Anyone who thinks the C7 / MWC combo is a bad idea...

[UC990411]

Please read this.

It's not a great idea, but it's better than the being in a conference comprised of Houston, UCF, Memphis, ECU, Tulane, Navy, USF, Temple, and the rumored UMass and Tulsa additions. That league would absolutely destroy our basketball programs, outside of Cincinnati, only Temple and to an extent Memphis are NCAA tournament teams. That league would be lucky to get 4 bids. The football would be terribly mediocre, would not get respect, and would likely be relegated to mid level garbage bowls at the absolute best, outside an occasional access bowl bid.

The C7+A-10 schools, plus UConn and Cincinnati would maintain a very solid basketball league, easily in the top three or four in the country, and would maintain the basketball programs' status, recruiting, etc. Not to mention it would all but assure that we continue playing our conference tournament at MSG. Joining the MWC in football would at least put us with some competitive teams, it still would be rather mediocre, and our access bowl would be more or less the same, we'd still be in mediocre bowls, but it would likely be a more respected league, especially since we'd be playing a few teams people generally regard as competitive programs.

The sum total of good for all of our important programs would be better served in the C7+MWC than the NNNNBE.

 

[junglehusky]

As I said in the other thread, joining the MWC (which would now be a semi-national conference) for FB would be threading the needle. There's no guarantee the MWC would be willing to do that, and there's no guarantee that there's any financial incentive for the league and ESPN to make this happen. The risk of UConn football being stuck without a home is simply too great unless there is more information out there that we will have a landing spot. And if football doesn't have a home, athletic department revenue will crater (even worse than it would in the Aresco league) which WILL hurt basketball in the long run.

We need more info on what the $$$ would be before acting on this scenario. I suspect the coast-to-coast conference thing is not going to happen for the MWC, just as it isn't happening for the Aresco league formerly known as the NBE.

 

[zls44]

Please read this.

You are a basketball fan. That's ok, and understandable. But you are way out of your depth here.

 

[businesslawyer]

If the MWC would take us just for football, and the C-7 would take us for everything else knowing that we still want to play football and will bolt at the first opportunity, I do think doing it might make sense. Even if that puts me out of Zach's depth.

Having said that, I think it is extremely unlikely that we would have the opportunity to do this.

 

[whaler11]

If the MWC would take us just for football, and the C-7 would take us for everything else knowing that we still want to play football and will bolt at the first opportunity, I do think doing it might make sense. Even if that puts me out of Zach's depth.

Having said that, I think it is extremely unlikely that we would have the opportunity to do this.

I think (hope) that is his point. It can't happen so trying to figure out if it makes sense is pointless.

 

[huskypantz]

I am a football fan first and I'd rather stay with the C7 for bball and olympics and pimp out football only to MWC or whatever league UCF, USF etc end up in. I don't think that's too crazy. Doesn't mean that MWC or CUSAjuiced will give us the option, but it is our best case scenario.

 

[Gate97]

There's a few problems with this pleasant but complete unrealistic pipe dream:

1. Less money. In fact, a decent amount less. For football in the MWC, any school not named Boise State is going to get somewhere between $500 k and $1 M per season. Even if we're optimistic and factor in some lift from SNY, maybe we get $1.5 - 2 M per year. To Jungle's point above, such a revenue drop would ultimately hurt the AD overall, including hoops. Even the Aresco Frankenstein league of BE leftovers plus C-USA escapees will likely get somewhere around $4-5 M per team per season.

2. Risky football future. No major conference is taking any of the MWC schools to expand to 16, with the outside chance of the Pac 12 or Big 12 sniffing around Boise, possibly Air Force, or SDSU out of desperation. UConn (or Cinci) associating with this league only lowers the chances that the ACC or others come calling because MWC screams mid-major. Not big boy football.

3. Finally, why? Not as in why would or wouldn't we do it. More importantly, why would the C7 that just split from the football schools want UConn knowing that if and when a real conference calls, we're gone? Same goes for the MWC on the football side. If you were in the C7 shoes and possibly coveted the hoops strength we would bring, wouldn't you try to impose a huge exit fee / penalty for the league to keep it intact? The MWC would never get the consensus to do something similar, but again, why let us have a temporary home for a season or two? Especially since that just introduces the coast-to-coast logistical issues that no league has ever figured out?

I still think the NNNBE is the right move until we get a lifeboat elsewhere...and I think Blauds is grasping at straws here.

 

[zls44]

3. Finally, why? Not as in why would or wouldn't we do it. More importantly, why would the C7 that just split from the football schools want UConn knowing that if and when a real conference calls, we're gone? Same goes for the MWC on the football side. If you were in the C7 shoes and possibly coveted the hoops strength we would bring, wouldn't you try to impose a huge exit fee / penalty for the league to keep it intact? The MWC would never get the consensus to do something similar, but again, why let us have a temporary home for a season or two? Especially since that just introduces the coast-to-coast logistical issues that no league has ever figured out?

Exactly.

Anyone in favor of this has to explain why the other party would do it. It's not like UConn can just decide.

 

[zls44]

If the MWC would take us just for football, and the C-7 would take us for everything else knowing that we still want to play football and will bolt at the first opportunity, I do think doing it might make sense. Even if that puts me out of Zach's depth.

FWIW, you can probably stand up in my depth and not risk drowning.

 

[upstater]

I am a football fan first and I'd rather stay with the C7 for bball and olympics and pimp out football only to MWC or whatever league UCF, USF etc end up in. I don't think that's too crazy. Doesn't mean that MWC or CUSAjuiced will give us the option, but it is our best case scenario.

Because there are no good options left, this would put you in the Sun Belt. The Texas schools would join the MWC at that point, leaving UConn in a league with Cincy, E Carolina, USF, UCF, Temple and Tulane. AND at that point, Cincy might even bail for the MWC. Football would suffer.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

This is a good option because if you think the NNNNBE minus Boise, SDSU, and possibly Houston and SMU will get more money from a network than the MWC, you're patently insane. Not to mention the C7 would take UConn and Cincy as teams 13 and 14 in heartbeat because their already good TV numbers from Fox would get even higher. As I said, staying with the NNNNBE would ensure that ALL of our programs go into the crapper. Staying with the C7 as a temporary option until something better hopefully comes along ensures the basketball programs can stay nationally relevant, keeps the football program playing a few teams that get some play nationally, and would get a halfway decent TV deal.

Staying in an all sports league with ECU, Memphis, UCF, Tulane, Tulsa, UMass, Memphis, and UMass is suicide for all of UConn athletics.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Because there are no good options left, this would put you in the Sun Belt. The Texas schools would join the MWC at that point, leaving UConn in a league with Cincy, E Carolina, USF, UCF, Temple and Tulane. AND at that point, Cincy might even bail for the MWC. Football would suffer.

suffer is an understatement. good luck selling 20,000 season tickets for a home schedule chock full of CUSA rejects.

 

[upstater]

suffer is an understatement. good luck selling 20,000 season tickets for a home schedule chock full of CUSA rejects.

But this is the quandary you're in. If you pursue the C7, your central/Texas teams abandon you, and then you're stuck in the Sun Belt. If you're lucky. Why would the Sun Belt even want UConn at that point?

 

[huskypantz]

Because there are no good options left, this would put you in the Sun Belt. The Texas schools would join the MWC at that point, leaving UConn in a league with Cincy, E Carolina, USF, UCF, Temple and Tulane. AND at that point, Cincy might even bail for the MWC. Football would suffer.

Football is going to suffer, that's not even up for discussion. Anything but the C7 is probably going to decimate our bball and olympic sports as well. Nobody gives a $ht about Houston, SMU etc.

 

[upstater]

Football is going to suffer, that's not even up for discussion. Anything but the C7 is probably going to decimate our bball and olympic sports as well. Nobody gives a $ht about Houston, SMU etc.

If you kill off football, you will never play Duke and Syracuse etc. in a postseason tourney when the football schools go their own way.

You will get to play Gonzaga and Wichita St. instead.

 

[btstimpy]

Please read this.

You may want to go back and look to see who was in the 2008 Men's NCAA basketball Championship Game. I think Memphis was there. I think you might have to go back decades to find a C7 team in that game. Now if they add Butler, they might be able to claim one. But Butler isn't C7 today.

Playing in a league with Memphis and Temple adds as much firepower as one with Georgetown and Villanova. After those 2 and perhaps Marquette, the C7 drops off dramatically anyway. Then you don't have to ship the football team out to Utah, Nevada, and Idaho. The Big East needs to have a clean break with the C7 and then form an all sports league with the best of the remaining schools in the Conference USA. Then UConn needs to continue to work to make itself attractive for one of the ACC, Big XII, or Big Ten.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

My take....

The rumor of UConn/Cincinnati doing this was planted by UConn/Cincinnati. My guess is that Aresco and the NNBE was trying to force a GoR requirement for all members in order to get a slightly better media contract from the bidding entities. Obviously UConn/UC would be completely against that as they are hoping to just bide their time until the next conference realignment shift. So putting this out there in the media is UConn/UC's way of calling Arescos bluff and their attempt to take the GoR discussion off of the table.

Just a guess on my part, as I don't think this is a realistic consideration.

 

[Point6]

Exactly.

Anyone in favor of this has to explain why the other party would do it. It's not like UConn can just decide.

who knows? i can see it as a possibility because the MWC would be paid more by networks w/ uconn and cincy and they would destroy their main competition in the nnbe by taking uconn and cincy. C7 would also be paid more and it would move them up the pecking order in bb conferences w uconn and cincy,

 

[ctchamps]

who knows? i can see it as a possibility because the MWC would be paid more by networks w/ uconn and cincy and they would destroy their main competition in the nnbe by taking uconn and cincy. C7 would also be paid more and it would move them up the pecking order in bb conferences w uconn and cincy,

The problem for the MWC and the NNBE potential conference is both would receive the same response by their respective media suitors. Will UConn and/or Cincy be around for very long? If the answer was yes, then the strategy would be more favorable for the NNBE. All Aresco would have to do is poach a strategic team or two from the MWC all but making Boise's inclusion moot and forcing MWC to fold and Boise to be part of the NNBE without the perks it manipulated from the MWC. A firm commitment by both Cincy and UConn to the NNBE would mean a much bigger offer by one of the media bidders all but assuring the NNBE of the upper hand. It would have the money because there are more potential eyes with the NNBE cluster puck than the MWC cluster pluck.

But everyone knows those two universities do not have ten toes in to anything less than a major conference. So Aresco is behind the eight ball and any other conference wanting Cincy and/Uconn not named B!G, PAC, SEC, B12 perhaps, ACC perhaps won't be happening. UConn and Cincy are on holding pattern, trying to make the best situation possible for the NNBE, knowing very well their lack of strong commitment has the catch 22 effect of reducing the value of any NNBE formation.

 

[Pudge]

Some of you seem to not understand contracts. MWC have one. If ... They get any incremental dollars, it's because it's in CBS's interests. But they aren't going to mark to market. The NNNBE is in the Market. That's why they will get many times the MWC. It's a good time to have some kind of sports content.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Some of you seem to not understand contracts. MWC have one. If ... They get any incremental dollars, it's because it's in CBS's interests. But they aren't going to mark to market. The NNNBE is in the Market. That's why they will get many times the MWC. It's a good time to have some kind of sports content.

Not when that content is garbage and consistently crumbling more and more each week.

 

[upstater]

Not when that content is garbage and consistently crumbling more and more each week.

CYO7 says hello!

 

[ScottVib]

Given the current MWC TV deal... the top schools from the rump Big East and MWC would be better served breaking off and forming a new conference and starting over on the deal.

1.) It culls the deadweight schools
2.) Starts the TV deal over
-- 12 for football would be great.. but
3.) Hybrid deals start to fall do to non-alignment of goals for the affiliated members... It would be possible to pull together an all sports league of 16-18 teams; Eastern and Western divisions (sub-conferneces). Non-revenue sports have 0 cross-over games until the conference championships/tournaments (saves the $$$). Basketball plays home and home in division with limited cross-over games, while football operates on a 7-8 game division schedule + 2 cross-over games (fills 9-10 games out of the schedule and gives a ton of higher value inventory to the networks).

Keep in mind with the new playoff system and the splitting of the conferences there will be little incentives from the Big Boys to schedule the next best schools, why schedule Boise or Cincy when if you win you get no credit; but if you lose you get hammered, much better to schedule an Indiana or Wake or little brother type school from one of the power conferences or to find a Sun Belt team looking for a pay-day.

 

[metsfan2323]

Memphis ..... Georgetown
Temple ..... Villanova
Houston ..... ST Johns
SMU ...... Butler
USF ...... DePaul
UCF ..... Providence
ECU .... Seton Hall
Tulane ..... Marquette
Tulsa ...... Xaiver
UMASS .....VCU
Cincinnati .....Cincinnati
UCONN ..... UCONN


I'm confident the basketball conference on the left can be just as good as the basketball conference on the right. This board isn't giving Houston and SMU enough credit. Those schools are totally committed to improving their basketball profile and they are swimming in money. USF made the sweet 16 last year, when is the last time Providence, St Johns, Seton Hall, or Depaul made the sweet 16?

We also need to stop calling the C7 "Basketball Schools". They are not "Basketball Schools" they are "Non Football Schools". Duke, Kentucky, and UCONN are basketball schools.

 

[DW4UCONN]

Cincy would never agree to join the C7 if they included Xavier. Those two schools hate each other. Tulane is no trade for Marquette and the C7 can do much better than Tulsa. East Carolina thankfully is FB only.

The problem I have with splitting from the C7 is tradition. I think it means a lot to recruits. If Uconn BB is going to remain strong, we need to recruit New York. Now both Syracuse and Rutgers have a huge advantage over us. By staying in the C7 we can hope to sell tradition and the fact we would be playing in one of the best BB conferences AND playing our tournament at MSG. We lose that with the NBE.

I agree that Houston has potential but means little for us building a regional rivalry. I fear we are going to be the next BCU in New England if we stay with the NBE for BB. I feel we are better off with the C7 even if it means joining the MWC for FB.