Big 12 Pushing For UConn Part Deux!

[superjohn]

Were the Red Sox a rival of the Yankees before 2004? Were the Cubs a rival of the Cardinals before 2016?

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

Using your definition, why isn't UMass a rival? BC?

Just because we are geographically close and have some level of disdain for their fan base doesn't make it a rivalry.

Levels of success does play a role. We won more NCAA tournament games this past spring than they have this past quarter century. They were an afterthought (even though they were exceptionally good by their standards) when we were in the AAC and within a season of no longer being in the same conference (if it does happen) they again will be an afterthought.

This is literally what makes most rivalries.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

Using your definition, why isn't UMass a rival? BC?

Just because we are geographically close and have some level of disdain for their fan base doesn't make it a rivalry.

Levels of success does play a role. We won more NCAA tournament games this past spring than they have this past quarter century. They were an afterthought (even though they were exceptionally good by their standards) when we were in the AAC and within a season of no longer being in the same conference (if it does happen) they again will be an afterthought.

We havent played UMass in almost 20 years and probably close to 15 for BC.

 

[UConn Dan]

In all candor, you and six or seven other guys (all boneyarders) view PC as a rival. To the rest of us they're just a conference opponent of limited gravitas who happens to be close geographically. Not really any different than St John's or Seton Hall are or what UMass and URI were many decades ago.

Of far more importance, those who can and do make decisions (and therefore validate a rivalry) secured a non-conference series with Villanova when we were still in the AAC. That was the only current BE school we did that with.

I generally agree but am I miss remembering a Georgetown series while we were in the AAC?

If I had to rank “rivals” I’d say:
Syracuse
Villanova
Georgetown

Wherever we go we’ll make new ones.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

This is literally what makes most rivalries.

So you believe that we are rivals with UMass and BC. We aren't very friendly with their fan base and I believe their fan base holds even more animosity towards us.

 

[Bongo Fury]

That seems to be the thing people have been saying and everyone who is so hyped about the Big 12 is spinning for no reason. UConn obviously won't turn down an invite but I think it will hurt the basketball program somewhat and the travel will suck.

Not sure how it will hurt unless you don’t think they can compete with the big boys. Dan Hurley finally showed he is capable of competing in the tournament. The days of transfer portal and nil are here. UConn is capable.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Were the Red Sox a rival of the Yankees before 2004? Were the Cubs a rival of the Cardinals before 2016?

Yes. Sox and Yankees battled long before 2004. Most notably 1978, but back to the 60s as well.

 

[HuskyHawk]

They were 3-0 against us. I think we all really wanted to finally beat them.

 

[McLovin]

I do not really understand why the ACC is so shortsighted as to no wanting to bring UConn into their conference. The ACC is never going to come close to the SEC or B1G in football appeal regardless of the success of Clemson and FSU. They could solidify the eastern basketball market and get a true New England/NYC foothold by inviting UConn.

The Big-12 is smart enough to see the value of elite basketball. The ACC just seems to have blinders on. They have already lost geographical market to the B1G w/ Maryland and Rutgers. Now they can sit back and lose more when UConn goes elsewhere.

The reason why the ACC won’t invite us now is because they already have members unhappy with their payouts. Adding UConn to dilute that further (doubtful ESPN kicks in more if it’s not in the current contract).

With that said, even knowing as a fan that the ACC has a death date in 2036, that would be my preference if we left the Big East.

But my brain also tells me the Big 12 is the “safer” lifeboat. Because when the ACC implodes, about 8 teams will be looking for a home w/ a big TV contract (probably Big 12). I don’t want to have to compete with Louisville, Syracuse, Pitt, etc. for those limited spots… I want us to have a seat at the table.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

So you believe that we are rivals with UMass and BC. We aren't very friendly with their fan base and I believe their fan base holds even more animosity towards us.

I don't understand your argument. You have to actually play the teams to keep a rivalry. If we were playing both teams year in and out then sure.

 

[Waquoit]

2023 UConn Rivalry Grid

 

[JSB60]

Back to Ted Williams vs Joe DiMaggio.

 

[superjohn]

Yes. Sox and Yankees battled long before 2004. Most notably 1978, but back to the 60s as well.

Yeah but the Red Sox and Cubs didn't win anything for generations while the Yankees and Cardinals were both winning boatloads of World Series.

The argument that Providence isn't a rival because UConn is the far superior program is stupid. UConn battled them over the years.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I don't understand your argument. You have to actually play the teams to keep a rivalry. If we were playing both teams year in and out then sure.

I imagine this means Seton Hall and St John's are also rivals. Is this what you are claiming?

 

[Ant3411]

Hearing this is as soon as 2024...might only be 1 season left in the BE. $40mm in the first couple years then goes to $50mm. Maybe we are getting $6mm now from the BE?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Hearing this is as soon as 2024...might only be 1 season left in the BE

From your lips to God's ears!

 

[uconnfan68]

The math says 11 schools will have to catch up to UConn in M/W basketball and UConn will have to catch up to 11 schools in football. Neither will happen. Fools gold. But a fool and his money are soon parted.

Neither of those math observations are valid.

 

[CL82]

Hearing this is as soon as 2024...might only be 1 season left in the BE. $40mm in the first couple years then goes to $50mm. Maybe we are getting $6mm now from the BE?

Please tell me that you heard this right in between the rinse and the hot wax.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

I imagine this means Seton Hall and St John's are also rivals. Is this what you are claiming?

Not at all, are you really trying to argue that the UConn fanbase has disdain for Seton hall or.St John's in the same way it does for BC or Providence?

 

[upstater]

Not at all, are you really trying to argue that the UConn fanbase has disdain for Seton hall or.St John's in the same way it does for BC or Providence?

????
I'd argue there's more disdain for St. John's than there ever was for either PC or BC.

I actually consider St. John's to be the main team UConn fans have hated over the years.

Sure, it switched to Pitt at one point, but we stopped playing them.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

????
I'd argue there's more disdain for St. John's than there ever was for either PC or BC.

I actually consider St. John's to be the main team UConn fans have hated over the years.

Sure, it switched to Pitt at one point, but we stopped playing them.

If you went to gampel pavilion and asked a student if they consider St Johns or Providence more of a rival, who are they going to say? Most of the younger generation of UConn fans wouldn't even think Cuse was once a rival.

 

[UCTitleTown]

I don't think so. If the women stay healthy they are arguably the best team in the country at worst they are second.

The LSU Women are so far ahead of UConn. Mulkey created a Dream Team through the portal. South Carolina is better too. Best to set the bar low for UConn and hope for the best.

 

[FriarJ]

I don't understand your argument. You have to actually play the teams to keep a rivalry. If we were playing both teams year in and out then sure.

, you don’t understand his point? His point is that PC cannot and will not be considered a rival under any circumstance. He literally has hundreds of posts about this. He is one of the most transparent posters on here.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Not at all, are you really trying to argue that the UConn fanbase has disdain for Seton hall or.St John's in the same way it does for BC or Providence?

My last comment on this:

One of the best descriptions on what makes a rivalry that I've ever hears was about Cal-Stanford shortly after the "The band is on the field" football game which was "beating this team can salvage a bad season" as both schools were finishing subpar seasons that year.

If the day ever arrives where we look at a season and say "well, we had a lousy year but we did beat Providence" it will be time to throw in the towel. The two schools are not similar situations to the Yankees-Red Sox or Cardinals-Cubs. Attempting to make these analogies work requires eliminating decades of competition, only recognizing seasons where one of the participants won the world series. This isn't a situation similar to the Yankees-Red Sox pre 2004 or Cardinals-Cubs pre 2016, it is more similar to Manchester United or Chelsea and Stoke City.

As far as how our fan base feels about other schools' fan bases, I imagine that quite a bit of that depends on where it is that you live. I cross paths with very few PC fans (none down here) and I would wager that other than a handful of very recent incidents with PC puffing out their chest (during the final few Cooley years) foolishly believing that they had surpassed us, there really hadn't been a lot cause any animosity.

There really can't be any extended animosity as they are a program that cannot remain consistently competitive. They haven't been able to keep any quality head coach (the very image of a stepping stone), even the guy that a couple PC fans argued on our board would never leave (as he was from there) left them. If their new coach is successful he will leave (like Pitino, Barnes, Gillen, Cooley), if not, he'll get canned (Chiesa, Welsh).

You can define rivalry as you wish. I just believe that in this case you're adjusting the criteria in an attempt to force this into something more than it really is. Beating us can make their season if they have a sub .500 record. Beating them won't make our season if we haven't done a whole lot more than that during the season.

 

[M.S.G.]

I understand why this is a story, but I hate it.

I remember the day that the "return to the Big East" news leaked and I got a little misty, but ughhhhhhhh I feel like this is the AAC move Part 2, except for just like 30 million more dollars.

I also understand that college sports are a business.

There is another shift coming, and we don't want to be left behind. I don't think that would be possible like the first time, the ACC and the B10 know they blew it taking BC & Rutgers over us. It won't happen again.

I am crossing my fingers that the first domino is that the football schools in the ACC are stolen by the SEC, which either causes the Big East to expand and grab Duke & others, or the ACC just simply absorbs the Big East.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

The Big East isn't going anywhere; besides, a number of confernces would not be a fit. Wha confernece is calling Marquette or Seton Hall?

Georgetown doesn't fit any conference model (30 sports, a third of its budget on men's basketball, vastly underspending in football)

Well over 800 athletes in the AD. Wow.

 

[metsfan2323]

I feel like this is the AAC move Part 2, except for just like 30 million more dollars.

Yeah, but that's like saying a Chevy (4 wheels and an engine) is a lot like a Rolls Royce.

Plus its more than just money for the football team its prestige, recruiting, schedule, and attendance, it gets football back in the game.

 

[CL82]

The LSU Women are so far ahead of UConn. Mulkey created a Dream Team through the portal. South Carolina is better too. Best to set the bar low for UConn and hope for the best.

Lol, um, disagree. If Connecticut remains healthy, they may be the most talented team in college basketball. The loss of 2022-2023 POY Boston is going to be huge for South Carolina. I agree somewhat regarding LSU. Mulkey is one of the best coaches in the game today, in my opinion, but putting together a lot of desperate pieces can be tough. We'll see.

 

[CTBasketball]

Lol, um, disagree. If Connecticut remains healthy, they may be the most talented team in college basketball. The loss of 2022-2023 POY Boston is going to be huge for South Carolina. I agree somewhat regarding LSU. Mulkey is one of the best coaches in the game today, in my opinion, but putting together a lot of desperate pieces can be tough. We'll see.

No one cares about women’s basketball in conference realignment tho.

 

[CL82]

No one cares about women’s basketball in conference realignment tho.

Among fans of men's basketball, very few do, however, Brett Yormark has specifically mentioned it as one of the Big 12 and, more importantly, one of our strengths.