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

[Kolumbo]

-> Would UConn make an immediate football splash? Of course not. But Yormark doesn’t need UConn football to be great. He doesn’t even need the Huskies to be competitive week in and week out sooner than is realistic.

He just needs UConn football to continue on a certain path. UConn, Yormark believes, has the right coach in place in Mora, who led the Huskies to a 6-7 record and a bowl appearance in 2022. Attendance at Rentschler Field increased. UConn is at least functional for the first time in a long time. The Huskies are recruiting better players out of high schools and out of the transfer portal, plucking some from Power Five programs.

There are major strides remaining for the program to make, of course. But any goals associated with Mora’s next phase of the project would be more accessible under the Big 12 umbrella and with that Power Five moniker attached to the program. Houston, Cincinnati and Central Florida – three of four new additions to the Big 12, with BYU – have seen upticks in recruiting prowess. Wouldn’t UConn expect the same transformational impact and expect to function at a much higher capacity within a few years? <-

Access <<

This is great

"There are, of course, emotional ties to the Big East and certain fans who would cast away football for a sole focus on basketball in the Big East. But the university has shown it will support football aggressively, the motivation being that the sport, in this landscape, has to be driving a bus that carries every UConn program to a place from which it can win."

"The rest lines up just fine. Look across the nation, across platforms: Does any program, in its major sports, have a better four-coach lineup than Mora, Hurley, Geno Auriemma and Jim Penders? The Huskies win in Olympic sports, too. UConn has a big-time feel and a big-time operation without a big-time affiliation. It needs one."

 

[ctchamps]

To your point: It has literally been years since I watched a single college football game that UConn wasn’t in. And I used to really follow it. I can probably still name every Heisman winner from 1980 to around 2010. But I couldn’t tell you who’s won the last three national championships. I just don’t care. Realignment murdered my interest in the sport (except for UConn; I’ll always root for UConn in anything).

If Rule #1 is ever repealed someday, I’ll come back. Not a minute sooner.

And as you wrote this my brother texted me if I’d be Interested in going to the UConn Tennessee game.

And I am actually considering it. He was at the UConn Liberty game last year.

 

[Vowelguy]

Okay. Now tell us why the ACC would do that? Why isn't the immediate answer "no"?

It may very well be.
But there is a long game at play here too. They are hoping over time more will come around to their position.

Again might not work , but is there any downside to FSU issuing the threat?

 

[jostar1]

I'm not sure that Utah gets in ahead of us.

This is what I am hoping for.

Listening to Greg Flugaur this afternoon talking about Oregon and Washington being added to the Big 10, he said that the Big 10 wants to be a national conference. And that is exactly what Brett Yormark said about the Big 12.

And Yormark doesn't strike me as the type of guy who is going to watch the Big 10 become a national conference without him advancing his own plans.

"We have a plan,” Yormark said in a video conference with members of the media. “As I’ve said all along, we have an appetite to be a national conference in our makeup from coast to coast, and we do believe in the upside of basketball moving forward as a collective group.

From a brand perspective, I want us to be perceived nationally and recognized. That wasn’t the case when I took the job. People in New York said, ‘Where are you going?’ The Big 12. ‘The Big what?’ And that’s Ok. Our brand awareness doesn’t resonate everywhere. And I want to change that. One way to change that is to create a new narrative and profile, which we are doing to leverage the influence of ESPN and Fox.

“Another approach to take is creating a footprint nationally. It gives you a vested interest in those markets. Certainly probably more challenging to do that but certainly a possibility. If the situation presents itself, where it’s additive and creates value, enables us to reach some of our goals and objectives, we’ll do that.

 

[coachcap]

And makes it easier for St. John's, Villanova, and Georgetown to make the move as well to strengthen markets and basketball in general.

Um, NO...

 

[upstater]

Again: People behave strategically!

They're trying to get the ACC to give them more money.

I'm saying they're forcing the ACC to give them as little money as possible. If you tell me that nothing will keep you from leaving, I'm not cutting you a break

 

[Fishy]

Okay. Now tell us why the ACC would do that? Why isn't the immediate answer "no"?

The answer is so much no that the ACC does not even feel like they need to answer.

FSU is an angry toddler with no options.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

No idea if this guy is legit but here it is

 

[LBird33]

These people are crazy. If you can't leave now, and have to wait until 2036, then why bother saying it now?

Do you like less money than you're getting now?

Boyfriend to girlfriend, "I'm not going to leave you now, but in a couple of years, I'm definitely out the door!"

Postering

 

[upstater]

No idea if this guy is legit but here it is

Seriously, if this goes down, it will be the biggest overpayment in the history of college sports.

They took 4 of the worst properties that NO ONE wanted to pay for back WHEN they were affiliated with USC, UCLA, Oregon, Washington, Cal and Stanford.

All told, the B12 would have added WV, TCU, Cincy, UCF, Houston, BYU, Arizona, ASU, Utah and Colorado.

Added to Iowa St, Kansas St., Kansas, Baylor, Oklahoma St, and Texas Tech.

And somehow this group is going to make $50m a year.

Wow. Yormark spinning gold.

 

[Waquoit]

Bleep Monty

 

[djct1999]

Thamel reported on ESPN the Big 10 wont go to 20 with Cal and Stanford.

 

[businesslawyer]

Seriously, if this goes down, it will be the biggest overpayment in the history of college sports.

They took 4 of the worst properties that NO ONE wanted to pay for back WHEN they were affiliated with USC, UCLA, Oregon, Washington, Cal and Stanford.

All told, the B12 would have added WV, TCU, Cincy, UCF, Houston, BYU, Arizona, ASU, Utah and Colorado.

Added to Iowa St, Kansas St., Kansas, Baylor, Oklahoma St, and Texas Tech.

And somehow this group is going to make $50m a year.

Wow. Yormark spinning gold.

Which is why I'm in the group that doesn't think that even without some of its top schools the ACC's properties are really worth less than the XII's. And, if they aren't, one day that will be reflected in conference revenue.

 

[businesslawyer]

Thamel reported on ESPN the Big 10 wont go to 20 with Cal and Stanford.

So Cal and Stanford either go indy, or they keep the Pac name and invite MWC schools to get back up to 8 or 10.

 

[stickybuddy]

It’s gonna be kind of funny when we end up back in the ACC with the former BE football schools and a few other pieces

 

[ctchamps]

So Cal and Stanford either go indy, or they keep the Pac name and invite MWC schools to get back up to 8 or 10.

Similar predicament as Cinci, UConn, and USF. AAC West.

 

[jostar1]

Bleep Monty

Monty has always disliked UConn.

 

[Fishy]

It’s gonna be kind of funny when we end up back in the ACC with the former BE football schools and a few other pieces

Or when we watch them go to an expanded B12 in ten years.

Point to any school currently having a bad go of it and I promise, our predicament is probably much worse.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

So Cal and Stanford either go indy, or they keep the Pac name and invite MWC schools to get back up to 8 or 10.

Seems like they care too much about Olympic sports to have them play in the WCC.

I'd guess they'd have to invite 5 mountain west schools.

... UConn football only?!

 

[HuskyHawk]

I still have confidence GoKU has a better pulse on the B12 conference than Anthony.

I mean, so do I, but none of the three of us likely knows what will happen.

 

[JohnFSilver]

If you’re contemplating a 300MM negotiated settlement, you have to ponder spending 1-2% of that on litigation. If nothing else, it might help with the negotiations.

This is a hugely interesting topic, at least to me as a Private Equity M&A lawyer. But that’s for another day and thread, while we watch the current situation play out.

Or, this new pushes AZ/ASU/Utah to the B12 and leaves us with no life raft

Why is Utah better than UConn in big 12? I fail to see the rationale there

 

[aburks41]

Why is Utah better than UConn in big 12? I fail to see the rationale there

They’re not. But the presidents in the Big 12 likely think so because they can’t think of any thoughts beyond football

 

[HuskyHawk]

Why is Utah better than UConn in big 12? I fail to see the rationale there

Really strong football over a sustained period. Doesn't mean they are, but if they go, that's why.

 

[businesslawyer]

Why is Utah better than UConn in big 12? I fail to see the rationale there

I didn't say that, but I'll give you a short answer. Football. None of CO, U of A or ASU has had any recent success on the gridiron. Utah has been. It would hardly be shocking to see the better football program, better geographical fit team. That's not saying there aren't reasons to take UConn as well, but ....

 

[Fishy]

Why is Utah better than UConn in big 12? I fail to see the rationale there

I don’t see it either.

Do they need two schools in Utah? Does anyone even need one school in Utah?