B1G, ACC battle for New York

[Adios]

People below the Mason-Dixon line and elsewhere (and Syracuse fans) have very little knowledge of educational trends here. Seen it multiple times, "UConn doesn't deliver much."

 

[woomba]

Syracuse has probably been one of the biggest losers from the rise of publics in the NE like UConn and Rutgers. Still a good school, but it's not quite the brand it used to be back in the 80s and early 90s from either a sports or academic perspective.

 

[uconnell]

As I pointed out in another thread, St John's had to invent various protections in their ticket policies to prevent MSG from turning into Gampel South. Jarvis was tired of playing road games at home.

So did RU for women's games.

 

[Sea Goat]

UVA is not interested in the Big Ten Conference. The Big Ten has already approached UVA with an offer to join, and UVA said "Thanks, but No Thanks." Then UVA signed the Grant of Rights to the ACC. With the demographic shift nationally and population growth rates in the Southern part of the ACC footprint, the ACC has the potential to become second to only the SEC regarding football because the ACC has access to many of the same states as the SEC for high school recruiting. The population is shifting away from the Big Ten footprint and into the ACC, SEC, and Pac 12 footprints. That's why the Big Ten was trying to reach into the ACC footprint for members. Only Maryland took the bait because Maryland's athletic program is once again broke. They went broke in the 80s, again in the 90s, and again now. They will be broke in the Big Ten at some point.

As for New York City, the ACC will be well represented with Notre Dame football and Syracuse basketball. Rutgers hasn't been a factor in college sports for the 35 years I've been following college sports. I don't know if being a doormat in that Big Ten Eastern football division will change this. I don't know how well the average New York City sports fan will view supporting a doormat. It's the same for Maryland in Washinton, DC. At least Maryland can play men's basketball. How many men's basketball championship games did Rutgers play in while they were in the Big East? Did they even play in any semifinal games?

I would like to see Connecticut in the ACC someday. We are all waiting to see what Notre Dame is going to do longer term. For the next dozen years, Notre Dame football will be playing in the ACC. Right now it is 5 games per year. Maybe this Division 4 move will have an impact on them, and they will increase to 8 games and be eligible to play for the ACC Championship. Then the ACC will need another member.

Agreed that the B1G could have done better with their adds. However, if the ACC really wanted a serious NYC presence then they blew it by not adding UConn. Thanks for wanting us in the ACC someday. "Someday" doesn't work for UConn, however. UConn has to be working feverishly to get out of the horrid AAC now. They are doing it on the academic front and have to continue to be relevant on the athletic front. UConn deserves to be placed now. That it isn't creates resentment and the consequent determination on our part to get situated now.

Another observation, UConn has a lot more in common with the better schools in the ACC than Louisville. I think that the Louisville choice will come back to haunt the ACC/Swofford. The UVA's and UNC's of the world had to hold their collective noses to go for Louisville. I believe conferences with such wide divergence of academic standards among schools are headed for trouble. Louisville is riding high athletically now and they have the best AD in the game, but the juxtaposition of the likes of Duke et al in a conference with Louisville will create issues.
(Louisville accepts approx. 72% of its applicants and only graduates approx. 51% after 6 years! How does that stack up with UVA?)

As far as ND is concerned; they won't go anywhere on a permanent basis and this will create friction within your ranks soon enough. Consider that the ACC is the first and the only "P-5 conference" to give "favored nations" status to only one school. (The BE's deal with ND is irrelevant. They didn't have football at its start and when it started, half the schools didn't field a team anyways.) The ND situation will, like it or not, create resentment. (It already has outside your conference in the SEC.)

Right now, UConn is very well positioned to help either conference gain real traction in NYC. Obviously, we would go to either conference over the gulag we are stuck in. However, I hope it will be the B1G that comes calling, because long term, I believe it will be the most stable and academically consistent conference.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

You won't catch me going over 70 on a NYS highway or thruway (especially upstate) anymore...NY State Troopers are a ticket happy bunch!

I know many of the speed traps on the Thruway. That said, NY State Cops have nothing on CT cops. I have been driving between NYC and Boston for 15+ years and I can count the number of times on one hand that I did not see a CT State Cop somewhere near the CT/MA border on I-84.

 

[cardsfan123]

Another observation, UConn has a lot more in common with the better schools in the ACC than Louisville. I think that the Louisville choice will come back to haunt the ACC/Swofford. The UVA's and UNC's of the world had to hold their collective noses to go for Louisville. I believe conferences with such wide divergence of academic standards among schools are headed for trouble. Louisville is riding high athletically now and they have the best AD in the game, but the juxtaposition of the likes of Duke et al in a conference with Louisville will create issues.
(Louisville accepts approx. 72% of its applicants and only graduates approx. 51% after 6 years! How does that stack up with UVA?)

Yes, we get it. Louisville's academics aren't good. But they have a lot of room for improvement, and have been every year since Dr. Ramsey took over. Do you really think Duke and Virginia fans are more excited about a top 25 football team coming to town or a top 100 academic school coming to town? At some point you just have to hang up your hat and admit you got beat by a school that has much more to offer in virtually every other facet.

Clemson and FSU would've bolted for greener pastures had UConn been added, so at best going forward you'd be stuck in some deformed AAC/ACC combination of leftover schools in which case you could proudly boast you were the sole cause of the ACC's destruction. Since Louisville was added the ACC has increased its TV deal and unanimously signed a GoR, solidifying itself as a power 5 conference for the next 15 years. I think Duke and UVa can suffer through that, don't you?

If UConn had been added to the ACC it would've been the first instance of a school being added solely for academics. Football? Appalling. Basketball? Clearly on a downward spiral. TV market? Syracuse and Boston College have it covered. You guys were playing in FCS not too long ago. Swofford had one last chance to save his conference and he knew UConn wasn't going to cut it. THAT'S why you guys were left behind.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Thus making Villanova New York's team.

U. Buffalo's AD seems to think the state should get behind it. The school spent a decade or more rebranding itself as University at Buffalo instead of SUNY Buffalo, then the Duke AD's kid comes in and decides to call it the University of New York. ADs are apparently not the marketing geniuses many believe them to be.

Buffalo will never be New York’s team. Maybe western NY as far east as Syracuse; but, that is it. Heck, most folks in NYC believe anything above Westchester County is ‘Upstate’ New York. Which is not quite as bad as locals from Boston who believe anything West of I-495 is not part of Massachusetts, Albany is out by Chicago somewhere, and Buffalo overlooks the Pacific.

 

[Hoophound]

Yes, we get it. Louisville's academics aren't good. But they have a lot of room for improvement, and have been every year since Dr. Ramsey took over. Do you really think Duke and Virginia fans are more excited about a top 25 football team coming to town or a top 100 academic school coming to town? At some point you just have to hang up your hat and admit you got beat by a school that has much more to offer in virtually every other facet.

Clemson and FSU would've bolted for greener pastures had UConn been added, so at best going forward you'd be stuck in some deformed AAC/ACC combination of leftover schools in which case you could proudly boast you were the sole cause of the ACC's destruction. Since Louisville was added the ACC has increased its TV deal and unanimously signed a GoR, solidifying itself as a power 5 conference for the next 15 years. I think Duke and UVa can suffer through that, don't you?

If UConn had been added to the ACC it would've been the first instance of a school being added solely for academics. Football? Appalling. Basketball? Clearly on a downward spiral. TV market? Syracuse and Boston College have it covered. You guys were playing in FCS not too long ago. Swofford had one last chance to save his conference and he knew UConn wasn't going to cut it. THAT'S why you guys were left behind.

You are insufferable. You act like you have some sort of powerhouse football program. You don't. UL is a crappy school in a crappy market that won a few football games at the exact right time. The ACC is a crappy football conference that needed to add a school and UL was the prettiest girl available that month for football credibility. Nothing more, nothing less. We know UL has a win at all costs AD (Dyer, really?) and frankly, many of us wish we did too sometimes. However, we don't need to hear all your UL drivel, you have nothing to add. Your sole purpose here is to put lipstick on the big, fat, sweaty pig that is UL.

 

[Hoophound]

P.S. UConn basketball is in a downward spiral? I think you are the one that needs to worry about that. We have a great young coach and you are the ones with the old guy whose days are numbered. Hiring great coaches isn't always easy. I'd much rather have KO than Slick Rick right now. We hit a homerun with our new coach.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

@CardsFan123

And here I thought that UConn fans are the one known for elitism and entitlement. Let’s look at some of your points.

· Florida State and Clemson were going to bolt for the XII. Yes, it was rumored, just as much as UNC and UVA were going to bolt for the B1G. But, where is the proof? If anything, the ACC bending over the ND and their special arrangement saved the ACC, not Louisville.

· As for Academics, it is a major factor; just ask the B1G and the ACC, at least on Mondays, Thursdays, and some Sundays. I am sure there are brilliant students at Louisville, just like any college. But, it is a fact that UConn’s (US News #63) academics are a lot more aligned with the ACC (US news average of 58) than Louisville (#160). And remember, why sports are important, academics are huge as the research $$ they attract are equal or greater than the $$ sports bring in.

· Appalling football? OK, granted, UConn had a poor AD who made a poor football coaching hire and Louisville did the opposite. But, what ‘history’ of success does Louisville have? The Card’s historical winning record in football is 51% (UConn’s is 49%) with an 8-8-1 Bowl record (UConn is 3-2). Most of the success that Louisville has had has been in the last 20 years under Smith (98-02), Petrino (03-06), and Strong (10 -?). You also went 15 and 21 under Kragthorpe (07-09). Did I mention that historically Louisville is 5-4 against UConn and one win was in 2000, before UConn made the jump to 1A? Oh, and of course, UConn’s appalling team, which indeed had no offense, did beat Louisville at Louisville last year. Louisville made a good hire in Strong and got lucky with CR timing. Louisville is not Alabama, ND, or heck, not even BC (winning percentage of 58%, 13-9 in bowls).

· Basketball on a downward spiral? Really. Both UConn and Louisville men have won 3; last year’s was Louisville’s first since 1986. UConn’s rookie head coach won 20 games in the Big E with a team that had nothing to play for and a team that had no depth due to NCAA violations (don’t say anything, Louisville had a 1 year ban itself in the 90’s). They lead NCAA champion Louisville at the half by 6 points before fading down the stretch. Once back to a full team, KO should do very well. As for the women, UConn has 8, Louisville has 0. And congrats to Louisville for making the final last year, before getting crushed by UConn 93-60. If that is a downward spiral, no one, including Louisville, wants to see UConn going upwards.

· As for TV markets, in NY, Rutgers is the #1 team due to geographic reasons followed by ND, Penn St, and then UConn. Syracuse follows UConn at #5. As for Boston, the only BC sport people care about in Boston is Hockey, which is not an ACC sport.

So, don’t trash my school and I will not trash yours. Simply stated, Louisville’s timing was better than UConn and that is the reason that Louisville is in the ACC and UConn is in the AAC, at least today…

 

[caw]

Yes, we get it. Louisville's academics aren't good. But they have a lot of room for improvement, and have been every year since Dr. Ramsey took over. Do you really think Duke and Virginia fans are more excited about a top 25 football team coming to town or a top 100 academic school coming to town? At some point you just have to hang up your hat and admit you got beat by a school that has much more to offer in virtually every other facet.

Clemson and FSU would've bolted for greener pastures had UConn been added, so at best going forward you'd be stuck in some deformed AAC/ACC combination of leftover schools in which case you could proudly boast you were the sole cause of the ACC's destruction. Since Louisville was added the ACC has increased its TV deal and unanimously signed a GoR, solidifying itself as a power 5 conference for the next 15 years. I think Duke and UVa can suffer through that, don't you?

If UConn had been added to the ACC it would've been the first instance of a school being added solely for academics. Football? Appalling. Basketball? Clearly on a downward spiral. TV market? Syracuse and Boston College have it covered. You guys were playing in FCS not too long ago. Swofford had one last chance to save his conference and he knew UConn wasn't going to cut it. THAT'S why you guys were left behind.

UNC fans may care that UL is a top 25 team (who actually knows, but I'll play along and assume). UVA fans probably care more about the academics.

UL and UConn were basically hot girls, but UL had bigger while UConn had a prettier face, ACC were into .

 

[Nostical]

UL had bigger while UConn had a prettier face, ACC were into .

Tom Jurich ma-nipple-ated the process better than we did.

 

[caw]

Tom Jurich ma-nipple-ated the process better than we did.

I find it hard to believe anyone could out man-nipple-late Manuel and his box of doughnuts.

 

[UConn9604]

Football? Appalling.

You know you've split against us in Big East history, right? Like, .500?

TV market? Syracuse and Boston College have it covered.

I'm guessing you've never turned on a television north of the Mason-Dixon Line.

 

[caw]

You know you've split against us in Big East history, right? Like, .500?




I'm guessing you've never turned on a television north of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Considering what he said about UVAs fanbase I think he's even more closeted.

 

[cardsfan123]

P.S. UConn basketball is in a downward spiral? I think you are the one that needs to worry about that. We have a great young coach and you are the ones with the old guy whose days are numbered. Hiring great coaches isn't always easy. I'd much rather have KO than Slick Rick right now. We hit a homerun with our new coach.

Yep that 20-10 record with three future NBA players speaks volumes for Ollie's coaching ability. I'm sure all the AAC schools are trembling.

Pitino just won a championship. He's in the Hall of Fame. He's got another 5-10 years before we find his replacement. We've got a top 5 class coming in. I could go on and on but I'm not going to waste my time telling you what you already know. He ran your pathetic squad off the court last season. Hell we had more trouble with Northern Iowa than UConn. We've got a legitimate shot to repeat as champions next year. You guys will be lucky to make the postseason.

UConn is on a downward spiral, Louisville is not.

 

[upstater]

Yep that 20-10 record with three future NBA players speaks volumes for Ollie's coaching ability. I'm sure all the AAC schools are trembling.

Pitino just won a championship. He's in the Hall of Fame. He's got another 5-10 years before we find his replacement. We've got a top 5 class coming in. I could go on and on but I'm not going to waste my time telling you what you already know. He ran your pathetic squad off the court last season. Hell we had more trouble with Northern Iowa than UConn. We've got a legitimate shot to repeat as champions next year. You guys will be lucky to make the postseason.

UConn is on a downward spiral, Louisville is not.

One of the most delusional posters ever. UConn was actually leading until Napier separated his shoulder. Kevin Ollie is a stud. 14 years in the NBA, upstanding guy who has played a lot of styles and got by on hard work, grit and his knowledge of the game. What he's selling can't be duplicated. UConn's 3 championships in 15 years has them in very elite company at the very top. If you think UConn will be lucky to make the postseason, you know very little about basketball. Which sums up your posts on the Boneyard. Basketball knowledge = ZERO.

 

[cardsfan123]

You are insufferable. You act like you have some sort of powerhouse football program. You don't. UL is a crappy school in a crappy market that won a few football games at the exact right time. The ACC is a crappy football conference that needed to add a school and UL was the prettiest girl available that month for football credibility. Nothing more, nothing less. We know UL has a win at all costs AD (Dyer, really?) and frankly, many of us wish we did too sometimes. However, we don't need to hear all your UL drivel, you have nothing to add. Your sole purpose here is to put lipstick on the big, fat, sweaty pig that is UL.

Never claimed Louisville was a powerhouse program, but we're certainly a lot closer to being one than UConn. But we've performed exceptionally well in our BCS appearances unlike your program which lends credence to my previous statement. You guys haven't. It's all about perception. Nobody remembers the Louisville team that got beat by UConn in double OT in November, everybody remembers the Louisville team that put a smackdown on the Gators in January. That's the difference.

 

[upstater]

Never claimed Louisville was a powerhouse program, but we're certainly a lot closer to being one than UConn. But we've performed exceptionally well in our BCS appearances unlike your program which lends credence to my previous statement. You guys haven't. It's all about perception. Nobody remembers the Louisville team that got beat by UConn in double OT in November, everybody remembers the Louisville team that put a smackdown on the Gators in January. That's the difference.

1 or 2 games are meaningless. UConn faced an Oklahoma team that had lost their 4 prior bowl games and was looking at national humiliation with a loss to UConn (they were only ahead one score late in the 3rd). Quite different than a Florida team that didn't give a damn. Your Louisville outfit couldn't even beat the worst UConn team in a decade. A lot of schools get blowouts in bowl games. WV was a laughing stock last year, few remembered what they did to Clemson the bowl prior. And I'm sure Steve Spurrier was losing no sleep last year over UConn dominating South Carolina 2 years prior. Meaningless. It's what you do during the season that counts, and how you position yourself for a national championship.

 

[cardsfan123]

One of the most delusional posters ever. UConn was actually leading until Napier separated his shoulder. Kevin Ollie is a stud. 14 years in the NBA, upstanding guy who has played a lot of styles and got by on hard work, grit and his knowledge of the game. What he's selling can't be duplicated. UConn's 3 championships in 15 years has them in very elite company at the very top. If you think UConn will be lucky to make the postseason, you know very little about basketball. Which sums up your posts on the Boneyard. Basketball knowledge = ZERO.

Blah blah blah. That's what your post says. Ollie didn't show me anything last year, other than that he knows how to squander halftime leads better than anybody. Calhoun is the sole reason for every single accomplishment your basketball program has ever achieved and he's gone forever. Say goodbye to being a contender and say hello to being a pretender.

Your program will wither away in mid major irrelevancy with no exposure, no TV money, and no regional conference rivalries. Your best home game starting in 2014 will be.......Memphis? Cincinnati? Temple? SMU? I'm sure your fans are buying season tickets by the truckload, but then again from what I saw on TV they didn't hardly show up when #1 Louisville came to town last year. Did they all know beforehand it was going to be a blowout?

 

[Adios]

Blah blah blah. That's what your post says. Ollie didn't show me anything last year, other than that he knows how to squander halftime leads better than anybody. Calhoun is the sole reason for every single accomplishment your basketball program has ever achieved and he's gone forever. Say goodbye to being a contender and say hello to being a pretender.

Your program will wither away in mid major irrelevancy with no exposure, no TV money, and no regional conference rivalries. Your best home game starting in 2014 will be.......Memphis? Cincinnati? Temple? SMU? I'm sure your fans are buying season tickets by the truckload, but then again from what I saw on TV they didn't hardly show up when #1 Louisville came to town last year. Did they all know beforehand it was going to be a blowout?

Go Louisville Community College Cardinals!

 

[upstater]

Blah blah blah. That's what your post says. Ollie didn't show me anything last year, other than that he knows how to squander halftime leads better than anybody.

Again with the lack of basketball knowledge. UConn was a second half team last year, excelled at the comeback. You have absolutely no support for this statement.

Calhoun is the sole reason for every single accomplishment your basketball program has ever achieved and he's gone forever. Say goodbye to being a contender and say hello to being a pretender.

You are totally ignorant about the history of UConn basketball.

Your program will wither away in mid major irrelevancy with no exposure, no TV money, and no regional conference rivalries. Your best home game starting in 2014 will be.......Memphis? Cincinnati? Temple? SMU? I'm sure your fans are buying season tickets by the truckload, but then again from what I saw on TV they didn't hardly show up when #1 Louisville came to town last year. Did they all know beforehand it was going to be a blowout?

Indiana, Kansas, Stanford, several others have signed on to play UConn. They will get plenty of exposure with MORE games than in the BE for the simple reason Uconn is one of the nation's marquee teams and ESPN is obligated to show a set number of games. CBS is also obligated to show 12 AAC games a year, and it's a lock that UConn will be in at least 3 of them. Kevin Ollie's first two recruits are Daniel Hamilton and Rodney Purvis, both 5 star kids with a lot of ability. He has 2 more to land this year. He's well on his way.

Hate to break this to you but UConn is in great hands, and Ollie is likely to recruit at a higher level than Calhoun since Calhoun's rep as a grinder scared a lot of player's away.

 

[JaYnYcE]

I thought UK was the basketball capital in the state of Kentucky.

 

[The Funster]

The ACC tolerates BC because it is a fine academic institution. When Louisville sh i ts the bed you'll find out just how esteemed and valuable you are to you're ACC "brethren".

 

[cardsfan123]

Indiana, Kansas, Stanford, several others have signed on to play UConn. They will get plenty of exposure with MORE games than in the BE for the simple reason Uconn is one of the nation's marquee teams and ESPN is obligated to show a set number of games. CBS is also obligated to show 12 AAC games a year, and it's a lock that UConn will be in at least 3 of them. Kevin Ollie's first two recruits are Daniel Hamilton and Rodney Purvis, both 5 star kids with a lot of ability. He has 2 more to land this year. He's well on his way.

Hate to break this to you but UConn is in great hands, and Ollie is likely to recruit at a higher level than Calhoun since Calhoun's rep as a grinder scared a lot of player's away.

Compared to the power 5 the AAC's "exposure" is garbage. Nobody wants to see 80% of the teams in that league. Nobody. Yes you'll get a couple of decent games a year broadcast but nothing like what you got in the Big East. Your days in a power league are over.

We play Syracuse, Pitt, Notre Dame, UNC, and Duke on a yearly basis, plus UK and whoever else we want to schedule OOC. We'll get about 8 high profile games every single year plus the ACC Tournament. You guys get maybe one or two decent OOC games and a bunch of crap conference games. After December everybody will forget about UConn while you're playing at Tulsa and Tulane and ECU and UCF and SMU. You could win 30 games in that crap league and wind up as a #6 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Purvis is a transfer. He was committed to all of Louisville, Missouri, and NC State at one point or another. He's a headcase and a prima donna. He's the type of player a desperate coach will take. He wanted to transfer to Louisville and Pitino turned him down, so he winds up at UConn. Can't say I'm surprised.