Behind the scenes of Brett Yormark’s yearlong push to get the Big 12 to 16 (The Athletic)

[Zissou]

yeah, i should have said when Clemson, FSU, Miami, UNC, UVA, NC State, VPI, GA Tech escape. It's almost as if our great basketball is working to keep us out as much as our struggling football.

Would you rather be in the Big East earning Final Fours and contending for national titles or be in the ACC and not getting out of the first weekend.

 

[noeynox]

Would you rather be in the Big East earning Final Fours and contending for national titles or be in the ACC and not getting out of the first weekend.

ACC. Next question.

 

[Zissou]

ACC. Next question.

Same as BC, Pitt, and Cuse. They have he money, and the fans get to wallow in mediocrity.

 

[Kolumbo]

Same as BC, Pitt, and Cuse. They have he money, and the fans get to wallow in mediocrity.

Thank you Zissou for the laugh
Pitt had a nice run under Dixon. Remove Dixon . . .
BCU fans should get on their knees and welcome the opportunity to wallow in mediocrity. No matter what conference they are in.
Syracuse has a laundry list of issues holding it back.

To compare 3 programs plus Carmello with 1 banner to a program with 5 banners is high comedy, all due respect.
ACC. 100%

 

[KryHavok]

Considering how many times the ACC has passed over UConn, I'm at the point where they don't deserve to have UConn. But as UConn doesn't deserve to get shafted all the time during alignment, there are worse places then the ACC. Of course what a post-implosion ACC looks like will skew that view.

I'm very much grateful to the fist Big East (when we were a natural fit) and second Big East (where we are the non-Catholic outlier) for giving us a home and great memories, and I'll continue to root for Big East teams after UConn in the BB tourney.

 

[Ldandy]

This is what B12 took over us.

In fairness the majority of The PAC 12 was happy being in that conference and didn’t want it to dissolve. Scott’s TERRIBLE job running the league forced USC and UCLA to look for alternatives which ultimately destabilized the entire league.

The only school interested in The Big 12 is CU because they have some history with those schools and Deion wants to recruit Texas heavily. Utah, UA, and ASU would kill to be in The B1G. Maybe in a future consolidation they will?

 

[Patman]

In fairness the majority of The PAC 12 was happy being in that conference and didn’t want it to dissolve. Scott’s TERRIBLE job running the league forced USC and UCLA to look for alternatives which ultimately destabilized the entire league.

The only school interested in The Big 12 is CU because they have some history with those schools and Deion wants to recruit Texas heavily. Utah, UA, and ASU would kill to be in The B1G. Maybe in a future consolidation they will?

This is certainly not an era of mutual loyalty in society. Utah is a passenger in this in that they just went where things took them. Obviously when things are out of your hands it's not like they're going to speak big on brand loyalty. Also keep in mind they aren't current big 12 members. They are pac12 members

 

[AZHuskiePop]

In fairness the majority of The PAC 12 was happy being in that conference and didn’t want it to dissolve. Scott’s TERRIBLE job running the league forced USC and UCLA to look for alternatives which ultimately destabilized the entire lkk

Seems that way. I thought otherwise, but now, not so much.
Part of the problem was the B12 took 4 G5 schools already. I can understand that being distasteful once the PAC collapsed. They’d probably give back UCF and Cincy if they could. Houston and BYU are a good

I'm not using the A-10 as a measuring stick for how successful UConn is. I'm using the A-10 as a measuring stick as to how much money a basketball only conference is worth to the media. I don't think our basketball program is getting paid pennies on the dollar for Big East basketball.

The A10 is a very good basketball conference that splits $2million a year . That less than the lowest G5 conference gets . I checked multi articles on the WCC another Pretty good teams mostly in Big markets . They all only mention ESPN and CBS are televising their games without mention of compensation. The Big East seems to be the unicorn .i have a feeling The next deal would have been cut without the UConn add . Remember Fox wanted to get into basketball coverage and overpaid to help break up the Big East and steal a long standing ESPN property.
Although ESPN would love to have the Big East back. Our success mirrored their growth . I’m not optimistic on a substantial bump .But we could only hope for it .

 

[John]

Would you rather be in the Big East earning Final Fours and contending for national titles or be in the ACC and not getting out of the first weekend.

would love to rear view mirror you for a seat at the adult's table.

 

[Zissou]

would love to rear view mirror you for a seat at the adult's table.

Do you think the Big East has helped UConn?

Has ACC membership hurt interest levels and recruiting at BC, Cuse, and Pitt?

 

[billybud]

Zissou...

You don't seem to be bilingual...basketball your only tongue.

I do understand that for many that is so....

If basketball ever drives realignment and media money, you are on to something....and who knows ?

The world we have known for decades is changing rapidly.

 

[noeynox]

Do you think the Big East has helped UConn?

Has ACC membership hurt interest levels and recruiting at BC, Cuse, and Pitt?

Yes. Do you think UConn has helped the Big East? Because those schools have sucked with more resources doesn't mean UConn will as well. UConn BB was doing better than all of them when we were all in the Big East as well. Not like UConn "rose up" in their absence. I know that is the case for Nova, so maybe that is why you view it like that.

 

[CL82]

Do you think the Big East has helped UConn?

Has ACC membership hurt interest levels and recruiting at BC, Cuse, and Pitt?

I think that being in the Big East has helped Connecticut in terms of recruiting, donations and fan interest. Being in the American was an absolutely miserable experience and was slowly killing the program. But, that doesn't mean that Connecticut's success was so late due to the joining the Big East, nor does it mean that we wouldn't be successful elsewhere.

No doubt about it, that Syracuse and Pitt have lost relevance and fan interest in the ACC. I suspect that has more to do with on the court performance than conference affiliation, however. It's tough to say that BCU Was hurt by the move to the ACC since they weren't particularly world beaters in the original big east either.

If conference affiliation was what mattered, wouldn't there be more national championships in the Big East. Prior to Jay Wright retiring Villanova was carrying the water for the conference and that's now been handed on to us. And the reasonable conclusion to draw from that is that success is more closely affiliated with coaching than Conference affiliation.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the big east conference. It's good to go to games against opponents at the fanbase cares about and can drive to. But at $4 million a year in broadcast rights revenue, members of this conference operates at a significant disadvantage. Right now, Connecticut's success is masking that, but make no mistake about it we all are swimming upstream here.

 

[John]

Do you think the Big East has helped UConn?

Has ACC membership hurt interest levels and recruiting at BC, Cuse, and Pitt?

In basketball, yes. As a holistic athletic department? No, and it'll get worse.

Cuse and Pitt suffered from poor bb coaching and you know that. Fredo is Fredo.

 

[noeynox]

I think that being in the Big East has helped Connecticut in terms of recruiting, donations and fan interest. Being in the American was an absolutely miserable experience and was slowly killing the program. But, that doesn't mean that Connecticut's success was so late due to the joining the Big East, nor does it mean that we wouldn't be successful elsewhere.

No doubt about it, that Syracuse and Pitt have lost relevance and fan interest in the ACC. I suspect that has more to do with on the court performance than conference affiliation, however. It's tough to say that BCU Was hurt by the move to the ACC since they weren't particularly world beaters in the original big east either.

If conference affiliation was what mattered, wouldn't there be more national championships in the Big East. Prior to Jay Wright retiring Villanova was carrying the water for the conference and that's now been handed on to us. And the reasonable conclusion to draw from that is that success is more closely affiliated with coaching than Conference affiliation.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the big east conference. It's good to go to games against opponents at the fanbase cares about and can drive to. But at $4 million a year in broadcast rights revenue, members of this conference operates at a significant disadvantage. Right now, Connecticut's success is masking that, but make no mistake about it we all are swimming upstream here.

Like your post and agree with it, but what does Gonzaga get in media dollars vs the Big East? That is the closer comparison for the BE not the B1G.

 

[Zissou]

I think that being in the Big East has helped Connecticut in terms of recruiting, donations and fan interest. Being in the American was an absolutely miserable experience and was slowly killing the program. But, that doesn't mean that Connecticut's success was so late due to the joining the Big East, nor does it mean that we wouldn't be successful elsewhere.

No doubt about it, that Syracuse and Pitt have lost relevance and fan interest in the ACC. I suspect that has more to do with on the court performance than conference affiliation, however. It's tough to say that BCU Was hurt by the move to the ACC since they weren't particularly world beaters in the original big east either.

If conference affiliation was what mattered, wouldn't there be more national championships in the Big East. Prior to Jay Wright retiring Villanova was carrying the water for the conference and that's now been handed on to us. And the reasonable conclusion to draw from that is that success is more closely affiliated with coaching than Conference affiliation.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the big east conference. It's good to go to games against opponents at the fanbase cares about and can drive to. But at $4 million a year in broadcast rights revenue, members of this conference operates at a significant disadvantage. Right now, Connecticut's success is masking that, but make no mistake about it we all are swimming upstream here.

I agree that UConn winning last year wasn’t just a boost from conference affiliation. Coaching is everything and UConn was already on the rise.

Without overstating the impact, UConn benefits from the Big East in ways that the ACC doesn’t boost Cuse or Pitt. (The money is the big factor though in conference membership and UConn obviously takes the cash given the opportunity).

Conference affiliation does matter, but it’s only one factor for a program.

So, if the Big East helps boost your position and provides the schedule and rivalry juice to prep for post season, and it supports one interest and recruiting, would you rather put that all together and have a title or come up a little short but have the ACC cash?

 

[Zissou]

Yes. Do you think UConn has helped the Big East?

Without a doubt.

 

[billybud]

Why would UConn come up short in the ACC ?

The ACC has had three teams (combined) in the last two Final Fours...you think UConn couldn't make it to the Finals in another conference ?

 

[Zissou]

Zissou...

You don't seem to be bilingual...basketball your only tongue.

I do understand that for many that is so....

If basketball ever drives realignment and media money, you are on to something....and who knows ?

The world we have known for decades is changing rapidly.

I’m a football fan and that cash drives CR.

My teams are
SEC - UGA
ACC - Miami, Wake
B1G - Penn State

I also like to see the service academies compete.

It’s all a little less interesting with NIL and the portal.

 

[John]

I agree that UConn winning last year wasn’t just a boost from conference affiliation. Coaching is everything and UConn was already on the rise.

Without overstating the impact, UConn benefits from the Big East in ways that the ACC doesn’t boost Cuse or Pitt. (The money is the big factor though in conference membership and UConn obviously takes the cash given the opportunity).

Conference affiliation does matter, but it’s only one factor for a program.

So, if the Big East helps boost your position and provides the schedule and rivalry juice to prep for post season, and it supports one interest and recruiting, would you rather put that all together and have a title or come up a little short but have the ACC cash?

it's really stretching it to think a basketball title couldn't come with membership in a premier basketball conference like the ACC.

 

[Zissou]

Why would UConn come up short in the ACC ?

The ACC has had three teams (combined) in the last two Final Fours...you think UConn couldn't make it to the Finals in another conference ?

The northeast doesn’t connect with the ACC in the same way as the Big East.

 

[Zissou]

it's really stretching it to think a basketball title couldn't come with membership in a premier basketball conference like the ACC.

No one said it couldn’t

 

[John]

No one said it couldn’t

what's this mean then?

"would you rather put that all together and have a title or come up a little short but have the ACC cash"

 

[CL82]

Like your post and agree with it, but what does Gonzaga get in media dollars vs the Big East? That is the closer comparison for the BE not the B1G.

Disagree. No one is suggesting that Connecticut leave the big east to join the West Coast conference. This debate was expressly about the prospect of joining the ACC. Their per school share of median money is roughly 8-9 times what the biggest gets. That's the comparison.

 

[CL82]

I agree that UConn winning last year wasn’t just a boost from conference affiliation. Coaching is everything and UConn was already on the rise.

Without overstating the impact, UConn benefits from the Big East in ways that the ACC doesn’t boost Cuse or Pitt. (The money is the big factor though in conference membership and UConn obviously takes the cash given the opportunity).

Conference affiliation does matter, but it’s only one factor for a program.

So, if the Big East helps boost your position and provides the schedule and rivalry juice to prep for post season, and it supports one interest and recruiting, would you rather put that all together and have a title or come up a little short but have the ACC cash?

Well, your concluding alternative assumes assumes that Connecticut being in the ACC would not continue to be able "prep" Connecticut "for the postseason". Personally, I don't believe that joining the ACC hurts our chances to pursue a national championship anymore than Syracuse or Pitt joining the big east would enhance their chance for a national championship. I'll go further and say that annual conference distributions of $32 million + a year would be of benefit to Connecticut and it's continued pursuit of national championships. Additionally facing off home and away against quality schools like Duke and North Carolina, help us to maintain a high national profile, which helps for seeding, and in recruiting. Further, having games on ESPN and ABC does the same.

That said, we're not going anywhere in the near term, particularly the ACC. So the discussion is moot.