In Retrospect Was Leaving the AAC for the New Big East the Best Move? | Page 3 | The Boneyard

In Retrospect Was Leaving the AAC for the New Big East the Best Move?

Waquoit said:
UConn is closer to joining a P5 conference now than they were a year ago.
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How so? They may not be further away, but I don't see how they are any closer.
 
CL82 said:
I don’t know other than because winning national championships is a hard thing to do. UConn has lost in the championship game four times, so they’ve been close but haven’t quite been able to get there.
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Yeah...I went back and looked....UConn lost all four to North Carolina.

UNC has been in the Finals 24 times....won 21...an amazing run.
 
dbmill said:
Also, a fair amount of the Syracuse student body comes from the New York City area and Long Island. Long Island is a huge lacrosse breeding ground. I lived on Long Island from kindergarten through the 7th grade, and when you see kids bringing lacrosse sticks onto a school bus, you know something must be up even when you yourself have no exposure to the sport. I never saw that happen after we moved to Connecticut.

One of the funniest things I recall from gym class during my time on Long Island was when I was in 7th grade, and the gym teachers during gym class taught their students how to play lacrosse and how to handle lacrosse sticks.
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I noted Syracuse as an outlier. Plus last I looked Cornellbwas in the Ivy even though most of the Ivies don’t want to admit it. And yeah the NESCAC and some other northeastern D3 s play it. Again for the same reason as the Ivies. But the real base of the sport is DC to Carolina. Just like Hockey is based around Boston and Minneapolis. Sure, there are occasional outliers Alabama-Huntsville, Notre Dame, Arizanoa St who have teams for historic reasons. Sometimes even good ones. But UConn lacrosse will draw friends and family just like the others in Connecticut. As someone posted it is the sport that lets white suburban kids have something to do when they don’t make the golf team.
 
freescooter said:
I noted Syracuse as an outlier. Plus last I looked Cornellbwas in the Ivy even though most of the Ivies don’t want to admit it. And yeah the NESCAC and some other northeastern D3 s play it. Again for the same reason as the Ivies. But the real base of the sport is DC to Carolina. Just like Hockey is based around Boston and Minneapolis. Sure, there are occasional outliers Alabama-Huntsville, Notre Dame, Arizanoa St who have teams for historic reasons. Sometimes even good ones. But UConn lacrosse will draw friends and family just like the others in Connecticut. As someone posted it is the sport that lets white suburban kids have something to do when they don’t make the golf team.
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Jez, freescooter - I didn't know you went to an Ivy - which one? I thought you were pure Husky!
 
Mike Dimauro of The New London Day wrote a provocative article about UConn's experience in the New Big East - see below:


The ‘new’ Big East: Is that all there is?​

Published April 06. 2021 5:44PM

By Mike DiMauro Day staff writer​


And so the college basketball season is past tense now, leaving a query that will run afoul of the blubbering masses here in Connecticut, who thought that a return to the Big East would translate into a bigger elixir than Ponce De Leon's findings:

Your humble narrator finds himself humming a little Peggy Lee today: Is that all there is?

Evidence and circumstances are ever-changing, of course. But year one of the new Big East for the UConn Huskies was ... pedestrian. It produced opponents in women's basketball as overmatched as from the previous outpost and men's competition yearning for the old days.
The foundation of men's basketball in the modern Big East leans heavily on one coach and one building: Jay Wright and Madison Square Garden. Think about it: If Wright ever left Villanova, would the program sustain the level of excellence that renders it the league's only national contender at the moment? If the Garden suddenly decided to host another conference tournament, what cachet would this league really have? It's a bunch of decent teams who struggle to move the needle consistently.

Happily, neither Wright nor the structure at 4 Penn Plaza are going anywhere. But is it possible we here in Connecticut got intoxicated by the sizzle more than the steak?

UConn's decision to leave the American for its old digs meant that the university had tacitly hitched its wagon to men's basketball. More familiar competition in a more established league would theoretically renew interest in a four-time championship program and allow the coaching staff to pursue more high-level players than the vanilla American.

I get the reasoning. Not saying I disagree. But before we lay more candles, rainbows and lollipops at the Big East's altar, shall we explore the residual effects after Year One?

Football's newly relegated status as an independent gives it a 2021 home schedule with Holy Cross, Yale, Wyoming and Middle Tennessee, among others. That wouldn't prompt even the most ardent UConn loyalist to start breathing into a brown paper bag. Argue all you want that it's not much worse than what the AAC would have offered. Just remember: The AAC might have been uninspiring, but it did have more bowl tie-ins and TV games than independence allows. Those count.

Women's basketball: Geno Auriemma, after the loss to Arizona at the Final Four, said, "That's two games in a row now that we faced that kind of (defensive) pressure. I think it took its toll," alluding to the way Baylor also disrupted his team's offense in the regional final. Translation: UConn hadn't seen that level of strength and athleticism in a while and wasn't truly prepared for it.

The pandemic relegated UConn's schedule to consist mostly of Big East opponents this season. Its only three challenges were South Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas. After the South Carolina game Feb. 8, UConn's schedule leading into the NCAA Tournament: Seton Hall, Georgetown, St. John's, Xavier, Creighton, Butler, Marquette, St. John's, Villanova, Marquette.

And while it remains true that the American would have provided competition equally as weak, the Big East's offerings certainly didn't sustain the preseason excitement of this purported newer, better league.

It means that Auriemma's nonleague schedule needs to be as treacherous as ever next year to best prepare his team.


Obvious conclusion: The move to the Big East hasn't moved the needle for football or women's basketball. And so the pressure — rightfully so — should increase on Dan Hurley in future seasons.

Hurley's carefully cultivated national media posse likes to call him "The Carpenter." As in: builder of programs. No denying he rebuilt Wagner and Rhode Island. He reminded us ad nauseum all season about how the UConn program was in "shambles" when he took over. By the end, a more cynical fellow might not have distinguished UConn from Prairie View A&M.

The honeymoon's over. It's time for The Carpenter to use his hammer, tape measure, chisel and reciprocating saw to find some shooters and continue building the one program on campus that most benefits from a change in leagues.

Moreover, The Carpenter isn't going to get away with the whole "by golly, look how far we've come" narrative next year. That may play among his posse. But I hope the Connecticut folks are more discerning.

We're all happier that road trips are now Seton Hall and Georgetown instead of Tulsa and Tulane. We're all happier with greater familiarity of opponents. But this Big East isn't nearly as tough or interesting as the Big East of Rollie, Louie, Boeheim and Big John. This Big East does football and women's basketball no favors either.

To whom much is given, much is required. We require more of men's basketball next season.
 
It’s not only money for lacrosse. Since the field is already built, but it’s a title 9 issue. Any scholarships given would need to be matched by a NEW women’s team. It’s the same reason Syracuse doesn’t play baseball or hockey.
 
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Sea Goat said:
Mike Dimauro of The New London Day wrote a provocative article about UConn's experience in the New Big East - see below:
Expand ...
Not sure provocative is the word I'd use. Lazy hit piece sounds a little better. On the surface, to discuss the first year in the Big East with the pandemic causing as much disruption as it did is just silly. It was anything but a normal year.
Auriemma getting that team with all those underclassmen to the final 4 was a fantastic coaching job.
I find it amusing how he adds himself into the story. "We're all happier that road trips are now Seton Hall and Georgetown instead of Tulsa and Tulane". He's not happier, he could care less.
 
nadav said:
It’s not only money for lacrosse. Since the field is already built, but it’s a title 9 issue. Any scholarships given would need to be matched by a NEW women’s team. It’s the same reason Syracuse doesn’t play baseball or hockey.
Expand ...

besides they would suck at those 2 sports
 
Sea Goat said:
Mike Dimauro of The New London Day wrote a provocative article about UConn's experience in the New Big East - see below:


The ‘new’ Big East: Is that all there is?​

Published April 06. 2021 5:44PM

By Mike DiMauro Day staff writer​


And so the college basketball season is past tense now, leaving a query that will run afoul of the blubbering masses here in Connecticut, who thought that a return to the Big East would translate into a bigger elixir than Ponce De Leon's findings:

Your humble narrator finds himself humming a little Peggy Lee today: Is that all there is?

Evidence and circumstances are ever-changing, of course. But year one of the new Big East for the UConn Huskies was ... pedestrian. It produced opponents in women's basketball as overmatched as from the previous outpost and men's competition yearning for the old days.
The foundation of men's basketball in the modern Big East leans heavily on one coach and one building: Jay Wright and Madison Square Garden. Think about it: If Wright ever left Villanova, would the program sustain the level of excellence that renders it the league's only national contender at the moment? If the Garden suddenly decided to host another conference tournament, what cachet would this league really have? It's a bunch of decent teams who struggle to move the needle consistently.

Happily, neither Wright nor the structure at 4 Penn Plaza are going anywhere. But is it possible we here in Connecticut got intoxicated by the sizzle more than the steak?

UConn's decision to leave the American for its old digs meant that the university had tacitly hitched its wagon to men's basketball. More familiar competition in a more established league would theoretically renew interest in a four-time championship program and allow the coaching staff to pursue more high-level players than the vanilla American.

I get the reasoning. Not saying I disagree. But before we lay more candles, rainbows and lollipops at the Big East's altar, shall we explore the residual effects after Year One?

Football's newly relegated status as an independent gives it a 2021 home schedule with Holy Cross, Yale, Wyoming and Middle Tennessee, among others. That wouldn't prompt even the most ardent UConn loyalist to start breathing into a brown paper bag. Argue all you want that it's not much worse than what the AAC would have offered. Just remember: The AAC might have been uninspiring, but it did have more bowl tie-ins and TV games than independence allows. Those count.

Women's basketball: Geno Auriemma, after the loss to Arizona at the Final Four, said, "That's two games in a row now that we faced that kind of (defensive) pressure. I think it took its toll," alluding to the way Baylor also disrupted his team's offense in the regional final. Translation: UConn hadn't seen that level of strength and athleticism in a while and wasn't truly prepared for it.

The pandemic relegated UConn's schedule to consist mostly of Big East opponents this season. Its only three challenges were South Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas. After the South Carolina game Feb. 8, UConn's schedule leading into the NCAA Tournament: Seton Hall, Georgetown, St. John's, Xavier, Creighton, Butler, Marquette, St. John's, Villanova, Marquette.

And while it remains true that the American would have provided competition equally as weak, the Big East's offerings certainly didn't sustain the preseason excitement of this purported newer, better league.

It means that Auriemma's nonleague schedule needs to be as treacherous as ever next year to best prepare his team.


Obvious conclusion: The move to the Big East hasn't moved the needle for football or women's basketball. And so the pressure — rightfully so — should increase on Dan Hurley in future seasons.

Hurley's carefully cultivated national media posse likes to call him "The Carpenter." As in: builder of programs. No denying he rebuilt Wagner and Rhode Island. He reminded us ad nauseum all season about how the UConn program was in "shambles" when he took over. By the end, a more cynical fellow might not have distinguished UConn from Prairie View A&M.

The honeymoon's over. It's time for The Carpenter to use his hammer, tape measure, chisel and reciprocating saw to find some shooters and continue building the one program on campus that most benefits from a change in leagues.

Moreover, The Carpenter isn't going to get away with the whole "by golly, look how far we've come" narrative next year. That may play among his posse. But I hope the Connecticut folks are more discerning.

We're all happier that road trips are now Seton Hall and Georgetown instead of Tulsa and Tulane. We're all happier with greater familiarity of opponents. But this Big East isn't nearly as tough or interesting as the Big East of Rollie, Louie, Boeheim and Big John. This Big East does football and women's basketball no favors either.

To whom much is given, much is required. We require more of men's basketball next season.
Expand ...
Totally fails to realize college football fans will enjoy the variety of opponents much more as an independent, rather than as a member of the AAC. That AAC banner looked so out of place. Felt like C-USA Deluxe.
 
Men’s lax and women’s golf are the 2 conference sponsored sports where UConn doesn’t participate.
 
Butch said:
Totally fails to realize college football fans will enjoy the variety of opponents much more as an independent, rather than as a member of the AAC. That AAC banner looked so out of place. Felt like C-USA Deluxe.
Expand ...

I don't know about the variety, but winning games is a must regardless of the schedule or conference.
 
.-.
LoyalFanCT said:
If the UConn Foundation were doing its job, lacrosse fans in CT could help finance a varsity men's team at UConn. Sailing is in the same boat. But it would be even cheaper to fund a more competitive program in sailing. New England colleges have some of the best sailors in the US. URI, Conn College, Coast Guard, Yale, etc. are excellent and it would not take much money for UConn to push up the ranks.
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I'm sorry, did not enough people call you a troll the first time that you decided you needed to follow up and demand the attention?
 
Zissou said:
Upstate also has its homegrown talent, and it’s at all college levels. Cuse, Ithaca, Cortland, Hobart, Nazareth, Colgate, Le Moyne... not to mention it’s Iroquois history.
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U Albany too.
 
LoyalFanCT said:
If the UConn Foundation were doing its job, lacrosse fans in CT could help finance a varsity men's team at UConn. Sailing is in the same boat. But it would be even cheaper to fund a more competitive program in sailing. New England colleges have some of the best sailors in the US. URI, Conn College, Coast Guard, Yale, etc. are excellent and it would not take much money for UConn to push up the ranks.
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Sailing in NEISA is club level. Cut a check.
 
ZooCougar said:
And I was one of the people who really wanted Edsall back thinking he would be much better on the second go round.
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I'd have settled for just as good.
 
.-.
I guess the fact that Virginia, Duke, and UNC have won 8 of the last 20 in men's lacrosse was due to recruiting....getting those Maryland, Long Island athletes.
 
billybud said:
I guess the fact that Virginia, Duke, and UNC have won 8 of the last 20 in men's lacrosse was due to recruiting....getting those Maryland, Long Island athletes.
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Just like UConn has won all those basketball titles because of all the great players from CT.
 
.-.
ps_0483w_stupid_knew_1.jpg


C'mon now...he said he was sorry.
 
conorg223 said:
Wrote a piece regarding upcoming negotiations with FS1 for CBB Digest:

ncaahoopsdigest.com

The Big East’s Media Marriage: Life Beyond 2025 with FS1

by Conor Gereg @CTGereg It was both nostalgic and indescribably refreshing to see Madison Square Garden come alive last month for the Knicks first home playoff game since 2013. The scene of the hal…
ncaahoopsdigest.com ncaahoopsdigest.com
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the revenue scales over the course of the contract, so a ten year deal could average $5mm but pay $4mm in its first year and $6mm in its last year. It’s an important consideration when comparing a pretty old FS1 BE contract with a recently signed espn contract.

good article though. We do need both UCONN and Georgetown to rise again.
 
conorg223 said:
Wrote a piece regarding upcoming negotiations with FS1 for CBB Digest:

ncaahoopsdigest.com

The Big East’s Media Marriage: Life Beyond 2025 with FS1

by Conor Gereg @CTGereg It was both nostalgic and indescribably refreshing to see Madison Square Garden come alive last month for the Knicks first home playoff game since 2013. The scene of the hal…
ncaahoopsdigest.com ncaahoopsdigest.com
Expand ...
Good Article. Next deal for the Big East is super important in keeping up with the Jones. Big East will need to get as close to $10M per year as possible. With UConn in the fold, and addition of UConn women, they can get there. In order to be more appealing, Big East needs Uconn and Georgetown to return to its former selves along with Nova maintaining the current path.

Uconn also needs to improve football much more to get a better media deal. The current horrible pay for football just won't cut it long term. Not sure what Uconn can get for football, but we need to at least match the Big East payout for basketball and other sports.
 
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