Big Ten is overrated

[MJ1]

More Big East vs B10 matchups tonight. Ohio State Vs Seton Hall 6:00pm neutral site and Providence vs Northwestern neutral site 9:30pm. Both should be good games.

 

[UConniki]

If we left the BE after a season or two we could never say another desperraging word against anyone again. Not Mark Emmert. Not the NCAA. Not UNC, Miami, BC or the BCS. No one. We would be hypocritical mercenaries out for a quick buck. Never to be trusted or taken seriously again.

And they would do it in a heartbeat as they should and should be immediately fired for gross negligence if they didn’t….. And the extra 50 million or so a year would come in handy right about now with the financial state of the athletic department… 50million a year = 1billion over 20 years. With that kind of money at stake your concerns seem a bit silly.

 

[MexicoHusky]

And they would do it in a heartbeat as they should and should be immediately fired for gross negligence if they didn’t….. And the extra 50 million or so a year would come in handy right about now with the financial state of the athletic department… 50million a year = 1billion over 20 years. With that kind of money at stake your concerns seem a bit silly.

Part of me wants to argue, when is enough $$ enough, but I won't. You are undoubtedly correct. No one would reject all that $$.

My initial comment wasn't a concern. It was a statement of reality. If UCONN took the $$ and joined the B10, we (the UCONN fanbase) would be hyprocrits to continue to criticize things like Mark Emmert, the NCAA and most of the things we've criticized for the past decade. We would be aligned with all those things we once hated. My comment are your statements about $$ are somewhat independent.

 

[McLovin]

Part of me wants to argue, when is enough $$ enough, but I won't. You are undoubtedly correct. No one would reject all that $$.

My initial comment wasn't a concern. It was a statement of reality. If UCONN took the $$ and joined the B10, we (the UCONN fanbase) would be hyprocrits to continue to criticize things like Mark Emmert, the NCAA and most of the things we've criticized for the past decade. We would be aligned with all those things we once hated. My comment are your statements about $$ are somewhat independent.

I don’t understand why the fan base would be hypocrites? I don’t think any fan on here is advocating for special treatment from the NCAA like what is granted to Duke, Kansas or UNC. All we have asked is for each program to be treated the same. Something we were never even afforded as an old Big East member, and something that being a BIG member wouldn’t change.

And to answer your ever question, there is never a thing as “enough” money when competing to build a brand, which is what college athletics has become. Money doesn’t guarantee success, but it sure does help.

 

[Get a Job]

Part of me wants to argue, when is enough $$ enough, but I won't. You are undoubtedly correct. No one would reject all that $$.

My initial comment wasn't a concern. It was a statement of reality. If UCONN took the $$ and joined the B10, we (the UCONN fanbase) would be hyprocrits to continue to criticize things like Mark Emmert, the NCAA and most of the things we've criticized for the past decade. We would be aligned with all those things we once hated. My comment are your statements about $$ are somewhat independent.

Have we criticized schools for switching conferences for bigger paydays? We've definitely laughed at teams that did so and are now irrelevant (BCU for example), but I don't know if we've condemned them for doing it in the first place.

 

[CTBasketball]

Have we criticized schools for switching conferences for bigger paydays? We've definitely laughed at teams that did so and are now irrelevant (BCU for example), but I don't know if we've condemned them for doing it in the first place.

Not condemned but it’s more like an angst feeling.

I will always laugh at Rutgers tho, they haven’t had an offense in like 25 years.

 

[Kolumbo]

Part of me wants to argue, when is enough $$ enough, but I won't. You are undoubtedly correct. No one would reject all that $$.

My initial comment wasn't a concern. It was a statement of reality. If UCONN took the $$ and joined the B10, we (the UCONN fanbase) would be hyprocrits to continue to criticize things like Mark Emmert, the NCAA and most of the things we've criticized for the past decade. We would be aligned with all those things we once hated. My comment are your statements about $$ are somewhat independent.

I'll admit 100% I thought it was lousy of our Big East mates to abandon the Big East for the ACC and I sure as heck condemned them. BCU, Syracuse, Pitt. At the time we had the better basketball conference (and yet we ultimately landed in a superior basketball conference) and the football conference was a solid group of eastern programs. We can condemn what the system has become all we want because that system blew up the Big East. Any program playing at the FBS level is part of that system and contributing/enabling.

 

[MexicoHusky]

Have we criticized schools for switching conferences for bigger paydays? We've definitely laughed at teams that did so and are now irrelevant (BCU for example), but I don't know if we've condemned them for doing it in the first place.

Yes, we most definitely have. Your example is the best example. At one point our head coach even vowed to never play Boston College again. I don't think he did so because he thought their eventual irrelevance would be amusing.

 

[Get a Job]

From Jeff Eisenberg of Yahoo! Sports:

"Boston College departing the Big East in favor of the ACC marked the death of the rivalry between New England's two most prominent schools. Angered that the Eagles weren't upfront about their intentions to leave the conference, UConn coach Jim Calhoun told the Hartford Courant in 2003 that he would not renew the rivalry, a vow he has upheld since the two schools played their last Big East game two years later. "We won't play BC after they leave here," Calhoun said at the time. "I have no desire to play Boston College. Not for the fact that they are leaving but how they did it. I will not play Boston College as long as I'm here."

Calhoun specifically says he does not begrudge them leaving per se. In other words, he did not criticize them for switching conferences for a bigger payday.

 

[MexicoHusky]

From Jeff Eisenberg of Yahoo! Sports:

Calhoun specifically says he does not begrudge them leaving per se. In other words, he did not criticize them for switching conferences for a bigger payday.

Part of this discussion is about how soon we would be theoretically leaving the BE. Do you think joining the BE in 2020 then theoretically leaving within 2 years is appropriate?

What do you think the remaining BE coaches, ADs and fans will say. We were dying. We reached out to them and they extended a hand. Then split as soon as a better opportunity presents itself? Do you think any of them will disapprove of 'how they did it"?

 

[McLovin]

Part of this discussion is about how soon we would be theoretically leaving the BE. Do you think joining the BE in 2020 then theoretically leaving within 2 years is appropriate?

What do you think the remaining BE coaches, ADs and fans will say. We were dying. We reached out to them and they extended a hand. Then split as soon as a better opportunity presents itself? Do you think any of them will disapprove of 'how they did it"?

Yes, they will be mad. But that’s how business works. You don’t sandbag your own business just because other people might be upset with the decision.

Look at what happened in 2010. We were committed to making the league work and the other schools (Syracuse, Pitt, WVU, Louisville) that didn’t care about offending anyone else took advantage of that opportunity to move ahead. We got left in the dust to die.

UConn needs to look out for UConn. UConn should be the only school that matters when the UConn administration is making that decision on realignment.

Sorry if that makes you uncomfortable, but that’s how the world works.

 

[MexicoHusky]

Yes, they will be mad. But that’s how business works. You don’t sandbag your own business just because other people might be upset with the decision.

Look at what happened in 2010. We were committed to making the league work and the other schools (Syracuse, Pitt, WVU, Louisville) that didn’t care about offending anyone else took advantage of that opportunity to move ahead. We got left in the dust to die.

UConn needs to look out for UConn. UConn should be the only school that matters when the UConn administration is making that decision on realignment.

Sorry if that makes you uncomfortable, but that’s how the world works.

If the opportunity arises we will likely take the $$. Understood. If we take the money we will be hypocrits and it will damage our reputation. I assume/hope this is understood. This is also how the world works. I'm sorry if you cannot acknowledge this reality.

 

[Kolumbo]

If the opportunity arises we will likely take the $$. Understood. If we take the money we will be hypocrits and it will damage our reputation. I assume/hope this is understood. This is also how the world works. I'm sorry if you cannot acknowledge this reality.

All of the Big East programs know the status of UCONN's football program. It was dying in the AAC and is now flying solo. They know if UCONN gets invited to a football conference, it has to accept. And yet they still wanted UCONN Basketball in the Big East knowing the future is uncertain. There is no chicanery here which would harm its reputation.

 

[MexicoHusky]

All of the Big East programs know the status of UCONN's football program. It was dying in the AAC and is now flying solo. They know if UCONN gets invited to a football conference, it has to accept. And yet they still wanted UCONN Basketball in the Big East knowing the future is uncertain. There is no chicanery here which would harm its reputation.

Ok. I could get behind that argument. We would need to exit appropriately. Adequate notice. Fulfill any contractual obligations.... not sure if there would be any. But stuff like that would need to be handled appropriately.

 

[Fishy]

Less overrated now, I’d say.

 

[macx123]

OSU hung on for the win unfortunately but Illinois with Cockburn just lost to Cinci by 20.

 

[Dooooooomed]

Rutgers loses to 0-4 Lafayette at the buzzer. Lordy lord.

 

[BigTenFan]

Looks like Pikiell headed back to Bristol

 

[MJ1]

Illinois gets drilled by the Bearcats. Early season Michigan and Illinois disappointing loses for B10.

 

[aburks41]

Lmao Rutgers is so bad

 

[don356]

Illinois gets drilled by the Bearcats. Early season Michigan and Illinois disappointing loses for B10.

Cincy looks like a top 25 team. Size, depth and backcourt pressure is very good. Wes Miller can coach.

 

[auror]

Cincy looks like a top 25 team. Size, depth and backcourt pressure is very good. Wes Miller can coach.

No. Their best win before tonight was the worst major conference team at home by 5.

 

[MJ1]

Providence takes down Northwestern 77-72, another Big East win over B10.

 

[MU in MKE]

All of the Big East programs know the status of UCONN's football program. It was dying in the AAC and is now flying solo. They know if UCONN gets invited to a football conference, it has to accept. And yet they still wanted UCONN Basketball in the Big East knowing the future is uncertain. There is no chicanery here which would harm its reputation.

Ok. I could get behind that argument. We would need to exit appropriately. Adequate notice. Fulfill any contractual obligations.... not sure if there would be any. But stuff like that would need to be handled appropriately.

I think the BE would understand if B10 or ACC came calling... trying to support football is expensive and schools for some reason always feel pressured to support these programs even when they lose tens of millions of dollars a year in some cases. So you gotta do what you gotta do... if the school really feels that's what is best for their brand.

That being said, to soften the blow for the conference, UConn agreed to a deal with a hefty exit fee. The terms of the contract state that UConn will be responsible for paying the conference $30 million if it withdraws within the first six years of membership and then it ramps down after that. So that means 1. it's not happening for quite a few years and 2. even if it does the financial impacts at least will be negligible.

 

[MexicoHusky]

I think the BE would understand if B10 or ACC came calling... trying to support football is expensive and schools for some reason always feel pressured to support these programs even when they lose tens of millions of dollars a year in some cases. So you gotta do what you gotta do... if the school really feels that's what is best for their brand.

That being said, to soften the blow for the conference, UConn agreed to a deal with a hefty exit fee. The terms of the contract state that UConn will be responsible for paying the conference $30 million if it withdraws within the first six years of membership and then it ramps down after that. So that means 1. it's not happening for quite a few years and 2. even if it does the financial impacts at least will be negligible.

Thanks @MU in MKE and @Kolumbo both of your posts were very helpful.

 

[CallMeBruce]

If we left the BE after a season or two we could never say another desperraging word against anyone again. Not Mark Emmert. Not the NCAA. Not UNC, Miami, BC or the BCS. No one. We would be hypocritical mercenaries out for a quick buck. Never to be trusted or taken seriously again.

what are you talking about

 

[MexicoHusky]

what are you talking about

Read the rest of the thread. My opinion has refined. It's changed to, "if we leave the BE after a season or two we will pay a fortune to the BE. Which will buy us the privilege to complain about whatever we want"