Jon Rothstein -- UConn will heavily explore joining another league in the offseason

[huskyrob1]

You should be smart enough to know we have a much better shot of winning the AAC tournament in Hartford.

Soccer and baseball should explore other options to save money. Lesser leagues would be acceptable here.

OK, maybe this year, I'll give you that, with the injuries. But wanting to ignore and not care about baseball and soccer is a little troubling to me, as it would be also to any ACC or Big Ten panel considering us for an invite, or to the NBE as well.

 

[huskyrob1]

Right - he said watch what happens when the "P5 realizes they can hold their own March Madness and leave conferences like the Big East behind along with all of the the G5 conferences."

You said "As far as the P5 conferences trying to monopolize big money college sports, holding their own championships at the expense of smaller schools and conferences, I don't think Congress or the other two branches would allow a monopilistic money making venture like that across state lines"

I was just pointing out they already did that w/ CFP and if they (P5) think they can do better financially under their own "March Madness" model - they will find a way to do it.

It would be interesting to see, if that happens, if the AP and UPI get to crown the national champion in basketball.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

The Big East and their chump change Fox TV deal is going to turn down UConn? OK.

 

[huskyrob1]

The Big East and their chump change Fox TV deal is going to turn down UConn? OK.

I think they'd take us in a heartbeat, even if it's only for 4 or 5 years.

 

[MattMang23]

I was just pointing out they already did that w/ CFP and if they (P5) think they can do better financially under their own "March Madness" model - they will find a way to do it.

They haven't quite done that since there is technically a way (even if it's only a minute chance) for a G5 team to get into the CFP. Once the door is totally closed, if that happens, they will likely be open to the Congressional inquiry huskyrob is referring to. They're not stupid. In my opinion this is precisely the reason it hasn't happened yet.

 

[huskymedic]

They haven't quite done that since there is technically a way (even if it's only a minute chance) for a G5 team to get into the CFP. Once the door is totally closed, if that happens, they will likely be open to the Congressional inquiry huskyrob is referring to. They're not stupid. In my opinion this is precisely the reason it hasn't happened yet.

Completely ageee if it was a total "blockade" - I was more referring to the point of the P5 Conferences "trying to monopolize big money college sports, holding their own championships at the expense of smaller schools and conferences" .

If they can find a way to shimmy down the AQ's - they will.

 

[pj]

The Big XII really screwed the pooch by not expanding this past year. They would like nothing more right now than to kick Baylor out but they can't do that as that would take them down to 9 teams. If you don't know why they want to kick Baylor out of the conference read this article.

New Baylor lawsuit alleges 52 rapes by football players in 4 years, 'show 'em a good time' culture | Baylor | Dallas News

If the league would have added two teams this past year they could give Rape U the boot and be down to 11.

If they're fine with 11 why not add 1?

Oh yeah, the P5 legislation forbids odd numbered conferences.

 

[Seaa Blue]

If they're fine with 11 why not add 1?

Oh yeah, the P5 legislation forbids odd numbered conferences.

I think it forbids unbalanced divisions (without an exemption -- see MAC).

 

[King Husky]

I see this as strengthening UConn's position to keep some more Tier 3 money when Aresco does the next TV deal. At least, I hope so. But if we are going to threaten the AAC with the idea of putting non football sports in the Big East, I think we should get Cincy to say they'll do it too.

Imagine how strong Big East Basketball would be with UConn and Cincy.

 

[dwalks93]

They haven't quite done that since there is technically a way (even if it's only a minute chance) for a G5 team to get into the CFP. Once the door is totally closed, if that happens, they will likely be open to the Congressional inquiry huskyrob is referring to. They're not stupid. In my opinion this is precisely the reason it hasn't happened yet.

It seems to me the P5 hasn't completely closed off the G5 for the football playoff because they are trying to keep G5 fans bases participating. G5 fans go to games and watch them on TV, G5 teams travel and spend money, and G5 fans watch the college playoff. IMO Houston was going to get shut out of the playoff this year even if they ran the table but the "dream" kept the G5 energized. People will spend money as long as there is "hope."

Not sure I believe Congress will ever get involved. Think about it from a Senator's perspective....lets say the P5 makes it own tournament and Villanova gets cut out. Is a Pennsylvania Senator going to engage when it negatively impacts Penn State? How many fans/voters does Villanova have versus Penn St? At some point it becomes a poltical math problem for congressional representatives and most of the populous states have a P5 team.

That said I think the more likely option is the P5 creates its own tournament and invites a small handful of G5 teams to participate. It keeps the G5 fans engaged and allow the P5 to better monopolize the basketball money. Money and control are powerful motivators and under this system the P5 essentially replaces the NCAA.

 

[Vowelguy]

They would like nothing more right now than to kick Baylor out .

No small school is ever going to vote to kick another out, because they all know it could be them next.
The B12 is a conference of mostly small schools (in terms of cfb value). Kicking out Baylor would get 4 votes at most, and that's only if Tex Tech and ok st do what their big brothers tell them to vote.

 

[MattMang23]

It seems to me the P5 hasn't completely closed off the G5 for the football playoff because they are trying to keep G5 fans bases participating. G5 fans go to games and watch them on TV, G5 teams travel and spend money, and G5 fans watch the college playoff. IMO Houston was going to get shut out of the playoff this year even if they ran the table but the "dream" kept the G5 energized. People will spend money as long as there is "hope."

Not sure I believe Congress will ever get involved. Think about it from a Senator's perspective...lets say the P5 makes it own tournament and Villanova gets cut out. Is a Pennsylvania Senator going to engage when it negatively impacts Penn State? How many fans/voters does Villanova have versus Penn St? At some point it becomes a poltical math problem for congressional representatives and most of the populous states have a P5 team.

That said I think the more likely option is the P5 creates its own tournament and invites a small handful of G5 teams to participate. It keeps the G5 fans engaged and allow the P5 to better monopolize the basketball money. Money and control are powerful motivators and under this system the P5 essentially replaces the NCAA.

It wouldn't be a Pennsylvania senator, but it would be a group from Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming.

But I agree with you on the most likely outcome. I just don't see the P5 ever totally severing the path a G5 has to a national title. I think, at the least, any public institution receiving governmental aid that wants to compete at the highest level will be able to do so.

 

[billybud]

Let's get real...football programs from Massachusetts, Delaware, Hawaii, New Mexico New Hampshire, etc....will never be routinely competitive with the top 50 or so teams in the country.

We have had the convenient fiction that the 125 or so FBS teams are all playing for the same national championship. And we all know that it just is not so. The top 20% will be in the running every year (maybe even 10%).

The team strength of those 125 programs will plot out on a curve...a distribution curve shaped like a bell....teams may move up and down that curve over time, but the programs themselves rarely move from the back 50 to the perennial top 25 in less time than it takes a planet to form.

With the playoff, it is now even more difficult for a team to slide into an NC. You, now, must be strong enough to beat, back to back, two of the stronger teams in the country.

We know the money is in the heavy weight division....and the FCS, even with their more open access playoff system, fails to grab the public attention.

Youngstown State vs James Madison in the FCS final, hit the highest TV rating in a couple of years......and essentially had as many viewers as the high school bowl..US Army All American Bowl.

 

[junglehusky]

It wouldn't be a Pennsylvania senator, but it would be a group from Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming.

But I agree with you on the most likely outcome. I just don't see the P5 ever totally severing the path a G5 has to a national title. I think, at the least, any public institution receiving governmental aid that wants to compete at the highest level will be able to do so.

Let's get real..football programs from Massachusetts, Delaware, Hawaii, New Mexico New Hampshire, etc...will never be routinely competitive with the top 50 or so teams in the country.

We have had the convenient fiction that the 125 or so FBS teams are all playing for the same national championship. And we all know that it just is not so. The top 20% will be in the running every year (maybe even 10%).

Yup. Orrin Hatch (who had a lot of seniority in the Senate) was making noise about investigations, but then Utah got invited to the Pac. The CFP and NY6 payout a pittance to the G5, IIRC, to keep the minnows happy. Even if there's further P5/G5 separation, as long as the revenue is stable they'll probably just continue to throw a few crumbs out. Why get AG's involved when all parties can just renegotiate in the NCAA body? If enough G5 schools make a racket, they'll just expand the playoff somehow, while still heavily protecting P5 access.

 

[Point6]

Let's get real..football programs from Massachusetts, Delaware, Hawaii, New Mexico New Hampshire, etc...will never be routinely competitive with the top 50 or so teams in the country.

I agree this is absolutely true, especially given the P5 system, which has been specifically designed to effectively lock out future competitors and guarantee that the "first tier" status of 65 chosen schools continues into the future regardless of merit. I guess 4 schools from North Carolina are deserving though.

 

[billybud]

More so than any school from the above mentioned states, I'd say....all four schools have finished in the AP Top 25 since 1990 (a total of 13 times)...even Wake and Duke have finished Top 25.

 

[billybud]

But...I do see the problem...I always liked the Grantland Rice piece...it expresses a particularly American sentiment...


Whatever Odds There Are

Give me but room to fight my way,
I ask no other gift from Fate;
Though it should crowd on me at bay,
Where only ghosts and shadows wait.

Shadows of old defeats blown by,
Ghosts of old dreams drawn from life's pit;
Yet all I ask is room to try
And prove Fate cannot make me quit.

No glint of glory from the height,
No flare of fame to call me far;
Merely the ground to make my fight
Against whatever odds there are.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

Sources: UConn, Big East Have Had Recent Discussions About Expansion

 

[CTBasketball]

We'd be essentially jumping from Sinking Boat A to Sinking Boat B.

 

[Drew]

We'd be essentially jumping from Sinking Boat A to Sinking Boat B.

and paying $15m+ to do it

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

and paying $15m+ to do it

Any chance that the buyout from the AAC can be spread over some period of time/netted against any payments we have coming from the AAC/Big East settlements? If so, then there may not be any/much cash out of pocket??? If so, then perhaps the net cash flow over a couple of years is worth it in the end??? Dunno....

 

[FDNY99]

This was from Benedict earlier today

 

[shizzle787]

View attachment 19816

This was from Benedict earlier today

You know this is all a smoke screen when you read "We are committed to the long-term success of the American Athletic Conference." Give me a break. No one is committed to the long-term success of the AAC other than maybe Tulsa.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

View attachment 19816

This was from Benedict earlier today

Blah, blah, blah... Boilerplate that could be written by an intern. Of course, they had to put that out there - whether or not any discussions are occurring.

 

[FDNY99]

Blah, blah, blah.. Boilerplate that could be written by an intern. Of course, they had to put that out there - whether or not any discussions are occurring.

Well he put it out there today and nobody on here posted it...so there you go.