Conf USA in Talks with UConn, Liberty, NMSU | Page 16 | The Boneyard

Conf USA in Talks with UConn, Liberty, NMSU

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Dooooooomed said:
So now we're downgrading our football schedule/TV contract AND sacrificing 2 OOC MBB games vs that competition in order to do so... ??? :confused: I know AD Dave is being diplomatic, but I'd almost rather he come out and say we aren't interested (particularly if CUSA is leaking this false narrative).
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We all hope he’s being diplomatic. But these are all assumptions. Say it ain’t so.
 
Goatmeat said:
UConn will never be AAU. There are so many universities ahead of us in that matter. The northeast is tricky. While it is a strong public university in the northeast, there are 20-30 schools (mostly private) that are stronger academic institution within a 200 mile radius. Schools like Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma don’t face a similar predicament. AAU will never happen here. It’s time to move on. Too many political reasons as well.
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You're entitled to your opinion. And that's what it is. There was a time that UConn was a tiny agricultural college. Many people said it would never be more. And now it is a respected university. AAU is within reach of UConn.
 
So many inaccuracies in that article. Whoever wrote that must have just crawled out of a hole.
 
huskymedic said:
That was from Saturday?
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Yeah, it's more the wording than the timing.

STORRS, CT (WFSB) - UConn football could potentially find itself in a new conference.

It's not a guarantee, but team officials say UConn Athletic Director David Benedict has had discussions with the Conference USA officials about joining their conference.

"Characterizing these interactions as negotiations is an overstatement. I will always do what I think is in the best interest of UConn and I am open to having conversations with anyone in an effort to position us for long-term success," Benedict said.
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metsfan2323 said:
You keep talking about Villanova like they are FBS, is this something they are on record as considering in the near future or are you dreaming?
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No 100%
 
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Add this supposed “former AD” to the list of people that have no idea that UConn has a tv deal, has had good luck scheduling big names and that recruiting picked up as an Indy. People are just clueless about our situation because they can’t see past the losing.

I think there is room for us to be an independent long term. When schools like Liberty join a conference, we lose them as an obvious annual opponent but we we also lose them as competition for other games available. We have a known name and we will be able to get games. We need to become presentable though, so fanbases don’t start to whine about us hurting their schedule strength too much or just being a boring opponent in general.
 
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Only UConn mention:

-> UConn and/or UMass have been mentioned among options for an eighth member, but for now, the league would have only seven members if it brings in the four other programs. UConn would only potentially join for football given its Big East ties in basketball and other sports.

The NCAA Manual states an FBS conference must be comprised of at least eight members that all sponsor a minimum of six men's and eight women's sports. The 14 sports must include football and men's and women's basketball.

A conference has a "grace period" of two years to retain FBS membership if it falls below eight members, the manual states. Conference USA is seemingly in that position now.

The NCAA also requires conferences to have a minimum of six members to qualify for an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament <-
 
huskymedic said:
… or Gene DeFillippo (which actually makes sense too).
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I don’t really understand why Dimauro thinks he has to grant anonymity to retired AD’s just so they can criticize UConn. He’s not protecting sources here, it’s just opinion.
 
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In my opinion… if we joined CUSA as football only…. and it’s a 8 or 9 team league (so we get to still do 4 good of conference games) kept our tv contract with CBSSN - it might not be a bad place to rebuild … we would be a big fish and could dictate a lot… CUSA is just trying to stay alive right now … also no exit fees…. So maybe that’s what Benedict is thinking….
 
CT Football said:
In my opinion… if we joined CUSA as football only…. and it’s a 8 or 9 team league (so we get to still do 4 good of conference games) kept our tv contract with CBSSN - it might not be a bad place to rebuild … we would be a big fish and could dictate a lot… CUSA is just trying to stay alive right now … also no exit fees…. So maybe that’s what Benedict is thinking….
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Yup, as all of the independent schools get scooped up its going to become very difficult to put together a schedule in October and November. The landscape is shifting all around us and we don't want to be left out in the cold.
 
The funny thing about some of these tweets is they talk about firming up C-USA to be able to "get" UMass for football only. UMass has all but begged to be invited as a football only member. People without insight to UConn's thinking are continuing to make assumptions.
 
It should be obvious: UConn's position is firmly against a FB conference whereby we are united with wings of FB playing Universities that are geographically far from home & clearly not aligned with our Brand/Profile. We are best as a hoop centric school with MSG + a football program that emerges with a winning record in the next few years. If UMass thinks (or their fans think), we have any lever to push to get into that central southern mess, they don't know our path. We didn't crap out of the MAC; we tried and overwhelmingly chose to scoot the AAC - a far better league. The writing was on the wall: WE were not going to get a P5 slot through that path.

I want our fellow stakeholders to also swallow this: WE are not going to get scooped up by the current structure at B1G or ACC. And North Dakota State ain't going MW. It is just not in the cards; we didn't miss by much. But we did miss. However, my guess is the Opportunity Window may open. Because as the money gets bigger and bigger, I think the Texas/OK move also signals that about 15-20 schools think they are better than the other 45. As this Cincinnati dismissal in the polls also portray. The Oligarchy is rising. They will go to $70m a University in SEC or B1G ... and think: Why the heck are we pulling along Vandy. Duke. Northwestern. etc. The Alabama - Georgia greed mixed with Texas + Texas A&M is toxic. And the opening is when they nudge a new tier. UConn healthy in football can be in the slot to play the Rutgers and VaTech again.

I - a child of the 60s and 70s - believe that we can pull back and other things can work. Temple? Buffalo? Their world got tougher. An appealing Football alliance can emerge. But I do think we need the current Northeast FCS to think that the earthquake is snapping. The distinction between FBS + FCS in the Northeast keeps us, Buffalo UMass from natural rivals that Delaware, Villanova and other emerging programs could be. Why do we see JMU follow Coastal, App State and about 10 others get to FBS and get good; with a resulting flow of more money more money. And that won't translate to our region? You might say the old Yankee Conference foes are just happy as is. But that doesn't answer for Stony Brook. Albany, Towson. Change can come.
 
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