Aim B1G UConn

[hthusky74]

Yes, we're contiguous, because although the word 'state' is used, the definition and goal is shifting to refer to media markets rather than states. Since we actually share the NYC media market with Rutgers, we're more than contiguous, we're overlapping.

An important point: When Delany says Rutgers and Maryland added 30% to the B1G's population footprint, he's obviously counting more than Maryland and New Jersey, which combined have a population of 14.8 million. By my count, he's counting an additional 11 million people from New York (19.6 million) and New England (14.4 million) -- a 7-state region of 34 million people with no B1G schools. (Based on the populatin of the B1G states ex Rutgers and Maryland being about 80 million -- I haven't added it up -- the missing 11 million is roughly the population of greater NYC.) Since he's obviously counting NYC already as part of the B1G footprint, we are already contiguous -- indeed, our state probably lies partially within Delany's current B1G footprint; and since UConn has the same penetration into NYC that Rutgers does, if Rutgers adds NYC, so does UConn.

Now look at the 7-state northeast region with 34 million people. UConn is the only public university supporting high-level athletics in the region.

In addition to its research and athletics initiatives, UConn should offer in-state tuition to the top 3,000 academic applicants from the other New England states and New York. Get the better students thinking of UConn as another "state university" for them. Get an increased mindshare from teachers, guidance counselors, parents in those states. The great bulk of the population of those states, probably 25 million of the 34 million, lives within a 2.5 hour drive of Rentschler field. They are ready to be won as fans. The increased quality of the student body, due to skimming off some high-achieving students, will improve university metrics; the larger student body will enable the school to hire more research faculty, which will help us meet AAU metrics. Top faculty will be attracted to a university with more highly intelligent students.

With this change in policy, UConn could make a compelling case that it brings a lot to the B1G's demographic and market footprint. It's questionable that Rutgers really brought NYC, so arguably Rutgers and Maryland only increased the population footprint by 18-19%; but with UConn positioned as a regional public university, the B1G would have a creditable claim to the whole 7-state region, and the Rutgers/Maryland/UConn adds would bring in 49 million and increase the B1G population footprint by 62%.

Finally, the state should invest in infrastructure, giving better highway access to campus. Make a spur from I-84 to the north side of campus and extend I-384 to the southwest side. Make it easier for people to visit; increase knowledge of the university just by having a big exit sign on I-84 saying "UConn Expressway" and a big sign at the I-84 / I-384 split saying "This way to the University of Connecticut". Half of New England drives by those exits 3-4 times a year at least. The cost of those extensions would be roughly equal to the cost of the stupid Hartford-New Britain busway. If the state could also invest in the highways in the southwest part of the state and around Hartford and relieve bottlenecks to people driving from NYC, that would be even better. It would benefit the economy of the state greatly.

In regard to athletic performance, they should get creative. Somebody mentioned that UConn has a puppetry program. UConn should establish an academic program, open to all, in athletic coaching, with an emphasis on football coaching. Let players take academic courses that teach them aspects of the game that under NCAA time restrictions the coaches wouldn't have time to teach, but that would help their games ("Offensive Line Coaching in Football," "Defensive Backs Coaching in Football," etc). Make these classes easy A's. If UNC can run fake classes for players and it's not a violation because the classes were technically open to all, this has to be legal. Let the UConn coaches pass material to the instructors, so that material taught is directly relevant to on-field performance.

We have about 4 years until the exit rights fee windfall from the AAC winds down. If we get these things underway, and our mindshare is rising in New England / New York (enabling us to be a stronger draw in NYC) and our performance on the field is interesting, the university could make a credible threat of executing on a plan like that in the other thread of going independent in football and gaining control of its media rights in all sports (many lesser conferences might accept UConn basketball and other sports in exchange for simply getting rights to UConn's away games -- so we could work out deals that let us control our home media rights, and do a SNY type deal with games sold on top to other cable channels in the 7-state footprint like NESN where SNY doesn't go, and whenever possible sold nationally). In this scenario, ESPN might outbid SNY for UConn's rights, rather than lose us completely.

If we can get $8 million a year from that, which Connecticut cable alone plus a few national basketball and football games could generate, we could continue to fund a high-level athletic program. The regional cable network and regional in-state tuition program would start proving that we have market share in the rest of the 7-state region. Getting in the AAU which should be easy with a 20% larger student body and 25% larger faculty. Overall, we'd have a compelling case for the B1G.

I don't mean to get anal about it, but slice and dice it as you will we arenot a contiguous state. We are a contiguous market, but then express it in those terms.

 

[Marty Jackson]

I don't mean to get anal about it, but slice and dice it as you will we arenot a contiguous state. We are a contiguous market, but then express it in those terms.

literally holding onto one word, 'state', is a moot point. you are being anal.
Let it go. it's not going to be a deciding factor in Uconn admittance into the BIG.

 

[CL82]

literally holding onto one word, 'state', is a moot point. you are being anal.
Let it go. it's not going to be a deciding factor in Uconn admittance into the BIG.

And you know that because?

 

[WestHartHusk]

And you know that because?

Because multi-billion dollar institutions don't make decisions based on an arbitrary, and utterly useless factor like state lines.

 

[jostar1]

And you know that because?

"There are no restrictions regarding expansion - potential additions are not required to be in the AAU, and they do not have to be in (or adjacent to) the eight Big Ten states," league spokesman Scott Chipman wrote in an e-mail. Removing the AAU and geographic limitations means the Big Ten can add any school from anywhere in the country.
http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/525178.html?nav=742

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

There exists no single standard by which schools are judged. As UConn fans, we of all people should have learned that schools are held to different standards - what the standard is for one school is not the same as the standard for any other.

What is our narrative, then? We excel at everything a school can be judged on except two things, football tradition and location. If we had one or the other we'd be looking down our noses at the rest of college athletics as part of the club, just like the P5 do.

So let's quit the BS... chasing our tails for this or that. We can't change our location, but we can change our tradition. We have to win.

 

[CL82]

"There are no restrictions regarding expansion - potential additions are not required to be in the AAU, and they do not have to be in (or adjacent to) the eight Big Ten states," league spokesman Scott Chipman wrote in an e-mail. Removing the AAU and geographic limitations means the Big Ten can add any school from anywhere in the country.
http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/525178.html?nav=742http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/525178.html?nav=742

Thanks for posting, I hadn't read that. I wonder if that view is shared by school presidents.

 

[woomba]

It's shared - what the whole contiguous thing really means is that the Big Ten wants stability regardless of what happens to its sports programs since the conference is more than a pure sports conference. Being physically close means that new schools are more likely to have shared values, have more interactions with other member schools outside of games, etc.

I don't think being contiguous it's a big factor in UConn's case since physically it's so close to NJ/Penn. I can see Western B1G ten members preferring a school that's closer to them though so there is still a location factor.

 

[babysheep]

When we get the B1G invite I think a full page ad in the Boston Globe thanking Gene DeFilippo for blocking us from the
ACC will be necessary, maybe the Boneyard could fund the project.

You're clearly not thinking B1G enough here.

With just the amount the yard has raised for the cardiology center, we could have several full billboards for at least a month. Each could have a giant B1G-themed "deal with it" portrait of a UConn staff member like KO and/or Geno. Have them running down the pike on this side of the river, right through Newton.

 

[pj]

You're clearly not thinking B1G enough here.

With just the amount the yard has raised for the cardiology center, we could have several full billboards for at least a month. Each could have a giant B1G-themed "deal with it" portrait of a UConn staff member like KO and/or Geno. Have them running down the pike on this side of the river, right through Newton.

That's too hostile. Just show the coaches and star players with the words. "UConn. New England's university."

 

[Durks07]

Just a little bit more hope from our good friend BuffaloLion:

Virginia burned their bridge when they signed the ACC GOR. They were at the top of the list as team 15, and had a verbal ok. We were just debating as to whether to take Florida State as team 16 (non-AAU) or someone else.

You being an Ohio State fan probably already know this as Ohio State was Florida State's biggest ally. When Barron signed the GOR out of the clear blue sky, it was like kicking Ohio State in the gonads. Ohio State had called in a LOT of chips to get FSU approved, and from what I understand, had 11 votes. Delany wanted it to be unanimous which was what was holding things up.

We will expand to 16 before 2017 if one of two things happens. Either UConn gets AAU status, or the University of New York's rebranding is a success. If either of those two things happen, the 3 team pool we will choose from is 2 of UConn, University of New York, or Missouri.

If those NEITHER of those two things happen, we will wait until the Big 12's GOR expires in 2025, and take Kansas as 15. They have been in constant contact with us, and want in the CIC BAD. The western teams, especially Nebraska, are lobbying hard for them. With this new "targeting rule" in football, there is speculation that basketball could surpass football in popularity by 2025.

The other team that has been in contact with us is Oklahoma. They want to renew their rivalry with Nebraska, and also really want in the CIC. They, like Kansas, also have many western allies, and are a National Brand. Of course their problem is that they are not an AAU University. If they have AAU membership before 2025, look for them to be team 16. If not, and UConn is still not an AAU school, look for darkhorse University of New York as team 16. They will have been 12 years into their rebranding by then, and would be bringing with them a gigantic television market.

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=157&f=1395&t=11724969

Take it for what it is worth...

 

[WestCoastHusky]

You're welcome. A variation on a prior post of mine to share my perspective. I believe I share a common interest with you: UConn to the B1G. The initial expansion of the B1G to include Penn State and then Nebraska made sense to me given their status as football brands. After the announcement that Maryland and Rutgers were invited, my initial reaction was similar to that of a number of my fellow B1G alums: why? However, as I came to understand the rationale, my perspective changed. This B1G expansion is now about developing academic collaboration with universities and penetrating markets on the East coast to be a bi-regional conference. Since I did not know much about Maryland or Rutgers and thought expansion was not over, I made a decision to learn more about other East coast universities that might be future B1G members. I wanted to post to let you know that there are some of us in the B1G who have made an effort to learn more about UConn and after doing so see your value and let you know that we appreciate you seeing value in becoming a B1G member.

Thank you for supporting UCONN to the B1G. Many of us believe B1G now fits UCONN much more than the ACC. UCONN is a flagship university that can carry its own state as well as part of Boston and NYC TV markets. We can help B1G penetrate the New England TV markets. In addition, our academic mission is right there with rest of the B1G. We do lack AAU status currently, but our president is working hard to address this issue. State of CT just committed additional $1.5B into UCONN this year in addition to the $900M+ they already allocated for UCONN health center. We just need that B1G invite and the state will expand our football stadium to 60K+.

Let's keep the UCONN to the B1G train alive. As an alum, there is no way I would want our great school to settle for the AAC. We don't belong here and sooner we are elsewhere the better.

 

[Marty Jackson]

And you know that because?

common sense...

 

[Adios]

That's too hostile. Just show the coaches and star players with the words. "UConn. New England's university."

Based upon socioeconomic trends and where we are now, I really think that's our future.

 

[CTBasketball]

Based upon socioeconomic trends and where we are now, I really think that's our future.

I think we're already there.

 

[Adios]

I think we're already there.

To some extent, yes. But right now, BC is in a "power conference" and we are not.

 

[CTBasketball]

To some extent, yes. But right now, BC is in a "power conference" and we are not.

I feel like we already trump BC. They are like the DePaul of the old Big East.

 

[Adios]

Just a little bit more hope from our good friend BuffaloLion:



http://mbd. /mb.aspx?s=157&f=1395&t=11724969

Take it for what it is worth...

Buffalo/western NY taken ahead of the state of CT? I don't know if that would happen. I am aware that Buffalo is an AAU school.

Which school's message board was that posted on?

 

[woomba]

He ( and a few other guys from Western NY) have been pushing that idea for months - it's complete fantasy and not based on any comments from the Big Ten (or even a sportswriter based speculation)

 

[Durks07]

Buffalo/western NY taken ahead of the state of CT? I don't know if that would happen. I am aware that Buffalo is an AAU school.

Which school's message board was that posted on?

I don't necessarily buy the Buffalo bit either, its posted on the Penn State board, I figured I would throw the whole quote there.

 

[frankthetank]

SUNY Buffalo?! AAU status is certainly important to the Big Ten, but it does NOT mean making moves that have zero financial or athletic basis. I've always believed that UConn is not really a top candidate for the Big Ten, but at least there's some decent financial and athletic arguments for that that type of expansion. Also, I know people generally hate Rutgers, Syracuse and BC here, but there's still some type of realistic financial argument for all of them, too (whether you want to acknowledge it or not). Buffalo, on the other hand, isn't even on the fringes of any viable discussion. If AAU status was all that mattered, the Big Ten would just add Rice and Tulane (great institutions in top football recruiting areas and, theoretically, large TV markets on paper). I remember having to pull teeth 4 years ago when I brought up the importance of the AAU in Big Ten expansion, but now it seems like it has gone in the opposite direction where a lot of people mistakenly believe that the Big Ten would reduce its revenues simply to add in AAU schools. Any Big Ten expansion still has to make financial sense and almost certainly with old school and old money football programs (and SUNY Buffalo doesn't fit the bill on any of those metrics). Expansion in and of itself has NEVER been the goal of the Big Ten (which is something too many realignment observers have been trying to push and/or want to believe).

 

[junglehusky]

Frank... speaking for myself here since I know many are more optimistic, I think of UConn more being in the "potentially, in 10-15 years we'll see" category for the B1G, and if UConn goes anywhere in the next 5 years the ACC is the more likely landing spot. I think if Buffalo gets its athletics department ramped up (i.e. consistently winning the MAC in FB , beating BCS, er, power five teams if it can schedule them) they might be included in the "potentialy, in 15-20 years..." category. If not for Jim Delany, then for the CR buffs or at least for worried UConn fans wondering how we'll get screwed over next.

 

[frankthetank]

Frank... speaking for myself here since I know many are more optimistic, I think of UConn more being in the "potentially, in 10-15 years we'll see" category for the B1G, and if UConn goes anywhere in the next 5 years the ACC is the more likely landing spot. I think if Buffalo gets its athletics department ramped up (i.e. consistently winning the MAC in FB , beating BCS, er, power five teams if it can schedule them) they might be included in the "potentialy, in 15-20 years..." category. If not for Jim Delany, then for the CR buffs or at least for worried UConn fans wondering how we'll get screwed over next.

I think that's a fair assessment of UConn to the B1G - if the football program can get up to a certain sustainable level both on the field and off the field, then there's certainly potential in 10 to 15 years. There's a plausible expansion to the NYC-ish market in that scenario. I'm just not seeing it at any level with respect to Buffalo - the Big Ten would have just taken Syracuse if they wanted to get into Upstate New York (and the conference, for various reasons, wasn't that enthralled by the prospect of getting into that area compared to all of the other potential moves out there). I've seen some posts by Buffalo Lion over the past couple of years and I think that he's a solid poster, but this particular case seems to be driven by a personal desire to see Penn State games come to his hometown than anything that the Big Ten schools would be interested in doing.

 

[Sea Goat]

I think that's a fair assessment of UConn to the B1G - if the football program can get up to a certain sustainable level both on the field and off the field, then there's certainly potential in 10 to 15 years. There's a plausible expansion to the NYC-ish market in that scenario. I'm just not seeing it at any level with respect to Buffalo - the Big Ten would have just taken Syracuse if they wanted to get into Upstate New York (and the conference, for various reasons, wasn't that enthralled by the prospect of getting into that area compared to all of the other potential moves out there). I've seen some posts by Buffalo Lion over the past couple of years and I think that he's a solid poster, but this particular case seems to be driven by a personal desire to see Penn State games come to his hometown than anything that the Big Ten schools would be interested in doing.

Would have taken Syracuse? Really - after it got booted from the AAU? Moving along - UConn doesn't have 10-15 years - it will over in short order if UConn doesn't find an escape hatch soon.

Best hope - the B1G obviously has an affinity for the NYC market, not an upstate NY market. That, as much as anything, should bring UConn into the discussion.

 

[frankthetank]

Would have taken Syracuse? Really - after it got booted from the AAU? Moving along - UConn doesn't have 10-15 years - it will over in short order if UConn doesn't find an escape hatch soon.

Best hope - the B1G obviously has an affinity for the NYC market, not an upstate NY market. That, as much as anything, should bring UConn into the discussion.

The Big Ten knew that Nebraska was going to get booted from the AAU. In fact, if all of the Big Ten members had voted to keep Nebraska in the AAU (and they didn't), NU would still be in the organization. The vote was seriously that close.

Syracuse is definitely a valuable school even without AAU membership - they are essentially what UConn would look like (powerhouse basketball program in the Northeast) if it had old money football tradition (even if they haven't been as strong on-the-field over the past decade). The fact that Syracuse is private doesn't mean as much since they are on the large side (so a lot of people see them as acting as the de facto "flagship" for the state of New York as opposed to any of the SUNY schools). Now, Syracuse wasn't valued as highly by the Big Ten as Maryland and Rutgers (I personally agree with the assessment of the former but disagree with the latter), but when the B1G legitimately thought that it had a shot at getting Notre Dame as a full member, Syracuse was very much in the middle of the B1G 16-team scenarios before they were taken by the ACC.

The main minus of Syracuse (or any school in Western New York) is that the region has as bad of demographic trends as the Detroit metro area these days (as the growth in the NYC metro area has masked a lot of the deficiencies in the rest of New York state). As with the New England states, New York State (including the NYC area) is also a truly terrible football recruiting ground considering the size of its population base (particularly compared to New Jersey and Maryland, much less Pennsylvania). To be honest, it's shocking how few Division I football recruits come out of New York State with it being the third most populous state in the country (i.e. states like Indiana, Mississippi and Missouri with a fraction of the population are beating NY State *outright* in terms of producing FBS recruits, much less on a per captia basis) . That is as important to the "demographics" quotient for the Big Ten as TV households.