Are We Being Disingenuous?

[RegisteredUconn]

This is a painful topic to me, but why do none of our old Big East compatriots seem to want us in the ACC? Cuse, Pitt, Miami, BC, VaTech. It's not even apathy; it seems like they actively oppose us. We have more support from the UVAs and UNCs and old line ACC teams. Even Maryland would probably welcome us into the B1G more than our former Big East crew would shake our hands at their new conference confab. How come? What did we do to piss them off? How did this deplorably situation arise? At least it seems Rutgers more or less supports us. Then again, it might just be me.

 

[noeynox]

Pretty simple actually. Those teams like to promulgate the myth that you can't build power house programs in the sports that matter, in the northeast. Then they watch as UConn did it in basketball while the majority barely register a blip on the national scene. So it is jealousy with the hope that we wither and die on the vine allowing them to rise and take our spot as northeast juggernaut.

I think there is fear UConn could make some noise nationally in football given the right conference affiliation and coach.

 

[Adios]

They are very scared. Syracuse fans are still crying after seeing what we can do on the big stage.

 

[SubbaBub]

Fear, jealousy, and parochialism. The order of importance depends on the day.

 

[itgoeslike]

The irony is that if UConn were in the same league as BC, Syracuse and Pitt there would be some level of competitive parity and the region's collective sports interest would grow. Conversely, if UConn ever receives an invite from the Big Ten, it's likely those teams would eat dust. It's surprising our old "buddies" wouldn't want to hedge their bet

 

[uconndogs]

In the mid-late 70s just as the Big East was being formed Cuse had nationally recognized basketball and football programs. As the Big East was formed, the general consensus was that UCONN would never, ever be able to compete at the level. That view was shared pretty broadly within the UCONN family and with opposing fan bases like the Orange it was taken as fact to a point of outright arrogance. The Jim Calhoun came along and stuck it up everyone's .

UCONN joined the Big East in football in what 2003? Again, the mantra from opposing fan bases was that it would take decades for UCONN to field teams that were even remotely competitive with the powerhouses of Syracuse, BC, Pitt, etc. Well, which was the last program to win multiple Big East championships and get to a BCS bowl? I was at all the games when UCONN ripped off 5 straight wins against the Orange. The look on faces of those fans was pure WTF is going on. Priceless!

You starting to get the picture?

 

[RegisteredUconn]

In the mid-late 70s just as the Big East was being formed Cuse had nationally recognized basketball and football programs. As the Big East was formed, the general consensus was that UCONN would never, ever be able to compete at the level. That view was shared pretty broadly within the UCONN family and with opposing fan bases like the Orange it was taken as fact to a point of outright arrogance. The Jim Calhoun came along and stuck it up everyone's a .

UCONN joined the Big East in football in what 2003? Again, the mantra from opposing fan bases was that it would take decades for UCONN to field teams that were even remotely competitive with the powerhouses of Syracuse, BC, Pitt, etc. Well, which was the last program to win multiple Big East championships and get to a BCS bowl? I was at all the games when UCONN ripped off 5 straight wins against the Orange. The look on faces of those fans was pure WTF is going on. Priceless!

You starting to get the picture?

But why would that engender more animosity than admiration? We were the hind teat conference, the bottom chicken in the pecking order. It was us (the conference) against the world. More often than not, in that situation, you'd get rallied around, not kicked while having your throat slit. Why, when I look around and see all those middle fingers, do I think "Et tu"?

 

[coachcap]

Think of it as old time money (the Rockefellers) being jealous of the self made man (Bill Gates). The old movie The Unsinkable Molly Brown addressed this. Debbie Reynolds gave the oldtimers the collective finger. I Hope & Pray that UConn gets the opportunity to do the same.

 

[djct1999]

Here is a fun game. It takes less than a minute to play. List all the things the above mentioned programs have accomplished in the same time period. When you are finished, it becomes crystal clear why they feel inferior to UConn. Think about it. UConn claims titles. Syracuse and BC in particular try to claim geography. If they allow UConn to join the ACC, they both lose the only thing left they can self-claim and by sharing that, their path to irrelevancy speeds up.

 

[Ldandy]

Competitive jealousy. That's primarily it. For example when PSU was sanctioned by the NCAA there was open celebrating on Pitt and Rutgers Boards. Straight out vitriol was being flung at our school in thread after thread, with equal parts opining how our demise would equate to their rise. When it didn't happen, and when PSU was still out recruiting these two while winning more games in a tougher conference, some of their "fans" went off the deep end. No one wanted to examine their own house to find the reason for their station. It was easier to tear down somebody more prominent to gain some type of competitive advantage.

 

[Ldandy]

The irony is that if UConn were in the same league as BC, Syracuse and Pitt there would be some level of competitive parity and the region's collective sports interest would grow. Conversely, if UConn ever receives an invite from the Big Ten, it's likely those teams would eat dust. It's surprising our old "buddies" wouldn't want to hedge their bet

I so hope it happens for you guys. They have all been marginalized 99% in football, UCONN in the B1G would expedite the decline in basketball as well.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

The irony is that if UConn were in the same league as BC, Syracuse and Pitt there would be some level of competitive parity and the region's collective sports interest would grow. Conversely, if UConn ever receives an invite from the Big Ten, it's likely those teams would eat dust. It's surprising our old "buddies" wouldn't want to hedge their bet

That point is painfully obvious, then again nothing is less common than common sense. These northern schools lost an important bridge with Maryland leaving.
UConn's addition would serve only to enhance these teams. Than again envy isn't one of the deadly sins for no reason.
The ACC addition of Louisville was akin to the Big East addition of Marquette.
nice and it placated the BB schools ,but strategically insignificant.

 

[uconndogs]

But why would that engender more animosity than admiration? We were the hind teat conference, the bottom chicken in the pecking order. It was us (the conference) against the world. More often than not, in that situation, you'd get rallied around, not kicked while having your throat slit. Why, when I look around and see all those middle fingers, do I think "Et tu"?

Well, you're talking about an emotional attachment that I don't think every existed. But, I have stated this repeatedly, the northeast is best served with UCONN in either the ACC or BiG. It's better for BC, Syracuse and Rutgers. It raises awareness for everyone and creates regional rivalries that would not otherwise exist. GDF was giddy and made public statements that probably contributed to him ultimately losing his job when UCONN was passed over by the ACC for Cuse and Pitt. He clearly stated that it was about controlling turf in a market. UCONN's presence in the ACC would have helped BC (and visa-versa by the way). It would have increased regional awareness and interest. It was and continues to be a short-sighted, narrow minded view of the business.

Make no doubt about it, BC and Cuse are threatened by UCONN. They like the prospects of not having to compete with UCONN on a level playing field. Because, they no, when the playing field is level, UCONN wins........a lot!

 

[chitown76]

I'm a old big guy but I love that we are changing with the times and setting up out East. I just see nothing but positives when I look at UCONN as a whole a great athletics department with a awesome fan base is just the start. The state has pumped 100's of millions of dollars into the research part of the school and that to me has big written all over it a like minded research institution. Also they are starting to develop very powerful allies in research. The ACC will eat crow 10 years from now when UConn is making hundreds of millions of dollars off research and athletics and all the institutions that kept you down are going into the red.

 

[FDNY99]

I'm a old big guy but I love that we are changing with the times and setting up out East. I just see nothing but positives when I look at UCONN as a whole a great athletics department with a awesome fan base is just the start. The state has pumped 100's of millions of dollars into the research part of the school and that to me has big written all over it a like minded research institution. Also they are starting to develop very powerful allies in research. The ACC will eat crow 10 years from now when UConn is making hundreds of millions of dollars off research and athletics and all the institutions that kept you down are going into the red.

We just have to keep our fingers crossed and hope that we are included in the B1G's next move (if there is a next move for them). One thing is for sure...BC will be SEVERELY isolated possibly to wither on the vine...and Syracuse can forget about even thinking about owning even a small piece of the NYC market if UCONN was taken into the B1G!

 

[uconndogs]

Well, you're talking about an emotional attachment that I don't think ever existed. But, I have stated this repeatedly, the northeast is best served with UCONN in either the ACC or BiG. It's better for BC, Syracuse and Rutgers. It raises awareness for everyone and creates regional rivalries that would not otherwise exist. GDF was giddy and made public statements that probably contributed to him ultimately losing his job when UCONN was passed over by the ACC for Cuse and Pitt. He clearly stated that it was about controlling turf in a market. UCONN's presence in the ACC would have helped BC (and visa-versa by the way). It would have increased regional awareness and interest. It was and continues to be a short-sighted, narrow minded view of the business to exclude UCONN.

Make no doubt about it, BC and Cuse are threatened by UCONN. They like the prospects of not having to compete with UCONN on a level playing field. Because, they know, when the playing field is level, UCONN wins...a lot!

 

[Dooley]

I think Fishy summed it up best a year ago or so when he said something along the lines that half of the schools are afraid that UCONN will rot on a vine and the other half is afraid that we won't. Right now, the half that is afraid that we won't rot away are growing increasingly agitated over UCONN's continued mission to fund successful athletic programs despite our AAC sentence (ex - Diaco hire and pay raise to Assistant coaches pool; raising Ollie to Top 10 coaches in the country). All this with a significantly shorthanded revenue stream than our old Big East "friends". With P5 resources, it all but assures Ollie stays for life (at least, pay rate wise we can match any offer, including NBA) and UCONN's ability to raise Diaco as we improve football (or find a suitable replacement if he decides to leave for another job). This means continued irrelevance for our upstate NY and Chestnut Hill friends.

 

[itgoeslike]

I so hope it happens for you guys. They have all been marginalized 99% in football, UCONN in the B1G would expedite the decline in basketball as well.

We're working on the Football infrastructure and got some positive results this week. UConn would help elevate the basketball profile of the Big Ten and could help spark a resurgence for some programs, both men and women. But, the decline ACC basketball may be premature. They still have Duke and UNC and will benefit from ESPN hype. What it would do is dispel the notion by some pundits that they are/will be the greatest basketball conference ever, which pretty much fell flat this year.

 

[chitown76]

We just have to keep our fingers crossed and hope that we are included in the B1G's next move (if there is a next move for them). One thing is for sure...BC will be SEVERELY isolated possibly to wither on the vine...and Syracuse can forget about even thinking about owning even a small piece of the NYC market if UCONN was taken into the B1G!

I know for a fact there is at least one more move

 

[FDNY99]

I know for a fact there is at least one more move

Then I hope we are included in it

 

[metsfan2323]

If we get a B1G invite we will bury Cuse and BC on the gridiron. UCONN and Rutgers will be the big leagues and control NYC, BC and Cuse will be the minor leagues and be an afterthought.

 

[itgoeslike]

I think Fishy summed it up best a year ago or so when he said something along the lines that half of the schools are afraid that UCONN will rot on a vine and the other half is afraid that we won't. Right now, the half that is afraid that we won't rot away are growing increasingly agitated over UCONN's continued mission to fund successful athletic programs despite our AAC sentence (ex - Diaco hire and pay raise to Assistant coaches pool; raising Ollie to Top 10 coaches in the country). All this with a significantly shorthanded revenue stream than our old Big East "friends". With P5 resources, it all but assures Ollie stays for life (at least, pay rate wise we can match any offer, including NBA) and UCONN's ability to raise Diaco as we improve football (or find a suitable replacement if he decides to leave for another job). This means continued irrelevance for our upstate NY and Chestnut Hill friends.

Fishy said something to the effect:

Half the ACC schools that voted NO are worried we won't be good at football while the other half that voted NO are worried we will be. . .

Basically sums it up in a nutshell.

 

[chitown76]

I think you are there's a method to Delaney's madness. Think about it Rutgers is a good start but you need one more to finish off the northeast one that can penetrate Boston and New York at the same time. Virginia is nice but they don't deliver the rest of the northeast. North Carolina is nice but they don't deliver the northeast. It has to be UConn Delaney saw first hand what UConn can do in MSG he had to be impressed seeing it live. I was impressed watching it on television. It made me feel like when Illinois comes up to Chicago to play home sweet home.

 

[CL82]

I think there are two possible views of the competitive environment in college sports. One is that pie is limited. If Connecticut gets a share some programs will have to give up portion of "their share." The other view is that success grows the entire pie. Everyone wins when any program succeeds. There is truth in both models. Competition for players follows the former model. That may be focus of some of our former conference mates.

 

[chitown76]

My opinion is when one program wins everyone wins. If I'm going to go down swinging and UConn beats me I'm cool with that I lost to a better man I hope they go raise hell on whoever they play next. That's the new mentality of conferences and that's what I like about college sports today . To keep a university down is wrong on so many levels. I don't know that much about your situation with the ACC but if that is going on that's not cool.