Big 12 Meetings

[MASSconn]

He limits his profile so we can't read his past posts. Always a warning sign for me . What's there to hide? A pattern perhaps?

Nothing to hide, maybe that I don't have my head up my ass and see the college landscape differently. It's an absolute waste of time trying to have a devil's advocate opinion here and I commend those who do so.

We are tucked up in New England, 90 miles from Boston. A large portion of B12 fans have never even been to New York in their lives let alone New England. They don't follow Connecticut sports and know nothing about the area. Some of these pundits are in that category, and also only care about football. So yes, that's why some aren't mentioning us. Yes it's infuriating, but its not insane.

In reality who cares what they think, the B12 has the numbers and will make an informed decision

 

[sportsart]

Go Ralph G0!

Ralph D. Russo@ralphDrussoAP 2 hours ago
Colorado State Houston Cincinnati UConn There you go. That's my guess for the Big 12.

Joe Dapper@JoeDapps 1 hour ago
@ralphDrussoAP@AP_Top25 Good luck getting the Texas B12 schools to agree to travel to Connecticut for all sports. Not happening.

Ralph D. Russo@ralphDrussoAP39 mins ago
UConn's got academics. Big alumni base. State support. Gets a foot into a big new market.

I can see UConn offering a game in NY/NJ for the first 5 years or so as one of their home games, state contracts be damned.

The Big 12 made it clear that if things are close when it comes to making choices, schools who offer the most, get in the club.

Though I also think they already know who the 2 or 4 schools are, but want to get schools to give as much as possible.

 

[Mr Blueskin]

Would love to see the teams during "schedule release time" looking to see who has to come up to Winterfell in late November every year to face the dire wolves.

 

[BUConn10]

I fear that Manuel leaving during this period of actual movement and transition will kill us.

Think about it, we have a new AD who has never been a full time Athletic Director before. These guys accumulate contacts over years of working, right now all the prospective ADs are on the phone with the B12 and there's "some guy named Benedict keeps calling, what should I tell him?".

 

[junglehusky]

Nothing to hide, maybe that I don't have my head up my ass and see the college landscape differently. It's an absolute waste of time trying to have a devil's advocate opinion here and I commend those who do so.

We are tucked up in New England, 90 miles from Boston. A large portion of B12 fans have never even been to New York in their lives let alone New England. They don't follow Connecticut sports and know nothing about the area. Some of these pundits are in that category, and also only care about football. So yes, that's why some aren't mentioning us. Yes it's infuriating, but its not insane.

In reality who cares what they think, the B12 has the numbers and will make an informed decision

I think this characterization of *some* B12 fans perceptions is right. If folks want to engage tee shirt fans who have only ventured outside whatever counties Lubbock or Stillwater are in like twice in their life, have at it. Some national writers are almost as ignorant about UConn, which is maybe more annoying but again, have at it. (I would say that Berry Tramel was always high on UConn and even Kirk Bohls has come around a bit lately).

But the perceptions that count are David Boren's and a handful of other guys who have been getting presentations from Navigate and BHV... And you can be confident those people have been in touch with UConn people.

 

[junglehusky]

I fear that Manuel leaving during this period of actual movement and transition will kill us.

Think about it, we have a new AD who has never been a full time Athletic Director before. These guys accumulate contacts over years of working, right now all the prospective ADs are on the phone with the B12 and there's "some guy named Benedict keeps calling, what should I tell him?".

Expansion is generally done at the presidential level. Tom Jurich is the exception, not the rule, and I'm sure he probably did a lot to put his name into newspaper stories but it was still coordinated by the president.

Then again..

 

[LongTimeHusky]

I fear that Manuel leaving during this period of actual movement and transition will kill us.

Think about it, we have a new AD who has never been a full time Athletic Director before. These guys accumulate contacts over years of working, right now all the prospective ADs are on the phone with the B12 and there's "some guy named Benedict keeps calling, what should I tell him?".

Did you forget what school/conference Benedict came from? Do you really think he lacks contacts?

 

[uconnphil2016]

I fear that Manuel leaving during this period of actual movement and transition will kill us.

Think about it, we have a new AD who has never been a full time Athletic Director before. These guys accumulate contacts over years of working, right now all the prospective ADs are on the phone with the B12 and there's "some guy named Benedict keeps calling, what should I tell him?".

Eh...Manuel was great, but Benedict is no slouch. He has a big name around P5 and that's UConn's main reason for hiring him. He was seen as someone who would be a huge advantage in trying to get into P5. My friend from Aspire Group said that it was an amazing hire and that he was very well connected. He'd also met Benedict a few times and really liked him.

 

[superjohn]

I fear that Manuel leaving during this period of actual movement and transition will kill us.

Think about it, we have a new AD who has never been a full time Athletic Director before. These guys accumulate contacts over years of working, right now all the prospective ADs are on the phone with the B12 and there's "some guy named Benedict keeps calling, what should I tell him?".

We've been planning for this for a while and from what I've heard Benedict has a ton of contacts.

 

[amory]

I know that they're doing more than they let on, but this is really, really it now. Herbst and Benedict need to sell this school as if the Big 12 has no idea who we are and why they need us.

If Cincy and another AAC school leave, we're screwed. There'd always be a prayer that the ACC takes us, but their ability to secure a TV deal without us is not a good sign. So this is it. Either UConn athletics has a real future, or it doesn't. I need our people to start giving us some indication that they're pulling out all the stops. "There's nothing we can do but wait" isn't good enough anymore. The media isn't going to do any of the work for you.

 

[huskymedic]

I fear that Manuel leaving during this period of actual movement and transition will kill us.

Think about it, we have a new AD who has never been a full time Athletic Director before. These guys accumulate contacts over years of working, right now all the prospective ADs are on the phone with the B12 and there's "some guy named Benedict keeps calling, what should I tell him?".

I'm sure AD BD is using his previous contacts developed over the years to help w/ perceived name recognition issues and to get through the gatekeepers:

Chris Del Conte, Director of Athletics, TCU
"Congratulations to the University of Connecticut on hitting a home run with its hire of David Benedict! He will be a perfect fit for the Huskies and Storrs. I have known David for quite some time and he's a winner! He has been in leadership capacities at several of the top Universities in the country and will draw upon those vast experiences. David will serve UConn and its constituents in a first-class manner. I'm very excited for him."

 

[junglehusky]

I know that they're doing more than they let on, but this is really, really it now. Herbst and Benedict need to sell this school as if the Big 12 has no idea who we are and why they need us.

If Cincy and another AAC school leave, we're screwed. There'd always be a prayer that the ACC takes us, but their ability to secure a TV deal without us is not a good sign. So this is it. Either UConn athletics has a real future, or it doesn't. I need our people to start giving us some indication that they're pulling out all the stops. "There's nothing we can do but wait" isn't good enough anymore. The media isn't going to do any of the work for you.

What can they do? Do you want UConn to say "Okay, please take the pro rata increase in TV money and keep it all for yourselves, we don't need it"? Because that is the only thing we have to entice them.

Here's what I think could happen. UConn will propose to ramp in to conference payouts at a certain rate. Memphis, Boise, UCF, all the desperate schools will anticipate what our proposal is and undercut it. It's probably not that hard to estimate what it will be - UConn has a P5 budget and part of our appeal to a P5 league is that we'd maintain that. If OU and UT are thinking of not extending the GOR beyond 2024, they'll look at whatever associations they form in the next round of expansions as a mistress. In that scenario they'll be looking at which mistress is asking for them to pay for the cheapest apartment and the lowest allowance for shopping and coke. Hey Memphis, come down. On the other hand, If OU and UT want to stay in business with each other and keep their associations with the other B12 schools, they'll agree to a reasonable ramp-in and (if you believe Boren) weight more factors than just recent football success, and they'll be settling down with a nice stable girl.

 

[kobe]

kill me please

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I fear that Manuel leaving during this period of actual movement and transition will kill us.

Think about it, we have a new AD who has never been a full time Athletic Director before. These guys accumulate contacts over years of working, right now all the prospective ADs are on the phone with the B12 and there's "some guy named Benedict keeps calling, what should I tell him?".

He has been around plus has brought in an experienced AD and his mentor as Assistant

 

[jostar1]

Here is the transcript of the teleconference:

http://www.big12sports.com/fls/10410/pdfs/quotes/transcripts/071916BowlsbyBoren.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=10410

 

[jostar1]

DAVID BOREN: Well, as I said a while ago we're not looking at any one factor. Obviously we're look at the strength of the athletic programs, their competitiveness. We're looking at the fan base; we're looking at access to media markets. And also we're very much looking at the reputations of these institutions for integrity. We're looking at the academic standards of these universities, the level of research and teaching at these institutions. So we're looking at a whole composite of factors not just any one factor. So it's really impossible to single out any one. All of those things will come into play and we'll be able to look at, say, a range of how these universities compare, those that have expressed interest to us, how they compare with each other in all of those categories. And we're very seriously concerned about all those categories, because we obviously stand for athletic competitiveness, winning in the right way. We also stand for academic excellence. When we use the term student-athlete, we use that very seriously and that's just not a slogan. So, for example, I have a lot of pride in how our institution has competed athletically this year -- two final fours in basketball and football and gymnastics championships and softball and so on. But I'm also proud of the fact that we've now had eight straight semesters in which our student-athletes have had above a 3.0 average composite. And that's really important to me because these students are not only great athletes in many cases, but they contribute so much to our schools that way. But they're also great citizens of the university. And they contribute in those ways. They contribute in the classroom as students, many of them. We had so many this year, I think the number approached 80, that had a 4.0 average. I'm talking about all sports combined that had sports letters and sports scholarships this year. They contribute in so many ways. So we want people -- if we are to expand, we want to make sure that our expansion partners are the kinds of universities that share our basic outlooks and our basic values.

 

[RatholeMA]

DAVID BOREN: Well, as I said a while ago we're not looking at any one factor. Obviously we're look at the strength of the athletic programs, their competitiveness. We're looking at the fan base; we're looking at access to media markets. And also we're very much looking at the reputations of these institutions for integrity. We're looking at the academic standards of these universities, the level of research and teaching at these institutions. So we're looking at a whole composite of factors not just any one factor. So it's really impossible to single out any one. All of those things will come into play and we'll be able to look at, say, a range of how these universities compare, those that have expressed interest to us, how they compare with each other in all of those categories. And we're very seriously concerned about all those categories, because we obviously stand for athletic competitiveness, winning in the right way. We also stand for academic excellence. When we use the term student-athlete, we use that very seriously and that's just not a slogan. So, for example, I have a lot of pride in how our institution has competed athletically this year -- two final fours in basketball and football and gymnastics championships and softball and so on. But I'm also proud of the fact that we've now had eight straight semesters in which our student-athletes have had above a 3.0 average composite. And that's really important to me because these students are not only great athletes in many cases, but they contribute so much to our schools that way. But they're also great citizens of the university. And they contribute in those ways. They contribute in the classroom as students, many of them. We had so many this year, I think the number approached 80, that had a 4.0 average. I'm talking about all sports combined that had sports letters and sports scholarships this year. They contribute in so many ways. So we want people -- if we are to expand, we want to make sure that our expansion partners are the kinds of universities that share our basic outlooks and our basic values.

I can see why Benedict characterized this as "great news". UConn meets all these criteria. Season ticket sales will be a chance for UConn fans to demonstrate their enthusiasm for UConn athletics. Reading some of the Twitter comments can be discouraging, but those people are just looking at geography and recent football success e.g. Memphis, Houston.

 

[alexd]

Didn't the ACC talk all about "academics"???? Then they took Louisville CC.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

I want to throw up it feels like he's spewing rhetoric that is setting up a UC UConn addition. How's the research at BYU doing?

 

[jostar1]

Greg Fenves ‏@gregfenves Jul 14
Two world class faculty recruited to @UTAustin thanks to Gov @GregAbbott_TX investment in universities

Greg Fenves
@gregfenves
29th President of @UTAustin

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

 

[uchusky32]

I want to believe we have a shot here, but my head says that if they expand by 2, it'll be Cincinnati and Memphis. Don't think Memphis deserves it, but that FedEx money is gonna go a long way.

Really, a publicly traded company is going to give money to the B12? Or one private person is going to give money to the B12 for how long?

And they are a prestigious institution with a great academic reputation and integrity!

UT, Louisville, Kentucky, Vanderbilt then UM.

What do they bring?

 

[UCFBfan]

I know that they're doing more than they let on, but this is really, really it now. Herbst and Benedict need to sell this school as if the Big 12 has no idea who we are and why they need us.

If Cincy and another AAC school leave, we're screwed. There'd always be a prayer that the ACC takes us, but their ability to secure a TV deal without us is not a good sign. So this is it. Either UConn athletics has a real future, or it doesn't. I need our people to start giving us some indication that they're pulling out all the stops. "There's nothing we can do but wait" isn't good enough anymore. The media isn't going to do any of the work for you.

Look I hear what your saying here but outside of physically picking up our school and moving it closer AND turning back time and improving our football program, I can't see why you'd blame them if we get passed over. This isn't the ACC or the B1G where we'd be a natural geographic fit and our basketball teams matter. It's the Big 12 and without a network it's going to take one hell of a sales pitch for us to be chosen.

I really dread this announcement as I know two AAC schools will likely get chosen and then we're really screwed. if they chose Memphis I just may say f it and move on from college sports. I can't swallow the idea that that POS school gets to move up while accomplishing nothing, and I mean NOTHING!

I just hope it'll be 4 schools or else we're screwed. Howevet, I can't sit here and honestly think it'll be solely Benedict or Herbsts fault if we're pass over

 

[CL82]

Nothing to hide, maybe that I don't have my head up my ass and see the college landscape differently. It's an absolute waste of time trying to have a devil's advocate opinion here and I commend those who do so.

Uh, oh, playing the victim...big troll indicator.

.

We are tucked up in New England, 90 miles from Boston. A large portion of B12 fans have never even been to New York in their lives let alone New England.

So you are saying that we'd be a great road trip? Cool!

 

[CL82]

I fear that Manuel leaving during this period of actual movement and transition will kill us.

Think about it, we have a new AD who has never been a full time Athletic Director before. These guys accumulate contacts over years of working, right now all the prospective ADs are on the phone with the B12 and there's "some guy named Benedict keeps calling, what should I tell him?".

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Kinda makes me wonder that if the pro rata clause really exists, maybe the Big12 just adds for 4 teams as a way to say you to ESPN and Fox for shooting down their network.

Granted the time will come to renegotiate in the future, but who knows what the landscape will look down the line. The Big12 teams add 4, make them take huge discounts and spread the money around in the interim.

Seems kinda crazy, but man, the Big12 is crazy.

 

[NYUConn]

Really, a publicly traded company is going to give money to the B12? Or one private person is going to give money to the B12 for how long?

And they are a prestigious institution with a great academic reputation and integrity!

UT, Louisville, Kentucky, Vanderbilt then UM.

What do they bring?

When people talk about Mr. Fed Ex for Memphis a couple things need to be understood:

* FedEx can not simply GIVE any kind of monetary donation to the Big 12 to curry favor for Memphis. As @uchusky32 mentioned they are a publically traded company with a Board of Directors that have a fiduciary responsibility to investors.

* FedEx can not also unilaterally agree to sponsor Big 12 events without consent from their BOD, or rather if they did, they'd have a hard time explaining to their Board why their publicly traded company is dropping tens of millions of investor dollars on getting their founders alma mater into a better conference.

* That said, the founder and CEO of Fed Ex is well within his rights to write a personal check to the Big 12 to help get Memphis in. Fred Smith is worth $3.7 Billion, so couple hundred million on Memphis's behalf is doable.

* Finally - and this is more conjecture on my end - Smith has been so transparent in his attempts to buy Memphis into the Big 12, it's no guarantee that if he offered to write this personal check that the Big 12 would take it. It reeks of pay-to-play and the type of cronyism that is corrosive in academia and pervasive in college sports. It would be a PR headache for the conference.

Just some thoughts.

 

[MASSconn]

Uh, oh, playing the victim...big troll indicator.


So you are saying that we'd be a great road trip? Cool!

Thank you for adding the fanboy rhetoric without an ounce of insight. Speaking of trolls.

 

[cheech63]

I was listening to College Sorts Nation on SXM radio this morning. The two clowns hosting the show feel that the Big12 needs to stay in their footprint. Why would a Uconn fan base want to be playing Texas or Oklahoma St. ?? Really ?? These guys need to take off their blinders.

 

[BlueMAB]

When people talk about Mr. Fed Ex for Memphis a couple things need to be understood:

* FedEx can not simply GIVE any kind of monetary donation to the Big 12 to curry favor for Memphis. As @uchusky32 mentioned they are a publically traded company with a Board of Directors that have a fiduciary responsibility to investors.

* FedEx can not also unilaterally agree to sponsor Big 12 events without consent from their BOD, or rather if they did, they'd have a hard time explaining to their Board why their publicly traded company is dropping tens of millions of investor dollars on getting their founders alma mater into a better conference.

* That said, the founder and CEO of Fed Ex is well within his rights to write a personal check to the Big 12 to help get Memphis in. Fred Smith is worth $3.7 Billion, so couple hundred million on Memphis's behalf is doable.

* Finally - and this is more conjecture on my end - Smith has been so transparent in his attempts to buy Memphis into the Big 12, it's no guarantee that if he offered to write this personal check that the Big 12 would take it. It reeks of pay-to-play and the type of cronyism that is corrosive in academia and pervasive in college sports. It would be a PR headache for the conference.

Just some thoughts.

I agree with all of that but the last paragraph. He wouldn't have to write a check to the B12. All he has to do is tell Memphis to agree to accept payment from the B12 equal to what they get now from the AAC for 5-10 years. He could then agree to make up some or all of the the difference to the school with annual (tax deductible?) donations. Win-Win-Win.

However, I still think we are more attractive to the B12 than Memphis.