Dom Amore: If Big 12 calls, UConn will have to choose between Big East love and Power Five money.

[Waquoit]

One of the many reasons I don't care about academic profiles is that FB powers reside mostly in states that no longer respect the education aspects of a university. That will eventually show up in the "rankings."

 

[mikeinmanila]

Uconn does a fantastic job with their sports programs-They need to do a better job building their National research program and endowment. 2022 endowment was $602million-I am sure that is one of the metrics being looked at for any conference realignment.
The link below is pretty eye-opening as to where Uconn ranks-We are one of the wealthiest states in the country.....not sure why

This is the responsibility of the university president. While it's more than doubled over the past few years, it needs to more than double again in the next few years as to not continue to be embarrassingly low.

Uconn does a fantastic job with their sports programs-They need to do a better job building their National research program and endowment. 2022 endowment was $602million-I am sure that is one of the metrics being looked at for any conference realignment.
The link below is pretty eye-opening as to where Uconn ranks-We are one of the wealthiest states in the country.....not sure why we underperform.

This is the responsibility of the university president. While it's more than doubled over the past few years, it needs to more than double again in the next few years as to not continue to be embarrassingly low.

 

[HuskyHawk]

One of the many reasons I don't care about academic profiles is that FB powers reside mostly in states that no longer respect the education aspects of a university. That will eventually show up in the "rankings."

Most of those states put a lot more emphasis on funding public universities than Connecticut does. CT is among the worst.

 

[Billy Jack]

UConn sponsors 22 sports teams. Williams college sponsors 32 sports teams. I wonder how they do it without such an enormous deficit. Or how UMass does it without a deficit comparable to ours. Or how the flagship universities of New York or any of the other New England states. None of them have even Big East revenue.

 

[drayenob]

Most of those states put a lot more emphasis on funding public universities than Connecticut does. CT is among the worst.

State Support for Higher Education per Full-Time Equivalent Student | State Indicators | National Science Foundation - State Indicators

National Science Board Science and Engineering Indicators. A broad base of quantitative information on the U.S. and international science and engineering enterprise.

ncses.nsf.gov

This shows CT ranked 6th, even though the 2021 level is lower than it was in 2008.

 

[HooperScooper]

UConn sponsors 22 sports teams. Williams college sponsors 32 sports teams. I wonder how they do it without such an enormous deficit. Or how UMass does it without a deficit comparable to ours. Or how the flagship universities of New York or any of the other New England states. None of them have even Big East revenue.

You post some weird arguments. You can't compare the costs at a D3 school like Williams to a D1 program. Not even comparable. And they don't give athletic scholarships at D3 schools either so there's a big expense that D3 schools don't have.

And FWIW Williams sponsors 30 teams, not 32. Not that it matters though for this argument.

 

[Billy Jack]

You post some weird arguments. You can't compare the costs at a D3 school like Williams to a D1 program. Not even comparable. And they don't give athletic scholarships at D3 schools either so there's a big expense that D3 schools don't have.

And FWIW Williams sponsors 30 teams, not 32. Not that it matters though for this argument.

No, Williams doesn’t give scholarships, but they are generous with financial aid for the kids they really want. Regardless, athletic scholarships don’t cost schools any money. They list it as a cost but it really isn’t which makes me question whether the deficit is as large as reported.

Williams College aside, you still haven’t addressed my question of why we have this huge deficit and schools around us with very little revenue but sponsoring similar teams don’t have this same big deficit. Georgetown and Villanova both have football teams. Why don’t they have a big deficit.

I’m not trying to be a sick and I’m not making an argument as you suggested. I’m genuinely asking the question. I don’t understand why we have this huge deficit,

 

[champs99and04]

When the B12 inevitably expands with whatever schools, it’ll lock itself into that top 3 basketball conference spot for good. They’re looking at schools like UConn/Louisville/Arizona/Syracuse/SDSU/Gonzaga that are upper tier basketball brands. The Commissioner has made it clear that basketball is a priority for them. Anyone saying the Big East might end up being better in the long run is dishonest or ignorant.

The fact that the Big 12 is even looking at Gonzaga would seem to indicate that this is going in a much different direction than people think.

Also, serious question for people who pay closer attention to football than me: How has Mora been recruiting? I recognize that he's done a nice job here so far, but there is still a very long way to go.

 

[temery]

athletic scholarships don’t cost schools any money

athletic scholarships cost a great deal of money compared to academic scholarships, which cost very little.

 

[Kenny11]

Williams is unique. They are D3 but they get players from all over the country and the world for their sports teams and many kids turn down d1 opportunities to play there.

 

[Richmondhsky]

No, Williams doesn’t give scholarships, but they are generous with financial aid for the kids they really want. Regardless, athletic scholarships don’t cost schools any money. They list it as a cost but it really isn’t which makes me question whether the deficit is as large as reported.

Williams College aside, you still haven’t addressed my question of why we have this huge deficit and schools around us with very little revenue but sponsoring similar teams don’t have this same big deficit. Georgetown and Villanova both have football teams. Why don’t they have a big deficit.

I’m not trying to be a sick and I’m not making an argument as you suggested. I’m genuinely asking the question. I don’t understand why we have this huge deficit,

Wow…you do know it’s significantly mor expensive to play FBS football vs FCS right? They are private schools… I don’t post often but this was just too much.

 

[Billy Jack]

athletic scholarships cost a great deal of money compared to academic scholarships, which cost very little.

What are you talking about???

 

[HuskyHawk]

The fact that the Big 12 is even looking at Gonzaga would seem to indicate that this is going in a much different direction than people think.

Also, serious question for people who pay closer attention to football than me: How has Mora been recruiting? I recognize that he's done a nice job here so far, but there is still a very long way to go.

They aren't looking at Gonzaga. It's just clickbait nonsense.

 

[nadav]

Because it's private we don't know, but I suspect that the Ephs aren't on the hook for $3 million a piece for their men's and women's head basketball coaches.

 

[Kolumbo]

The cold hard reality is that the big conferences are getting bigger and richer and you have to be a part of it or you will be left behind. USC and UCLA are going to the mid-west and east coast. PAC and ACC fans want their conferences to merge. I am starting to believe the Big East will fall behind and it could be much sooner than we'd like to believe. "Hey how come Andrew gets to get up. If he gets up, we'll all get up. It'll be anarchy!"

Yormark and the Big 12 are supposedly focusing more on basketball and I think it's a good strategy. They cannot compete with the P2 in football so they are going to differentiate themselves. I would not be surprised if they eventually acquire some basketball only schools to solidify their position. I believe there is a risk Nova and others could be invited to a bigger conference and that would cripple the Big East. Accepting any P5 offer is the only play, love it or hate it.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The cold hard reality is that the big conferences are getting bigger and richer and you have to be a part of it or you will be left behind. USC and UCLA are going to the mid-west and east coast. PAC and ACC fans want their conferences to merge. I am starting to believe the Big East will fall behind and it could be much sooner than we'd like to believe. "Hey how come Andrew gets to get up. If he gets up, we'll all get up. It'll be anarchy!"

Yormark and the Big 12 are supposedly focusing more on basketball and I think it's a good strategy. They cannot compete with the P2 in football so they are going to differentiate themselves. I would not be surprised if they eventually acquire some basketball only schools to solidify their position. I believe there is a risk Nova and others could be invited to a bigger conference and that would cripple the Big East. Accepting any P5 offer is the only play, love it or hate it.

They don't need to and won't. It was the best conference the last two years. It loses UT but adds Houston, which has been better the last decade or so. Cinci is down but is historically strong, better than OU. Now, take that, and add UConn and Arizona. It just blows the doors off any league in the country. Now, if the people who see the ACC picked apart are right (I doubt it), there is potential to add Duke.

The risk isn't that the Big East will get picked apart, but that in the NIL landscape it won't continue to be able to compete.

 

[temery]

What are you talking about???

Many athletes on scholarship require not only academic assistance, but all require administration to track and report progress. This all costs a great deal of money.

 

[Kolumbo]

They don't need to and won't. It was the best conference the last two years. It loses UT but adds Houston, which has been better the last decade or so. Cinci is down but is historically strong, better than OU. Now, take that, and add UConn and Arizona. It just blows the doors off any league in the country. Now, if the people who see the ACC picked apart are right (I doubt it), there is potential to add Duke.

The risk isn't that the Big East will get picked apart, but that in the NIL landscape it won't continue to be able to compete.

I think both of those risks are real, however slight, especially if there is ever a separation of football and basketball. Too many unknowns to feel comfortable with staying in a basketball only league. It would be foolish to accept any risk if you can eliminate it altogether. My bigger point is that everything is changing and I think the Big East will fall behind. Georgetown, if it gets its act together, and SJU would be prime candidates along with Nova given their resources and locations.

 

[HooperScooper]

No, Williams doesn’t give scholarships, but they are generous with financial aid for the kids they really want.

I can't answer your major question. I wasn't responding to that part of your post.

But I don't think you understand how small elite liberal arts schools give financial aid. I happen to know a lot about it. I will leave it that and not respond any further.

 

[August_West]

Cinci is down but is historically strong,

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Yeah, on the surface it may sound like a ridiculous statement but if you were to investigate it you'd find that it applies when comparing that school to at least half of the current BE excluding us.

But then again, you believe PC is historically stronger than OK St and Kansas St.

 

[Billy Jack]

Because it's private we don't know, but I suspect that the Ephs aren't on the hook for $3 million a piece for their men's and women's head basketball coaches.

I’m sure you’re right. Obviously. Their coaches are lucky if they make $100,000.

What’s also true is that Williams doesn’t have the revenue that UConn has. As you know, deficit = revenue - expenses. And we’re talking about expenses for 10 more sports.

The coaches salaries, including assistants, are a big piece of it. The deficit is reported at $53 million. Is it all coaches’ salaries?

 

[Billy Jack]

And FWIW Williams sponsors 30 teams, not 32. Not that it matters though for this argument.

Their website says 32.

 

[Billy Jack]

The cold hard reality is that the big conferences are getting bigger and richer and you have to be a part of it or you will be left behind. USC and UCLA are going to the mid-west and east coast. PAC and ACC fans want their conferences to merge. I am starting to believe the Big East will fall behind and it could be much sooner than we'd like to believe. "Hey how come Andrew gets to get up. If he gets up, we'll all get up. It'll be anarchy!"

Yormark and the Big 12 are supposedly focusing more on basketball and I think it's a good strategy. They cannot compete with the P2 in football so they are going to differentiate themselves. I would not be surprised if they eventually acquire some basketball only schools to solidify their position. I believe there is a risk Nova and others could be invited to a bigger conference and that would cripple the Big East. Accepting any P5 offer is the only play, love it or hate it.

I agree with all you’ve said here. Doesn’t the university at some point have to consider the fact that these are full time students? When 9 of the other 12 opponents are west of the Mississippi and in a different time zone, is traveling to these road games compatible with being a full time student? One opponent is 2000+ air miles and 2 time zones away. None are in the Northeast. The Bug East includes only one opponent west of the Mississippi and only 3 in a different time zone.

 

[Kolumbo]

I agree with all you’ve said here. Doesn’t the university at some point have to consider the fact that these are full time students? When 9 of the other 12 opponents are west of the Mississippi and in a different time zone, is traveling to these road games compatible with being a full time student? One opponent is 2000+ air miles and 2 time zones away. None are in the Northeast. The Bug East includes only one opponent west of the Mississippi and only 3 in a different time zone.

Yes, it absolutley should, but CR has blown it all up and it is only going to get worse. USC and UCLA will have to travel across 3 and 4 time zones to play everyone except each other. Oregon and Washington will likely be in a similar situation. Ideally UConn would end up in the Big 12 with other eastern programs joining later. But it has to make a move soon before other P5 programs grab all the seats.

For the poster bringing up Williams College, they probably take buses to all away games so sure, it's a lot cheaper to run a D III program.