Jeff Jacobs: UConn must break Power Five grip to survive

[huskymedic]

 

[noeynox]

A couple years ago it sounded like Randy was advocating for a P5 split.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I will be interested in seeing if Jacobs' topics are different with Hearst.

 

[whaler11]

A couple years ago it sounded like Randy was advocating for a P5 split.

You aren’t supposed to remember that. Steals some of the thunder.

 

[Redding Husky]

It's like anything else in life. Once or twice can be dismissed as a fluke. But if there's a pattern where the AAC wins consistently on New Year's Day, the P5's position will become untenable.

 

[noeynox]

You aren’t supposed to remember that. Steals some of the thunder.

It was the sorta thing that infuriated me about Edsall when he was here. During an ESPN interview he once said UConn fans shouldn't have expectations (paraphrasing). Now they don't have them, and we play in a half empty stadium.

 

[whaler11]

It was the sorta thing that infuriated me about Edsall when he was here. During an ESPN interview he once said UConn fans shouldn't have expectations (paraphrasing). Now they don't have them, and we play in a half empty stadium.

Quoting anyone on the topic is pointless. Their opinion is obvious based on whomever employs them at any given second.

 

[History Geek]

Good stuff from Jacobs. Lots of things we have argued here with some interesting nuggets.

 

[huskyrob1]

Good stuff from Jacobs. Lots of things we have argued here with some interesting nuggets.

Good stuff for the most part, but I didn't like how he talked about how UConn football can't go anywhere without financial support, which is probably true, then tagged UConn's basketball dumpster fire, at the end of that paragraph which was all about money and revenue. Not once did he make a reference to a four time national champion having a head coach who can't coach, teach the game, or recruit. What he should of said is that in basketball or football, great coaching always rises above financial obstacles, and UConn has already proven that on the basketball side. While at the same time a terrible coach can destroy any national brand a school might have, he can sink a school, including the $14 million a year they're paying him.



"This is about survival. If UConn is unable to tap into the multi-billion-dollar college football industry, not only is its football program in jeopardy, so, too, is the dominance of its basketball program and there will be calls by many alumni and fans to drop football and return to the Big East. Oh, wait. That’s already happening."

 

[Jaybird65]

It's like anything else in life. Once or twice can be dismissed as a fluke. But if there's a pattern where the AAC wins consistently on New Year's Day, the P5's position will become untenable.

The AAC not only needs to win on New Year's Day, the AAC needs to be in a New Year's Day game against a P5 conference champion & win that game...........if the AAC can ever get in one of those games......

 

[huskyrob1]

The AAC not only needs to win on New Year's Day, the AAC needs to be in a New Year's Day game against a P5 conference champion & win that game......if the AAC can ever get in one of those games.

You can't get much better than UCF beating the team on New Year's Day, that beat both teams playing tomorrow night.

 

[Jaybird65]

You can't get much better than UCF beating the team on New Year's Day, that beat both teams playing tomorrow night.

You are correct...but if Auburn had been the SEC champion, it would have been better. It will always be pointed out by people in the P5 group that it was not against the conference champion.....the NCAA is a warped world right now that makes no sense in many, many ways....it's hard to understand such a thing let alone combat it

 

[UConnFranklin]

Money talks!! If anyone is really serious about breaking up the Power 5 monopoly they wouldn't support the Power 5 cartel by watching the playoff. Don't watch the college championship (?) game. Help them achieve the lowest tv ratings and you've struck a bow toward breaking up the Power 5 cartel. I personally am very bored by seeing the same schools and the same conferences in the National Championship game. There's no excitement. UCF is already the National Champion!!

 

[whaler11]

Money talks!! If anyone is really serious about breaking up the Power 5 monopoly they wouldn't support the Power 5 cartel by watching the playoff. Don't watch the college championship (?) game. Help them achieve the lowest tv ratings and you've struck a bow toward breaking up the Power 5 cartel. I personally am very bored by seeing the same schools and the same conferences in the National Championship game. There's no excitement. UCF is already the National Champion!!

Unless you are in a Neilson house what you watch doesn’t impact ratings....

 

[jayfromfla]

I saw the national championship game. Central Florida defeated Auburn as Auburn defeated the two teams in the game monday. Case Closed

 

[ConnHuskBask]

What does Jacobs possibly mean by "And nobody should be screaming any louder than UConn alumni and fans".

Post more on the Boneyard? Or have people bitch more on Twitter?

Maybe Jacobs should get back to "not sleeping" until he gets UConn into the Big 12.

 

[Wordbomar]

What does Jacobs possibly mean by "And nobody should be screaming any louder than UConn alumni and fans".

Post more on the Boneyard? Or have people bitch more on Twitter?

Maybe Jacobs should get back to "not sleeping" until he gets UConn into the Big 12.

Honestly I think the criticism is unfair. JJ has a loud voice in terms of being heard in the state of CT. And he’s right, UConn fans should be begging to get out of AAC.

 

[Skiblets]

What does Jacobs possibly mean by "And nobody should be screaming any louder than UConn alumni and fans".

Post more on the Boneyard? Or have people bitch more on Twitter?

Maybe Jacobs should get back to "not sleeping" until he gets UConn into the Big 12.

That was the strangest article a few years back. I will not rest. Warde shouldn't rest. Herbst shouldn't rest. Nobody should rest. However, it seemed like he never followed up. Not a peep from all his agitating. He seems quite rested these days

"Herbst and Manuel shouldn't rest in 2016. But I wouldn't be doing my job if I let the presidents at BC or Wake Forest or Vanderbilt or Northwestern or Rutgers rest easy. Or, for that matter, the kingmakers at Texas, Notre Dame, LSU, Penn State, Michigan and Alabama, etc. And what about the commissioners of the Power Five and the big executives over in Bristol at ESPN or at Fox? They can all expect emails or phone calls in the coming months for their full-throated assessment of why they have kept UConn out and haven't let them in since. We all know a bunch of stuff already. Let's see if they have the integrity to say it publicly.

For a columnist in a state where college sports means everything not to hammer away at the Power Five situation would be a dereliction of duty. As we enter this New Year, I see this ever more clearly.

It's not hard to be a homer. It's even easier to be snarky and cynical. The fair and messy thing to do is to set down what you believe is the correct path for a team or a school and argue the points through as they occur. Unless you think sports have no place at all in college (ship sailed) or UConn should drop football and go back to the Big East (someday that may not be as crazy if the Power Five gets away with its cartel ad infinitum), the only legitimate route for UConn is the Power Five.

I am in an agitating mood in 2016"

Jeff Jacobs: No Excuses! If UConn Can't Get Into Power 5 Conference I Want To Know Why!

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Honestly I think the criticism is unfair. JJ has a loud voice in terms of being heard in the state of CT. And he’s right, UConn fans should be begging to get out of AAC.

Where are UConn fans supposed to be begging? Anyone who reads this message board certainly knows we don't want to be in this league. Not like we have a direct line to the ACC Presidents offices.

@Skiblets precisely. He never did any of that stuff. It wouldn't have mattered either way but it was a bizarre thing to have stated he was going to.

 

[whaler11]

What does Jacobs possibly mean by "And nobody should be screaming any louder than UConn alumni and fans".

Post more on the Boneyard? Or have people bitch more on Twitter?

Maybe Jacobs should get back to "not sleeping" until he gets UConn into the Big 12.

First article at a new outlet and he cranks this out. Hope they didn’t break the bank.

 

[whaler11]

Where are UConn fans supposed to be begging? Anyone who reads this message board certainly knows we don't want to be in this league. Not like we have a direct line to the ACC Presidents offices.

@Skiblets precisely. He never did any of that stuff. It wouldn't have mattered either way but it was a bizarre thing to have stated he was going to.

What answer would he get other than we chose not to expand or we chose other schools. #canrestnow

 

[Adios]

#aacbowlgamesmatter

 

[ConnHuskBask]

What answer would he get other than we chose not to expand or we chose other schools. #canrestnow

Same answer the rest of us would get.

 

[RSTuthill]

Right now UConn is at the bottom or near the bottom of the AAC in both men's sports that count. Nothing to protect on the men's side except maybe pleading with the AAC to keep us. On the women's side the only sport that breaks even or close to it is WBB. UConn is fine where it is in WBB as long as Geno works into his 90s. After he leaves, WBB will fall apart no matter what conference UConn is in.

 

[CL82]

What answer would he get other than we chose not to expand or we chose other schools. #canrestnow

I liked it. Let him get comfortable there and he'll be a a bit more loose.

Power move by Hearst grabbing two of the Courant's heavy hitters.