Big East?

[vtcwbuff]

I just heard a sports report on WTIC TV that said the Big East may dissolve either today or within the next couple of days. According to the report the 7 sisters have made the decision to leave and they may vote to abolish the league to divvy up the money.

Other reports (USA Today, ESPN) indicate the 7 schools have made the decision to leave but how they do that has yet to be determined.

 

[ochoopsfan]

USA Today blip
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...etball-split-catholic-member-schools/1767387/

UConn can always open a campus in the San Diego area and move the team out west.

 

[VAMike23]

 

[YankeeinFla]

Uconn in bad spot. Rumors are big10 going after Ga Tech and either Va. or NC. SEC after Clemson and either NC or Fla St. Big 12 also considering a couple of ACC schools, Va tech, Miami. If this happens there is no good landing spot for UConn. Should the school consider downgrading football and join the 7 Big East schools in a quality basketball league. Men and Women?

 

[vtcwbuff]

The channel 8 sports reporter took a shot at Herbst tonight. He mentioned that she had been communicating with all of the Catholic schools urging them to remain. He closed with "this after she was discussing a UConn move last week with the ACC"

 

[UConnFan23]

I wish I had more confidence in Warde Manuel and Susan Herbst to find a good outcome for UConn, but when Warde was interviewed during the Paradise Jam, he did not exude (to me anyways) much in the way of leadership, strategic vision, or a clear and inspirational message. And during halftime of the Colgate game, I'm afraid that Susan Herbst left me feeling much the same. AND, that was at a time when they should have expected to be interviewed and consequently prepared with talking points on this subject to delivery to UConn nation. The very fact that we have gotten to this point does not say much about the job they've been doing - - deer wandering in the headlights. I'm hoping that they will impress me with some innovative solution, but I'm not optimistic.

 

[triaddukefan]

Uconn in bad spot. Rumors are big10 going after Ga Tech and either Va. or NC. SEC after Clemson and either NC or Fla St. Big 12 also considering a couple of ACC schools, Va tech, Miami. If this happens there is no good landing spot for UConn. Should the school consider downgrading football and join the 7 Big East schools in a quality basketball league. Men and Women?

Why would the SEC go after Clemson and FSU when they already have the Univ. of South Carolina and the University of Florida? Both the flagship schools with far more of a following than Clemson & FSU. That wont happen.

 

[YankeeinFla]

It's all about being a football superpowerhouse to the SEC.

 

[Man-Man]

Done deal

 

[UConnChapette]

Honest to goodness....all of a sudden all these new posters show up to post about the impending implosion of the Big East. Everyone has to pile on, right?

 

[Vowelguy]

It's over.
This surely does not help recruiting.

Now looking like a conference with UConn-Cinci-Temple-Memphis-Tulane-SMU-Houston-UCF-USF, if even that holds together. Temple is probably the only team that could come within 30 pts during the remainder of Geno's career.

 

[UConnChapette]

This has been, overall, a very crappy day.

My 90 year-old mother-in-law fell earlier this evening. Hubby is with her at the hospital getting x-rays for broken ribs. She already has two artificial hips, but she is not at all stable on her feet and there is concern that she may have damaged one of them. They have been deteriorating for a few years, and her ortho doctor said at her age it was not a good option to do a replacement of the replacement.

My cat had surgery today for removal of two cysts and did not handle it well. She stopped breathing during surgery. They were able to breathe for her and complete the surgery. She is home with one of those "cone of shame" collars and is very scared and disoriented. I feel so bad for the poor thing.

Now this...I guess the other two kind of puts the demise of the BE in perspective, but still...it is a very unpleasant piece of news.

The only good thing is bad things happen in threes. Which means I probably don't need to worry about my son's safety anymore.

 

[tomcat]

I've been looking around elsewhere -- other blogs, etc. -- and am seeing a lot ofpeople suggesting that the Big 12 might recruit these teams out of the ACC and the Big 10 might do something else, and even one who suggested that the other leagues would pick the ACC clean like a Thanksgiving turkey. The only thing we know for sure is that right no, and probably for some time to come, UConn will not be the master of its own destiny. It is a university with a B academic reputation, a B men's basketball program (only because of scandal and a change at the top), an A women's basketball program and a C- football program. Football and to a lesser extent academics seem to be what count.

We had better get used to the fact that uncertainty will be ongoing for a while, because with the Catholic schools leaving and the Big East a shadow of its former self, the other leagues can wait for a long time -- forever if they want -- before waving an invitation at UConn or anyone else.

 

[ocoandasoc]

UConn will do whatever is best for the football program.
Chances are that means hanging on to whatever is left of the Big East (or whatever the non-Catholic football schools choose to call themselves going forward) and continue to beg for a bid from the ACC. (A bid that will almost surely come if the SEC or Big 10 raids the ACC.) They should probably let the Catholic schools keep the Big East name, and call the new conference either "The Misfit 10" or "In Transition 8" because that's what they'll be. Good luck getting even close to HALF the TV money that ESPN offered and the Big East turned down last year. And how can any of these new conference members trust UConn or Cincinnati when they know either school will leave the first chance they get?
I guarantee Geno is frustrated by this situation... but there's nothing he can do. Travel expenses will be up... income and level of competition will be down. They'll just be waiting for the phone to ring.

 

[rjp172]

It's going to be rough if it all plays out the way most in the media think it's going to. If there are 4 "super conferences" they are going to be the B10, SEC, B12, PAC10. The B10 and SEC are the cream of the crop and already stand at 14 teams each. They'll both raid the ACC for the most viable 2 programs to their conference. The B12 will focus on poaching the ACC as well. ND will join a conference taking another spot. The PAC10 will have the most difficulty because of geography so they may be smaller than the other conferences. The remainder of the BE and ACC will have to band together, but the "big 4" will control how things work with playoffs, tv contracts etc and will give the new BE/ACC combo conference the shaft...it could be a constant state of life support. Hoping that teams just stay put for now, not likely though.

 

[Vowelguy]

It's GOING to be rough? What are you talking about?!? Rough is here.

More conference chaos can only help UConn, because things can't get much worse. With continued movement, UConn might be able to make it to ACC 2.0, which will still be better than the current situation.

 

[UConnChapette]

It's GOING to be rough? What are you talking about?!? Rough is here.

More conference chaos can only help UConn, because things can't get much worse. With continued movement, UConn might be able to make it to ACC 2.0, which will still be better than the current situation.

+1

 

[Kait14]

I really don't understand how Herbst and Warde could have the football team first in their minds.. Does the football team bring in the most money? Honest question, I'm really curious. Do they know that UConn is a basketball school and we don't really care about football?

 

[Patrick Lilly]

too much gloom and doom for me; in my opinion, UConn will probably land in the ACC when everything settles down the road and the prime football schools have been picked through. Getting upset does nothing beneficial for anyone; have faith and let's see what happens.

 

[Patrick Lilly]

I grew up in Maryland and remember watching the Maryland, UNC, Duke games late at night when my family was asleep. That was the best basketball conference for years, and with the upcoming changes, may be the ultimate bb conference for years to come. Frankly, that is an exciting prospect to me.

 

[meyers7]

She's been doing that for awhile.

 

[Icebear]

I really don't understand how Herbst and Warde could have the football team first in their minds.. Does the football team bring in the most money? Honest question, I'm really curious. Do they know that UConn is a basketball school and we don't really care about football?

Yes, football brings in the most money even at UConn.

 

[CTyankee]

UConn might be the one having to turn off the lights when all is said & done...

 

[Blakeon18]

If the ACC is poached by other conferences that would be a good thing for UConn...opening up slots for newcomers. That is where we belong.

 

[Icebear]

I hear we are joining the PAC12. Hey, it makes as much sense as some of the other options folks are promoting.

 

[Huskymaniac]

I guarantee Geno is frustrated by this situation... but there's nothing he can do. Travel expenses will be up... income and level of competition will be down. They'll just be waiting for the phone to ring.

I think Geno is the best basketball coach in the country, men or women, college or pro. However, he is at least partly responsible for this situation. He sided with Hathaway against Calhoun. Hathaway is responsible for destroying the football program at a critical time with his hiring of Pastagogo. That is what is hurting UConn more than anything right now. If we had a top 50 football program, heading in the RIGHT direction, we would be in the ACC already. The Big 10 was never an option because our research expenditures are way lower than the monster universities already in that conference and well below the requirements of AAU membership, which is an idiotic requirement of the Big 10. The Pac 10 and Big 12 really make so sense geographically. The SEC MAY have been a possibility but if our football wasn't good enough for the ACC, there is no way it is good enough for the cheat to win SEC.

 

[vtcwbuff]

Yes, football brings in the most money even at UConn.

Not as much as you would think ICE. At least not if men's and women's basketball revenues are combined. I was really surprised. Maybe that's why UConn has not been attractive to other conferences. Just not enough football money. These numbers are rough because I didn't include "chicken feed" revenues and expenses.

In 2010 -
Football operating revenues - 12.4 million
Basketball operating revenues - 12.6 million

Major football revenue sources - 12.2 million
Major basketball revenue sources - 12.3 million

The fly in the ointment is the addiitonal $11M in revenues "not team related." The reporting document does not indicate how those monies are divied up.

 

[UConnCat]

I think Geno is the best basketball coach in the country, men or women, college or pro. However, he is at least partly responsible for this situation. He sided with Hathaway against Calhoun. Hathaway is responsible for destroying the football program at a critical time with his hiring of Pastagogo. That is what is hurting UConn more than anything right now.

I've seen a rather lengthy list of people/entities who are being blamed for the current situation: Herbst, Manuel, Hathaway, Jeff Jacobs (and the media for not being tough enough on UConn's efforts to get itself invited to a conference) and ESPN. It was only a matter of time before Geno would be added to the list. And why is it that Geno is "at least partly responsible for this situation?" He was friends with Hathaway. And if not for this friendship, Hathaway would not have hired Paul Pasqualoni. Yep, that's it.

This could be the dumbest thing I've read to date on this subject and that's saying quite a lot.

 

[Huskymaniac]

I've seen a rather lengthy list of people/entities who are being blamed for the current situation: Herbst, Manuel, Hathaway, Jeff Jacobs (and the media for not being tough enough on UConn's efforts to get itself invited to a conference) and ESPN. It was only a matter of time before Geno would be added to the list. And why is it that Geno is "at least partly responsible for this situation?" He was friends with Hathaway. And if not for this friendship, Hathaway would not have hired Paul Pasqualoni. Yep, that's it.

This could be the dumbest thing I've read to date on this subject and that's saying quite a lot.

Perhaps it is because you can't understand the nuances. There is one assumption built in which is that Hathaway stayed in his job longer than he would have if it weren't for Geno's support. I concede that there is no way of knowing how much more time Geno's support may have bought Hathaway. As such, there is no way of knowing if it kept him in the job long enough to be in charge of replacing the football coach with a turnip. But Geno was a Hathaway supporter and I happen to believe, contrary to many fans of the men's team, that Geno does have influence in Storrs. While there may be no way to know if this support allowed Hathaway to stay in his job long enough to hire Pastagogo, it probably kept him in the job longer than had he not had Geno's support. Hathaway was an awful AD and Geno supported him. You can't get away from that fact. You probably like to blame people for voting for politicans who get elected but that you think are awful because of what they did while in office. Hathaway, awful, had Geno's vote of confidence.

Again, I think Geno is a basketball genius and a great leader. But he misjudged Hathaway and it probably hurt the athletic department to some extent, even if we don't know exactly how much or exactly in which way.

 

[Alexmia]

Well it seems that this would be a good time for the NCAA to step in and try and bring some order to this entire process across all conferences nationwide. This might result in a better outcome for everyone with regards to the distribution of revenue, skill level (for both football and basketball) and maintaining some sense of geography. Of course this is just a pipe dream but it seems that it would be a lot better than the current and constantly changing situation. At the moment there seems to be no sense of order in college sports. Just one man's opinion.