Efforts to Join Big 12 by UC - not us, though

[cabbie191]

I was on the Cincinnati Enquirer website today - checking to see if they had an article about tonight's game. Didn't see one but did come across another titled "Inside UC's bid to join the Big 12."

Well, if the Bearcat administration is pursuing something like this, I hope the folks in the hallowed halls at Storrs are doing likewise.

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2016/02/13/inside-ucs-bid-join-big-12/80280488/

 

[EricLA]

Well, it's an article by a local Cinci paper. Of course they will have a Cinci slant. You can check out the Conference Realignment board for the latest news from our perspective.

 

[Huskies Rule]

I understand the importance of getting into a Power5 Conference, but if for no other reason than the geography, the Big12 would seem a lousy fit. Sure, the competition would be better than the AAC. But the travel would be killer. In the AAC the girls log a zillion miles, but in the Big12 the travel would be far more stressful and ridiculously exhausting. Most conference teams have the advantage of being geographically proximate to one another. Not UConn..

I often marvel at our kids' toughness and resilience, how they handle all the travel so well. I'm sure lots of Boneyarders know from personal experience just how difficult extensive travel can be, both mentally and physically. Our kids are incredibly tough, even more than most people realize.

 

[alexrgct]

I understand the importance of getting into a Power5 Conference, but if for no other reason than the geography, the Big12 would seem a lousy fit. Sure, the competition would be better than the AAC. But the travel would be killer. In the AAC the girls log a zillion miles, but in the Big12 the travel would be far more stressful and ridiculously exhausting. Most conference teams have the advantage of being geographically proximate to one another. Not UConn..

UConn in the Big XII would be awesome if not for the geography. However, If UConn could add competition to the NYC, NJ, and New England media markets, there is potential there. It'd even add more of a UConn presence in Texas, which would be great for recruiting every sport.

 

[huskeynut]

I understand the importance of getting into a Power5 Conference, but if for no other reason than the geography, the Big12 would seem a lousy fit. Sure, the competition would be better than the AAC. But the travel would be killer. In the AAC the girls log a zillion miles, but in the Big12 the travel would be far more stressful and ridiculously exhausting. Most conference teams have the advantage of being geographically proximate to one another. Not UConn..

I often marvel at our kids' toughness and resilience, how they handle all the travel so well. I'm sure lots of Boneyarders know from personal experience just how difficult extensive travel can be, both mentally and physically. Our kids are incredibly tough, even more than most people realize.

We already travel to Oklahoma, Texas and New Orleans. Not much different if we get in the B12.

Reality is if a Big12 invite comes, we take it. The AAC is a mid-major conference that is going to take its toll on our athletic programs. The money is not there being in the AAC.

If you need more info, check out the conference realignment board. Really interesting stuff.

 

[UcMiami]

One of the reasons the Big12 is looking in the northeast is precisely because of travel - specific to West Virginia - they want to create a 'northern' circuit within the conference.
And yeah - the AAC is the most geographically diverse conference at the current time so travel is already crazy for Uconn.

 

[j66kicker]

Big 12 pays ~$25 million to each of their members, $20 million of it from their TV deals with ESPN and Fox Sports. This isn't as much as SEC schools get from their conference ($31m+), but certainly helps defer the costs of sports non-football and men's BB sports. Maybe our athletes could do some homework on the plane.

This article is a few months old, but it's also a good analysis of the costs to each school for the conference to add 2 schools.

http://www.sbnation.com/college-foo...g-12-conference-expansion-realignment-revenue