Big 12 Opening for UConn

[sportsart]

I think it's time to lock this entire board before a thread starts saying the PAC 12 wants us because Geno said he loves the west coast.

 

[businesslawyer]

Gee, you think so, Mike? Really going out on a limb there, aren't you?

Man, it must be good to coach for God's school, knowing that the unrivaled deference and concessions afforded to its football team will take care of you no matter what.

It all depends on how he defines "landing on our feet." Because if he defines at as holding his seed in a post-season tourney, there is no reason to think he will.

 

[metsfan2323]

UCONN in the Big 12 is not any crazier than Texas and Oklahoma in the Pac 12 which was openly explored. We would certainly bring them new markets and a better basketball league. We hung with Oklahoma for 3 quarters last year and the refs didn't help us with that missed interference and bad spot in the first quarter.

Plus they probably don't want SMU and Houston in a BCS league.

 

[RS9999X]

I was surprised when I read Cincy and Louisville. I wasn't surprised at UConn and Rutgers and the NYC market. I thought that this was an obvious move for them months ago. Yankee Stadium games, MSG, and a dynamite brand build out an in area of the country that has little interest in SEC and B12 ball.

 

[RS9999X]

It also makes the ACC look a lot less brilliant. SU and BC football will be second rate compared to RU and UConn. A B12 with UConn, Kansas, Texas, and WVU BBall is easily as good as UNC, Duke, SU and Pitt. such a move pretty much negates any ACC advantage in non-ACC markets.

 

[8893]

It all depends on how he defines "landing on our feet." Because if he defines at as holding his seed in a post-season tourney, there is no reason to think he will.

I think he defines it to mean "no matter how often I underachieve in the post-season with the basketball program, we will find a good athletic conference to welcome us based on the inordinate amount of attention paid to our football program, which itself has not been anything remotely approaching a national power for decades. Yes, it is good to have God on our side."

 

[HartbeatHusky]

I was surprised when I read Cincy and Louisville. I wasn't surprised at UConn and Rutgers and the NYC market. I thought that this was an obvious move for them months ago. Yankee Stadium games, MSG, and a dynamite brand build out an in area of the country that has little interest in SEC and B12 ball.

Louisville and Cincy would definitely be a good geographical bridge into Big East country though. Without them UConn, RU, and WVU would be on an island.

 

[businesslawyer]

Louisville and Cincy would definitely be a good geographical bridge into Big East country though. Without them UConn, RU, and WVU would be on an island.

Well, our basketball team was tremendous on islands last year.

 

[businesslawyer]

I think he defines it to mean "no matter how often I underachieve in the post-season with the basketball program, we will find a good athletic conference to welcome us based on the inordinate amount of attention paid to our football program, which itself has not been anything remotely approaching a national power for decades. Yes, it is good to have God on our side."

Oh, o.k. Then my bad, he is entirely correct.

 

[metsfan2323]

It also makes the ACC look a lot less brilliant. SU and BC football will be second rate compared to RU and UConn. A B12 with UConn, Kansas, Texas, and WVU BBall is easily as good as UNC, Duke, SU and Pitt. such a move pretty much negates any ACC advantage in non-ACC markets.

Excellent point. Rutgers and UCONN in the Big 12 would make Cuse and BC crap their pants. UCONN playing Texas at Yankee Stadium while Cuse plays a yawner against BC in the lifeless Carrier dome. Oh to dream.

Yankee Stadium games need to be a big part of our pitch to the Big 10 or Big 12. UCONN fans would no doubt sell the place out. One game per year against a bigger name school would be great fun.

 

[Nostical]

Get real. There is no way UConn is going to The Big 12. My contacts down there tell me they (the conf) are having a hard time with even coming this far east for WVU and may not take them.

 

[Icculus]

Excellent point. Rutgers and UCONN in the Big 12 would make Cuse and BC crap their pants. UCONN playing Texas at Yankee Stadium while Cuse plays a yawner against BC in the lifeless Carrier dome. Oh to dream.

Yankee Stadium games need to be a big part of our pitch to the Big 10 or Big 12. UCONN fans would no doubt sell the place out.

I think if UConn and Rutgers joined the Big 12, BC would fade away into a Holy Cross-level program. Just desserts.

 

[gioff23]

2 interesting quoets in article not having to do w/UConn to B12

1. PROVING YET AGAIN WHAT AN IDIOT HE IS -----
Conference commissioner John Marinatto opened up the media day by saying he was glad that he finally could talk about basketball – but soon was bombarded with questions about realignment. This wasn’t what Marinatto signed up for, he said. It’s not what he wanted. REALLY? HE REALLY THOUGHT WE COULD CHAT A LITTLE FRIAR HOOPS?

2. IMAGINE PITINO'S REACTION THE NEXT TIME HE IS GETTING A TONGUE LASHING FROM HIS SCHOOL PREZ ABOUT GRAD RATES OR ACADEMICS IN GENERAL.
When it boils down to it, though, money is the biggest factor in the entire proceedings. Pitino put some of the blame on the greed of the school presidents. “The big is eating up the small,” he said. “The presidents have always said to put the athletes first. The last thing they’ve talked about is the athletes. So there’s a bit of hypocrisy in the presidents and their answer today.” REALY? YOU'RE GOING TO PRETEND TO BE INTERESTED IN THE KID'S SCHOOL WORK AFTER SELLING YOUR SOUL?

 

[metsfan2323]

Get real. .

I prefer Apple's "Think different". Thinking real often means thinking small.

 

[businesslawyer]

2 interesting quoets in article not having to do w/UConn to B12

1. PROVING YET AGAIN WHAT AN IDIOT HE IS -----
Conference commissioner John Marinatto opened up the media day by saying he was glad that he finally could talk about basketball – but soon was bombarded with questions about realignment. This wasn’t what Marinatto signed up for, he said. It’s not what he wanted. REALLY? HE REALLY THOUGHT WE COULD CHAT A LITTLE FRIAR HOOPS?

2. IMAGINE PITINO'S REACTION THE NEXT TIME HE IS GETTING A TONGUE LASHING FROM HIS SCHOOL PREZ ABOUT GRAD RATES OR ACADEMICS IN GENERAL.
When it boils down to it, though, money is the biggest factor in the entire proceedings. Pitino put some of the blame on the greed of the school presidents. “The big is eating up the small,” he said. “The presidents have always said to put the athletes first. The last thing they’ve talked about is the athletes. So there’s a bit of hypocrisy in the presidents and their answer today.” REALY? YOU'RE GOING TO PRETEND TO BE INTERESTED IN THE KID'S SCHOOL WORK AFTER SELLING YOUR SOUL?

Did I miss the Pitino quote where he said he'd allow the school to cut his outrageous salary in half so they didn't have to chase TV dollars? No? Didn't think so.

"NO, COACH, that is not what tableclothes are for."

 

[HuskyHawk]

Get real. There is no way UConn is going to The Big 12. My contacts down there tell me they (the conf) are having a hard time with even coming this far east for WVU and may not take them.

While I can wish it was otherwise, I agree. In every respect Uconn and RU fit better in the B1G or ACC.

 

[arnie3]

Or it could just be him letting the ACC know that if they want us they better invite us because we will have options.

When I read that quote from JC, I thought that he was sending a message to the ACC that UConn is not just going to wait around. I'm sure the quote from the FSU Trustee yesterday is not sitting well in Storrs. It's almost a bi-weekly thing now to tell the media why UConn doesn't "fit" in the ACC with some of their schools. Good for him! Whether it's true or false is irrelevant. Some Blogger will pick it up and run with it, or it may become a topic on KU's message board.

 

[willie99]

I'm not taking his comments seriously regarding realignment. He has stated his preferences and his willingness to be active in the process. But his influence and knowledge related to these matters is limited.

his influence is unknown

his knowledge may be plentiful, probably a hell of a lot more than all of us combined

 

[junglehusky]

Please everyone... before jumping in, please read UConnSportsGuy's post.

I think it's the most likely explanation for what Calhoun said, everyone is going bonkers over a blogger misinterpreting Calhoun's comment.

 

[ctchamps]

his influence is unknown

his knowledge may be plentiful, probably a hell of a lot more than all of us combined

I'm just projecting. JC certainly is in the loop with President Herbst so he would know more than all of us combined. But if she's smart she isn't letting JC know everything. And I doubt President Herbst knows everything either, since other universities in the BE and other universities and conferences outside the BE are only partially aware of all the machinations going on.

The influence of a HOF coach is greater than a Boneyard posters, but no where's near as great as university ADs, university presidents, conference chairman or media execs and maybe some powerful boosters. So the best JC can do is encourage his contacts and hope they pass things along to the real powers.

 

[uconnbaseball]

Neinas has already said that he has no desire to expand outside the Big 12's footprint. He has also said that a 16 team Big 12 is not on the table.

Sorry, but there is nothing to this.

 

[SAMCRO]

Wow, this thread reminds me of about 100 threads on the WVU board right now.

 

[ctchamps]

I'm not sure how expanding into all of the media markets involved wouldn't help the Big 12 or how having enough members to sustain the loss of 4 wouldn't help them either.

It's about risk reward. The two major drivers in the B12, OK and Texas, are rumored to be in disagreement over 12 teams vs. 10 with Texas preferring 10 teams. If this rumor is true, then Texas is satisfied with the current markets and the current media contract and prefers sharing the pie with the fewest members as possible. I believe and hope Texas wins this one.

But neither of these influential schools wants to go to 14 or 16 hence they have determined that there is not enough benefit or value to merge with the BE football schools at this time.

 

[whaler11]

Excellent point. Rutgers and UCONN in the Big 12 would make Cuse and BC crap their pants. UCONN playing Texas at Yankee Stadium while Cuse plays a yawner against BC in the lifeless Carrier dome. Oh to dream.

Yankee Stadium games need to be a big part of our pitch to the Big 10 or Big 12. UCONN fans would no doubt sell the place out. One game per year against a bigger name school would be great fun.

Oh the UConn who can't sell out their 38,500 seat stadium in East Hartford is going to sell out Yankee Stadium. Ok.

 

[husky10]

Oh the UConn who can't sell out their 38,500 seat stadium in East Hartford is going to sell out Yankee Stadium. Ok.

The bigger name school implies a ND, Penn St. or a Michigan not a MAC program. Uconn playing any of those teams would sell out yankee stadium (actually it would be the bigger name school that sells it out but thats splitting hairs)