Andy Katz at it again

[UConnSportsGuy]

Scrolling across ESPN Bottom Line is a report by Andy Katz that Louisville and WVU are at the top of the Big 12 expansion list.

Is he using the same sources as he did a few nights ago when reporting that BSU and rejected a Big East invite?

The all out attack on the Big East is almost complete.

 

[zls44]

OrangeBloods.com already had the exact same story.

They must be in on the conspiracy.

 

[metsfan2323]

In all seriousness, it is obvious that a war has been declared on the Big East and our enemies are so smug about it that they aren't even trying to hide it.

All these new reports on the day we invite new members...not a coincidence.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

At this point, there is very little doubt in my mind that there is going to be a lawsuit eventually brought by those leftout. I am just hoping that UConn isn't a plaintiff (meaning we are in either the ACC or B1G).

 

[ScottVib]

This is about as good as it gets for those wanting this to be over... it sets off the last line of domines:

1.) Missouri to the SEC
2.) Louisville or some combination of Louisville, West Virginia and BYU/Cincinnati/Boise St to the Big XII
3.) Hoops schools live up to their threat to leave
4.) Notre Dame has a decision to make: a) join the non-FBS schools for all sports and keep independence but potentially lose influence by losing the link to the FBS conference or b) take the ACC's offer.

If a) which is in my opinion more likely (but not my preference):

5.) The ACC makes its call a) decide that 16 teams is the right number and since Notre Dame is clearly not interested take Connecticut and Rutgers or b) stick at 14

Or If b) (less likely, but my preference):

5.) The ACC invites Notre Dame and Connecticut to go to 16.

End Game for UConn:
Either ------
Become a member of a fantastic hoops conference (again) and a competitive football conference that the team should certainly be able to compete and be successful in. Security in the influence of being in one of the "Big Boy" conferences, as even if the SEC grabs two more, the ACC won't be going away.

Or---
Become the big shot of some sort of conference that is C-USA level (quite possibly C-USA itself). Sucks but at least the drama is over and frankly the "New, New Big East" was really more of a "Big C-USA" anyways.

 

[Adios]

Or---
Become the big shot of some sort of conference that is C-USA level (quite possibly C-USA itself). Sucks but at least the drama is over and frankly the "New, New Big East" was really more of a "Big C-USA" anyways.

I think you're dwelling on the past too much and don't at potential in the future. The Texas A&M Aggies have not won a national championship in football since what, 1939? Their only title.

 

[zls44]

I think you're dwelling on the past too much and don't at potential in the future. The Texas A&M Aggies have not won a national championship in football since what, 1939? Their only title.

Which, I believe, is one more than all but two of the schools in your signature.

 

[Adios]

Which, I believe, is one more than all but two of the schools in your signature.

If I am correct, 4 of those schools that haven't have been created in the 60s.

 

[ctchamps]

The news services are not the problem. Someone credible in the B12 passed the information to the news services. The news services were doing their jobs to pass the information forward.

I don't buy this thing that everyone is out to get the BE. But this "credible source" knew what he/she was doing by the way the "leak" was timed. We'll never know who did it. But as much as the identity would be interesting, the purpose would be just as intriguing.

 

[ScottVib]

I think you're dwelling on the past too much and don't at potential in the future. The Texas A&M Aggies have not won a national championship in football since what, 1939? Their only title.

I'm not referring to potential or anything. I'm referring to perception and current level of competitiveness. If Louisville leaves, Boise State isn't coming (especially if both Louisville and West Virginia leave), similarly as more teams leave Navy's interest decreases, as Navy's interest decreases and without Boise State, I think you find it hard to convince Air Force to leave the Mountain West for all sports for a conference that is loosely its equivalent across the country for one sport.

Lets look at the potential conference:

Houston
SMU
Cincinnati
USF
UCF
Rutgers
Connecticut
West Virginia - if gone Temple

Lets look at TV revenue. Which of these teams really commands the markets they bring? SMU and Houston are at best the 5th and 7th (and more likely 6th and 7th) most important teams in Texas. USF and UCF are 4th and 5th in Florida. Cincinnati #2 in Ohio. Only Rutgers, Connecticut and West Virginia can actually lay claim to "delivering" their markets (and Rutgers claim to delivering the New York market is dubious). Now who else are you going to add that would increase value? Memphis (Tennessee #3 team)? Temple (Pennsylvania's #3 team)? East Carolina (NC's #5 team)? Upgrade a team? The money's not there.

Perception-wise look at the schools... 5 of the 8 are either currently in C-USA or are C-USA refugees. Only West Virginia on that list is a team you look at and feel they are a legitimate threat against the upper echelon programs nationally. (That isn't to say you can't have an upset) Looking at the perception, and frankly the results even when Cincinnati was a second away from the national title game, no one thought they would threaten the SEC's second best team in the bowl game and Florida proved the point (just as Alabama would have done).

Remember potential means you haven't done anything yet..... I'm a UConn fan and will root for the team in whatever league its in; but lets not be naive. Adding a bunch of C-USA schools and calling it the Big East does not make it the Big East. Frankly if UConn has to be in a C-USA level league, I'd just assume be in C-USA and have it run by a conference whose commissioner and membership all have football programs and recognize the primacy of football in the current collegiate athletics landscape.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

The Air Force AD basically said that they decided against joining the Big 12 and were instead considering the Big East. Maybe this is the Big 12 (in other words Texas') way of trying to kill going to the Big East so that they instead go to the Big 12. Who knows, maybe BYU was finally looking at joining the Big 12, but they are only interested if they have a closer geographical rival (Air Force), and this is the Big 12s way of stealing from the Big East.

 

[Adios]

ScottVib, if you can get us in the B1G, good luck.

 

[ctchamps]

The Air Force AD basically said that they decided against joining the Big 12 and were instead considering the Big East. Maybe this is the Big 12 (in other words Texas') way of trying to kill going to the Big East so that they instead go to the Big 12. Who knows, maybe BYU was finally looking at joining the Big 12, but they are only interested if they have a closer geographical rival (Air Force), and this is the Big 12s way of stealing from the Big East.

This is certainly plausible. But we'll never know. The only thing we do know is someone had an agenda and that agenda was to interfere with the vote over the BE exit fee increase. That individual/institution/ conference had nothing to lose but make a simple call. They would be protected by the press's desire to protect their source. So they gave it an amateurish try.

A lot of posters on this forum took the bait and panicked. Fortunately the universities in the BE ignored this report. The possibility of Missouri to the SEC still exists which means the BE is not out of the woods. But it is ridiculous to not take action because of potential fears. It isn't productive.

 

[ScottVib]

ScottVib, if you can get us in the B1G, good luck.

I'm not even sure what you mean by that. I have never even mentioned the Big Ten in any of my posts (prior to this one).

As I stated in my post, Missouri making a decision sets the rest of the dominoes in motion. We should know in the next month or so if UConn is in some variant of the remnant Big East (replenshed from assorted C-USA/MWC teams), C-USA, or the ACC. My preference given those choices is the ACC, your mileage may vary.

 

[MattMang23]

This is about as good as it gets for those wanting this to be over... it sets off the last line of domines:

1.) Missouri to the SEC
2.) Louisville or some combination of Louisville, West Virginia and BYU/Cincinnati/Boise St to the Big XII
3.) Hoops schools live up to their threat to leave
4.) Notre Dame has a decision to make: a) join the non-FBS schools for all sports and keep independence but potentially lose influence by losing the link to the FBS conference or b) take the ACC's offer.

If a) which is in my opinion more likely (but not my preference):

5.) The ACC makes its call a) decide that 16 teams is the right number and since Notre Dame is clearly not interested take Connecticut and Rutgers or b) stick at 14

Or If b) (less likely, but my preference):

5.) The ACC invites Notre Dame and Connecticut to go to 16.

End Game for UConn:
Either ------
Become a member of a fantastic hoops conference (again) and a competitive football conference that the team should certainly be able to compete and be successful in. Security in the influence of being in one of the "Big Boy" conferences, as even if the SEC grabs two more, the ACC won't be going away.

Or---
Become the big shot of some sort of conference that is C-USA level (quite possibly C-USA itself). Sucks but at least the drama is over and frankly the "New, New Big East" was really more of a "Big C-USA" anyways.

I need a flow chart to follow this- I'm more of a visual learner.

 

[Adios]

I'm not even sure what you mean by that. I have never even mentioned the Big Ten in any of my posts (prior to this one).

As I stated in my post, Missouri making a decision sets the rest of the dominoes in motion. We should know in the next month or so if UConn is in some variant of the remnant Big East (replenshed from assorted C-USA/MWC teams), C-USA, or the ACC. My preference given those choices is the ACC, your mileage may vary.

I don't think the remaining schools' programs are as crappy as people make them out to be. We are nationally ranked in other sports besides football and basketball, even with what were C-USA teams. Louisville and South Florida are powers in soccer. last I checked. The B1G will outlast the ACC, the way things are looking.

I like the rugby version of football FAR more than association football rules. Been watching the rugby World Cup. I think a day may come where gridiron football will supplant rugby football in popularity, globally. A much more elaborate game, though it has some roots in rugby football.

 

[SAMCRO]

Katz is just reporting what a source told him, just like everybody else. The bigger head scratcher for me was when that was on the ESPN crawl, up until about midnight last night (then I fell asleep), they reported Mizzou to SEC imminent, then they reported Louisville and West Virginia top 2 targets for B12, but there was no report of Houston receiving a BE offer even though it was all over the news wires hours earlier. CONSPIRACYYYYYYYY. In all seriousness, it is a bit odd, what Disney decides to report, and the timing of it all.

 

[Danzz]

In all seriousness, it is obvious that a war has been declared on the Big East and our enemies are so smug about it that they aren't even trying to hide it.

All these new reports on the day we invite new members...not a coincidence.

Not so sure it is a war as much the BE vulnerability and conferences looking to survive. Either way, the result is the same.
The BE was a wonderful concept when it was formed. Uconn's success is due in large part to the BE. JC doesn't come here without the BE and Dom Perno would have been fine in the old Yankee Conference and ECAC.
For those too young to remember, the Yankee Conference didn't have an automatic bid. The ECAC was formed out of New England schools and received a bid so besides the Yankee Conference teams, Providence, BC, Notheastern and Holy Cross were also in the mix for the ECAC bid.
It is hard for the other conferences not to be smug. We have Uconn and Rutgers on their knees begging for an ACC bid, WVA begging to go anywhere else (probably Big 12), Cinncinatti and Louisville up for grabs and just overall chaos. Nobody has to recruit BE teams, they are all ready to jump at the first invitation.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

And if anyone thinks that a few people in congress will not get involved because they have too many other things to worry about in these times other than sports....I give you this story:

http://espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs/201...rld-series-senators-urge-baseball-ban-tobacco

Congressmen using their position and time to try to get MLB players not to use chewing tobacco during the World Series....are you serious?!