Are We Being Disingenuous?

[NickyNewark]

A big part of me honestly believes that the B1G reached out to UCONN when all this was percolating RE UofL/UCONN to the ACC, MD leaving for the B1G, etc etc etc, and said, "hey hey hey, slow down bros. Forget about the ACC...just hang tight. We got you."

UCONN just fits the ACC so well, brings NYC, is another solid State Flagship to pair with the dwindling few left in the ACC, etc etc. It makes no sense for the ACC to NOT invite UCONN, unless UCONN knows (or found out) it's on deck in the B1G's back pocket.

Before the B1G invited Rutgers I had the sense that RUTG was going to be the next move for the conference. They would have been a great fit for the ACC as well. It just seemed like there was an air of silence among the RUTG administrators. No urgency, just patience. I get that same feeling from UCONN now. Like everyone knows something, but nobody is saying anything.

I don't know, maybe I'm way off, but the ACC not inviting UCONN makes no sense whatsoever. UofL football isn't that great. I mean, it has been decent recently but they are not some big time traditional power. Not sure. Football makes sense too RE FSU/CLEM etc, pushing for Louisville, but my senses hint at something else.




And what happens if UCONN goes B1G?

Thats exactly the way it felt when Tim Pernetti told the fanbase to calm down "were covered" in differents words but he gave the aura of relax and be patient! I sense that same aura here now!! Somethings in the works that can't be openly mentioned due to the secrecy clause IMO!?! Why are we all here from all over the B1G on the BY waiting and watching?

 

[uconndogs]

Guys, com'on! When Louisville got invited Ward and Susan were taken by surprise. We did not and do not have a B1G invite in hand. Doesn't mean one isn't eventually coming or that one might not come from the ACC. But, no one in their right mind would have deliberately had us stuck in our current mess.

 

[Ha Who]

Guys, com'on! When Louisville got invited Ward and Susan were taken by surprise. We did not and do not have a B1G invite in hand. Doesn't mean one isn't eventually coming or that one might not come from the ACC. But, no one in their right mind would have deliberately had us stuck in our current mess.

I agree. No reports of recruits being told they would be playing in the Big. Of course, for the believers I have an explanation. UCONN was told the Big does not want a repeat of the leaks that came out of the Rutgers camp.

 

[Kolumbo]

RU...is that pile of mess good, bad, or irrelevant for our chances? My fear is the B1G schools might start thinking they can't take the chance on another Northeast school. Not that UCONN would be confused with a program which has, as they say, gone from 3rd base to 1st.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

We outran them.

Is it truly as uncomplicated as that? Even if they believed they were beginning to see the backs of our jerseys, why wouldn't they want a strong addition to their conference lineup? Every discussion here focuses on which teams would make the best new members of which conference, not the worst, or who's the most fair-to-middling. Isn't the ACC's best chance at success dependent of fielding the strongest teams they can attract?

 

[Duncan Idaho]

My neighbor was a great neighbor for 30 years... until my brother wanted to build a house on an unused/tree over grown lot I owned that was adjacent to his and my properties, then he did everything to squash its building during the public hearing , claiming all sorts of bad things would happen if my brother built there. All of which were untrue, he just didn't want another neighbor that close by.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

My neighbor was a great neighbor for 30 years... until my brother wanted to build a house on an unused/tree over grown lot I owned that was adjacent to his and my properties, then he did everything to squash its building during the public hearing , claiming all sorts of bad things would happen if my brother built there. All of which were untrue, he just didn't want another neighbor that close by.

It's true, people do things for a variety of reasons and to them, their objection is as good as the next guy's. But why everyone? If your brother had been a good neighbor, an asset to the neighborhood, why would every neighbor object? That's what I keep sensing. Certainly none of those we share a conference with wants to champion us to the ACC.

 

[Fishy]

Is it truly as uncomplicated as that? Even if they believed they were beginning to see the backs of our jerseys, why wouldn't they want a strong addition to their conference lineup? Every discussion here focuses on which teams would make the best new members of which conference, not the worst, or who's the most fair-to-middling. Isn't the ACC's best chance at success dependent of fielding the strongest teams they can attract?

"We didn't want them in,'' DeFilippo told the Globe. "It was a matter of turf. We wanted to be the New England team.''

Are you new here?

 

[Calamitous]

This is a really good point to the "we are screwed because of the lawsuit" idiots. Louisville really, really stuck it to VTech when the metro was merged into CUSA. VTech had a lousy football and basketball program at the time, and was so pissed off at what was happening that they sued to stop the merger from happening. Somehow, VTech got past it and invited Louisville over us.

Had FSU, Clemson & Swofford invited UConn, Tech and many others would have voted for them too. WVU is probably the only school that the ACC schools wouldn't have voted for.

 

[pj]

Guys, com'on! When Louisville got invited Ward and Susan were taken by surprise. We did not and do not have a B1G invite in hand. Doesn't mean one isn't eventually coming or that one might not come from the ACC. But, no one in their right mind would have deliberately had us stuck in our current mess.

I agree. No reports of recruits being told they would be playing in the Big. Of course, for the believers I have an explanation. UCONN was told the Big does not want a repeat of the leaks that came out of the Rutgers camp.

I am certain we did not have a B1G invitation in hand. Nor do we now. But I think it's possible that UConn was gung ho for the ACC until a few days before the deal was to be concluded, was approached by the B1G with an expression of interest/potential, then started reviewing all the contracts for implications if UConn were to later leave the ACC for the B1G, and the slowdown in the discussions led the ACC to (1) fear the embarrassment of a second Maryland - UConn joining the ACC but leaving for the B1G 3 to 12 years later - and (2) fear that if the B1G had approached UConn, they might be talking to another ACC school to be #16 to UConn's #15, and wanted to shut realignment down rapidly, so they grabbed Louisville and then rammed through the GoR and higher exit fee.

In this scenario, UConn lost out on its ACC invite thanks to a possible future B1G invite that may or may not materialize.

And Susan and Warde would likely have been very surprised that the ACC would rush to close a deal with any partner and would refuse to give UConn time to consider contract implications. I'm sure the rapid shift to L'ville was a surprise to them. Also a disappointment, considering no B1G invitation was in hand and an ACC invitation in hand was worth more to them than a B1G invitation in the bush.

If this is true, then it shows the ACC feels seriously uncompetitive relative to the B1G, that outside its southern home region it doesn't feel any school will stay in the ACC if it can move to the B1G, and it probably has doubts about Virginia, thus the hefty GoR/exit fee.

 

[uconndogs]

I am certain we did not have a B1G invitation in hand. Nor do we now. But I think it's possible that UConn was gung ho for the ACC until a few days before the deal was to be concluded, was approached by the B1G with an expression of interest/potential, then started reviewing all the contracts for implications if UConn were to later leave the ACC for the B1G, and the slowdown in the discussions led the ACC to (1) fear the embarrassment of a second Maryland - UConn coming in and then leaving for the B1G 3 to 12 years later - and (2) fear that if the B1G approached UConn they might be talking to other ACC schools, and wanted to shut realignment down rapidly, so they grabbed Louisville and then rammed through the GoR and higher exit fee.

In this scenario, UConn lost out on its ACC invite thanks to a possible future B1G invite that may or may not materialize.

Please stop.

If Susan and Ward did that they would have to be executed.....tortured first.....then executed.

 

[pj]

Please stop.

If Susan and Ward did that they would have to be executed.....tortured first.....then executed.

You seem to have misunderstood me. What do you think Susan did that was wrong, much less deserves torture? I am saying they wanted extra time to carefully review the 8-figure business deal they were about to enter, and this caution spooked the ACC. Surely it would be malpractice NOT to carefully review these deals.

 

[Calamitous]

Guys, com'on! When Louisville got invited Ward and Susan were taken by surprise. We did not and do not have a B1G invite in hand. Doesn't mean one isn't eventually coming or that one might not come from the ACC. But, no one in their right mind would have deliberately had us stuck in our current mess.

It's hard to be objective about the subject when you get passed over. I understand it well and it really stinks; especially when you have a proven winner and a top notch academic university. There is a lot of resentment against the ACC (understandably so) because it happened 2 1/2 times (1st wave SU & Pitt, 2nd wave with a partial ND and 3rd wave UL).

However, in that same timeframe, the B1G took RU and UMCP (neither as strong as UConn in overall athletics). Then the B1G threatened to take UVa, UNC, GT and some talk of Duke. I'm not privy to the UConn timeline, but were the Husky's on the B1G's radar in late 2013 when all this was going down? Did the B1G's silly geographic contiguity (or 20 mile gap through White Plains and b/w NJ and Conn) have something to do with it?

 

[Calamitous]

And what happens if UCONN goes B1G?

Then the ACC loses out while waiting on ND to FULLY become #15. Hint: ND ain't happening, so UConn may end up in the B1G because of the ACC's short-sightedness.

 

[pj]

It's hard to be objective about the subject when you get passed over. I understand it well and it really stinks; especially when you have a proven winner and a top notch academic university. There is a lot of resentment against the ACC (understandably so) because it happened 2 1/2 times (1st wave SU & Pitt, 2nd wave with a partial ND and 3rd wave UL).

You could add another wave with the Miami / Va Tech / BC acquisition. True, UConn football was in an immature state at the time, but UConn could have been had then. Maybe Rutgers too. Realistically, it was the ACC's last chance to implement a "state flagship universities along the length of the Atlantic coast" model - Rutgers was in the B1G's cross-hairs from that point on.

 

[Calamitous]

You could add another wave with the Miami / Va Tech / BC acquisition. True, UConn football was in an immature state at the time, but UConn could have been had then. Maybe Rutgers too. Realistically, it was the ACC's last chance to implement a "state flagship universities along the length of the Atlantic coast" model - Rutgers was in the B1G's cross-hairs from that point on.

I'll give you the Miami/Tech/BC wave to some extent. 10 years of being passed over is enough to dishearten and anger anyone. 50+ years is a long time to wait too, especially when you're surrounded by them.

 

[uconndogs]

You seem to have misunderstood me. What do you think Susan did that was wrong, much less deserves torture? I am saying they wanted extra time to carefully review the 8-figure business deal they were about to enter, and this caution spooked the ACC. Surely it would be malpractice NOT to carefully review these deals.

I didn't misunderstand you.

 

[UConn9604]

Please stop.

If Susan and Ward did that they would have to be executed.....tortured first.....then executed.

Or forced to sit and watch the Memphis game in the frozen tundra of Rentschler Field with the 87 of us who stayed for the whole thing.

 

[Stray_Dog]

The president of your university stated that the primary reason for the move to the ACC was for academic reasons. He stated that publicly and then let his AD vote for a community college in Kentucky. The double speak that comes from BC has always been amazing and that is just one instance. By the way, I know Louisville has played much better football of late, but the year they were voted into the ACC and they kicked Florida's a in their bowl game was also the year we beat them at Louisville. Louisville has a nice football program, but they aren't all that....

You won't answer this honestly, but I'll ask anyway. Hypothetically, UCONN and BC are in the same conference (the ACC let's say). In 10 years, how do the athletic departments compare? You know the answer. Your former AD knew the answer and was stupid enough to state why he did not want to compete with UCONN on a level playing field.

You and many of your fan base are pretty smug right now. But, this thing is not over and there is a better than even chance that UCONN and BC will end up on comparable footing once CR is settled. And you know what will happen don't you.you remember what it was like when UCONN hoops rolled up a decade winning streak against the Eagles. And you know that can happen in football. And when it does, you will never be on this board again, because that would take some class.

Usually when a warning shot is fired across the BOW it is not meant to sink the ship! I guess the U.S.S. BC_Classless is now on the bottom of Boston Harbor...Just one more stink for me to avoid!

 

[UConnJim]

This thread is a funny read. Let's make this clear. UConn's administrators were blindsided by the invite of Louisville by the ACC and there was no B1G approach at that time. BC never wants UConn in the ACC. I suspect Syracuse feels the same way. It is what it is.

History has shown us that conferences change over time. Schools have left the SEC (Tulane, Georgia Tech, and Sewanee), the ACC (Maryland, South Carolina), the Big 10 (Chicago and Michigan for a period), the Big 12 (Colorado, Nebraska, Missouri, Texas A&M), the Pac 12 (Idaho, Montana, and even Oregon and Oregon St. for a period). Look at the conferences that have either imploded or are shadows of their former selves: Big East, SWC, Big 8, Southern Conference, Metro (used to be FSU, Louisville, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Memphis, Cincinnati, Tulane, Southern Miss.), Conference USA, Great Midwest ...

If you are a UConn fan, root and support UConn athletics and enjoy the good times. With the exception of football, this was one of the greatest years in UConn athletic history. Over time, I am confident UConn athletics will be OK as long as the administrators don't do something stupid like rejoining the Big East or becoming an independent in football.

 

[Fishy]

I am certain we did not have a B1G invitation in hand. Nor do we now. But I think it's possible that UConn was gung ho for the ACC until a few days before the deal was to be concluded, was approached by the B1G with an expression of interest/potential....

It didn't happen.

The ACC chose Louisville because they wanted to choose Louisville.

The myth of Big Ten contact is one of the more enduring fantasies around here.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

"We didn't want them in,'' DeFilippo told the Globe. "It was a matter of turf. We wanted to be the New England team.''

Are you new here?

Not so new, and, as I've said, it's not BC's opposition I find surprising but the universality of former mates' opposition. Why ALL of them? That bothers me because if we're deluding ourselves rather than fixing a problem our progress will be slowed.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

The myth of Big Ten contact is one of the more enduring fantasies around here.

If there's been no contact then neither we nor the B1G have an interest. Otherwise, how does conference shifting happen? Wouldn't one of us have to make a move, i.e., make a contact expressing interest?

 

[UConnJim]

Not so new, and, as I've said, it's not BC's opposition I find surprising but the universality of former mates' opposition. Why ALL of them? That bothers me because if we're deluding ourselves rather than fixing a problem our progress will be slowed.

It's pretty simple. UConn was a 1AA football program that only upgraded to FBS football relatively recently. Schools like BC and Syracuse weren't excited to be in a conference with and playing a school that was a newbie and they surely didn't want to get beaten by one. BC joined the ACC before UConn was on an even playing field and Syracuse didn't fare very well against the newbie.

If UConn football continues to grow and shows they can produce consistently good teams AND we develop a fan base that will fill the Rent and travel to opponents, UConn will be fine and a desired school for expansion.

 

[upstater]

Not so new, and, as I've said, it's not BC's opposition I find surprising but the universality of former mates' opposition. Why ALL of them? That bothers me because if we're deluding ourselves rather than fixing a problem our progress will be slowed.

Who is all of them?

VT? Pitt?

 

[NickyNewark]

RU...is that pile of mess good, bad, or irrelevant for our chances? My fear is the B1G schools might start thinking they can't take the chance on another Northeast school. Not that UCONN would be confused with a program which has, as they say, gone from 3rd base to 1st.

Some of these yo-yo's sound just like the private school cabal talking about you?If by from 3rd to 1st you mean the B1G I'm sure you'd be quite content? Now the B1G IS a MESS I'd certainly like to be in!! If you can't see the answer to you're above question I don't know what to tell you? Study the CR board here on the BY and you're answer will be there. It's all about relationship's as you would have thought you'd realize by this time !?! What possible good could come from you're snarky comment? How does this help you in CR? Are you looking to make enemie's or friends(relationships)! Its comments like you're the private duo use to justify themselves about you're perceived arrogance and promotes their divide and conquer strategy.

 

[Fishy]

Rutgers is a tire fire, Nick.

We always appreciate unsolicited advice around here, but honestly, it's time for Rutgers' fans to stop pretending.

Football's lousy with a terrible coach and if we had your basketball program, we'd have shot the coach, the players and probably burned down the arena and covered the ruins with concrete.

The patient is dying, my boy.

 

[pj]

Rutgers is a tire fire, Nick.

We always appreciate unsolicited advice around here, but honestly, it's time for Rutgers' fans to stop pretending.

Football's lousy with a terrible coach and if we had your basketball program, we'd have shot the coach, the players and probably burned down the arena and covered the ruins with concrete.

The patient is dying, my boy.

Hey. Rutgers had a guy place 7th in the long jump championship: http://www.scarletknights.com/track-men/news/release.asp?prID=15024#.U5-0Oig6fkw.

 

[Fishy]

Hey. Rutgers had a guy place 7th in the long jump championship: http://www.scarletknights.com/track-men/news/release.asp?prID=15024#.U5-0Oig6fkw.

He was trying to escape Rutgers by jumping across the Raritan.

 

[NickyNewark]

Rutgers is a tire fire, Nick.

We always appreciate unsolicited advice around here, but honestly, it's time for Rutgers' fans to stop pretending.

Football's lousy with a terrible coach and if we had your basketball program, we'd have shot the coach, the players and probably burned down the arena and covered the ruins with concrete.

The patient is dying, my boy.

Sorry fishy but I couldnt restrain myself on that as snarky is not a helpful thing in CR and the truth is their already in. I held back for hrs but such is being a fan through good and bad they appealed enough with what they had to work with and developed relationships...did'nt you read it...I never said anything about sports prowess!?! I always avoid the snarky stuff if possible and respect the board and UConn's fast rise locally in FB and nationally in hoops Men AND Womans!!