Is UConn dying?

[Stainmaster]

The fan base is clueless. They're worried about what things will look like in 20 years and think we're just fine sitting here until the next expansion when we'll get selected for a P5. We didn't get selected for a P5 back when we were winning basketball championships and going to the Fiesta bowl. They're sure to take us now that we have the worst football team in America and our basketball team sucks.

Wow, ridiculing people for thinking about the future and long-term viability is a dumb move no matter what the conversation is.

UConn should give up only when each and every last door has been permanently closed. Anyone wanting to throw in the towel earlier has a loser mentality.

 

[intlzncster]

You can wait around for Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz to ask you for a threesome while you're at it.

Well, then sports at UCONN is likely finished. Should become an academic institution. Might as well do it now, so as to put those expected losses towards academic pursuits.

Why do people automatically assume the BE would take us on anyway?

 

[Stainmaster]

"Wah wah wah, I give up!"

When did this place turn into loserville? Pathetic.

 

[BFieldHusky]

Honestly, I think if you polled the fan base and asked them right now:

Football, stay in the AAC, maybe ACC if we're lucky, but spend $123 million on that chance and potentially go belly up in the Athletic Department

or

Basketball, Cut football, shave $7.8 million in travel just so football can exist, trim $8ish million in football expense, get $10 millionish more in TV rights, play your old rivals again.

I mean.

Look I was really on board with the football program to begin with AND giving it a shot when it got shaky, but you can't explain this away. This is really, really, really scary.

I'm not taking a conference side but where are you getting the 10 million figure for just bball? Fox pays the big East teams 4.5 million I believe a year. And the ratings aren't great. I don't see that number going up.

 

[intlzncster]

This would never happen, we’ve won too many national championships and still have successful sports teams. However, those sports just don’t generate a ton of revenue.

If you they bleed money in perpetuity, then they are not viable. The budget can't support it.

The only solution is 1. get new revenue 2. cut costs. If you can't do #1, then you have to do #2.

 

[Rico444]

Honestly, I think if you polled the fan base and asked them right now:

Football, stay in the AAC, maybe ACC if we're lucky, but spend $123 million on that chance and potentially go belly up in the Athletic Department

or

Basketball, Cut football, shave $7.8 million in travel just so football can exist, trim $8ish million in football expense, get $10 millionish more in TV rights, play your old rivals again.

I mean.

Look I was really on board with the football program to begin with AND giving it a shot when it got shaky, but you can't explain this away. This is really, really, really scary.

If you can guarantee me that the Big East is getting that big of a pay raise over the AAC in the next round of negotiations, and that their TV value will continue to stay at that level, then that sounds great. Problem is, the P5 pie is going to continue to grow at the expense of the others in the future. I don't see the Big East continuing to make good money; hell, look at the ratings they get on FS1.

 

[intlzncster]

I'm not taking a conference side but where are you getting the 10 million figure for just bball? Fox pays the big East teams 4.5 million I believe a year. And the ratings aren't great. I don't see that number going up.

And the next contract is likely to be tighter. People saying the BE is some revenue windfall are silly. We'd still be bleeding money.

In my opinion, it's P5 or death. A long slow death, but a death nonetheless.

You hang out for your only real potential life raft. When that's gone, jump ship.

 

[Edward Sargent]

That's gonna continue unless we go P5. The Big East will die a long slow death eventually in and of itself I'm guessing.

Don't look at the now. Look at what will be.

At my age I will take the slow death if it means better basketball during my remaining time!!

 

[Psolo12]

I see only one option: bye bye football

 

[Towney007]

"Wah wah wah, I give up!"

When did this place turn into loserville? Pathetic.

You.
Are.
Losing.
$41 million.
Per.
Year.

No one cares how you feel about it. That won't keep happening.

 

[intlzncster]

At my age I will take the slow death if it means better basketball during my remaining time!!

It might be quicker than that. I'm just giving the benefit of the doubt (really just hoping).

 

[intlzncster]

You.
Are.
Losing.
$41 million.
Per.
Year.

No one cares how you feel about it. That won't keep happening.

If it's the choice between that gamble, and playing in a B division (financially) that very well might not matter in the future, I'll take it.

The P5 money will dwarf everything any other conference can match, especially when they eventually start paying players legally.

This isn't about next year, or the year after, it's about the future life of the program(s).

It's P5 or bust.

 

[Walker11]

That could be the case 20 or so years from now but we'll be dead way before that if we don't change the conference we're currently in. Planning for stuff so way off in the future for college sports is crazy, the whole nature of college sports is so screwed up now we have no clue what it will look like in 20 years or if it will even exist in the way we're used to.

The NBA seems to really want to develop the G League. It is plausible that in 20 years men's hoops resembles college baseball. AKA, no fan gives a and all the best prospects are already professional.

 

[ASweet3781]

It was only a matter of time before the decisions and leaders that helped ruin the state of Connecticut bled over to UConn.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

If expansion happens in 20 years it’ll be perfect because we’ll be 30 years past our prime. Worked for Cuse, PITT, and BC

 

[Towney007]

And the next contract is likely to be tighter. People saying the BE is some revenue windfall are silly. We'd still be bleeding money.

In my opinion, it's P5 or death. A long slow death, but a death nonetheless.

You hang out for your only real potential life raft. When that's gone, jump ship.

Hey maybe the Big East doesn't make more money. They still bring in more than the AAC. But even if they don't...

The school's still dumping a $8 million dollar liability (even w/ student funds) and dramatically reducing their travel budget.

Again, I get it all - I like sports, too. But at the end of the day this is a state university funded by tax payers and students who you have a responsibility to - and asking them to continuously shell out money for not event a real product - but a CHANCE at a real product is pretty unethical to me.

I'm all for the beer and circus too - but $41 million deficits don't cut it. Won't cut it. Shouldn't cut it.

 

[Guapo]

We’ve been dead.

“We’ve always been the inn keeper here”

 

[ucawn]

If you get rid of sports, the school becomes less attractive and attendence will drop. That solution would kill the school

 

[yukonfan4]

Yay another CR debate. i think there was already one going on in the AAC thread from this morning.

 

[intlzncster]

Hey maybe the Big East doesn't make more money. They still bring in more than the AAC. But even if they don't...

The school's still dumping a $8 million dollar liability (even w/ student funds) and dramatically reducing their travel budget.

Again, I get it all - I like sports, too. But at the end of the day this is a state university funded by tax payers and students who you have a responsibility to - and asking them to continuously shell out money for not event a real product - but a CHANCE at a real product is pretty unethical to me.

I'm all for the beer and circus too - but $41 million deficits don't cut it. Won't cut it. Shouldn't cut it.

The athletic budget isn't completely funded by the tax payers is it? I forget the structure, someone else can elucidate, I'd appreciate.

If this is indeed the prevailing wind, then I think shuttering athletics is the way to go. You're monetary vision of the BE is not the reality. They are earning less, and we'd still be losing. Given the nature of the P5, the BE likely projects to bring in less.

It's sad, but the only real viable solution is P5 money. That very well might not happen, but to give up on the chance in the short term would be full hardy.

If the Basketball program comes back, it'll start to generate a lot more cash that will help offset that 41m.

If the football program.....never mind.

 

[Stainmaster]

You.
Are.
Losing.
$41 million.
Per.
Year.

No one cares how you feel about it. That won't keep happening.

Dropping football and going to the NBE is a mere drop in the bucket...

 

[UconnU]

During a pretty strong economic expansion. What will the numbers look like during the next recession? Scary thought.

 

[LIuconn]

time to drop some non rev sports

 

[Walker11]

If you can guarantee me that the Big East is getting that big of a pay raise over the AAC in the next round of negotiations, and that their TV value will continue to stay at that level, then that sounds great. Problem is, the P5 pie is going to continue to grow at the expense of the others in the future. I don't see the Big East continuing to make good money; hell, look at the ratings they get on FS1.

The reason the Big East has low ratings on FS1 is largely because of FS1. This is never mentioned in the viewership discussion. There is a reason no one watches Skip on FS1 but he had great numbers when on ESPN.

 

[Towney007]

Dropping football and going to the NBE is a mere drop in the bucket...

Dropping football is literally adding $8 million and whatever else the student fees are subsidizing for it back into the budget. That's four times what our TV rights are now. That's 25% of the deficit on its own.