Abandoning Big East has become a disaster for one-time powerhouses | Page 3 | The Boneyard

Abandoning Big East has become a disaster for one-time powerhouses

I believe it was their former AD Gene DeFilippo who worked with Miami and ESPN to begin the drive to shut UConn out. That was just the beginning, but he is the absolute one who started it all with ESPN. Never forget.
I had a business meeting a few years ago with the Senior Athletic Director of an ACC school. I asked him why UConn had been left out of the league. He told me that he thought it may have had to do with former Connecticut Attorney General (current US Senator) Richard Blumenthal’s lawsuit against the ACC which was settled by the ACC paying nuisance value to settle the lawsuit.

The Senior ADs statement confirmed that the ole boys in Carolina have long memories and we’re not happy to be sued by Connecticut and even less happy to pay out a settlement.
 
If a P5 conference invite comes along you take it. However it doesn't make it the right move. The Big East is the best conference for UConn. Same goes for those other teams. If UConn was in the ACC or B10 they would be performing just like those schools.
 
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The move out of the Big East benefitted Villanova who could never seem to get over the hump when Syracuse UConn Pitt Louisville were all there. It also made a bunch of schools like St Johns, Providence and Seton Hall sort of relevant again because they had a lower bar without the Big teams. And obviously Xavier Creighton and Butler got a promotion. BC is what it was. Rutgers is better off. Norte Dame football has been to a few football tournaments At least in part due to the easier football schedule playing ACC teams gets them. They would drop basketball and every other sport to win football games if they had to.
Villanova 1985. I’d say that was over the hump.
 
In the end it was the schools of the c 7 that tried to destroyed
the conference.rightfully or wrongfully. The football schools knew it was leave or be relegated to G5 status.once the new ESPN contract was rejected. To be honest thec7 were most likely negotiating a separate deal with Fox before the Football schools left.
I will agree ND had no reason whatsoever to leave when the C7 left ( they left just like the FB schools the remnants became the AAC) , as they had more NYC fans than St John’s. plus a huge independent football income.
He failed to mention GT’s plight or Louisville , WVA, or Rutgers
This is fake news. It’s not a telling of the actual events.
 
I had a business meeting a few years ago with the Senior Athletic Director of an ACC school. I asked him why UConn had been left out of the league. He told me that he thought it may have had to do with former Connecticut Attorney General (current US Senator) Richard Blumenthal’s lawsuit against the ACC which was settled by the ACC paying nuisance value to settle the lawsuit.

The Senior ADs statement confirmed that the ole boys in Carolina have long memories and we’re not happy to be sued by Connecticut and even less happy to pay out a settlement.

You made this story up.
 
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Villanova 1985. I’d say that was over the hump.
They also had numerous 1 and 2 seeds, and a FF appearance in the larger conference.

They had a string of embarrassing post-season failures, but they did just fine in the regular season and sprinkled in a few deeper runs.
 
If you're going to compare one league to another at least pick the top schools from BOTH leagues as examples.
Ok who would you rather watch, UNC-Duke or Villanova blue Vs Villanova white? Villanova is light years beyond the rest of the conference right now. They have been to every Big East Final but 1 since the new league was formed and have won 4 of the last 5. They should probably just give them the trophy and save the money they spend on rent.

Oh and the ACC moved their tournament to Brooklyn to placate their new northern members and guess where the ACC schools have millions of alums? Not to copy the Big East. It didnt Translate well though so if that’s the one you went to it’s like saying you saw Hamilton at that theater in Wallingford.
 
Ok who would you rather watch, UNC-Duke or Villanova blue Vs Villanova white? Villanova is light years beyond the rest of the conference right now. They have been to every Big East Final but 1 since the new league was formed and have won 4 of the last 5. They should probably just give them the trophy and save the money they spend on rent.

Oh and the ACC moved their tournament to Brooklyn to placate their new northern members and guess where the ACC schools have millions of alums? Not to copy the Big East. It didnt Translate well though so if that’s the one you went to it’s like saying you saw Hamilton at that theater in Wallingford.
I watch all the Big East games now that we‘re in it. I only watch the hated teams Duke, Carolina, Cuse, Kentucky, etc. to see them lose. UNC-Duke has no appeal unless they can somehow both lose! And the Brooklyn arena is inferior.
 
It was also 35 years ago. It was closer to LaSalle’s title than the Villanova’s next Win.
I don’t think you know the history very well. Saying Nova couldn’t “get over the hump” and be elite before the last few years is ignorant.

1970 - Elite 8
1971 - Finals runner up
1972 - Sweet 16
1978 - Elite 8
1982 - Elite 8
1983 - Elite 8
1985 - National Champs
1988 - Elite 8

Admittedly the Lappas years, between Rollie and Jay, where characterized by very good teams that didn’t make runs in March. They never fell to the depths that UConn did in recent years, but they didn’t capitalize on some high seeds.

Nova has been a name basketball program since the 1930s, with achievement in every decade. Philly Big 5 basketball included.

What was the distance between Jim Calhoun’s first title and UConn’s previous title? UConn has had a great modern history. The Big East and Jim Calhoun built UConn basketball.
 
The move out of the Big East benefitted Villanova who could never seem to get over the hump when Syracuse UConn Pitt Louisville were all there.
And Pitt? You are going to compare Pitt’s NCAA Tournament resume to Nova’s?

You need a filter. If you don’t know first hand, then Google a little before you post.
 
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I don’t think you know the history very well. Saying Nova couldn’t “get over the hump” and be elite before the last few years is ignorant.

1970 - Elite 8
1971 - Finals runner up
1972 - Sweet 16
1978 - Elite 8
1982 - Elite 8
1983 - Elite 8
1985 - National Champs
1988 - Elite 8

Admittedly the Lappas years, between Rollie and Jay, where characterized by very good teams that didn’t make runs in March. They never fell to the depths that UConn did in recent years, but they didn’t capitalize on some high seeds.

Nova has been a name basketball program since the 1930s, with achievement in every decade. Philly Big 5 basketball included.

What was the distance between Jim Calhoun’s first title and UConn’s previous title? UConn has had a great modern history. The Big East and Jim Calhoun built UConn basketball.

All factually correct, but comparing pre-64 team brackets to 64+ is a bit disingenuous. A 2 win "elite 8" in 1982 the worst offender (There's a reason the term didn't exist before 1985, really)
 
Pitt can cash those checks. I’ll take the titles.

Nova fans are a bit more satisfied than Pitt fans. I guess money doesn’t always buy happiness.
I think UConn would be better off with the money. Villanova has the backing of the incredibly wealthy Catholic church. UConn has to rely on State Legislators who are not always fans, nor are the taxpayers of Ct.
 
It was all a money move! I am sure non of them are having regrets other then the great Big East rivalry
 
Ok who would you rather watch, UNC-Duke or Villanova blue Vs Villanova white? Villanova is light years beyond the rest of the conference right now. They have been to every Big East Final but 1 since the new league was formed and have won 4 of the last 5. They should probably just give them the trophy and save the money they spend on rent.

Oh and the ACC moved their tournament to Brooklyn to placate their new northern members and guess where the ACC schools have millions of alums? Not to copy the Big East. It didnt Translate well though so if that’s the one you went to it’s like saying you saw Hamilton at that theater in Wallingford.
Just out of curiosity, are you a UConn alum and/or basketball fan? I've always assumed you were, albeit a grumpy one, but maybe I was wrong.
 
I understand that the institutions themselves are better off financially in the ACC, but from a fan standpoint, I have never heard anyone outside of online message boards bring up athletic department revenue as a measure of success or entertainment value. I’m very satisfied with UConn in the Big East. As a native of the Northeast, many of my closest friends went to other Big East schools which has added a new layer of fun to this season and will be even more enjoyable when we can go to games. For me, that only happens in the Big East - certainly wasn’t the case in the aac
 
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Wow you must be older than me. Trying to bring back Western Union telegrams? This is the perfect conference for us. Hoop stop!
yes, it's a perfect conference for us at this moment in time, but should never ever be thought of as the final destination.
 
I think UConn would be better off with the money. Villanova has the backing of the incredibly wealthy Catholic church. UConn has to rely on State Legislators who are not always fans, nor are the taxpayers of Ct.
Wrong. The church doesn’t financially back the school.
 
All factually correct, but comparing pre-64 team brackets to 64+ is a bit disingenuous. A 2 win "elite 8" in 1982 the worst offender (There's a reason the term didn't exist before 1985, really)
It was harder to make the tournament then
 
I understand that the institutions themselves are better off financially in the ACC, but from a fan standpoint, I have never heard anyone outside of online message boards bring up athletic department revenue as a measure of success or entertainment value. I’m very satisfied with UConn in the Big East. As a native of the Northeast, many of my closest friends went to other Big East schools which has added a new layer of fun to this season and will be even more enjoyable when we can go to games. For me, that only happens in the Big East - certainly wasn’t the case in the aac
There is more talk here about the current Big East compared to the Big East line-up 20 years ago, but all conferences have changed.

My ACC friends complain about the new ACC. It’s too big. The schedules don’t allow for playing all teams twice. There are more games that aren’t rivalries and fewer games that are. They don’t know all of the coaches in the conference and the best players on every team. There is just a lower interest now, and this is from the schools that were ACC before the expansion.

Pitt, BC, and Cuse fans definitely miss the juice of the Big East. F’em! They made their bed and sold their soul. They have more cash, but we have a better conference top to bottom, and BET at MSG never missed a beat with the rebirth.
 
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