Of course but it’s a real designation.
It'd be a huge win if somehow the AAC got a lock-in deal with the Peach Bowl. I also see no reason the Peach Bowl would do that.
That's kind of a silly statement.
Here is how silly at the moment: the highest A10 team on KenPom tonight is VCU at 56.
6 of the 10 Big East teams are rated higher.
3 of the 12 American teams are rated higher.
The American is P7. The Big East is better, the A10 is worse (even if you disregard Nova).
How much does Wichita State get?
How much does Navy get?
It's not that complicated.
I went to Penn State - Miami games in the era of major independents. It is hard to consider that era from today's perspective, as the TV money had not exploded and while the NCAA was still distributing the TV cash.
To really think back at the landscape of the time, Gavitt was fortunate to realize his Big East basketball dream before football dominated conference alignments.
The CFA was formed in the 1970s but TV rights were not really wrestled away from the NCAA until about 1984.
The Big East was able to form before football dictated the alignments. The Pitt vs. Penn State choice for the Big East was also pre 1984.
What if JoePa had acted on a football conference before the Big East, instead of after it?
In the late 1970s the affiliation for hoops was the Eastern 8.
It's easy to think of JoePa acting pre 1979 and forming Eastern Football from Penn State's Eastern 8 hoops partners - Penn State, Pitt, WVU, Rutgers, Nova, & UMass (no GW or Duquesne). The obvious adds would have been indy rivals Cuse and BC.
Miami at the time would have been outside of JoePa's eastern strategy. By 1990 it was more clear for Miami to benefit from a conference, but not in the 70s. Temple might have been considered at the time. UConn probably not. Maybe Holy Cross.
If JoePa had acted successfully before Gavitt, The Big East Conference in 1980 may have been Providence, UConn, St Johns, Georgetown, Seton Hall, Duquesne, GW, Bonnies, St Joes, and Rhody for 10 members.
The Eastern 10 Conference may have been Penn State, Pitt, WVU, Rutgers, Nova, UMass, Cuse, BC, Holy Cross, and Temple for 10 members.
Those would have been 2 good conferences, but neither would have achieved the greatness of the oBE in basketball in my opinion. Pitt, Nova, and Cuse were key components, as were Georgetown, St Johns, and later UConn.
Anyway, the Pitt vs Penn State decision of 1981 must be looked at in the context of those times, and can be accompanied by many other "what ifs". JoePa was a little late to the game in his eastern football efforts.
something that does not happen in collegiate sports in Europe as another poster has said.
The fact that Wichita State was added at all shows the conference is "all in" for basketball.
Let's see how that would go
UConn..."We want to move our brand sport and value to the Big East conference and leave our low value sport to ride on the coat tails of the AAC football programs. What'ya think?"
AAC...."Give us time to think about that. OK..We've thought about it. No"
The question is how the AAC values football vs. how it values basketball. You have an example for each. Navy and Wichita State.
The answer is that Wichita gets squat, and Navy is more like a full revenue member.
So for UConn, stay in the AAC for football and get that payday. It's a good spot for football, as it is for Navy.
Take hoops and all other sports to the Big East and get that payday. It looks like the AD could use a few bucks more.
Could UConn negotiate this position? Some might call it a long shot, but at the same time they are hoping for an ACC invite to save the program. Negotiating football-only in the AAC isn't a long shot, at least in comparison to that pending P5 invite.
No thanks. It's more realistic than dreaming of the P5 while spending $80M a year with $40M in revenue.Zissou, could you please stop with the 'put basketball and other sports in the Big East'? It is never going to happen, so please, go back to the Nova board and we will be happy not listening to your crap. Thank you...
So you think it's less realistic than the AAC inviting UConn to join?
UConn... "OK, we'll go Big East and just play an Indy schedule for football. Good luck with your upcoming TV negotiations without one of your best programs".
No thanks. It's more realistic than dreaming of the P5 while spending $80M a year with $40M in revenue.
! assume you meant ACC in first sentence and AAC in the 2nd sentence.
"Without one of your best programs" Football?
I doubt the C7 (all private non major football schools) would want us
No thanks. It's more realistic than dreaming of the P5 while spending $80M a year with $40M in revenue.
Yes, we get it. Your basketball team is on top right now; but, being on top is cyclical. UConn was on top not long ago. Villanova was on top in the middle '80's; but, what happended to the Wildcats in the 20 or so years in between?
You should worry more about your own school as even with those fancy basketball titles under your belt, Villanova's men's basketball program generated a net profit of $1 Million in 2016. Now throw in your DI-AA football program (I don't think there is a DI-AA football program that generates a profit), women's basketball and other Olympic sports, Villanova's Athletic Department ran a $20 Million deficit in the same year (2016). That's higher than UConn on a per student basis. This is all from a report in Villanova's own student newspaper in 2017.
Men’s basketball does not pay for other Villanova athletic teams
Reserve any opinions on the AAC until details of the new contract happen.As UConn considers its future conference affiliations its position in football is much different than its position in basketball.
Football peaked at the right time for UConn. UConn had its best foot forward for CR when it unfolded, it just didn’t work out.
As we look forward it might be better to look at what is best for each Revenue Sport.
UConn football as a program has been bad the last half dozen years or so. The outlook for the coming years is uncertain. A recovery is not convincing yet. The AAC for all of its faults is a good spot for UConn football. There is some revenue and good competition. The AAC isn’t so great, however, as to make it a no brainer vs other options, such as independence in football.
For all it’s P6 rhetoric the AAC is not a consensus Top 6 program in either sport. In hoops it’s definitely not Top 6. In football MW has a claim to Top 6. I’m not even sure what P6 is worth, but it is a campaign that is questionable when performance is Top 7ish.
For performance, history, and future UConn is a basketball-first University. The return in the coming years is convincing for hoops. The AAC is Top 7 in hoops and also is footprint challenged with a lack of regional rivals. I’m not sure where the AAC tournament is played.
The Big East is clearly a superior basketball conference. UConn is a great fit for our NYC centric conference. There are some differences, but the basketball first nature of UConn fits the conference mission along with the NYC presence and MSG tournament.
Olympic sports benefit from the more regional footprint, as a small aside.
If not for football, basketball to the Big East is the logical move.
With football, going Big East and keeping football in the AAC or as an independent are credible options.
UConn has to cut non revenue sports. That is the bottom line. There is hope that basketball and football will generate enough revenue to break even. But these non revenue sports need to go until more money is coming in.UConn's athletic expenses run $25-30 million more than UCF, USF, Memphis, and even Houston.
I apologize in advance to anyone that has a member on this team but I flew to FLL last week and the Uconn women's rowing team was on it. That is a larger team than WBB, soccer and possible field hockey with 30+ memebers plus staff. I am sure there are few or no full scholarships there but they were on SWA to FLL and I am sure they will return at some point. That is a big cost and a non-revenue sport. The number of female athletes probably helps Title IX compliance issues that you have with an 85 member football team. Uconn supports a lot of programs and cuts would have to be on the men's sports side with golf, cross country, tennis, swimming, etc with equal cuts on the woman's side. Not sure if that can ever happen.UConn has to cut non revenue sports. That is the bottom line. There is hope that basketball and football will generate enough revenue to break even. But these non revenue sports need to go until more money is coming in.
What is Nova's athletic department revenue and expenses? How many teams and total athletes does the university have? How about the same for ST. John's and Georgetown?No thanks. It's more realistic than dreaming of the P5 while spending $80M a year with $40M in revenue.