Join the Big East, Park FB in the MAC

[UconnFanDC]

Some people here like to bash the Big East, but let's face it, that conference is still real nice. The Big East Tournament looked great on TV, their deal with Fox is incredible (I know, ratings are still growing, but they get those weekend fox national games and the station will continue to grow). As importantly, Fox actually treats the Big East as if it is a top notch product. They put 60% of their teams in the dance this year with good seedings. Their conference RPI is very respectable, again. Basically, the Big East has 10 teams with solid fan bases that actually care about basketball and some geographical continuity that makes for solid rivalries. We could join as team 11, they could move to a 20 games round robin schedule, I think that would be great.

Park football in the MAC. Why not? It's not like the AAC football is bringing us any positive momentum that is going to propel us to a P5 conference. It's actually the opposite. Our overall brand is being crushed by being the AAC.

If we go to the Big East we will still be treated with the respect of a major power basketball conference team, and we have just as much chance to make bowl games consistently out of the MAC as we do the AAC. We can hold our heads high as we compete at the highest level in hoops while our football team tries to regain some success out of the MAC.

Our current situation is just a disaster for the UConn "brand." We are affiliating with schools that we have nothing in common with, that have no respect in our flagship sport, have no geographical connection with, and quite frankly they are not the type of schools that are going to raise our overall profile. Schools like Providence, Villanova, Georgetown are very different types of institutions than UConn, but at least we can affiliate with them and have some pride that these are good schools that will help keep UConn's brand (as an academic institution) above water.

I am sure the typical Big East haters will jump down my throat here, but the time has come.

Although this sounds nice, the MAC will know that we are trying to leave and the BIG east also know that if the opportunity came, we'd bounce again. We just messed up as I thought this should have been the case from day one.

 

[UconnFanDC]

I seriously do not understand this constant call for the Big East. Is it better for basketball than the American? Sure. But so far in the American we have one National Championship, and one NIT bid, which I hope becomes an NIT championship.

Year 1 of the Big East. No NCAA bid. Same with year 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. Year 9 they won the NIT. Year 11 was the dream team. So I'd say our time in the American is off to a pretty good start. Both the last two National Championship Teams didn't play in the NCAA the year before (although the APR affected one).

The sky is not falling. This team was not a good team. It didn't have bad players, quite the contrary, but it never meshed as a team. Next year will be different. Meanwhile, football is the ticket to permanent health for the athletic department. All basketball fans must acknowledge that.

Ummmm this is a new day. New confrences and new athletes. We are doomed. in 3 years who has South Florida or any team not Uconn, SMU and barely Cincy have fared with recruits? None Oh wait add Memphis and when you look at everyone else and what they have done in current or prior conferences......nothing

 

[Rocktheworld]

We have an entire conference realignment forum where it will be contextually appropriate to make these threads and have your argument destroyed.

The posters there are exceedingly efficient at it now. This suggestion has been made ad nauseum since the C7 broke off.

 

[Redding Husky]

Go big boy in all sports, p5, or go home to the Yankee Conference.

Or die trying.

Yes x 1,000 ... let's do what we can to go P5, or die trying. No FCS.

Our academic goal is (or should be) Michigan.

Our football goal is (or should be) Wisconsin.

Maybe those goals aren't reachable in our lifetime. But we've gone too far. There's no turning back.

 

[willie99]

Put basketball in the ACC. Football goes to the SEC. Hockey goes to the NHL Metropolitan Division. Women's hoops to the NBA. Baseball to the AL East. And the next poster to create yet another thread about this type of goes into a 3-day Boneyard timeout.

just stop, the women will go to the WNBA

do youse really think they can beat LBJ?

 

[UConnNick]

Why not? The MAC had Temple for years.

UConn is a good enough brand that it would be beneficial to the MAC. Why wouldn't they take us?

Because the MAC just threw UMASS out because they wouldn't agree to join for all sports. They're not about to turn around and admit UCONN for football only.

 

[Adios]

How about STFU and attend football games? Sacrfice 6 Saturdays a year and pack the damn stadium. That's what'll get us out of the AAC.

 

[CTBasketball]

How about STFU and attend football games? Sacrfice 6 Saturdays a year and pack the damn stadium. That's what'll get us out of the AAC.

Not necessarily. Diaco needs to win. And soon.

With that being said, I just bought new season's tickets for this year. They're dirt cheap - everyone should buy! We can all get drunk together!

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Why not? The MAC had Temple for years.

UConn is a good enough brand that it would be beneficial to the MAC. Why wouldn't they take us?

Temple would have had to either leave the MAC and go independent or join the MAC for all sports if the American didn't come around. UMass is now looking for a home for their football program (and the Sun Belt appears to be their best option) as they don't want to leave the A-10. They very well would take us conditionally, with the condition being that after a few years we either join for all sports or leave.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Not necessarily. Diaco needs to win. And soon.

With that being said, I just bought new season's tickets for this year. They're dirt cheap - everyone should buy! We can all get drunk together!

I always have plenty of food and beverages at my tailgate. All are invited.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Some people here like to bash the Big East, but let's face it, that conference is still real nice. The Big East Tournament looked great on TV, their deal with Fox is incredible (I know, ratings are still growing, but they get those weekend fox national games and the station will continue to grow). As importantly, Fox actually treats the Big East as if it is a top notch product. They put 60% of their teams in the dance this year with good seedings. Their conference RPI is very respectable, again. Basically, the Big East has 10 teams with solid fan bases that actually care about basketball and some geographical continuity that makes for solid rivalries. We could join as team 11, they could move to a 20 games round robin schedule, I think that would be great.

Park football in the MAC. Why not? It's not like the AAC football is bringing us any positive momentum that is going to propel us to a P5 conference. It's actually the opposite. Our overall brand is being crushed by being the AAC.

If we go to the Big East we will still be treated with the respect of a major power basketball conference team, and we have just as much chance to make bowl games consistently out of the MAC as we do the AAC. We can hold our heads high as we compete at the highest level in hoops while our football team tries to regain some success out of the MAC.

Our current situation is just a disaster for the UConn "brand." We are affiliating with schools that we have nothing in common with, that have no respect in our flagship sport, have no geographical connection with, and quite frankly they are not the type of schools that are going to raise our overall profile. Schools like Providence, Villanova, Georgetown are very different types of institutions than UConn, but at least we can affiliate with them and have some pride that these are good schools that will help keep UConn's brand (as an academic institution) above water.

I am sure the typical Big East haters will jump down my throat here, but the time has come.

Good Grief ,someone cloned Nelson

 

[Towney007]

I'm not sure UMass is anything that anyone wants right now.

Their A.D. just left. Their Associate A.D. just left. Apparently Kellogg is already looking to get out and the football team's starting to be seen as a total boondoggle. Sure, I guess there's a 'fit' in the American, but I'm not sure they help anyone.

 

[CL82]

Wait. What does BC have to do with this?

 

[MattMang23]

I'm not sure UMass is anything that anyone wants right now.

Their A.D. just left. Their Associate A.D. just left. Apparently Kellogg is already looking to get out and the football team's starting to be seen as a total boondoggle. Sure, I guess there's a 'fit' in the American, but I'm not sure they help anyone.

Already have 12 fb teams. Pass.

 

[CTMike]

Some threads should be locked and the key thrown away. This is one of those threads.

 

[pnow15]

W

Put basketball in the ACC. Football goes to the SEC. Hockey goes to the NHL Metropolitan Division. Women's hoops to the NBA. Baseball to the AL East. And the next poster to create yet another thread about this type of goes into a 3-day Boneyard timeout.

WNBA.

 

[pnow15]

"I was passed over. It's not the way I want to be. I'm smart," Warde Manual. "I even went on a diet."

 

[Rocktheworld]

How about STFU and attend football games? Sacrfice 6 Saturdays a year and pack the damn stadium. That's what'll get us out of the AAC.

Attending football games does not get the team in to bowl games consistently. That's what the team needs to get done first and foremost.

 

[Husky25]

Attending football games does not get the team in to bowl games consistently. That's what the team needs to get done first and foremost.

Actually, it helps. Both football and basketball are highly charged emotional sports. The team does something good, The crowd cheers. The team feeds off the energy and makes another positive play and the crowd cheers louder. The team feeds off that energy and...Thus continuing the circle of life.

"...You gotta harness in the good energy, block out the bad. Harness. Energy. Block. Bad. Feel the flow, Rock. Feel it. It's circular. It's like a carousel. You pay the quarter, you get on the horse, it goes up and down, and AROUND. It's circular. Circle, with the music, the flow. All good things."

 

[Rocktheworld]

Actually, it helps. Both football and basketball are highly charged emotional sports. The team does something good, The crowd cheers. The team feeds off the energy and makes another positive play and the crowd cheers louder. The team feeds off that energy and...Thus continuing the circle of life.

Well obviously. But you know it's a small, nearly trivial part at this point, in that the football team hasn't really done anything to earn a huge crowd yet. It starts with them winning. I know it's tempting to shift blame off the team itself, but it is what it is. I don't know what kind of effect you think a large crowd is supposed to have on a team that went 15-33 over the last 4 seasons.

 

[Husky25]

Well obviously. But you know it's a small, nearly trivial part at this point, in that the football team hasn't really done anything to earn a huge crowd yet. It starts with them winning. I know it's tempting to shift blame off the team itself, but it is what it is. I don't know what kind of effect you think a large crowd is supposed to have on a team that went 15-33 over the last 4 seasons.

The past is over and done with. I'm talking about going forward. There were a few positives I can hang my hat on from last year and results really can only get better. I want to watch the program get better, not waiting until the do first.

 

[Windsorlocks]

I posted a link elsewhere to a USA today article that explains why a 10 member league with a double round robin league schedule can work wonders come Selection Sunday, provided your member teams have done well in strong OOC schedules. A high risk/reward system that, if successful, protects the high RPI's of member schools once league play commences.

When the Catholic 7 broke away and formed the NBE, it was pretty clear that they had a 12 team league in mind sometime down the road. With St. Louis and Dayton being the programs most often mentioned. I don't think the athletic directors or coaches were thinking "hey, this 10 team league sets up perfect for March if our schools can do well in the OOC". But, if they were not thinking that, they have to be wise to it now. All the coaches are on record saying they love the double round robin league schedule. Expand to 12 teams, and that's 22 games, likely too many. 11 would still likely be manageable with 20 league games. But, under the circumstances, the NBE is likely standing pat. I don't think their performance this month will alter that either. They cannot possibly dislike the results they got last Sunday.

I think Providence would fight Ct.'s inclusion rather then have competition for recruits in the same league from a strong program right next door. Figure Xavier might feel the same if Dayton wanted in. But, my point now is that the NBE has got to like what they have in a 10 member league. Do they even have a reason to want UConn or anybody else at this point?

 

[AZHuskiePop]

For a team that won it all last year it did't take much to push the panic button.
Let's Get our House(s) in order.
Football has been a disaster , but those things change .from year to year.
An off year in BB ( we still won 20 games ) and some guys are running around with their hair on fire.
Let get a grip.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The AAC is really helping our case for a P5 invitation.

 

[MattMang23]

The AAC is really helping our case for a P5 invitation.

Yes, basketball fan, it actually is.

But you think we will get invited by dumping football completely, so I understand why you're confused.