Is the Big Ten an option?

[mattp]

This discussion floors me right now. Why don't you just debate which of your two favorite supermodels you are going to sleep with tonight?

If either conference calls us, we are answering yes before they change their mind. It is of no import whatsoever what we would do if they both offered us and gave us time to determine our preference

if you take that attitude this whole conference expansion board is a waste of time b/c it's not like any of us have any input at all on the decision of where we end up, and in reality even Herbst may have no control over where we end up. that being said it's friday and i don't feel like working too hard, so i need something to occupy my time, thus we debate.

 

[ctchamps]

As it stands presently, especially with the addition of Cuse and Pitt for men's bb, the ACC would be a better bb conference to join than the B!G for both UConn men's and women's bb programs. But the difference is not significant enough imo to have much impact on UConn's future success in bb.

The B!G's football conference is significantly better than the ACC's. But there is no way of knowing how this would translate for UConn's football program. The single most important factor for a program's success is winning and not whose conference a university belongs with.

There is no way of knowing which conference alignment would help UConn's recruiting or ability to win. The B!G would give UConn much greater buzz to start with, but would that translate into greater ability to access various regions for better recruits. Not necessarily. If Uconn can become good in a great conference this would benefit them much more than if UConn becomes good in a weak conference. But no one knows if that can happen.

The only consideration I would give about going to one conference over the other, if I were given the option of both, would be which is more stable and therefore likely to continue future success for the conference and its member universities.

 

[ctchamps]

LOL.

I hope you are laughing at my supermodel theories.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Please, can we stop talking about the Big 10 now?
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/s...ansion-not-radar-commissioner-jim-delany-says

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I'm a simple guy. Give me a supermodel for the night (and permission from my wife) and I wouldn't waste a second wondering what other supermodels might be available.

But by no means am I challenging anyone else's right to have the debate.

If we're going to fantasize about things like this, why do we need to stop at one supermodel per night?

I've just become convinced that a hybrid model, allowing for partial membership is the best way to go. I want to be part of the ACC for Men's & Women's Basketball, Men's & Women's Soccer, Baseball, Women's Field Hockey, Golf and Tennis while the B1g will be where we park our Football, Men's & Women's Ice Hockey, Women's Volleyball and our Track & Field programs (along with our research being complemented with CIC membership (by the way, we will receive full shares of revenues from both conferences).

The way I see it, the odds of the above are pretty similar to the odds of me banging two supermodels in the same night.

 

[whaler11]

If we're going to fantasize about things like this, why do we need to stop at one supermodel per night?

I've just become convinced that a hybrid model, allowing for partial membership is the best way to go. I want to be part of the ACC for Men's & Women's Basketball, Men's & Women's Soccer, Baseball, Women's Field Hockey, Golf and Tennis while the B1g will be where we park our Football, Men's & Women's Ice Hockey, Women's Volleyball and our Track & Field programs (along with our research being complemented with CIC membership (by the way, we will receive full shares of revenues from both conferences).

The way I see it, the odds of the above are pretty similar to the odds of me banging two supermodels in the same night.

Oh you want Notre Dame's deal

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

wait...what? you honestly believe the big ten would take our football team and NOT our basketball teams? you can't seriously believe they'll ever go for that. that'd be like hiring johnnie cochran to mow your lawn at his legal hourly rate.

 

[Jimdish255]

Please, can we stop talking about the Big 10 now?
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/s...ansion-not-radar-commissioner-jim-delany-says

On how much he would like to see a Big Ten team such as fourth-ranked Wisconsin end the SEC's five-year run of winning national championships in football: "We want to compete on the national level whether it's football, basketball or track and field. I tip my hat to the SEC for their success on the field.

Seems like they're done for now, but if they break the streak it will be because of an NC State transfer QB - lol!

 

[Richmondhsky]

Please, can we stop talking about the Big 10 now?
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/s...ansion-not-radar-commissioner-jim-delany-says

After reading this article and the many posts on realignment it is no more than ever, important to have JC continue as our BB HC. Our value proposition is BB regardless of how well our FB program does even thougt FB drives the bus. As long as JC is our HC he will out recruit the competition further expanding the UC brand.

Being left out of this round thus far won't hurt us long term if we are able to keep the BB program at the elite level. IMHO

 

[weyuo]

The football program has been thrown to the wolves this season. Transfers(Frey and others), early departures(Toddman), quitters(Edsall), more quitters(Pitt & Cuse), even more pot headed quitters(Endres and others), disgruntled donors(Burton), injuries, regime changes(Herbst, Hathaway), a new coaching staff and learning a completely different system on very short notice, lousy weather, lousy fan attendance.

But.... UConn still dictates it's own future. They have a great coaching staff. Recruiting looks better than in the past. Now all they have to do is win games. Winning will take care of everything else. You clean up some of the mistakes and your 5-0. A couple guys get healthy and your running game starts to improve. You win a couple and your confidence builds and by the end of the season you've won enough to get invited to a bowl. Next season everyone is comfortable with the new system, recruiting picks up a little more. More games are won. We blow out MD and the traitors Pitt and the fruit. We go on a roll.... maybe pick up a top 25 ranking. The doom and gloom goes away and maybe a couple conferences start fighting for our admittance. Winning football games will take care of our problems. Lets give Coach P and the team till the end of next season to change the perception of UConn football. I know they can if just given the chance. Best thing we all can do is be fannies in the seats. Not doomsayers on a blog.

 

[whaler11]

Attendance hasn't actually been that bad. Nobody stayed for the end of the WMU game, but it was decently attended in the first half given the weather and the results to date.

 

[Nostical]

Sorry Brass, but the Delaney article is not what it appears. He's a smart, silent guy who knows how to play the game. The Big10 Network is his baby and difference maker and he needs our eastern NY/NE eyeballs to further hype his ad rates. And we offer great content and an expandable football stadium. With Herbst working behind the scenes and her preference clearly being the Big 10, I'm encouraged that we'll be heading there in the future.

 

[whaler11]

Sorry Brass, but the Delaney article is not what it appears. He's a smart, silent guy who knows how to play the game. The Big10 Network is his baby and difference maker and he needs our eastern NY/NE eyeballs to further hype his ad rates. And we offer great content and an expandable football stadium. With Herbst working behind the scenes and her preference clearly being the Big 10, I'm encouraged that we'll be heading there in the future.

If that is the scenario... what is he waiting for?

 

[Nostical]

He's waiting, like every other conference, for ND. If they can find a way to deal with the TV issue ( and I see Comcast/NBC engaging in that broader discussion) and ND joins, Comcast may encourage those eastern markets to prevent the ESPN dominance via the ACC. Fox is a player now in the Pac12 sharing deal. Do you think Comcast is going to let ESPN play the Machiavellian role and dominate the landscape (and Fox as well) without trying to protect/expand their interests? And the best vehicle for that influence is a ND/ Expanded Big10.

 

[upstater]

Sorry Brass, but the Delaney article is not what it appears. He's a smart, silent guy who knows how to play the game. The Big10 Network is his baby and difference maker and he needs our eastern NY/NE eyeballs to further hype his ad rates. And we offer great content and an expandable football stadium. With Herbst working behind the scenes and her preference clearly being the Big 10, I'm encouraged that we'll be heading there in the future.

Then problem with the east is that the BTN will not get the rates it gets in the midwest. Adding UConn is not going to get BTN off the extra tiers onto basic. I don't believe Delaney thinks that either. After all, Penn State is unable to throw its weight behind the BTN in Penn. So what makes anyone think UConn and Rutgers could do it? Eastern cable subscribers are not about to fork over $1 a month to watch Penn State, UConn or Rutgers.

 

[upstater]

They are on expanded basic. Not the basic package that the Big10 is pushing for according to that article. The deal with Comcast in PA bring in pennies on the dollar, not the $1 charged in the midwest. There's a big difference. I've seen breakdowns for Eastern Pa that had BTN charging .25 for expanded basic, while in the midwest they charge $1 on basic.

 

[RS9999X]

Find those break downs.

The basic and expanded basic tiers vary per carrier and state law. Not all have the same option of services. It's not a requirement to be on the near free 'Basic' $12 news package some carriers are required to have. It's on the tier above that.

I've seen plenty confirming that once Comcast set the rate all providers pay the same if they have a Big 10 team. It's either/or and not micro-regional.

 

[junglehusky]

Big Ten Fever... catch it!!!

 

[coachcap]

Sorry Brass, but the Delaney article is not what it appears. He's a smart, silent guy who knows how to play the game. The Big10 Network is his baby and difference maker and he needs our eastern NY/NE eyeballs to further hype his ad rates. And we offer great content and an expandable football stadium. With Herbst working behind the scenes and her preference clearly being the Big 10, I'm encouraged that we'll be heading there in the future.

Nostical, from your lips to God's ears, BUT, where did you see that the Big-10 is Pres. Herbst's preference? She's been angling southward to preserve "local" rivalries with "like minded" institutions. (or so we're led to believe)

 

[Hoophound]

Nostical, from your lips to God's ears, BUT, where did you see that the Big-10 is Pres. Herbst's preference? She's been angling southward to preserve "local" rivalries with "like minded" institutions. (or so we're led to believe)[/quote

Her stated mission for UConn sounds more like a B10 approach than the ACC approach. She wants to grow research and the endowment, she is moving towards AAU status, mostly large public universities etc. I think she would prefer the B10 if she had a choice not only because of the money, but because of the vision she has.

 

[upstater]

Find those break downs.

The basic and expanded basic tiers vary per carrier and state law. Not all have the same option of services. It's not a requirement to be on the near free 'Basic' $12 news package some carriers are required to have. It's on the tier above that.

I've seen plenty confirming that once Comcast set the rate all providers pay the same if they have a Big 10 team. It's either/or and not micro-regional.

It's regional. This is a well-known issue on the PSU boards. WPa pays up, and EPa doesn't.

 

[RS9999X]

It's regional. This is a well-known issue on the PSU boards. WPa pays up, and EPa doesn't.

Wasn't that the reason for the 70 cent deal instead of the 1.10 proposed. They cost averaged it.

Dish and DirecTV pay the .10 and that's available to the areas Armstrong and Blue Ridge refuse to run the BTN. Philly Comcast put it on the Digital Tier only which upset a few at first but they pay the regular fee.

Everything I run across says the same thing: the weirdness is in the non-covered areas where Satellite users get it for the 10 cent but the BTN beats ups cable for the .70 and its never available in a premium Sports package just the various Basic packages. The biggest offender Blue Ridge is Eastern Penn along the border . They pay nothing and get nothing.

 

[upstater]

Wasn't that the reason for the 70 cent deal instead of the 1.10 proposed. They cost averaged it.

Dish and DirecTV pay the .10 and that's available to the areas Armstrong and Blue Ridge refuse to run the BTN. Philly Comcast put it on the Digital Tier only which upset a few at first but they pay the regular fee.

Everything I run across says the same thing: the weirdness is in the non-covered areas where Satellite users get it for the 10 cent but the BTN beats ups cable for the .70 and its never available in a premium Sports package just the various Basic packages. The biggest offender Blue Ridge is Eastern Penn along the border . They pay nothing and get nothing.

Unless the charges changed in the last few months, I know that as of last spring it was .25 in EPa and $1 in WPa. Which is quite odd since most of the fanbase is in the east.

 

[Nostical]

You get it Hoophound. And Upstater, I don't agree that eastern eyeballs won't pay to watch Ohio St v UConn or Michigan v Rutgers. You should see what I pay for now!

 

[upstater]

You get it Hoophound. And Upstater, I don't agree that eastern eyeballs won't pay to watch Ohio St v UConn or Michigan v Rutgers. You should see what I pay for now!

Well, then, they must prefer that to Penn St playing those midwest teams.

 

[husky10]

With that article out of the Globe it sounds like we won't ever get into the ACC as long as BCU is there so I pray the B1G is an option

 

[IthacaMatt]

it is fantasy at this point. but if you think about it logically, if the BigTen thought UConn and Rutgers could effectively add NYC as a market they could make money by adding us. the only way we'll ever be able to increase a conference's incremental revenue, which is basically what's required for a conference to add us, is if we can deliver the fabled NYC TV market. academically we fit in fine with the BigTen, and we'll continue to improve. apparently we're on our way to AAU membership, which evidently is important to them. i think it's possible that the BigTen would want to make that move in a few years.

i think it's more likely they'd want us than the ACC would. i don't think the ACC will ever want to add us because adding us will threaten the current leadership of the conference by making it a largely northern league. all we can do is go out and win football games and hope we look attractive next round. it's really depressing that there's basically no chat at all about the West Virginia game on the regular board. this dance is starting to get really annoying and my feet hurt.

I've got to think that if the Big 10 thought that UConn and Rutgers would carry the NYC market, it would have been done already. I think that marketing study they did a couple years ago under Delaney showed the opposite - that none of UConn, Rutgers or Syracuse carries the NYC market, but rather the top 2 teams in terms of popularity of ratings were / are Penn State and Notre Dame. Swofford hurt the Big 10 badly by taking Pitt. Not so much Syracuse; that was targeted more at destroying the Big East so that ESPN only would have to pay big bucks for one east coast contract, not two.

 

[upstater]

I've got to think that if the Big 10 thought that UConn and Rutgers would carry the NYC market, it would have been done already. I think that marketing study they did a couple years ago under Delaney showed the opposite - that none of UConn, Rutgers or Syracuse carries the NYC market, but rather the top 2 teams in terms of popularity of ratings were / are Penn State and Notre Dame. Swofford hurt the Big 10 badly by taking Pitt. Not so much Syracuse; that was targeted more at destroying the Big East so that ESPN only would have to pay big bucks for one east coast contract, not two.

Meh. What's to prevent Delaney from taking Maryland and Pitt?

 

[husky10]

Swofford hurt the Big 10 badly by taking Pitt.

No he didn't Penn State owns all on Pennsylvania what does Pitt add to the B1G?

 

[The Funster]

I'd love to see us in the B1G. We raise the level of men's and women's hoops as well as other key sports. UConn and Rutgers do give them a footprint in the NE/NY area, a footprint that would be enhanced by the possible inclusion of ND.

I think the B1G and UConn is more of a possibility than most.