How the Pac-12's demise impacts women's college basketball

[Carnac]

Everyone is trying to figure out the future. UCLA and USC announced last year their departure for the Big Ten. In the past week-plus, Oregon and Washington joined them in heading to the Big Ten in 2024, while Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah will go to the Big 12. The conference fates of Cal, Stanford, Oregon State and Washington State remain to be seen, as do any subsequent moves involving other leagues, including the ACC and SEC. 18 teams for the B1G next year.

How the Pac-12's demise impacts women's college basketball

With the Pac-12 crumbling, what happens to West Coast women's hoops giant Stanford? And how will realignment affect the new-look Big Ten and Big 12?

www.espn.com

 

[Bigboote]

I thought California and its state schools were supposed to be reducing their carbon footprints. Each extra mile they fly is roughly equivalent to each person (coaches, players, staff, everybody) driving an extra mile. What will they log, an extra 25,000 to 100,000 miles a year? It's not a good look from my POV, so many institutions of higher learning valuing the almighty dollar over the planet.

I'm not picking on any particular school, just pointing out that the California government (among several) has put a priority on reducing GHG emissions, and having its state universities so obviously adding to the problem seems problematic to me, and the distances involved are greater than those of the east-coast schools, although I have a problem with them too.

 

[CTBballfan243]

They were talking to some player on ESPN radio the college sports station on Sirius. The player said that with so many classes being offered with remote (on-line) class options that they can essentially watch recorded versions of their lectures anywhere. The didn’t think that the travel was going to be that big of a deal.
I guess kids today are use to watching tv, watching lectures……. On their time schedule. It’s a different world.

 

[hoopsfan22]

To quote Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones: they ain't come to play school.

 

[Kat]

University of California system colleges get 12-14% of their operating budgets from the state. The state does not have the clout to order USC and UCLA to stay put. $$$ from FOX sports and ESPN now drives the college sports bus. Between them and the NILs, college sports is not what it was.

 

[azfan]

I thought California and its state schools were supposed to be reducing their carbon footprints. Each extra mile they fly is roughly equivalent to each person (coaches, players, staff, everybody) driving an extra mile. What will they log, an extra 25,000 to 100,000 miles a year? It's not a good look from my POV, so many institutions of higher learning valuing the almighty dollar over the planet.

I'm not picking on any particular school, just pointing out that the California government (among several) has put a priority on reducing GHG emissions, and having its state universities so obviously adding to the problem seems problematic to me, and the distances involved are greater than those of the east-coast schools, although I have a problem with them too.

I have sympathy for this perspective.

I am guessing carbon footprint does not make the top 100 items in the decision matrix of an AD or college president unless it's a subpoint under PR

 

[Bone Dog]

USC is not a state school, if I recall correctly. So far, I think UCLA is the only state school that has made an easterly move.

As for the 4 remaining schools, Stanford could probably get by without a conference affiliation, like Notre Dame football did years ago. Ore St and Wash St are probably SOL. Cal might be able to go independent at least on the strength of their football program.

 

[Bald Husky]

Again, all about the money from college football. There should be a total National conference for football, and the conferences should have remained the same for everything else. I'm disappointed that the ACC isn't interested in UConn since their main focus now should be basketball. There is too much power in the BIG, Big12, and SEC in football now. The best programs are in those three leagues, so the ACC must change their priorities to be the best basketball league in the country. In that scenario, UConn would be the top choice for enrollment. I can't believe the ACC is talking about Stanford and Cal. This situation is so messed up on so many levels. One good scenario would be for the ACC and Big East to merge into a super basketball conference.

 

[wingsfan055]

Stanford might be joining the ACC?!? Tough travel schedule! Why dont they want UConn? UConn's brand in basketball alone should help the conference.

 

[Carnac]

Stanford might be joining the ACC?!? Tough travel schedule! Why dont they want UConn? UConn's brand in basketball alone should help the conference.

Don't we talk about not holding grudges when the subject of Tennessee WBB comes up here in the yard? And how some "old guard" posters still hold a grudge and a hard line against Ol' Rocky Top? There are a lot of UConn fans and boosters here that comment continuously that UConn Nation should forgive and forget. Pat is gone, and Geno has moved on.

Is Boston College still holding a grudge against UConn and preventing them from receiving so much as a modicum of consideration for admission into the ACC? I'm not being facetious here. I'm really not familiar with the details that led up to the rift between BC and UConn.

BC Admits It Doesn't Want UConn in ACC​

We can add another voice to the ACC-Big East debate, particularly as it relates to UConn‘s plans to possibly leave the former for the latter. Boston College, a former Big East member who jumped ship for the ACC in 2005, is opposed to the idea that the Huskies might do the same at some point in...

www.nbcconnecticut.com

 

[Carnac]

Sources: ACC to begin discussing Cal, and Stanford as additions.​

"ACC leaders are set to begin exploratory discussions on the potential additions of Cal and Stanford to the conference, sources told ESPN on Monday. Sources cautioned that the two scheduled discussions are in the embryonic stages -- one call slated with the ACC athletic directors and a separate call with the league's presidents that will play out on Monday and Tuesday. Finances will be pivotal in the discussions. The ACC is locked into a television deal with ESPN through 2036 that multiple members have publicly griped about being constrictive financially for long-term success."

We all saw THIS coming. UConn is right at their doorstep, but they won't consider them. They'd rather take a serious look at two schools 3,000 miles and 3 time zones away. I'm assuming Stanford and Cal have exhausted all possibilities of joining the B1G and Big 12 and any possibilities of merging with the Mountain West Conference.

Sources: ACC plans calls to discuss Cal, Stanford

ACC leaders are set to begin exploratory discussions on the potential additions of California and Stanford to the conference, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel on Monday, but the scheduled calls are in the embryonic stages at the point.

www.espn.com

 

[Blue Ghost]

All kinds of movement being made. Hard to predict what happens in the next couple of days or weeks.

 

[Blue Ghost]

 

[Blue Ghost]

 

[oldude]

Latest idea being floated is that the Big12 would take UConn & Gonzaga as “basketball only” members. I guess that would leave the rest of UConn’s teams in the Big East, which would hardly be something the BE would be very excited about, and football would remain independent?

 

[hoopsfan22]

Latest idea being floated is that the Big12 would take UConn & Gonzaga as “basketball only” members. I guess that would leave the rest of UConn’s teams in the Big East, which would hardly be something the BE would be very excited about, and football would remain independent?

I think when they say "basketball only" they mean all sports but football. I'm not an expert on the NCAA rules, but just taking the basketball team might not even be allowed, and secondly, there's basically no reason for the Big East to allow us to keep all other sports in the Big East while taking the conference's one money sport elsewhere.

 

[HuskyinWRNY]

Stanford might be joining the ACC?!? Tough travel schedule! Why dont they want UConn? UConn's brand in basketball alone should help the conference.

unfortunately uconn is going to be a bridesmaid for many years to come. when the acc gor dies, perhaps there will be some openings for us.

 

[oldude]

I think when they say "basketball only" they mean all sports but football. I'm not an expert on the NCAA rules, but just taking the basketball team might not even be allowed, and secondly, there's basically no reason for the Big East to allow us to keep all other sports in the Big East while taking the conference's one money sport elsewhere.

The NCAA has nothing to do with conference affiliation. It’s absolutely acceptable for a school to have sports affiliated with different conferences, as UConn does. UConn hockey plays in the Hockey East Conference, while most other UConn sports are in the BE and football is independent.

 

[hoopsfan22]

The NCAA has nothing to do with conference affiliation. It’s absolutely acceptable for a school to have sports affiliated with different conferences, as UConn does. UConn hockey plays in the Hockey East Conference, while most other UConn sports are in the BE and football is independent.

Even if the NCAA does not explicitly prevent it, Big East rules do not allow such an arrangement unless they waive the requirement that we participate in all sponsored sports.

 

[Zarathustra]

Time to "unionize"?

 

[Rowdy831]

I think when they say "basketball only" they mean all sports but football. I'm not an expert on the NCAA rules, but just taking the basketball team might not even be allowed, and secondly, there's basically no reason for the Big East to allow us to keep all other sports in the Big East while taking the conference's one money spor

Time to "unionize"?

That would be sure fire way to end college athletics. Players want money, coaches want money and fans want TV deals so they can watch their teams play. All of these components mean the less wealthy schools need to join the conferences with successful TV programming and more specifically lucrative TV deals. The PAC12 blew it when they allowed too many of their games to be played at night which removed the east coast audience from their viewership.

 

[Rowdy831]

College sports is about money and quite frankly the teams out west were having a tough time competing with the big schools in the east. They couldn't figure out how to be successful with their TV so they joined someone that already had that figured out. Carbon footprint issues are for the poor to figure out not the people who fly private jets.

Whenever you have change like with paying athletes you will have unintended consequences and we are seeing the results of that now. A lot of schools who once made money are now losing money. How do you overcome this challenge? Phase 1 is consolidating conferences and taking the big schools to where the money is already. Phase 2 will be eliminating all sports that don't generate enough revenue to justify having them in the program.

 

[Carnac]

I sure would like to hear/read Stanford and Cal’s reasons for not wanting to merge with the Mountain West Conference. Especially since joining the B1G and Big 12 is no longer an option. Options are a commodity these two are quickly running out of. Is the ACC their last best hope to join another P5 conference? It sure looks like it.

 

[oldude]

Even if the NCAA does not explicitly prevent it, Big East rules do not allow such an arrangement unless they waive the requirement that we participate in all sponsored sports.

Yes, that would be an issue. But if you check out the various BE schools, there are numerous sports where all 11 schools do not participate. For example only 8 schools compete in baseball, 9 in softball, 9 in men’s track & field and all 11 in women’s track and field.

Certainly, basketball is the primary revenue sport for the BE, and BE basketball without UConn is not nearly as important to broadcast networks. But assuming that UConn forfeits any claim to BE basketball broadcast revenue, there is always a possibility that the BE might keep UConn as part of the conference, particularly if UConn agrees to play 4+ games against BE basketball teams every year, similar to the ACC and ND in football.