Interview with Delany

[btstimpy]

Yeah, because if UVA were considering joining the B1G, the AD would definitely tell some no-name fan...

You've straight up entered troll status.

He wasn't evasive. He was quite specific in his comments. I'm not prepared to call him a liar.

 

[btstimpy]

I agree UCONN would be a great choice for The B1G. Combining them with RU, UMD and another team located approx between North Carolina and Washington DC would make The B1G a boatload of money. For your mental benefit I won't mention that school by name. I realize that you are having a difficult time coming to terms with the inevitable, so I got you a book to aid in your transition. I can't wait to see the revised edition with The Turtle, Knight, Husky and Orange and Blue Zoro on the cover.

Yuk! No thank you. That Illini has potential, but that's about it.

 

[billybud]

I know that UConn fans want the ACC to blow up as sure as folks in hell want a glass of ice water.....but I think that the ACC will be still be doing fine a decade from now.

 

[SubbaBub]

Getting the BTN on expanded basic like YES and SNY in CT would take less than month once UConn joins. Actually it would happen before the ink is dry, but there would be some face-saving time involved.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

I know .....but I think that the ACC will be still be doing fine a decade from now.

That would be a shame. It does tickle me a bit that the ACC will forever be little brother to the other power conferences from now on, though.

 

[btstimpy]

That would be a shame. It does tickle me a bit that the ACC will forever be little brother to the other power conferences from now on, though.

We are fortunate enough to have a head to head comparison prepared to relect on.

http://www.lostlettermen.com/article/why-big-ten-badly-needs-2014-ncaa-title

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

We are fortunate enough to have a head to head comparison prepared to relect on.

http://www.lostlettermen.com/article/why-big-ten-badly-needs-2014-ncaa-title

Just like an ACC fan to have an article handy. ACC supporters are certainly well versed in their propaganda.

By the way, I didn't read it. I don't need to. I'm right, regardless. Some part of you deep inside knows it too; you wouldn't be so prepared to argue otherwise.

 

[itgoeslike]

We are fortunate enough to have a head to head comparison prepared to relect on.

http://www.lostlettermen.com/article/why-big-ten-badly-needs-2014-ncaa-title

My only take away from the article is that UConn has as many national championships in Mens Basketball than 3 of the 5 P5 conferences — combined.

 

[btstimpy]

My only take away from the article is that UConn has as many national championships in Mens Basketball than 3 of the 5 P5 conferences — combined.

UConn does, and that is what makes UConn a very attractive addition for a P5 in my opinion.

 

[btstimpy]

Just like an ACC fan to have an article handy. ACC supporters are certainly well versed in their propaganda.

By the way, I didn't read it. I don't need to. I'm right, regardless. Some part of you deep inside knows it too; you wouldn't be so prepared to argue otherwise.

I'm prepared because the West Virginia mafia has done nothing but bash the ACC for two years now with false information. I like to have correct information prepared. It looks like the Dude has finally given up though, which is a good thing.

 

[Dooley]

My only take away from the article is that UConn has as many national championships in Mens Basketball than 3 of the 5 P5 conferences — combined.

Wow, that's really impressive huh? My guess is that this is just men's championships right? Geez, we are leading the entire B1G (football and basketball) 4-3. If this counts women's championships, then UCONN has the second largest combined CONFERENCE total but I'm pretty sure this is just counting mens basketball and football.

 

[dayooper]

I have asked the UVA AD while shaking his hand to his face. The ACC has a very bright future, brighter than it has ever had, and UVA is very excited to be a part of it. Demographically it makes no sense to change conferences, and they think Maryland has made a collossal mistake for a short term influx of funds that ultimately won't be substantially more than they would have received anyway.

I think you have much to offer in this discussion. I abhor the groupthink that goes on most message boards and your ACC/UVA perspective is very valuable. This post adds to the discussion.

I'm prepared because the West Virginia mafia has done nothing but bash the ACC for two years now with false information. I like to have correct information prepared. It looks like the Dude has finally given up though, which is a good thing.

Much like the WVU Mafia, all you do is bash the B10.

 

[btstimpy]

Much like the WVU Mafia, all you do is bash the B10.

The intention is to defend and promote the ACC. It is the best conference and certainly the best conference for UVA. If it sounds like bashing the Big Ten, sorry. That's unintended. If it sounds like I'm bashing the SEC or Big XII, sorry.

 

[btstimpy]

Wow, that's really impressive huh? My guess is that this is just men's championships right? Geez, we are leading the entire B1G (football and basketball) 4-3. If this counts women's championships, then UCONN has the second largest combined CONFERENCE total but I'm pretty sure this is just counting mens basketball and football.

Yes it is just men's. But 4 Men's basketball national championships is very impressive. UConn has done that with 2 different coaches. What the UConn women have done is also very impressive, but this particular article was only looking at men's basketball and football.

I look at those 4 Men's championships and think wow, if UConn were in the ACC for that time combined with Miami who won 2 Football Championships and Louisville who won a men's basketball championship, the ACC would be ahead of the SEC in this comparison. Not in football, but overall.

UConn will be in a P5 conference eventually. 14 is a bad number for scheduling, and the ACC, Big Ten, and SEC are all at this bad number. It's only a matter of time. Unfortunately everyone is focused on getting this NCAA thing straightened out first. But that won't take forever.

 

[Ldandy]

Yes it is just men's. But 4 Men's basketball national championships is very impressive. UConn has done that with 2 different coaches. What the UConn women have done is also very impressive, but this particular article was only looking at men's basketball and football.

I look at those 4 Men's championships and think wow, if UConn were in the ACC for that time combined with Miami who won 2 Football Championships and Louisville who won a men's basketball championship, the ACC would be ahead of the SEC in this comparison. Not in football, but overall.

UConn will be in a P5 conference eventually. 14 is a bad number for scheduling, and the ACC, Big Ten, and SEC are all at this bad number. It's only a matter of time. Unfortunately everyone is focused on getting this NCAA thing straightened out first. But that won't take forever.

I agree that 14 is not an ideal number.

Since you believe realignment is not that far off I ask you 3 questions:

1)What is a good number for The P5 Conferences to be at?

2)You obviously believe that The ACC is off limits, do you feel the same way about the Big 12?

3)Hypothetically The ACC has survived. Who are the teams you believe that The B1G, SEC, and ACC could target(outside of the obvious UCONN) to get to their final rosters?

 

[btstimpy]

I agree that 14 is not an ideal number.

Since you believe realignment is not that far off I ask you 3 questions:

1)What is a good number for The P5 Conferences to be at?

2)You obviously believe that The ACC is off limits, do you feel the same way about the Big 12?

3)Hypothetically The ACC has survived. Who are the teams you believe that The B1G, SEC, and ACC could target(outside of the obvious UCONN) to get to their final rosters?

1) IMO. 16 or 20. It enables the 4 POD scheduling of either 4 per POD or 5 per POD. That is the most flexible scheduling.

2) The Big XII is totally dependent on what Texas wants. If Texas wants to keep the Big XII together, the Big XII will stay together. If Texas wants to do something different, there is no Big XII. Its footprint is too small for a network, and Texas has their own. Those other 9 schools are at the beck and call of Texas. That's not anything I want my school do. Texas is now being shown up by Texas A&M. So I think Texas could get ancy, and boom, no more Big XII at least as a P5.

3)The SEC could target West Virginia, Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Kansas, Kansas State. The B1G wants contiguous and AAU. That's Iowa State, Kansas, Vanderbilt, Missouri, Virginia, etc. But UVA isn't coming. Two of those others might, and UConn is interested. The ACC would probably target schools from the AAC including UConn, Cincinnati, Tulane, South Florida, Central Florida, Temple, or from the Big XII in West Virginia, Texas, Texas Tech, Baylor, etc.

The ACC has to determine where it wants to end up 16 or 20. If it is 16, I say add UConn and offer Navy or BYU as football only until we sort out what Notre Dame will end up doing. If it is 20 then there are a lot of other possibilities.

 

[Dooley]

1) IMO. 16 or 20. It enables the 4 POD scheduling of either 4 per POD or 5 per POD. That is the most flexible scheduling.

2) The Big XII is totally dependent on what Texas wants. If Texas wants to keep the Big XII together, the Big XII will stay together. If Texas wants to do something different, there is no Big XII. Its footprint is too small for a network, and Texas has their own. Those other 9 schools are at the beck and call of Texas. That's not anything I want my school do. Texas is now being shown up by Texas A&M. So I think Texas could get ancy, and boom, no more Big XII at least as a P5.

3)The SEC could target West Virginia, Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Kansas, Kansas State. The B1G wants contiguous and AAU. That's Iowa State, Kansas, Vanderbilt, Missouri, Virginia, etc. But UVA isn't coming. Two of those others might, and UConn is interested. The ACC would probably target schools from the AAC including UConn, Cincinnati, Tulane, South Florida, Central Florida, Temple, or from the Big XII in West Virginia, Texas, Texas Tech, Baylor, etc.

The ACC has to determine where it wants to end up 16 or 20. If it is 16, I say add UConn and offer Navy or BYU as football only until we sort out what Notre Dame will end up doing. If it is 20 then there are a lot of other possibilities.

As far as hypothetical CR guesses go, this isn't too bad.

 

[billybud]

Is it just me? Or does the conference "strength" that conference fans banter back and forth about seem to be mostly about football?

Basketball programs are good or not good, but seem to stand more on their own merits.

I am not really a conference fan, I am primarily a fan of my school. I could care less about Louisville, BC, Syracuse, etc. and do follow Miami and Clemson. But when SEC and Big 12 fans talk conference strength...it is almost wholly a measure of football strength.

 

[UCFBfan]

I am not really a conference fan, I am primarily a fan of my school. I could care less about Louisville, BC, Syracuse, etc. and do follow Miami and Clemson.

And this is why CR has absolutely killed college sports for me. Yeah, I follow UConn, but I used to love cheering for and hating Big East teams. Whether basketball or even football in the BCS era. Now? No one cares about anyone but themselves. These conferences are all messes of schools thrown together with zero history. Sure there's a core group in each conference, but overall, these fan bases have nothing to hate about schools in their own conference. College sports are all about rivalries and with all this CR, they have successfully crushed a large amount of these rivalries.

 

[BC1978]

I'm prepared because the West Virginia mafia has done nothing but bash the ACC for two years now with false information. I like to have correct information prepared. It looks like the Dude has finally given up though, which is a good thing.

Ah yes, the "West Virginia mafia". As a UVA fan, it must have been funny when those clueless bloggers were boasting that UVA "had delivered its signed BiG application to the BiG offices", about 4 days before the ACC announced its GOR with the signature of every ACC team - including UVA.

I also find it interesting that when the BiG, B12, and Pac10 had GORs and the ACC did not, all of the conventional wisdom among these bloggers and others was that the GORs were unbreakable and the ACC was about to break apart because they did not have a GOR (as a number of teams were all looking for an out and did not want to tie themselves to the ACC). Once the ACC signed its GOR, however, the popular wisdom among these bloggers and fans shifted. All of a sudden, magically, the GORS were not the bullet-proof documents they were before the ACC signed theirs.

Funny how that works!

 

[Jimdish255]

I think Delany is counting on product (B1G sports) coupled with customer affinity (Rutgers/B10 alums) to drive demand.

Except the B1G alums would come along at least as strong if it was UConn in the same slot.

 

[uconNYC]

My only take away from the article is that UConn has as many national championships in Mens Basketball than 3 of the 5 P5 conferences — combined.

UConn has also won two national titles since the last time an ACC school reached a Final Four.

And this is why CR has absolutely killed college sports for me. Yeah, I follow UConn, but I used to love cheering for and hating Big East teams. Whether basketball or even football in the BCS era. Now? No one cares about anyone but themselves. These conferences are all messes of schools thrown together with zero history. Sure there's a core group in each conference, but overall, these fan bases have nothing to hate about schools in their own conference. College sports are all about rivalries and with all this CR, they have successfully crushed a large amount of these rivalries.

On the other hand I no longer feel compelled to root for Syracuse in basketball and Rutgers in football like I did when the Big East was the media punching bag.

 

[noeynox]

I want to like that post ^^^^ twice. One for each salient point.

 

[Stray_Dog]

If the conversation is about the Big Ten Conference, I won't be commenting. I don't know much about it, and I'm not interested really. I just can add when the comment is about about UVA, which this one was. I do know what UVA thinks.

wow...you are really smart! I don't know and can't even know what my wife thinks but you know what an entire University thinks. YOU ARE SO AWSEOME!! I'll say this, I know very little and knowing that means I know more than most! Very little especially when comparing my knowledge to the collective intelligence of a university! Heck, I wouldn't begin to think I knew everything about a major I received my degree in.
I also think with your keen knowledge of everything UVA, that UVA should rid themselves of all the administrators in the athletic department. In fact with your insight, you should coach all of UVA's athletic teams. You know everything they do that works and what they need to do. SO go apply for all those jobs, when your done please come back here and report all the things you will be doing there that will impact UConn. Til then I sincerely wish you the best!!!

 

[kyleslamb]

Perhaps someone should inform Stimpy that the AD isn't the one that will be making decisions about conference affiliation, not that it matters since the AD certainly wouldn't disclose any conversations they've had with other leagues the past couple years (and they've had them, and they haven't involved a simple 'we're not interested').

Perfect world: yes, Virginia would rather stay in the ACC especially when focusing on athletic implications. But when other academic and financial considerations are entered into the equation, it's not a perfect world and there are better options out there. Virginia knows this, regardless of what the AD might make in some mundane conversation, and that's why the door has very much NOT been closed.

 

[billybud]

Oh God!

Folks...the "Dude" virus must move like Ebola.

Virginia isn't going to the Big Ten and neither is Kansas. This all Dude dreaming.

The P5 conferences will not lose anyone, but may add.

 

[dayooper]

Oh God!

Folks...the "Dude" virus must move like Ebola.

Virginia isn't going to the Big Ten and neither is Kansas. This all Dude dreaming.

The P5 conferences will not lose anyone, but may add.

Hmmmmm . . . UVA? My guess is not. I do think there are Big12 teams that would go if they could, and I'm not talking about the Baylor's, KSU's and WVU's either.

 

[Ldandy]

Is it just me? Or does the conference "strength" that conference fans banter back and forth about seem to be mostly about football? Which conferences? If it's The SEC or Big 12 sure. The deep South and Texas are football crazy areas. The other P5 Conferences seem to weigh the value of basketball and other sports in their discussions. That said football will always be at the forefront of any realignment discussion as it is the number 1 revenue generator for all conferences.

Basketball teams stand on their own merits because they are allowed to. It did not matter that UCONN was outside The P5 Structure this year, they won the tournament they are the champs. End of story. Football is broken maybe beyond repair. It allows entities like ESPN to mold and distribute the message, while they hold vested ownership interests in some of the products they are promoting. They shape perception, perception becomes reality. It is self fulfilling prophecy. I'm glad that FSU won the title this year, as hype would have reached an all time high. Maybe the coming tournament fixes things although I'm highly skeptical for obvious reasons.

I am not really a conference fan, I am primarily a fan of my school. I could care less about Louisville, BC, Syracuse, etc. and do follow Miami and Clemson. But when SEC and Big 12 fans talk conference strength...it is almost wholly a measure of football strength.I hope all fans are primarily fans of their schools first, and conferences a distant second. Those who talk smack about conferences are typically fans of programs that never accomplish anything themselves. You'll never catch me at a PSU event chanting B 1 G. In fact you'll never catch any PSU Fan doing this. If you do please promptly punch them in the face. That said if NW is playing TCU in some 7th place bowl game I'll pull for them. Finally I touched on SEC/Big 12 fandom previously. It's primarily football focused, with fans of the the conferences' doormats living vicariously through the success of its' headliners.

 

[whaler11]

At some point you guys will come to grips with the idea that every P5 school with value is where they want to be or isn't wanted by where they want to go.

Virginia and UNC don't want to be in the Big 10. Texas doesn't want to be in the Pac 12. The SEC doesn't want Florida State and Florida State doesn't want to join the Big 12. The Big 10 doesn't want Kansas or Missouri and Missouri doesn't want to leave the SEC. Nobody but the Big 12 wants WVU.

Sure there are some fan bases like NC State who fantasize about the SEC, but that isn't based on anything. I don't even think Virginia Tech would go if they were offered.

For the non P5 schools that have any semblance of value: BYU doesn't want to join the Big 12. The ACC and Big 10 don't want UConn yet and nobody has found any need for UCF, USF or Cincinnati.

It's a few hundred internet posters having a discussion in an echo chamber.

There are only two things that will cause any changes:
The Big 12 needing members if they end up locked out of the football playoffs due to their structure and the BTN not winning the battles in NY/NJ/Ffld Cty with the cable operators.

 

[huskyrob1]

+1
This is a good post. Delany appears to have a cogent plan in place and the resolve to see it through despite the struggles he knows the conference will face.

OTOH ACC expansion has felt reactionary and without regard to a bigger vision. They left a school like BC isolated for nearly a decade, when any number of Big East Teams could have eased their transition. They later take a school like Louisville which was light years behind UConn academically, and only marginally better than them in football over the previous decade.

I remain a believer that The B1G's Plan is focused entirely on easternward expansion. Kansas and Missouri have both coveted conference membership in the past and both could have been had on more than one occassion w/o the entanglement of grant of rights agreements. Neither have recieved an offer to date.

IMO Delany's original plan was to shake the ACC up enough with a UMD offer in order to grab UVA and UNC. The ACC closed ranks with their GOR and subsequent lawsuit against The Terps. The outcome of this lawsuit will be telling for how hard he will continue to pursue the one ACC Property that makes the most sense for The B1G, UVA. UCONN could be free and clear in 27 months. It will be interesting to see unfold.

Can someone please tell me what UVA has that Delaney wants so bad for the B1G? And what does UVA have from a marketing the northeast/New England point of view? I mean if I know my history, the state of Virginia is and always has been a southern state with a lot of southern ties, ask General Lee if you don't believe me. And last but not least, what does UVA bring to the table that UCONN does not in terms of capturing the northeast/NYC market in a sports marketing arena????? Don't get me wrong, UVA is a decent school, on the northern border of the south, but I don't see Delaney getting all hot and bothered about adding them to the B1G. I mean Delaney opened an office in NYC, not in Richmond or Norfolk.