I am going all in on the conspiracy theory

[storrsroars]

I don't know if I buy a full blown conspiracy theory, but I do know that none of our former rivals in the big east, the c7, SU, RU, PITT, BC, want to see us on equal footing and that is due to the amount of success we've had in Men's and women's basketball and football. National titles in basketball, and BCS appearance in football do that to folks. They are all, for the most part enjoying our plight.

Living here, I don't get any vibe that Pitt has a bone with UConn at all. They've been mostly POd because WVU left and that was THE rivalry in football and hoops. They're happy that they still get to play Syracuse and give every indication they'd be happy if UConn joined them in the ACC.

Had WVU stayed in the BE, Pitt would have too. WVU (and regular appearances by ND) made the BE football schedule tolerable to most here. The Pitt-UConn hoops rivalry is generally viewed as one of the top two hoops rivalries they had.

That said, I wouldn't hold my breath for Dixon scheduling an OOC game vs. UConn as he almost never schedules anyone decent.

 

[BoatShow]

99.99% of people outside of CT couldn't tell you what UCONN's "transgression" was.

This is true, I skimmed a few general NCAA hoops forums after the GTown game to see what people were saying. A massive amount of people were saying "Why is UConn banned from the tourney?" with a lot of ignorant people answering "standard recruiting violaions." If the rest of the college basketball viewing world only knew...

 

[whaler11]

If ESPN was trying to destroy the league why did they offer them $14 million a team. That's an odd way to destroy them.

 

[BoatShow]

No sentient being could possibly believe that.

I do NOT believe it, just what most people who believe in such things believe.

 

[Woodson]

I don't know who would be motivated to seclude UConn. I've thought schools like duke, unc, syracuse would like to see us put to pasture. In two cases, because we can challenge their prestige, in the other because they are a joke and have achieved very little despite their inflated view of themself. But that seems unlikely to go to this length presumably with espn in their corner. Plus i think tobacco road supported our inclusion to the ACC, no? Bizarre, chain reaction of unlucky circumstances have screwed us.

I'm a believer though. I think our basketball program can survive, albeit in a challenging environment. I still believe Ollie can convince, with the new facility, the kind of talent that can give us a team to support (frankly, most of us here will always support UConn, win or lose, but I'm speaking generally). If future teams are like this year's, I will be thrilled. I mean, we could go a season with under 5 losses with our current team in our future conference with relative ease. Tourney success is tougher to gauge, but if we win, we will always be relevant.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

If ESPN was trying to destroy the league why did they offer them $14 million a team. That's an odd way to destroy them.

The number goes up every time someone talks about the rejected offer. It was $11MM per school, not $14, and when the Big East rejected the offer, ESPN tried to nick away at the league to devalue it. Things clearly went in a direction that ESPN did not expect.

 

[d1reality]

As far as ESPN..... I just can't think that they would go out of their way....to in any way harm the most important sports story in the state that they are based in. How do they benefit?

As far as the ACC or the B1G which in all reality are the only two conferences UConn should consider joining I can see a lot of animosity. In basketball we have pretty much beaten up both conferences in the last 20 years especially on the women's side of the ledger. They see UConn football as that sleeping giant that the basketball teams were in the late 80's and early 90's. That and a little jealousy knowing that if UConn football ever takes off like the basketball did the money and the recruiting would be more than most of them could keep up with. There is still a perception out there that everyone in CT is filthy rich and they have seen first hand how we can back a winner.

Even though by and large I don't believe in TV networks going out of their way to screw UConn I did notice one thing that was disturbing during the Georgetown game Wednesday night. I have a pretty sweet audio/video setup for watching sporting events at home and UConn- Georgetown for what might have been the last time they ever meet at Gample don't demand 5.1 surround sound but the Texas- Oklahoma game does?

Yes the Big Ten and ACC will continue to snub us because of women's basketball and the monster football program. Let's get real. Whenever these conference honchos mention well rounded athletic programs, i.e. women's sports, wrestling hockey, etc., they are just giving political lip service. It is all about the $$$$, and the gridion drives it. Nationally UConn football is an afterthought, if ever even thought of. Thus Louisville is going to ACC, UConn is not.

The Big 10 has now got Maryland and Rutgers for the eastern seaboard and securing the NY market, but did they really bolster football. Maryland has been the worst team in ACC the last 2 years (thanks to coach RE), but they have upside and some tradition and Rutgers gives the Big Apple. So Big 10's next move, if any, would likely be south to keep football stock up.

Not sure if this imagined "jealously" is keeping UConn out of these conferences, but most likely the power of green $$$$. We need to fill our stadium first, then expand it to be competitive with others in these conferences. Yes they have their Northwesterns and Dukes in football, but they will not expand to get more, they will expand to get better.

 

[whaler11]

The number goes up every time someone talks about the rejected offer. It was $11MM per school, not $14, and when the Big East rejected the offer, ESPN tried to nick away at the league to devalue it. Things clearly went in a direction that ESPN did not expect.

The exact number doesn't matter. 11 fine. Is ESPN trying to destroy the ACC because their contract is lower than the Big 10, SEC, Pac 12 and Big 12?

 

[patrick]

I will go all in on an answer to your post.

Is it possible that UConn has already been chosen to either the ACC or B1G but the league has not made the announcement because....wait...it is so obvious....
we are on probation and it would look extremely "hypocritical" for conference presidents to get on a podium and sing the praises of a school on probation? The silence and the neglect does not make sense unless the people at UConn know more than what they are saying in public. I think after the school athletic season ends something positive will happen.

I hope.

Let me add to this.

Maybe we are also waiting so we can get that early exit fee money from all those schools AND not have to pay any ourselves!!

I HOPE!!

 

[uconnfan68]

I still can't...

The answer is that is was an act of spite by Emmert (NCAA pres), who formerly worked at UConn, and had a few run-ins (and apparently lost them) with JC.

 

[J187Money]

I always thought that waylon was now zoo cougar, hmm

WiscHusky became ZooCougar

 

[IthacaMatt]

I do not think any of this was an accident. I don't think UConn being passed over for ACC membership by two has-been schools in has-been cities in Fall 2011 was an accident. I don't think UConn losing out to a commuter school in a hick state was an accident. I don't think a plan by Fox and ESPN to rescue every other Big East program but UConn, USF, and Cincinnati was an accident.

It is not a coincidence that while all of this is happening, UConn gets this inexplicable post-season suspension for something that no one had ever been suspended for before and which no one that matters will ever be suspended for again in the future.

If is not a coincidence that the C7 head for the door, leaving UConn in a virtual wasteland of a league, and not a single ex-BE school talks about scheduling the 3 time national champion in the future? Not only do all these schools want out as soon as possible, but they won't even help us with future scheduling.

This isn't just bad luck. I don't know who or why this is happening, but it is happening. There are few coincidences in life. When you are playing cards, and you think someone is cheating, they are definitely cheating. 3 data points on a trend line is incontravertible evidence. Someone, somewhere issued a fatwa against UConn, and they have the muscle to back it up.

I have no idea how UConn can fight back or even make peace, other than completely abdicating.

You don't think that Jim Calhoun's personality over the last 30 years had a lot to do with this?

 

[Hoophound]

You don't think that Jim Calhoun's personality over the last 30 years had a lot to do with this?

I think the president of the NCAA had a bone to pick with UConn. I don't think Jim Calhoun really offended that many media members and when he did, the fans and most other media members sided with him. JC made some notable scenes in a few press conferences but none that involved people that would have gone on a witch hunt like this.

 

[The Viking]

You don't think that Jim Calhoun's personality over the last 30 years had a lot to do with this?

you're right, he should have been like Jim Boeheim who never lashes out at anybody during press conferences. Such a choir boy he is.

 

[zls44]

You don't think that Jim Calhoun's personality over the last 30 years had a lot to do with this?

Did it help? No.

But you cannot seriously argue it was a major issue.

 

[Fishy]

You don't think that Jim Calhoun's personality over the last 30 years had a lot to do with this?

No.

 

[jibsey]

I don't know who would be motivated to seclude UConn. I've thought schools like duke, unc, syracuse would like to see us put to pasture. In two cases, because we can challenge their prestige, in the other because they are a joke and have achieved very little despite their inflated view of themself. But that seems unlikely to go to this length presumably with espn in their corner. Plus i think tobacco road supported our inclusion to the ACC, no? Bizarre, chain reaction of unlucky circumstances have screwed us.

I'm a believer though. I think our basketball program can survive, albeit in a challenging environment. I still believe Ollie can convince, with the new facility, the kind of talent that can give us a team to support (frankly, most of us here will always support UConn, win or lose, but I'm speaking generally). If future teams are like this year's, I will be thrilled. I mean, we could go a season with under 5 losses with our current team in our future conference with relative ease. Tourney success is tougher to gauge, but if we win, we will always be relevant.

I love positivity but, "if future teams are like this year's" , do you realize that talent like Daniels, Boatright, Napier, and Calhoun was recruited to a prominent member of the country's best basketball league? They may not be top 10 Mc D's but for us to be a player we need more of that and the way our league is set up I see KO having a real challenge. There is no future for us where we are now.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

The NCAA/BE brass has never really liked JC. A super successful coach who isn't the Izzo/Coach K choir boy type. They went super hard to get the Nate Miles thing and when they won 2011 title in spite of everything it finally set them over the edge. Beating the feel good story Butler. Sure, Duke beat them the year before, but they're Duke. Not that I really subscribe to this, but a decent number of people feel this way. Also, it's 1:30 and I can't sleep. Please ignore me.

Do think there is something to all this. And, don't forget UConn football embarassing Notre Dame and South Carolina. That really sent them over the edge.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

I love positivity but, "if future teams are like this year's" , do you realize that talent like Daniels, Boatright, Napier, and Calhoun was recruited to a prominent member of the country's best basketball league? They may not be top 10 Mc D's but for us to be a player we need more of that and the way our league is set up I see KO having a real challenge. There is no future for us where we are now.

Totally agress with your last sentence.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

As far as ESPN..... I just can't think that they would go out of their way....to in any way harm the most important sports story in the state that they are based in. How do they benefit?

As far as the ACC or the B1G which in all reality are the only two conferences UConn should consider joining I can see a lot of animosity. In basketball we have pretty much beaten up both conferences in the last 20 years especially on the women's side of the ledger. They see UConn football as that sleeping giant that the basketball teams were in the late 80's and early 90's. That and a little jealousy knowing that if UConn football ever takes off like the basketball did the money and the recruiting would be more than most of them could keep up with. There is still a perception out there that everyone in CT is filthy rich and they have seen first hand how we can back a winner.

Even though by and large I don't believe in TV networks going out of their way to screw UConn I did notice one thing that was disturbing during the Georgetown game Wednesday night. I have a pretty sweet audio/video setup for watching sporting events at home and UConn- Georgetown for what might have been the last time they ever meet at Gample don't demand 5.1 surround sound but the Texas- Oklahoma game does?

ESPN hasn't done anything for UConn. They have been horrible corporate neighbors. They alone could have seen to it that UConn found a suitable home in the ACC.

 

[Dove]

I do not think any of this was an accident. I don't think UConn being passed over for ACC membership by two has-been schools in has-been cities in Fall 2011 was an accident. I don't think UConn losing out to a commuter school in a hick state was an accident. I don't think a plan by Fox and ESPN to rescue every other Big East program but UConn, USF, and Cincinnati was an accident.

It is not a coincidence that while all of this is happening, UConn gets this inexplicable post-season suspension for something that no one had ever been suspended for before and which no one that matters will ever be suspended for again in the future.

If is not a coincidence that the C7 head for the door, leaving UConn in a virtual wasteland of a league, and not a single ex-BE school talks about scheduling the 3 time national champion in the future? Not only do all these schools want out as soon as possible, but they won't even help us with future scheduling.

This isn't just bad luck. I don't know who or why this is happening, but it is happening. There are few coincidences in life. When you are playing cards, and you think someone is cheating, they are definitely cheating. 3 data points on a trend line is incontravertible evidence. Someone, somewhere issued a fatwa against UConn, and they have the muscle to back it up.

I have no idea how UConn can fight back or even make peace, other than completely abdicating.

AND...UConn makes 30 million bucks as a martyr!!!! I think they are okay with that. And in a month, maybe a few months, they will have a new home where the sun is shining and...

they still have 30 million freakin' bucks!!!!!

 

[Dove]

AND...UConn makes 30 million bucks as a martyr!!!! I think they are okay with that. And in a month, maybe a few months, they will have a new home where the sun is shining and...

they still have 30 million freakin' bucks!!!!!

Too late to edit my previous post...30 million should be "over 20 million!!!"

 

[IthacaMatt]

No.

If it's not attributable to broken personal relationships (and a certain law suit), then I just can't figure out why you guys have been so obviously left behind. Logic would dictate a far different result.

 

[ZooCougar]

If it's not attributable to broken personal relationships (and a certain law suit), then I just can't figure out why you guys have been so obviously left behind. Logic would dictate a far different result.

I think it had more to do with FSU and Clemson throwing a temper tantrum and the rest of the ACC getting nervous. If we were in that same boat, we would have deferred as well.

The other stuff didn't help but the the above was the major factor.

 

[Adios]

As usual, Pitt being part of "that lawsuit" is conveniently forgotten.