ESPN is the creator or Worlds - Louisville

[beerfan]

It seems the NYTimes is on a tear outing ESPN's roll in college sports.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/26/s...athletic-boom-made-for-and-by-tv.html?hp&_r=0

“If it wasn’t for ESPN, we would be a fraction of what we are today,” Tom Jurich, Louisville’s longtime athletic director, said in an interview in his office on April 1 as the university savored its latest basketball success: the men’s and women’s teams were each on the way to the Final Four. The men went on to win the N.C.A.A. title.

 

[Fairfield 1st]

As stated in the other thread, ESPN is picking winners and losers, and UCONN is and will remain a loser in CR for the foreseeable future-the problem is that our Brand may be completely lost by the time another spot opens.

I am vigorously hoping for the P5 break, that will be our only chance

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Most schools are net winners. The Buffalos of the world don't make $1.25mm for a road game unless ESPN is writing very large checks to SEC and Big 10 schools to broadcast 40 point blowouts.

UConn, Cincinnati and USF are really the only net losers.

 

[Nostical]

I loved the line in the article (which was about as comprehensive an article as I've ever seen on the subject) about "Anytime a donor base is feeling good you've got to capitalize on that excitement". Our donor base felt extremely good when we embarked on our big time foray into football but yet we only had a few step up (Burton and Shenkman). I remember writing to Hathaway and Pres. Austin after watching our marching band take the field at Ford Field in the Motor City Bowl in 2004. We had mismatched sousaphones and essentially looked like a band not keeping pace. It took lots of tugs to get that fixed. We essentially squandered several years of opportunity to build our endowment, hire faculty, push toward AAU. That's all about leadership and priorities. It also speaks to the respect in the "boardroom" or the "legislature"for the person pitching the idea. That ultimately was the problem. Imagine the difference if we were the school who pulled Tom Jurich away from Colorado State. Funny how that's the same school we got Jeff Hathaway from a few years later when Lew Perkins left, lol. And don't get me started about how we'd be looking right now had Susan Herbst come on board in 2002.

 

[Glastonhusky]

It seems the NYTimes is on a tear outing ESPN's roll in college sports.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/26/s...athletic-boom-made-for-and-by-tv.html?hp&_r=0

“If it wasn’t for ESPN, we would be a fraction of what we are today,” Tom Jurich, Louisville’s longtime athletic director, said in an interview in his office on April 1 as the university savored its latest basketball success: the men’s and women’s teams were each on the way to the Final Four. The men went on to win the N.C.A.A. title.

Interesting comment about hiring a coach with a pass-happy, high scoring made for TV offense. I'm not really a PP hater and i believe in giving someone a fair shake, but if a change has to be made this may be the direction we want to go in.

 

[noeynox]

Interesting comment about hiring a coach with a pass-happy, high scoring made for TV offense. I'm not really a PP hater and i believe in giving someone a fair shake, but if a change has to be made this may be the direction we want to go in.

Been saying the same for a while. Today's college game resembles pin ball on grass. It is also the type of offense talented skill players are attracted. You're never going to see a prolific high school WR commit to us with the offenses we have run since Orlovsky graduated. Shocked we got Lamelle to be honest. I guess Difton was considered a huge get but I don't think he had huge numbers coming out of HS.

 

[huskymedic]

“Louisville came to us and said, ‘We’ll play anyone, anywhere, anytime,’ ” said Mark Shapiro, a former head of programming and production at ESPN. Indeed, “anytime, anywhere” became Mr. Jurich’s motto in his early years as athletic director."

"True, alumni grumbled about having to go to the campus on weeknights. “Some of the fans and the press were critical and thought we were violating all the norms,” recalled Mr. Shumaker, who left the university in 2002. But while the new calendar unsettled some hometown fans, it also won new ones across the country."

Imagine that...

 

[billybud]

Bobby Bowden elevated FSU by playing anybody anywhere...

Ohio State in Columbus back to back years with no return...Michigan twice in their Big House with no return, Nebraska in Lincoln four times with no return, LSU five times in Baton Rouge..etc

You do what must be done.

 

[traitor71]

Bobby Bowden elevated FSU by playing anybody anywhere...

Ohio State in Columbus back to back years with no return...Michigan twice in their Big House with no return, Nebraska in Lincoln four times with no return, LSU five times in Baton Rouge..etc

You do what must be done.

I remember all of those games. I remember watching Miami do it as well. A lot may have changed about college football, but I think the idea of going to play high profile games, even with no return game, is something that can still be a part of buildigng a program.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

As stated in the other thread, ESPN is picking winners and losers, and UCONN is and will remain a loser in CR for the foreseeable future-the problem is that our Brand may be completely lost by the time another spot opens.

I am vigorously hoping for the P5 break, that will be our only chance

Amen, Brother. Really worried that the Brand will be diminished by not being a big time player. Thanks, ESPN, for being a good corporate neighbor . . . a$$wypes.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Been saying the same for a while. Today's college game resembles pin ball on grass. It is also the type of offense talented skill players are attracted. You're never going to see a prolific high school WR commit to us with the offenses we have run since Orlovsky graduated. Shocked we got Lamelle to be honest. I guess Difton was considered a huge get but I don't think he had huge numbers coming out of HS.

Oh man . . . so glad to hear this. How long now . . . . . ?????????????

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Bobby Bowden elevated FSU by playing anybody anywhere...

Ohio State in Columbus back to back years with no return...Michigan twice in their Big House with no return, Nebraska in Lincoln four times with no return, LSU five times in Baton Rouge..etc

You do what must be done.

Yep . . . and UConn did just that. Competitive in the Big East to the point of winning it a couple times. Beat Notre Dame. Beat SEC South Carolina. Competitive even in they're down years. Beat Pitt, Louisville, West Virginia, et al.

They paid their dues and should have be include in the power 5

 

[billybud]

Yep . . . and UConn did just that. Competitive in the Big East to the point of winning it a couple times. Beat Notre Dame. Beat SEC South Carolina. Competitive even in they're down years. Beat Pitt, Louisville, West Virginia, et al.

They paid their dues and should have be include in the power 5

While that is true...there is some perspective...UConn has beat two SEC teams since 2000.....South Carolina was 7-6 and Vandy 2-10. SEC in name but not stature those years. In fact, that game against 7-6 South Carolina is UConn's only bowl win against a BCS conference team.

And UConn did beat 6-6 Notre Dame, that is true.

The problem is, that in out of conference games, UConn did not really bring home big victories...they beat a couple down and out teams with BCS names.

 

[Hoophound]

That's pretty much true. However, there is no doubt that UConn is a P5 school. We play respectable football, championship basketball, good baseball, big time soccer and now are joining the best hockey conference. We have a huge budget, awesome academics, a big market and the support of the state as a flagship.

There is no point in arguing anything. We are a P5 caliber school and then some.

 

[UConn Dan]

While that is true...there is some perspective...UConn has beat two SEC teams since 2000.....South Carolina was 7-6 and Vandy 2-10. SEC in name but not stature those years. In fact, that game against 7-6 South Carolina is UConn's only bowl win against a BCS conference team.

And UConn did beat 6-6 Notre Dame, that is true.

The problem is, that in out of conference games, UConn did not really bring home big victories...they beat a couple down and out teams with BCS names.

That South Carolina team was ranked as high as #2 the following season -- there was a lot of talent on that team -- I would hardly call them down and out.

 

[billybud]

They were 7-6....

Next year doesn't count....FSU beat Saban's 7-6 Alabama in 2007...in 2008, Bama won 12 games and won the NC the following year.. Still don't feel much about bragging about that win over Bama.

 

[itgoeslike]

While that is true...there is some perspective...UConn has beat two SEC teams since 2000.....South Carolina was 7-6 and Vandy 2-10. SEC in name but not stature those years. In fact, that game against 7-6 South Carolina is UConn's only bowl win against a BCS conference team.

And UConn did beat 6-6 Notre Dame, that is true.

The problem is, that in out of conference games, UConn did not really bring home big victories...they beat a couple down and out teams with BCS names.

Victories over West Virginia, Louisville, Maryland, etc. are victories over BCS teams. Additionally, only 9 teams in the nation had more NFL draft picks this year. UCONN has won more national championships over the past 20-30 years than the vast majority of P5 schools. Its athletic budget is larger than quite a few P5 teams, and swap out AAC revenue with P5 revenue and it now dwarfs a large majority of P5 schools. That's hardly a profile of team that isn't a P5 school.

Also. . .UCONN can only beat who sits across the field from them. They have winning bowl record over the past 10 years, something most teams in the ACC can't lay claim to.

 

[billybud]

Victories over West Virginia, Louisville, Maryland, etc. are victories over BCS teams. Additionally, only 9 teams in the nation had more NFL draft picks this year. UCONN has won more national championships over the past 20-30 years than the vast majority of P5 schools. Its athletic budget is larger than quite a few P5 teams, and swap out AAC revenue with P5 revenue and it now dwarfs a large majority of P5 schools. That's hardly a profile of team that isn't a P5 school.

Also. . .UCONN can only beat who sits across the field from them. They have winning bowl record over the past 10 years, something most teams in the ACC can't lay claim to.

True...most ACC teams do not have a winning record in bowls over the last ten seasons (although BC does). But winning in bowls is also a function of who you are matched against.

Most ACC teams can't count two thirds of their bowl wins over the last years to be against MAC teams.

The MAC bowl teams went 1-10 in bowls against BCS teams 2003-2012...Bowling Green did beat 6-7 Northwestern.

 

[itgoeslike]

True...most ACC teams do not have a winning record in bowls over the last ten seasons (although BC does). But winning in bowls is also a function of who you are matched against.

Most ACC teams can't count two thirds of their bowl wins over the last years to be against MAC teams.

The MAC bowl teams went 1-10 in bowls against BCS teams 2003-2012...Bowling Green did beat 6-7 Northwestern.

Again, UCONN doesn't have the luxury of picking its opponents. At least they beat a BCS opponent. Since 2005 Miami has only 1 bowl victory and it wasn't against a BCS opponent. People in glass houses. . .

 

[billybud]

Glass Houses?

FSU has the nation's consecutive win bowl streak going at five straight wins.....WVU, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Notre Dame...and (ugh) NIU.

Now, where's that stone that I just had?

 

[itgoeslike]

Glass Houses?

FSU has the nation's consecutive win bowl streak going at five straight wins.....WVU, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Notre Dame...and (ugh) NIU.

Now, where's that stone that I just had?

FSU is the exception and a legitimate power. But, the point is that you are nitpicking UCONN's bowl success. I could nitpick too and say FSU is 0-3 against BCS opponents in its most recent BCS bowls. UCONN is certainly not a football power, but if you look at the complete body of work over the past decade, UCONN, in football, has outperformed several teams in the so-called P5 conferences.

 

[Sea Goat]

FSU is the exception and a legitimate power. But, the point is that you are nitpicking UCONN's bowl success. I could nitpick too and say FSU is 0-3 against BCS opponents in its most recent BCS bowls. UCONN is certainly not a football power, but if you look at the complete body of work over the past decade, UCONN, in football, has outperformed several teams in the so-called P5 conferences.

We don't have to defend ourselves to anybody when the likes of Syracuse, Pitt, Rutgers and Maryland all found homes in real conferences.

 

[itgoeslike]

We don't have to defend ourselves to anybody when the likes of Syracuse, Pitt, Rutgers and Maryland all found homes in real conferences.

I don't disagree. But if we don't defend or set the story straight, especially on a home board, who will? Take the comment above that discounts a win because the BCS opponent went 7-6, which is amusing, because they had six losses in part due to UCONN's victory. If the opposing team had beaten UCONN they could have claimed an 8-5 record and called it real solid season. . .

 

[billybud]

Maryland and Rutgers were knee jerk additions by the Big 1o who were worried that Penn State might be isolated and defcct.

They were not added for football prowess. Syracuse and Pitt were added to the ACC because Roy Williams and Coach K pulled together their BB cabal...a cabal that was later countered when FSU pulled together Clemson, Miami, GT, and VT as a voting block.

 

[billybud]

It will eventually come down to money for the ACC and B1G...does a 16 team conference make sense

UConn has made some ACC enemies but I don't think that that old memory can trump dollars.

Someone needs to expand for UConn to profit....

The Big 12 seems most likely to expand...and WVU is lobbying for eastern partners.

The ACC seems less likely in the short term....more likely to react to the B1G expanding than be proactive.

The B1G seems likely to go to 16 in the future....I can see Mizzou and UConn being added.