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

[HuskyHawk]

I have always believed that the internal ACC power struggle did impact UConn vs Louisville as an add. The add before that of Pitt? I have no idea what pulled that trigger.

I have no idea of the Big Ten's thinking regarding Rutgers vs UConn. I suspect that both Maryland and Rutgers had contacts in the B1G (Maryland's Loh came from B1G)....and the AAU was the decider for Rutgers. But who really knows?

Pretty easy. Bigger school, bigger market, bigger state, bigger endowment, longer 1A football history, AAU, it simply looks more like a B1G school. I've got no argument. Louisville...different story there.

 

[SubbaBub]

I have always believed that the internal ACC power struggle did impact UConn vs Louisville as an add. The add before that of Pitt? I have no idea what pulled that trigger.

I have no idea of the Big Ten's thinking regarding Rutgers vs UConn. I suspect that both Maryland and Rutgers had contacts in the B1G (Maryland's Loh came from B1G)....and the AAU was the decider for Rutgers. But who really knows?

Are we still talking about this. FSU, Miami and Clemson wanted a FB school. BC and by proxy Pitt and Cuse wanted no part of UCONN in their P5 playground. That's 4+ solid no's. The real question is has any of that sentiment changed. More to the point has the lure of cable boxes changed their tune?

 

[CL82]

I have always believed that the internal ACC power struggle did impact UConn vs Louisville as an add. The add before that of Pitt? I have no idea what pulled that trigger.

I have no idea of the Big Ten's thinking regarding Rutgers vs UConn. I suspect that both Maryland and Rutgers had contacts in the B1G (Maryland's Loh came from B1G)....and the AAU was the decider for Rutgers. But who really knows?

I suspect that 9 million in NJ vs. 3 million in CT was a significant factor.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Temple should survive that cut. I actually like playing Temple

Agree, if Temple can finally take athletics seriously, they are located in the country's 4th largest TV market, even if Penn State (football) and Villanova (hoops) are the big boys in the city of Brotherly love. Plus, heaven forbid UConn is stuck in the AAC for a log time, it's nice to have 1 conference mate that is within a day's car ride to UConn.

Tulane can stay in, too, simply because the excuse to go on a road trip to New Orleans every other year is way too good of an opportunity to pass up.

 

[justinslot]

Agree, if Temple can finally take athletics seriously, they are located in the country's 4th largest TV market, even if Penn State (football) and Villanova (hoops) are the big boys in the city of Brotherly love. Plus, heaven forbid UConn is stuck in the AAC for a log time, it's nice to have 1 conference mate that is within a day's car ride to UConn.

Tulane can stay in, too, simply because the excuse to go on a road trip to New Orleans every other year is way too good of an opportunity to pass up.

Yeah, the trouble with Temple is not the football and basketball--it's that the rest of the athletic department is soooo bad. Someone on the AAC forum posted the final Director's Cup standings and while I think the Director's Cup is a joke as a competition it is a good proxy for athletic spending. Temple was 248! Last in the AAC by a wide margin. We're never getting into the ACC (a league that loves to spend on non-football sports to show it belongs in the club, since it ain't in the club for its football) that way.

 

[NYUConn]

We're never getting into the ACC (a league that loves to spend on non-football sports to show it belongs in the club, since it ain't in the club for its football) that way.

Right but UConn was actually 1 away from having the best score in the AAC ranked 74 to USF's 73. Additionally we outperformed Pitt, Wake Forest, Rutgers, K-State, Washington State in the P5 and 70 percent of the Big East.

 

[justinslot]

Right but UConn was actually 1 away from having the best score in the AAC ranked 74 to USF's 73. Additionally we outperformed Pitt, Wake Forest, Rutgers, K-State, Washington State in the P5 and 70 percent of the Big East.

I'm surprised UConn wasn't #1...guess that baseball run USF had plus the off year for men's BB made the difference.

 

[WestHartHusk]

I'm surprised UConn wasn't #1...guess that baseball run USF had plus the off year for men's BB made the difference.

Let's not forget about our football season.

 

[Ha Who]

I suspect that 9 million in NJ vs. 3 million in CT was a significant factor.

Also, fertile recruiting grounds

 

[NYUConn]

Let's not forget about our football season.

Bingo, if our football team wasn't a dumpster fire we probably would have passed USF, BC and Kansas.

 

[jostar1]

Santa J. Ono ‏@PrezOno · Jun 30

We live & we learn to take
One step at a time
It's gonna happen when it's
Supposed to happen & we
Find the reasons why
One step at a time



Santa J. Ono
@PrezOno
28th President of the University of Cincinnati

 

[WestHartHusk]

Santa J. Ono ‏@PrezOno · Jun 30

We live & we learn to take
One step at a time
It's gonna happen when it's
Supposed to happen & we
Find the reasons why
One step at a time



Santa J. Ono
@PrezOno
28th President of the University of Cincinnati

Did Cincinnati just get dumped, and then search old AOL Instant Messenger away notices?

 

[UConnTrumbull]

Santa J. Ono ‏@PrezOno · Jun 30

We live & we learn to take
One step at a time
It's gonna happen when it's
Supposed to happen & we
Find the reasons why
One step at a time



Santa J. Ono
@PrezOno
28th President of the University of Cincinnati

Pretty sure these are the lyrics to a Jordin Sparks song

 

[FDNY99]

Santa J. Ono ‏@PrezOno · Jun 30

We live & we learn to take
One step at a time
It's gonna happen when it's
Supposed to happen & we
Find the reasons why
One step at a time



Santa J. Ono
@PrezOno
28th President of the University of Cincinnati

This dude is a straight up EDP!!!!

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Bingo, if our football team wasn't a dumpster fire we probably would have passed USF, BC and Kansas.

The cynic in me thinks that if UConn had somehow beaten Oklahoma in the Fiesta bowl, BC & co. would have still found a way to keep the Huskies out of the P5. Football is just an excuse for the ACC.

 

[buddy]

I have always believed that the internal ACC power struggle did impact UConn vs Louisville as an add. The add before that of Pitt? I have no idea what pulled that trigger.

I have no idea of the Big Ten's thinking regarding Rutgers vs UConn. I suspect that both Maryland and Rutgers had contacts in the B1G (Maryland's Loh came from B1G)....and the AAU was the decider for Rutgers. But who really knows?

YOUR FSU AND BC did UConn in. I cannot believe you are still here blabbing about this. ACC wanted UConn over Pitt. BC blackballed UConn that time. Next round, FSU pushed for Louisville over UConn. Period. Case closed.

 

[Point6]

Did Cincinnati just get dumped, and then search old AOL Instant Messenger away notices?

If you love a P5 conference, set it free...

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Did Cincinnati just get dumped, and then search old AOL Instant Messenger away notices?

Or, is the Cinci president on shrooms?

 

[whaler11]

If Cincinnati gets into the Big 12 the only good thing will be the reaction here about Father Christmas.

 

[CL82]

Santa J. Ono ‏@PrezOno · Jun 30

We live & we learn to take
One step at a time
It's gonna happen when it's
Supposed to happen & we
Find the reasons why
One step at a time



Santa J. Ono
@PrezOno
28th President of the University of Cincinnati

You wanna show the world, but no one knows your name yet
Wonder when and where and how you're gonna make it
You know you can if you get the chance
In your face as the door keeps slamming
Now you're feeling more and more frustrated
And you're getting all kind of impatient waiting

 

[31GuardTrap]

I'm surprised UConn wasn't #1...guess that baseball run USF had plus the off year for men's BB made the difference.

Darn penalty kicks in men's soccer semi finals did it.

 

[Husky25]

Santa J. Ono ‏@PrezOno · Jun 30

We live & we learn to take
One step at a time
It's gonna happen when it's
Supposed to happen & we
Find the reasons why
One step at a time



Santa J. Ono
@PrezOno
28th President of the University of Cincinnati

When did Jay Bilas start his new job at Cinci? All that's missing is the, "I gotta go to work" part.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Not a tweet, but goes to the narrative of smoke behind the scenes. After Gene D's comments about ESPN being the puppet master things went quiet in Bristol for a long time. No one associated with ESPN was pushing stories and none of their radio shows focused on conference realignment until after announcements were made. There was a conscientious decision to make sure ESPN was seen as reporting a story not making the news.

Now? Front page on the NCAA Football page detailing why Big12 expansion is inevitable.

http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_/id/100511/big-12-expansion-no-longer-an-if-but-rather-a-when

Get ready, Big 12 fans: Expansion is coming. And if it doesn't, the conference may not survive.

Last week, Oklahoma president David Boren publicly proclaimed what most of us have known for some time. In the wake of losing Nebraska to the Big Ten and Texas A&M and Missouri to the SEC, the Big 12 has become, as Boren put it, “psychologically disadvantaged.”

Of course, Boren’s “OU’s not going to be a wallflower” remark four years ago, which prompted Mizzou to bail on the Big 12 salvage operation, contributed to said psychological disadvantage. But that’s another story.

 

[Exit 4]

Not a tweet, but goes to the narrative of smoke behind the scenes. After Gene D's comments about ESPN being the puppet master things went quiet in Bristol for a long time. No one associated with ESPN was pushing stories and none of their radio shows focused on conference realignment until after announcements were made. There was a conscientious decision to make sure ESPN was seen as reporting a story not making the news.

Now? Front page on the NCAA Football page detailing why Big12 expansion is inevitable.

http://espn.go.com/blog/big12/post/_/id/100511/big-12-expansion-no-longer-an-if-but-rather-a-when

Get ready, Big 12 fans: Expansion is coming. And if it doesn't, the conference may not survive.

Last week, Oklahoma president David Boren publicly proclaimed what most of us have known for some time. In the wake of losing Nebraska to the Big Ten and Texas A&M and Missouri to the SEC, the Big 12 has become, as Boren put it, “psychologically disadvantaged.”

Of course, Boren’s “OU’s not going to be a wallflower” remark four years ago, which prompted Mizzou to bail on the Big 12 salvage operation, contributed to said psychological disadvantage. But that’s another story.

Excellent point about ESPN. So, cards are now on the table with OU's public position to expand the conference. Now we wait to see if Texas is ready to go all in with the B12 or if they wish to continue to generate red herrings as to why expansion shouldn't happen at this time. Anyone against expansion of the B12 - in my mind - has to be thinking about an exit in 10 years. An expanded B12 is no slam dunk for long term success if that means Cincy & UCF alone. I would want BYU to grab another time zone and a school with a national audience and good sports tradition.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Excellent point about ESPN. So, cards are now on the table with OU's public position to expand the conference. Now we wait to see if Texas is ready to go all in with the B12 or if they wish to continue to generate red herrings as to why expansion shouldn't happen at this time. Anyone against expansion of the B12 - in my mind - has to be thinking about an exit in 10 years. An expanded B12 is no slam dunk for long term success if that means Cincy & UCF alone. I would want BYU to grab another time zone and a school with a national audience and good sports tradition.

I repeat it often because it bears repeating. The Big XII has zero chance of gaining mindshare to the north, in B1G country. It has zero chance of gaining mindshare to the east, in SEC country. If it had been smart enough to take Pitt, Cincy and Louisville with WVU long ago, it might have carved a little area of relevance in that geography. At present, it has zero chance of becoming relevant on the east coast. On the other hand, it can absolutely be relevant in the southwest and mountain states. It has to choose. UCF or USF would get it nothing. ECU nothing.

It has one chance, be first to go after the southwest and mountain states, before the Pac does. It already botched this by losing Colorado and not inviting Utah, but it isn't too late. Nevada, New Mexico, CSU, Boise, BYU...they can become the conference of that part of the country.

 

[Exit 4]

I repeat it often because it bears repeating. The Big XII has zero chance of gaining mindshare to the north, in B1G country. It has zero chance of gaining mindshare to the east, in SEC country. If it had been smart enough to take Pitt, Cincy and Louisville with WVU long ago, it might have carved a little area of relevance in that geography. At present, it has zero chance of becoming relevant on the east coast. On the other hand, it can absolutely be relevant in the southwest and mountain states. It has to choose. UCF or USF would get it nothing. ECU nothing.

It has one chance, be first to go after the southwest and mountain states, before the Pac does. It already botched this by losing Colorado and not inviting Utah, but it isn't too late. Nevada, New Mexico, CSU, Boise, BYU...they can become the conference of that part of the country.

Interesting POV which leads to a great strategic debate for the B12. Double down on small local states (at least all of these states are growing at a pace exceeding the national avg except for NM) with better geographic and perhaps cultural fit or commit to the national footprint (basically if you are in Iowa, WV, FL and TX its a national conf) concept with more cable boxes but thinner culture connections.

So after 15 mins of this conversation, I imagine Texas elects to do nothing and rather dream of a future in any of the three other conf. Conclusion, B12 doesn't add.

 

[Exit 4]

I wonder, can a school announce today that its leaving the B12 at the expiration of the GOR in (10 years?)?

 

[pj]

I repeat it often because it bears repeating. The Big XII has zero chance of gaining mindshare to the north, in B1G country. It has zero chance of gaining mindshare to the east, in SEC country. If it had been smart enough to take Pitt, Cincy and Louisville with WVU long ago, it might have carved a little area of relevance in that geography. At present, it has zero chance of becoming relevant on the east coast. On the other hand, it can absolutely be relevant in the southwest and mountain states. It has to choose. UCF or USF would get it nothing. ECU nothing.

It has one chance, be first to go after the southwest and mountain states, before the Pac does. It already botched this by losing Colorado and not inviting Utah, but it isn't too late. Nevada, New Mexico, CSU, Boise, BYU...they can become the conference of that part of the country.

Southwest and Mountain states have no people. If they added UConn, they would have mindshare in the northeast (New England / New York). They need to find good islands, there are no whole regions available to them.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

It has one chance, be first to go after the southwest and mountain states, before the Pac does. It already botched this by losing Colorado and not inviting Utah, but it isn't too late. Nevada, New Mexico, CSU, Boise, BYU...they can become the conference of that part of the country.

Nevada is around 100th in AD revenue, New Mexico and Boise are around 60th. CSU is around 70th.

I'm sure BYU is very high on that list but since they are private I can't see.

Point being, sure the Northeast is never going to be Big12 country, but in terms of national interest, a UConn Kansas hoop game or Texas Cinci football game would dwarf whatever CSU, Nevada, New Mexico could offer, even in Big12 country.

I definitely get your point but, even suggesting a Nevada or CSU over UConn or Cincinnati seems inaccurate.

One last point, people act like BYU and Boise are a stones throw away from the Big12, people forget just how huge these states are. If WVU being isolated is an issue, BYU and Boise aren't much better.

 

[noeynox]

I wonder, can a school announce today that its leaving the B12 at the expiration of the GOR in (10 years?)?

Could you imagine the backlash in terms of scheduling and things like that, that a school would have to put up with in the interim. I can't imagine it would be too pretty.