Hey The Big Ten Network tweeted about us

[Gfunk]

The lack of academic heft statement is complete BS as UCONN is ranked higher in US NEWS than many of the Big10 schools such as Indiana, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan State, RU etc.

The Big10 schools ranked ahead of UCONN are just barely ranked higher with the obvious exceptions of NW, Michigan and Wisconsin.

You have to think outside of just US News Undergraduate Rankings. All those BIG schools jump UConn when research and graduate schools become factored into overall academic profiles. Pick a publication, any publication, you'll see I'm right, that includes US News Graduate School Rankings, where my alma mater, Minnesota, is so often top 25 and UConn is nowhere in sight. The research end matters because of the money & power involved. Why do you think an AAU bid is so hard to secure? These institutions are looking at research dollars and contributions to global society, not undergraduate rankings based on questionable criteria (US News). UConn will get there, but it's a long term process.

As for what I think about UConn to the BIG, many on here know I'd love to see you guys in the conference. I'm not stuck on football like so many BIG fans. My only problem with the football end for UConn is the off campus stadium and its size. Minnesota has one of the smallest stadiums in the BIG @ just over 50k & we finally got back on campus a few years ago. Tradition is a huge factor in the BIG membership, esp football.

 

[pj]

You have to think outside of just US News Undergraduate Rankings. All those BIG schools jump UConn when research and graduate schools become factored into overall academic profiles. Pick a publication, any publication, you'll see I'm right, that includes US News Graduate School Rankings, where my alma mater, Minnesota, is so often top 25 and UConn is nowhere in sight. The research end matters because of the money & power involved. Why do you think an AAU bid is so hard to secure? These institutions are looking at research dollars and contributions to global society, not undergraduate rankings based on questionable criteria (US News). UConn will get there, but it's a long term process.

As for what I think about UConn to the BIG, many on here know I'd love to see you guys in the conference. I'm not stuck on football like so many BIG fans. My only problem with the football end for UConn is the off campus stadium and its size. Minnesota has one of the smallest stadiums in the BIG @ just over 50k & we finally got back on campus a few years ago. Tradition is a huge factor in the BIG membership, esp football.

Yes. But if the B1G makes construction of a 65k on-campus stadium a condition of membership, I think Connecticut would come up with the money. The bigger issue is AAU status which we're hopefully close to, though trying to figure out if UConn qualifies on their metrics can quickly make one cross-eyed.

 

[NEforceUConn]

pj what is the time frame (best, most likely, worst case) for AAU??

 

[whaler11]

A 65k on-campus stadium. Wow.

 

[pj]

pj what is the time frame (best, most likely, worst case) for AAU??

Really hard to say because there are so many possible metrics and depending on how you weight them you can either see UConn as a marginal qualifier already or a few years away or quite far away. I think it will be a very political decision.

First UConn has to make sure the UConn Medical Center in Farmington is grouped with Storrs, otherwise we are far off in federal research funds. With it we're probably in the bottom 20% of AAU research recipients on most of the measures but weak on some others.

The current hiring programs will help with research volume. It won't make UConn a slam dunk for AAU but it will make us comparable to a number of AAU institutions.

Here's a comparison with four AAU universities and some non-AAU universities. From http://mup.asu.edu/research2011.pdf, in 2009 the numbers were:

School ................. Total research funds .................... Federal research funds ...................... metrics in top 50 universities ... metrics in top 50 public universities

Rutgers ................... $320 mn .......................................... $161 mn .............................................. 3............................................................. 8
Brandeis ................... $62 mn .......................................... $40 mn .............................................. 1
Stony Book ............... $258 mn .......................................... $107 mn ............................................. 0 ........................................................... 4
U of Kansas (Lawrence only) ... $132 mn ........................... $73 mn ............................................... 1 ............................................................ 4
U of Kansas (with Med Ctr KC) ... $225 mn ........................ $127 mn

UConn (Storrs only) .... $130 mn ...................................... $51 mn ................................................ 1 ............................................................ 3
UConn (with Med Ctr) ... $225 mn .................................... $120 mn

Compare a few non-AAU schools:

Tufts ............................... $148 mn .................................. $102 mn ................................................ 1
Florida State ................... $195 mn .................................. $117 mn ................................................. 1 ............................................................ 6
Oklahoma ........................ $78 mn ..................................... $42 mn ................................................. 1 ........................................................... 4

Brandeis is well below UConn on research dollars but the per-faculty funding is higher (a quality measure). Rutgers is about 50% bigger in total dollars and ahead in average faculty quality. Stony Brook is comparable to UConn in total dollars but higher in average quality.

Kansas and UConn are very comparable institutions, even down to the Medical Center and campus research sizes. But Kansas joined the AAU in 1909 and maybe they would have a harder time getting in today.

Tufts is similar in profile to UConn, but not in the AAU. Florida State is ahead of UConn Storrs and behind UConn Storrs + Med Ctr in total research dollars; but they have almost double the number of faculty, so average faculty quality is way behind UConn. Oklahoma is way behind UConn even though they have considerably more faculty.

Overall I would say as long as Mark Emmert is not on the AAU committee, if the Medical Center is grouped with UConn Storrs, and if the current hiring can increase UConn's research funds by 20%, then we'll be in. That would take about 5 years I'm guessing. If we have a lot of friends in the AAU we might be able to get in in 1-2 years. If we have enemies we might never get in as I'm sure if you emphasize average faculty quality as with Brandeis there are a number of institutions currently outside the AAU you might invite ahead of UConn.

 

[woomba]

Yeah - I think it's doubtful that Kansas would have been invited if the invitations went out now compared to a 100 years ago. In fact, if they do another round of culling Kansas is probably on that list of potential schools to lose it.

More recent additions like Stonybrook and Boston University are probably more instructive for UConn.

 

[Gfunk]

Yeah - I think it's doubtful that Kansas would have been invited if the invitations went out now compared to a 100 years ago. In fact, if they do another round of culling Kansas is probably on that list of potential schools to lose it.

More recent additions like Stonybrook and Boston University are probably more instructive for UConn.

I don't know about that. KU is evidently going through a construction renaissance right now, a lot of new buildings-schools & plans to become more reputable in research. I don't know if their plan is on par with UConn's recent master plan. KU's endowment is decent, though system wide, generally above 1 billion dollars. KU would benefit from more selective admissions criteria.

 

[woomba]

I'm looking at Nebraska's case for general guidance - I think Kansas isn't much better (if at all) compared to Nebraska and Kansas's 93% admit rate is a joke.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I don't know about that. KU is evidently going through a construction renaissance right now, a lot of new buildings-schools & plans to become more reputable in research. I don't know if their plan is on par with UConn's recent master plan. KU's endowment is decent, though system wide, generally above 1 billion dollars. KU would benefit from more selective admissions criteria.

KU's admissions rate is affected by state law that requires it to accept any graduate of a Kansas high school that has certain grades or graduates in X% of the class. I can't remember the specifics, but it drags down the admissions numbers.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

I'm looking at Nebraska's case for general guidance - I think Kansas isn't much better (if at all) compared to Nebraska and Kansas's 93% admit rate is a joke.

Doesn’t the law in Kansas require that at all public schools, including the universities, that intelligent design be taught as a ‘viable’ alternative to the ‘theory’ of evolution?

 

[DarthGrumpy]

You have to think outside of just US News Undergraduate Rankings. All those BIG schools jump UConn when research and graduate schools become factored into overall academic profiles. Pick a publication, any publication, you'll see I'm right, that includes US News Graduate School Rankings, where my alma mater, Minnesota, is so often top 25 and UConn is nowhere in sight. The research end matters because of the money & power involved. Why do you think an AAU bid is so hard to secure? These institutions are looking at research dollars and contributions to global society, not undergraduate rankings based on questionable criteria (US News). UConn will get there, but it's a long term process.

As for what I think about UConn to the BIG, many on here know I'd love to see you guys in the conference. I'm not stuck on football like so many BIG fans. My only problem with the football end for UConn is the off campus stadium and its size. Minnesota has one of the smallest stadiums in the BIG @ just over 50k & we finally got back on campus a few years ago. Tradition is a huge factor in the BIG membership, esp football.

TCF Stadium is a good college football stadium and its size is perfect for the Gophers, big enough to generate revenue and create a good environment; but, small enough to sell out most of the time. Not many schools have the ability to consistently sell-out 100K stadiums.
When TCF was built, one key reason it was done is that the old Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis was too far away and did not create a great college environment. What is it, about 5 miles between the Metrodome and the main U Minnesota campus? What does that say about UConn’s stadium, which is 20/25 miles from campus? Granted, U Minnesota is in Minneapolis, which has the infrastructure to handle a 50K stadium and Storrs does not; but…

 

[Gfunk]

TCF Stadium is a good college football stadium and its size is perfect for the Gophers, big enough to generate revenue and create a good environment; but, small enough to sell out most of the time. Not many schools have the ability to consistently sell-out 100K stadiums.
When TCF was built, one key reason it was done is that the old Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis was too far away and did not create a great college environment. What is it, about 5 miles between the Metrodome and the main U Minnesota campus? What does that say about UConn’s stadium, which is 20/25 miles from campus? Granted, U Minnesota is in Minneapolis, which has the infrastructure to handle a 50K stadium and Storrs does not; but…

Actually the Metrodome is merely a half mile from the West Bank of the U of Mn, which is where many schools & departments are located (social sciences, business, law, fine arts, public policy), but it's certainly lacking in the student housing end - undergraduate types. Now that light rail will cut through the UMn campuses (East & West Banks) & dt Mpls in just a year, the Metrodome, if still the Gopher's venue, would be a much easier commute for students. But it was a horrible venue for college football & the space between the West Bank and dt Mpls is a mass cluster of interstate.

TCF stadium is one of those venues that is simply creating tremendous gravity for Minnesota's long term master plan: additional facilities and research expansion - there's a lot of unused land around TCF owned by the university. The potential of this land is incredible. Already, two huge research buildings have gone up around it, more to come. It's relatively close to the heart of campus and the student housing boom continues to add walkable density around it. Building TCF is one of the best decisions ever made by the UofMn. Conversely, tearing down the old Memorial Stadium was one of the worst decisions made by the UofMn.

Btw, some of you may already know that the Metrodome (Mall of American Field) is going down soon, being replaced by the vehicle used by Jawas in Star Wars. I can't imagine this facility being bypassed by the BIG for conference championship games in the future. They'll get this game once every 5 years.

http://www.vikings.com/news/article...m-Design/a22f251d-0e66-4c42-aab3-a32269114660

PS The distance between TCF and the current Metrodome is about 3.3 miles. Heart of campus to the Metrodome, shave a mile. A walk from TCF to central campus is merely 15 minutes.

 

[Gfunk]

I'm looking at Nebraska's case for general guidance - I think Kansas isn't much better (if at all) compared to Nebraska and Kansas's 93% admit rate is a joke.

It is a joke & certainly not peer like if they were in the BIG.

 

[upstater]

KU's admissions rate is affected by state law that requires it to accept any graduate of a Kansas high school that has certain grades or graduates in X% of the class. I can't remember the specifics, but it drags down the admissions numbers.

Can you imagine being a teacher in that school? You have the power of God.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Can you imagine being a teacher in that school? You have the power of God.

They flunk a number of them out, which tends to discourage some of them from going to KU instead of say, Emporia State. And it costs more as well. These are the requirements for graduates of an acredited KS high school.
21+ ACT/980+ SAT or Rank in the top one-third of your high school class or 2.0+ GPA in the Kansas Qualified Admissions curriculum.

There are other states that do the same thing.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Actually the Metrodome is merely a half mile from the West Bank of the U of Mn, which is where many schools & departments are located (social sciences, business, law, fine arts, public policy), but it's certainly lacking in the student housing end - undergraduate types. Now that light rail will cut through the UMn campuses (East & West Banks) & dt Mpls in just a year, the Metrodome, if still the Gopher's venue, would be a much easier commute for students. But it was a horrible venue for college football & the space between the West Bank and dt Mpls is a mass cluster of interstate.

TCF stadium is one of those venues that is simply creating tremendous gravity for Minnesota's long term master plan: additional facilities and research expansion - there's a lot of unused land around TCF owned by the university. The potential of this land is incredible. Already, two huge research buildings have gone up around it, more to come. It's relatively close to the heart of campus and the student housing boom continues to add walkable density around it. Building TCF is one of the best decisions ever made by the UofMn. Conversely, tearing down the old Memorial Stadium was one of the worst decisions made by the UofMn.

Btw, some of you may already know that the Metrodome (Mall of American Field) is going down soon, being replaced by the vehicle used by Jawas in Star Wars. I can't imagine this facility being bypassed by the BIG for conference championship games in the future. They'll get this game once every 5 years.

http://www.vikings.com/news/article...m-Design/a22f251d-0e66-4c42-aab3-a32269114660

PS The distance between TCF and the current Metrodome is about 3.3 miles. Heart of campus to the Metrodome, shave a mile. A walk from TCF to central campus is merely 15 minutes.

Forgot about the Minnesota campus on the west side of the river where the Hospital is. Either way, over the long-term, UConn would be better off with an on-campus stadium of the 50K to 60K range. That said, I do not know if there is the political will to leave Rent, i.e. Hartford, and to spend the money that would be needed to improve the infrastructure in and out of Storrs for such a venue. Plus, the Rent is serviceable for right now and the money is needed elsewhere (AAU status, hockey/basketball arena, Olympic sports facilities, etc.)
PS – I have never been to a game at TCG; but, I have seen the Twins at target, which is a nice stadium, and I caught a Gophers game at Mariucci Arena, which was nuts.

 

[Adios]

Paul T. on 6/16/2013 @ 1:46pm EDT Said:

New York does not get excited about UConn basketball. Syracuse and St. Johns, along with some Big 10 schools like Michigan, pretty much own that area.


What the heck do B1G fans inhale?

http://www.nycgo.com/articles/college-basketball-preview-2012-2013

I see they mentioned UConn in the same sentence as Syracuse and Kentucky there. Wow.

 

[BoatShow]

They flunk a number of them out, which tends to discourage some of them from going to KU instead of say, Emporia State. And it costs more as well. These are the requirements for graduates of an acredited KS high school.
21+ ACT/980+ SAT or Rank in the top one-third of your high school class or 2.0+ GPA in the Kansas Qualified Admissions curriculum.

There are other states that do the same thing.

That can be their deal or whatever but it is pretty awful. That wouldn't get you UConn and would maybe be fringe for CSU System schools.

 

[BoatShow]

Paul T. on 6/16/2013 @ 1:46pm EDT Said:

New York does not get excited about UConn basketball. Syracuse and St. Johns, along with some Big 10 schools like Michigan, pretty much own that area.


What the heck do B1G fans inhale?

Hmm let's see the turnout when when we play B1G darlings UMD and Indiana in NYC this year.

 

[HuskyHawk]

That can be their deal or whatever but it is pretty awful. That wouldn't get you UConn and would maybe be fringe for CSU System schools.

Agreed. Small states need to justify the cost of big expensive universities by showing that they educate the people of the state. That's the theory. Some other states do the same. Very few of the kids on the low end actually go to KU or even K State, as they flunk a bunch out and cost more. They also impose different criteria to get into specific schools within the school, like engineering.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Agreed. Small states need to justify the cost of big expensive universities by showing that they educate the people of the state. That's the theory. Some other states do the same. Very few of the kids on the low end actually go to KU or even K State, as they flunk a bunch out and cost more. They also impose different criteria to get into specific schools within the school, like engineering.

Good point. I remember looking at International MBA programs back in the early 2000’s and somehow U South Carolina’s is ranked one of the best in the country (http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/international-business-rankings) and the school knows it. Today, a ‘regular’ MBA at South Carolina costs $33,920 a year while the annual tuition for the International MBA is $42,296 (resident) and $70,176 (non-resident) (http://www.moore.sc.edu/admissions/internationalmba/tuitionfees.aspx). Crazy.​

I ended-up going to Boston U part-time as life got in the way of going full-time and work agreeded to pay for 75% of it.​

 

[Adios]

Took a while for pro-UConn comments to show up. No one countered the pro-UConn arguments so far. One post longer than the rest combined seems to have quieted the anti-UConn crowd.

Things keep getting brighter and brighter.

 

[B1GALUM]

Took a while for pro-UConn comments to show up. No one countered the pro-UConn arguments so far. One post longer than the rest combined seems to have quieted the anti-UConn crowd. Things keep getting brighter and brighter.

Butch. I was curious after your post and looked again at the comment section. Regretably another anti-UConn comment has been posted. It is unfortunate but I think it will be a continued battle, for all of you who want UConn in the B1G, against this type of sentiment.

http://btn.com/2013/06/14/mail-bag-any-chance-big-ten-would-want-uconn/#comments

Dimitri on 6/27/2013 @ 10:22am EDT Said:​

Uconn in the B1G is a not a great idea. No football program to speak of, no real market (half way between Boston and NYC and no real presence in either of them), good basketball but let’s see what happens with the program in post-Calhoun era. Potential is limited, stadium is 40K and CT is not a fertile recruiting territory.​

At the end of the day, Uconn will not bring enough money to the B1G to justify having to slice the pie by one more piece.​

 

[Adios]

Butch. I was curious after your post and looked again at the comment section. Regretably another anti-UConn comment has been posted. It is unfortunate but I think it will be a continued battle, for all of you who want UConn in the B1G, against this type of sentiment.

http://btn.com/2013/06/14/mail-bag-any-chance-big-ten-would-want-uconn/#comments

Dimitri on 6/27/2013 @ 10:22am EDT Said:​

Uconn in the B1G is a not a great idea. No football program to speak of, no real market (half way between Boston and NYC and no real presence in either of them), good basketball but let’s see what happens with the program in post-Calhoun era. Potential is limited, stadium is 40K and CT is not a fertile recruiting territory.​

At the end of the day, Uconn will not bring enough money to the B1G to justify having to slice the pie by one more piece.​

Does this person know Connecticut has had multiple top tier professional franchises in multiple sports going back to the 1870s, a span of over 120 years? Seriously, how the heck do B1G fans think their market is more densely populated than Connecticut?!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartford_Dark_Blues

Hartford Dark Blues, Hartford Blues, Connecticut Centennials (NASL) and Hartford Whalers are four I can remember.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Butch. I was curious after your post and looked again at the comment section. Regretably another anti-UConn comment has been posted. It is unfortunate but I think it will be a continued battle, for all of you who want UConn in the B1G, against this type of sentiment.

http://btn.com/2013/06/14/mail-bag-any-chance-big-ten-would-want-uconn/#comments

Dimitri on 6/27/2013 @ 10:22am EDT Said:​

Uconn in the B1G is a not a great idea. No football program to speak of, no real market (half way between Boston and NYC and no real presence in either of them), good basketball but let’s see what happens with the program in post-Calhoun era. Potential is limited, stadium is 40K and CT is not a fertile recruiting territory.​

At the end of the day, Uconn will not bring enough money to the B1G to justify having to slice the pie by one more piece.​

If UConn makes s deep run in BB this year that question will be put to rest. Any success the football team has will be magnified by BZB success.
The talking point will be "we have a chance to get one of the top BB schools in the country whose football team is on the rise."
By the way. Its in one of the best remaining markets. With terrific access to our Alumnus in both Ny and Boston. With easy. air travel access from the heart of the Midwest.
2.5 from Minn less than 2 from Detroit and 1 hour from Baltimore or a short ride from NJ Eastern Pa or Maryland or even Ohio.

Its also a poke in the eye for the ACC northern strategy.
A meaningful NYC rivalry game between Rutgers and UConn
played yearly at Yankee Stadium. THE CAMP CUP (the Ct resident who created football.)
One. or more BB game a year at MSG
UConn vs alternated Big teams. Even Nebraska fans will go for that.
Compact not small 3.5 million people.
Ideal location
Easily accrsssble to many Alum.
rapid fan base
Great basketball
Rivsl for Rutgers






Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

 

[whaler11]

The Hartford Dark Blues lasted 1.5 seasons in the 1870s before moving to Brooklyn.

I'm pretty sure the fact that no professional franchise has survived here is a negative.

 

[CTGoonie]

The Hartford Dark Blues lasted 1.5 seasons in the 1870s before moving to Brooklyn.

I'm pretty sure the fact that no professional franchise has survived here is a negative.

I'm pretty sure the reason the Whalers couldn't survive is because Uconn basketball arrived and took a majority of the disposable income from sports fans in the area.

 

[Hoophound]

I'm pretty sure the reason the Whalers couldn't survive is because Uconn basketball arrived and took a majority of the disposable income from sports fans in the area.

The Whalers had good attendance. They left because Karmanos wanted to leave. The idea that fan support was the Whalers problem is garbage. For a poorly managed, crappy team to do as well as they did in Hartford tells me Hartford supported them in spite of their organizational incompetence.

We would have needed to build a new arena and given them a sweetheart deal on it to keep them long term though. Owners that want to move their teams usually do it because the new arena will make them more money.

 

[CTGoonie]

I don't think it is a coincidence that the Whalers left just a few years after Huskymania took over the state.

 

[Adios]

The Hartford Dark Blues lasted 1.5 seasons in the 1870s before moving to Brooklyn.

I'm pretty sure the fact that no professional franchise has survived here is a negative.

Considering we're sandwiched between NYC and Boston? It's actually even a plus we were granted pro franchises. Hartford was the richest city in the US between the Civil War and the Great Depression. The powers that be would be wise to preserve as much Hartford history as possible. There should even be markers where the other three pro franchises played.