Benedict Wants Meeting With Aresco On Remaining In AAC For Football

[UConnNick]

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

No kidding. She's about to go down in history as the UConn president who killed a football program that somehow managed to stay in business for almost all of the past 122 years.

Rather than being mortified by that collosal failure, I really don't think she's going to care about what that does to her legacy, because she never took athletics seriously. She strikes me as the type of person who, when asked about it, would say, "What's the big deal? They're only games."

She hired two incompetent ADs plus Pendergast as interim, and expected she could just delegate everything to them, and she should have not been bothered by having to do anything to make it work. It was their job. To some extent that should be true, but she hired people that were way wrong for the job and then rewarded incompetence by being quick to give them raises.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

North Texas
Georgia Southern
Maybe East Mississippi State will go 4 years?

 

[UConnNick]

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

Let's tell the AAC if they want money from us they can line up behind Kevin Ollie.

 

[Scrutineer]

Not beg. The plan is to say to the AAC, after the NCAA has shot down their attempt to play with 11 and their attempts to add Army/BYU/Boise fail, "are you dumb enough to add Buffalo?"

Agreed, Buffalo has some recent successes where UConn has struggled but it seems unlikely they could even consider an invitation. They're a state university in New York and it might be tough for them to come up with the money for entry and exit fees plus the added cost for travel, as well as the annual budget they'd need for a far flung league like the AAC.

 

[VAHuskyFan]

Now... this is from a Blauds article so take the accuracy w/ due diligence:

>>AAC commissioner Mike Aresco said on Thursday he was confident the NCAA would grant the AAC a waiver on that requirement, wondering why the NCAA would enforce a rule that would basically require the AAC potentially raiding another conference to get back to 12 teams.<<

On the one hand, Aresco is trying to use logic to predict how the NCAA will act, which is never a good sign.

On the other hand, granting the waiver hurts UConn so I’m pretty confident Emmert will do it.

 

[Scrutineer]

I’m wondering if we could stay in AAC for football just for 2020 season and then leave. Would solve our scheduling conflict and allow the AAC to avoid a headache on their end

The Big East contract doesn't require UConn to join in 2020 and the AAC contract requires 27 months notice to leave. Room for negotiation.

UConn can decide when it wants to leave and there is no reason we shouldn't be able to play the next two (and maybe three) years football in the AAC except it would delay entrance into the Big East. Staying three years in football has to help the AAC too because their teams will keep their schedules as they're now set and the league can take some time to chart its course.

So we have some negotiating room and even some leverage but it would cost UConn's early entry into the Big East and if we show we're desperate to get there by the Fall of 2020 we lose that negotiating power. Let's hope DB doesn't blow it.

 

[Scrutineer]

It’s an academic question what is the value of our property on SNY as a standalone versus a reduced payout as a member of the AAC.

What if the AAC says you can stay but you get a half million bucks a year?

With a reduced exit fee and guaranteed schedule for some time, I'd take it. Unless of course DB already knows SNY or other outlets will pay a lot more than that per year.

 

[Scrutineer]

Anyone else hear that sighing sound coming from the direction of Amherst?

You just don't get negotiating strategy. Aresco is playing hard to get so UMess will agree to taking no TV money or bowl payouts for 25 years to get invited.

 

[huskymedic]

The lady doth protest too much, methinks...

Joseph Duarte @Joseph_Duarte 2 hours ago
AAC commish Mike Aresco confirms league ADs will hold conference call Friday. More talks set for football media days July 14-15 in Newport, R.I. “I would think we’ll have a pretty good idea where we’re headed w/ conf membership by media day & how we want to structure football."

Joseph Duarte @Joseph_Duarte 2 hours ago
AAC commissioner Mike Aresco: "We’ll consider a 12th school, but unless that school helps our strength and really enhances our brand why would you do it? We’re not going to do anything that dilutes the brand and diminishes us at all.”

Joseph Duarte @Joseph_Duarte 2 hours ago
AAC commissioner Mike Aresco on current members: “(Our member schools) are united, more determined than ever. This group is energized.”

 

[Scrutineer]

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

Plus they have the potential for divine intervention should Aresco screw them.

 

[Scrutineer]

Too far Northeast East and not directional enough.

They do bring the Lynchburg, Timberlake and Coleman Falls TV market though. And their location is very easy to get to for all the visiting teams from around the AAC.

 

[Kolumbo]

The Big East contract doesn't require UConn to join in 2020 and the AAC contract requires 27 months notice to leave. Room for negotiation.

UConn can decide when it wants to leave and there is no reason we shouldn't be able to play the next two (and maybe three) years football in the AAC except it would delay entrance into the Big East. Staying three years in football has to help the AAC too because their teams will keep their schedules as they're now set and the league can take some time to chart its course.

So we have some negotiating room and even some leverage but it would cost UConn's early entry into the Big East and if we show we're desperate to get there by the Fall of 2020 we lose that negotiating power. Let's hope DB doesn't blow it.

I would love to hear what's going on in the back channels. Temple and perhaps Cinci have to be very concerned that UConn Basketball bailed on the AAC. If Temple for example got the deal UConn got with the Big East, the AAC would be in panic mode. People are underestimating just how big a blow this is to the AAC.

 

[Exit 4]

Joseph Duarte @Joseph_Duarte 2 hours ago
AAC commissioner Mike Aresco on current members: “(Our member schools) are united, more determined than ever. This group is energized.”


Oh yeah, energized to revisited their back up plans in case two more schools follow suit,

 

[Storrs South]

Joseph Duarte @Joseph_Duarte 2 hours ago
AAC commissioner Mike Aresco: "We’ll consider a 12th school, but unless that school helps our strength and really enhances our brand why would you do it? We’re not going to do anything that dilutes the brand and diminishes us at all.”

Coming from the man that invited ECU, Tulsa, and Tulane into the conference, that's rich.

 

[Drew]

Coming from the man that invited ECU, Tulsa, and Tulane into the conference, that's rich.

ECU when invited at least had a strong football program (and decent history). I believe they were originally supposed to be football only but when s hit they got the full invite

Tulane and Tulsa should’ve never in 100 million years been considered, although at least now Tulane has hired an athletics staff hell bent on competing (good football coach, good basketball hire, great AD). Tulsa brings absolutely zero to any league on this planet. They wouldn’t even be the most prominent team in the Sun Belt.

 

[BlueDogs]

You just don't get negotiating strategy. Aresco is playing hard to get so UMess will agree to taking no TV money or bowl payouts for 25 years to get invited.

Come on man, he’s a long term deal guy. He loves the billion dollar deal - $1 a year for a billion years. He takes his 10% success fee upfront.

 

[upstater]

The AAC contract is funky. There are all sorts of provisions for reduced exit fees based on the TV contract. Remember, back in 2013, the BE contract was $13m per school. We still have a reduced payout compared to that.

 

[Rewster]

I would love to hear what's going on in the back channels. Temple and perhaps Cinci have to be very concerned that UConn Basketball bailed on the AAC. If Temple for example got the deal UConn got with the Big East, the AAC would be in panic mode. People are underestimating just how big a blow this is to the AAC.

It would be interesting if UConn comes out ahead of the AAC contract with possible additions of SNY. Would Cincinnati and Temple look to jump if Big East was open to it( that’s a big ask for the BE to accept). We always thought B12 expansion (or implosion ) would be a catalyst for the AAC wick to be lit. What if it turned out to be UConn the struck the match instead.

 

[Chief00]

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

Couldn’t agree more and part of the reason has nothing to do with sports. She is a walking disaster in the President’s Club. The latest exhibit of evidence was she failed in her last attempt at joining the NBE and this time she let DB do the actual “successful” negotiations. It is worth noting, the other Presidents realized she had one foot and the toes on her other foot out the door. If that wasn’t the case, this would have never gotten approved by the NBE Presidents.
It also clear how unpopular she was with her peers at the AAC Presidents Club.

For some reason, the BOT and politicians in CT, seem blind to how she alienates her peers. The CT politicians and media are also the only ones that buy the silly cover story that she resigned to spend more time with the students in Stamford. Asked a student in Storrs if they believe that based on her interest in them. There’s a pattern there.

 

[Chief00]

The only thing that matters are the dates and times. Nobody gives a hoot if it’s NMSU or Too Lane.

Looks like Chief called it years ago - Casual Fanbase. Again, I am not criticizing, it is what it is. We need to embrace it, if it’s considered a strength to us.
I remember when Randy returned, Chief was in the XL Center concourse during a MBB game and ran into Randy. As we were chatting a woman interrupted and started ordering him to keep players names on the uniforms and to also change the color-design. I guess to some extent he did listen LOL. But, he did say after she left, Chief now you know what I have to deal with. And here we are.

 

[UCSouth]

If the NCAA won't let the AAC play a CCG with 11, there's nobody else that adds our value, even if we're down in football performance currently. I think there's still a decent shot we remain in the conference as football only, though probably need to make concessions on the payout.

Not sure but I think that the NCAA changed their stance on Conference Championship Games. You don't have to have 12 anymore, 11 will suffice.

 

[UCSouth]

Here are the choices for the AAC as rules are currently written:

1) Add a 12th football school so that they can continue to play a conference championship game.

2) Stay at 11 and get rid of the conference championship game.

3) Stay at 11 and play a conference championship game, but the AAC needs to play a round robin or 10 conference games. (Non-starter, especially for Navy which also plays Army, Air Force, and Notre Dame each year.)

4) Ask the NCAA to pass a new rule that allows conferences with 11 teams to only have to play 9 conference games to be allowed to have a conference championship game. (Think the NCAA and other conferences are up for this?)

The best choices for the AAC to add are Army as a football only (not likely, especially how this would impact the date of Army/Navy), BYU as a football only (Best candidate and could happen), or Boise St. (unlikely, but you never know). I doubt there are any other decent candidates at this time, but a school could develop in the next 5 to 10 years like Old Dominion, James Madison, or Georgia St., but you are not taking them at this time.

So, as much as we may think otherwise, the AAC could be backed into the corner and keeping UConn football is the best option.

Reread the NCAA Rules on Conference Championship Games as they pertain to Football. Then amend your post.

 

[noeynox]

I agree with most of this, but two things I don't understand. The comment about Ames...did she make that during our dalliance with the Big 12? If so, was it a joke? We obviously wouldn't have been taking a bus from Storrs to Ames. If she was serious, then she's more whacked in the head than I already thought.

The other thing is the remark about "...at the time that went down...". If you're talking about that period when other teams were leaving the old Big East and she exchanged those mutually clueless e-mails with Pendergast, I get it. If you're talking about when Louisville got picked over us by the ACC, "Donuts" was our AD by then.

It was when Pitt and SU left. Remember the Big East was still BCS and there was no P5 yet. She didn't seem to realize how desperate people were moving to get to higher ground. Yes the time of the clueless emails is what I'm referring to. Us the fans could have told her be like WVU, and pay 3 times the amount to go to the Big 12 if need be.

 

[CL82]

We had a home and home scheduled with Tennessee and they cancelled it. That was long before we scheduled the home and home for women's BB with them.

I feel like it was still up in the air when we decided on the WBB series but here's the thing Tenn really wanted that game. Why not leverage that?

 

[UConnNick]

It was when Pitt and SU left. Remember the Big East was still BCS and there was no P5 yet. She didn't seem to realize how desperate people were moving to get to higher ground. Yes the time of the clueless emails is what I'm referring to. Us the fans could have told her be like WVU, and pay 3 times the amount to go to the Big 12 if need be.

You just reminded me of a bet I made with a Husky alum friend of mine. At about that same time several years ago, we made a bet regarding where we were going to end up. I said we'd land in the B10. He said it would be the B12. Sadly, it now looks like neither of us will win.

The bet was for an expensive steak (or whatever) dinner in a fancy restaurant. When you think of it, nobody would have lost that bet. Whomever lost was going to be so happy it wouldn't have mattered to them that they had to pay for the dinner. It would have been a joyous celebration and we likely would have closed down one of the most expensive restaurants in NYC.

It's sad now because barring some miracle from on high, it will likely never happen.