Cincy, Houston, UCF and BYU

[shizzle787]

Being Indy, BYU has reasonably complete schedules out to 2028. Wonder how they handle that/might be an opportunity for us to pick up some interesting games?

We need to gobble up as many of their P5 home and home series as possible.

 

[BlueDogs]

You REALLY wish we were still in the AAC? Wow. Just Wow.

Of course the AAC was far from ideal, but is what a solid conference from which to springboard had we put together a credible football program. Locking into the NBE was an insanely shorted sighted decision. The arguments raised against moving proved to be prescient and correct.

 

[Madmannsucks]

The last decade has been the perfect storm for the destruction of the football program. HCRE 1.0 fleeing in the dead of night, ACC raid along with WVU & TCU fleeing to the XII, bad hire after bad hire, stoppage of play due to COVID-19. It feels like the gridiron program is being sucked down a black hole.
As an alum, I follow all UCONN sports teams, but football has always been my favorite sport. My kids cut their teeth on this program at Memorial Stadium watching Wilbur Guilliard chew up yardage. They are fellow alums partly because of my passion for this program.
Those who advocate for demotion to FCS status or complete abolition of the program just don't see the whole picture. A successful FBS program vying for conference championships was a source of pride during my kids tenure at UCONN. Marketing the University was much easier because of it. There was constant banter on this board of how soon the RENT would be expanded to its full 55,000 original blueprint & queries of if said expansion could ultimately go to 60k. (to think that the temporary seating added for the Michigan home game was the seating highpoint & may never again be revisited is just nauseating).
It is critical that the 2021 edition of the Football Huskies show true progress on the field in the win-loss column. The fact that the Huskies aren't even under consideration for XII expansion should be a rude wake up call to the powers that be. A reuniting with former conference mates WVU & Cinci to go along with UCONN's marketability in NYC would have been a no-brainer a decade ago. That it's not even an afterthought is both humbling & tragic.

This!!! Let's face it...most of us thought Diaco was a great hire at the time. 2015 had us buying in. Attendance was still near 30K per game, they were the only team in the country to beat Houston, went to a bowl game. So there's that....ever since????? Wow!!!

 

[Adios]

Of course the AAC was far from ideal, but is what a solid conference from which to springboard had we put together a credible football program. Locking into the NBE was an insanely shorted sighted decision. The arguments raised against moving proved to be prescient and correct.

If BYU and Cincinnati (and freaking UCF) get in, so will UConn. Just have to play along with the drama. UConn fans and USF fans are a lot alike now.

 

[Adios]

And UConn needs to stop hiring coordinators or position coaches for the head coach job in football. Including Edsall back when he was hired from the Jaguars.

 

[Slasher]

Cincy, Houston and UCF have already been valued in the league there in. Some here thought the AAC would lose money because UConn left. Now those same networks are going to pay them more because there playing in another league? They need to bring at least $15 mill to the table or the B12 will take a hit with them.

What you don't realize is that those three schools were worth far more than the 7M they are/were getting. It's the Tulsa, ECU, Tulane, Temple, etc that drag down the total value to the conference.

 

[JMick]

And UConn needs to stop hiring coordinators or position coaches for the head coach job in football. Including Edsall back when he was hired from the Jaguars.

next coach needs to be a proven winner. Don't care what level. Don't care what region. Just someone who wins football games

 

[Waquoit]

I disagree. The AAC has actually been very good. It was the lack of success that affected attendance.

The fans that buy tickets and go to games rejected the AAC. If we were still there and didn't get on the latest lifeboat we would have lost everything.

 

[Waquoit]

Of course the AAC was far from ideal, but is what a solid conference from which to springboard had we put together a credible football program.

Maybe we rejoin as a FB-only if they ask nicely.

 

[CL82]

People seem to forget that UConn applied to the Big 12 last go round so Benedict knew what the Big 12 thought about adding UConn, a total geographical outlier. Apparently, the Big 12 did not rank UConn’s application high last go round.

I think most college administrators that follow realignment closely thought Texas and probably Oklahoma were not committed to the Big 12 long term and there could be openings in the Big 12 in the future and UConn wasn’t on the short list of candidates.

Imagine if UConn was still in the AAC today and Cinci, UCF, and Houston left? The new AAC would be a total dumpster fire. Is independent football and Big East basketball ideal LT? No, but it sure beats ending up in a new AAC conference.

My understanding is we were among the top choices last go round when Texas and OU vetoed the last expansion. We would be a geographic outlier but we are also a name brand.

 

[ZooCougar]

Buh bye AAC

 

[CL82]

And #5, the AAC contract refused to parse out the WBB from the media deal....which means our standout WBB program was poised to subsidize the rest of the AAC. No way that could be allowed to happen.....it would have been a gross injustice.

Sort of. The woman’s contract now subsides the Big East. We don’t keep the SNU money. The real issue was that the AD didn’t want WBB stuck on ESPN +.

 

[Jimdish255]

And I'm amazed at the football is everything crowd for missing the bigger picture.

Basketball put UConn on the map. It will do so again. And the next time some conference comes calling, or a new conference is being developed, it will be basketball that makes that happen. That we also have a football team is a convenience for scheduling and balance. If it's actually competitive, all the better. But that conference will never, ever, be one of the superconferences, because football just doesn't matter in Connecticut.

When we were winning it mattered a lot.
Losing football doesn't matter in most places especially against random geographically disconnected opponents. You couldn't be more wrong.

 

[metsfan2323]

So which schools does ESPN tell the AAC to invite? The smart move would be to expand to 14 by adding the best 6 football schools they could get. I think MWC schools would say no.

Marshall is probably the best football brand available, Coastal Carolina finished in the top 25 last year, UAB has a new stadium and recent success, Charlotte just beat Duke. Georgia State? Old Dominion?

Army would definitely be on their wish list.

Does Navy leave the AAC and go independent?

The AAC can still be a decent G5 football conference but basketball is now completely in the toilet.

 

[BlueDogs]

Maybe we rejoin as a FB-only if they ask nicely.

Well, I can agree that without cincy, Houston and UCF, the conference just got significantly uglier. It will be interesting to see who they pick up.. FIU, Coastal Carolina, Southern Miss, Rice, Liberty?

 

[storrsroars]

The market says football is everything. Basketball is great, but it has nominal influence on conference alignment and real dollar flow.

Yes, that's what "the market" says. And UConn football was never attractive enough on its own to seriously tip the scales in the school's favor in any realignment conversation, even when it was winning. Basketball titles were the prime attraction. There was never a "football culture" in Storrs to speak of, and to think there was is simply wishful thinking of a very poor memory.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

By hiring Edsall last do around, we pretty much told the world we aren't serious about football. Both DB and Uconn really messed that up.

If Uconn football is really good like UCF or Cincy today, I have no doubt we would have been in any expansion discussion including the upcoming B12 expansion.

 

[BapeKidd88]

The fans that buy tickets and go to games rejected the AAC. If we were still there and didn't get on the latest lifeboat we would have lost everything.

If you “rejected the AAC” and it wasn’t just the feeling of losing that made you sour on FB, please tell us your ideal G5 opponents that you believe would fill the Rent.

If Navy, Temple, (formerly) Cincinnati, UCF, USF, etc (AAC East) weren’t to your liking, are you pining for Buffalo, Bowling Green, etc?
I’m just trying to see a realistic counter to what UConn had. IMO, the AAC was by far UConn’s best case scenario to make a resume for P5 inclusion.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

If you “rejected the AAC” and it wasn’t just the feeling of losing that made you sour on FB, please tell us your ideal G5 opponents that you believe would fill the Rent.

If Navy, Temple, (formerly) Cincinnati, UCF, USF, etc (AAC East) weren’t to your liking, are you pining for Buffalo, Bowling Green, etc?
I’m just trying to see a realistic counter to what UConn had. IMO, the AAC was by far UConn’s best case scenario to make a resume for P5 inclusion.

Prefer the indie schedule by alot. Getting Rutgers on the schedule.

 

[UCFBfan]

So which schools does ESPN tell the AAC to invite? The smart move would be to expand to 14 by adding the best 6 football schools they could get. I think MWC schools would say no.

Marshall is probably the best football brand available, Coastal Carolina finished in the top 25 last year, UAB has a new stadium and recent success, Charlotte just beat Duke. Georgia State? Old Dominion?

Army would definitely be on their wish list.

Does Navy leave the AAC and go independent?

The AAC can still be a decent G5 football conference but basketball is now completely in the toilet.

I'm not sure who they move around but pretty soon conferences are going to run out of teams to backfill with....so the real question is, which conference goes away first?? It seems to me that C-USA always gets raided by the AAC. At this point they should just merge the conferences

 

[UCFBfan]

Report: Big 12 could add BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF in the next week

The conference could officially accept applications from the four schools on Sep. 10.

sports.yahoo.com

So this is a done deal it seems. I found this tweet to be interesting.


It got me thinking about whether or not the Pac-12 is going to regret not grabbing a former Big12 team. Not sure who they'd take though.....

 

[storrsroars]

If you “rejected the AAC” and it wasn’t just the feeling of losing that made you sour on FB, please tell us your ideal G5 opponents that you believe would fill the Rent.

If Navy, Temple, (formerly) Cincinnati, UCF, USF, etc (AAC East) weren’t to your liking, are you pining for Buffalo, Bowling Green, etc?
I’m just trying to see a realistic counter to what UConn had. IMO, the AAC was y far UConn’s best case scenario to make a resume for P5 inclusion.

UConn had a lot going for it when it got passed over for Louisville. If you want tono blame Susan and Warde for that, go right ahead. But end of the day, football schools didn't want us because there was no history, no tradition, no recruiting base, no (or very few):boosters, while Louisville had all of that. That was UConn's best shot.

Pitt just got a $20 mill donation from a 1997 grad. What's UConn got coming? Other than Burton, has anyone else stepped up in the past decade?

 

[Duncan Idaho]

UConn had a lot going for it when it got passed over for Louisville. If you want tono blame Susan and Warde for that, go right ahead. But end of the day, football schools didn't want us because there was no history, no tradition, no recruiting base, no (or very few):boosters, while Louisville had all of that. That was UConn's best shot.

Pitt just got a $20 mill donation from a 1997 grad. What's UConn got coming? Other than Burton, has anyone else stepped up in the past decade?

One, two loss season in 1973. We never really had a breakout season in 50 years.

 

[Pudge]

the Math

This says $37m a school in the B12 conference TV contract - with OU & UT - up in 4 years. And they are scrambling. The speculation above is they stay $20-25m per annum after they bring in the 4 expansion members. (who - as AAC were getting less than $7m flat until 2034) methinks - once again - this is highly trial balloon wishing. BYU, we've seen, has a different valuation. But - while a much more interesting hoop conference - I am thinking they are not gonna be in the $20s. a boost for UCF, Cincy, Houston; but, a serious hit for 8 current B12 schools. Thanks Sooners & Longhorns.

As someone who loved Pac10 Football. Yes. The Time Zone is a TV issue. But not grabbing Texas, OU when you grabbed Utah & Colorado was a mistake. They absolutely are a fit for you academically - so you don't have to whine about that - and you would have figured it out. The Dallas/Houston plane ride is pretty easy to LAX. There is no damn good reason to not think that through strategically. Except? It is the Tradition mindset. I think it sets up ... USC (which as anyone knowledgeable can tell you) to pull something fast. They think they should make the most $$ in sports.

 

[uconndogs]

the Math

This says $37m a school in the B12 conference TV contract - with OU & UT - up in 4 years. And they are scrambling. The speculation above is they stay $20-25m per annum after they bring in the 4 expansion members. (who - as AAC were getting less than $7m flat until 2034) methinks - once again - this is highly trial balloon wishing. BYU, we've seen, has a different valuation. But - while a much more interesting hoop conference - I am thinking they are not gonna be in the $20s. a boost for UCF, Cincy, Houston; but, a serious hit for 8 current B12 schools. Thanks Sooners & Longhorns.

As someone who loved Pac10 Football. Yes. The Time Zone is a TV issue. But not grabbing Texas, OU when you grabbed Utah & Colorado was a mistake. They absolutely are a fit for you academically - so you don't have to whine about that - and you would have figured it out. The Dallas/Houston plane ride is pretty easy to LAX. There is no damn good reason to not think that through strategically. Except? It is the Tradition mindset. I think it sets up ... USC (which as anyone knowledgeable can tell you) to pull something fast. They think they should make the most $$ in sports.

The ORD to LAX connection is easy too. I have to imagine the BiG is eying California. Markets are just too big to be ignored.

 

[Adios]

The fans that buy tickets and go to games rejected the AAC. If we were still there and didn't get on the latest lifeboat we would have lost everything.

I wouldn't be surprised if UConn was informed through "tortious interference" to prepare for this move. We're obviously backed by the "Alliance".

College athletics has become like Star Wars. Holy war rivalries will easily form for TCU, Baylor and BYU. Iowa State might side with BYU with towns like Lamoni. Kirtland isn't too far from Cincinnati or WVU. UCF and Houston might side with TCU and Baylor.

 

[Redding Husky]

The fans that buy tickets and go to games rejected the AAC. If we were still there and didn't get on the latest lifeboat we would have lost everything.

UConn fans naively rejected the AAC, looking down their nose at a pretty good conference. We were “too good” for them.

But that’s all done. It’s irrelevant now.

 

[Adios]

UConn fans naively rejected the AAC, looking down their nose at a pretty good conference. We were “too good” for them.

But that’s all done. It’s irrelevant now.

 

[huskymedic]

Being Indy, BYU has reasonably complete schedules out to 2028. Wonder how they handle that/might be an opportunity for us to pick up some interesting games?

 

[DoctorWho85]

Man imagine having an AD that thought far enough ahead to put that into contracts when Hathaway or Warde was here. We'd be in a completely different place.