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

[Zissou]

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"

It’s an opinion that the Big East helps a bit with interest levels, rivalries, and recruiting. The Big East hoops juice is stronger in the northeast.

Some Pitt and Cuse fans have lamented that the interest level is less and being out of the Big East hurts recruiting.

If you accept that scenario, even hypothetically, would you rather have a title in the Big East, or have missed it but have the ACC cash and a better home for football?

I’m not saying that it would be impossible to be in the ACC and win a title.

 

[Zissou]

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.

First point on ACC vs Big East supporting hoops for title runs is the discussion.

Second point on $32M…. UConn takes the cash and joins the ACC without question if offered. Cash, home for football.

If the difference is small between finishing tied for 4th in conference and peaking in March to win a title, vs losing in the E8, and hypothetically if the Big East boost was enough to make the difference (recruiting, prep), would you trade the title for the cash and for football to be in the middle of the pack outside the P2 but in a Top 4 conference?

 

[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 ?

3 ACC schools from the south made it. 2 BE schools for the northeast made it.

0 ACC schools from the northeast made it.

Some Cuse, Pitt, and BC fans thinks that the ACC is less conducive to top level recruiting.

Maybe it all changes again with NIL auctions for players. Maybe that cash becomes the big differentiator.

 

[noeynox]

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.

What you're basically saying is CT is different than all Big East schools and i agree. Big East schools sans football should not expect to be in the same stratosphere as the ACC or any other P5 league. I just do not view the Big East as underpaid compared to those leagues. You have to compare the BE to conferences that don't play FBS football.

 

[CL82]

If the difference is small between finishing tied for 4th in conference and peaking in March to win a title, vs losing in the E8, and hypothetically if the Big East boost was enough to make the difference (recruiting, prep), would you trade the title for the cash and for football to be in the middle of the pack outside the P2 but in a Top 4 conference?

Again, just because you imagine Connecticut won't be successful in the ACC doesn't mean that will happen. those of us who are old enough to remember will recall that many thought that Connecticut couldn't compete in the big east. Instead, it became its preeminent program. The notion keep putting forth is that the choices between physical security and continued athletic dominance. I will respectfully suggest that that is a false premise.

That said, they haven't offered us and our unlikely to, so the conversation is a moot one. Feel free to have the last word on it

 

[AzHusky]

If UConn were in the ACC they would be playing Cuse, Pitt and BC. I believe that would create as much fan interest as being in the BE does. The added money would help the football team and basketball would not suffer.

 

[Patman]

Uconn right now, in basketball transcends regions. BC, Syracuse, and Pitt have not had that power in sports (BC Hockey is not germane to this). With the last title UConn in hoops. So UConn basketball to the ACC won't have that problem. That being said, it was a mistake on the other schools part because they didn't transcend their region and that the ACC was always going to be a southern marketed league for southern teams. The NE schools were just television sets to them. Their staff (normal every day folks, personnel is policy) were always going to be focused on classical territorial areas.

 

[CL82]

What you're basically saying is CT is different than all Big East schools and i agree. Big East schools sans football should not expect to be in the same stratosphere as the ACC or any other P5 league. I just do not view the Big East as underpaid compared to those leagues. You have to compare the BE to conferences that don't play FBS football.

[Shrugs]. It doesn't matter. The expenses to be competitive on the national level are going to continue to increase. It doesn't matter if we make more than the other schools that aren't going to be competitive. That's not our mark. In the end we will either be able to afford being a competitive school or not. And the fact that we make more more money than most of the other schools who can't afford to compete, really won't matter one way or another?

Feel free to have the last word. I don't think I can explain it any better.