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Analysis: Emotional pull of Big East vs. revenue boost of Big 12. Why UConn may be lured by Power 5 invite (Mike Anthony)
- Thread starter huskymedic
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The financial issues speak for themselves. The issue that seems lost on People is we don’t fit with how the other institutions look in the Big East. We are an outlier and that scares me. I believe “they” would throw us under the bus if needed. This “argument” is so silly and short sided to me. It speaks to the weird divide among basketball only fans and those of us who are backers and fans of the entire school.
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I have a huge emotional attachment for the OLD Big East. That is gone, blown up by Cuse, Pitt, BC, and Miami. I will root against these schools in athletics and academics for the rest of my days.
I also have an attachment to money. It‘s important. Almost everything comes with a price tag and terms. It’s much easier with than without.
The landscape of college athletics has changed drastically over the last 25 years and one would be a fool to not expect more change. All of the change has been positive for the Px. That will continue, unless they start dropping selected schools. Not having access to the Px money may cause us problems down the road. Why would anyone take on that risk if you have another option.
The only schools I care about emotionally in the New Big East are Nova, Georgetown, and St Johns. And maybe Hall and Providence to a lesser extent. We can still schedule these schools if they are willing. Same for the rest of the NBE.
Adding games against Kansas, WVU, Baylor, plus knowing we can schedule locally for OOC is fine with me. I’ll miss the MSG tourney, but it’s not the same as it was 25 years ago. Throw in 40+M and it’s a no brainer. Just my opinion.
I also have an attachment to money. It‘s important. Almost everything comes with a price tag and terms. It’s much easier with than without.
The landscape of college athletics has changed drastically over the last 25 years and one would be a fool to not expect more change. All of the change has been positive for the Px. That will continue, unless they start dropping selected schools. Not having access to the Px money may cause us problems down the road. Why would anyone take on that risk if you have another option.
The only schools I care about emotionally in the New Big East are Nova, Georgetown, and St Johns. And maybe Hall and Providence to a lesser extent. We can still schedule these schools if they are willing. Same for the rest of the NBE.
Adding games against Kansas, WVU, Baylor, plus knowing we can schedule locally for OOC is fine with me. I’ll miss the MSG tourney, but it’s not the same as it was 25 years ago. Throw in 40+M and it’s a no brainer. Just my opinion.
mikedog10
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If you’re against UConn moving to the Big12, you need to repeat reading Mike’s article until you’re on board.
We can still play against all our old Big East & ACC friends to make an awesome Out of conference schedule each year, but accepting a Big12 invite is the only way forward.
We can still play against all our old Big East & ACC friends to make an awesome Out of conference schedule each year, but accepting a Big12 invite is the only way forward.
It’s not the only way forward, but it’s the next best option. I think the vast majority would prefer BIG, first, ACC second, but at this point, we need a lifeboat and you can’t be picky. I’d never align is conceptually w/XII, but if they offer, we MUST jump.
We will find a home for certain Olympics, but for every major sports program, this is a step up.
We will find a home for certain Olympics, but for every major sports program, this is a step up.
Yes B1G definitely 1st, but I’d take the Big 12 over Tobacco Road any day.
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Yeah it's one of the strangest things about "fit" in that conversation. When all 5 of the originals (besides Nova who usually plays Uconn 20+miles off campus/and St John's) is that none of them even own/play in their own MBB arenas.
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It is a good article and good summary of the inherent conflict. The money will be there eventually with a move, but in the short term the change will require commitment from the state and university, big and small donors. The Rent needs fixing up (a commitment that would be part of an invite) and football will need the bulk of whatever is coming in after travel expenses for all teams. A move (and I don’t think it is coming unless PAC schools stay put) is no panacea - competitively or financially. It will demand real commitment to football at UConn in the short term - something the university and state (people and their representatives) have been historically short on.
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I hear what you are saying about “fit” with mostly Catholic (& no big football) BE schools - then and now. One thing you can’t deny is that UConn’s association with the BE has tons of secret sauce that has helped our two basketball programs get where they are. I’d argue that the east coast urban environment and built history is still paying dividends. Relatively short travel helps as well. Can all that be replicated in B12? Maybe. All of it makes basketball fans queasy - especially when we are primed in the short term and BE and UConn seem to have no problem spending money on Bball. As much money as anyone in the country.
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UConn fans that can not fathom leaving the Big East just need to look at USC and UCLA leaving he PAC 12. Texas and OK moving to a tougher conference as far as their chance of getting to a New Years Day game. Nothing is staying the same and we need to align with Universities that are State schools and not smaller private schools. I hope we get the invite.
The Big East doesn’t spend money on basketball because they don’t have it. Coaches salaries, on average, in the Big East are on par with mid major schools. If you want spending on basketball and recruiting budgets then look at the Big 12 and Big Ten, $10 million plus for Bill Self, $5 million plus for Chris Beard before he was fired, $8 million plus for Tom Izzo. Coaches at the bottom of the Big East are lucky to make a million or a little more. Greg McDermott is a great coach and all he gets is $1.5 million or their abouts. Schools in the Big East are even lucky to have their own on campus arenas. Lol
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I think laying it out as an emotion versus reason is not completely fair. MBB just won a national championship out of the BE and bball continues to be well served for the near future given the investment and upward trend of the program and conference. Make the argument about money or short term versus long term all day. Call pro-BEasters uncaring about football, or short-sighted. The hopeless romantic tagging is less convincing given the juice our basketball programs have going for the rest of the decade as the conference continues to hit the fan.
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If anyone will actually take us. It’s yet another emotional roller coaster. If they don’t offer we’ll be no worse than we are today.
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I personally don’t get the “emotional” tie to the Big East. It hasn’t been there since BC, Syracuse, Pitt and WVU all left. To say nothing of Louisville and Miami. These were the schools we competed against every year. We have no connections to the likes of Creighton, Xavier and Butler. Limited with Marquette. Providence St John’s Gtown are honestly at a different level and of a different mindset. By the 2000s they were just not that good or relevant. DePaul should never, ever been asked to join.
And if people are honest, they will admit that Louisville getting the ACC bid was a knife in the heart. The New Big East is appealing to nostalgia. It isn’t even close to the original and if people look at it for what it is, not thru rose colored glasses, they’ll admit it.
If given the chance would Clemson-Miami-FSU leave the ACC for SEC or B1G ? YES. If given the chance would N. Carolina - Virginia leave the ACC for SEC or B1G ? YES. If given the chance would Louisville-Pitt leave the ACC for the B12 ? YES. They just need a way pass the 2036 exit fee. If any of them leave, watch how fast ND says good-bye. UC has no chance at a B1G invite. At some point ACC will be picked clean. B12 is our last + best hope to survive. With out major $, UC will become the Pitt. Pirates of college sports. You can not spend what you don' have.
I wouldn’t say no chance. They invited Rutgers, didn’t they?
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If UConn gets invited to the Big 12 and performs well in football, then when the ACC teams start changing conferences UConn might be in position to get a BIG 10 invite.
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I don’t think the Big12 is going to take Uconn either. The reason, football, is just too obvious to deny. After the ACC gets cannibalized by the SEC, B1G and the 12, you’re going to have a nice little coterie of programs: Wake, Duke, GT, Syracuse, BC, all independents in football, Big East in basketball. There’s very little we can do about this.
I keep hearing that the ACC’s days are numbered, but I’ve yet to see teams leaving or even hint at leaving. Any team that tries to leave will pay dearly, and all that money goes to the remaining schools. There are some good football programs in the ACC.
You can keep your $4 million a year’s worth of secret sauce, and secondly I think two men named Auriemma and Calhoun (and the man that hired them, John Toner) did a lot more in building the UConn name than the Big East did. I would also tell you that rivalries OUTSIDE Big East did far more in helping Geno’s teams, and even with the Uconn men, Duke, Indiana and Tom Izzo and Michigan State were great rivalries.
people like local rivalries and there was a time when UConn wasn't a national brand and college sports wasn't so hyperfocused on the national picture so to a degree that's right.
However, that is worthless to where are and where we are going and the intrinsic worth of staying in the Big East over the Big12.
There’s just about as much intrinsic worth for UConn staying in the Big East in basketball as there is joining the MAAC or the Patriot League. How many teams in the Big East even have their own arenas? Men’s basketball in the Big East is such a priority that there are rumblings about cutting some women’s sports. UConn must leave, it’s a dying conference.
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This should not be a questionable choice for anyone concerned with UConn’s ability to thrive athletically going forward. I guarantee DB isn’t conflicted by the choice, no matter his need to sound diplomatic. If offered by the BigXII, the answer will always be an immediate yes. Our only concern is whether we’ll get the offer. My buddy at UT, whose been plugged in for years with the happenings in the BigXII, texted me last night when Texas was being gifted a win vs Stanford in the Super Regional. I asked him what he was hearing about UConn and the BXII and he said “UConn’s definitely on the brink. Couple of Pac12 dominoes have to fall first. Everything is about to blow up in the next two months.”
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CL82
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I don't know about that. Being left at the altar again is going to enhance the narrative that we are undesirable.
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I agree that it doesn’t help and hurts but the BE nostalgia can live on a few more years for those that are hanging on.
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It would hurt perception if we were left at the Big12 altar, but if we keep the football momentum and results moving upwards it will more than offset the perceptions. It's the best thing UConn can try to control at this point - the W's and L's. If Mora gets us there, he'll get a huge windfall and will immortalize himself in UConn history. And the fanbase has the start filling up the Rent win, lose, or draw. That, too, will dispel the perceptions.
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