Could UConn leave the Big East if conference realignment revs up again? | Page 3 | The Boneyard

Could UConn leave the Big East if conference realignment revs up again?

Conference realignment is about football, specifically football $, and football $ only, no other sport, academic standing, nor anything else factors in. No secret ESPN (Disney) is behind it as they have been behind virtually all the conference re-alignment, directly or indirectly, with the dominos that fall after they are done with their plotting and maneuvering.
Really????? Football only??????? Why are Wake Forest, Louisville, Syracuse, BC, Kansas, Vanderbilt, and Colorado in P5 conferences? Those schools suck in almost all major college sports? Not to mention football. UConn has 22 National Championships in major college sports. 22!!!! Can any of these schools even come close to matching that??????
 
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Really????? Football only??????? Why are Wake Forest, Louisville, Syracuse, BC, Kansas, Vanderbilt, and Colorado in P5 conferences? Those schools suck in almost all major college sports? Not to mention football. UConn has 22 National Championships in major college sports. 22!!!! Can any of these schools even come close to matching that??????
UConn has a lot going for it that's for sure. Football looms as a negative for now given the priority this sport has in realignment but I think when it comes to future media contracts that other sports add to year-round programming value. Look how D-1 softball is so popular now, even pulling better ratings than baseball. Lax will continue to grow as its footprint expands across the country - that adds value to an overall contract. I'd like to think that ESPN, being based in CT, has a vested interest if not obligation to ensure that its home state university eventually settles in a terrific conference that can yield it the annual payments of one of the top 3 conferences today.

Someone should be hitting up Disney/ESPN or a famous alum to donate enough money to name the UConn School of Communications that can be a feeder to careers at that company.
 
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Really????? Football only??????? Why are Wake Forest, Louisville, Syracuse, BC, Kansas, Vanderbilt, and Colorado in P5 conferences? Those schools suck in almost all major college sports? Not to mention football. UConn has 22 National Championships in major college sports. 22!!!! Can any of these schools even come close to matching that??????
Syracuse, BC, Louisville were part of the ESPN plan to destroy the BE, period. The others have been members of their current conferences long before any of this garbage, except Colorado, who somewhat fits your otherwise flawed reply.
If you don’t think all of this is about football $, why don’t we talk about a bridge I just put on the market?
 
A possible silver lining is that Texas may not have the same attraction to in-state recruits whose families will get to see far fewer games in person unless they don't mind travelling to "foreign" lands. ;)
 
UConn has a lot going for it that's for sure. Football looms as a huge negative for now given the priority this sport has in realignment but I think when it comes to future media contracts that other sports add to year-round programming value. Look how D-1 softball is so popular now, even pulling better ratings than baseball. Lax will continue to grow as its footprint expands across the country - that adds value to an overall contract. I'd like to think that ESPN, being based in CT, has a vested interest if not obligation to ensure that its home state university eventually settles in a terrific conference that can yield it the annual payments of one of the top 3 conferences today.

Someone should be hitting up Disney/ESPN or a famous alum to donate enough money to name the UConn School of Communications that can be a feeder to careers at that company.
I wouldn’t call the football program a huge negative as long as the athletic Dept, the school in general, and the coaching staff continues to endeavor to improve the program. Though I can’t argue with someone just calling the program a negative and dropping the word “huge”.
 
I wouldn’t call the football program a huge negative as long as the athletic Dept, the school in general, and the coaching staff continues to endeavor to improve the program. Though I can’t argue with someone just calling the program a negative and dropping the word “huge”.
agree and edited. I believe in Randy Edsall and think UConn football is on the right track.
 
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Travel expenses from being in a conference outside the Northeast makes any move impossible. Get used to the Big East.
 
Travel expenses from being in a conference outside the Northeast makes any move impossible. Get used to the Big East.
While I wouldn't expect Uconn to get an offer from the Big 10 or ACC anytime soon, those schools aren't any further away than Creighton, Marquette, and Butler and they'd be getting a bigger payout. So in the off chance the offer comes they're taking it if their net bottom line after travel expenses is bigger than it is now (and it iikely would be).
 
Really????? Football only??????? Why are Wake Forest, Louisville, Syracuse, BC, Kansas, Vanderbilt, and Colorado in P5 conferences? Those schools suck in almost all major college sports? Not to mention football. UConn has 22 National Championships in major college sports. 22!!!! Can any of these schools even come close to matching that??????
23. Don’t forget to he 1948 men’s soccer championship.
 
With the new TV contract for the SEC (including Texas and Oklahoma) each school's cut of JUST the TV revenue is estimated to be $70 mil.
 
With the new TV contract for the SEC (including Texas and Oklahoma) each school's cut of JUST the TV revenue is estimated to be $70 mil.
The big schools have athletic dept. revenues in the $170 to $240 million range. Don't think we are in that club.
 
Travel expenses from being in a conference outside the Northeast makes any move impossible. Get used to the Big East.
Doesn’t seem to bother BC or Syracuse flying all over the eastern third of the country. Not to mention a few OOC trips to Texas, sunny California or Hawaii.
 
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It would be a great thing if UConn was invited to the ACC or BIG. Except it's not gonna happen. First, we don't really know what is going to happen with Texas and Oklahoma. If they do opt to move, the dominos will fall in the big 12 and in the other P5 conferences. The AAC could become stronger, or they can get weaker. Clemson has been threatening to move recently, and Georgia Tech could be right behind them. If UConn was still in the AAC then this could present an opportunity, but the move to the BE was celebrated by us and the conference. Trying to leave now would not help UConns Rep, and they would be looked upon as a bad partner. If Randy can bring back the football program we would have a chance next time someone wants to make a move. This year will be critical for the football team, especially since there are a number of P5 teams on the schedule, including Clemson. As far as teams joining the BE, Kansas has a poor football program and may want to look into an independent schedule. All in all, Uconn has to sit this one out and become an observer until they are also financially sound. They are not ready to move anywhere.
No university gets an invitation to the SEC, ACC, B1G or the PAC12 unless they have a big time football program. Big time as in financially attractive to ESPN. FB pays the bills, always has. Those conferences are not looking to add new members that don’t “pay their way”.

The B1G paid out $54million to each of its 14 members last year. They aren’t dividing the pie more unless a new member(s) can bring the kind of pull needed to renegotiate the TV deal so that revenue and payments go up, not down. Think ND. Don’t think UCONN.

Same for the ACC, which paid $34million to each member, it’s ND or they take a hard pass. They don’t want to divide their pie into more pieces either unless the new member will pay their own way by enticing a new tv deal with ESPN. WV does not move the needle for ESPN, and only gets an ACC invite if ND enters first.

The SEC is getting ready to pay it’s members $61 million each. Once Texas/OU are officially in, that is expected to be renegotiated with ESPN to approximately $70million each, because Texas and OU bring big time FB programs to the table. They “pay their way” and add to the pie.

UCONN isn’t going to get any invites into conferences like that because they would be revenue draining rather than revenue adding. The schools in the last 4 major conferences already dwarf all others in revenue and annual payments to member schools. This will widen much much more as time goes by.

If anyone thinks that those riches won’t find their way into the NIL system for student athletes they are kidding themselves.
 
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While I wouldn't expect Uconn to get an offer from the Big 10 or ACC anytime soon, those schools aren't any further away than Creighton, Marquette, and Butler and they'd be getting a bigger payout. So in the off chance the offer comes they're taking it if their net bottom line after travel expenses is bigger than it is now (and it iikely would be).
If UConn got an offer from the ACC or Big 10, or even a diluted Big 12, they’d leave the Big East faster than an X-15. With football being the linchpin.
 
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Anything pre August of 1973 doesn’t count as an NCAA Championship
True, but we were talking national championships not NCAA championships.
 
For 2019, UCONN FB averaged a little over 10,200 in actual home attendance for each game. There are women’s basketball teams that draw larger average crowds.

Tickets scanned​

Wagner: 10,701
Illinois: 14,133
South Florida: 10,715
Houston: 9,563
Navy: 10,462
East Carolina: 6,142
Average: 10,286
 
For 2019, UCONN FB averaged a little over 10,200 in actual home attendance for each game. There are women’s basketball teams that draw larger average crowds.

Tickets scanned​

Wagner: 10,701
Illinois: 14,133
South Florida: 10,715
Houston: 9,563
Navy: 10,462
East Carolina: 6,142
Average: 10,286
I think there’s only one.
 
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Syracuse, BC, Louisville were part of the ESPN plan to destroy the BE, period. The others have been members of their current conferences long before any of this garbage, except Colorado, who somewhat fits your otherwise flawed reply.
If you don’t think all of this is about football $, why don’t we talk about a bridge I just put on the market?
Nice fairy tale, and I wouldn’t take your stupid bridge if it was free. ESPN never killed the Big East. The Big East killed themselves when the Catholic Basketball schools voted no to inviting Penn State in 1982. I’d brush up on your history if I were you.
 
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No university gets an invitation to the SEC, ACC, B1G or the PAC12 unless they have a big time football program. Big time as in financially attractive to ESPN. FB pays the bills, always has. Those conferences are not looking to add new members that don’t “pay their way”.

The B1G paid out $54million to each of its 14 members last year. They aren’t dividing the pie more unless a new member(s) can bring the kind of pull needed to renegotiate the TV deal so that revenue and payments go up, not down. Think ND. Don’t think UCONN.

Same for the ACC, which paid $34million to each member, it’s ND or they take a hard pass. They don’t want to divide their pie into more pieces either unless the new member will pay their own way by enticing a new tv deal with ESPN. WV does not move the needle for ESPN, and only gets an ACC invite if ND enters first.

The SEC is getting ready to pay it’s members $61 million each. Once Texas/OU are officially in, that is expected to be renegotiated with ESPN to approximately $70million each, because Texas and OU bring big time FB programs to the table. They “pay their way” and add to the pie.

UCONN isn’t going to get any invites into conferences like that because they would be revenue draining rather than revenue adding. The schools in the last 4 major conferences already dwarf all others in revenue and annual payments to member schools. This will widen much much more as time goes by.

If anyone thinks that those riches won’t find their way into the NIL system for student athletes they are kidding themselves.
Said the physics professor who stamped their checks with passing grades.
 
Anyone remember this article written just after UCONN decided to leave the AAC for the BE? In hindsight the author was spot on….

 
Doesn’t seem to bother BC or Syracuse flying all over the eastern third of the country. Not to mention a few OOC trips to Texas, sunny California or Hawaii.
BC and Syracuse may have benefited financially on the football side, but its been years since their overall athletic program has been relevant in terms of wins and losses. Not sure this is a path for UConn to take.
 
The big schools have athletic dept. revenues in the $170 to $240 million range. Don't think we are in that club.
Only a handful of the REALLY big schools in MegaConferences have revenue like that.

Let's assume that the shakeout is going to be 4 FOUR 16-20 team conferences. That's 64-80 teams. Included will be private schools that don't have to report their finances like giants Stanford, Southern Cal, Notre Dame, and charity wealthy like Northwestern, Vandy, Wake Forest and a small handful of others. The rest will be school in the top 50 or 60 revenue producers. UConn does have a budget on the lower range. Would probably not make if four 16 team conferences emerge, but probably would if it's four 20 team conferences - if budgets are the criteria.

---------------------------------------------------------------TOTAL REVENUE---------TOTAL EXPENSES (2018-2019)
1TexasBig 12$223,879,781$204,234,897$00.00
2Texas A&MSEC$212,748,002$169,012,456$00.00
3Ohio StateBig Ten$210,548,239$220,572,956$00.00
4MichiganBig Ten$197,820,410$190,952,175$261,7730.13
5GeorgiaSEC$174,042,482$143,299,554$3,508,8502.02
6Penn StateBig Ten$164,529,326$160,369,805$00.00
7AlabamaSEC$164,090,889$185,317,681$2,654,5511.62
8OklahomaBig 12$163,126,695$157,958,270$00.00
9FloridaSEC$159,706,937$141,829,002$2,261,7731.42
10LSUSEC$157,787,782$148,977,880$00.00
11WisconsinBig Ten$157,660,107$154,621,828$3,029,0001.92
12Florida StateACC$152,757,883$150,147,316$15,607,01910.22
13AuburnSEC$152,455,416$139,260,711$5,261,2523.45
14IowaBig Ten$151,976,026$146,282,275$650,0000.43
15KentuckySEC$150,435,842$144,886,246$00.00
16TennesseeSEC$143,765,903$142,976,173$00.00
17South CarolinaSEC$140,695,659$136,879,732$00.00
18Michigan StateBig Ten$140,010,865$135,655,740$885,6900.63
19LouisvilleACC$139,955,824$151,167,940$5,923,8174.23
20ArkansasSEC$137,497,788$129,620,361$00.00
21NebraskaBig Ten$136,233,460$124,148,206$00.00
22ClemsonACC$133,861,515$131,978,513$5,602,4404.19
23WashingtonPac-12$133,792,677$131,317,636$4,151,9643.10
24MinnesotaBig Ten$130,456,454$129,450,256$7,972,7326.11
25IndianaBig Ten$127,832,628$114,822,135$2,954,5052.31
26OregonPac-12$127,508,498$128,943,543$452,9240.36
27Arizona StatePac-12$121,698,840$118,404,377$19,356,13415.90
28KansasBig 12$121,553,307$108,881,800$1,746,2741.44
29IllinoisBig Ten$118,565,501$120,168,951$8,652,8157.30
30Mississippi StateSEC$112,273,809$98,832,615$00.00
31PurdueBig Ten$110,844,907$102,026,477$00.00
32VirginiaACC$110,219,117$112,621,238$18,429,80116.72
33MarylandBig Ten$108,796,303$108,785,924$25,363,71523.31
34MississippiSEC$108,442,428$113,013,400$3,095,3962.85
35UCLAPac-12$108,412,967$127,339,042$2,577,2132.38
36North CarolinaACC$107,812,619$110,809,706$9,163,3748.50
37MissouriSEC$106,610,244$108,398,447$1,015,0000.95
38ArizonaPac-12$105,091,389$100,565,835$21,886,16720.83
39RutgersBig Ten$103,251,280$103,167,344$29,859,39528.92
40West VirginiaBig 12$102,680,928$98,249,890$3,902,8993.80
41UtahPac-12$99,526,695$96,000,514$12,594,51312.65
42Virginia TechACC$96,772,489$93,961,068$10,278,33810.62
43Texas TechBig 12$96,625,347$95,132,604$3,517,6723.64
44Iowa StateBig 12$95,411,884$95,315,376$2,054,3142.15
45Oklahoma StateBig 12$95,335,482$95,008,483$87,6400.09
46ColoradoPac-12$94,935,198$98,413,284$12,283,02512.94
47North Carolina StateACC$92,724,548$90,100,025$6,851,9897.39
48Kansas StateBig 12$89,919,822$83,079,244$00.00
49CaliforniaPac-12$87,500,758$106,676,734$00.00
50Georgia TechACC$85,802,112$96,334,831$8,257,1829.62
51Oregon StatePac-12$82,058,386$82,364,021$11,811,72514.39
52ConnecticutAAC$80,900,404$80,814,173$43,856,48454.21
53HoustonAAC$75,049,955$73,678,308$48,372,19664.45
54Washington StatePac-12$71,691,339$76,258,966$5,462,0157.62
55Central FloridaAAC$69,121,887$67,916,343$31,739,06745.92
56CincinnatiAAC$68,845,672$66,832,326$29,702,42043.14
57Air ForceMt. West$60,009,782$54,192,115$40,851,96268.08
58East CarolinaAAC$59,970,346$56,281,920$37,692,72262.85
59Colorado StateMt. West$56,081,379$54,289,162$23,735,34342.32
60MemphisAAC$55,815,109$55,494,325$20,575,51236.86
61South FloridaAAC$55,045,769$53,569,756$32,033,55158.19
62San Diego StateMt. West$54,731,404$55,379,174$29,222,09853.39
63James MadisonCAA$52,704,654$52,704,654$42,086,07579.85
64Nevada-Las VegasMt. West$50,784,275$50,445,250$23,562,15546.40
 
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Actually, UCONN revenue is now at $35.3 million. AD total expenditures were $78.8 million, resulting in a deficit of $43.5 million. Click on the usatoday article above, then click on UCONN for the breakdown of that “reported” $80million dollar revenue. $35million comes from the schools pockets to make up shortages and $8.7million comes from added student fees to help compensate. The school is losing over $43million per year and growing, with real revenues at about $35.3 million/year and dropping.
 
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BC and Syracuse may have benefited financially on the football side, but its been years since their overall athletic program has been relevant in terms of wins and losses. Not sure this is a path for UConn to take.
It’s absolutely all about UConn benefiting financially on the football side. You’re saying joining a power conference is detrimental to a schools success on the court or the field?????? Syracuse does btw have an excellent women’s basketball program and the men’s coach is in the HOF. Geez
 
BC and Syracuse may have benefited financially on the football side, but its been years since their overall athletic program has been relevant in terms of wins and losses. Not sure this is a path for UConn to take.
Running an annual deficit in excess of $43million isn’t the path either, unless you are looking to have even more athletic programs eliminated than the four recently announced. UCONN is now only four programs away from the absolute minimum needed for an athletics department to operate at D1 level.

With FB losing over $16million a year on its own, UCONN will have to eventually make the tough decision to take that program back to the FCS level. No, that is not an easy choice, but unless more programs are going to be eliminated, that decision will eventually have to be made.

Losing $43million a year (most in the nation) isn’t sustainable for long.
 
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I think there’s only one.
There Can Be Only One Highlander GIF
 
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