And not paying not to watch either!
How the cookie crumbles where we land in the B1G.
- Thread starter shizzle787
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What they "did" to UConn? First of all, if UConn had a competent football program nobody would be able to "do" anything to UConn. Being good at the sport that matters protects you from being the victim of petty jealously, i.e. that coming from BC and Syracuse.
The other teams in the ACC didn't conspire to keep UConn out. In my experience, most FSU, Miami, Clemson and VT types think of UConn as a women's BB school. When you hear "UConn" on television it is almost always now something to do with women's BB. Since women's BB has no comparative value at almost every school there is little interest in adding a women's BB school. They wanted a school with a solid FB program (which Louisville has); they didn't keep us out because of grudges. The BB schools in the league (UNC and Duke) wanted us in. I know from talking to people in ND athletics that ND doesn't object to UConn joining. And so on.
This post sort of illustrates one of the problems here. CT types care so little about college FB that fans will refuse to watch big-time college football games because of what everyone else "did" to UConn. So long as there is no market for college FB here, why would any league want UConn?
I am sorry, but they did conspire to keep UConn out. UConn football was on an upward track when CR was at its peak as well as success in men's and women's basketball. Behind the scenes action by BC, Miami, Syracuse and Pitt led to the ultimate demise of the Big East. Then joining them later to be against UConn was FSU, Clemson, NC State and G Tech because football tanked after Randy left the first time following the Fiesta Bowl game. If winning matters, remember that UConn actually beat Louisville in football at Louisville right before Louisville was invited over UConn to the ACC, thanks to FSU. UConn's AD at that time was also overconfident that an invite was coming, and failed to pursue the bid until the ink was on the paper. (I know there are a lot of lovers of the former AD here, but I believe that no one can deny that a major error was made here). Finally, to respond to the quote of competent football, you seem to have forgotten that Cuse was bottom dweller in football in the BE for a while at that time. If competence mattered as well, I doubt that RU would be in the B1G right now.
Now the situation appears to be even worse for UConn athletics.
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I am positive that FSU and the football schools of the ACC voiced concerns and opinions.
With Swofford's agenda of making the conference palatable to everyone so as to make his mission to procure a GOR succesful, I am also positive that he sold the football school's point of view to the President's.
“I said if you want to back up your words with action, this is how you do it,” Swofford said. “With the grant of rights.”
At some schools, such as Duke, support was immediate and came without question.
Others, like Florida State trustees who had become wary of the ACC, were skeptical. And some, like North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham, wanted to ensure league schools gained something out of the grant of rights, aside from increased stability.
Swofford mostly communicated with schools by phone. Often, he was on the line with an athletic director, or with a university president. Sometimes he preferred face-to-face communication.
That was the case with leaders from Florida State. For years, speculation about Florida State’s future had become nearly as much a part of the culture as the Seminoles’ home football game tradition of planting a flaming spear at midfield.
Some FSU supporters, tired of the ACC’s mediocre reputation in football, encouraged the university to explore leaving.
Convincing Florida State to agree to the grant of rights was critical to Swofford, who acknowledged that he made, “oh, just a couple” of trips to Tallahassee to speak with university leaders.
Soooo,,,Yes, I think that FSU's desire to strengthen the football side of the conference probably played in...and FSU was comfortable with Louisville. They had played all non football sports together in the Metro Conference while FSU was a football independent.
With Swofford's agenda of making the conference palatable to everyone so as to make his mission to procure a GOR succesful, I am also positive that he sold the football school's point of view to the President's.
“I said if you want to back up your words with action, this is how you do it,” Swofford said. “With the grant of rights.”
At some schools, such as Duke, support was immediate and came without question.
Others, like Florida State trustees who had become wary of the ACC, were skeptical. And some, like North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham, wanted to ensure league schools gained something out of the grant of rights, aside from increased stability.
Swofford mostly communicated with schools by phone. Often, he was on the line with an athletic director, or with a university president. Sometimes he preferred face-to-face communication.
That was the case with leaders from Florida State. For years, speculation about Florida State’s future had become nearly as much a part of the culture as the Seminoles’ home football game tradition of planting a flaming spear at midfield.
Some FSU supporters, tired of the ACC’s mediocre reputation in football, encouraged the university to explore leaving.
Convincing Florida State to agree to the grant of rights was critical to Swofford, who acknowledged that he made, “oh, just a couple” of trips to Tallahassee to speak with university leaders.
Soooo,,,Yes, I think that FSU's desire to strengthen the football side of the conference probably played in...and FSU was comfortable with Louisville. They had played all non football sports together in the Metro Conference while FSU was a football independent.
CL82
James Breeding sucks
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Oh my god, that's it? If we just get the guys who are UConn only football fans to watch other teams games and we're it? Wow, that was easy!
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People in ND A.D.? Really? I know actual large donors and they no nothing about what ND plans are.
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I said it was one of the problems, I never said it was sufficient. You don't think a bigger fanbase for UConn football would help?
These are not "plans." They are positions about UConn being admitted into the ACC. Ask the big donors you know (1) if they think ND would object to UConn joining the ACC; and (2) why they continue to donate to what has become a sh-tty football program.
CL82
James Breeding sucks
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Ah, I see.
No, no I still don't.
Explain to me again (well for the first time, actually) why some UConn fans not watching other team's games is what is keeping us from being in the P5.
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I never said it is "what" is keeping from the P5. Having a lousy FB program is what is keeping us from being in the P5. I think not watching other games because the other schools were being mean to us, or whatever, is stupid, and I think greater interest in the rest of the sport would help getting to the P5.
In general, not watching other "big" CFB games (i.e. games between ranked teams) reflects a disinterest in college football. Greater interest in college football in CT would make UConn more attractive because it would improve the value of the TV markets that UConn brings to the table. It would also help build a culture of college football in the state.
I assume you've been to the basketball boards. Notice how there are game threads for other big games in those sports? There is a huge interest in MBB or WBB in general. Not accidental.
You think that if ratings for other CFB were higher it wouldn't help UConn's case at all? Do you think the people making the case for UConn would not mention it, or think that it would matter?
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Not that it's a significant gauge of anything but there are game threads each weekend in the fall for non-UConn football games on the UConn Football forum.
CL82
James Breeding sucks
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I think that is the profoundly tortured attempt at logic I have ever seen.
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So if the NHL got big ratings in Hartford, you don't think that the city would point that out when making their pitch to the NHL?
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A business mentor of mine once advised me to look at things in this way, from a prospect's point of view: "Your emergency is not my problem". No one cared if I was at 90% of goal and needed a sale or what have you because they wanted to keep their jobs and not protect mine.
There is one AD in America who cares about our shat bag situation and the others (P5) don't. Worse yet, some still hold grudges and are territorial (BC, exCuse). Only UConn can help UConn and as far as I can tell it is more in HCRE's hands than Ollie's and certainly not Geno's.
I'd go so far as to say that we fans (by showing up and supporting football) are more important than any element beside or perhaps along side of football success. And this from a men's basketball guy that goes to almost every home football game and a few roadies to boot.
Non AAU status may be a problem in B1G terms, but academics in the ACC officially became a joke with the addition of LVille.
There is one AD in America who cares about our shat bag situation and the others (P5) don't. Worse yet, some still hold grudges and are territorial (BC, exCuse). Only UConn can help UConn and as far as I can tell it is more in HCRE's hands than Ollie's and certainly not Geno's.
I'd go so far as to say that we fans (by showing up and supporting football) are more important than any element beside or perhaps along side of football success. And this from a men's basketball guy that goes to almost every home football game and a few roadies to boot.
Non AAU status may be a problem in B1G terms, but academics in the ACC officially became a joke with the addition of LVille.
CL82
James Breeding sucks
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I don't. The addition of RU did exactly what the Big 10 wanted. It gave them higher fees in the NYC DMA (which UConn would have done as well) plus they gave them higher fees in the rest of NJ as well. NJ's population is about 3 times Connecticut's population. RU brought a bigger bounce to B1G financials.
Now there was a cost to decision. RU's athletic department has been a flaming outhouse since they joined and their (major) athletic teams have been absolutely miserable, but none of that effects Big 10 revenue.