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

[amory]

The Big 12 is the wrong move if UConn is truly interested in being what they say in their mission statement. It’s a move downward. That’s why UConn needs to be in the Big 10. You are who you hang out with. We would be a positive addition. We fit. Big 10 has the most top 20 academic schools in the country. It’s the best athletic conference. We are a NYC market. We’ll make a ton of money for them.

University of Connecticut Office of the President | Mission

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/top-public

I see two directions CR could go in the future.

1) The SEC and Big 10 keep expanding and the P5 eventually becomes the P2. In this scenario, other current power conferences will be raided anyway and it won't really matter what league we're in if/when the Big 10 came calling. So we may as well collect the Big 12 money in the meantime.

2) All this foolishness eventually implodes and conferences go back to being mostly regional entities, re-forming something like the old Big East and maybe we land there. In this case....we may as well collect the Big 12 money in the meantime.

 

[Sick Puppy]

Otherwise stick to our knitting and stay in the Big Bast.

 

[Sick Puppy]

That's so cute. You actually think this has something to do with academics......

Call me old fashioned, but yes I do I think UConn has something to do with academics. In fact, if integrity and responsibility were a trade, I’d be long. I believe it’s a future trend. And, at the same time I can be as cynical as anyone and believe it’s all about the bucks.

 

[uconndogs]

Call me old fashioned, but yes I do I think UConn has something to do with academics. In fact, if integrity and responsibility were a trade, I’d be long. I believe it’s a future trend.

I think the world of UCONN. It's a fine institution and it allowed me opportunities coming from modest means that I would not otherwise have had.

My sarcasm aside. College athletics, in my opinion, are now almost completely divorced from the academic mission of the institutions that sponsor those programs. The leadership of these universities lost control of these athletic programs and the money they generate long ago and it's now heading to unfettered professional athletics. If UCONN wishes to continue to compete at the highest levels it will need to play the game that way.

 

[Sick Puppy]

I think the world of UCONN. It's a fine institution and it allowed me opportunities coming from modest means that I would not otherwise have had.

My sarcasm aside. College athletics, in my opinion, are now almost completely divorced from the academic mission of the institutions that sponsor those programs. The leadership of these universities lost control of these athletic programs and the money they generate long ago and it's now heading to unfettered professional athletics. If UCONN wishes to continue to compete at the highest levels it will need to play the game that way.

I wouldn’t argue with you on any of that. I was surprised, maybe even horrified to read the mission statement. It speaks in broad generalities, grandiose notions of international recognition, and boiler plate claptrap phraseology and social justice.

Not a word about providing opportunities and contributing to the students and young people of Connecticut. If UConn was a football team, it’s getting its doors blown off like the rest of the Universityland. Where is the fundamental blocking and tackling?

 

[Sick Puppy]

By the way dogs, I think universities can be both platforms for professional/semi pro athletics and having commitments to being academic institutions.

 

[upstater]

I think the world of UCONN. It's a fine institution and it allowed me opportunities coming from modest means that I would not otherwise have had.

My sarcasm aside. College athletics, in my opinion, are now almost completely divorced from the academic mission of the institutions that sponsor those programs. The leadership of these universities lost control of these athletic programs and the money they generate long ago and it's now heading to unfettered professional athletics. If UCONN wishes to continue to compete at the highest levels it will need to play the game that way.

I read a survey recently of college presidents that showed how much time they spend thinking of athletics related to the size of the program, and the % is very very ow. Like less than 5% though the programs are much larger enterprises within their universities. Athletics is a nuisance for them. 50% of their job consists of budgeting, a task which they almost all admit that they are ill-equipped to handle.

I think the programs should go pro. It makes sense. License the university's brand for $1 a year so you can maintain a fanbase (if the fans are dumb enough to fall for it, that is). The big problem in all of this is the bond payments and upkeep of the facilities. The academic side owns the debt and the upkeep. I can't imagine the costs if the athletic "pro" entity is charged with it.

Take it out of the coachs' pay. You'll likely be able to keep up.

Good luck to those schools that don't have facilities in place if sports ever go totally pro. I doubt you'll be able to even build a field house.

 

[Rico444]

Under any scenario you can come up with, the B12 is a much better long term play over the NEWBIE. Far superior for football and baseball. Better for Womens basketball and even better for mens basketball. And the best part is we never have to pretend that DePaul and Butler matter.

All you've ever done in your entire time on this board is crap on the men's program and whomever was the particular coach at that time. You only show up when the team is struggling and disappear when they're playing well. You posted all offseason, left when we went on our 14 game win streak and rose to the #2 ranking and only returned when we lost 6 of 8 games to crap on Hurley and the program. Then you disappeared again when we went back to winning. As far as I'm concerned, your opinion on what is or isn't good for the basketball program could not matter any less.

 

[Jbirdp5]

You're entirely missing his point. He's posting the reply to the Jim Williams tweet with the snippets from the articles showing why he's wrong. According to CBS and The Oklahoman all P5 teams will get the full share from both Fox and ESPN, and Brett Yormark has stated UConn will be treated the same as a P5 addition

I knew I was missing something….thanks

 

[uconndogs]

I read a survey recently of college presidents that showed how much time they spend thinking of athletics related to the size of the program, and the % is very very ow. Like less than 5% though the programs are much larger enterprises within their universities. Athletics is a nuisance for them. 50% of their job consists of budgeting, a task which they almost all admit that they are ill-equipped to handle.

I think the programs should go pro. It makes sense. License the university's brand for $1 a year so you can maintain a fanbase (if the fans are dumb enough to fall for it, that is). The big problem in all of this is the bond payments and upkeep of the facilities. The academic side owns the debt and the upkeep. I can't imagine the costs if the athletic "pro" entity is charged with it.

Take it out of the coachs' pay. You'll likely be able to keep up.

Good luck to those schools that don't have facilities in place if sports ever go totally pro. I doubt you'll be able to even build a field house.

You could make an argument that the Ivies got it right decades ago bowing out of engaging in college athletics at the highest level. They stayed true to their mission around education. In my humble opinion we'll see more of that thinking as this all unfolds. Do top flight educational institutions like BC, Vanderbilt, Northwestern and Stamford need athletics at this level to support their academics?

 

[upstater]

You could make an argument that the Ivies got it right decades ago bowing out of engaging in college athletics at the highest level. They stayed true to their mission around education. In my humble opinion we'll see more of that thinking as this all unfolds. Do top flight educational institutions like BC, Vanderbilt, Northwestern and Stamford need athletics at this level to support their academics?

No, they don't. Because applications at U Chicago, Washington U. in St Louis, Boston U., New York U. etc., are showing the exact same gains that you see from such P5 schools.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

You could make an argument that the Ivies got it right decades ago bowing out of engaging in college athletics at the highest level. They stayed true to their mission around education. In my humble opinion we'll see more of that thinking as this all unfolds. Do top flight educational institutions like BC, Vanderbilt, Northwestern and Stamford need athletics at this level to support their academics?

1 - LOL at the idea BC is on the same level academically as Stanford and Northwestern.

2 - Vandy and Northwestern are already in the best athletic conferences. They won't consider leaving and Ill wager heavily that Stanford (n, not m) will do all it can to end up in the B1G.

 

[CL82]

The Big 12 is the wrong move if UConn is truly interested in being what they say in their mission statement. It’s a move downward. Geographically, it blows. If the goal is being in a P5, UConn needs to be in the Big 10. You are who you hang out with. We are a positive and powerful addition to any conference. We fit. Big 10 has the most top 20 academic schools in the country (I’m not sure if the Big 12 has any). It’s the best athletic conference. We are a NYC market. We’ll make money for them.

University of Connecticut Office of the President | Mission

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/top-public

We should join the Big Ten? Wow! It seems so obvious now! You should send off an email to Dave Benedict, just in case he hasn't thought of that either!

 

[NHRich]

So, UConn needs the PAC 12 tv deal to be better than the big 12, else the big 12 expands from the pac 12 and UConn is out…

 

[donyell34]

At this point who the hell knows. So many scenarios and possibilities. Will we even get a invite after all this is the ?.

 

[NowInStorrs]

I think we want the PAC deal to be worse than the Big 12 so that Colorado has a reason to leave but not so much worse that all the other schools want to leave as well.

 

[navery12]

I think we want the PAC deal to be worse than the Big 12 so that Colorado has a reason to leave but not so much worse that all the other schools want to leave as well.

 

[huskymedic]

Alternate access link <<

-> “I walk carefully, because I don’t want to upset the hardcore basketball fans who are so emotionally connected to the Big East,” Mora said Tuesday before the UConn Coaches Road Show panel discussion at the Kinsmen Brewing Company.

“I always see it through the lens of a football coach, and for the overall athletic department and I know, for football, having a chance to be in a Power Five conference would be amazing. It would be an amazing opportunity for us to compete against the best, to have an opportunity to win championships, it would certainly help our recruiting.”

The pull of Power 5 money, particularly through a lucrative, football-driven TV deal, would make an invitation from the Big 12 very difficult for UConn to turn down, but the school’s basketball successes as part of the original and now the new Big East, not to mention the comparatively miserable experience in between, the seven years in the American Athletic Conference, is naturally top of mind for fans who are reluctant. <-

-> “I do understand this emotional connection to the Big East,” Mora said. “Obviously it’s a basketball school. We’ve got 16 national championships, I’m aware of all that. But for football, I’d love it to happen.” <-

 

[NHRich]

Arizona and Colorado to the big 12 most likely.

 

[CL82]

I know that people say even numbers exclude us and odd numbers include us but why couldn't be Colorado, Arizona, and UConn. Colorado and Arizona a good match up in the west in Connecticut into fourths of the eastern pod.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[huskymedic]

 

[huskymedic]

 

[metsfan2323]

I really get the sense that Kansas is at the center of power in the current B12. That has to help our cause since they are basketball centric.

 

[Jbirdp5]

I really get the sense that Kansas is at the center of power in the current B12. That has to help our cause since they are basketball centric.

That’s a really good question because we know the Oklahoma and Texas ad carried the most power and influence in the big 12. With them leaving it’s interesting to see who fills that role. Kansas is a decent guess, maybe tcu with their recent success but they are fairly new to the conference.