Interactive College FB Fandom Map

[BoatShow]

Brass of the B1G and RU fans like to tout the study that says X amount of people in NYC are RU fans and it is so much higher than than anyone else and UConn is like fourth. According to this, RU isn't even top 3 in any NY zip code and isn't >44% in even North Jersey which to be fair has a lot of transplants and is as densely populated as some Indian ghettos. UConn of course owns all of CT and ranks throughout Eastern NY, Long Island, Rhode Island, and Mass. Not saying one is better than the other just a billion different ways of looking at data.

 

[pepband99]

I live 35 miles from Rutgers and the former AD lives in my town, yet they are ties with Penn St and ND (lot of Catholics in my town) at 9 %. As a FYI, Army is only 25 miles away.

My home county in NJ is in agreement, too - you never saw any interest in RU back then. And this was just as close as you are.

 

[CL82]

Brass of the B1G and RU fans like to tout the study that says X amount of people in NYC are RU fans and it is so much higher than than anyone else and UConn is like fourth. According to this, RU isn't even top 3 in any NY zip code and isn't >44% in even North Jersey which to be fair has a lot of transplants and is as densely populated as some Indian ghettos. UConn of course owns all of CT and ranks throughout Eastern NY, Long Island, Rhode Island, and Mass. Not saying one is better than the other, just saying we are better that Rutgers no matter what confernece they are in.

A possible edit for you. C'mon you know you were thinking it.

 

[WestHartHusk]

I noticed we rank top 3 in parts of Boston, number 1 in parts of Westchester, top 3 in good chunks of RI (#1 in places west of Providence); #1 in chunks of Western Mass up to and north of Springfield (and out to NY), #1 on the east end of Long Island, and top 3 in some other parts of LI.

Not bad, considering we also dominate our state.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

That map tells you all you need to know about why Delany focuses on state flagships and why Swofford's expansion strategy is/was nothing short of nuts.

 

[MASSconn]

We need more UCONN grads going to Manhattan after college for their first jobs. Build up the empire

 

[itgoeslike]

Per LinkedIn, after Connecticut, New York City has the most UConn grads. Boston is third on the list.

 

[Sea Goat]

That map tells you all you need to know about why Delany focuses on state flagships and why Swofford's expansion strategy is/was nothing short of nuts.

While we would jump at an offer from the ACC, you are correct. The B1G is more systematic then the ACC - pure and simple. The ACC process seems haphazard and reactionary. Any process that resulted in Syracuse, Pitt, Louisville and ND (on a half-ass basis) invited before UConn is patently effed up!

 

[RegisteredUconn]

While we would jump at an offer from the ACC, you are correct. The B1G is more systematic then the ACC - pure and simple. The ACC process seems haphazard and reactionary. Any process that resulted in Syracuse, Pitt, Louisville and ND (on a half-ass basis) invited before UConn is patently effed up!

A case can be made that Swofford is a realist but I think he's more coward than realist. He acts through fear rather than vision. I've asked our ACC friends for a statement of the ACC's goals in re-alignment that explain BC, Miami, VaTech, Cuse, Pitt, ND, and Louisville and thus far nobody has offered anything of sense. His only goal I can detect was the destruction of the Big East. And he did that out of fear. He succeeded but big deal. Mostly what he's accomplished is to saddle his conference with deadwood. Worse than deadwood really...institutions with, for the most part, a downward trajectory and little prospect of a turnaround. Excluding VaTech, what state will any of those schools own?

 

[Kolumbo]

While we would jump at an offer from the ACC, you are correct. The B1G is more systematic then the ACC - pure and simple. The ACC process seems haphazard and reactionary. Any process that resulted in Syracuse, Pitt, Louisville and ND (on a half-ass basis) invited before UConn is patently effed up!

Two totally different approaches. The B1G knows exactly what it is and sticks to it. The ACC just seemed to raid the Big East schools who play football. If we somehow end up in that mess, the best part would be takin names.

 

[MASSconn]

Per LinkedIn, after Connecticut, New York City has the most UConn grads. Boston is third on the list.

Still not comparable to Ivy's/Michigan/ND/PSU

I'm talking a takeover- multiple uconn bars. It is possible in the near future

 

[Sea Goat]

A case can be made that Swofford is a realist but I think he's more coward than realist. He acts through fear rather than vision. I've asked our ACC friends for a statement of the ACC's goals in re-alignment that explain BC, Miami, VaTech, Cuse, Pitt, ND, and Louisville and thus far nobody has offered anything of sense. His only goal I can detect was the destruction of the Big East. And he did that out of fear. He succeeded but big deal. Mostly what he's accomplished is to saddle his conference with deadwood. Worse than deadwood really...institutions with, for the most part, a downward trajectory and little prospect of a turnaround. Excluding VaTech, what state will any of those schools own?

It will come back to haunt him and the ACC. When the massive cultural differences among the likes of FSU, Louisville, NCST, Duke, BC, Miami, Wake are fully disclosed and in play I believe it will be a league in search of an identity. The nadir of the ACC's reactionary approach was the Louisville add. It provided some perceived (dubious) short term gain in the football realm at the cost of chunk of its academic soul. This will haunt the ACC for sure. Sure it's better than the AAC (and will remain so), but that certainly is damning with faint praise.

 

[UConn Dan]

If our football team was coming off of or having a good year we would have more of a presence in "Facebook likes" in the NYC area. This map represents a what have you done for me lately point of view and not necessarily fan or alumn market penetration. Give us a good year in football and then take another look.

It probably goes without saying, but that map would be much more favorable for UConn if you look at basketball.

 

[WestHartHusk]

If our football team was coming off of or having a good year we would have more of a presence in "Facebook likes" in the NYC area. This map represents a what have you done for me lately point of view and not necessarily fan or alumn market penetration. Give us a good year in football and then take another look.

It probably goes without saying, but that map would be much more favorable for UConn if you look at basketball.

I really hope they do a follow up come basketball season.

 

[CL82]

A case can be made that Swofford is a realist but I think he's more coward than realist. He acts through fear rather than vision. I've asked our ACC friends for a statement of the ACC's goals in re-alignment that explain BC, Miami, VaTech, Cuse, Pitt, ND, and Louisville and thus far nobody has offered anything of sense. His only goal I can detect was the destruction of the Big East. And he did that out of fear. He succeeded but big deal. Mostly what he's accomplished is to saddle his conference with deadwood. Worse than deadwood really...institutions with, for the most part, a downward trajectory and little prospect of a turnaround. Excluding VaTech, what state will any of those schools own?

Well his conference survived while ours didn't. Scoreboard.

 

[frankthetank]

A case can be made that Swofford is a realist but I think he's more coward than realist. He acts through fear rather than vision. I've asked our ACC friends for a statement of the ACC's goals in re-alignment that explain BC, Miami, VaTech, Cuse, Pitt, ND, and Louisville and thus far nobody has offered anything of sense. His only goal I can detect was the destruction of the Big East. And he did that out of fear. He succeeded but big deal. Mostly what he's accomplished is to saddle his conference with deadwood. Worse than deadwood really...institutions with, for the most part, a downward trajectory and little prospect of a turnaround. Excluding VaTech, what state will any of those schools own?

To be fair (and I say this as a Big Ten guy), the only truly reactionary move that Swofford made was adding Louisville (and that inherently was a reaction to Maryland defecting). Everything else was *extremely* calculated. He saw back in 2003 (before it become common knowledge that football and TV markets truly ruled everything in college athletics revenue-wise) that the ACC needed to become both less basketball-focused and less-Southern and addressed both fronts in the first Big East raid. I'll give immense credit to Swofford for that vision - it's easy to forget that the other old line conferences (even the Big Ten) were still looking at the college sports world as regional fiefdoms instead of national entities at that point. The ACC's moves in 2003 completely changed the thinking at the Big Ten (who in turn changed the thinking of the SEC) - the fact that TV markets became more critical and the acknowledgment of arguably the most tradition-rich basketball league that football ruled the roost completely tightened the focus of conference realignment that began in 2010. It might comfort the schools left in AAC to tell themselves that Swofford doesn't know what he's doing, but I absolutely believe that he's as savvy as any other conference commissioner. I'd honestly put him ahead of Mike Slive (who was given a lot more to work with in the SEC) and only behind Jim Delany in terms of power conference commissioners that understand the big picture and are forward-thinking.

 

[WestHartHusk]

To be fair (and I say this as a Big Ten guy), the only truly reactionary move that Swofford made was adding Louisville (and that inherently was a reaction to Maryland defecting). Everything else was *extremely* calculated. He saw back in 2003 (before it become common knowledge that football and TV markets truly ruled everything in college athletics revenue-wise) that the ACC needed to become both less basketball-focused and less-Southern and addressed both fronts in the first Big East raid. I'll give immense credit to Swofford for that vision - it's easy to forget that the other old line conferences (even the Big Ten) were still looking at the college sports world as regional fiefdoms instead of national entities at that point. The ACC's moves in 2003 completely changed the thinking at the Big Ten (who in turn changed the thinking of the SEC) - the fact that TV markets became more critical and the acknowledgment of arguably the most tradition-rich basketball league that football ruled the roost completely tightened the focus of conference realignment that began in 2010. It might comfort the schools left in AAC to tell themselves that Swofford doesn't know what he's doing, but I absolutely believe that he's as savvy as any other conference commissioner. I'd honestly put him ahead of Mike Slive (who was given a lot more to work with in the SEC) and only behind Jim Delany in terms of power conference commissioners that understand the big picture and are forward-thinking.

Being first doesn't make you *extremely* calculated, it makes you first. That lack of calculation is evidenced by the ACC's TV contract which is both more inclusive of the schools rights, longer in duration, and shorter on money, than every other conference. And that contract is the result of the fact that: i) every school Swofford added, save VTech, is #2 (or worse) in their own market (I am not counting ND); and ii) Swofford had previously given up the pooch so everytime he begged ESPN for money the only thing he could offer was a longer duration.

If Apple has taught us anything, it is that those who are truly 'calculating' don't move first.

P.S. I gave Swofford credit for being 'first', but the reality is that he only acted because the Big East was eating his lunch in basketball AND football.

 

[itgoeslike]

Swofford's first poaching of the Big East was reactionary. When he took over the ACC in 1997 he was looking at a Big East Conference that was quickly becoming the Football Conference on the East Coast with Miami, Virginia Tech, and others frequenting the top ten. Even Syracuse was making some noise. The ACC was playing a game of catch up and needed to undermine the progress being made by the Big East. In that sense, Swofford was less of a visionary and more of an opportunist that exploited the disruptive dynamic of basketball schools vs. football schools, which was ham stringing the Big East. It was a good move, but it was very much in the interest of, and reaction to, the emergence of the Big East as a football and conference power.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

To be fair (and I say this as a Big Ten guy), the only truly reactionary move that Swofford made was adding Louisville (and that inherently was a reaction to Maryland defecting). Everything else was *extremely* calculated. He saw back in 2003 (before it become common knowledge that football and TV markets truly ruled everything in college athletics revenue-wise) that the ACC needed to become both less basketball-focused and less-Southern and addressed both fronts in the first Big East raid. I'll give immense credit to Swofford for that vision - it's easy to forget that the other old line conferences (even the Big Ten) were still looking at the college sports world as regional fiefdoms instead of national entities at that point. The ACC's moves in 2003 completely changed the thinking at the Big Ten (who in turn changed the thinking of the SEC) - the fact that TV markets became more critical and the acknowledgment of arguably the most tradition-rich basketball league that football ruled the roost completely tightened the focus of conference realignment that began in 2010. It might comfort the schools left in AAC to tell themselves that Swofford doesn't know what he's doing, but I absolutely believe that he's as savvy as any other conference commissioner. I'd honestly put him ahead of Mike Slive (who was given a lot more to work with in the SEC) and only behind Jim Delany in terms of power conference commissioners that understand the big picture and are forward-thinking.

Even if Swofford possessed the vision you attribute to him he has to receive a failing grade for communication and execution. I agree, the northeast was open for the taking at the time Swofford first moved. It was still open when he moved a second time. He whiffed twice and, as a result, he's left with little possibility of controlling that he envisioned. Of what value was his original vision?

 

[itgoeslike]

Swofford's first poaching of the Big East was reactionary. When he took over the ACC in 1997 he was looking at a Big East Conference that was quickly becoming the Football Conference on the East Coast with Miami, Virginia Tech, and others frequenting the top ten. Even Syracuse was making some noise. The ACC was playing a game of catch up and needed to undermine the progress being made by the Big East. In that sense, Swofford was less of a visionary and more of an opportunist that exploited the disruptive dynamic of basketball schools vs. football schools, which was ham stringing the Big East. It was a good move, but it was very much in the interest of, and reaction to, the emergence of the Big East as a football and conference power.

The last sentence should have read: It was a good move, but it was very much in the interest of preserving his conference and in reaction to the emergence of the Big East as a football and conference power.

(I let the 15 minute edit window lapse)

 

[SAMCRO]

If Swofford was truly thinking about markets to the depths that FTT gives him the credit for, he would have taken Rutgers, Syracuse, UConn, and Pitt with his 2nd move in one big swoop to go to 16. It would have locked up NYC, the entire NE, and essentially the eastern seaboard. He still would still have gotten ND for all non FB sports as #17. It possibly keeps UMd in the league too and turns the B10 back to looking at (UL, WVU, Mizzou, etc..). Instead he passed over owning the biggest market out there.

Oh well.

 

[CL82]

To be fair (and I say this as a Big Ten guy), the only truly reactionary move that Swofford made was adding Louisville (and that inherently was a reaction to Maryland defecting). Everything else was *extremely* calculated. He saw back in 2003 (before it become common knowledge that football and TV markets truly ruled everything in college athletics revenue-wise) that the ACC needed to become both less basketball-focused and less-Southern and addressed both fronts in the first Big East raid.

By inviting Miami along with Syracuse and Boston College? Remember that VTech was an after thought imposed by the Virginia legislature in order to get Virginia's vote for expansion. Syracuse was playing some of the worse football in the country at that time (which means there is hope for us...I guess) and BC is hardly a football power. Miami was a no brainer as football power, in the ACC's natural territory and was plaing some of the best basketball in it's history. Nah, the initial raid was a reactionary move to the Big East's emergence as a basketball power. I still give props to Swofford regardless since the ACC survived the Big East didn't but I think your post is revisionist history.

 

[UConn Dan]

To be fair (and I say this as a Big Ten guy), the only truly reactionary move that Swofford made was adding Louisville (and that inherently was a reaction to Maryland defecting). Everything else was *extremely* calculated. He saw back in 2003 (before it become common knowledge that football and TV markets truly ruled everything in college athletics revenue-wise) that the ACC needed to become both less basketball-focused and less-Southern and addressed both fronts in the first Big East raid. I'll give immense credit to Swofford for that vision - it's easy to forget that the other old line conferences (even the Big Ten) were still looking at the college sports world as regional fiefdoms instead of national entities at that point. The ACC's moves in 2003 completely changed the thinking at the Big Ten (who in turn changed the thinking of the SEC) - the fact that TV markets became more critical and the acknowledgment of arguably the most tradition-rich basketball league that football ruled the roost completely tightened the focus of conference realignment that began in 2010. It might comfort the schools left in AAC to tell themselves that Swofford doesn't know what he's doing, but I absolutely believe that he's as savvy as any other conference commissioner. I'd honestly put him ahead of Mike Slive (who was given a lot more to work with in the SEC) and only behind Jim Delany in terms of power conference commissioners that understand the big picture and are forward-thinking.

Dude. Swoffords first raid of the big east in 2003 had zero to do with markets - 11 years and counting and no ACC network to make use of whatever markets you think he was actually calculating *extremely*.

It had to do with getting to 12 teams to host a championship game. Swofford saw the SEC making real TV money for the title game and wanted a piece. That is all.

 

[The Funster]

Dude. Swoffords first raid of the big east in 2003 had zero to do with markets - 11 years and counting and no ACC network to make use of whatever markets you think he was actually calculating *extremely*.

It had to do with getting to 12 teams to host a championship game. Swofford saw the SEC making real TV money for the title game and wanted a piece. That is all.

If Swofford thought getting BC gave him any kind of a market then that only shows how out of touch he was.

 

[Sea Goat]

If Swofford thought getting BC gave him any kind of a market then that only shows how out of touch he was.

"Dead balls on" - the only thing related to BC that resonates in Boston is its hockey team.