule tbh

We’d be playing more p5 teams and basketball would be in a better conference.

Win-win

 

[JMick]

...and the PAC. But the PAC deal does nothing for them, hence the want to move east.

Yeah this will never happen then. If they had C-USA, the MWC, sun belt or MAC then it wouldve been a little more realistic. I don't see three P5 leagues agreeing to play us twice per year.

 

[StunningSteve]

No, I don’t think DePaul is going to be good...because they’re DePaul

However, it highlights the point that there is simply more talent in the NBE and the conference as a whole is much deeper.

You can go around making the argument that the AAC and NBE are equal but, outside of some AAC fan club somewhere, all college basketball fans will laugh at you.

The people that would laugh were probably saying Dan Hurley would NEVER choose UConn or James Wiseman would NEVER sign with Memphis.

Different media folk have never wanted to give credit and have wanted to write UConn off at every turn.

Let's see what they say next year.

 

[Dooley]

Yeah this will never happen then. If they had C-USA, the MWC, sun belt or MAC then it wouldve been a little more realistic. I don't see three P5 leagues agreeing to play us twice per year.

Agree. I highly doubt west coast teams will want to fly cross country to play us UNLESS the game was played in New York or Boston.

 

[Walker11]

and now that UConn/Memphis are recruiting better than Nova, that narrative is about to change as well.

Nova has landed 8 recruits in 18/19. Three 5*, 4 other top 60. This is the best they have ever recruited

 

[JMick]

I’d sign up for that schedule tbh

We’d be playing more p5 teams and basketball would be in a better conference.

Win-win

If they had say, the MAC, and we could get 2 B1G games, 2 Big XII games, 2 MAC games and 1 PAC game, plus army, UMass & BYU, it would be a huge step up. But since they don't have any other lesser properties I don't see how it could ever happen

 

[HuskyHawk]

Do you want to be in a great BB conference that you already helped build or one with Tulsa and E/S/W/N State U in it? it's that simple really.

That's not the choice. The Big East as currently constructed isn't close to a great basketball conference. It's a good one, but five years from now it would not surprise me at all if the AAC is a better one. Most of this nonsense stems from a severe overrating of the Big East as a long term conference, due to Villanova's recent success. Meanwhile the AAC is underrated due to the recent lack of success by Memphis and UConn, who should be the top teams (with Cinci).

Long term UConn must adopt a P5 or bust approach. It's the only rational choice.

 

[StunningSteve]

Nova has landed 8 recruits in 18/19. Three 5*, 4 other top 60. This is the best they have ever recruited

Wow... 8 recruits???

Of course, my prediction is based on Trendon Watford joining up with DJ Jeffries, James Wiseman (and likely Damion Baugh/Dandridge)

And of course Bouknight, Akok, Gaffney, and perhaps Precious/Cockburn/etc

 

[ConnHuskBask]

If they had say, the MAC, and we could get 2 B1G games, 2 Big XII games, 2 MAC games and 1 PAC game, plus army, UMass & BYU, it would be a huge step up. But since they don't have any other lesser properties I don't see how it could ever happen

Alternatively though, while I don't think that ESPN would let ACC or AAC teams schedule us, would they really care if on our own we schedule Western Michigan on our own?

 

[Guapo]

If they had say, the MAC, and we could get 2 B1G games, 2 Big XII games, 2 MAC games and 1 PAC game, plus army, UMass & BYU, it would be a huge step up. But since they don't have any other lesser properties I don't see how it could ever happen

Well I mean UConn would still schedule games the traditional way, Fox wouldn’t have to be their schedule maker. They’d just have to guarantee a certain number of games vs P5 teams.

 

[StunningSteve]

Well I mean UConn would still schedule games the traditional way, Fox wouldn’t have to be their schedule maker. They’d just have to guarantee a certain number of games vs P5 teams.

That UMass rivalry could get turned up. They have a model indy program. Play lots of decent teams.

 

[huskymedic]

Screech....

>>The commissioner said that even with the report out there, the general particulars with a grant-of-rights agreement aren't what the report made it out to be. Aresco said it'd be a nice incentive for schools to stick with the league and a deterrent for other conferences to poach from the conference, but it doesn't lock schools in as much as the report suggested.

"This whole business of grant-of-rights is very poorly understood, generally," Aresco explained. "It doesn't mean schools can't move, it just means their TV rights go with them. What it means, Dave, is that if someone leaves, their TV rights remain with the conference where they once were. If your TV deal is with X network, it stays. Every game you play in that other conference that's a home game stays with the conference you left. Whatever TV deal that was. That's a strong incentive for schools not to leave. It doesn't mean you're bound, period. That's not the kind of situation that it would be."

While Aresco declined to discuss specifics of talks with the member schools, but unequivocally said there won't be an unequal revenue sharing for "bigger" schools within the conference.<<

 

[JMick]

Well I mean UConn would still schedule games the traditional way, Fox wouldn’t have to be their schedule maker. They’d just have to guarantee a certain number of games vs P5 teams.

You need at least 7-8 guaranteed games, though. Otherwise you can end up screwed with how scheduling in CFB goes. Especially with P5 teams trying to enforce playing other P5 opponents

 

[billybud]

You can get a schedule...but most P5's want you to be a visitor or a 2-1 home and home...

U of Florida just stated that they would schedule UCF in a two for one...UCF is declining.

 

[ClifSpliffy]

my earlier post on this thread was 'wow, just wow.' now, I would like to add Schnikies! lets put it like this.. once upon a time the children yelled Apple!, all day long, every day. a far more informed minority audience, knowing the real future and motivated not by sentiment, but by the desire to make real money in the long run, whispered amongst themselves, Microsoft.
they knew that the day would come when the chickens woke up to reality, and, in unison, all change their tune and run in that direction. that time has come. such as it will be with the AAC--well positioned for the future. this won't start to be understood until the 2020 media deal. here, i'll help--gonna blow your, and the bean counting short sighted, collective minds. in the meantime, i'll watch the talking heads in bemusement since somebody (not named me) has to pay retail for stuff, and I really enjoy a good laugh. AAC!

 

[king conn]

If you are playing as an independent, what is the end goal for the team?

There has to be a bowl to play for, no matter how crappy, especially if you have no conference title to play for.

How would you even recruit for that situation? Yes, even if we go 11-1, we stay home while all the 6-6 teams go bowling.

 

[HuskyHawk]

You can get a schedule...but most P5's want you to be a visitor or a 2-1 home and home...

U of Florida just stated that they would schedule UCF in a two for one...UCF is declining.

UCF should have taken that....if they could get a guaranteed 20k seats in Gainesville. It's a short drive from them and worth the opportunity to really get to a playoff or upgrade their status.

 

[Guapo]

If you are playing as an independent, what is the end goal for the team?

There has to be a bowl to play for, no matter how crappy, especially if you have no conference title to play for.

How would you even recruit for that situation? Yes, even if we go 11-1, we stay home while all the 6-6 teams go bowling.

This would be something Fox would have to do the heavy lifting for.

Maybe create a new bowl at Fenway?

 

[Guapo]

UCF should have taken that....if they could get a guaranteed 20k seats in Gainesville. It's a short drive from them and worth the opportunity to really get to a playoff or upgrade their status.

Yeah, seriously!

Bowden built up the FSU program by playing anyone 2 for 1 or even no return games.

 

[HawkHusky]

If you are playing as an independent, what is the end goal for the team?

There has to be a bowl to play for, no matter how crappy, especially if you have no conference title to play for.

How would you even recruit for that situation? Yes, even if we go 11-1, we stay home while all the 6-6 teams go bowling.

Fox gives us a bowl tie-in option to one or more of the Bowls they own. Same thing ESPN does for BYU.

 

[Robertelamin]

UCF should have taken that....if they could get a guaranteed 20k seats in Gainesville. It's a short drive from them and worth the opportunity to really get to a playoff or upgrade their status.

I’m surprised they would turn that down.

 

[king conn]

This would be something Fox would have to do the heavy lifting for.

Maybe create a new bowl at Fenway?

I'm all in, except they would be scrambling if we were not bowl eligible