Frank the Tank's Slant on UConn and Big 12 chances...

[huskymedic]

You need to read to figure out scoring matrix.

http://frankthetank.me/2013/10/30/the-big-12-expansion-index-wake-me-up-when-its-all-over/

Under the INTRIGUING, BUT NOT PRACTICAL category:

>>CONNECTICUT
Football Brand Value – 20
National TV Value – 10
Local TV Value – 7
Demographics/Recruiting Value – 0
Academics – 5
Basketball Value – 5
Geographic Fit/Need – 0
Tremendous Upside Potential/Monopoly Power – 10
Total: 57

Overview: In a vacuum, UConn is arguably the most power conference-like school that isn’t in a power conference today. If this were an ACC Expansion Index, then UConn would be close to a perfect score. Frankly, there’s still a part of me that’s surprised that UConn isn’t in the ACC already, but I perfectly understand why Louisville got the nod last year. The problem with the prospect of UConn going to the Big 12 is that it’s not a good fit for what the conference is seeking in expansion. UConn has actually performed aptly in football over the past decade outside of the last couple of years, yet the New England region is a black hole when it comes for football recruiting (particularly considering how it’s a high population area) and the school’s men’s and women’s basketball prowess probably has the least value to the Big 12 out of any of the power conferences (as hoops mainly benefit conferences that either have networks like the Big Ten has or strong basketball syndication deals like the ACC). Now, UConn’s Big East pedigree and relatively strong brand name means that the school has a large amount of upside, but it may not matter to the Big 12 with Connecticut being so far geographically from the conference’s core.<<

There are 9 teams below UConn and 6 teams ahead of them. His choices are Cincy and BYU.

 

[upstater]

You need to read to figure out scoring matrix.

http://frankthetank.me/2013/10/30/the-big-12-expansion-index-wake-me-up-when-its-all-over/

Under the INTRIGUING, BUT NOT PRACTICAL category:

>>CONNECTICUT
Football Brand Value – 20
National TV Value – 10
Local TV Value – 7
Demographics/Recruiting Value – 0
Academics – 5
Basketball Value – 5
Geographic Fit/Need – 0
Tremendous Upside Potential/Monopoly Power – 10
Total: 57

Overview: In a vacuum, UConn is arguably the most power conference-like school that isn’t in a power conference today. If this were an ACC Expansion Index, then UConn would be close to a perfect score. Frankly, there’s still a part of me that’s surprised that UConn isn’t in the ACC already, but I perfectly understand why Louisville got the nod last year. The problem with the prospect of UConn going to the Big 12 is that it’s not a good fit for what the conference is seeking in expansion. UConn has actually performed aptly in football over the past decade outside of the last couple of years, yet the New England region is a black hole when it comes for football recruiting (particularly considering how it’s a high population area) and the school’s men’s and women’s basketball prowess probably has the least value to the Big 12 out of any of the power conferences (as hoops mainly benefit conferences that either have networks like the Big Ten has or strong basketball syndication deals like the ACC). Now, UConn’s Big East pedigree and relatively strong brand name means that the school has a large amount of upside, but it may not matter to the Big 12 with Connecticut being so far geographically from the conference’s core.<<

There are 9 teams below UConn and 6 teams ahead of them. His choices are Cincy and BYU.

He doesn't know Connecticut recruiting well.
He doesn't know local TV very well either. I mean, this guy thinks Memphis and Temple have better local TV possibilities.
This is sheer blindness and idiocy.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

I'd hate to find us in the Big 12. Trouble is I really hate that we're in the AAC.

 

[metsfan2323]

UCF might be ahead of Cincy on the Big 12 pecking order at his point. I think the Big 12 wants a Florida team. If the Big12 decided to expand by 4 I could see us being part of their plans.

 

[huskymedic]

He doesn't know Connecticut recruiting well.
He doesn't know local TV very well either. I mean, this guy thinks Memphis and Temple have better local TV possibilities.
This is sheer blindness and idiocy.

Okay - because of the fact that Fairfield County is buried in the NY market - take the 3 available points to max out the Local TV category @ 10 if it makes you feel better.

 

[upstater]

Okay - because of the fact that Fairfield County is buried in the NY market - take the 3 available points to max out the Local TV category @ 10 if it makes you feel better.

If you give Rutgers 10 points for TV, they are stuck in nowheresville. And yes, the B12 doesn't have a network, but that is absolutely no reason to downplay the importance of TV market. It's beyond silly, really. TV market is a huge factor.

As for recruiting, I pointed out a number of times that Conn. has been producing well over the last decade. Conn. doesn't have 4 and 5 star players (or many of them) but when more than 25% of your 2 stars are making NFL rosters, maybe you don't need them. Conn. is underrecruited.

 

[ZooCougar]

I think that our TV value is being underestimated.

 

[pj]

Same old, same old. He counts "demographics / recruiting" heavily (20 points), much more than basketball (5 points). He gives UConn 0 for demographics/recruiting even though we're the only public university playing high level athletics in the 7-state NY-NE region which has 35 million people. Only 2 private universities with small fan bases also play high-level sports in the region. This is a huge demographic base. Whereas he gives Tulane a 15 on demographics/recruiting even though it is a distant second in a state of 4.6 million, and Cincinnati a 20 on demographics/recruiting despite being a distant second in Ohio and having stiff competition across the river in Kentucky. Championships, national brand, large TV markets, dominant sporting attraction in the state of Connecticut and major attraction in New York City -- they don't count. Since "national and local TV value" seem to refer to football TV value, he is basically assigning 30+15+10+20 points to football and 5 to basketball, a 15-to-1 ratio. Yet basketball generated more money for the ACC than football as recently as 2000, and still generates about one-third as much money. As conferences develop networks and new means of distribution, basketball will become more important due to its greater inventory.

 

[CL82]

Same old, same old. He counts "demographics / recruiting" heavily (20 points), much more than basketball (5 points). He gives UConn 0 for demographics/recruiting even though we're the only public university playing high level athletics in the 7-state NY-NE region which has 35 million people. Only 2 private universities with small fan bases also play high-level sports in the region. This is a huge demographic base. Whereas he gives Tulane a 15 on demographics/recruiting even though it is a distant second in a state of 4.6 million, and Cincinnati a 20 on demographics/recruiting despite being a distant second in Ohio and having stiff competition across the river in Kentucky. Championships, national brand, large TV markets, dominant sporting attraction in the state of Connecticut and major attraction in New York City -- they don't count. Since "national and local TV value" seem to refer to football TV value, he is basically assigning 30+15+10+20 points to football and 5 to basketball, a 15-to-1 ratio. Yet basketball generated more money for the ACC than football as recently as 2000, and still generates about one-third as much money. As conferences develop networks and new means of distribution, basketball will become more important due to its greater inventory.

Tough to decide whether Frank is a hater or just ill-informed. Regardless, he's likable enough and I don't think many people take him seriously on this issue.

 

[Dooley]

My guess is still that the B12 expands to 14 with BYU, UCF, USF and Cincinnati. National brand BYU, two good markets in fertile FL recruiting grounds and a decent market in more fertile OH recruiting ground to give WVU a play date. If the end game is truly 16-20, then I think they'll sit tight and wait to see how Boise St, Utah St, Nevada, Fresno St, Houston, SDSU, etc perform in the next few years and fight the PAC over who is best.

 

[upstater]

My guess is still that the B12 expands to 14 with BYU, UCF, USF and Cincinnati. National brand BYU, two good markets in fertile FL recruiting grounds and a decent market in more fertile OH recruiting ground to give WVU a play date. If the end game is truly 16-20, then I think they'll sit tight and wait to see how Boise St, Utah St, Nevada, Fresno St, Houston, SDSU, etc perform in the next few years and fight the PAC over who is best.

They go to 12 max because they have to. There is no point in them going beyond that.

 

[UConnDan97]

Same old, same old. He counts "demographics / recruiting" heavily (20 points), much more than basketball (5 points). He gives UConn 0 for demographics/recruiting even though we're the only public university playing high level athletics in the 7-state NY-NE region which has 35 million people. Only 2 private universities with small fan bases also play high-level sports in the region. This is a huge demographic base. Whereas he gives Tulane a 15 on demographics/recruiting even though it is a distant second in a state of 4.6 million, and Cincinnati a 20 on demographics/recruiting despite being a distant second in Ohio and having stiff competition across the river in Kentucky. Championships, national brand, large TV markets, dominant sporting attraction in the state of Connecticut and major attraction in New York City -- they don't count. Since "national and local TV value" seem to refer to football TV value, he is basically assigning 30+15+10+20 points to football and 5 to basketball, a 15-to-1 ratio. Yet basketball generated more money for the ACC than football as recently as 2000, and still generates about one-third as much money. As conferences develop networks and new means of distribution, basketball will become more important due to its greater inventory.

You can't take it too seriously, PJ. Any scoring system that tells someone that Tulane is a better expansion choice than UConn.....well, that system needs to be re-scored. It wasn't many months ago that this entire board was in shock that we had even allowed Tulane into a dying Big East, for cryin' out loud. Now, they are Big12 material...

 

[NEforceUConn]

My guess is still that the B12 expands to 14 with BYU, UCF, USF and Cincinnati. National brand BYU, two good markets in fertile FL recruiting grounds and a decent market in more fertile OH recruiting ground to give WVU a play date. If the end game is truly 16-20, then I think they'll sit tight and wait to see how Boise St, Utah St, Nevada, Fresno St, Houston, SDSU, etc perform in the next few years and fight the PAC over who is best.

I hope you are wrong, because if you are right my remaining brain cells are doomed

 

[AZHuskiePop]

After reading the article and the Replys. It appears Tulane was a coup by the AAC. Maybe the Catholics overreacted.
Not to mention the Wave bashers who reside here.
Apparently there is a lot more to the AAC than we think.
The bar must be about to close as our ugly schools are starting to look attractive. That is all but that stuck -up one named UConn
On a serious note
Frank is right for a change, we are not and never were a realistic alternative for the Big 12. A line he was advocating awhile back.

Cinn and Louisville were so obviously the best eastern candidates.
If the Big 12 was desperate enough to take TCU they were actually pretty stupid in missing out on that.

 

[upstater]

After reading the article and the Replys. It appears Tulane was a coup by the AAC. Maybe the Catholics overreacted.
Not to mention the Wave bashers who reside here.
Apparently there is a lot more to the AAC than we think.
The bar must be about to close as our ugly schools are starting to look attractive. That is all but that stuck -up one named UConn
On a serious note
Frank is right for a change, we are not and never were a realistic alternative for the Big 12. A line he was advocating awhile back.

Cinn and Louisville were so obviously the best eastern candidates.
If the Big 12 was desperate enough to take TCU they were actually pretty stupid in missing out on that.

Frank was saying the opposite. That the only conference that would take UConn is B12.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Frank was saying the opposite. That the only conference that would take UConn is B12.

True he is correct on the B12 for UConn now. It was grounded in fantasy.
Last year he was touting the B12 as our best hope.
It was his bone to us hapless UConn guys who actually hope for P5 status.
Bloggers like Frank depend on short memories as their positions change like the wind. Although he is consistent on our unworthiness for the B1G. Not being able to compete with the powerhouse fighting Illini.


We are in huge trouble as the AAC gets picked apart.
I'm begaining to believe that the destruction of UConn was on someone's to do list.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

The statement that we aren't very practical for the Big 12 isn't wrong. How he arrives at that statement is another story, but in reality, we don't really fit in the Big 12, and our football program is not close enough to being a can't-miss that you can overlook it.

 

[NickyNewark]

Frank was saying the opposite. That the only conference that would take UConn is B12.

I think your right? Didn't he say instead of focusing on the B1G or ACC UConn should entertain the Big12 to expand there exposure eastward,add hoops and give WVU another partner along with Cinncy ?I get the impression he has little understanding of the NE demographic and underestimates UConns reach into NYC/NJ and Boston/Mass/RI market's.I think his personal opinion is not UConn friendly but not maliciously so ?

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I think your right? Didn't he say instead of focusing on the B1G or ACC UConn should entertain the Big12 to expand there exposure eastward,add hoops and give WVU another partner along with Cinncy ?I get the impression he has little understanding of the NE demographic and underestimates UConns reach into NYC/NJ and Boston/Mass/RI market's.I think his personal opinion is not UConn friendly but not maliciously so ?

OT. When to you change clocks back?
We don't ever change in Az so 12pm start times are at 9 or 10 AM

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I think your right? Didn't he say instead of focusing on the B1G or ACC UConn should entertain the Big12 to expand there exposure eastward,add hoops and give WVU another partner along with Cinncy ?I get the impression he has little understanding of the NE demographic and underestimates UConns reach into NYC/NJ and Boston/Mass/RI market's.I think his personal opinion is not UConn friendly but not maliciously so ?

His current spin doesn't sound very pro UConn to the Big 12

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I wonder how much Frank's traffic is down now that CR is over.

 

[whaler11]

Pretty much anytime anyone attempts to do an analysis like this on any subject you get stupid answers.

 

[NickyNewark]

OT. When to you change clocks back?
We don't ever change in Az so 12pm start times are at 9 or 10 AM

Sunday at 2AM...I wish they'd leave the time the way it is w/o trying to create artificial daylight! Daylight savings ?Azhusky,I loved living in SanDiego and the SW but do you ever miss the rain..xmas spirit?I just can't seem to feel at home under the western sky's w/o my extended family!Sorry to get OT myself ..just curious!

 

[NickyNewark]

His current spin doesn't sound very pro UConn to the Big 12

Seem's like his frequent visits here at the BY were research oriented for his CR blog?I thought at first he was here gauging our (UConn's) potential FB value to the B1G but I'm not sure he learned much through the interaction?I think Delany and due diligence will take the B1G to our hopes/conclusion that its just a matter of time/partner?

 

[UConn Dan]

It's a good thing Frank the Tank isn't making (or consulting on) conference expansion decisions.