Could Our Fears Be Overblown?

[whaler11]

That's your opinion. I'm not convinced.

Well we might find out. But if you think you are sitting at the adult table at Thanksgiving when the three biggest programs in your conference are UConn, Rutgers and USF.... I mean it's so ridiculous it's funny.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

A Big 12 merger with the Big East football schools would dramatically improve the Huskies schedule strength. It might take a few years to get back to a winning record but the adjustment would be a great step forward for the program. Much of the cream of the Big 12 is still there and they are tough to beat. Talking about Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

That's another option that I think could potentially be great for us if they'd be open to adding us. More than likely that doesn't happen unless they want to go to 16 teams though.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

Well we might find out. But if you think you are sitting at the adult table at Thanksgiving when the three biggest programs in your conference are UConn, Rutgers and USF.... I mean it's so ridiculous it's funny.

And hopefully if we are stuck in the BE under this scenario we'll be laughing all the way to the bank.....

 

[ctchamps]

Have any of you read this article. Things could be over in a couple of weeks.

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/s...-hope-join-sec-had-wanted-big-ten-invite-most

 

[toppencil]

That's another option that I think could potentially be great for us if they'd be open to adding us. More than likely that doesn't happen unless they want to go to 16 teams though.

Well, given that there was negotiation earlier in the year and given that once Missouri leaves the math works 9 + 6 + TCU, a 16 team conference makes sense to me. Travel and geography are certainly issues, but UConn would suffer the most in that regard. It shouldn't bother the Mid-Western schools.

 

[businesslawyer]

I get it. I want to be in an AQ conference, but not at the expense of playing a bunch of schools that I just don't care about. I think as an independent, playing home and homes with the likes of say Michigan State, would drive far more excitement than playing CFU or ECU in an AQ conference. We would have zero rivalries in some of these whacked-out proposed conference scenarios.

When I was at KU, we never missed a K-State or Missouri game, or Oklahoma or Nebraska. Colorado was good then too. Nebraska would pack Lawrence...Winnebago city, all with red NU flags. Wild scene. There is no way than anyone in CT would feel the same way about East Carolina, Central Florida, Memphis or Houston. There is just no connection. I don't care what conference status is on the line, we will never have a sense of belonging in such a league.

Other than a whopping five year history, ECU and UCF are less exciting to a Connecticut fan than Cincy and USF why?

 

[Waquoit]

As a UConn football fan I want us to play in a BCS conference first and foremost. If that conference has a core of:

UConn
Rutgers
South Florida
Cincinnati
Temple
Villanova
East Carolina
Central Florida
Southern Methodist
Houston

That league would kill UConn sports across the board. Try again.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

That league would kill UConn sports across the board. Try again.

You try again.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

Other than a whopping five year history, ECU and UCF are less exciting to a Connecticut fan than Cincy and USF why?

Honestly that's what I want to know too. If we can get excited for USF and Cincy we could get excited for new additions from CUSA as well. I think that is still a more attractive league than the MWC from a TV point of view considering the bball schools and ND and I think if there are still 6 BCS AQ leagues it would be one of them whether America agreed or not. It really woundn't be that much of a change since everyone hates the BE anyway when it comes to football.

 

[businesslawyer]

Well, there is a dialogue that elevates the discussion

 

[WestCoastHusky]

CUSA 2.0 is where we might end up if things are going the way some have predicted here. Perhaps some of the CUSA teams with BCS tag will elevate themselves to BCS caliber programs. It might not happen overnight, but it could happen like USF and CINCY. If we do end up in CUSA 2.0, we got no choice other than trying to make the best of it.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

CUSA 2.0 is where we might end up if things are going the way some have predicted here. Perhaps some of the CUSA teams with BCS tag will elevate themselves to BCS caliber programs. It might not happen overnight, but it could happen like USF and CINCY. If we do end up in CUSA 2.0, we got no choice other than trying to make the best of it.

No choice at all if we don't get an invite. It would still be much better than CUSA overall though due to basketball but the football side would be pretty close to it.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

UConn/Rutgers
South Florida/Central Florida
Cincinnati/ECU
Temple/Nova
Southern Methodist/Houston

This is kind of ugly but it is like a PAC-10 lite with local traveling partners for all the schools. It will still keep us in NYC, New England, FLA, Philly, Dallas and Houston.

Basketball would suck if we are not part of the BE. Football would be ok. It will be better than CUSA but not by much.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

UConn/Rutgers
South Florida/Central Florida
Cincinnati/ECU
Temple/Nova
Southern Methodist/Houston

This is kind of ugly but it is like a PAC-10 lite with local traveling partners for all the schools. It will still keep us in NYC, New England, FLA, Philly, Dallas and Houston.

Basketball would suck if we are not part of the BE. Football would be ok. It will be better than CUSA but not by much.

This will be the Big East though so I don't see where losing the basketball schools would even be an option.

 

[mattp]

the Big East won't lose it's BCS bid. like everybody says, the BCS is about money, and they don't make more money by alienating markets. they make more money (and add an extra BCS bid for the SEC) by adding another BCS game. why not say the Cotton Bowl is a BCS bowl now? it gives you two more bids, one for a third team of whatever conference is dominant at the time, and another for the MWC/CUSA to fight over. the BCS will not become more exclusive because it can't afford the political heat.

the idea that the BCS would rather piss off the congressmen of 5-7 major state universities than make a ton more money off another BCS game is ridiculous.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

the idea that the BCS would rather piss off the congressmen of 5-7 major state universities than make a ton more money off another BCS game is ridiculous.

I definitely agree with this. It's not really a zero sum game. There are still programs with potential in good markets that could bring more money to the BCS system period.

 

[uconnbaseball]

Our fears are being way overblown. We'll be fine. This expansion issue wasn't going to be solved in a couple of weeks. Patience people.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

It's pretty clear now that if we don't get out of the Big East we will be in a conference with most football members coming from CUSA or the MAC. It is what it is. All we can really do is continue to support UConn and hope for the best. No point worrying about things we can't control. Well, we can worry but no point just giving up on UConn. If we are left in CUSA 2.0 as people are saying so be it. If that's the case we need to hope that those teams can be competive and do enough on the field to allow us to retain our BCS bid. If we end up in the weakest BCS league but are now one of the top teams in it nothing has changed except that we would be closer to the top of the league for football and maybe be favored to win it every year instead of finish in the bottom half.

 

[uconnfan68]

I'm starting to calm down over realignment and am really starting to feel like UConn will be okay regardless of what happens. If the Big 12 does stay together and even if they poach WVU and UofL and preemptively TCU I think the likelihood that the current BCS structure remaining pretty much the same is pretty high. If that is the case I really don't see any scenario where our BCS bid is stripped and just handed over to the MWC.

If the Big East can still be one of the top 2 or 3 basketball leagues in the country then we will still be able to get big money for our TV deal. Football is not and never was going to be a real factor for the BE TV deal aside from the fact that yes we do have football to broadcast during football season. BE football is a non-factor nationally and we all know that. That is why teams are leaving but if basketball remains relevant and the BE tourney remains a top draw all we really have to do is what we have been doing since 2003 and that is put enough football teams on the field to have a football conference.

As parodoxical as it seems the only reason the BE is a BCS conference is due to our basketball strength and our TV markets and that honestly can still be salvaged. I'm just gonna sit back and relax and until something terrible actually happens (stripped of BCS bid, very bad TV deal, etc.) I'm not going to worry about it.

NO! If another FB team leaves the Big East is GONE!!!! The CYO teams can't carry it. Do you want to be the only FBS school left in it? The basketball schools are sliding downhill faster than anyone. Seton Hall? Providence? DePaul? Please. Good history and tradition, but nothing for 20 years (or more) from any of them.

 

[Viao]

Why do you think that the BCS would rather let you keep the AQ? Don't you think the BCS will make more money for 1 more SEC vs. Big 12 or Pac 12 vs. Big 10 game? Also, the SEC has been pushing for max of 3 bids for a conference, where do you think that bid is coming from.

But on the other hand, let's say you still have USF and Cincy and you add Boise St, then you still have a chance. In all fairness, in terms of BCS ratings, the ACC is probably just as weak.