Big 12

[freescooter]

Here is the real reason people post silliness about how the travel budget would explode and such. They want basketball to remain in the NEWBIE. That’s it. The sole reason. The travel nonsense is just that. Baseball went to California, Florida twice and Hawaii. I’m guessing they didn’t go by bus. Football is going to Texas, Florida and Georgia and Ohio. and last year went to Fresno and Utah Honestly those trips aren’t any different than they’d face in the Big 12. They’d just play more interesting opponents for much more money. Despite what people like to pretend sports like swimming and track don’t go to Boulder to run against Colorado. They compete in mostly local events and go to 1 conference championship somewhere.

 

[metsfan2323]

The football staffing budget would explode. Explode.

So would football attendance and ticket revenue. You want football to die. We understand you now.

 

[CL82]

Yeah and if memory serves I don't think your number included seat license $ associated with season tickets of which the civic center has more of (believe around +3k...7k XL vs GP 4k).

Point being the story was framed as a XL money loser for UConn.. which I really don't think is the case. It may cost more to play it Hartford but that doesn't preclude it from being a) loss or b) better financially.

Yep it didn't include seat licenses because I didn't have that information. Feel free to update it if you'd like. There are some things we can agree on. It does cost more to play in Hartford, we don't get a share of concessions revenue, we don't get a share of parking revenue. If I recall correctly off the top of my head the lease is $45 +3 dollars per ticket. If the XL isn't full, you're not making more money than playing the games at Gampel.

But don't take my word for it, Dave Benedict has said the same thing.

 

[noeynox]

They could.


They wouldn’t.

Let's never do anything beneficial, because they will never take advantage of the potential benefits sounds like a sound strategy.

 

[CL82]

So would football attendance and ticket revenue. You want football to die. We understand you now.

Football attendance is a major part of our current deficit. If we were playing to 39,000 people in the rent, a whole lot of our budget difficulties disappear.

 

[noeynox]

The football staffing budget would explode. Explode.

And this is a bad thing why? You might as well be advocating for terminating the FB program altogether.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Yep it didn't include seat licenses because I didn't have that information. Feel free to update it if you'd like. There are some things we can agree on. It does cost more to play in Hartford, we don't get a share of concessions revenue, we don't get a share of parking revenue. If I recall correctly off the top of my head the lease is $45 +3 dollars per ticket. If the XL isn't full, you're not making more money than playing the games at Gampel.

But don't take my word for it, Dave Benedict has said the same thing.

On a per game basis that may be true. I think factoring in seat licenses with at 3k additional seats is pretty material it would be a different story. But I don't think any of that is public.

My main point is that playing in Hartford isn't the loser it's out to be.

 

[DoctorWho85]

One Texas and OH leave the Big 12, the conference is going to collapse. You really thing TCU, Tech and Ok State will hold that conference up? THe big 12 deserves to die after what it did to all those schools in the first alignment talks.

 

[Urcea]

One Texas and OH leave the Big 12, the conference is going to collapse. You really thing TCU, Tech and Ok State will hold that conference up? THe big 12 deserves to die after what it did to all those schools in the first alignment talks.

What? Mind explaining how?

 

[Patman]

Here is the real reason people post silliness about how the travel budget would explode and such. They want basketball to remain in the NEWBIE. That’s it. The sole reason. The travel nonsense is just that. Baseball went to California, Florida twice and Hawaii. I’m guessing they didn’t go by bus. Football is going to Texas, Florida and Georgia and Ohio. and last year went to Fresno and Utah Honestly those trips aren’t any different than they’d face in the Big 12. They’d just play more interesting opponents for much more money. Despite what people like to pretend sports like swimming and track don’t go to Boulder to run against Colorado. They compete in mostly local events and go to 1 conference championship somewhere.

Travel ain't nothing. I saw another post that said that Big East meant saving 2 million on travel. On the other hand it is made up by the difference in media money.

I do think that there's an advantage in playing schools that are viewed as geographic peers and that's what's been harming certain programs... Pitt, BC, Syracuse, I'm sure there's others.

My view is that something easier to swallow will come along. Big 12 seems to be flailing a bit. I agree with the idea that the Big12 itself will get poached and eventually it will evolve into AAC 2.0 with a little bit of (bad) luck.

What seems to be becoming clear is there's going to be a national alliance of left-over schools between the pac, 12, and acc remains. The question is what does that coalition look like.

 

[WestHartHusk]

And this is a bad thing why? You might as well be advocating for terminating the FB program altogether.

He is.

 

[metsfan2323]

What seems to be becoming clear is there's going to be a national alliance of left-over schools between the pac, 12, and acc remains. The question is what does that coalition look like.

That may very well happen and we want to make sure we have a seat at that table along with Cuse, BC and Pitt. As such, saying yes to the B12 is an easy decision.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Nobody is leaving a P5 for the Pac 12. I'm not saying it's likely, but "UConn is in the Big 12 with Arizona and Colorado" is much, much more likely than "UConn gets left behind in the Big 12 due to Pac 12 poaching"

My point was....there will be no P5. Why are 7 teams in the ACC desperate to get out of their GOR? Because they see the handwriting on the wall...it will be P2. It's the SEC...B1G and everyone else.

 

[Urcea]

My point was....there will be no P5. Why are 7 teams in the ACC desperate to get out of their GOR? Because they see the handwriting on the wall...it will be P2. It's the SEC...B1G and everyone else.

Maybe - but all else being equal I'd rather be in the A tier of also-rans

 

[noeynox]

My point was....there will be no P5. Why are 7 teams in the ACC desperate to get out of their GOR? Because they see the handwriting on the wall...it will be P2. It's the SEC...B1G and everyone else.

Worry about that when its closer to reality. If your scenario is true The Big East is done for anyway.

 

[CL82]

On a per game basis that may be true. I think factoring in seat licenses with at 3k additional seats is pretty material it would be a different story. But I don't think any of that is public.

My main point is that playing in Hartford isn't the loser it's out to be.

Based upon the information that is publicly available, it appears to be.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Maybe - but all else being equal I'd rather be in the A tier of also-rans

You don't think a watered down ACC would be the same tier as the watered down BIG 12? I guess it depends on how watered down it is...but I would prefer the next conference move by UConn is somewhat logical and stable.

To me that means waiting out the ACC...because change will happen. To most everyone else on here it means taking an offer now from the Big12 and worry about the rest later.

It's a tough call. I can see both sides.

 

[noeynox]

You don't think a watered down ACC would be the same tier as the watered down BIG 12? I guess it depends on how watered down it is...but I would prefer the next conference move by UConn is somewhat logical and stable.

To me that means waiting out the ACC...because change will happen. To most everyone else on here it means taking an offer now from the Big12 and worry about the rest later.

It's a tough call. I can see both sides.

Think proactively for once. Don't ypu want to be in a position where those leftovers want to join you instead of the old "UConn will always be there if we need them"?

 

[CL82]

Think proactively for once. Don't ypu want to be in a position where those leftovers want to join you instead of the old "UConn will always be there if we need them"?

Or alternatively, don't you want to have financial stability today, rather than hoping that you may get it sometime in the future?

 

[Urcea]

You don't think a watered down ACC would be the same tier as the watered down BIG 12? I guess it depends on how watered down it is...but I would prefer the next conference move by UConn is somewhat logical and stable.

To me that means waiting out the ACC...because change will happen. To most everyone else on here it means taking an offer now from the Big12 and worry about the rest later.

It's a tough call. I can see both sides.

Waiting for 2036 might put us in a place that is far, far too late for action. I would prefer the ACC all else being equal, but if the offer comes, I'm in - the rest can be sorted out in the next round coming in 2036.

 

[TRest]

You don't think a watered down ACC would be the same tier as the watered down BIG 12? I guess it depends on how watered down it is...but I would prefer the next conference move by UConn is somewhat logical and stable.

To me that means waiting out the ACC...because change will happen. To most everyone else on here it means taking an offer now from the Big12 and worry about the rest later.

It's a tough call. I can see both sides.

I believe the issue would be could an independent football program last long enough for the ACC GOR to expire in like 2036(?) and shake that conference apart? UConn has to open the door if someone finally comes knocking.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Think proactively for once. Don't ypu want to be in a position where those leftovers want to join you instead of the old "UConn will always be there if we need them"?

"for once"? What's that about?

I don't care how it happens...or who is the leftover...I would just rather play Pitt, Cuse, BC et al rather than Texas tech, TCU and Houston.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Waiting for 2036 might put us in a place that is far, far too late for action. I would prefer the ACC all else being equal, but if the offer comes, I'm in - the rest can be sorted out in the next round coming in 2036.

I believe they will find a way to blow it up before then. They are already trying. If there is no way the ACC is possible for UConn before 2036...then yes...they should try to join the Big 12. I just don't think they will have to wait that long.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

I believe the issue would be could an independent football program last long enough for the ACC GOR to expire in like 2036(?) and shake that conference apart? UConn has to open the door if someone finally comes knocking.

I agree...I just don't think they will have to wait that long.

 

[Jetskies]

Here's my thought:

• Big 12 surely doesn't want football only - they surely want all 3 teams of value (FB, MBB, WBB), + the rest, sure why not who cares at that point.
• Big 12's future is murky at best - we should NOT give them our 3 best assets as a package, especially not M/WBB without a clearer picture on what conference re-alignment will look like when the dust settles. Personally i would not go to Big 12 ever.
• To that point, the dust has not settled at all on conference re-alignment. I believe that when it's all said and done, the prized ponies of each P5 conference will have moved to the P2 (B1G/SEC). Let's be frank - even with M/WBB, UConn has NO chance of getting into either of those conference. Not now, not tomorrow, not in 10 years. Maybe 20, but it's not happening anytime soon.
• That being said, once the poaching happens, a lot of schools will remain outside the P2 party, along with us. When that happens, we re-assess the landscape as it stands.
• By this point, football may be its own governing body anyway, and there won't really be a need to drag all sports to a conference. If the stars align, many other schools will find themselves in our current position and simply join forces, to form new conferences. Thinking schools like ACC leftovers (Louisville, Virginia Tech, WF, Duke, GA Tech, Syr, Pitt, BC), Pac 12 leftovers (UC Berkeley, WA State, OR State, Stanford, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, AZ State), Big 12 leftovers (Kansas, K-State, Iowa St, OK State, Baylor, Tx Tech, AAC wannabes) will need to find a home for their programs, while also protecting their basketball interests. Sound familiar???
• Thus, I'd love to see UConn form football-only regional alignments with schools in the same situation.

Until all the dust settles, we pay close attention to the landscape but we should only FOCUS on 3 things:

• Win football games; Make the best schedule you can make - right now let's not worry about where the opponent is Geographically, just WIN.
• protect MBB and keep its pedigree as high as possible - keep Coach Hurley happy and under contract.
• Protect WBB and keep its pedigree as high as possible - Ensure the transition plan to Geno's successor is solid and we don't allow Kevin Ollie 2.0 to happen on the women's side.

Until the dust settles, Big East + FB Indep it is, for us. it's a GREAT home, albeit not the most lucrative, but the matchups make sense and we can protect basketball until something better comes along, if ever.

My heart would shatter if we went to B12 just to see it turn into an AAC or worse, the WAC? Remember the WAC? 20 years ago it was on its way to becoming a prestigious/quality conference, with solid flagship western institutions (Nevada, Boise State, Hawaii, Fresno, etc) and a growing list of signature wins by its programs. Now, it's a mishmash of schools you've never heard of, from out west. Truly sad.