Benedict Wants Meeting With Aresco On Remaining In AAC For Football

[cttxus]

Aresco sounds like a petty ex girlfriend.

Not only that, but one who's been flouncing around with some of the guys in your neighborhood.

 

[Exit 4]

Come on guys, the AAC can easily find a cheaper and more convenient alternative than Uconn in football if all it needed was a 12th team and that's not likely anyway. My guess is if that if a waiver were turned down the Ncaa might have some problems given they've extended it to others now, particularly when the reason it's needed is because a member left. If we were 8 and 0 in the conference last year there might be some perceived value, however 0 and 8 holds no value at all. Even the loyal fans are not going to watch those games all season long. It's the same with this belief in being a competent d1 independent. You have to be able to get talent and win.

Cheaper than, "Hey UConn you can stick around for 2020 and 2021 for a 1/4 share, then you have to scram?"

In the end, I'm good with which ever way this breaks. Bring on the SNY contract. Fox, pull that lever.

 

[noeynox]

It’s quite possible that Aresco, Herbst and Benedict are all morans.

This is the big plan? Hope the AAC lets us have our cake and eat it too?

Even if it is in their interests they won’t do it out of spite.

Idiots all of them.

I don't think Herbst is an idiot. She just didn't get sports, in particular conference realignment and what was at stake, as well as your average fan until it was too late. Remember her comment about putting kids on a bus to Ames maybe not being the best for student athletes? I knew then. She really needed to surround herself with knowledgeable sports person and at the time that went down, she had Pendergast acting as AD.

The other two, i think you may be on to something.

 

[ZooCougar]

Its a game of chicken. And yes spite might win the day. If so, we'll be fine. 2020 might be a mess, but should be fine after that.

I don't think Herbst is an idiot. She just didn't get sports, in particular conference realignment and what was at stake, as well as your average fan until it was too late. Remember her comment about putting kids on a bus to Ames maybe not being the best for student athletes? I knew then. She really needed to surround herself with knowledgeable sports person and at the time that went down, she had Pendergast acting as AD.

The other two, i think you may be on to something.

She is not skilled at sports. She’s been a disaster in that regard.

 

[whaler11]

There is a lot we don’t know here about the real dynamics and priorities of ESPN, the AAC contract with ESPN and its member schools.

We’ll see how it plays out.

1) immediate exit - independent football for 2020. Hello SNY football deal.
2) one or two year extended stay in the AAC at a reduced pay out. Smoothest plan for all parities. AAC can take some time to ponder our replacement - if there is one. What’s the incentive?

What if the AAC says we can stay indefinitely as a partial member; do we take it? What’s our payoff break point, yes if above 4m annually and no if less? I honestly don’t know the line that makes sense.

One thing obvious.

AAC isn’t going to even take DB’s call and will sue UConn for the contractual exit fee if needed.

It’s literally their best revenue source.

Personally I’d beat them to the punch and sue them for fiduciary malpractice.

Burn it to the ground.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

This is a stupid thing for him to say, because if the exit gets contentious this statement can be used against the AAC.

 

[JMick]

This is a stupid thing for him to say, because if the exit gets contentious this statement can be used against the AAC.

Aresco is a moron. So glad we're done with him

 

[whaler11]

This is a stupid thing for him to say, because if the exit gets contentious this statement can be used against the AAC.

Great point.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

One thing obvious.

AAC isn’t going to even take DB’s call and will sue UConn for the contractual exit fee.

Personally I’d beat them to the punch and sue them for fiduciary malpractice.

Burn it to the ground.

+1000

The timeline of UConn's discussion with the Big East is really important, because if the AAC negotiated away UConn's Tier 3 rights without UConn's approval BEFORE we decided to go, then we should be able to walk on the exit fee or at least get it dramatically reduced.

EDIT: Lawyers should jump in, but this is the fiduciary issue Whaler brings up. Aresco was acting as agent for ALL the schools, both collectively and individually, and if he traded away something from one school for the benefit of others (i.e. UConn's Tier 3 rights for a better deal for the conference), he has to get UConn's explicit consent or he has violated his fiduciary duty as an agent for UConn.

 

[whaler11]

I sort of sarcastically posted over the weekend that “Fortune favors the Bold”.

Certainly feels like a different world in 6 days.

 

[huskymedic]

+1000

The timeline of UConn's discussion with the Big East is really important, because if the AAC negotiated away UConn's Tier 3 rights without UConn's approval BEFORE we decided to go, then we should be able to walk on the exit fee or at least get it dramatically reduced.

EDIT: Lawyers should jump in, but this is the fiduciary issue Whaler brings up. Aresco was acting as agent for ALL the schools, both collectively and individually, and if he traded away something from one school for the benefit of others (i.e. UConn's Tier 3 rights for a better deal for the conference), he has to get UConn's explicit consent or he has violated his fiduciary duty as an agent for UConn.

Not a lawyer but been chased by a few...

Not arguing against your point and I could be wrong but didn’t all the schools sign over T3 when joining league and then UConn argued to get them back somehow (was it a pass through conference) - I cant remember? I’m not sure we had them the whole tenure in the league.

 

[whaler11]

Not a lawyer but been chased by a few...

Not arguing against your point and I could be wrong but didn’t all the schools sign over T3 when joining league and then UConn argued to get them back somehow (was it a pass through conference) - I cant remember? I’m not sure we had the the whole tenure in the league.

Yes.

But who cares.

They didn’t go to the market. He took a bad deal so he could crow about a round number. Harmed the taxpayers and students - make em earn it.

If we going to fight Kevin Ollie on technicalities - Aresco sold a women’s basketball program adored by millions down the river - lets see what’s in his email.

 

[Exit 4]

I sort of sarcastically posted over the weekend that “Fortune favors the Bold”.

Certainly feels like a different world in 6 days.

Been a helluva ride. I certainly wasn't thrilled when this broke Friday night. I was depressed until about Monday morning. There are a few truths I have had to accept, that others on this board realized long before me.

i) The fan base was never coming back no matter what we achieved if it was in the AAC (for example I can tell you people in my office still care about the BE and still dont care about the AAC),
ii) The new AAC contract was highway robbery, particularly because they tried to steal our WBB and are more lucrative T3 rights. All the while it was set to enrich our terrible partners at ESPN.
iii) The new AAC contract was a mirage because it dumped production costs back on schools. Hmm, once you factor that it, what are we really getting here on a net basis?
iv) Our football program already plays a pseudo independent schedule when you consider we play ECU/Tulane/Tulsa regularly and SMU/UH/Memphis which don't jazz things up much more for a northeastern fan base (I'm good with Cincy/Temple/USF/UCF).

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Not a lawyer but been chased by a few...

Not arguing against your point and I could be wrong but didn’t all the schools sign over T3 when joining league and then UConn argued to get them back somehow (was it a pass through conference) - I cant remember? I’m not sure we had them the whole tenure in the league.

It may help the fiduciary issue a little, although UConn definitely went backwards in the new AAC deal. Anytime you are negotiating for disparate parties and are trading one party's thing of value for the benefit of others, you need to get the surrendering party's consent before you trade it away or you expose yourself to a fiduciary claim. Aresco clearly did not do that, and he traded UConn's Tier 3 rights for the benefit of himself and the other schools. You don't really need more than that to make a solid claim of a fiduciary breach.

The timeline is really important though, because Aresco would have a pretty good defense if he could say he knew UConn was leaving.

 

[Exit 4]

So yeah, he was surprised...stunned really. He miscalculated.

 

[whaler11]

When Tulane joined the AAC they didn’t have a men’s basketball radio contract.

Letting them suck the marrow from Geno’s program was malpractice.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

So yeah, he was surprised...stunned really. He miscalculated.

If this is true, UConn has a pretty good case to sue their way out of this. Aresco traded the women's Tier 3 rights without UConn's consent, and by approving it the other schools joined the violation.

 

[Stinger92860]

You would hope he spoke to a few other AAC ADs who may have provided a potential positive outcome, otherwise he is dreaming.

 

[zls44]

iv) Our football program already plays a pseudo independent schedule when you consider we play ECU/Tulane/Tulsa regularly and SMU/UH/Memphis don't jazz things up much more for a northeastern fan base either (I'm good with Cincy/Temple/USF/UCF).

That's the key one for 90% of folks - Houston, UCF, New Mexico State, Liberty...all gonna sell the same buzz up here.

 

[JMick]

So yeah, he was surprised...stunned really. He miscalculated.

*smokescreen* for years. l-o-l

 

[Guapo]

So yeah, he was surprised...stunned really. He miscalculated.

What a moron.

How exactly do (persistent) rumors camouflage anything?

 

[whaler11]

So yeah, he was surprised...stunned really. He miscalculated.

The guy did put his ‘p6’ league on + for peanuts...

 

[Exit 4]

When Tulane joined the AAC they didn’t have a men’s basketball radio contract.

Letting them suck the marrow from Geno’s program was malpractice.

You have been consistent in calling out the Tulane and Tulsa additions as dilutive leaches. It really hasn't been until this week by pondering our value in pieces have I really appreciated the magnitude of this fact. They are two truly zero value add programs.

Aresco's turn wrong turns: i) should have stuck with a 10 team conference and ii) shouldn't have tried to steal our WBB.

 

[BlueDogs]

I would imagine Liberty will replace us. They are loaded with cash and big benefactors. Fits nicely with the current footprint.

 

[tiger paw]

May be football can stay in the AAC as long as UC still pays the $10m exit fee.