Aresco talks more about the new American deal with ESPN

[CL82]

The Head Coach offered to pay out of his own pocket to retain an assistance coach. What further evidence do we possibly need?

To show that UConn wasn't seriously committed to football? No training facilities. No stadium. We have first class training facilities and really nice stadium that happens to be 30 minutes too far West.

What's the end game at this point? Hope and pray Edsall can make us a 6 win team in a league that nobody cares about?

End game? A P5 (or successor) spot. I should think that's fairly obvious. Will we actually get there? I hope so but I don't see a clear path.

 

[weyuo]

UConn needs to work on dominating this league before they can realistically ask to be invited to another. Right now the only cache UConn has in the AAC is with women's basketball and that's including the fact that the only National Championship in either men's basketball or football is by UConn, though that head coach was dismissed in disgrace for rules violations. How fun will life be when the Huskies do dominate the American in football and Boneyard complaints shift from losing records to playoff seeding. It's coming. It happened in basketball back in the late 80's when the mountain UConn had to climb seemed just as ominous. It "WILL" happen in football because that's the next mountain to climb.

 

[CL82]

UConn needs to work on dominating this league before they can realistically ask to be invited to another. Right now the only cache UConn has in the AAC is with women's basketball and that's including the fact that the only National Championship in either men's basketball or football is by UConn, though that head coach was dismissed in disgrace for rules violations. How fun will life be when the Huskies do dominate the American in football and Boneyard complaints shift from losing records to playoff seeding. It's coming. It happened in basketball back in the late 80's when the mountain UConn had to climb seemed just as ominous. It "WILL" happen in football because that's the next mountain to climb.

Disagree. "UConn needs to work on dominating this league" because that's the whole point of sports, competing at the highest level.

UConn needs to work on meeting a broad range of metrics to make themselves as desirable as possible, including on the field performance, academic performance, attendance, endowment, AAU membership, etc. It's long been show that athletic performance alone isn't the always the deciding factor (though it was for Louisville.)

 

[ConnHuskBask]

To show that UConn wasn't seriously committed to football? No training facilities. No stadium. We have first class training facilities and really nice stadium that happens to be 30 minutes too far West.

End game? A P5 (or successor) spot. I should think that's fairly obvious. Will we actually get there? I hope so but I don't see a clear path.

UConn has the biggest athletic budget (by far) of the G5 schools and they refuse to fund the football program at a level that can compete in the AAC. Those facilities and stadium were all done damn near 20 years ago, that's not relevant today in the support UConn is giving football.

What has UConn done lately to shows that it is willing to commit the requisite funds necessary to compete in the AAC.

I don't think the P5 is expanding anytime soon and the further the football program sinks into the abyss the more and more people (self included) are going to want to at least still compete at the highest level of hoop in the Big East.

 

[CL82]

UConn has the biggest athletic budget (by far) of the G5 schools and they refuse to fund the football program at a level that can compete in the AAC. Those facilities and stadium were all done damn near 20 years ago, that's not relevant today in the support UConn is giving football.

What has UConn done lately to shows that it is willing to commit the requisite funds necessary to compete in the AAC.

I don't think the P5 is expanding anytime soon and the further the football program sinks into the abyss the more and more people (self included) are going to want to at least still compete at the highest level of hoop in the Big East.

Help me out here. What does "refuse to fund the football program" mean? Kids not getting pads? Do teams have to uber to games?

If you are complaining about REv2 that's fine, but why do it in code. Same for upgrading assistants, if that's your beef say it. I don't see anything else. What else am I missing? Let me know and I'll agree or not.

 

[UConnNick]

UConn has the biggest athletic budget (by far) of the G5 schools and they refuse to fund the football program at a level that can compete in the AAC. Those facilities and stadium were all done damn near 20 years ago, that's not relevant today in the support UConn is giving football.

What has UConn done lately to shows that it is willing to commit the requisite funds necessary to compete in the AAC.

I don't think the P5 is expanding anytime soon and the further the football program sinks into the abyss the more and more people (self included) are going to want to at least still compete at the highest level of hoop in the Big East.

The idea that the NBE is "the highest level of hoop" is a complete fantasy. This past season UCF, Houston and Cincinnati were all as good if not better than ANY team in the NBE. Additionally, we and Memphis are on the rise, and Marshall will have Wichita St. much improved next season. There is no longer any real difference between the AAC and NBE in BB, and there's certainly no reason to take less TV payout money to make what would be a lateral move at best, and likely a downgrade long term. Just look at FOX's TV ratings for the NBE. They absolutely suck. It's a bunch of small catholic schools we never had much of anything in common with in the first place, other than geography. Even that's a thing of the distant past now that Xavier, Butler and Creighton joined the new league. Along with DePaul and Marquette, it's a half midwestern conference now.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Help me out here. What does "refuse to fund the football program" mean? Kids not getting pads? Do teams have to uber to games?

If you are complaining about REv2 that's fine, but why do it in code. Same for upgrading assistants, if that's your beef say it. I don't see anything else. What else am I missing? Let me know and I'll agree or not.

How am I talking in code? I said above it's ridiculous that the Head Coach is offering to pay assistants out of his own pocket. What we pay our staff is ridiculous given the size of our budget. I, unlike others, was happy to bring Randy back at a discount, but they've taken the "savings" from that hire and instead of beefing up the staff, have continued to pour money into sports that mean very little to anyone besides friends and family.

Someone needs to justify why our budget is as high as it is, but our football budget isn't even one of the highest in the AAC.

The idea that the NBE is "the highest level of hoop" is a complete fantasy. This past season UCF, Houston and Cincinnati were all as good if not better than ANY team in the NBE. Additionally, we and Memphis are on the rise, and Marshall will have Wichita St. much improved next season. There is no longer any real difference between the AAC and NBE in BB, and there's certainly no reason to take less TV payout money to make what would be a lateral move at best, and likely a downgrade long term. Just look at FOX's TV ratings for the NBE. They absolutely suck. It's a bunch of small catholic schools we never had much of anything in common with in the first place, other than geography. Even that's a thing of the distant past now that Xavier, Butler and Creighton joined the new league. Along with DePaul and Marquette, it's a half midwestern conference now.

You are absolutely clueless. The only place where the Big East isn't leaps and bounds ahead of the AAC is in the minds of about 8 Boneyard posters.

We have nothing in common with these schools except we've been playing them in sports for decades and they a quick drive away. Do you go to a basketball game to pray or watch hoop? Who cares about the religious affiliation of the school?

Fox's TV ratings are going to look like the Super Bowl compared to a UConn ECU game on ESPN+ 4pm on an NFL Sunday.

If football is resigned to being a 2,3,4, win program and the school won't put money into it, nobody cares about the product, we should at least aim to keep men's basketball at the highest level possible.

 

[Palatine]

My guess is that Eastern Carolina is somewhere near the ocean in North Carolina.

I have no idea where Creighton or Butler are located.

 

[UConnNick]

How am I talking in code? I said above it's ridiculous that the Head Coach is offering to pay assistants out of his own pocket. What we pay our staff is ridiculous given the size of our budget. I, unlike others, was happy to bring Randy back at a discount, but they've taken the "savings" from that hire and instead of beefing up the staff, have continued to pour money into sports that mean very little to anyone besides friends and family.

Someone needs to justify why our budget is as high as it is, but our football budget isn't even one of the highest in the AAC.



You are absolutely clueless. The only place where the Big East isn't leaps and bounds ahead of the AAC is in the minds of about 8 Boneyard posters.

We have nothing in common with these schools except we've been playing them in sports for decades and they a quick drive away. Do you go to a basketball game to pray or watch hoop? Who cares about the religious affiliation of the school?

Fox's TV ratings are going to look like the Super Bowl compared to a UConn ECU game on ESPN+ 4pm on an NFL Sunday.

If football is resigned to being a 2,3,4, win program and the school won't put money into it, nobody cares about the product, we should at least aim to keep men's basketball at the highest level possible.

I'm clueless, but you argue that Creighton, DePaul, Marquette, Butler and Xavier are all "a quick drive away"? Even Philadelphia and Washington DC don't exactly qualify as quick drives. That leaves three schools out of 10 that are. If driving distances have anything to do with it we should join the America East.

The NBE schools have small numbers of alumni and relatively small fanbases. The only schools in the AAC that are comparable are Tulsa, SMU and Tulane. The rest of the AAC consists of schools with huge alumni numbers and fanbases, which generate far better interest and TV ratings. The NBE has been losing ratings battles with women's games in the same time slots. You "back to the new Big Leasters" just don't get it and apparently never will. I'll agree to disagree, and I'm done responding to nostalgic fantasies.

 

[CL82]

Someone needs to justify why our budget is as high as it is, but our football budget isn't even one of the highest in the AAC.

I agree with this but that doesn't mean that we aren't committed to football. It means that our admin is way too high (above average for P5 programs.)

 

[UConnNick]

My guess is that Eastern Carolina is somewhere near the ocean in North Carolina.

I have no idea where Creighton or Butler are located.

Creighton is in Omaha, Nebraska. Butler is in Indianapolis.

 

[UConnNick]

I agree with this but that doesn't mean that we aren't committed to football. It means that our admin is way too high (above average for P5 programs.)

It doesn't help the bean counting numbers when we pay rent to the state for games played at PAWS-ARF and the Xtra Large Center. That's beyond insane...state money going from one state pocket into another state pocket. What's the point?

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I'm clueless, but you argue that Creighton, DePaul, Marquette, Butler and Xavier are all "a quick drive away"? Even Philadelphia and Washington DC don't exactly qualify as quick drives. That leaves three schools out of 10 that are. If driving distances have anything to do with it we should join the America East.

The NBE schools have small numbers of alumni and relatively small fanbases. The only schools in the AAC that are comparable are Tulsa, SMU and Tulane. The rest of the AAC consists of schools with huge alumni numbers and fanbases, which generate far better interest and TV ratings. The NBE has been losing ratings battles with women's games in the same time slots. You "back to the new Big Leasters" just don't get it and apparently never will. I'll agree to disagree, and I'm done responding to nostalgic fantasies.

Yes, I'm arguing that a school in Nebraska is a quick bus ride and not Providence, NYC, NJ, Philly, or DC.

Again, are you enrolling in the school, teaching there, or praying? I'm a college hoop fan so as long as your program has some tradition and a decent home court environment I could care less about being a small private school or a big state school.

 

[CL82]

Yes, I'm arguing that a school in Nebraska is a quick bus ride and not Providence, NYC, NJ, Philly, or DC.

Again, are you enrolling in the school, teaching there, or praying? I'm a college hoop fan so as long as your program has some tradition and a decent home court environment I could care less about being a small private school or a big state school.

As we learned from the Big East, small privates have different needs, goals and world views than large land grant colleges. Many here are wary of repeating past mistakes.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

As we learned from the Big East, small privates have different needs, goals and world views than large land grant colleges. Many here are wary of repeating past mistakes.

So if UConn drops football and joins the Big East basketball league, what exactly what the conflict of interests possibly be?

 

[CL82]

So if UConn drops football and joins the Big East basketball league, what exactly what the conflict of interests possibly be?

Who knows? T3 rights? NCAA credit distribution? The thing is that we won't fit in the NBE all that much better than we do in the American and that's a problem.

But giving up a shot at rejoining the big boys at the CR (which we are starting see smoke about) and taking less money, doesn't seem like a power move to me.

 

[UConnNick]

As we learned from the Big East, small privates have different needs, goals and world views than large land grant colleges. Many here are wary of repeating past mistakes.

If history taught us anything, mixing together basketball only schools with football schools is a model that didn't work, and never will work. That's the reason I was opposed to letting Wichita St. into the AAC. You're just asking for the same kind of trouble that got us into the situation we're presently in.

I'm also amused that those advocating that we join the NBE seem to believe it's a slam dunk that we'll be welcomed with open arms, like it's a done deal yesterday. That's laughable. They interviewed NBE commish Val Ackerman at halftime of a game during the season before last and her response to that question was very tepid. Paraphrasing, she basically intimated that she'd have to see us take a wrecking ball to Pratt & Whitney Stadium before the league would even be mildly interested in entertaining the notion of UCONN joining the NBE.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

If history taught us anything, mixing together basketball only schools with football schools is a model that didn't work, and never will work. That's the reason I was opposed to letting Wichita St. into the AAC. You're just asking for the same kind of trouble that got us into the situation we're presently in.

I'm also amused that those advocating that we join the NBE seem to believe it's a slam dunk that we'll be welcomed with open arms, like it's a done deal yesterday. That's laughable. They interviewed NBE commish Val Ackerman at halftime of a game during the season before last and her response to that question was very tepid. Paraphrasing, she basically intimated that she'd have to see us take a wrecking ball to Pratt & Whitney Stadium before the league would even be mildly interested in entertaining the notion of UCONN joining the NBE.

Hence dropping football as a term of conditions for our entry into the league.

 

[Chief00]

The idea that the NBE is "the highest level of hoop" is a complete fantasy. This past season UCF, Houston and Cincinnati were all as good if not better than ANY team in the NBE. Additionally, we and Memphis are on the rise, and Marshall will have Wichita St. much improved next season. There is no longer any real difference between the AAC and NBE in BB, and there's certainly no reason to take less TV payout money to make what would be a lateral move at best, and likely a downgrade long term. Just look at FOX's TV ratings for the NBE. They absolutely suck. It's a bunch of small catholic schools we never had much of anything in common with in the first place, other than geography. Even that's a thing of the distant past now that Xavier, Butler and Creighton joined the new league. Along with DePaul and Marquette, it's a half midwestern conference now.

I think that sums up the NBE vs AAC thing very well.

 

[UConnNick]

I think that sums up the NBE vs AAC thing very well.

Just based on the money alone and forgetting about everything else, we'd be certifiably insane to drop football for no other reason than an attempt to join the NBE. We're already hemorrhaging money as it is. Voluntarily moving to a conference with a lower TV payout would constitute administrative malpractice.

 

[zls44]

Just based on the money alone and forgetting about everything else, we'd be certifiably insane to drop football for no other reason than an attempt to join the NBE. We're already hemorrhaging money as it is. Voluntarily moving to a conference with a lower TV payout would constitute administrative malpractice.

You do realize what program hemorrhages by FAR the most money, right?

 

[Palatine]

You do realize what program hemorrhages by FAR the most money, right?

And which has the most untapped potential to make money?

 

[whaler11]

And which has the most untapped potential to make money?

lol the tv contract is done. this ship sailed

 

[pepband99]

lol the tv contract is done. this ship sailed

Yes, but the NBE's day of reckoning is coming, too. Watch the "drop football" crowd go magically silent when their contract numbers come out.

 

[CL82]

lol the tv contract is done. this ship sailed

If we put a halfway decent product on the field we wouldn't be playing in an empty stadium. That would help a lot.