Delany

[NickyNewark]

Why does the B1G need an even number? With that many you won't be playing every team in bball twice anyway. In FB you can have three pods of 5 and have a four team playoff with the pod winners and 1 at-large.

I dont think its "etched in stone" as they've had odd numbers before for temporary periods. If anyone else offers or even considers UConn the B1G will immediately convene IMO. I bet behind the scenes thing are going on quietly but steadily.

 

[UConn Dan]

Why does the B1G need an even number? With that many you won't be playing every team in bball twice anyway. In FB you can have three pods of 5 and have a four team playoff with the pod winners and 1 at-large.

NCAA rule requires all conferences with 12 or more teams to be split into two equal divisions with each division champion meeting in a conference championship game.

Now John Swofford and the ACC are petitioning for a rule change that would allow conferences to determine how they setup their divisions (or no divisions) and how they pick up champion.

 

[UConn Dan]

I dont think its "etched in stone" as they've had odd numbers before for temporary periods. If anyone else offers or even considers UConn the B1G will immediately convene IMO. I bet behind the scenes thing are going on quietly but steadily.

B1G had 11 teams (see my response to goodie above).

 

[billybud]

B1G had 11 teams (see my response to goodie above).

They did...but had no CCG when they were at 11.

The ACC also was at 11...and the NCAA denied them a CCG without 12...so they added.

 

[clmssun]

Admit UCONN as a 15th member today but partial football member (similar to the ND/ACC deal). Instant boost to basketball profile and eastern exposure. Another chance for northeast B1G alums to see their schools play (if they can't get to Rutgers). B1G teams (5-6 per year) would help UCONN football boost its profile with recruiting and, eventually, get to a point that it will be competitive. Then in 2020, everyone can revisit when some of these GORs expire and find another full time partner to get UCONN a full membership (and revenue split).

I would love for this to happen, but I see it as extremely unlikely. Notre Dame got their deal with the ACC because it significantly benefited both parties. While UConn's additional New York plus new New England exposure should be good for B1G, I have concerns as to the benefit (to B1G) of adding a few UConn-B1G football games per year. The frustrating conundrum here is that it is UConn's basketball that should be attractive to B1G under any circumstance -- full or partial membership -- but the B1G's present athletic concerns/"needs"/weaknesses are on the football front... just as with UConn.

 

[Pat125]

NCAA rule requires all conferences with 12 or more teams to be split into two equal divisions with each division champion meeting in a conference championship game.

Now John Swofford and the ACC are petitioning for a rule change that would allow conferences to determine how they setup their divisions (or no divisions) and how they pick up champion.

Does the MAC have a special exception with 13 teams?

 

[clmssun]

Does the MAC have a special exception with 13 teams?

Yes. 13 teams is a mess. By exception, the NCAA allows them to have 1 6-team division and 1-7 team division, and then have the champions meet for the conference championship. Unlike 12- or 14-team conferences with two divisions, two divisions in a 13-team conference mean all the teams in each division do not play all the teams in their respective division.

 

[UConnJim]

Yes. 13 teams is a mess. By exception, the NCAA allows them to have 1 6-team division and 1-7 team division, and then have the champions meet for the conference championship. Unlike 12- or 14-team conferences with two divisions, two divisions in a 13-team conference mean all the teams in each division do not play all the teams in their respective division.

I don't think this is correct. There is no rule against a 13 or 15 team conference, but the current NCAA rules state that there must be 2 divisions in which all teams in each division play each other every year in order to have a conference championship. The MAC violates the rule about all teams in each division playing each other every year. It's not clear that the MAC has an NCAA exemption to this rule as it seems like both the MAC and the NCAA are violating the rule.

Changing the rules would open the door to further conference expansion. With the current rules of playing every team in your division every year, if enforced, 14 team conferences are the realistic largest conference size.

 

[UConn Dan]

I had read that the MAC received an exemption because Temple left ( it's not that they added and purposely went to 13). I'm not sure if permanent, but assuming the MAC will not add because they may have another team poached at some point.

 

[UConnJim]

I had read that the MAC received an exemption because Temple left ( it's not that they added and purposely went to 13). I'm not sure if permanent, but assuming the MAC will not add because they may have another team poached at some point.

When Temple joined the MAC in 2007, they were the 13th member, so the MAC had 13 from 2007 to 2011. Back to 13 when Temple left and UMass was added.

 

[lv99]

I found a good article on this:

http://msn.foxsports.com/college-fo...-13-team-schedule-a-virtual-impossibility.php

It turns out the MAC is breaking the rules but they just aren't being enforced.

 

[clmssun]

I don't think this is correct. There is no rule against a 13 or 15 team conference, but the current NCAA rules state that there must be 2 divisions in which all teams in each division play each other every year in order to have a conference championship. The MAC violates the rule about all teams in each division playing each other every year. It's not clear that the MAC has an NCAA exemption to this rule as it seems like both the MAC and the NCAA are violating the rule.

Changing the rules would open the door to further conference expansion. With the current rules of playing every team in your division every year, if enforced, 14 team conferences are the realistic largest conference size.

Correct. There is no rule against 13-team conferences. The rule is supposed to preclude divisional alignment (with division champions meeting in a championship game) wherein all teams in said divisions do not play one another. If the MAC eliminated their divisions (and their championship game matching up the champions of the two divisions) and played as 13-teams (who play 8 or 9 "other" teams) in a unified league, they'd be fine -- but they would be forbidden from playing a championship game (under strict enforcement of current rules) if they had only one collection of 13 teams. (As it is now, their "divisional" breakdown is just semantics, as the teams do simply play 8 or 9 "other" teams irrespective of divisional placement).

The ACC challenging the premise that a football championship must match up the champions of two divisions. The ACC wants the option to have football be one collection of 14 teams -- just as ACC basketball is one collection of 15 teams -- wherein the league plays 8 or 9 "other" teams from the collection, with no "divisional" nomenclature.

 

[UConn Dan]

When Temple joined the MAC in 2007, they were the 13th member, so the MAC had 13 from 2007 to 2011. Back to 13 when Temple left and UMass was added.

i stand corrected.

 

[JayRU09]

I like the idea of having UCONN be a 'member in waiting' and giving them some 4-5 Big Ten football games a year and full membership in everything else. Give you guys 5-10 years to put a plan together to make the Rent more suitable for conference play and then see if there's another school ready to join. Would help out men's and women's basketball tremendously while keeping UCONN relevant in football.

UCONN's not Notre Dame for football in terms of drawing eyeballs, but if the B1G wants to easily upgrade basketball and give enough incentive for a school to get up to standards with football facilities and a shot at getting into the AAU, maybe a 10+ year trial period would be a good bet.

Beats betting on the American imo.

 

[SubbaBub]

I like the idea of having UCONN be a 'member in waiting' and giving them some 4-5 Big Ten football games a year and full membership in everything else. Give you guys 5-10 years to put a plan together to make the Rent more suitable for conference play and then see if there's another school ready to join. Would help out men's and women's basketball tremendously while keeping UCONN relevant in football.

UCONN's not Notre Dame for football in terms of drawing eyeballs, but if the B1G wants to easily upgrade basketball and give enough incentive for a school to get up to standards with football facilities and a shot at getting into the AAU, maybe a 10+ year trial period would be a good bet.

Beats betting on the American imo.

Except for the in-waiting part. I'm not interested in partial memberships, neither is the B1G.

I'll take a scheduling agreement to play two B1G teams in FB each year. Home/Road, doesn't matter. The league can pick which ones, I don't care. Second and fourth Saturdays in September at noon, just tell me where to be.

 

[JayRU09]

I mean, wouldn't any scheduling agreement basically just make UCONN a 'member in waiting'? It would obviously make them the next ones up, no?

 

[NickyNewark]

I'm hoping the B1G moves before some smart commisioner realizes the mistake they made bypassing the solid school and spread/keep the B1G's stature #1 in the NE/nation overall academically,athletically and financially.

 

[NickyNewark]

Except for the in-waiting part. I'm not interested in partial memberships, neither is the B1G.

I'll take a scheduling agreement to play two B1G teams in FB each year. Home/Road, doesn't matter. The league can pick which ones, I don't care. Second and fourth Saturdays in September at noon, just tell me where to be.

Yeah thats the part that bothered me too. At the least some guarantees(??) in a solid but short 3/5 yrs for AAU status? Can it be done that quickly?

 

[Ldandy]

I'm not a fan of partial memberships for any school in The B1G, unless its a truly special circumstance like the one established with JHU. The conference needed one additional team in order to start a Lacrosse League. Lacrosse happens to be the only sport that JHU fields at the 1A Level. Win Win.

Inviting Uconn as a partial/junior member after taking RU and UMD as full memebrs is condescending to Uconn IMO. UCONN is neither a lesser school, or lesser overall academic department than either. They are a victim of geographic disadvantage as it applies to distributing The BTN.

Ultimately however the real problem is identifying a viable and willing # 16 to pair w/UCONN w/o violating the GOR of the Big 12 or ACC. I honestly hope that UCONN does not have to wait until these media rights expire in order to end up in a P5 Conference. I'd be cool with the B1G taking UCONN and Mizzou, The Big 12 allowing WVU to leave their absurd island for the SEC, and The Big 12 wrapping up schools in the midwest and west that actually make sens in that conference.

 

[NickyNewark]

Nice that you realized that(condescending,some are) and as an eastcoast RU fan and public school fan I try not to be arrogant to any of our neighboring rivals but UConn has earned its place on merit at a P5 table.

 

[Sea Goat]

I like the idea of having UCONN be a 'member in waiting' and giving them some 4-5 Big Ten football games a year and full membership in everything else. Give you guys 5-10 years to put a plan together to make the Rent more suitable for conference play and then see if there's another school ready to join. Would help out men's and women's basketball tremendously while keeping UCONN relevant in football.

UCONN's not Notre Dame for football in terms of drawing eyeballs, but if the B1G wants to easily upgrade basketball and give enough incentive for a school to get up to standards with football facilities and a shot at getting into the AAU, maybe a 10+ year trial period would be a good bet.

Beats betting on the American imo.

Just about anything beats Dante Aresco's "Inferno" (Yes, Virgil, I'm serious!), but if the B1G embraced Rutroh and UMD as full members, UConn can accept no less - period.

 

[pj]

I was on the aau website the other day trying to understand where we rank. Does anyone know the x number of metrics, where we rank within each category and what UConn is doing to address gaps? Do we need to hit every metric or is their a total view scoring model? How much does politics play?

There is no one metric. Generally speaking, AAU schools are either (a) leading recipients of federal research funding, or (b) smaller recipients of federal research funding who have a high quality of faculty (i.e. are well funded on a per-professor basis).

UConn is ranks at the bottom of the AAU in quantity of federal funding, matching schools like Kansas that got in about 1915 when the AAU was less picky. And on a per-professor basis UConn is weak, below just about everybody in the AAU.

Most funding is for biomedical research and UConn suffers here because the Medical Center in Farmington is rather far from campus and there is not much integration between the Medical Center and biology research at the main campus. If the two were physically co-located it would aid biomedical research immensely. Generally speaking the proximity of hospitals and biology departments is a key to large-scale funding, most of which is translational between biology lab and clinic.

 

[JayRU09]

Just about anything beats Dante Aresco's "Inferno" (Yes, Virgil, I'm serious!), but if the B1G embraced Rutroh and UMD as full members, UConn can accept no less - period.

I understand that line of thinking but after a while desperation may kick in. If they offer such a deal in the next few years, I agree you walk away from it. Five years from now? I wouldn't be so sure.

 

[Fishy]

There is absolutely no chance that UConn gets invited to the Big Ten in any partial capacity - why do we even humor these off the wall ideas?

 

[JayRU09]

Because conference expansion is now the most intriguing part of college sports.

 

[btstimpy]

Curious as to how you quantified that over half of all Maryland don't like the Big Ten.

Another article for you Binge.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/10563252/maryland-set-say-goodbye-acc

Lefty Driesel sounds thrilled.

From the article: "That's the general consensus among fans as the end draws near -- disappointment has replaced anger, acceptance has taken over for frustration."

This type of comment doesn't convince me that everyone is thrilled. If they are, good for them. They'll adjust much better.

 

[Pat125]

Another article for you Binge.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/10563252/maryland-set-say-goodbye-acc

Lefty Driesel sounds thrilled.

From the article: "That's the general consensus among fans as the end draws near -- disappointment has replaced anger, acceptance has taken over for frustration."

This type of comment doesn't convince me that everyone is thrilled. If they are, good for them. They'll adjust much better.

I understand Gary Williams and Lefty Driesell's disappointment, especially with their coaching tenures spanning over two-thirds of Maryland's time in the ACC. I have to take exception with Mike Krzyzewski's reaction. I didn't see any comments from him when numerous rivalries ended as a result of the ACC expansions. Perhaps I missed them. And for him to say that Maryland didn't think their rivalry with Duke was important is either so disingenuous or he missed his own hypocrisy. I have to wonder how much of his $7.2 million salary he would sacrifice to keep the status quo. I also get Driesell's comments about athletics now being a big business. Krzyzewski's epitomizes the problem Driesell sees.

 

[Durks07]

I understand Gary Williams and Lefty Driesell's disappointment, especially with their coaching tenures spanning over two-thirds of Maryland's time in the ACC. I have to take exception with Mike Krzyzewski's reaction. I didn't see any comments from him when numerous rivalries ended as a result of the ACC expansions. Perhaps I missed them. And for him to say that Maryland didn't think their rivalry with Duke was important is either so disingenuous or he missed his own hypocrisy. I have to wonder how much of his $7.2 million salary he would sacrifice to keep the status quo. I also get Driesell's comments about athletics now being a big business. Krzyzewski's epitomizes the problem Driesell sees.

Any comment that MD and Duke did not have a basketball rivalry is misguided. Duke had all sorts of trouble going into MD and winning games (MD to cover the spread or straight up against Duke was one of the best bets I had going).

 

[babysheep]

the Medical Center in Farmington is rather far from campus.

I'd say this is one of, if not the main reasons why I didn't go to UConn for graduate school. It really is an issue. Big reason we want the proposed "North Campus" to become a reality ASAP.

 

[babysheep]

He's coming on Mike and Mike in
... wow, fittingly, about 20 minutes