Jeff Jacobs: Hey ESPN, What Can You Do For UConn?

[Drimple]

I appreciate his advocacy for UCONN but this article is kind of embarrassing.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

If ESPN desired and had that power wouldn't we be in the ACC?

 

[dwalks93]

Not much new here, but it did show up in a San Antonio newspaper along with 25 pictures of Bowlsby, Diaco, Auriemma, Calhoun, and Ollie:

Would ESPN lean on the Big 12 to accept UConn as a potential expansion member?

Would ESPN lean on the Big 12 to accept UConn as a potential expansion member?

I particularly liked the quote....

"With the Big Ten hinting it could be moving more games to the Fox network and away from ESPN, the network could be looking for more Power Five programming. Maybe more exposures for the Big 12 at a higher contract might be possible.

But what if that offer came with a promise involved: the inclusion of UConn to the Big 12 in the upcoming expansion."

The great irony is that above statement implies including UConn would be a lesser economic addition for the Big12 compared to the other candidates. It completely ignores UConn has the best academic program, is only AAC program which is its state's Flagship university, has the largest DMA for television, and largest athletic budget of the realistic expansion candidates. UConn has the biggest upside of any of the AAC teams.

I'd expect ESPN to tell the Big12 that UConn makes their conference more financially attractive especially compared to the other expansion candidates. That is business... not nepotism. I don't expect ESPN to look out for UConn, they certainly have not so far. But ESPN should understand and will likely communicate the worth of the expansion candidates and it is a lot more than who had the best football season last year.

UConn is not a "pity bang" which needs to be set up on a double date by ESPN...we are pretty attractive on our own.

 

[Dooley]

This Jacobs article is making its way around. I saw at least a half dozen different writers/outlets around the country (mostly B12 areas) tweet it out today. A lot of people have never made the "ESPN is in Connecticut" connection. It would really blow their minds to tell folks that ESPN originally began as a network to air UConn and the Whalers.

 

[CL82]

Not much new here, but it did show up in a San Antonio newspaper along with 25 pictures of Bowlsby, Diaco, Auriemma, Calhoun, and Ollie:

Would ESPN lean on the Big 12 to accept UConn as a potential expansion member?

Would ESPN lean on the Big 12 to accept UConn as a potential expansion member?

One of the most intriguing candidates could be Connecticut, which is already judged to be the nation's foremost power in women's college basketball and a solid program in men's basketball where the Huskies have won four national championships since 1999.

And that's just solid? I wonder if he can name another university with an equivalent record. I know he can't name two of them.