Expansion Rumors site profiles UConn

[SouthronCross]

Geography is interesting.

I just bought a cabin in western North Carolina (I have loved this area for a long while). You'd expect Tar Heel fans.

Nope...you get more Georgia and Tennessee fans.... with a sprinkling of FSU and Florida fans the further west you go in the mountains.

Very sad, but true. Outside of Asheville itself, there really aren't many UNC fans in western NC (not many there, either). Its always been Tennessee, Georgia, and Clemson fans, from my experience. Neither UNC nor NCSU have been able to sustain any kind of success for more than 3-4 years at a time, so, the better HSFB players there matriculate to those three schools. Who could blame them?

 

[btstimpy]

ESPN/ABC isn't looking to be carried or to expand their carriage...I can not think of a market, major or not, where ESPN isn't on the plan.

ESPN wants eyeballs, wants to corral college football viewers.

They have a huge inventory....But the competition is really the quality matches. Fox will win this weekend's ratings with the Bama-Texas Aggies game...that is the competition that ESPN wants to win over the season.

Regional Channels (& I count the BTN as such) have less national carriage than does ESPN. Here in Tallahassee, on Comcast, it is not in the basic or preferred packages. One can purchase BTN coverage though.

and if you did have BTN, you could watch Akron vs Michigan, Western Illinois vs Minnesota, Central Florida vs Penn State, or Western Michigan vs Northwestern....not games for the casual fan....

Football won't be the driver for the ACC Network. It will be basketball, baseball, softball, lacrosse, soccer, and some tier 3 football games with replays of the tier 1 games and Notre Dame home games. It will also probably cover the championships of other olympic sports and possibly stike a deal with Hockey East to show Boston College and Notre Dame hockey. ESPN will keep the live Tier 1 ACC football games on ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, and ESPNU.

With the Big East basketball games moved over to FS1 away from ESPN, ESPN is down a lot of college basketball inventory. And they know that the large eastern markets who love college basketball as much as they love college football won't be watching SEC basketball. Many SEC schools can't get their own fans to come sit in the seats of their arenas to watch SEC basketball. So the goal of the ACC Network will be to get basic cable coverage in the large Eastern Markets that love college basketball.

 

[btstimpy]

As a UNC fan, it is disappointing to see UMD leave, as they were a founding member of the ACC. UNC, NCSU, and UMD have all been in the same leagues together for what will be 107 years at the conclusion of this school year. It will be odd not playing them anymore, I do admit. But, if they feel their future is better served being elsewhere, I wish them good luck, and, God Bless 'em.

To your statement, truth be told, I do not think it'll be a big change at all for ACC members. Will it be weird? Yes, for sure. But, with the possible exception of UVA, none of the schools you mention ever really considered UMD a true rival. Everybody else has at least 2-3 REAL hardcore rivalries within the ACC, and, others that they'd like to play more often. I don't know of any who'd include UMD in either category.

For UVA, Maryland is a distant third behind UNC and Virginia Tech. Only the Virginia fans that live in the Washington, DC metro area that interact with Maryland fans regularly even care about the UVA Maryland rivalry. In the rest of the state including Charlottesville, the Maryland rivalry isn't much different than the NC State, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Duke, Clemson, etc. rivalries where we have some level of rivalry with each. You won't see any evidence of UVA fans and alumni pushing to keep Maryland on the schedule. I did see where Syracuse is going to schedule Maryland in football. Apparently Randy Edsell has some attachment to Syracuse.

 

[upstater]

Football won't be the driver for the ACC Network. It will be basketball, baseball, softball, lacrosse, soccer, and some tier 3 football games with replays of the tier 1 games and Notre Dame home games. It will also probably cover the championships of other olympic sports and possibly stike a deal with Hockey East to show Boston College and Notre Dame hockey. ESPN will keep the live Tier 1 ACC football games on ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, and ESPNU.

With the Big East basketball games moved over to FS1 away from ESPN, ESPN is down a lot of college basketball inventory. And they know that the large eastern markets who love college basketball as much as they love college football won't be watching SEC basketball. Many SEC schools can't get their own fans to come sit in the seats of their arenas to watch SEC basketball. So the goal of the ACC Network will be to get basic cable coverage in the large Eastern Markets that love college basketball.

We were in the conference with many of these teams. They had anemic ratings, maybe because they couldn't win important games. The conference was carried by other teams, who played football. ESPN, by the way, has filled in with AAC games. The exposure this year is higher than what the old BE had.

 

[btstimpy]

We were in the conference with many of these teams. They had anemic ratings, maybe because they couldn't win important games. The conference was carried by other teams, who played football. ESPN, by the way, has filled in with AAC games. The exposure this year is higher than what the old BE had.

Yes. And they've put the ACC on Monday nights now. I don't ever remember the ACC playing basketball games on a Monday night. Unfortunately for the first one they've picked our game at Duke where we typically play like crap. Hopefully, we'll play better this year at Cameron.

I'm sure ESPN will be showing quite a few AAC games this years. There remain several basketball powers in the AAC like UConn, Temple, Memphis, Cincinnati, Houston. I'm not sure if Houston is still good, but at one time they were really good. I did think that the Georgetown, Marquette, St. John's, Villanova, etc. group had good ratings though. Maybe I'm incorrect.

 

[upstater]

Yes. And they've put the ACC on Monday nights now. I don't ever remember the ACC playing basketball games on a Monday night. Unfortunately for the first one they've picked our game at Duke where we typically play like crap. Hopefully, we'll play better this year at Cameron.

I'm sure ESPN will be showing quite a few AAC games this years. There remain several basketball powers in the AAC like UConn, Temple, Memphis, Cincinnati, Houston. I'm not sure if Houston is still good, but at one time they were really good. I did think that the Georgetown, Marquette, St. John's, Villanova, etc. group had good ratings though. Maybe I'm incorrect.

Well, Marquette was a latecomer to the group, so I really don't know about their ratings. I assume they are good because they fill up their arena. G'town has limited interest even as a fanbase, because the school is small, and DC is filled with transplants. Look at G'town's average. Villanova is always going to have a good many fans because they are a Philly institution. St. John's is moribund--not many fans at all. I just don't see the ratings with these schools. Granted the AAC doesn't have great draws either, but Memphis is an upgrade over anything in the BE when it comes to fan interest and actually winning games. After Cincy and UConn, it's a struggle. I don't know much about Temple's fans either but I note they sent 10k fans to Brooklyn last year for a game against Syracuse.

 

[CardinalJim]

Louisville splits its own city with the University of Kentucky and their influence doesn't extend one step outside of it.

I have lurked on your boards for years, often resisting the urge to sign up and respond to posts that are not factual when the topic involves The UofL. I have agreed with and enjoyed most of what I have read here. I would like however to respond to the above and offer some facts.

1. Louisville doesn't share the city with UK fans. The reality is UK holds an annual basketball in Louisville at Freedom Hall every season. It hasn't sold out in decades. There is simply no interest. If the Nations 16th largest city is split between UofL and UK fans, wouldn't cat fans be able to fill 19k arena?

2. UK out of conference football and basketball games are not shown live in Louisville. They are broadcast tape delayed at 1AM Sunday morning. If they were popular wouldn't they be on live TV like they are in Lexington?

3. UK pays a local clear channel radio station 1 million a year to broadcast games for them in Louisville. The radio station can't sell advertising because Louisville business's refuse to support UK. Ironically one of the primary sponsor's of UK coaches call in shows in Louisville is the University of Louisville.

It is difficult for those that don't live in Louisville to understand the connection the city and metro area have to the university. UofL is the city's team and businesses support it much in the same way a professional team is supported in other larger cities. The Yum Center has 72 luxury suites and Papa Johns has 62. All are bought by local businesses to support the university. The Yum Center has over 22,000 seats. There is a 10 year waiting list for season tickets. Louisville football sold out over 45,000 season tickets this year.

As a side note, much has been written here about Louisville's sweetheart deal at The Yum Center. Keep in mind the city and state's chief negotiator was Jim Host. You can Google him and read his bio. Host is UK booster. His company Host Communications has close ties to UK.
UofL did not want The Yum Center built. Jurich, Ramsey and Papa John Schnatter wanted an on campus arena and had the money to build it. UofL only agreed to go Downtown after Host made them a deal they couldn't turn down. The primary reason Host and UK wanted the arena built? Host and UK wanted an arena in Kentucky that UK could play early round tournament games at. Much in the same manner UNC and Duke play early round games in arenas in North Carolina.

No doubt UK is popular in the state. However, in the city of Louisville and in bedroom communities in surrounding counties, UK has little to no presence.
CJ

 

[DarthGrumpy]

I have lurked on your boards for years, often resisting the urge to sign up and respond to posts that are not factual when the topic involves The UofL. I have agreed with and enjoyed most of what I have read here. I would like however to respond to the above and offer some facts.

1. Louisville doesn't share the city with UK fans. The reality is UK holds an annual basketball in Louisville at Freedom Hall every season. It hasn't sold out in decades. There is simply no interest. If the Nations 16th largest city is split between UofL and UK fans, wouldn't cat fans be able to fill 19k arena?

2. UK out of conference football and basketball games are not shown live in Louisville. They are broadcast tape delayed at 1AM Sunday morning. If they were popular wouldn't they be on live TV like they are in Lexington?

3. UK pays a local clear channel radio station 1 million a year to broadcast games for them in Louisville. The radio station can't sell advertising because Louisville business's refuse to support UK. Ironically one of the primary sponsor's of UK coaches call in shows in Louisville is the University of Louisville.

It is difficult for those that don't live in Louisville to understand the connection the city and metro area have to the university. UofL is the city's team and businesses support it much in the same way a professional team is supported in other larger cities. The Yum Center has 72 luxury suites and Papa Johns has 62. All are bought by local businesses to support the university. The Yum Center has over 22,000 seats. There is a 10 year waiting list for season tickets. Louisville football sold out over 45,000 season tickets this year.

As a side note, much has been written here about Louisville's sweetheart deal at The Yum Center. Keep in mind the city and state's chief negotiator was Jim Host. You can Google him and read his bio. Host is UK booster. His company Host Communications has close ties to UK.
UofL did not want The Yum Center built. Jurich, Ramsey and Papa John Schnatter wanted an on campus arena and had the money to build it. UofL only agreed to go Downtown after Host made them a deal they couldn't turn down. The primary reason Host and UK wanted the arena built? Host and UK wanted an arena in Kentucky that UK could play early round tournament games at. Much in the same manner UNC and Duke play early round games in arenas in North Carolina.

No doubt UK is popular in the state. However, in the city of Louisville and in bedroom communities in surrounding counties, UK has little to no presence.
CJ

Granted, I have only spent a week on Louisville and it was early this year for work. All I did was work in the office downtown, sleep at the Courtyard and grab food and a beer at various places downtown. Did not even have a rental car.

Based on my very informal survey in the office, about 1/3 don’t care about college sports, 1/3 are Louisville Fans, and ¼ are Kentucky fans with the balance being transplants, especially Indiana U fans. And after reading about the financial hit that the city is taking from the Yum Center in the local paper, the 1/3 die-hard Louisville fans are too embarrassed to talk about it and 2/3 of the city are very unhappy.

 

[Fairfield 1st]

So heres the latest. Makes me want to puke if 1/3 of is real
http://Post original url/1eqvCrt

 

[specialisthusky]

So heres the latest. Makes me want to puke if 1/3 of is real
http://Post original url/1eqvCrt

Well that would be the worst case rock bottom can't get any worse scenario. Literally couldn't get worse.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I spent many weeks over a 30 year period in western ky for my former employer.
Taking in high school games. Talking sports with the locals and wearing my UConn shirts whenever possible. In my down time.
Coming from a BB state helps break the ice.
After we beat Duke in the 99 they were ecstatic for obvious reasons.
Actually is was a group of UK fans who convinced me UConn going FSB in football was a good idea. I was shocked when they told me football generated more revenue for them than basketball.

Granted we are talking 3 to 4 hours from Louisville but Card fans are almost non-existant in that area.

 

[upstater]

What do you mean, if it's real? The guy says outright he is doing scenarios.

This one is implausible. If it's football only and teams reform into other conferences, what in the world is the incentive to keep the AAC going. You'd have a bunch of teams shopping around their Olympic sports in that scenario.

 

[Fairfield 1st]

I didn't say I thought it was real. He's speculating and I saying if he is even 33% right that sucks. Nothing more. Sheesh.

 

[billybud]

Texas in the ACC fits like a mini skirt on Roseanne Barr....

 

[pj]

Texas in the ACC fits like a mini skirt on Roseanne Barr....

Never thought I'd hear you compare the ACC to Roseanne Barr!

 

[billybud]

How about like a mini skirt on Butkus then?

 

[huskymedic]

Texas in the ACC fits like a mini skirt on Roseanne Barr....

Close 'nuff for ya??

 

[billybud]

Yep...as uglee as Texas would be in the ACC.....

As my grandmother used to say..."she thinks she's sweet but the bees don't know it".

 

[tduconn]

The senario is definitely scary, but I would not be in the least bit surprised if those plucked from the American is as listed.

 

[HuskyDogArt]

Close 'nuff for ya??

View attachment 3745

I need mind Bleach... (to get that image out of my mind!!)

 

[btstimpy]

Texas in the ACC fits like a mini skirt on Roseanne Barr....

It would be like the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East.

The only way I'd see Texas to the ACC is if ESPN pushed for the Longhorn Network to morph into the ACC network. I also only see it in the context of the ACC adding 5 schools to get to 20. Texas would need some regional partners. Right now DeLoss Dodds wants that network all to himself or to Texas. He's crowing about the fact that Michigan has to share its network airtime with 13 other schools, and Alabama has to share their network airtime with 13 other schools. UCLA has to share their network airtime with 11 other schools. Texas gets 100 percent of the coverage on his network. Who cares if its having a hard time getting distribution. He just watched the Texas graduation last May on the Longhorn Network, and it was a beautiful thing. No one else saw it in Texas, but he did.

Texas would have to give these ideas up to join the ACC, and would have to share the network coverage especially for the non-football sports. Those happen to be most of what's on the Long Horn Network. Right now DeLoss Dodds does not want to do this, so until he leaves this is not going to happen. He is 75, so he could retire. But, he'll still influence what goes on at Texas. It's not quite as cult like as with Joe Paterno at Penn State. But it's influence nonetheless.

 

[upstater]

It would be like the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East.

The only way I'd see Texas to the ACC is if ESPN pushed for the Longhorn Network to morph into the ACC network. I also only see it in the context of the ACC adding 5 schools to get to 20. Texas would need some regional partners. Right now DeLoss Dodds wants that network all to himself or to Texas. He's crowing about the fact that Michigan has to share its network airtime with 13 other schools, and Alabama has to share their network airtime with 13 other schools. UCLA has to share their network airtime with 11 other schools. Texas gets 100 percent of the coverage on his network. Who cares if its having a hard time getting distribution. He just watched the Texas graduation last May on the Longhorn Network, and it was a beautiful thing. No one else saw it in Texas, but he did.

Texas would have to give these ideas up to join the ACC, and would have to share the network coverage especially for the non-football sports. Those happen to be most of what's on the Long Horn Network. Right now DeLoss Dodds does not want to do this, so until he leaves this is not going to happen. He is 75, so he could retire. But, he'll still influence what goes on at Texas. It's not quite as cult like as with Joe Paterno at Penn State. But it's influence nonetheless.

It doesn't matter how much power Paterno had at PSU, nor how cultish his figure was, a northern figure like him could never, ever, ever have as much power as a southern AD. Remember what happened to the President of A&M when she crossed the A&M AD? She was out on her ear. The Governor placed a call, a couple of state pols placed a call, and the board evicted her. That could never happen at PSU or up north. As you saw at Virginia as well, that kind of political interference is iffy. The Cav students and alumni would have none of it, but I think the pols in your state like the Texas arrangement quite a bit. North Carolina may have teetered over the edge when Thorp threw up his hands and sent the investigation to the Governor's office. If he had any integrity, he would have conducted the investigation himself. Instead he kicked it up the ladder because hurting the bball program was a political hot potato. UNC has such a great rep., but how they dealt with the scandal in the aftermath said almost as much about the leadership there than the actual scandal itself.

 

[larryredbull]

UNC has had such a great rep., but how they dealt with the scandal in the aftermath said almost as much about the leadership there than the actual scandal itself.

The third party "investigation" was a great move. By moving it to a third party, UNC insulates themselves and gets to claim that everything is fixed. For a school that broke so many rules, they got off with barely a slap on the wrist even with Thorp's incompetence. A lesser school in NC or elsewhere would have been hammered.

 

[BoatShow]

I want that expansion puzzle to be wrong but sadly it makes sense for the most part. Except USF. For how long is everyone going to reward them for being terrible at everything?

 

[upstater]

The third party "investigation" was a great move. By moving it to a third party, UNC insulates themselves and gets to claim that everything is fixed. For a school that broke so many rules, they got off with barely a slap on the wrist even with Thorp's incompetence. A lesser school in NC or elsewhere would have been hammered.

Third party was the Gov's office who got a UNC grad to conduct the investigation. The Gov. had more to lose than the university. The university could have restored its reputation. The Gov. answers to the UNC boosters.