Big 12 and ACC are fumbling with their expansion apprehensiveness? They will become 2nd class BBall citizens as well if they continue.

[hank970]

If the Big 12, Big Ten and ACC were options right now, we would already be in one of those leagues.

Are you saying that nothing can or will happen because it hasn't happened yet?

 

[Patman]

It's an interesting premise. Can the SEC really take over college sports without increasing their footprint? I don't know the answer, nor do I know if that's their goal. I think they may have decided that they can maximize their profit by being the best conference with the tightest geographical footprint. I'd be surprised if any northeast team ever gets invited to the SEC.

I've been thinking that our best fit may actually be the B1G. They are clearly looking at a national footprint and their northeast school (Rutgers) is pretty weak. They have enough football powers that they shouldn't care about UConn being a mid-to-bottom team. But basketball has been an embarrassment for them. They are getting teams in the tournament, but they've underperformed in the tournament and haven't won a championship in 25 years. Do any B1G basketball teams really draw any interest? Even during Purdue's Edey dominance, nobody cared about them. UConn also fits institutionally and culturally with the B1G better than the other conferences. I DON'T THINK THIS WILL HAPPEN, but I think it's worth us pursuing and hope we are.

I'm really starting to believe the ACC is a dead conference walking. It definitely seems like they have teams with one foot out the door, and their strongest sport (basketball) has been struggling on the whole. The recent pick-ups reeked of short-term money grabs or a lack of focus. The fact that they aren't pursuing UConn aggressively shows me that the top teams plan on leaving and the bottom teams don't want to rock the boat.

Money does a lot.

And the B1G is never taking UConn though it is good to see you've come to the rest of us on the ACC.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

If that's the Catholic schools biggest fear, then they have their heads in the sand. Ten years ago, I could understand it, but with the direction that conference realignment and college football is going (dragging basketball with it), their best bet is probably getting hitched with a P4 football conference like the ACC. Of course that won't matter if the BIG and SEC take their balls and go it alone.

The Catholic schools biggest fear is a shrinking market. Have you been to a Seton Hall-Providence or a Butler game lately? There’s empty seats all over the place. UConn needs to get out of the Big East faster than you can say Jeff Hathaway or Mike Tranghese.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The Catholic schools biggest fear is a shrinking market. Have you been to a Seton Hall-Providence or a Butler game lately? There’s empty seats all over the place. UConn needs to get out of the Big East faster than you can say Jeff Hathaway or Mike Tranghese.

You are totally talking out your ass right now. Look at the Big East attendance numbers. They are solid, especially considering they play some games in small, on campus arenas, and half the crowd isn’t $5 students like in the SEC.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

You are totally talking out your ass right now. Look at the Big East attendance numbers. They are solid, especially considering they play some games in small, on campus arenas, and half the crowd isn’t $5 students like in the SEC.

All things come to an end, even the basketball only Catholic Schools that founded the Big East. Last I checked, Walsh Gymnasium built in 1941, holds about 1500 people, my high school gym was bigger. The only one talking out their ass is you, and everyone knows it.

 

[pepband99]

I will admit I never anticipated the sheer dominance of the SEC in basketball this season. I hope this is a statistical outlier, because if it isn’t, then UConn, and every school outside the SEC, has already lost the conference realignment battle.

It probably is. Same as with football, the league-on-league comparisons are weighted by a small sample size. Mind you, they have excellent teams, but the metrics will overweigh them, based on non-conference games, where they absolutely cleaned up.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Money does a lot.

And the B1G is never taking UConn though it is good to see you've come to the rest of us on the ACC.

From the looks of next Fall’s football schedule the ACC does look like our next conference. Playing Duke and UNC in basketball twice each season would also be a good thing.

 

[Waquoit]

Nelson, chill out man.

You don't have standing to say that. You just stopped saying "Newbie".

 

[nelsonmuntz]

All things come to an end, even the basketball only Catholic Schools that founded the Big East. Last I checked, Walsh Gymnasium built in 1941, holds about 1500 people, my high school gym was bigger. The only one talking out their ass is you, and everyone knows it.

This is what you being proven completely wrong looks like. We don't all need to have an opinion on this issue. There is a lot of data. And it is pretty good for the Big East.

http://fs.ncaa.org.s3.amazonaws.com/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/Attend.pdf

All 5 of the majors are pretty close in average attendance, which is impressive for the Big East since: A) The Big East schools, including UConn, do play some games in smaller, on campus arenas that bring down the average attendance, and B) most Big East games are playing in big city arenas where everyone pays full price for their tickets, as opposed to the big rural schools, where over 50% of a weeknight game's crowd is students paying little or nothing for those tickets. The Big East has the best tournament (Duh) and had the best growth from among the majors.

Your AAC is a disaster, and getting worse.

Conference	Teams	Games	2024 Total	Avg.	Change from 2023	Average Tourney
Big Ten	14	253	3,026,309	11,962	-101	12,940
SEC	14	243	2,826,719	11,633	289	16,051
Big 12	14	256	2,648,958	10,347	-356	16,900
Big East	11	197	2,026,967	10,289	382	19,812
ACC	15	260	2,644,743	10,172	223	14,482
Mountain West	11	180	1,276,715	7,093	469	9,542
Pac 12	12	204	1,426,191	6,991	618	12,684
AAC	14	234	1,002,464	4,284	-1,453	5,128

 

[CONN78SEJ]

This is what you being proven completely wrong looks like. We don't all need to have an opinion on this issue. There is a lot of data. And it is pretty good for the Big East.

http://fs.ncaa.org.s3.amazonaws.com/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/Attend.pdf

All 5 of the majors are pretty close in average attendance, which is impressive for the Big East since: A) The Big East schools, including UConn, do play some games in smaller, on campus arenas that bring down the average attendance, and B) most Big East games are playing in big city arenas where everyone pays full price for their tickets, as opposed to the big rural schools, where over 50% of a weeknight game's crowd is students paying little or nothing for those tickets. The Big East has the best tournament (Duh) and had the best growth from among the majors.

Your AAC is a disaster, and getting worse.

Conference	Teams	Games	2024 Total	Avg.	Change from 2023	Average Tourney
Big Ten	14	253	3,026,309	11,962	-101	12,940
SEC	14	243	2,826,719	11,633	289	16,051
Big 12	14	256	2,648,958	10,347	-356	16,900
Big East	11	197	2,026,967	10,289	382	19,812
ACC	15	260	2,644,743	10,172	223	14,482
Mountain West	11	180	1,276,715	7,093	469	9,542
Pac 12	12	204	1,426,191	6,991	618	12,684
AAC	14	234	1,002,464	4,284	-1,453	5,128

Ok Mr Dreamer. You can take your “data” and stick it. Any D1 school that makes it’s women’s basketball team play ALL their home games in a tiny gym built in 1941 and that can seat only 1600 people by squeezing them in like sardines is not getting an invite to, or even a sniff by the ACC. Talk about standing room only.

 

[Patman]

From the looks of next Fall’s football schedule the ACC does look like our next conference. Playing Duke and UNC in basketball twice each season would also be a good thing.

You mean play unc for two years before they bolt

 

[CONN78SEJ]

You mean play unc for two years before they bolt

Bolt to where??? The Big East?

 

[Patman]

Bolt to where??? The Big East?

I mean if that's what you want to call the big ten, sure. They might even go to the b12. Either way, they're leaving

 

[UConnDan97]

I mean if that's what you want to call the big ten, sure. They might even go to the b12. Either way, they're leaving

I don't see any way that the state of North Carolina allows UNC to go somewhere that NCState doesn't, and I don't see any way that the B1G would ever want NCState...

 

[Rufus]

From the looks of next Fall’s football schedule the ACC does look like our next conference. Playing Duke and UNC in basketball twice each season would also be a good thing.

Depends on how many teams are in the ACC if UConn could play UNC and Duke twice a year or not.

The B1G has 18 teams and each team is only playing 3 other teams both home and away this year. The rest are either home or away (7 each).

 

[Rufus]

I don't see any way that the state of North Carolina allows UNC to go somewhere that NCState doesn't, and I don't see any way that the B1G would ever want NCState...

The State of California let UCLA go somewhere without Cal.
The State of Oregon let Oregon go somewhere without Oregon State.
The State of Washington let Washington go somewhere without Washington State.
The State of Oklahoma let Oklahoma go somewhere without Oklahoma State.
The State of Texas let both Texas A&M and Texas at different times go somewhere without Texas Tech.

 

[Viet Vet]

I will admit I never anticipated the sheer dominance of the SEC in basketball this season. I hope this is a statistical outlier, because if it isn’t, then UConn, and every school outside the SEC, has already lost the conference realignment battle.

If UConn was going to try to beg its way into one league, it should go to the SEC. It doesn’t need us for basketball, but it could use us. UConn’s football program is irrelevant to the SEC, but the SEC also doesn’t need it to be good or bad because the SEC has football covered already. More importantly, the SEC has no northern presence, and it would get more value from UConn’s proximity to New York than any other league. And the ACC has locked up every member through 2036 and Rutgers and Penn State are not leaving the Big 10. There is no one else to add in the northeast.

I think the SEC is as likely to consider UConn as a one off addition as anyone.

There is absolutely no....none....zero....geographic, cultural or academic fit with the SEC.

 

[Patman]

There is absolutely no....none....zero....geographic, cultural or academic fit with the SEC.

The SEC is interested in the SEC. Conquering the world is a big ten goal

 

[Stray_Dog]

So you think UConn is stuck in the Big East?

yes I think we are stuck in the Big East for now... And I think most if not all would agree we are stuck! No conference has called us yet so right now we are stuck! But please argue the obvious.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

I don't see any way that the state of North Carolina allows UNC to go somewhere that NCState doesn't, and I don't see any way that the B1G would ever want NCState...

Even if it does happen, it’s still three years away.

 

[UConnDan97]

The State of California let UCLA go somewhere without Cal.
The State of Oregon let Oregon go somewhere without Oregon State.
The State of Washington let Washington go somewhere without Washington State.
The State of Oklahoma let Oklahoma go somewhere without Oklahoma State.
The State of Texas let both Texas A&M and Texas at different times go somewhere without Texas Tech.

You listed a bunch of states that aren't North Carolina, which means you don't understand North Carolina...

 

[Stinger92860]

There is absolutely no....none....zero....geographic, cultural or academic fit with the SEC.

Welcome to 2025. Those things don’t matter anymore. no….none….zero influence

 

[Rufus]

You listed a bunch of states that aren't North Carolina, which means you don't understand North Carolina...

Well before these changes happened, people would have said there is no way the state governments in any of these states would have allowed it.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Well before these changes happened, people would have said there is no way the state governments in any of these states would have allowed it.

I think the California Governing board got some compensation from UCLA

 

[nelsonmuntz]

yes I think we are stuck in the Big East for now... And I think most if not all would agree we are stuck! No conference has called us yet so right now we are stuck! But please argue the obvious.

So you like criticizing anyone who argues for making the best of the Big East while we are here, and you like criticizing anyone who argues for eventually leaving the Big East. I think you have all the positions covered.