Blauds wants more clicks...

[Matrim55]

If Blauds still has Big East contacts then he may know that the Big East will take us for all sports but football because he reported as such a month or two ago - he claimed his big east sources would want us back. If they could have us for 10 years and reap the benefits of bringing them tourney credits why wouldn't they?

Because they paid the price for having members w/ one foot out the door already in the past. History repeats itself.

Now the real question is why would we do it? And I don't think we would.

I don't think so, either. But if P5 isn't an option until 2025, I'd much rather have football in the AAC & everything else in the Big East than everything stuck in AAC purgatory.

 

[sportsart]

If UCONN gets turned down by the Big 12, they will not maintain the status quo with the AAC according to his source (probably Mike Tranghese - his old friend, former BE Commissioner, UCONN Consultant). They will look to move all sports to BE and try for football only in the AAC, if not they will look to join another conference for football only. From a financial perspective they could make more money and save more money being part of the BE.

By the way, that is some pretty big news, and as it seems to make sense (out of a desperate need we can't keep our BB teams in AAC) Not sure what other conference would be for FB only.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The Big East needs viewers. They'd take us and if the B1G or ACC is making eyes at us for the long term, one of them will help us scheduling football games. Upstater made a great point elsewhere, the only problem with going back to the Big East is that FOX will know they are getting us either way and may not support us going to the B12.

That won't matter then. It's Big 12 now or never. If not the Big 12 now, then the B1G or ACC later. Also, Fox would like to have us one way or the other ESPN already does. I don't think Fox cares if they get us via the B12 or Big East. They are going to pay the B12 anyway, better to pay for content they want rather than Memphis.

Edit: if there is truth to this, I'm not surprised but still think it's a head fake. We all know that if our P5 situation doesn't come through, and the American is raided, UConn has to think outside the box in order to keep athletics funded at this level and maintain interest. They will have contingency plans. Leaking this one might help avoid having to use it. We'll see.

 

[UConn Dan]

Because they paid the price for having members w/ one foot out the door already in the past. History repeats itself.

If it happened, it would be a marriage of convenience for both parties, and knowing we would pick up the first P5 offered.

I think there's a big difference in the old 50/50 big east football/non-football split vs. potentially having one member play FBS football in another conference.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Blauds may have sources, but some of his original thoughts are plainly idiotic.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

If we are turned down by the B12, our best course of the action is to move all sports other than FB to the BE. We can keep our FB only in the AAC or another conference. There is no way in hell we should stay in the AAC if both Cincy and Houston are gone. BE is not ideal, but basketball there is at least tolerable until another P5 opportunity surfaces.

 

[Chin Diesel]

When I first saw the thread title I was at an angle from my computer screen and couldn't clearly see the "cl" in the title. My thought was, how many does he want?

 

[HuskyHawk]

Here's a thought (I will get flamed). Total speculation. If the American is getting poached, and would allow UConn to stay for football only, wouldn't the ACC be interested in our Olympic sports? Couldn't they essentially craft a deal that says we'd have to join the ACC if ND joined in full, and could only opt out if the American stopped allowing us to play football there. You'd think that would be ideal for them. They'd pay us a partial share. Balanced schedules in Olympic sports and football, plus our basketball, soccer, baseball etc. for the new network.

 

[TRest]

If we are turned down by the B12, our best course of the action is to move all sports other than FB to the BE. We can keep our FB only in the AAC or another conference. There is no way in hell we should stay in the AAC if both Cincy and Houston are gone. BE is not ideal, but basketball there is at least tolerable until another P5 opportunity surfaces.

We have no leverage over the AAC to keep football there or any other conference. It is not happening.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

We have no leverage over the AAC to keep football there or any other conference. It is not happening.

CR is based on football
The consensus is we believe we belong in a P5 conference because of Market
Yet we have no leverage over a G5 league
If it wasn't so sad it would be amusing
We're the only AAC team that actually owns a market of any size
Please get off the ledge

 

[psilotic]

The Big East needs viewers. They'd take us and if the B1G or ACC is making eyes at us for the long term, one of them will help us scheduling football games. Upstater made a great point elsewhere, the only problem with going back to the Big East is that FOX will know they are getting us either way and may not support us going to the B12.

At a minimum it sounds as if UConn might finally have some real leverage in this process. Maybe Fox greases the skids for UConn into Big 12 w/side agreement for lots of OOC hoop games (say 4-5 a season) vs. old Big East teams on Fox?

 

[TRest]

CR is based on football
The consensus is we believe we belong in a P5 conference because of Market
Yet we have no leverage over a G5 league
If it wasn't so sad it would be amusing
We're the only AAC team that actually owns a market of any size
Please get off the ledge

I may need to use Google translate on this one.

 

[NYUConn]

If UConn threatens to go to the Big East with a +1 (say Temple) that would give us more leverage of The American for football only.

If the AAC loses UC and UH to the Big 12 for all sports, they wouldn't want to lost two of their other major brands and be stuck with a football conference that is anchored by UCF, Memphis and Navy.

 

[upstater]

I've been saying this since the B12 announced plans for expansion. What leverage would Aresco have in forcing UConn to keep all sports in the AAC if UH/Cincy leaves? What's the difference if we're playing football in the MAC or a watered down AAC at that point? They can't afford to lose us.

They can certainly afford to lose us for the reasons you already argued. What difference would it make?

They could lose us if only to make a point. To discourage the others.

 

[upstater]

Because they paid the price for having members w/ one foot out the door already in the past. History repeats itself.


I don't think so, either. But if P5 isn't an option until 2025, I'd much rather have football in the AAC & everything else in the Big East than everything stuck in AAC purgatory.

What price did they pay though?

The only reason they left is that they didn't want to play Tulane, Boise and TCU in basketball. Who can blame them?

 

[husky210]

When I first saw the thread title I was at an angle from my computer screen and couldn't clearly see the "cl" in the title. My thought was, how many does he want?

I was about to come and say this. Beat me to it

 

[WestHartHusk]

What do we think about the timing of this story? Trying to make up for the interview?

 

[huskymedic]

What do we think about the timing of this story? Trying to make up for the interview?

?? MB was pumping this story 5 hours or so before the Courant/SH story was posted.

 

[WestHartHusk]

?? MB was pumping this story 5 hours or so before the Courant/SH story was posted.

Well that is an inconvenient fact for me, isn't it?

 

[JMick]

What do we think about the timing of this story? Trying to make up for the interview?

To me it was a crap or get off the pot statement.

 

[Fishy]

We have no leverage over the AAC to keep football there or any other conference. It is not happening.

Been thinking about this....

If the AAC loses, say, Houston and Cincy, I'm not sure what leverage they have left.

The television contract falls apart, bowl agreements fall apart - UConn might not be the only school looking to vacate at that point.

 

[pepband99]

Been thinking about this....

If the AAC loses, say, Houston and Cincy, I'm not sure what leverage they have left.

The television contract falls apart, bowl agreements fall apart - UConn might not be the only school looking to vacate at that point.

Exactly. If the exit clauses get fired, they're dead. That's why the Blauds article is huge to me - if the Big East might take us, we end up with a better situation than we have now, instead of the worst possible situation.

 

[TRest]

Been thinking about this....

If the AAC loses, say, Houston and Cincy, I'm not sure what leverage they have left.

The television contract falls apart, bowl agreements fall apart - UConn might not be the only school looking to vacate at that point.

Does a conference exist if the television contract is negated? The schools are still bound together, unless there is a mass exodus/vote to disband. I would think these schools would tether themselves to UConn any way they can. But most put football first, and because of our investment in football we desperately need a relevant place to play.

 

[MattMang23]

If UConn threatens to go to the Big East with a +1 (say Temple) that would give us more leverage of The American for football only.

If the AAC loses UC and UH to the Big 12 for all sports, they wouldn't want to lost two of their other major brands and be stuck with a football conference that is anchored by UCF, Memphis and Navy.

Temple will never get into the Big East. There was a reason they only played football in the league previously. That reason just won the NCAA basketball tournament this year. They're not sharing the market.

I'm not sure I agree on leverage either. We would tell the AAC either keep us in football... Or...? Or what? We'll take it to the MAC? They would be losing our basketball anyway under this plan and both the league and UConn know football is far better off in the AAC than MAC or Sun Belt or C-USA or whatever. So the league is just going to say ok sure. Park here? Without basketball? When they can let us go languish in a lesser league? I don't buy it.

 

[UConn Dan]

Temple will never get into the Big East. There was a reason they only played football in the league previously. That reason just won the NCAA basketball tournament this year. They're not sharing the market.

I'm not sure I agree on leverage either. We would tell the AAC either keep us in football... Or...? Or what? We'll take it to the MAC? They would be losing our basketball anyway under this plan and both the league and UConn know football is far better off in the AAC than MAC or Sun Belt or C-USA or whatever. So the league is just going to say ok sure. Park here? Without basketball? When they can let us go languish in a lesser league? I don't buy it.

If the AAC loses 2-4 teams not named UConn -- I think UConn should explore all options at that point, including football only in AAC and the rest in Big East. I think at that point anything is negotiable and part of the pitch you can make to the AAC is we'll play 4 AAC teams a year in men's and women's basketball (2 home and 2 away). I don't know -- this is all going sideways right now -- gotta figure out how to stay alive and relevant in both football and basketball -- gotta be creative until the P5 calls. I never thought split AAC/Big East was on the table, but I think we are coming to that point.