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

[champs99and04]

We must have very different definitions of "huge void".

Well, there must be a reason the Big Ten added them, no?

 

[John]

We must have very different definitions of "huge void".

in terms of a pre-existing natural football rival, Rutgers would be missed.

 

[uconndogs]

but we had a losing record in conference play in the last 4 years combined in the AAC and were only 1 game over .500 overall in those same 4 years.

Well, having Moe, Larry and Curley as coaches was part of the reason for that......

 

[HuskyFich]

Well, having Moe, Larry and Curley as coaches was part of the reason for that......

Shemp was definitely on the staff....

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Everyone will have their own opinion about the circumstances and the reasons why, but we had a losing record in conference play in the last 4 years combined in the AAC and were only 1 game over .500 overall in those same 4 years.

Draw your own conclusions. But that’s what people are looking at.

I always love the vitriol that a number of posters on this board display to this day about KO and then, in other threads, many of the same posters state that the demise of the program was due to the AAC. You can gave it both ways, yes, AAC membership would have made it considerably more difficult to restore the program (after KO sunk it) than BE membership would have. That doesn't mean that if KO did his job correctly we would have still sunk. If we maintained our level of success from the last eight or so years in the BE we would have been fine.

 

[CL82]

losing Rutgers still leaves a huge void.

Does it though?

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Well, there must be a reason the Big Ten added them, no?

in terms of a pre-existing natural football rival, Rutgers would be missed.

You're talking about UConn being back in an all sports northeast conference with pretty much all of our rivals... yes Rutgers was a football rival but that would be trivial in the scheme of this scenario.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

It has nothing to do with our level as a program. There are far more examples of teams leaving the Big East and failing to maintain basketball excellence, than leaving the Big East and succeeding.

I'd wager that Syracuse, from when they first joined the ACC up until JB decided it was more important playing his kids did every bit as well as they did over the same time frame through their last day in the BE.

 

[Yanksrock615]

How exactly does the move to the Big 12 hurt our basketball program? We will have ZERO problems filling up seats vs Kansas State and TCU if the basketball program stays top 25 ranked, which they will under Hurley.

People aren’t going out to random Tuesday night games because UConn is playing Butler or Georgetown. The “culture and rivalry” does not mean anything. I do not care what your alumni friends tell you. People will go to games if the team is good, and the team will be even better in the Big 12 with the more national spotlight and resources. This is a no brainer.

 

[SoFla Steve]

Who are the top names in B12 ? Kansas?


I’m salivating at the thought of OK state, Texas Tech, Iowa State, TCU etc… real marquee stuff here.

There are football-first fans here who think this lineup would be great. Here is one of several responses to one of my very few posts on the Football Forum. I don't think I'll go back there. They're an emotional bunch.

I thought it pointless to respond.

 

[champs99and04]

You're talking about UConn being back in an all sports northeast conference with pretty much all of our rivals... yes Rutgers was a football rival but that would be trivial in the scheme of this scenario.

The rivalry could be replaced. It's recruiting I'm worried about. UConn needs those Jersey recruits to get the program back to where it was 10-15 years ago, and Rutgers is the only viable FBS program in that area.

 

[August_West]

There are football-first fans here who think this lineup would be great. Here is one of several responses to one of my very few posts on the Football Forum. I don't think I'll go back there. They're an emotional bunch.

View attachment 88403​

I thought it pointless to respond.

I try to be sympathetic as a UConn alum and fan. I love all our schools sports but when they accuse me of wanting the football program to die because I'm a hoops fan, it is not accurate, in fact it's the opposite, I keep seeing decisions made that hurt the hoops program to give the football program an oxygen mask. I remember how many people were upset when we went to BigEast and had to have indy football instead of staying in AAC to stick out football. You guys were wrong. It's been proven. And now I want to trust you again? You want hoops to put their necks on a chopping block AGAIN. For what?

Im all for finding a good solution for all of us. But it is wrong to ask us to twist in the wind again for a wing and a prayer. Let Jim Mora ( who I love) continue to work his magic and lets actually do something here. Not end up in AAC 2.0

 

[Kolumbo]

Regarding rivalries, it didn't take me long at all to hate Creighton. The only basketball program in the Big 12 that doesn't interest me is UCF.

I am nostalgic for the Big East, but mostly MSG and the original rivals - SJU, Georgetown, Nova, SHU, even PC. Marquette has moved up. I don't really have a problem losing them again to replace them with football schools. Hey, 5 rings is awfully nice and UConn has had more than it's share of glorious moments. It's time to focus on football and I believe that would also benefit basketball in the not too distant future. Who knows.

 

[John]

There are football-first fans here who think this lineup would be great. Here is one of several responses to one of my very few posts on the Football Forum. I don't think I'll go back there. They're an emotional bunch.

View attachment 88403​

I thought it pointless to respond.

Kansas tournament
Baylor tournament
ISU tournament
WVU tournament
Houston tournament
Kansas St tournament
TCU tournament

 

[August_West]

It's time to focus on football

 

[bendm]

Im all for finding a good solution for all of us. But it is wrong to ask us to twist in the wind again for a wing and a prayer.

so recognizing that UConn is never getting invited to the BIG or SEC, what's the best outcome?

once the BIG and SEC pick off the remaining most valuable PAC and ACC schools, where does that leave us?

clearly, the answer is in a conference that supports all sports comprised of the remaining easternmost BIG12 and ACC schools e.g. Cuse, Pitt, Louisville, WVU, Cincy, UCF, etc.

we are 100% more likely to be included in that conference if we join the big12 now then if we were to stay in the BE. assuming we could make the leap from the BE to that conference is the wing and a prayer.

and who said we would have to take a reduced cut to join the BIG12? we could potentially be cashing $30+ million checks every year from now until 2036 when the ACC GOR expires.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I try to be sympathetic as a UConn alum and fan. I love all our schools sports but when they accuse me of wanting the football program to die because I'm a hoops fan, it is not accurate, in fact it's the opposite, I keep seeing decisions made that hurt the hoops program to give the football program an oxygen mask. I remember how many people were upset when we went to BigEast and had to have indy football instead of staying in AAC to stick out football. You guys were wrong. It's been proven. And now I want to trust you again? You want hoops to put their necks on a chopping block AGAIN. For what?

Im all for finding a good solution for all of us. But it is wrong to ask us to twist in the wind again for a wing and a prayer. Let Jim Mora ( who I love) continue to work his magic and lets actually do something here. Not end up in AAC 2.0

I can't keep this straight, so we're a blue blood and one of the nations best programs or being in an average league for 5 years was going to be the death of the sport itself at UConn?

 

[August_West]

\

I can't keep this straight, so we're a blue blood and one of the nations best programs or being in an average league for 5 years was going to be the death of the sport itself at UConn?

I mean that sums it up, do you need the quotes from the AD and BB coach?

 

[aburks41]

The people comparing the B12 to the AAC are mental. Let's take a look at the top 50 2023 recruiting rankings, excluding UConn, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Big 12:
#6 Kansas
#9 Oklahoma State
#11 Iowa State
#12 Baylor
#20 Kansas State
#22 Houston
#35 Cincy
#49 TCU

Big East:
#16 Xavier
#27 Marquette
End of list.

But sure, the B12 is bad for basketball...

 

[August_West]

The people comparing the B12 to the AAC are mental. Let's take a look at the top 50 2023 recruiting rankings, excluding UConn, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Big 12:
#6 Kansas
#9 Oklahoma State
#11 Iowa State
#12 Baylor
#20 Kansas State
#22 Houston
#35 Cincy
#49 TCU

Big East:
#16 Xavier
#27 Marquette
End of list.

But sure, the B12 is bad for basketball...

Cool. There are 3 teams there that are not flashes. Kansas with Self, Baylor with Drew, and Houston with Sampson. All the rest are Providence lite. K state, Cinci (lol Kobe) TCU (what?) Iowa State (who?) OK state (wait what? ) are zilch in the BBall landscape. Keep me with Pitino, Smart, McDermott, Miller, Cooley, Matta, et.al.

I may not know football enough, but I KNOW basketball. Big East is a better conference over next 8 years all things being equal on a hoops floor. and thats before we even talk about why its better to be in the Northeast.

 

[EnochRoot]

Cool. There are 3 teams there that are not flashes. Kansas with Self, Baylor with Drew, and Houston with Sampson. All the rest are Providence lite. K state, Cinci (lol Kobe) TCU (what?) Iowa State (who?) OK state (wait what? ) are zilch in the BBall landscape. Keep me with Pitino, Smart, McDermott, Miller, Cooley, Matta, et.al.

I may not know football enough, but I KNOW basketball. Big East is a better conference over next 8 years all things being equal on a hoops floor.

Plus, nobody gives a crap about the Big 12. The Big East has rivalries UConn fans and alumni care about.

 

[August_West]

Plus, nobody gives a crap about the Big 12. The Big East has rivalries UConn fans and alumni care about.

Thats been proven too. Im supposed to get excited about UCF and Cincinatti and Houston coming back to XL? Texas tech? TCU? Iowa State?

 

[August_West]

Thats been proven too. Im supposed to get excited about UCF and Cincinatti and Houston coming back to XL? Texas tech? TCU? Iowa State?

Cant wait until BYU is at Gampel on a Wednesday night.

 

[metsfan2323]

The people comparing the B12 to the AAC are mental. Let's take a look at the top 50 2023 recruiting rankings, excluding UConn, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Big 12:
#6 Kansas
#9 Oklahoma State
#11 Iowa State
#12 Baylor
#20 Kansas State
#22 Houston
#35 Cincy
#49 TCU

Big East:
#16 Xavier
#27 Marquette
End of list.

But sure, the B12 is bad for basketball...

and we get an additional 30 million in tv revenue and football ticket sales per year to boot.

This debate is over. Not accepting a B12 invitation would be the dumbest business decision in the history of the school.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Cool. There are 3 teams there that are not flashes. Kansas with Self, Baylor with Drew, and Houston with Sampson. All the rest are Providence lite. K state, Cinci (lol Kobe) TCU (what?) Iowa State (who?) OK state (wait what? ) are zilch in the BBall landscape. Keep me with Pitino, Smart, McDermott, Miller, Cooley, Matta, et.al.

I may not know football enough, but I KNOW basketball. Big East is a better conference over next 8 years all things being equal on a hoops floor. and thats before we even talk about why its better to be in the Northeast.

Half those coaches won’t be at big east schools if they continue doing well. That’s because schools in the top conferences can afford to buy them away. You think Shaka and Miller see those schools as their end games? McDermott has been in tons of rumors over the last couple seasons. The only programs immune to this are UConn/Nova/Georgetown because their prestige is relative to blue bloods.

The Big East was life raft for us. It was better than floundering away in the mid major football conference, but that isn’t what the B12 is offering. Adding UConn and potentially another basketball power would only re affirm their current position as the best. Which conference has a better big 3 in basketball than Kansas/UConn/Baylor?