For those saying Herbst is asleep at the wheel

[junglehusky]

Though she's been on the job since June, she was officially inaugurated Friday.

Just saying.

Below are some quotes from a courant.com article. If anything, it bodes well for UConn's future to have this kind of leader during the conference shuffling.

"She could have come in and been cautious and sort of tried to get the lay of the land first, but she's shown herself to be a quick study," said Rep. Roberta Willis, D-Salisbury, co-chairwoman of the legislature's higher education committee. "I think she's made some very tough decisions."

Larry McHugh, chairman of the board of trustees, said that Herbst has " taken the state by storm. … I've never had more people with positive things to say about her. … She's a bold, decisive leader and she's in the process of building strong relationships."

State Sen. Beth Bye, D-West Hartford, who co-chairs the higher education committee, said she's impressed "by how quickly [Herbst] acts if she sees something she thinks needs action."

 

[Rumrunner]

Hmmm...I must have missed the words "University of Connecticut" in those reports of Big East schools leaving for the ACC.

 

[junglehusky]

Hmmm...I must have missed the words "University of Connecticut" in those reports of Big East schools leaving for the ACC.

There were ten schools reportedly in talks. You think UConn wasn't one of them?

I bet we and Rutgers are trying to open communication to the B1G too. Whether that has a chance, I don't know. But just because you don't see something in the media RIGHT NOW doesn't mean our leadership is twiddling their thumbs.

 

[noeynox]

Re assuring. I hope the silence coming out UConn in regards to conference expansion proves to be deafening when the dust settles.

I can't explain how bummed I am about the Pitt/SU news. Again, I don't blame them, but with a pot of gold reportedly at the end of the rainbow, I'm astonished that these presidents cannot lock themselves in a room and pledge unity to each other. Of course ESPN, doesn't want Fox or Comcast to make a splash the CFB market so they will go to great lengths to weaken the Big East from its current state by offering the ACC more money/opening up their existing contract if they bring in some Big East schools.

Also, what if the magic number is 14, instead of 16. The SEC takes A&M, and WVU, the ACC takes Pitt and SU, the Big Ten takes Mizzou and another not named UConn, the Pac 12 takes OK and Ok State. Where does that leave us? Gives me heartburn to think about.

 

[upstater]

Re assuring. I hope the silence coming out UConn in regards to conference expansion proves to be deafening when the dust settles.

I can't explain how bummed I am about the Pitt/SU news. Again, I don't blame them, but with a pot of gold reportedly at the end of the rainbow, I'm astonished that these presidents cannot lock themselves in a room and pledge unity to each other. Of course ESPN, doesn't want Fox or Comcast to make a splash the CFB market so they will go to great lengths to weaken the Big East from its current state by offering the ACC more money/opening up their existing contract if they bring in some Big East schools.

Also, what if the magic number is 14, instead of 16. The SEC takes A&M, and WVU, the ACC takes Pitt and SU, the Big Ten takes Mizzou and another not named UConn, the Pac 12 takes OK and Ok State. Where does that leave us? Gives me heartburn to think about.

It's been reported that 14 doesn't work for scheduling purposes. I'm not sure why, but it could be that every league intends to split teams into two divisions, and you need the 8 teams in each division to have an equal amount of games with teams in opposing divisions.

 

[tzznandrew]

Maybe UConn/Rutgers get into ACC in a second round of expansion, especially with the votes of Syracuse and Pitt.

I'd prefer to be somewhere stable and BCS worthy by the time the merry-go-round stops the first time.

 

[noeynox]

It's been reported that 14 doesn't work for scheduling purposes. I'm not sure why, but it could be that every league intends to split teams into two divisions, and you need the 8 teams in each division to have an equal amount of games with teams in opposing divisions.

Upstater, I think the scheduling problem is resolved by having one rotating game against a team from the other division. Not ideal, but likely not a deal breaker either.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

My theory is the acc is waiting to see if the Texas stories are true.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

My theory is the acc is waiting to see if the Texas stories are true.

The rumor going around at this point is that Texas and Notre Dame are both going to join the ACC for everything except football...and then stay independent in football. So the ACC will be at 14 for football and will be at 16 for all other sports.

 

[upstater]

The rumor going around at this point is that Texas and Notre Dame are both going to join the ACC for everything except football...and then stay independent in football. So the ACC will be at 14 for football and will be at 16 for all other sports.

How in the world does that help the ACC?

 

[junglehusky]

ACC would def. want Texas and ND for football, without football no dice. The idea is they would get to keep their network arrangements.

 

[FrostyNuggets]

It's been reported that 14 doesn't work for scheduling purposes. I'm not sure why, but it could be that every league intends to split teams into two divisions, and you need the 8 teams in each division to have an equal amount of games with teams in opposing divisions.

Keeping dollars out of it for the moment...wouldn't 18 be perfect for scheduling? 8 conf games (4 home/4away) and 4 non-conference?

 

[tzznandrew]

Keeping dollars out of it for the moment...wouldn't 18 be perfect for scheduling? 8 conf games (4 home/4away) and 4 non-conference?

Former commish of the WAC said 20 is better than 16 because you could have 2 division, 9 conference games (or 18 in basketball), and then a championship game/post-season tournament.

 

[uconnbill]

I just hope that Herbst and Pendergast are being pro active and doing what is necessary to keep UConn relative in the BCS somewhere.

 

[CL82]

Re assuring. I hope the silence coming out UConn in regards to conference expansion proves to be deafening when the dust settles.

I can't explain how bummed I am about the Pitt/SU news. Again, I don't blame them, but with a pot of gold reportedly at the end of the rainbow, I'm astonished that these presidents cannot lock themselves in a room and pledge unity to each other. Of course ESPN, doesn't want Fox or Comcast to make a splash the CFB market so they will go to great lengths to weaken the Big East from its current state by offering the ACC more money/opening up their existing contract if they bring in some Big East schools.

+1

 

[HuskyBandDad]

The rumor going around at this point is that Texas and Notre Dame are both going to join the ACC for everything except football...and then stay independent in football. So the ACC will be at 14 for football and will be at 16 for all other sports.

Why does every one suckup to ND ? Tell them all in or nothing. ND can not lose enough for me.

 

[TheRogers]

Honest question. Does Rutgers really deliver on the NY/NJ market market. With that being their ONLY trump card, yóu got to hand it to them. They play it well. What freaking benefit does that school bring to any conference.

 

[mets1090]

If Rutgers ends up in a good spot and UConn gets left out then someone at this University will have screwed up. At worst we are similar in Football and we trump them in Basketball (men's and women's), Soccer, and Baseball. I don't know enough about other sports to comment on them but it would certainly seem we have the edge overall.

And on top of it all we are a better academic institution. I know that won't really mean much in terms of getting us a seat at the table when all is said and done, but if two schools are equal you have to assume a conference would go with the better academic school just so they can at least hold up some sort of appearance that they care a little bit about education.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I believe that those who feel Herbst has been asleep at the wheel are over reacting. In fact, I have it on pretty credible source (perhaps not credible but at least it’s a source) that President Herbst has put together the following action list for an upcoming conversation with Swofford:

I. Mention that during her childhood her favorite song was ”Good Morning Starshine”.
II. Stress the academic gains that UConn has made in recent years.
III. Point out the financial commitment to improve the campus and overall identity of the school.
IV. Let him know that as a child she wanted to change he name to “Jean” and that she became an educator because, well, after all Jean Brodie was an educator.
V. State the ambitions for increasing the school’s endowment.
VI. Point out the benefit that the UConn men’s and women’s basketball teams can bring to a basketball centric athletic conference.
VII. Reiterate the importance of the song ”Good Morning Starshine” during her childhood.
VIII. Touch on the multiple national title winning men’s soccer and women’s field hockey teams (both sports that the ACC values).
IX. Comment on the rise of the football program and the value its location (between NYC and Boston) could have.
X. Add that UConn (assuming the ACC already landed Cuse to join BC) would lock up the entire northeast for that conference (NY & New England).

 

[RS9999X]

If Swofford is a music fan he'll pick up on the subliminal Oliver Luck message embedded in the 'Jean' and 'Good Morning Starshine' reference to another two-hit wonder.

Wait...WVU is getting the call now......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl8O7NHkrPY

Damn I'm too old for this.....

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Considering that his brother is the two hit wonder performer I'm sure he is aware of this.

 

[Mr.Phat]

Re assuring. I hope the silence coming out UConn in regards to conference expansion proves to be deafening when the dust settles.

I can't explain how bummed I am about the Pitt/SU news. Again, I don't blame them, but with a pot of gold reportedly at the end of the rainbow, I'm astonished that these presidents cannot lock themselves in a room and pledge unity to each other. Of course ESPN, doesn't want Fox or Comcast to make a splash the CFB market so they will go to great lengths to weaken the Big East from its current state by offering the ACC more money/opening up their existing contract if they bring in some Big East schools.

Also, what if the magic number is 14, instead of 16. The SEC takes A&M, and WVU, the ACC takes Pitt and SU, the Big Ten takes Mizzou and another not named UConn, the Pac 12 takes OK and Ok State. Where does that leave us? Gives me heartburn to think about.

It's up to the nitwits in Providence to keep the conference together.

When you think about it the Pitt Syr move seems a little knee jerk. Yes, there have been conference defections this season but the BE - albeit without a TV contract yet - seems like it was in decent shape with TCU joining next year. Now this. Pitt Syr have no confidence in the conference's future. I bet TCU is slack jawed.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

It's up to the nitwits in Providence to keep the conference together.

Why would anyone in their right man believe the nitwits in Providence would do anything to keep the floundering (dying?) BE conference together let alone find any good reasons for the latter conundrum to exist? Good drugs much?

On the other hand, this may be one rare instance for UConn to have any association with Duke. As in, Dukie alumna, new UConn President Susan Herbst. Time to earn your keep Susie!

 

[TheRogers]

Honest question. Does Rutgers really deliver on the NY/NJ market market. With that being their ONLY trump card, yóu got to hand it to them. They play it well. What freaking benefit does that school bring to any conference.

 

[junglehusky]

Honest question. Does Rutgers really deliver on the NY/NJ market market. With that being their ONLY trump card, yóu got to hand it to them. They play it well. What freaking benefit does that school bring to any conference.

Honestly, nobody delivers NYC, but if you put RU, Cuse and UConn together maybe they do a decent enough job. I've said it elsewhere, but UConn, RU and Cuse or Pitt together could be a package deal to the B10, which also has a lot of alumni in NYC, though right now it seems it's every man for himself.