B12 - If we accept invite, in 10 years what is the outcome?

[superjohn]

Imagine being scared to play Big 12 football teams, lolz.

 

[navery12]

Imagine being scared to play Big 12 football teams, lolz.

We have Jim Mora, and Kansas is now a legitimate contender in the B12 after being UConn level bad for a decade. Bring it on

 

[superjohn]

We have Jim Mora, and Kansas is now a legitimate contender in the B12 after being UConn level bad for a decade. Bring it on

The Big 12 is as mediocre as it gets in football. Sure, UConn would've been blown out by Big 12 teams before Mora got here, every team in D1 would've blown UConn out before he got to UConn.

There's nothing scary about any teams in the Big 12.

 

[Waquoit]

I’ll answer your question this way. SCSU and UConn would be a more competitive game than playing B12 opponents.

UConn is already 3-2 against the Big 12. Beat Baylor twice. UConn in a Power Conference can compete. They've already proved it.

 

[John]

Then tell me was year you expect UConn football to be respectful. They are lucky to have half the stadium filled for most of their games. Put a decent product on the field and then we can have a further discussion. Winning half your games is the goal for success? Against teams that are so below the talent level of teams in the Big 12? Let’s play Michigan again. That went well.

21–24

 

[John]

And yet we did.

We didn't have a choice.

 

[LIUCHusky]

You’re all delusional. Face facts. The football program sucks. How many of you hold season tickets? Did you all enjoy the Michigan game last year? That’s what you’re wishing for. Yes, we lost a lot of games in the early Big East years, but weren’t blown out by 50 points like we would playing the B10 B12 schools. I know it’s hard to admit the truth, but those are the facts.

I have season tickets. Yes, I enjoyed playing Michigan. Didn’t enjoy the outcome but enjoyed playing that level opponent.

 

[HuskyHoosier]

I wish more people recognized trolls for who/what they are and ignore rather than engage.

More than usual trolls around here recently they are easily identifiable - they’ll get tired of talking to themselves and go away.

 

[Husky68]

The Big 12 is as mediocre as it gets in football. Sure, UConn would've been blown out by Big 12 teams before Mora got here, every team in D1 would've blown UConn out before he got to UConn.

There's nothing scary about any teams in the Big 12.

End of 2022 B12 teams in conference in 2023 were per Massey ranked from highest to lowest 7,9,23,30,40,41,44,51,53,55,56,63. Uconn's 2022 12 opponents only 4 were ranked better than the worst B12 team and in detail were 4,42,50,54,67,87,88,95,99,108,129,131.

Not saying scary (like Rutgers whose league opponents were 3,4,5,19,29.44.66.68) but still solid with 2 top 10 teams and another in top 25. Mora gets UConn to the worst rated 2022 B12 team at 63 and he'll be again getting coach of year talk.

 

[HuskyDogArt]

You really thing Rensselaer is up to B12 standards? Hell, we’ve already been told it need $100M in upgrades now.

So you want us to build a $550 on campus stadium, which the NIMBYs been rejecting for 25 years - and will sue if you rebuild the highways around Mansfield. Just think if we took $200M and upgrade the Rent, then used the rest of the on campus stadium $$ for other projects.

 

[HuskyDogArt]

Honestly, I’m neither angry or disgruntled. It’s more of indifference. I just want to jeopardize a blue blood basketball program for a failing football program. I have followed UConn BB and football for 50 years and the football program would be better served in Division II.

D2 Football is a death nell, I guess you don't care about any athletic teams at UConn, so you can be happy. Sorry basketball doesn't drive the bus. PC - UConn boring...UConn - Kansas that is what I'm looking forward to in Basketball and Football. Big East is a bunch of private school, UConn is a state school...

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

I voted "Wildest Dreams"

Look, all the chicken-littles (mainly UConn Twitter folks) running around the pen screaming "We need to stay in the BE, it will rip the heart and soul of the program out and we'll never recover!!!!" are holding on to some bizarre nostalgia for the original Big East. Which is comical, because many of these folks were not even born when the original Big East was in its glory.

The Big East originally made great sense when we first joined because UConn--although yes, we were a state university joining a Private / Catholic athletic conference even back then-- UConn was nowhere near its current level of academic and athletic quality. The reality was it was a dumpy run-down safety school with I-AA Yankee Conference football. I know this well...I went there from 1988-1993. I have since worked there as a professor from 1998-present. I have seen UConn's stature rise both academically and athletically. Not to mention there was no internet, broadcast media was local/regional/paper-based, etc.

Although the move from the AAC back to the "new" Big East made great sense, it really could only be a transition step given the current academic/athletic department state of UConn and where we want to progress to in the future. Not to mention that while I am as nostalgic as the next middle-aged rabid UConn athletics fan (likely even more!) for staying in the Big East, we can't just stay here. We've outgrown the conference.

Yes it stinks, but for so many reasons, we need to move on. And we will thrive. I'm at peace with a move to the B12, and am very confident it will be a very positive thing.

I think the chicken littles are a loud minority.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

That’s my point. Coaching makes a huge difference. Hurley leaves, or Ollifies, it depends on who replaces him. And coaches sometimes overstay their time. Boehiem is one extreme example. But there have been many others. Excellent runs then fall off over time. So predicting 20 years out is pretty tough.

It's all about coaches and always has been. The best coaches actually coach and manage well, good players realize this and want to be in that program, and so it's a beautiful cycle.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Yeah, it's a bucket list item. Been there, done that. I really don't see another Hinkle (historic, on campus, true college environment arena) in the BE and in all candor, if giving up regular trips to Hinkle gives us regular trips to Allen Fieldhouse, well, there is no question which is the better environment.

Oh come on - but Providence has a leaky roof! I bet the Big12 doesn't have that!!!

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

In ten years we should be very close to receiving a full share of the Big 12 pie, and achieving the kind of revenue some folks here are projecting.

It would be much faster than 10 years, plus the large windfalls of the expanded CFP are looming, so easy to say no money issues at all.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

This reminds of me of listening to Arnold Dean on WTIC when UConn joined the original Big East. So many naysayers. Every reason in the world why they wouldn't be successful. The biggest being "Why would any kid from the city want to go to college in the middle of nowhere, they'll never be able recruit". It went on and on and on.

Some nutmeggers are great at negativity.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

It is A-Dub.

LOL. You need to create new user names to make it appear that there is a real number of fans against this move.

I'll tell you what, when the move does happen I'll buy you tickets to PC-Seton Hall. And an Arby's dinner.

IDK, I heard Yum Brands is buying them from Inspire. You know when something like that happens, quality always suffers.

 

[CL82]

So you want us to build a $550 on campus stadium, which the NIMBYs been rejecting for 25 years - and will sue if you rebuild the highways around Mansfield. Just think if we took $200M and upgrade the Rent, then used the rest of the on campus stadium $$ for other projects.

There are no permissions from Mansfield residents needed to build in the athletic campus behind Toscano. Nor are there any environmental issues. They did and environmental study when they built Toscano. There is absolutely zero need to make infrastructures for six weekends in a year. Tailgating feathers the traffic coming into and out of the stadium. That plus smart traffic management would handle the load just the way it does in every college stadium across America. It is such a Connecticut thing to believe you need a limited access highway with an offramp leading into stadium parking.

 

[mussels]

It would be much faster than 10 years, plus the large windfalls of the expanded CFP are looming, so easy to say no money issues at all.

I know UConn fans are justifiably excited about the potential of our football program, but pretend you are the Athletic Director of a football centric Big 12 school, and consider the following:

Last season, UConn won two football games in a row for the first time since October 22, 2017. In between those two-win bookends, UConn went 4-38, with its victories coming against Rhode Island, Wagner, UMass, and Yale. What on earth would convince you to let them in your conference?

The only thing I can imagine is that the lions share of any additional revenue generated by UConn’s entry will go to the existing conference schools for a very long time. (which is why I made the ten year comment)

 

[HuskyHawk]

There are no permissions from Mansfield residents needed to build in the athletic campus behind Toscano. Nor are there any environmental issues. They did and environmental study when they built Toscano. There is absolutely zero need to make infrastructures for six weekends in a year. Tailgating feathers the traffic coming into and out of the stadium. That plus smart traffic management would handle the load just the way it does in every college stadium across America. It is such a Connecticut thing to believe you need a limited access highway with an offramp leading into stadium parking.

It’s just not a great location for it. It really should be across from Towers, next to the Dairy Barn. Best of that traffic doesn’t have to go through campus to get there. That’s true for basketball too, but they already made that mistake.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

I know UConn fans are justifiably excited about the potential of our football program, but pretend you are the Athletic Director of a football centric Big 12 school, and consider the following:

Last season, UConn won two football games in a row for the first time since October 22, 2017. In between those two-win bookends, UConn went 4-38, with its victories coming against Rhode Island, Wagner, UMass, and Yale. What on earth would convince you to let them in your conference?

The only thing I can imagine is that the lions share of any additional revenue generated by UConn’s entry will go to the existing conference schools for a very long time. (which is why I made the ten year comment)

I get it - I have experienced the dreadful decade with butt in seat for every home game. I get how others that don't open their mind to what UConn fb could be versus what the record has been roll their noses up. Bad fb coaching hires and their staffs killed our record but the talent has been there. With Mora at the helm there's no reason we can't get back to previous levels of performance...

I thought it has been confirmed that UConn would get full share revenue for the Big12?

 

[giddyup]

The only better option is the B1G and they aren’t calling. The ACC is a dog on the brink implosion.

 

[Samoo]

Change is always "what if'd" to death. If that's the best you can do, you might as well join us. The AAC didn't "end up" lousy, it started off lousy. It's ended up lousier.

What if they win a Natty in a third conference (fourth if you count the BE and the NBE)? Has anyone beside UConn even won as a member of two different conferences?

 

[Samoo]

You really thing Rensselaer is up to B12 standards? Hell, we’ve already been told it need $100M in upgrades now.

RPI, nope...

 

[Samoo]

To put it in perspective, Rentchler field seats 38,000 and the smallest Big 12 stadium is 46,000 with the rest at 60,000 to 100,000.

Cincy and Houston both have 40,000 seat stadiums