Are We Being Disingenuous?

[Cleanface]

Also, it seems the B1G had a strategy RE expansion (duh). Gordon Gee comments;

“The blocking strategy is that we simply have now put the ACC in an almost no-win position. So who do they immediately go to? Louisville. They may think about Cincinnati. They may think about Connecticut. But they’ve lost their foothold in that middle part of the area, in that middle part of the Atlantic coast.”

So, the B1G was actively making moves to weaken the ACC. Wouldn't you think that the ACC would then want to strengthen it's hold on NYC after the B1G just drove a stake through it's heart?? (MD/NJ) Only makes sense that you would want to shore up your strengths and defenses when a foe is trying to pick you apart.

Jut another reason it makes no sense that the ACC passed on UCONN. Here's to hoping the B1G takes the next step, and drives the final stake into the ACC.

 

[4BostonEagle]

Most of what I've read attributes why our former mates have, universally, turned their backs on us to a poor little rich girl problem: they hate us because we're just too good. Seriously? It's all them and none of it is us? Louisville got picked because we're just so scary good? That just sounds delusional

Yeah pretty much delusional but amusing to read the revenge fantasies and crazy scenarios people come up with on here regardless. Louisville was the stronger athletic program overall at the time they were chosen over UCONN especially in football. Not having any friends in the ACC only made things worse for UCONN.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

If I were a betting man I'd say BC was an active influence in blocking us every chance they had. However, this last time the ACC moved for Louisville simply because they looked like a better FB program at the time. L'ville was selected to appease FSU and Clemson.

Sentiments like this are what give me serious reason to pause when the topic of ACC membership is brought up. They are plausible enough to be discussed credibly and show Swofford as more of a gunslinger, more ready-fire-aim than someone taking deliberate, well conceived steps to build a conference. Still, I'm behaving like I accuse Swofford, becoming distracted, not getting any closer to why Miami/VaTech/BC/Cuse/Pitt failed to champion our cause, why our friends in the ACC are a few of the old schools.

 

[Cleanface]

Yeah pretty much delusional but amusing to read the revenge fantasies and crazy scenarios people come up with on here regardless. Louisville was the stronger athletic program overall at the time they were chosen over UCONN especially in football. Not having any friends in the ACC only made things worse for UCONN.

So you say it's "delusional" for UCONN fans to feel this way (trying to figure out how/what/why things happened the way they did) > and then say that they have no friends in the ACC??

Huh??

That's kindof the point of this thread; "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. How come? What did we do to piss them off? How did this deplorably situation arise?"

Do you know the answer?? Why do "they have no friends in the ACC"??

 

[RegisteredUconn]

Yeah pretty much delusional but amusing to read the revenge fantasies and crazy scenarios people come up with on here regardless. Louisville was the stronger athletic program overall at the time they were chosen over UCONN especially in football. Not having any friends in the ACC only made things worse for UCONN.

Since you've not added any insight to the discussion, I'm imagining you entertaining some revenge fantasies of your own (and spending a day reading about someone you dislike twisting in the wind can be amusing). I understand the BC opposition. It's the others that I don't quite get. If you know anything about that, I wouldn't mind hearing about it.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The way I see it, UConn should have replaced UMCP. But FSU and Clemson were threatening to leave if another football school didn't come along -- enter UofL. I don't know about you, but Louisville is as much a basketball school as they come. True, their football program has had some good moments, but not any better than GT, UVa or UNC in the 90s. UL will be average in football in several years. The ACC has a way of making a great football program mediocre.

The really strong ACC bball schools (Duke, UNC and SU) should welcome UConn with open arms from the competitive side of things. The only thing I can think of is that BC and SU are afraid from a football recruiting standpoint. They also may be a little afraid that UConn will take them over as top dog of the NE.

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.

 

[uconndogs]

Yeah pretty much delusional but amusing to read the revenge fantasies and crazy scenarios people come up with on here regardless. Louisville was the stronger athletic program overall at the time they were chosen over UCONN especially in football. Not having any friends in the ACC only made things worse for UCONN.

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 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.

 

[Dooley]

So you say it's "delusional" for UCONN fans to feel this way (trying to figure out how/what/why things happened the way they did) > and then say that they have no friends in the ACC??

Huh??

That's kindof the point of this thread; "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. How come? What did we do to piss them off? How did this deplorably situation arise?"

Do you know the answer?? Why do "they have no friends in the ACC"??

Most BC fans laugh at UCONN fans when we bring up the lawsuit as a POSSIBLE reason why we have been passed over time and time again by the ACC, then they completely acknowledge the fact that we have no friends and allies (other than Tobacco Road). It's quite comical actually. Which is it? If the lawsuit didn't cause UCONN to "lose friends" in the ACC, then what did? One bad football coaching hire?? Lousivlle hired Steve Kragthorpe. APR ban? Louisville is a glorified community college with an athletic department. Or was it simply the fact that many of the smaller privates from the northeast are afraid of what UCONN could become with access to the same resources? If it is the latter, that makes no sense to me. Your conference strength is determined by the sum of its parts. UCONN would have brought the complete package to the ACC at every expansion period but were passed over (and the criteria for selecting a different school changed).

I'm beginning to agree with a few posters above: UCONN didn't lobby hard for the ACC (like LCC did) because they have a B1G up their sleeve. Turning the ESPiN/ACC rhetoric around on itself, the ACC will always be there. They will always battle against the B12 to fend off poachers from the B1G or SEC. They are projected to make significantly less money than both of those conferences in the coming years and will need to expand markets to grow their pot. UCONN and BYU are the two largest markets and biggest brands (BY FAR) left out of CR. It makes zero sense whatsoever for the ACC to leave UCONN out when they know the B1G is moving east and into "their" territory. The smartest play for the ACC to make is to lock in UCONN now, defend NYC, Hartford (#30 DMA) and lock up Boston between the BC/UCONN rivalry. The fact that they haven't done it just smells awfully funny to me.

 

[NickyNewark]

If UConn was approached by the B1G to consider membership, it was not until the very moment that the UConn-to-ACC talks blew up and L'ville-to-ACC replaced them. The ACC deal seemed in place and then suddenly a few days before it was to be announced we started seeing media stories that L'ville was under consideration, coming up fast, and then in just a few days the L'ville deal was done. One possibility was that the southern football schools / BC / Cuse group did a power play and got the "southern" "football" school. The other possibility is that the B1G asked UConn to slow down and consider the B1G as an alternative, UConn went back to the ACC and either told them or made the contract negotiations more difficult, and the ACC got upset over UConn's slowdown, wanted a deal to conclude immediately to kill the perception that the ACC was wounded and might disintegrate after the Maryland departure, and figured L'ville was as good as UConn for them and available right away.

I think the first possibility is more likely, in my reading of the tea leaves. But I do think UConn has risen up the B1G's priority list since then. If we weren't approached at the time, we probably have been since.

Again pj you look at the same logical possibilities that I do. I think everything you say is VERY possible and brings common sense back into the way things have played out esp concerning the slow methodical but visionary way the B1G operates unlike the ACC's nervous hairtrigger method!?!

 

[Fishy]

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.

We outran them.

 

[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.