Is UConn dying? | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Is UConn dying?

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Towney007 said:
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.
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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.
 
BFieldHusky said:
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.
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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 said:
At my age I will take the slow death if it means better basketball during my remaining time!!
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It might be quicker than that. I'm just giving the benefit of the doubt (really just hoping).
 
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Towney007 said:
You.
Are.
Losing.
$41 million.
Per.
Year.

No one cares how you feel about it. That won't keep happening.
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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.
 
superjohn said:
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.
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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 Spartacus and all the best prospects are already professional.
 
intlzncster said:
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.
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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.
 
We’ve been dead.

“We’ve always been the inn keeper here”
 
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If you get rid of sports, the school becomes less attractive and attendence will drop. That solution would kill the school
 
Yay another CR debate. i think there was already one going on in the AAC thread from this morning.
 
Towney007 said:
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.
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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.
 
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Rico444 said:
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.
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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.
 
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UcannUconn said:
During a pretty strong economic expansion. What will the numbers look like during the next recession? Scary thought.
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True. This is when TV contracts for leagues like the BE will fall. Farther than P5 imo.
 
Walker11 said:
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.
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FS1 also basically let the UFC walk, which has opened up a ton of the time on the network. It's basically talking heads, the Big East, and the Bundesliga 24/7 now. They'll pony up. They don't have a choice.
 
Towney007 said:
FS1 also basically let the UFC walk, which has opened up a ton of the time on the network. It's basically talking heads, the Big East, and the Bundesliga 24/7 now. They'll pony up. They don't have a choice.
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I'll play Devils advocate. Where is the nbe going? I doubt espn is interested with what they have invested in other leagues. NBC?

The Big East numbers are down because most of the schools are regional schools with small alumni. Fox may be bidding against itself.

They may get a small raise but I doubt they are going to double their money number with struggling ratings.
 
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