Courant: No Benefit from Conference.

[msf22b]

"The women's basketball program operates above the politics of conference realignment. The seven-time NCAA champion is a national brand that derives little if no benefit from its conference affiliate, so the end of the Big East won't damage the program."


Hmmm----------------------

 

[Jonathan Husky]

"The women's basketball program operates above the politics of conference realignment. The seven-time NCAA champion is a national brand that derives little if no benefit from its conference affiliate, so the end of the Big East won't damage the program."


Hmmm----------------------

I sure don't agree with you. If UConn is not in a decent conference the WBB will decline despite Geno. The question will be answered with the 2014 recruiting class. My guess is the best players will not take a chance on UConn if it is not in a good conference. They are better off going to one of the other elite programs that are more stable.

 

[msf22b]

Jonathan:
The citation is a quote from the Courant...I question it as well.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

Patience and a positive attitude go a long way in sport and life, as I see it. I am betting with Geno here.

 

[vtcwbuff]

UConn WBB certainly receives a financial benefit from belonging to a conference.

 

[UConnFan23]

More Hmmmm. A few years ago when a high percentage of the WCBB top 20 were Big East teams, Geno and everyone else was talking about it and pointing out the benefits of that strength (such as the excitement of competitiveness, recruiting, etc.). And now it doesn't matter?!?! It does seem that we can't have it both ways without at least one of the points of view being a little delusional

 

[UcMiami]

I think what is being said is that with Geno's connections and the Uconn cache in WCBB they should be able to create a killer schedule every year. Think of a schedule of yearly alternating home and homes with the top three or four teams in the ACC, SEC, B1G, Big 12 and Pac 10. Then add in cherry picking home/home with mid major powers and DePaul and Georgetown from the old BE and you have a better line-up than any one else.
It is the sort of thing that ND football has done for years. It is not something that a lesser program could hope to accomplish, but as long as Geno is around he could probably swing it.
As far as recruiting - Uconn with Geno really doesn't need a 'strong conference' to recruit. The success of the program and his former players is enough to carry the program. The BE strength was more of a plus for the other teams trying to improve than for Uconn or ND who had already arrived.

 

[pap49cba]

Trying to fill a 30 game schedule would be a nightmare. And as other conferences get larger, it is unlikely teams would be willing to go out of conference during the 2nd half of the season. Notre Dame fb only needs to schedule 12 games, not 30.

 

[UcMiami]

Trying to fill a 30 game schedule would be a nightmare. And as other conferences get larger, it is unlikely teams would be willing to go out of conference during the 2nd half of the season. Notre Dame fb only needs to schedule 12 games, not 30.

But as we are finding out - money is king. CBS, ESPN, etc. would be paying a lot for a Uconn/Duke, Uconn/Baylor, Uconn/Stanford game in January - could become the Uconn invitational challenge each year - with the previous years conference winners each having a contest against Uconn in Jan/Feb!

 

[speedoo]

But as we are finding out - money is king. CBS, ESPN, etc. would be paying a lot for a Uconn/Duke, Uconn/Baylor, Uconn/Stanford game in January - could become the Uconn invitational challenge each year - with the previous years conference winners each having a contest against Uconn in Jan/Feb!

Unless there is a dramatic change to the way conference games are scheduled, there is little chance that anyone, including UConn, could effectively schedule 30 games without a conference affiliation.

 

[tomcat]

Looks to me like this was written by someone without the foggiest notion of how sports works, but who is an ardent believer in the Power of Geno.

Well, I'm a believer, too, but the Power of Geno extends to taking talent and molding them into excellent basketball teams. He cannot force other schools to change their schedules to accommodate a suddenly independent team. As someone else has noted, if you're Notre Dame, say, and you want to schedule UConn, you now have to do so around previous commitments plus all your in-league games. They just may not be able to, Geno or no Geno.

And when recruits see this (and it will be pointed out to them by other teams, you can be sure), then they suddenly will find the lure of Muffet or Holly or Sylvia or, God help us, C Viv to be more powerful than the Power of Geno. UConn's recruiting will be a shadow of its former self and Geno will retire or leave as it all comes undone.

I'm not saying this will happen, but if there's no conference, or a weak conference, it certainly could happen.

 

[Scotter]

The initial quote was not implying that UConn go independent. UConn women's basketball will be in a conference. the quote simply refers to UConn being protected against playing in a weaker conference. UConn women's basketball program has structures in place that protect it from playing in a week conference both in terms of finances and exposure at least over the length of Geno's next contract. UConn is not Louisiana Tech. At least over Geno's next contract the UConn's women's basketball program is financially independent, and not reliant on conference football TV money to subsidize the budget. The women's program is one of only two national brands in women's basketball. Something Louisiana Tech never was, despite their success. UConn is protected against a weak conference TV contract both by their SNY TV deal and their relationship with ESPN, which Geno has strengthened by his willingness to play whoever and whenever ESPN. UConn women's basketball isn't reliant on football TV contract subsidies or the collective bargaining power of a conference in order to get on national TV. Could that all of that start to go away down the line when Geno retires? Sure, but UConn has some time to get their men's basketball and football programs in order to get that invitation to the ACC before the women's basketball program is really affected.

Trying to fill a 30 game schedule would be a nightmare. And as other conferences get larger, it is unlikely teams would be willing to go out of conference during the 2nd half of the season. Notre Dame fb only needs to schedule 12 games, not 30.

 

[msf22b]

Courant staff writers John Altavilla, Dom Amore and Desmond Conner contributed to this story. Tom: FYI: I am not permitted by Yarder's to comment on one of the authors

 

[speedoo]

The initial quote was not implying that UConn go independent. UConn women's basketball will be in a conference. the quote simply refers to UConn being protected against playing in a weaker conference. UConn women's basketball program has structures in place that protect it from playing in a week conference both in terms of finances and exposure at least over the length of Geno's next contract. UConn is not Louisiana Tech. At least over Geno's next contract the UConn's women's basketball program is financially independent, and not reliant on conference football TV money to subsidize the budget. The women's program is one of only two national brands in women's basketball. Something Louisiana Tech never was, despite their success. UConn is protected against a weak conference TV contract both by their SNY TV deal and their relationship with ESPN, which Geno has strengthened by his willingness to play whoever and whenever ESPN. UConn women's basketball isn't reliant on football TV contract subsidies or the collective bargaining power of a conference in order to get on national TV. Could that all of that start to go away down the line when Geno retires? Sure, but UConn has some time to get their men's basketball and football programs in order to get that invitation to the ACC before the women's basketball program is really affected.

How exactly is UConn WBB protected from playing in a weak conference? The only way that is guaranteed is if UConn either moves en toto to the ACC, B1G, or B12, or if there is some kind of non-football conference relationship similar to what ND now has with the ACC going forward.

 

[semper]

UConn must move. And I believe that it soon will....there has to be a way out of this...

 

[Harry Mangurian]

Unless they are in a power conference, when Geno goes, so does the program.

 

[ndmb]

Unless they are in a power conference, when Geno goes, so does the program.

That

 

[uconnfan68]

Trying to fill a 30 game schedule would be a nightmare. And as other conferences get larger, it is unlikely teams would be willing to go out of conference during the 2nd half of the season. Notre Dame fb only needs to schedule 12 games, not 30.

We'll be in a conference. Doesn't matter who they are, they'll get better. The Catholic schools, not seeing them surviving. They'll devise some religious objection to Title IX and get rid of WBB.

 

[uconnfan68]

Unless they are in a power conference, when Geno goes, so does the program.

Whoever follows him will continue most of what he does. I'd be almost sure it will be from within the program. Lots of quality choices.

 

[pap49cba]

The absence of a conference tournament would be a big minus.

 

[BooRadley]

...They'll devise some religious objection to Title IX and get rid of WBB.

Any chance we could post about our beloved Huskies without adding an asinine political comment? How about adding no political commentary... That would be nice...

Boo

 

[Scotter]

Again the article was not talking about UConn becoming an independent. Every conference except the Ivy has a conference tournament.

The absence of a conference tournament would be a big minus.

 

[pap49cba]

Again the article was not talking about UConn becoming an independent. Every conference except the Ivy has a conference tournament.

So what does this mean?

"In fact, the Huskies probably would also survive as an independent, a fact that Auriemma alluded to a few weeks ago."

 

[speedoo]

Again the article was not talking about UConn becoming an independent. Every conference except the Ivy has a conference tournament.

Can you provide a link to the article?. All we have is an incomplete segment and I am very confused as to what the article actually says.

 

[Jonathan Husky]

UConn must move. And I believe that it soon will....there has to be a way out of this...

They can't move without an invitation. For some reason they can't get one from the ACC. I can't believe Louisville is a more desirable addition to the ACC than UConn. It feels like there are schools in the ACC (Boston College) that are actively trying to keep UConn out.