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

[junglehusky]

Yep, Miami is a odd thing though. They are a Florida football school (with definitely southern football antics); but, are private, academically very strong, and have a ton of northeastern alumni. Thus, they do not seem to mind traveling north for recruitment and endowment opportunities and would be OK with visiting UConn (maybe in NYC) every other year for football as long as it was early in the season (Miami is in the Coastal division, BC is in the Atlantic with FSU). Shalala herself is a challenge as she was sued by Blumenthal (idiotic!) and has a master's from Syracuse; but, him and most of UConn's key players from the suit have moved on. I would consider them on the fence.

Another key player moving on: University of Miami President Shalala Announces She Will Step Down in 2015

We know how some of the schools were positioned in the last go around. But if there is another expansion, we don't know how easy/hard it would be to change their votes.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Another key player moving on: University of Miami President Shalala Announces She Will Step Down in 2015

We know how some of the schools were positioned in the last go around. But if there is another expansion, we don't know how easy/hard it would be to change their votes.

True, if there is another round in the year to to with respect to the ACC, all UConn knows that it takes 5 votes to block admission. I still think BC and Syracuse will be 'no' votes because people may change, geography will not. So that is 2 no votes. UConn just has to make sure that that number does not rise.

 

[junglehusky]

True, if there is another round in the year to to with respect to the ACC, all UConn knows that it takes 5 votes to block admission. I still think BC and Syracuse will be 'no' votes because people may change, geography will not. So that is 2 no votes. UConn just has to make sure that that number does not rise.

It would depend if we're fighting another school the way we did with UL. For example, Cincy might be favored by UL, Pitt, maybe FSU. If UConn was "penned in" back in 2012, (in other words, if this quote wasn't Jurich re-writing history as the victor) then at least the NYC / TV markets argument had sway in the commissioner's office in the initial round. It's still the presidents' votes we need to worry about in terms of strategy though. (and, all 3 of the potential P5 leagues might have different commisioners by the time realignment happens again). It would be great if we could somehow prevent them from presenting multiple options whenever the next round goes down. Not sure how else to do that other than winning some more BB championships and having Diaco turn around the program though.

 

[Stinger92860]

Desperate times, call for desperate actions. I believe we can enhance our position by agreeing to play 1-2 football homes games each year in NYC. We can do the same for basketball at MSG. This has to be attractive to the ACC and B12. I think Rutgers would balk at MetLife for us and the B1G. Not sure if Gillette would have the same cache for the B1G.

I would make it known to ND that if we are in the league with them, games in the NY area would be on the table for all sports.

 

[upstater]

It would depend if we're fighting another school the way we did with UL. For example, Cincy might be favored by UL, Pitt, maybe FSU. If UConn was "penned in" back in 2012, (in other words, if this quote wasn't Jurich re-writing history as the victor) then at least the NYC / TV markets argument had sway in the commissioner's office in the initial round. It's still the presidents' votes we need to worry about in terms of strategy though. (and, all 3 of the potential P5 leagues might have different commisioners by the time realignment happens again). It would be great if we could somehow prevent them from presenting multiple options whenever the next round goes down. Not sure how else to do that other than winning some more BB championships and having Diaco turn around the program though.

At least against the ACC, UConn football has already shown it can beat teams like Virginia, Pitt, Syracuse, Louisville, Wake Forest, and Duke. It also beat then-ACC Maryland at the time. It came down to the final seconds and field goals (missed) against both UNC and NC State. UConn played games against VT, GT, Miami and BC when it was coming off 1-AA scholarship limits, and still transitioning, and it was blown out in those games. UConn also beat Notre Dame in its only game against them.

Diaco is definitely a factor. On the other hand, no one could ever say that UConn football could not compete with the vast majority of the ACC. It already has.

 

[Kolumbo]

I think UCONN's biggest problem regarding ACC is being upside down. Great basketball, bad football. ACC needs good football, but it does not need great basketball. In fact, having a great basketball program may hurt UCONN because the likes of Syracuse, BC, Pitt, L-ville, and perhaps even the NC and VA schools only see us as a roadblock to their own championships. I never hear this argument but I bet it holds water.

 

[upstater]

Desperate times, call for desperate actions. I believe we can enhance our position by agreeing to play 1-2 football homes games each year in NYC. We can do the same for basketball at MSG. This has to be attractive to the ACC and B12. I think Rutgers would balk at MetLife for us and the B1G. Not sure if Gillette would have the same cache for the B1G.

I would make it known to ND that if we are in the league with them, games in the NY area would be on the table for all sports.

The desperation of prospective candidates in any interview situation is ALWAYS held against them.

 

[upstater]

I think UCONN's biggest problem regarding ACC is being upside down. Great basketball, bad football. ACC needs good football, but it does not need great basketball. In fact, having a great basketball program may hurt UCONN because the likes of Syracuse, BC, Pitt, L-ville, and perhaps even the NC and VA schools only see us as a roadblock to their own championships. I never hear this argument but I bet it holds water.

But what are their choices? Cincy or UConn. Cincy's football is what makes them automatically better? It's a little underwhelming, no, to imagine Cincy is going to have that much impact football-wise. If the ACC could move in a B12 team like, say, Texas or Oklahoma, that would make a huge difference football-wise, but nothing else really works. Maybe steal West Virginia from B12?

I still say that the ACC should be worried about the B1G's dominance in the northeast. Penn State and Maryland and Rutgers are state schools with a lot of traction in this heavily populated area. The ACC has chosen to go with second choices in this region with Pitt, Syracuse and BC, all great school, but none of them dominate hearts and minds and population and media markets. In fact, Syracuse and Pitt are on the periphery of the megalopolis.

Is the ACC concerned at all that a potential ACC network would never get traction in the northeast because of where its schools are located? Does the B1G think it can lock up the region and damage the ACC by adding UConn?

 

[Kolumbo]

But what are their choices? Cincy or UConn. Cincy's football is what makes them automatically better? It's a little underwhelming, no, to imagine Cincy is going to have that much impact football-wise. If the ACC could move in a B12 team like, say, Texas or Oklahoma, that would make a huge difference football-wise, but nothing else really works. Maybe steal West Virginia from B12?

I still say that the ACC should be worried about the B1G's dominance in the northeast. Penn State and Maryland and Rutgers are state schools with a lot of traction in this heavily populated area. The ACC has chosen to go with second choices in this region with Pitt, Syracuse and BC, all great school, but none of them dominate hearts and minds and population and media markets. In fact, Syracuse and Pitt are on the periphery of the megalopolis.

Is the ACC concerned at all that a potential ACC network would never get traction in the northeast because of where its schools are located? Does the B1G think it can lock up the region and damage the ACC by adding UConn?

I would only disagree with your comment about Syracuse. Although private, it really does have the following of a large state school.
Can we also end the Boise State discussions? $83 million endowment. 22k students. I don't see any grant or academic affiliations listed. They have a blue field and they beat Oklahoma. Anything else? At all?

 

[upstater]

I would only disagree with your comment about Syracuse. Although private, it really does have the following of a large state school.
Can we also end the Boise State discussions? $83 million endowment. 22k students. I don't see any academic affiliations listed. They have a blue field and they beat Oklahoma. Anything else? At all?

I disagree about Syracuse but we've had that discussion here 1000 times. Having lived upstate for many many years, and having lived in Albany, Rochester and now Buffalo, I have a pretty good sense of Syracuse's popularity here. It doesn't really measure as formidable in NYC in the same way that UConn's NYC presence isn't that formidable either. In Buffalo, there's very little Syracuse interest here. In fact, UB's Bobby Hurley has an NBC TV show on Saturday mornings, and 550 AM sports radio talks about UB all the time, rarely if ever about Syracuse. The really weird thing about this region is that fans have a big tie to St. Bonaventure rather than Syracuse, but now UB is taking over that old interest in the Bonnies.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Desperate times, call for desperate actions. I believe we can enhance our position by agreeing to play 1-2 football homes games each year in NYC. We can do the same for basketball at MSG. This has to be attractive to the ACC and B12. I think Rutgers would balk at MetLife for us and the B1G. Not sure if Gillette would have the same cache for the B1G.

I would make it known to ND that if we are in the league with them, games in the NY area would be on the table for all sports.

I am pretty sure that ND could schedule UConn for one of their home games in NYC anytime. They could have UConn on their home schedule for the next ten years. I'm guessing too that UConn would probably be will to host some of their home games with ND in NYC. But the Irish would need also to come to Rentschler, because that's UConn's home field and they need those kinds of games to legitimize that they intend to be big time.

 

[pj]

Syracuse's popularity is primarily among the journalists who went to its journalism school which is top-notch. Media prominence gives it the appearance of having more pull than it does.

 

[Kolumbo]

I'd have to say then that Syracuse is just a very unique school. A friend of mine graduated and it seemed his entire social circle moved to NYC for jobs. I wouldn't say it has a national following, but being a large wealthy private school, it has more of a national following than other state schools. Reminds me a little of USC and Miami. And I would still bet it has a larger following in the state of NY than any other school in the state. Of course, I could be wrong.
And yes, Syracuse does have that PR branch known as espn.

 

[billybud]

At least against the ACC, UConn football has already shown it can beat teams like Virginia, Pitt, Syracuse, Louisville, Wake Forest, and Duke. It also beat then-ACC Maryland at the time. It came down to the final seconds and field goals (missed) against both UNC and NC State. UConn played games against VT, GT, Miami and BC when it was coming off 1-AA scholarship limits, and still transitioning, and it was blown out in those games. UConn also beat Notre Dame in its only game against them.

Diaco is definitely a factor. On the other hand, no one could ever say that UConn football could not compete with the vast majority of the ACC. It already has.

The problem is that UConn doesn't tweak the national radar in football....In basketball, Uconn leaves a huge blip.

If CR turns so that basketball becomes more of a driver, it could only help.

 

[upstater]

The problem is that UConn doesn't tweak the national radar in football....In basketball, Uconn leaves a huge blip.

If CR turns so that basketball becomes more of a driver, it could only help.

No schools on your candidate list do that. NONE.

 

[upstater]

I'd have to say then that Syracuse is just a very unique school. A friend of mine graduated and it seemed his entire social circle moved to NYC for jobs. I wouldn't say it has a national following, but being a large wealthy private school, it has more of a national following than other state schools. Reminds me a little of USC and Miami. And I would still bet it has a larger following in the state of NY than any other school in the state. Of course, I could be wrong.
And yes, Syracuse does have that PR branch known as espn.

I agree on your first point, disagree on the second.

NY is so fragmented for sports. WNY is U Buffalo. Central NY and Capital Region are Syracuse.

There have been studies over the years that show Notre Dame and PSU are most popular in NYC for football. Then there was that dumb google search metric by 538 that showed Rutgers. Tranghese said it's UConn and Syracuse for basketball.

In other words, NYC is an absolute wash with many many schools competing and none rising above 20% in market share in a city that doesn't care a whole lot about college sports.

As for social circles, academics, and NYC for jobs, it's such a big state with so many great schools, most of them private, like Cornell, Columbia, NYU, etc., that it's hard to make the case that Syracuse is dominant in the mindset. It's not.

The mindset of most kids in this state targets the SUNY centers and Geneseo for affordability, and then NYU as a feasible school if they can afford it. The lure of leaving either NYC or anyplace upstate and west for Syracuse (and private tuition) is not that appealing. Given the choice, schools like NYU or even U Rochester win that debate.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

I'd have to say then that Syracuse is just a very unique school. A friend of mine graduated and it seemed his entire social circle moved to NYC for jobs. I wouldn't say it has a national following, but being a large wealthy private school, it has more of a national following than other state schools. Reminds me a little of USC and Miami. And I would still bet it has a larger following in the state of NY than any other school in the state. Of course, I could be wrong.
And yes, Syracuse does have that PR branch known as espn.

Have you ever seen the job market in Syracuse? That's why their alumni network is in NYC.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

I disagree about Syracuse but we've had that discussion here 1000 times. Having lived upstate for many many years, and having lived in Albany, Rochester and now Buffalo, I have a pretty good sense of Syracuse's popularity here. It doesn't really measure as formidable in NYC in the same way that UConn's NYC presence isn't that formidable either. In Buffalo, there's very little Syracuse interest here. In fact, UB's Bobby Hurley has an NBC TV show on Saturday mornings, and 550 AM sports radio talks about UB all the time, rarely if ever about Syracuse. The really weird thing about this region is that fans have a big tie to St. Bonaventure rather than Syracuse, but now UB is taking over that old interest in the Bonnies.

Plus, there are even small pockets of anti-Syracuse in upstate New York. Best example is Cornell, partially due to their growing rivalry in Lacrosse.

 

[Stray_Dog]

I did. Good crowd. Still doesn't make us a midwestern football powerhouse or a member of the AAU.

We're a basketball school.

No, you are a basketball school (LOL)_...UConn needs to get into football in a big way... Yes UConn plays in the FBS...so what, UConn needs fans but we need wins even more! With winning I suspect the fans will come and with winning, the "We are a basketball school mantra" will disappear. Not saying fans will forget basketball but I am saying fans will support football. AND as for UCONN last I checked, they are making it ALL about football. Don't like it...its the truth. If it wasn't they would have given up on football right after the lawsuit and stuck with basketball in the Big East! The administration has moved on, many of the fans have too, not sure why you don't get it???

 

[hjoerring]

Uconn is not a Big 12 school. West Virginia is not really a B12 school. And we are not a SEC school. There are people here who have lost their mind. Will someone tell me what we have in common with any of those schools. I wish people would stop prostituting Us.

 

[upstater]

Uconn is not a Big 12 school. West Virginia is not really a B12 school. And we are not a SEC school. There are people here who have lost their mind. Will someone tell me what we have in common with any of those schools. I wish people would stop prostituting Us.

What do we have in common with Tulsa, SMU, Houston and Tulane?

 

[UConn Dan]

Uconn is not a Big 12 school. West Virginia is not really a B12 school. And we are not a SEC school. There are people here who have lost their mind. Will someone tell me what we have in common with any of those schools. I wish people would stop prostituting Us.

We are not going to the big 12 (or the SEC) but it's not for lack of willing to accept. You better be damn sure that we are taking an invite from the first P5 conference that offers us, including the PAC 12, regardless if you think we don't belong with those schools. Sounds like you haven't been paying attention. It's do or die. I'm yahoo frucking serious right now.

 

[jostar1]

Uconn is not a Big 12 school. West Virginia is not really a B12 school. And we are not a SEC school. There are people here who have lost their mind. Will someone tell me what we have in common with any of those schools. I wish people would stop prostituting Us.

UConn has been passed over in realignment. And you think we can afford to be on a high horse?

 

[Fishy]

UConn has been passed over in realignment. And you think we can afford to be on a high horse?

Yep.

The die-with-dignity route just leaves us dead.

 

[noeynox]

What do we have in common with Tulsa, SMU, Houston and Tulane?

Only a troll or a fool would post something like that. In the P5 world you're either in or your out. Currently we are out, and every prostituting i mean effort should go into trying to get in. Period.

 

[pj]

Will someone tell me what we have in common with any of those schools.

We play high-level athletics.

Strictly speaking, that's all the commonality an athletic conference needs.

 

[Kolumbo]

We play high-level athletics.

Strictly speaking, that's all the commonality an athletic conference needs.

Absolutely. At this point, I'd say the B1G is the ideal landing spot. The rest, including the SEC, are fine too. Yes, the SEC is just as likely as the Big 12. Very unlikely, that is, but just as good a fit.

 

[billybud]

The most likely expansion scenarios that I see...in order.

1...Big 12...all it would take is a second year of having a team not make the play offs....the rumblings would be deafening. I could see adding two to four teams...if they can get paid for it. I could see an eastern pod with WVU, Uconn, ECU, and UCF.

2...The B1G....if anyone would be the first to go to 16, it would be the Big Ten (would they still hold out against all hope for the Irish?).

3...The ACC...only expand if the Irish become number fifteen and a sixteenth is needed.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

The most likely expansion scenarios that I see...in order.

1...Big 12...all it would take is a second year of having a team not make the play offs....the rumblings would be deafening. I could see adding two to four teams...if they can get paid for it. I could see an eastern pod with WVU, Uconn, ECU, and UCF.

2...The B1G....if anyone would be the first to go to 16, it would be the Big Ten (would they still hold out against all hope for the Irish?).

3...The ACC...only expand if the Irish become number fifteen and a sixteenth is needed.

First, I can't see the XII taking ECU over Cincinnati as they are almost a draw when it comes to football quality with the Bearcats getting an edge in basketball, a Cincinnati is needed to keep WVU happy.

Second, ND will be the 20th and last team add to either the B1G or ACC. ND will only join a conference if it is clear that conference affiliation is the only way to get into the football playoffs and will go to the ACC unless 1) the ACC is the conference that falls apart on the way to the P4 or 2) the B1G lands Texas and Oklahoma and ND decides that a conference with Texas, Oklahoma, Michigan, Ohio St, etc. makes the best sense for ND.

 

[B1GOSU]

UConn should try to do something innovative to gain interest from other conferences. For example, what about a UCONN - B1G Challenge? It could work like the B1G-ACC Challenge, only UConn would play multiple nonconference games vs. the B1G --- some - if not all - could be at Madison Square Garden. You could do this for men's and women's basketball. Attendance at these games could be compared to attendance at the B1G Tournament in MSG in 2018. You could pick a number of games - lets say 5 - and then the B1G picks its 5 men's and 5 women's teams that will play UConn at MSG each year for the Challenge. Or even 7 games - so the 7 men's teams in the B1G who play would not be the 7 women's teams in the B1G that play in that particular year. That way, every B1G team would have 1 men's or 1 women's basketball game at MSG vs. Connecticut every year. The minus for UConn would be a loss of home games in Storrs, but if you eliminated a neutral site tournament or two, you really don't lose anything in terms of home games.

That is probably the best way to show what kind of pull you might have for the B1G in NYC ----- you need to actually play the B1G in NYC first to show everyone what it can do.

And even if that still doesn't lead to an offer to join the B1G, it can at least give UConn some big name nonconference games to help with strength of schedule and media attention that you won't get playing Tulsa and Tulane.