Key tweets, and it's all gone to Hell.

[Dizzy21]

Colorado is trying not to burn bridges. With the PAC stringing them along they must feel a fiduciary and due diligence responsibility not to act before they have all the facts. My assumption is that their patience is limited and they will eventually conclude either a satisfactory media deal is real or smoke and mirrors. No matter how you look at it, the trajectory of the 2 leagues are polar opposites. And it's highly unlikely any PAC deal matches the Big 12 in terms of exposure or revenue. Remember one of the main reasons they left was the power Texas wielded over the league. The other was west coast exposure that came largely out of 2 teams that are no longer in the league after this year. I think these whispers of them patiently waiting forever are inaccurate. The question they need to ask right now isn't just why should we leave. It's why should we stay?

Colorado left the Big 12 before the Big 12 announced a better TV deal than the PAC. Over the decade it cost them a large amount of money. They probably do not want to repeat that.

 

[How Sway?!]

Wrong thread

 

[UConn Dan]

It could be true but I unfortunately Swaim throws a bunch of scenarios out and most never happen so he’s non-key.

 

[metsfan2323]

reading the tea leaves:

1) Colorado president leaves PAC conference early yesterday
2) Tweet from Swaim that Colorado is leaving
3) our KU insider/poster says UConn is in if Colorado leaves PAC.
4) Tweet from Yale golfer today claiming he knows a guy and UConn will be announced this week.

I would say Lucy has the ball teed-up pretty well for us right now and we are charging at it.

 

[Muddler]

Two weeks ago Colorado/UConn to the Big 12 seemed like a sure thing. Now Colorado is wavering. The Big12 thought they were coming, but 50% chance now. I guess the bottom line is this....crap PAC media deal Colorado/UConn in the Big 12. Decent media deal probably no expansion. No other PAC school is coming. Makes no sense, but that's what I'm hearing.

There are plenty of reasons why Colorado would prefer the PAC 12, but the only question they truly need to answer is, are we better leaving now or in a few years when 2-4 more schools are gone to the Big 10? If you believe that is going to happen, is there any other option but leaving now? I’m sure they are disappointed to be in this situation, but they’ve been an irrelevant athletic department for a few decades. If not for Denver and solid academics, they’d be a good fit in the Mountain West.

 

[huskypantz]

There are plenty of reasons why Colorado would prefer the PAC 12, but the only question they truly need to answer is, are we better leaving now or in a few years when 2-4 more schools are gone to the Big 10? If you believe that is going to happen, is there any other option but leaving now? I’m sure they are disappointed to be in this situation, but they’ve been an irrelevant athletic department for a few decades. If not for Denver and solid academics, they’d be a good fit in the Mountain West.

I’m guessing that the general consensus here is that Colorado is willing to stick around pending a fair TV deal. If the PAC gets something reasonably close to the B12, they stay put and wait. They know the B1G may be grabbing a few schools and if that causes the PAC to implode, they believe they have a life raft via the B12.

Not sure what the number is that will spook CU to bolt but I have to imagine that anything less than $20m/yr is going to be tough to swallow.

 

[RSTuthill]

There are plenty of reasons why Colorado would prefer the PAC 12, but the only question they truly need to answer is, are we better leaving now or in a few years when 2-4 more schools are gone to the Big 10? If you believe that is going to happen, is there any other option but leaving now? I’m sure they are disappointed to be in this situation, but they’ve been an irrelevant athletic department for a few decades. If not for Denver and solid academics, they’d be a good fit in the Mountain West.

That is not a question that any serious person needs to answer. Like the person who has waited for a promotion for years turning it down because he wants to take an internal transfer to another department and he thinks that would make it less likely. In the history of corporate HR worldwide that has never happened. Only in idle speculation has it ever occurred.

 

[uconnyankee]

Arggggghhhh! I just want off this rollercoaster.

 

[RSTuthill]

Arggggghhhh! I just want off this rollercoaster.

Yeah, the only way to win is not to play. But personally I will give it another week. I do think it would be more effective to announce at the half at the NCST game though.

 

[Forte]

...

 

[GG]

I’m guessing that the general consensus here is that Colorado is willing to stick around pending a fair TV deal. If the PAC gets something reasonably close to the B12, they stay put and wait. They know the B1G may be grabbing a few schools and if that causes the PAC to implode, they believe they have a life raft via the B12.

Not sure what the number is that will spook CU to bolt but I have to imagine that anything less than $20m/yr is going to be tough to swallow.

Would have to think the linear partner and linear v paid streaming will be a big factor.

 

[Muddler]

That is not a question that any serious person needs to answer. Like the person who has waited for a promotion for years turning it down because he wants to take an internal transfer to another department and he thinks that would make it less likely. In the history of corporate HR worldwide that has never happened. Only in idle speculation has it ever occurred.

 

[Muddler]

It’s ok to be a contrarian, but you should make some sense. 1/100 would be an improvement.

 

[aburks41]

There are plenty of reasons why Colorado would prefer the PAC 12, but the only question they truly need to answer is, are we better leaving now or in a few years when 2-4 more schools are gone to the Big 10? If you believe that is going to happen, is there any other option but leaving now? I’m sure they are disappointed to be in this situation, but they’ve been an irrelevant athletic department for a few decades. If not for Denver and solid academics, they’d be a good fit in the Mountain West.

Washington and Oregon to the B10 seems like an inevitability at some point. Once that happens, what is the incentive for the AZ schools to stick around? If I was CU, I’d be making the leap to the Big 12 and trying to get some others to follow

 

[shizzle787]

Washington and Oregon to the B10 seems like an inevitability at some point. Once that happens, what is the incentive for the AZ schools to stick around? If I was CU, I’d be making the leap to the Big 12 and trying to get some others to follow

Not really. Conferences can only grow as large as TV partners are willing to pay, and Notre Dame and North Carolina are the Big 10's top two targets. Why settle if you don't have to?

 

[NEforceUConn]

I’m excited and relaxed until 8/1. So this is a pleasant week with no anxiety.

Now after 8/1 it might be a bender that would make Bob Huggins proud (no driving though).

So Big XII, please save my liver.

 

[ZOOCONN]

Arggggghhhh! I just want off this rollercoaster.

Buddy it is never ending. IF we do move to the B12 the ok let’s try and get to the ACC or B1G when they take more teams. It will never end lol

 

[ZOOCONN]

Wait... Big 12 isn't a good geographic fit but leaving the AAC, which has a very similar geographic footprint, was the wrong call? lmfao at least try to have some consistency

The 40mil in additional $ makes it a much easier pill to swallow

 

[uconnyankee]

Buddy it is never ending. IF we do move to the B12 the ok let’s try and get to the ACC or B1G when they take more teams. It will never end lol

True…. Sadly UConn is one of two former BCS schools not in P5 conference, excluding ND.

But I think this time is different. We’d potentially be in stronger league that would still be acquirer vs target in next round.

I could live with Big 12 over depleted ACC. Especially if a couple more eastern teams are plucked.

 

[Jimdish255]

Buddy it is never ending. IF we do move to the B12 the ok let’s try and get to the ACC or B1G when they take more teams. It will never end lol

We won't be pushing to join the remnants of the ACC.

 

[BlueandOG]

Colorado is leaving the PAC unless the PAC has A LOT of magic happen. PAC is a west coast conference, which has much less appeal/value than the other P5 conferences. Plus they lost the two major national athletic schools to the B1G.

Colorado knows the B12 is their lifeboat to long term stability, money, and relevance. They won’t say yes to the B12 until they review the PAC numbers (due diligence), but they are leaving the PAC

 

[drayenob]

 

[Drew]

- Big 12 TV deal with ESPN/FOX is “60% of conference revenue”

- Reiterates “if something is additive, we certainly need to pursue it”

- We have guiding principles for expansion: “Leadership, Cultural Fit, Brand Upside, Geography, Athletic Performance”

- “I want to be a national conference”

- “Basketball is an important part of expansion too”

- Says basketball can lead to “international opportunities”. Says he has communications with Adam Silver on importance and future of basketball.

 

[Samoo]

- Big 12 TV deal with ESPN/FOX is “60% of conference revenue”

- Reiterates “if something is additive, we certainly need to pursue it”

- We have guiding principles for expansion: “Leadership, Cultural Fit, Brand Upside, Geography, Athletic Performance”

- “I want to be a national conference”

- “Basketball is an important part of expansion too”

- Says basketball can lead to “international opportunities”. Says he has communications with Adam Silver on importance and future of basketball.

Well, that's a positive, Adam Silver has a regular history of standing on stage next to UConn basketball players, and that is going to happen with even more regularity moving foreward.

 

[Drew]