Jacobs: Big 12 Is Out In The Cold, So UConn Officials Should Strike While Iron Is Hot

[BlueHen]

The Big XII does not need to add two football powerhouses.

The Big XII and Baylor were hurt by lack of a CCG, and weak OOC schedule. You don't need to add great football programs to solve either of those problems. UConn may not receive a Big XII invite, but football doesn't have to be the reason.

We need to sell the Big XII on our positives; great academics, great athletic success (especially in Bball), proximity to NYC. If possible we should offer to play one conference football home game per year in NYC. Texas and Oklahoma mat not aspire to play in Hartford or Storrs, but playing in NYC might interest them.

 

[Kolumbo]

Does Iowa state still count?

Yes. Now if UCONN beat Texas, Oklahoma, FL State, Ohio State, Alabama, or another perennial super-power, then we have something to talk about.

 

[Marty Jackson]

I hope Susan is on a private jet with all the the trophies as I write this.

i think the Big 12 is in NYC today...

 

[Marty Jackson]

UCONN wins at basketball, field hockey, and soccer. There are probably high schools in Texas that could beat our UCONN football team. There are so many reasons UCONN will not be invited to the Big 12. All this talk is nonsensical.

typical snarky response... i'm guessing that uconn football will improve at some point in the future.
pretty sure any decision by any conference is based on the potential of a program or AD. not the results from the past 3-4 months.

 

[BoatShow]

Expansion will be determined as much by Fox as much as as by the Big12. Our pitch should start and end with the value to Fox of expanding FS1 into New England/New York.

Yeah but FS1 already has Big East deal.

 

[Kolumbo]

typical snarky response... i'm guessing that uconn football will improve at some point in the future.
pretty sure any decision by any conference is based on the potential of a program or AD. not the results from the past 3-4 months.

You are correct on all counts. But it remains, UCONN will not be in the conference currently known as the Big 12.

 

[businesslawyer]

I like how people play the Fox angle and ignore that ESPN has half of the big XII contract.

Why to you have such trouble accepting the fact that many fans would prefer to ignore ESPN's existence? That's reality.

 

[zls44]

My point was that Fox wanting to push FS1/2 is irrelevant when their direct competition holds equal rights.

 

[Marty Jackson]

You are correct on all counts. But it remains, UCONN will not be in the conference currently known as the Big 12.

I guess you could say the odds aren't likely, but if you measure the existing programs the Big12 has to choose from, uconn is the best fit (if you ignore geography). And to that, I would say that geography has been ignored in many of the CR decisions (Mizzou in SEC East, WVU in Big 12, UofL in ACC)...
As long as there is a discussion being had, Uconn has a chance.

 

[B1GOSU]

This is what Texas thinks of New York City......

 

[UconnU]

UConn fans right now...

 

[CL82]

typical snarky response... i'm guessing that uconn football will improve at some point in the future.
pretty sure any decision by any conference is based on the potential of a program or AD. not the results from the past 3-4 months.

Of course you are correct, but the last 3-4 months, heck the last 3-4 years has something to do with it as well.

 

[Kolumbo]

I maintain CR does not necessarily mean expansion. You either smoke, or you get smoked. And perhaps it's time the Big 12 got smoked. If there are no needle-movers left to be had, it will be dissolved. The number will remain at 64 in 4 conferences.

 

[UconnU]

I maintain CR does not necessarily mean expansion. You either smoke, or you get smoked. And perhaps it's time the Big 12 got smoked. If there are no needle-movers left to be had, it will be dissolved. The number will remain at 64 in 4 conferences.

Likewise if they add a Memphis, UConn, UCF, BYU ect. It will dilute the league and teams will see the writing on the wall and start heading to the B1G, Pac, SEC no? They are in a no win situation. Unless they can get a Championship game with 10 teams.

 

[BugsyCT]

Worst we can do is get turned down yet again, so no harm in going all out to get a Big XII invite while the door's open a crack. Sell up that hoops tradition & northeastern footprint.

 

[IMind]

I maintain CR does not necessarily mean expansion. You either smoke, or you get smoked. And perhaps it's time the Big 12 got smoked. If there are no needle-movers left to be had, it will be dissolved. The number will remain at 64 in 4 conferences.

I think this concept died the day the PAC-16 did... at least in the near term. It doesn't seem like the TV networks are driving things in that direction as hard.

 

[CL82]

My point was that Fox wanting to push FS1/2 is irrelevant when their direct competition holds equal rights.

So you are saying that ESPN would screw us over again? It is a miracle that a mob hasn't burned that place to the ground.

 

[Waquoit]

And yet ... WE beat Baylor fairly convincingly not that long ago. How soon we forget.

Twice!

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Twice!

And RG III even gave the Rent props for being one of the hardest places to play when he was at Baylor.

"Robert Griffin III: The thing that people think is when you go to these big stadiums and they have 80,000 people or 100,000 people, that these are the toughest stadiums to play at, but really, those aren't. When you have that many people, most of the time, the fans are pretty far away from the field. The toughest places to play are the ones that are jam-packed, are really tight to the field, and sit about 45,000 people. When we played at UConn my freshman year, that was the loudest place I've ever been as a football player. The stands are right next to the field, it was packed, and everyone was yelling. That was probably the coolest place for me to play at aside from Texas, Texas A&M, and Nebraska."

 

[Stray_Dog]

I guess you could say the odds aren't likely, but if you measure the existing programs the Big12 has to choose from, uconn is the best fit (if you ignore geography). And to that, I would say that geography has been ignored in many of the CR decisions (Mizzou in SEC East, WVU in Big 12, UofL in ACC)...
As long as there is a discussion being had, Uconn has a chance.

...but you are forgetting the most important rule in CR - what would be the worst thing for UConn??? Then this is what will happen. my guess San Diego State and BYU to the Big XII and Army and Umass to the AAC. Cincy goes to the ACC and with that the BoneYard becomes non-existent at least to football and NM pulls out his milk crate stands up tall and states very loudly I TOLD YOU WE SHOULD HAVE GONE INDY In FOOTBALL. At which point in time, nothing but his comment will be left of the Boneyard with respect to football! Of course, this is if that rule holds true - and so far it has been pretty consistent. The logic behind the rule may not be very sound but the effect that created the rule cannot be disputed.

 

[zls44]

...but you are forgetting the most important rule in CR - what would be the worst thing for UConn??? Then this is what will happen. my guess San Diego State and BYU to the Big XII and Army and Umass to the AAC. Cincy goes to the ACC and with that the BoneYard becomes non-existent at least to football and NM pulls out his milk crate stands up tall and states very loudly I TOLD YOU WE SHOULD HAVE GONE INDY In FOOTBALL. At which point in time, nothing but his comment will be left of the Boneyard with respect to football! Of course, this is if that rule holds true - and so far it has been pretty consistent. The logic behind the rule may not be very sound but the effect that created the rule cannot be disputed.

then Carl Spakler touches the obelisk.

Hard cut to black.

 

[ThetaZoo]

It's not out of the question. I'm sure the Big XII, if they had their druthers, would prefer a number of closer schools to UConn. But the sticking point here is money, so it might come down to: who will the networks pay the most for?

Fox is reputedly eager for an east coast presence and it's hard to beat Connecticut + penetration into NY/New England as a market. ESPN hopefully has some home state loyalty and would give a bit more ground for us than others; if not, Connecticut politicians should be asking them why. UCF, Cincy, and BYU (not to mention Houston) would be tough competition but if the networks think they'd get more viewers here than there, there's a chance the B12 looks this way.

More than Herbst and Manuel talking to peers in the B12, we need the governor talking to ESPN.

I was going to say, why do Jacobs and others think it's up to Herbst and Manual to get us into another conference when real politicians are supposed to make these things happen. I know the answer...when you don't have any powerful senators or congressmen then I guess you have to look to someone else.

 

[RedStickHusky]

There have been a ton of 'stupid' CR decisions made. Why can't we be the next one?

This quote should be legendary.

 

[gioff23]

On the flip side, I don't see how adding 2 teams will actually help the B12 (other than better helping parents like me explain to my kids why the B12 is called the B12)

1. every year, by design, at least one of the P5 gets left out of the Final 4
2. you're adding 2 teams, maybe 4, for what?
3. if/when the SEC east reawakens from its slumber, the SEC will grab 2 seats, not 1 at the final 4
4. if they had a CG this year, it would have been Baylor/KSU (no split of that conference can split BU and TCU) and had Baylor beaten them 2x, it would still be 5th. And had KSU won, it would still have been OSU in 4th.
5. I get that they feel left out, but every year someone will feel that exact same way. I don't see how adding Mormons to that conference and/or another program will somehow create a different result than we saw this year.

Having said that, WM better offer up the store to Bowlsby and call Swofford (who now has a nervous irishman on his hands) and Delany and see if they need a dance partner.

 

[zls44]

I wonder if the Big XII would be in a situation where if you're gonna go to 12, why not 14?

I doubt it, but it's a consideration.

 

[HoopsFan21]

I love the Huskies as much as the next UConn fan; but, athletics is not Herbst's most pressing issue maybe not even second. First and foremost, UConn is a state research university and thus the Connecticut state budget and the proposed cuts to higher education spending is her most pressing issue. Period. Second, is UConn's expansion initiatives (physical and human capital) and related AAU membership push, which obviously is impacted by budget issues. Third, is athletic affiliation, which could also be impacted by AAU status. She said as much in NYC a month or so back.

The problem with the AAU is it's another good ol' boys club where you have to be voted in. Look how often they let new members in. That will tell you the time frame we're talking about here.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I wonder if the Big XII would be in a situation where if you're gonna go to 12, why not 14?

I doubt it, but it's a consideration.

I kind of feel like Texas, Oklahoma wouldn't go for it because let's face it they are safe no matter what. By that same token, maybe the others would want some added security with Cinci, BYU, UConn and say Memphis (not sure they even attempt to access Florida).

 

[businesslawyer]

My point was that Fox wanting to push FS1/2 is irrelevant when their direct competition holds equal rights.

No. Absolutely not. Why does BC not want to play UConn in football -- because when a perceived superior product is shown to be on equal footing with a perceived inferior product, the perceived inferior product wins. Every time Fox and ESPN split something valuable, Fox looks more like ESPN and wins.

 

[businesslawyer]

On the flip side, I don't see how adding 2 teams will actually help the B12 (other than better helping parents like me explain to my kids why the B12 is called the B12)

1. every year, by design, at least one of the P5 gets left out of the Final 4
2. you're adding 2 teams, maybe 4, for what?
3. if/when the SEC east reawakens from its slumber, the SEC will grab 2 seats, not 1 at the final 4
4. if they had a CG this year, it would have been Baylor/KSU (no split of that conference can split BU and TCU) and had Baylor beaten them 2x, it would still be 5th. And had KSU won, it would still have been OSU in 4th.
5. I get that they feel left out, but every year someone will feel that exact same way. I don't see how adding Mormons to that conference and/or another program will somehow create a different result than we saw this year.

Having said that, WM better offer up the store to Bowlsby and call Swofford (who now has a nervous irishman on his hands) and Delany and see if they need a dance partner.

Who. 4 is a huge leap of faith. Baylor beating KSU on Saturday would have been at least as good a win as OSU beating Wisconsin. And before you tell me that TOSU was already ahead of Baylor entering last weekend, it wouldn't have been if Baylor had already beaten KSU once in the regular season.

 

[SECONN]

Tulsa World and Sporting News reporting that the Big 12 had already interviewed Cinci prior to the one true champion debacle. Meeting in NY not to interview anyone; just regularly scheduled.

My OU and OSU friends from Tulsa say after WV addition they do not want to go east......but they are not decision makers








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