Big 12 expansion

[shizzle787]

 

[shizzle787]

 

[Kolumbo]

Imagine if they said "Look, we just lost freaking Texas and Oklahoma. We have no football cred, but we're still a damn good hoops conference. Take whoever you want, Cincy, Houston, UCF, just be damned sure you rope UCONN."

The PAC 12 and B1G will both eventually expand which leaves XII and even ACC vulnerable.

 

[Fishy]

Sounds awful. We just got out of a southwestern conference with zero regional appeal.

There really is no one for the Pac12 to add and the Big 10 really cannot get any additional value for a new member if it’s not some combo of UNC, UVa, GTech, etc.

 

[Hoophound]

I still struggle with the debate. Is our current situation better or worse than a spot in the new B12? It is a very tough question.

I like. the football and basketball schedule the B12 would offer. However, what would Dan Hurley think as far as recruiting goes? Even Randy Edsall is recruiting much better as an Indy, what would he think?

 

[Glastonhusky]

I still struggle with the debate. Is our current situation better or worse than a spot in the new B12? It is a very tough question.

I like. the football and basketball schedule the B12 would offer. However, what would Dan Hurley think as far as recruiting goes? Even Randy Edsall is recruiting much better as an Indy, what would he think?

The new B12 would be great for football and baseball, but I think Bball recruiting would take a hit as Hurley is really focused on east coast kids. And we would still have the travel issue.

 

[metsfan2323]

I still struggle with the debate. Is our current situation better or worse than a spot in the new B12? It is a very tough question.

I like. the football and basketball schedule the B12 would offer. However, what would Dan Hurley think as far as recruiting goes? Even Randy Edsall is recruiting much better as an Indy, what would he think?

It's a good thing we are no longer in the AAC, they are about to be raided and its doubtful we would have been invited to the B12.

After the AAC is raided they will look to expand again, if the plundered AAC offers our football program a home should we take it? I say yes.

 

[Hoophound]

It's a good thing we are no longer in the AAC, they are about to be raided and its doubtful we would have been invited to the B12.

After the AAC is raided they will look to expand again, if the plundered AAC offers our football program a home should we take it? I say yes.

No. I could see angling for B12 membership but I don’t see AAC football being worth it at all. Our fans aren’t interested and the AAC would be without 2-4 of the best football schools.

 

[pepband99]

I still struggle with the debate. Is our current situation better or worse than a spot in the new B12? It is a very tough question.

I like. the football and basketball schedule the B12 would offer. However, what would Dan Hurley think as far as recruiting goes? Even Randy Edsall is recruiting much better as an Indy, what would he think?

It would be like a sugar rush - great short-term, no good impact afterwards.

The next TV contract for whatever constitutes the B12 will be sobering

 

[Kolumbo]

Perhaps the Big East and B12 could form some type of basketball alliance without the dog and pony show if it would be beneficial. Big East basketball has been a huge bonus for recruiting. We stay Indy in football and the B12 could help us with scheduling. The AAC may as well fold shop if it loses a few key members.

 

[UConnJim]

Imagine UConn in the AAC right now. The Big 12 is about to raid the AAC and take up to 4 of the best teams and probably not UConn. AAC football and basketball would take a major hit and the backfill schools would not be very attractive. The AAC media deal would probably take a hit and would Navy stay?

With hindsight, the Big 12 blowing up was inevitable just like the potential for the breakup of the AAC. Benedict was proactive and took the right path for UConn. Basketball (both men’s and women’s) is much better off and I would argue that football is in about the same spot as they were in the AAC with independence having pluses and minuses.

As for joining the “new” Big 12, if that was an option, that is another short term conference with every member looking for a way out. And, UConn would go back to having a travel problem again. My guess is the men’s basketball tournament would be in Kansas City and the women’s tournament somewhere outside Connecticut. That said, football schedules would be more stable, but we would probably not play many Big 10 or ACC schools going forward.

I think we should stay in the BE and stay independent in football unless the Big10 or ACC calls.

 

[borninansonia]

One of these days, the basketball world will wake up to the fact that the earth is burning. We have a climate emergency, and extensive airplane travel contributes to that. Moving UConn basketball to the B12 makes no sense at all. Rather than local travel with low carbon footprints, UConn bball to big 12 would mean airplane travel, with much larger carbon footprints.

Within 10 years, all the basketball leagues will be local, within electric bus travelling distance except for the west coast. No more teams from Nebraska playing in the Big "East."

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Kolumbo]

It seems all the big fish from little ponds want to create bigger ponds, and they flounder.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Storrs South]

 

[metsfan2323]

I guess I am in the minority, but I think the new Big 12 will still be a darn good league. They will expand by at least four schools probably taking BYU, Cincy, UCF, Houston. That's still a terrific football/basketball conference. Not bad when you get to add a national football brand like BYU and a basketball team coming off a final four appearance in Houston.

Who does the AAC add? I don't think the MWC schools will want any part of the plundered AAC, the MWC is now a better conference. I could see Navy going independent.

If the MAC were smart they would go after Temple, Marshall, UMASS, and UCONN (football only). The MAC could be at minimum the second best G5 conference with those additions.

 

[huskymedic]

LOL… “Half of the Big 12’s board members have been replaced since then, so we’ll see how this particular group of presidents and chancellors perceives these issues. One Big 12 source argued BYU’s candidacy could be strengthened this time simply by the departure of Oklahoma and Texas. “The people who didn’t want BYU before,” the source said, “are leaving the conference.”

 

[CL82]

I guess I am in the minority, but I think the new Big 12 will still be a darn good league. They will expand by at least four schools probably taking BYU, Cincy, UCF, Houston. That's still a terrific football/basketball conference. Not bad when you get to add a national football brand like BYU and a basketball team coming off a final four appearance in Houston.

Who does the AAC add? I don't think the MWC schools will want any part of the plundered AAC, the MWC is now a better conference. I could see Navy going independent.

If the MAC were smart they would go after Temple, Marshall, UMASS, and UCONN (football only). The MAC could be at minimum the second best G5 conference with those additions.

Isn't MAC's media deal with ESPN worth @$1M, not per school, collectively. UConn gets @$500K from CBSSN for it's football. What's the point in our going to the MAC? Scheduling? That appears to be less of an issue than many of thought it would be.

 

[Hoophound]

I guess I am in the minority, but I think the new Big 12 will still be a darn good league. They will expand by at least four schools probably taking BYU, Cincy, UCF, Houston. That's still a terrific football/basketball conference. Not bad when you get to add a national football brand like BYU and a basketball team coming off a final four appearance in Houston.

Who does the AAC add? I don't think the MWC schools will want any part of the plundered AAC, the MWC is now a better conference. I could see Navy going independent.

If the MAC were smart they would go after Temple, Marshall, UMASS, and UCONN (football only). The MAC could be at minimum the second best G5 conference with those additions.

Again, our fans aren't interested in MAC level football. UConn wants to be a big time athletic program. Indy is way better than the MAC. Right now, we offer a coach that puts kids in the NFL, a large stadium (by MAC standards), big time facilities, a big brand name and a national TV deal that helps recruit better players from across the country. Why squander that for a reliable MAC schedule when we have better games scheduled, tons of competitive advantages over the MAC and a fanbase that will completely reject that level of football after being in a BCS league?

 

[metsfan2323]

Why squander that for a reliable MAC schedule when we have better games scheduled, tons of competitive advantages over the MAC and a fanbase that will completely reject that level of football after being in a BCS league?

Completely reject that level of football? They are D1 just like we are and we have a ways to go before we are as good on the field as most of those schools. I personally like the idea of fighting for a league title and the possibility of being the big fish in that smaller pond. Opinions might change if that G5 auto bid passes. Our home schedule as an indy is overrated by this board and scheduling will probably grow more difficult as an Indy than it is now. We saw last year how quickly our games as an Indy can be cancelled at anytime.

League games vs Ball State, Miami Ohio etc. if we are in the hunt for a league title are far more interesting than Indy games vs Liberty, Georgia State etc.

 

[noeynox]

I guess I am in the minority, but I think the new Big 12 will still be a darn good league. They will expand by at least four schools probably taking BYU, Cincy, UCF, Houston. That's still a terrific football/basketball conference. Not bad when you get to add a national football brand like BYU and a basketball team coming off a final four appearance in Houston.

Who does the AAC add? I don't think the MWC schools will want any part of the plundered AAC, the MWC is now a better conference. I could see Navy going independent.

If the MAC were smart they would go after Temple, Marshall, UMASS, and UCONN (football only). The MAC could be at minimum the second best G5 conference with those additions.

UMass already said no once to full membership in the MAC.

 

[noeynox]

UMass already said no once to full membership in the MAC.

I think a better idea would be a FB only nucleus conference of say UConn, UMass, Navy, Army, Temple, and 3 more teams maybe. Liberty, ODU, and Buffalo type schools. Pipe dream, but like @Hoophound said, this fanbase soundly rejected the AAC. They're not embracing the MAC.

 

[metsfan2323]

UMass already said no once to full membership in the MAC.

But has that been a good decision? It probably wouldn't take much to tip the scales. Many Marshall fans want to go back to the MAC and Temple might start looking around soon.

 

[Hoophound]

Joining the MAC would literally take away every advantage we now enjoy other than facilities. I doubt our current coach would even stick around for the MAC.

We need to win games so that people can see that we still have a relatively big time football program. We can’t let the losing we’ve seen over the past several years take away our hope to be a competitive and successful football program at a level much higher than the MAC. We are a school that wins nattys and plays in bowls. I don’t think the people that watch our sports teams have any appetite for anything but name opponents. Even a schedule filled with UMass, Temple, liberty, Army, ECU, and Tulane etc. will be a tough sell. The reason for that is simple. We’ve tasted the big time. We need to strive for it again. We just don’t have MAC type genetics.