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

[superjohn]

I'm not sure it was all posturing. You need to realize that these decisions aren't made in a vacuum and I really don't think anyone, anywhere was anticipating the bonehead performance Kliavkoff enacted in negotiating the P-12's media deal.

He spent months publicly stating that they were close to completion and the dollars would exceed the B-12 but never actually present anything to the conference's member schools. It reached the point where the conference basically demanded that he show them what he has and they found out it was 2/3 of the B-12's deal with no linear programming. That deal was likely available for months yet he was afraid to present it (until he could no longer delay) as he knew it was inadequate

He could not have played this any worse if his intent was to blow up the P-12.

This (the precarious situation the P-12 is in) is the monkey wrench in the works that nobody anticipated.

How did nobody anticipate it? It was so obvious Kliavkoff had nothing that it was a meme. I thought Waylon was the only person who believed Kliavkoff was two steps ahead instead of the bumbling buffoon who kept talking about his super awesome deal that he could never show anybody.

 

[businesslawyer]

If Az and ASU go, Utah has to go if invited.

Absolutely. If offered, Utah would have no realistic choice, because staying leaves no big time back up plan if Oregon and UDub eventually leave for the Big Ten.

 

[zls44]

Only on here are people genuinely dismissing the credentials of Utah, a school that just went to back-to-back Rose Bowls, went as far in the WBB tournament as we did and has a solid MBB history.

Try looking around, guys.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Eh maybe. I'm not so sure. Everyone knew Colorado was leaving, that's why the SDSU debacle happened.

How people did not foresee that Colorado leaving would destroy the PAC for good is beyond me. Anyone who pays any attention knew that would happen

In mid June you knew the P-12 was six weeks away from imploding?

 

[businesslawyer]

Eh maybe. I'm not so sure. Everyone knew Colorado was leaving, that's why the SDSU debacle happened.

How people did not foresee that Colorado leaving would destroy the PAC for good is beyond me. Anyone who pays any attention knew that would happen

No. Colorado meant little to the Pac. If there was an adequate TV contract, Colorado leaving would have been followed by crickets. Colorado leaving is the symptom. The illness is that without USC and UCLA, the Pac couldn't get an adequate TV contract.

 

[upstater]

I and yet, all your protestations to the contrary notwithstanding, universities all across the country are investing millions upon millions of dollars in their athletic departments. Clearly all the decision makers at every one of those institutions are wrong in that decision and you are right. Or maybe you are having a little bit of trouble seeing the forest because of all the trees in the way?

You keep using the word investing.

We're talking about massive deficits.

Losing $10m on sports would be considered a normal thing. Heck, 23 of these schools MAKE money on sports.

I'm talking about losing bundles. UConn is not the only school in that boat. But the schools in that boat are doing exactly what I described in the post you are responding to.

 

[CL82]

Yes. That's why we should assume that decisions that will be made that effect the entire conference will be made based on what is best for smaller catholic schools as opposed to state flagship universities. There is nothing wrong or untoward with that -- it's what we signed on for because we didn't have better options.

Most of the time those interests are going to overlap. The times that they haven't, though, have been inflection points for the conference and have cost us considerably.

 

[king conn]

To date not a single conference agrees with the premise that we bring enough value. Thats a 20 year track record. We should be proposing a reduced payout thats greater than the BE payout.

Stop groveling.

Why would the Big 12 want us with one hand tied behind our back?

 

[ConnHuskBask]

It's not the best cultural fit, either, but I would say that on average the typical Big East student has more in common with the typical UConn student.

I'm not so sure about that either. I'll give you PC, Seton Hall, and maybe St. John's... Do we think the kid paying $100k in tuition at Georgetown is really more similar to a kid from Newington than a kid going to KU?

 

[TRest]

Only on here are people genuinely dismissing the credentials of Utah, a school that just went to back-to-back Rose Bowls, went as far in the WBB tournament as we did and has a solid MBB history.

Try looking around, guys.

Utah is a better athletic program than ASU, which will just keep foundering along.

 

[businesslawyer]

Most of the time those interests are going to overlap. The times that they haven't, though, have been inflection points for the conference and have cost us considerably.

Often they vary considerably, especially when litigation is involved. It's often in the interests of an organization to settle litigation quickly and move on, while for the decision makers settling means admitting to boards and owners that they could have done something better to avoid the situation, and they'd rather delay finality and then blame a judge for getting it wrong.

 

[zls44]

Only on here are people genuinely dismissing the credentials of Utah, a school that just went to back-to-back Rose Bowls, went as far in the WBB tournament as we did and has a solid MBB history.

Try looking around, guys.

I forgot to mention that they average 15.5k a night

FOR GYMNASTICS.

 

[JMick]

In mid June you knew the P-12 was six weeks away from imploding?

The rumors started in what? April? Whenever that happened it was bad news for the PAC and the only thing that would hold it together was incompetence from the member institutions

 

[Jimdish255]

I am prepared to hate Utah for all eternity.. a place I never gave 15 seconds of thought about previously.

No

 

[zls44]

Utah is a better athletic program than ASU, which will just keep foundering along.

ASU is a sheer volume play, similar to UCF. The school's so damn big.

 

[uconndogs]

im surprised the sec isnt pushing their face into the az/asu possibility

Me too.

Which leads me to believe they are saving room for some combination of FSU, Clemson, NC, Virginia. I think the BiG and SEC are dividing the market north-south with 18-20 programs in each conference.

 

[zls44]

I'm not so sure about that either. I'll give you PC, Seton Hall, and maybe St. John's... Do we think the kid paying $100k in tuition at Georgetown is really more similar to a kid from Newington than a kid going to KU?

Yes? Quite obviously yes?!?!??! Have you ever BEEN to Newington!??!?!?!

 

[JMick]

Only on here are people genuinely dismissing the credentials of Utah, a school that just went to back-to-back Rose Bowls, went as far in the WBB tournament as we did and has a solid MBB history.

Try looking around, guys.

I think I was first here to say that I'll feel bad for Utah if they get left out because I do think they've done everything right.

But it's still a weird add from the perspective of the Big XII. They already have the state locked down.

 

[TRest]

I'm not so sure about that either. I'll give you PC, Seton Hall, and maybe St. John's... Do we think the kid paying $100k in tuition at Georgetown is really more similar to a kid from Newington than a kid going to KU?

Eh, two of my co-workers kids went to Georgetown but applied to UConn as a viable option. They are from the Farmington Valley, UConn is considered difficult to get into as in-state students. Most of the BE schools are other than Nova, Georgetown and UConn are pretty average.

 

[UConnJim]

Only on here are people genuinely dismissing the credentials of Utah, a school that just went to back-to-back Rose Bowls, went as far in the WBB tournament as we did and has a solid MBB history.

Try looking around, guys.

5 NCAA tournaments in the past 20 years. Same as Colorado and Arizona State.

 

[TRest]

ASU is a sheer volume play, similar to UCF. The school's so damn big.

Every kid at UCF grew up rooting for the Gators or Noles. A worthless alumni base.

 

[zls44]

I think I was first here to say that I'll feel bad for Utah if they get left out because I do think they've done everything right.

But it's still a weird add from the perspective of the Big XII. They already have the state locked down.

...why would the Big 12 want one of the hottest rivalries in college sports? In a state whose population is exploding (and gonna run out of water soon, but not their problem)? You're confused on this? Really? Really???

 

[superjohn]

Only on here are people genuinely dismissing the credentials of Utah, a school that just went to back-to-back Rose Bowls, went as far in the WBB tournament as we did and has a solid MBB history.

Try looking around, guys.

Utah basketball is a non-starter. Connecticut is the best basketball program in the country. Utah is good in football, I don't think anyone would deny that. Cornering the market on Utah and the Mountain time zone doesn't make any sense when we've heard Yormark outline his vision for the conference, UConn makes a ton of sense for those plans he's outlined.

 

[zls44]

5 NCAA tournaments in the past 20 years. Same as Colorado and Arizona State.

Then you should probably be more confused about those two getting in and not the school that actually wins stuff?

 

[Jimdish255]

Only on here are people genuinely dismissing the credentials of Utah, a school that just went to back-to-back Rose Bowls, went as far in the WBB tournament as we did and has a solid MBB history.

Try looking around, guys.

Utah was nothing until we gave them Joe Williams -