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

[JMick]

If the ACC is hemorrhaging schools at the time, we may not have to offer not to take conference distributions.

If it gets as bad as it can get then they'll be giving teams extra incentives to join.

 

[GoConn]

very nice to see UConn to a power conference get some positive light. Thank you, Matt.

 

[ScottVib]

you could have just said this and skipped the holier-than-thou fan part

the AAC was the conference we had to go to. The Big East was not an option. I never was opposed to the AAC as a bridge to a P5 invitation.

This times a million

If you loud football fans were as loyal and filled the Rent, you wouldn’t have this straw man argument.

Of course the counter argument to this is maybe the basketball fan base should’ve been more loyal and showed up for the team when they struggled in the Ollie era, rather than forcing a nostalgia move and the expenses incurred to support it…

Neither argument is fair (and to be clear, I think the move has proven to be correct). Win and more fans show up, lose and less do, regardless of the team.

Case in point, this football season opened with some excitement and more than 30k were distributed for the opener, with the highest number actually in the stadium in close to a decade. Football had 14k season ticket holders in 2023, the most since 2017 (~16k in 2017). (For the curious, Men's Basketball has 8k season ticket holders counting students and the band at Gampel and nearly 11k at XL (5 thousand and 9 thousand for just the sold portion)).

 

[ZooCougar]

If UConn had joined the Big East instead of the AAC when the old Big East came apart, it would be in a power conference right now.

Yes. Shuttering the football program when we were still selling 30,000 season tickets would have been a brilliant manuever.

 

[ZooCougar]

Read history . Look at rule 1. The bar changed every round of realignment . Also, the AAC was the conference we had to go to. The Big East was not an option. I never was opposed to the AAC as a bridge to a P5 invitation. I continued season tickets for hoops and football all these crappy seasons. If you loud football fans were as loyal and filled the Rent, you wouldn’t have this straw man argument.

I don’t think you know what a straw man is. And literally men’s basketball fans were just as bad attendances wise in the AAC.

 

[shizzle787]

Yes. Shuttering the football program when we were still selling 30,000 season tickets would have been a brilliant manuever.

Going independent would not be shuttering the program.

 

[John]

This times a million


Of course the counter argument to this is maybe the basketball fan base should’ve been more loyal and showed up for the team when they struggled in the Ollie era, rather than forcing a nostalgia move and the expenses incurred to support it…

Neither argument is fair (and to be clear, I think the move has proven to be correct). Win and more fans show up, lose and less do, regardless of the team.

Case in point, this football season opened with some excitement and more than 30k were distributed for the opener, with the highest number actually in the stadium in close to a decade. Football had 14k season ticket holders in 2023, the most since 2017 (~16k in 2017). (For the curious, Men's Basketball has 8k season ticket holders counting students and the band at Gampel and nearly 11k at XL (5 thousand and 9 thousand for just the sold portion)).

there's some recent historical amnesia (or revisionist history) about the drawing power of UConn basketball in down times. While I'd guess the vast majority of us had season tickets throughout the Ollie era, there were TONS of empty seats in both XL and Gampel, and a virtually non-existent secondary market for even the best games. But it's the football fans who've failed the university.....

 

[John]

Going independent would not be shuttering the program.

P5 Commissioner: "let's grab UConn, they're obviously very serious about football since they decided to go with the conference that doesn't even play the sport"

 

[ZooCougar]

This times a million


Of course the counter argument to this is maybe the basketball fan base should’ve been more loyal and showed up for the team when they struggled in the Ollie era, rather than forcing a nostalgia move and the expenses incurred to support it…

Neither argument is fair (and to be clear, I think the move has proven to be correct). Win and more fans show up, lose and less do, regardless of the team.

Case in point, this football season opened with some excitement and more than 30k were distributed for the opener, with the highest number actually in the stadium in close to a decade. Football had 14k season ticket holders in 2023, the most since 2017 (~16k in 2017). (For the curious, Men's Basketball has 8k season ticket holders counting students and the band at Gampel and nearly 11k at XL (5 thousand and 9 thousand for just the sold portion)).

For football, UConn wasted its AAC opportunity. After Louisville, Pitt, Syracuse and WVU were gone we should have been head and shoulders above everything in that conference with Cincy as the other rival.

Instead Herbst and Manuel squandered it away. They didn’t resource football the right way. Raised admission standards too high and god knows waste else. Too many institutional barriers..

If we had spent more money on the front end of the AAC, we might be in a better spot and lost much less money.

Herbst and Manuel were total losers who should have been launched into the sun.

 

[ZooCougar]

Going independent would not be shuttering the program.

You have some awful takes. But this takes the cake.

 

[shizzle787]

P5 Commissioner: "let's grab UConn, they're obviously very serious about football since they decided to go with the conference that doesn't even play the sport"

BYU did it and it worked out great for them.

 

[shizzle787]

You have some awful takes. But this takes the cake.

Considering BYU, WSU, and OSU all went independent, you’re wrong.

 

[John]

Considering BYU, WSU, and OSU all went independent, you’re wrong.

BYU is a different case due to the religious affiliation and national footprint, and WSU/OSU is being disingenuous at best considering it just happened.

 

[shizzle787]

BYU is a different case due to the religious affiliation and national footprint, and WSU/OSU is being disingenuous at best considering it just happened.

How is that disingenuous? OSU and WSU are in the relatively same position UConn was in. They can rebuild the Pac-12 with MW schools or go indy/WCC. They chose the latter. UConn chose the equivalent of the former. WOSU doesn’t want to be associated with the G5 moniker. To boot, the Big East of 2013 was better than the current WCC.

 

[Drew]

How is that disingenuous? OSU and WSU are in the relatively same position UConn was in. They can rebuild the Pac-12 with MW schools or go indy/WCC. They chose the latter. UConn chose the equivalent of the former. WOSU doesn’t want to be associated with the G5 moniker. To boot, the Big East of 2013 was better than the current WCC.

Just to be clear- OSU and WSU aren’t choosing to be Independent. In fact, they’re actually contractually obligated to rebuild the Pac-12 to at least an 8 team league by 2026 given the settlement they reached this week with the old PAC-12 schools. They’re not even Independent this year or next, technically remaining in the PAC-12 playing majority of non-conference games against the Mountain West.

And BYU is far and away different from UConn football wise and institutionally. Not only does BYU have a football NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP under their belt, but they have a massive religious following that allowed them to float themselves as an independent for a temporary period of time. But even then, it was never designed for them to be an Independent long term and their November scheduling was absolutely atrocious.

There is a massive difference between you personally feeling like being an Independent is fine versus how it’s perceived in the NCAA athletics landscape. Independence is not a long term solution for ANYONE in FBS - even Notre Dame is quasi-affiliated with the ACC. Pretending otherwise is just foolish and stupid.

 

[JMick]

For football, UConn wasted its AAC opportunity. After Louisville, Pitt, Syracuse and WVU were gone we should have been head and shoulders above everything in that conference with Cincy as the other rival.

Instead Herbst and Manuel squandered it away. They didn’t resource football the right way. Raised admission standards too high and god knows waste else. Too many institutional barriers..

If we had spent more money on the front end of the AAC, we might be in a better spot and lost much less money.

Herbst and Manuel were total losers who should have been launched into the sun.

I blame killing spring weekend

 

[ScottVib]

OSU/WSU are independent in name only. They are literally playing full 8-game MWC schedules. Sure they don’t count in the standings… but they aren’t scheduling as an independent and the language came with massive penalties to them if they try to rebuild the PAC-2 with MWC schools (unless they take the entire conference)

 

[shizzle787]

Just to be clear- OSU and WSU aren’t choosing to be Independent. In fact, they’re actually contractually obligated to rebuild the Pac-12 to at least an 8 team league by 2026 given the settlement they reached this week with the old PAC-12 schools. They’re not even Independent this year or next, technically remaining in the PAC-12 playing majority of non-conference games against the Mountain West.

And BYU is far and away different from UConn football wise and institutionally. Not only does BYU have a football NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP under their belt, but they have a massive religious following that allowed them to float themselves as an independent for a temporary period of time. But even then, it was never designed for them to be an Independent long term and their November scheduling was absolutely atrocious.

There is a massive difference between you personally feeling like being an Independent is fine versus how it’s perceived in the NCAA athletics landscape. Independence is not a long term solution for ANYONE in FBS - even Notre Dame is quasi-affiliated with the ACC. Pretending otherwise is just foolish and stupid.

I have not found the contractually obligated to reform the Pac-12 part anywhere. Also, they are getting 3.6M per year from the CFP from 26-28 for being independent. No one knows if they get to keep that if they reform a G6 Pac-12.

If UConn felt it was better to be in a G5 football league than be independent, we would have already done it. Oh wait, we did and then left and then denied an invite from CUSA.

 

[shizzle787]

OSU/WSU are independent in name only. They are literally playing full 8-game MWC schedules. Sure they don’t count in the standings… but they aren’t scheduling as an independent and the language came with massive penalties to them if they try to rebuild the PAC-2 with MWC schools (unless they take the entire conference)

No they are not. They are playing six game schedules. They happened to have already scheduled 1-2 MW as part of prior arrangements. Also, they are both paying the MW 7 million for the arrangement. They also are playing their games on an OTA network the CW as opposed to primarily CBS Sports Network.

 

[AllHusky]

The ACC needs to add UConn

Don't overthink this. A conference with a rich basketball history could bolster its hoops product and offer a lifeline to the Huskies' independent football program.

www.insidezonemf.com

Nothing that Boneyarders haven’t said in many different iterations, but nice to see it in print.
Two thoughts:
#1
Doomed
Go Huskies

 

[ZooCougar]

Considering BYU, WSU, and OSU all went independent, you’re wrong.

BYU is a football brand. And they went independent at a time when it was easier to be independent.

Also they aren’t independent anymore so what are you even saying?

OSU and WSU? That’s not by choice. So again, what are you even talking about?

 

[ZooCougar]

I have not found the contractually obligated to reform the Pac-12 part anywhere. Also, they are getting 3.6M per year from the CFP from 26-28 for being independent. No one knows if they get to keep that if they reform a G6 Pac-12.

If UConn felt it was better to be in a G5 football league than be independent, we would have already done it. Oh wait, we did and then left and then denied an invite from CUSA.

What G5 league is offering us a football only slot?

I’ll wait.

 

[Drew]

I have not found the contractually obligated to reform the Pac-12 part anywhere. Also, they are getting 3.6M per year from the CFP from 26-28 for being independent. No one knows if they get to keep that if they reform a G6 Pac-12.

If UConn felt it was better to be in a G5 football league than be independent, we would have already done it. Oh wait, we did and then left and then denied an invite from CUSA.

Pac-12 legal affairs: What the negotiated settlement means for WSU, OSU and the 10 departing members

The settlement announced in December was finalized this week and gives Washington State and Oregon State the rights to all future revenue.

www.mercurynews.com

“Another provision designed to protect the outbound schools: if the PAC-12 conference desolves before August 2026, all 12 current members will share the assets, thus ensuring WSU and OSU can’t shut the lights out and keep the money for themselves”

They have a two year “grace period” from the NCAA to operate as a 2 team league (2024 and 2025). Given the above contractual provision in the settlement, they have to rebuild the PAC-12 (perhaps a reverse merger with some of all of the MWC) by summer 2026 to keep their $250M.

 

[How Sway?!]

Pac-12 legal affairs: What the negotiated settlement means for WSU, OSU and the 10 departing members

The settlement announced in December was finalized this week and gives Washington State and Oregon State the rights to all future revenue.

www.mercurynews.com

“Another provision designed to protect the outbound schools: if the PAC-12 conference desolves before August 2026, all 12 current members will share the assets, thus ensuring WSU and OSU can’t shut the lights out and keep the money for themselves”

They have a two year “grace period” from the NCAA to operate as a 2 team league (2024 and 2025). Given the above contractual provision in the settlement, they have to rebuild the PAC-12 (perhaps a reverse merger with some of all of the MWC) by summer 2026 to keep their $250M.

UConn to the PAC 12, you heard it here first

 

[Waquoit]

The fact is there just aren't that many UConn football fans out there. Not nearly enough to fill a fraction of the Rent. What the Hartford-area is full of is though, is straight out football fans that will support the team and buy tickets when the program has an avenue to the big-time. That what sold the program and built the stadium, UConn promised the big-time. And when that promise was fulfilled, the place was packed. And when that was taken away, away went most of the fanbase. It will come back if UConn gets in a real league. Until then, it's just a holding pattern.