ESPN article - UCONN done chasing other conferences for realignment

[EricLA]

Which is probably not a surprise at this point, but I would hope/expect that they are still hopeful for an invite from one of the other 5 power conferences.

UCONN content to stay in AAC

Aside from the obvious, which includes comments from Warde Manuel, I found this stuff interesting...

"The school also is planning major infrastructure improvements. A $40 million basketball training center is already under construction. Plans also are in the works for a new on-campus hockey arena and upgrades to the soccer, baseball and softball facilities.

There are currently no plans to expand the Huskies' 40,000-seat football stadium, though Manuel noted that it was built to be expandable.

"We're going to keep being as aggressive as we can in terms of facilities and growth," he said.
Commissioner Mike Aresco acknowledges UConn is clearly the highest-profile member of the conference, and a cornerstone of what it is trying to build. But, he said he believes the American is closer to having the competition level of the five so-called power conference than people believe."

Now that could just be Aresco blowing smoke outta his "you know what", and toeing the company line, but I have no idea what kind of investment in athletics the other members of the AAC have planned, or are planning. Of course I'm hopeful, but I'm more hopeful we will get poached in the near future...

 

[huskymedic]

Just a point - it's not an "ESPN article" - it's an AP article written by a CT based AP reporter (I believe) that ESPiN picked up and added their editorial headline to.

AP_Top25 1:18pm via SocialFlow
AD says #UConn will still challenge for national championships in the #AAC apne.ws/19ZeZ1d (@peatonrobb) = Pat Eaton-Robb

 

[intlzncster]

Which is probably not a surprise at this point, but I would hope/expect that they are still hopeful for an invite from one of the other 5 power conferences.

UCONN content to stay in AAC

Aside from the obvious, which includes comments from Warde Manuel, I found this stuff interesting...

"The school also is planning major infrastructure improvements. A $40 million basketball training center is already under construction. Plans also are in the works for a new on-campus hockey arena and upgrades to the soccer, baseball and softball facilities.

There are currently no plans to expand the Huskies' 40,000-seat football stadium, though Manuel noted that it was built to be expandable.

"We're going to keep being as aggressive as we can in terms of facilities and growth," he said.
Commissioner Mike Aresco acknowledges UConn is clearly the highest-profile member of the conference, and a cornerstone of what it is trying to build. But, he said he believes the American is closer to having the competition level of the five so-called power conference than people believe."

Now that could just be Aresco blowing smoke outta his "you know what", and toeing the company line, but I have no idea what kind of investment in athletics the other members of the AAC have planned, or are planning. Of course I'm hopeful, but I'm more hopeful we will get poached in the near future...

"Could" be?

IS.

 

[UCONNfan1]

"Could" be?

IS.

Well that settles it, then. Your facts and logic are overwhelming...

 

[intlzncster]

Well that settles it, then. Your facts and logic are overwhelming...

What do you need? Pretty much anything you could look at points to this statement as NOT being the case.
"the American is closer to having the competition level of the five so-called power conference than people believe".

Show me a power conference that is remotely close to the talent level of the AAC (reads a little funny, but the point remains).

 

[UCONNfan1]

What do you need? Pretty much anything you could look at points to this statement as NOT being the case.
"the American is closer to having the competition level of the five so-called power conference than people believe".

Show me a power conference that is remotely close to the talent level of the AAC (reads a little funny, but the point remains).

Aresco said "he believes the American is closer to having the competition level of the five so-called power conference than people believe". He didn't say they were there, and gave no evidence to why he said that. But to dismiss it out of hand with supporting evidence seems more like passing judgement based on "perception" rather than a conclusion based on more empirical evidence.

He said with UConn, Memphis, Temple and Cincinnati, the conference already is nationally relevant in basketball. And just as the Big East did, he believes his league will spawn other national powers

I don't necessarily agree with Aresco, and maybe he's full of it, but it's definitely a glass half full comment.

 

[jsloanjr]

I like UCONN in the AAC...........

 

[Icebear]

Boring

 

[ocoandasoc]

"UCONN done chasing other conferences..."

LOL. Only because they are fresh out of other conferences to chase!

UConn gambled, and lost. All they can do now is try to dominate the new conference and wait for the phone to ring.

 

[UCONNfan1]

"UCONN done chasing other conferences..."

LOL. Only because they are fresh out of other conferences to chase!

UConn gambled, and lost. All they can do now is try to dominate the new conference and wait for the phone to ring.

Gambled how? The Big East was poached over and over again. The league lost Miami, Va Tech, BCU, then WVU, Syracuse, Pitt, Lousville, Rutgers, and ND.

You could argue that UCONN should have bolted back when BCU did, but perhaps that was the gamble you referenced. Once the other teams started leaving in 2010, there wasn't much UCONN could do as no one wanted them over the other schools that were chosen. It's not like we didn't throw our hat into the ring...

I don't disagree that all we can do now is wait, and make the best of what we have. But to say they gambled and lost implies they made poor decisions, when the reality since 2010 is that no one wanted us.

 

[Fightin Choke]

He said with UConn, Memphis, Temple and Cincinnati, the conference already is nationally relevant in basketball. And just as the Big East did, he believes his league will spawn other national powers

I don't necessarily agree with Aresco, and maybe he's full of it, but it's definitely a glass half full comment.

I think Memphis, Temple and Cincinnati are relevant in the men's game, but they will not provide the UConn women with any competition. USF is better than any of them right now. Whether or not UConn can raise the other ships in the AAC harbor remains to be seen, but I think the odds favor UConn being accepted into a top 5 conference before that question can be answered.

 

[UCONNfan1]

I think Memphis, Temple and Cincinnati are relevant in the men's game, but they will not provide the UConn women with any competition. USF is better than any of them right now. Whether or not UConn can raise the other ships in the AAC harbor remains to be seen, but I think the odds favor UConn being accepted into a top 5 conference before that question can be answered.

From your lips to the College God's ears!! I actually really dislike the new conference and am not pleased UCONN is in the position it is. But there's no point in crying over the "what ifs", or whining about what shoulda/coulda been done in the past.

 

[Fightin Choke]

From your lips to the College God's ears!! I actually really dislike the new conference and am not pleased UCONN is in the position it is. But there's no point in crying over the "what ifs", or whining about what shoulda/coulda been done in the past.

I am not a UConn fan (I attended that Catholic school in South Bend), but I do not think it's good for WCBB that UConn is 'banished' to the AAC. While UConn will certainly remain relevant with their coaching and recruiting, as a WCBB fan I feel cheated that only a fraction of UConn's schedule will be remotely challenging, and that most of those challenging games will be front-loaded in their schedule.

 

[DobbsRover2]

What do you need? Pretty much anything you could look at points to this statement as NOT being the case.
"the American is closer to having the competition level of the five so-called power conference than people believe".

Show me a power conference that is remotely close to the talent level of the AAC (reads a little funny, but the point remains).

So um, the SEC has won the last 7 FB championships and the rest of the conferences are second and third class citizens in that concussed sport and don't mean squat, so calling any of them a power conference there is really stretching it unless you get all hot and sweaty over Education Holiday Bowls. The only other NCAA sport that anyone bats an eye over is basketball, and the SEC has won one of the last three men's titles and the other two were won by teams that next year are in some loser's paradise called the AAC. The last women's BB title also resides in that conference, with a great prospect for many more to come.

Now, yeah Louisville's moving on soon, I'm sure you think the women's game doesn't mean much, and the AAC isn't rolling in money of even the Monopoly kind, but what about your so-called "power conferences" makes them powerful when they don't do diddley on the field or the court? Twenty years down the road are we going to be lauding a Michigan or a UCLA or a Duke or an Oklahoma by saying, "Hey, they never won anything, but the point is that they were in a power conference where the teams never won anything, but they were all in a power 5 and got paid a lot of money for not doing anything. That's what counts, because NC championships are way overrated." And eventually you do end up getting paid for recent performance, even if you did win a FB championship back in 1981 and think the next one's gotta be coming soon.

Just what "talent level" are you anointing these "power conferences" with, and where does it come from?

 

[intlzncster]

So um, the SEC has won the last 7 FB championships and the rest of the conferences are second and third class citizens in that concussed sport and don't mean squat, so calling any of them a power conference there is really stretching it unless you get all hot and sweaty over Education Holiday Bowls. The only other NCAA sport that anyone bats an eye over is basketball, and the SEC has won one of the last three men's titles and the other two were won by teams that next year are in some loser's paradise called the AAC. The last women's BB title also resides in that conference, with a great prospect for many more to come.

Now, yeah Louisville's moving on soon, I'm sure you think the women's game doesn't mean much, and the AAC isn't rolling in money of even the Monopoly kind, but what about your so-called "power conferences" makes them powerful when they don't do diddley on the field or the court? Twenty years down the road are we going to be lauding a Michigan or a UCLA or a Duke or an Oklahoma by saying, "Hey, they never won anything, but the point is that they were in a power conference where the teams never won anything, but they were all in a power 5 and got paid a lot of money for not doing anything. That's what counts, because NC championships are way overrated." And eventually you do end up getting paid for recent performance, even if you did win a FB championship back in 1981 and think the next one's gotta be coming soon.

Just what "talent level" are you anointing these "power conferences" with, and where does it come from?

Depth is far more important than a single figure head, which is what UConn will be in Men's and Women's basketball.

Compare AAC football to any of the power conferences (and Louisville/Rutgers do not count obviously, as they'll be out the door in a year). I mean, it's not even close. Fans, money, wins, bowls, facilities, academics, whatever metric you want to use. The National Championship isn't the only game in town. UCF, Cincy, UConn, are also rans. SMU and USF are OK. Everyone else pretty much blows.

In Men's basketball you have UConn, with Memphis, Temple and Cincy and sometimes USF playing weak little brother. Everyone else normally blows. 'Dunk City''s coach is gone.

Women's basketball. It's UConn and no one else. Maybe Jamelle will get Cincy there, who knows?

Go up and down every power conference and you'll find teams who would reside in the 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 ranking in the AAC in all the big sports. Obviously, UConn MBB would be vying for the top spot and UConn WBB would own it. But that's it really.

How you can remotely argue that the AAC compares to power conference teams is beyond me.

 

[chrissaran]

Depth is far more important than a single figure head, which is what UConn will be in Men's and Women's basketball.

Compare AAC football to any of the power conferences (and Louisville/Rutgers do not count obviously, as they'll be out the door in a year). I mean, it's not even close. Fans, money, wins, bowls, facilities, academics, whatever metric you want to use. The National Championship isn't the only game in town. UCF, Cincy, UConn, are also rans. SMU and USF are OK. Everyone else pretty much blows.

In Men's basketball you have UConn, with Memphis, Temple and Cincy and sometimes USF playing weak little brother. Everyone else normally blows. 'Dunk City''s coach is gone.

Women's basketball. It's UConn and no one else. Maybe Jamelle will get Cincy there, who knows?

Go up and down every power conference and you'll find teams who would reside in the 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 ranking in the AAC in all the big sports. Obviously, UConn MBB would be vying for the top spot and UConn WBB would own it. But that's it really.

How you can remotely argue that the AAC compares to power conference teams is beyond me.

intlzncster, do you have a point in all that nonsense you posted? It seems like a lot of ranting and nothing else. Do you know UConn women's basketball history? How they were considered an automatic win. That all changed and it had nothing to do with other schools. It had to do with Geno, CD and hard working players. UConn will elevate the profile and eventually the talent in the AAC. What good has it done for the ACC to have Duke, Maryland and North Carolina? None. So how is depth more important? It's not. UConn regularly beats ACC teams and at times destroys them. I'm just sorry Notre Dame left. I was looking forward to playing them this year. Hopefully in the championship game.

 

[intlzncster]

intlzncster, do you have a point in all that nonsense you posted? It seems like a lot of ranting and nothing else. Do you know UConn women's basketball history? How they were considered an automatic win. That all changed and it had nothing to do with other schools. It had to do with Geno, CD and hard working players. UConn will elevate the profile and eventually the talent in the AAC. What good has it done for the ACC to have Duke, Maryland and North Carolina? None. So how is depth more important? It's not. UConn regularly beats ACC teams and at times destroys them. I'm just sorry Notre Dame left. I was looking forward to playing them this year. Hopefully in the championship game.

What are you talking about? This isn't at all about how UConn WBB will fair. Nor about solely WCBB either. The conference thing is a hell of a lot more than that. As you seem to have missed it, we are discussing the whole enchilada. Which is what the quote referenced. If you need help with the previous post, I quickly went through football, then men's basketball, then women's basketball. I didn't go into much depth, because it would take all night.

The fact remains, after next year, the AAC has the weakest 2 through 9 (or whatever it is) of any of the major conferences. I'd trade any of the major conferences 2-9 schools for ours in a second and we'd be instantly better in football, and mens & womens basketball.

I've been following all UConn sports since the late 80s, so yes, I've an idea of the history. UConn will be fine no matter what, but you are dreaming if you think UConn is going to turn SMU, Houston, Memphis et al into women's basketball powers. It may make them marginally better, but at the end of the day, those are not marque schools. They are not ND, Duke, Syracuse, Georgetown, Nova, et al.

The rise of women's college basketball filled out the big name schools in the power conferences in that sport. I would MUCH rather have Duke, UNC, and Maryland to play twice a year. The good they have done their conference is that now, the ACC has a far better conference than the American top to bottom, with far better TV contracts and exposure; In the American, UConn stands alone. Depth is important to the lifeblood of conference and arguing that it's not is stupid. We are a one headed monster. As I said, UConn will be fine, but 100 point wins on the regular will get old.

 

[Fightin Choke]

intlzncster's argument seems very sound to me. While the AAC certainly has more WCBB championships than the ACC, the ACC is clearly the better conference (as are the other power 4), which is why UConn tried to get in the ACC during the last round of conference realignment. Whether you look at WCBB, MCBB, or even football, the ACC is a better conference with a better revenue stream. But given the situation that UConn finds itself, it makes sense to make the best of your lot instead of wailing and gnashing your teeth. And that's what this story is about -- putting a positive spin on a less than desirable situation. A few months ago, j. plotinus made the argument this article champions and he was absolutely skewered for it.

 

[Big UConn]

"putting a positive spin on a less than desirable situation."

Sorry, I am probably one of the few UConn fans that would prefer the new conference to the ACC. I think it is exactly the appropriate league for us in football. In men's basketball it is better than the Big East was, and I am betting this year it will be as good as the ACC. In womens' basketball, no other conference can compare with us. There is no downside to the AAC, and frankly we can always play whomever we want in any sport. In football we are playing Michigan this year for example, and I don't see anyone (except Notre Dame) refusing to play us in that sport. (They're still sore that we beat them the one time they agreed to schedule us.) In men's basketball, we play ANYONE. In women's basketball we pick and choose. Any team from any league should be proud to play basketball against us, and football, well, we'll see. I have my personal believe about what would be necessary to put us in the top tier there, but saying what's on my mind would probably violate board rules.

Bytheway, I am a newbie here, refugee from the ESPN board.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Depth is far more important than a single figure head, which is what UConn will be in Men's and Women's basketball.

Compare AAC football to any of the power conferences (and Louisville/Rutgers do not count obviously, as they'll be out the door in a year). I mean, it's not even close. Fans, money, wins, bowls, facilities, academics, whatever metric you want to use. The National Championship isn't the only game in town. UCF, Cincy, UConn, are also rans. SMU and USF are OK. Everyone else pretty much blows.

In Men's basketball you have UConn, with Memphis, Temple and Cincy and sometimes USF playing weak little brother. Everyone else normally blows. 'Dunk City''s coach is gone.

Women's basketball. It's UConn and no one else. Maybe Jamelle will get Cincy there, who knows?

Go up and down every power conference and you'll find teams who would reside in the 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 ranking in the AAC in all the big sports. Obviously, UConn MBB would be vying for the top spot and UConn WBB would own it. But that's it really.

How you can remotely argue that the AAC compares to power conference teams is beyond me.

So again, after you've drunk another big cup of the koolaid, tell me again what the ACC for instance has done recently to call itself one of your "power conferences." I guess for you, coming in second, third, fourth or so on is what everyone's fighting for? With schools like UConn and I guess at least some members of the SEC, you fight for a championship. But, yeah, if your team is in a conference that is loaded up with also-ran mediocrity and you want to cheer about them being in a "power conference" because it makes you feel good, well that's just special.

 

[intlzncster]

So again, after you've drunk another big cup of the koolaid, tell me again what the ACC for instance has done recently to call itself one of your "power conferences." I guess for you, coming in second, third, fourth or so on is what everyone's fighting for? With schools like UConn and I guess at least some members of the SEC, you fight for a championship. But, yeah, if your team is in a conference that is loaded up with also-ran mediocrity and you want to cheer about them being in a "power conference" because it makes you feel good, well that's just special.

I'm not the one drinking Koolaid here.

The ACC? Simply by member institutions alone is one of the power conferences. One of my points is that power conferences are not simply defined only by titles.

But since you insist on limited metrics, the ACC is a power conference by mens basketball alone. Do you even watch men's college basketball? ACC schools have won 8 of the past 20 NCs. That's better than any other conference. What more do you want? Do they have to win all of them? Their total final fours are through the roof.

I'm discussing DEPTH of a conference. You are basically saying that multiple NC by the same school equals a strong conference. That's a stupid argument. The Big East often called itself the strongest basketball conference in the land, and that wasn't because UConn alone was winning NCs in Mens and Womens basketball.

 

[Big UConn]

So again, after you've drunk another big cup of the koolaid, tell me again what the ACC for instance has done recently to call itself one of your "power conferences." I guess for you, coming in second, third, fourth or so on is what everyone's fighting for? With schools like UConn and I guess at least some members of the SEC, you fight for a championship. But, yeah, if your team is in a conference that is loaded up with also-ran mediocrity and you want to cheer about them being in a "power conference" because it makes you feel good, well that's just special.

Yup. Couldn't agree more. Perhaps the ACC can become a football only conference and their better teams could join the AAC for men's and women's basketball. That way the ACC could justifiably call themselves a power conference in basketball. I believe the AAC has more men's and women's basketball NCAA championships than the ACC, so the ACC could really gain some credibility in basketball by moving their basketball teams over to the AAC.

 

[Big UConn]

I'm not the one drinking Koolaid here.

The ACC? Simply by member institutions alone is one of the power conferences. One of my points is that power conferences are not simply defined only by titles.

But since you insist on limited metrics, the ACC is a power conference by mens basketball alone. Do you even watch men's college basketball? ACC schools have won 8 of the past 20 NCs. That's better than any other conference. What more do you want? Do they have to win all of them? Their total final fours are through the roof.

I'm discussing DEPTH of a conference. You are basically saying that multiple NC by the same school equals a strong conference. That's a stupid argument. The Big East often called itself the strongest basketball conference in the land, and that wasn't because UConn alone was winning NCs in Mens and Womens basketball.

It pretty much was because UConn alone was winning National Championships. Looking at NCAA championships, I count 14 mens for the ACC, and eight mens for the AAC. Womens I get 2 for the ACC and 8 for the AAC (soon to be nine.) Total for both conferences is 16, with UConn winning 11 of the 16 for the AAC. (soon to be 12 of 17.) And with the best men's backcourt in the USA, 2014 may be a twofer year like 2004.

 

[triaddukefan]

Yup. Couldn't agree more. Perhaps the ACC can become a football only conference and their better teams could join the AAC for men's and women's basketball. That way the ACC could justifiably call themselves a power conference in basketball. I believe the AAC has more men's and women's basketball NCAA championships than the ACC, so the ACC could really gain some credibility in basketball by moving their basketball teams over to the AAC.

Say what ?

 

[Tonyc]

This is an opportunity for UConns other athletic programs to catch up to the mens and womens BB teams. If UConn had kept their former football coach who had made great progress with the program perhaps UConn would have been invited to play in one of the power football conferences. UConn athletics did not keep up with the other conferences, but they now have the chance to build programs within a conference that is more suited for the other sports they play. Mens and Womens BB should be at the top of the conference the rest of UConns sports will have to catch up and they will. There is a lot of room for improvement in the AAC from all teams. UConn will be fine. It may be a little bumpy and there are some fears but OOC schedules can help that a lot. Be patient. There is to much money especially TV money out there for UConn build more teams in all sports competeing for NCs.