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

[Forte]

Big 12 leaders to discuss potentially inviting UConn after school makes pitch, AP sources say

Big 12 presidents are scheduled next week to discuss potentially inviting UConn to the conference after school officials recently made an in-person pitch to the league, two people familiar with the discussions tell The Associated Press.

apnews.com

 

[Rondogg]

The 2031 Football Season, christ that's a long time!

 

[Blue Idiaco]

the B12 Presidents killed Gonzaga, but they brought so much less to the table than Uconn does in terms of markets and brand. And Uconn better match when ACC inevitably implodes
#fingerscrossed

 

[jostar1]

I'd love to see a on campus stadium but I don't see that happening by 2031.
The Rent is fine. Spruce it up with amenities for fans, media production and visiting team facilities.
And yes, a certain level of financial commitment to staff and players.

New scoreboard and locker room renovations have been approved.



“A new $2.8 million scoreboard and other improvements to Rentschler Field in East Hartford are among the many things the state Bond Commission is poised to approve Friday at its meeting.”

 

[LBird33]

The 2031 Football Season, christ that's a long time!

So is being independent with no end game

 

[jostar1]

Big 12 leaders to discuss potentially inviting UConn after school makes pitch, AP sources say

Big 12 presidents are scheduled next week to discuss potentially inviting UConn to the conference after school officials recently made an in-person pitch to the league, two people familiar with the discussions tell The Associated Press.

apnews.com

"The people who spoke to the AP said a definitive decision for either side is not imminent and Yormark must still build consensus among his members. The Big 12 is about to begin its first year as a 16-team conference after adding Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah from the Pac-12 last year".

 

[CL82]

-> Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark has renewed his pursuit of expansion target UConn, with league officials set for a meeting next week where the issue will be reintroduced for in-depth discussion, multiple Big 12 administrators and broadcasting sources told The Athletic. <-

->According to the sources, if the Big 12 did accept UConn, its football program would not join the league until the next television rights contract, or at the very least for several years. When UMass joins the MAC next year, UConn will be one of two remaining FBS independents, along with Notre Dame.

In order to feel comfortable adding another school, the current members will want assurance that UConn’s addition would not dilute their shares of league revenue.

The Big 12 is a year away from beginning a new six-year deal with ESPN and Fox that will pay its members an average of $31.7 million per school. The deal was agreed to before the former Pac-12 schools’ additions, but ESPN was required to pay a pro-rata share to the four Power 5 members. UConn, however, would not be guaranteed the same deal. <-

If ESPN doesn't give us a full share, we should (figuratively) burn that place to the ground!

 

[CL82]

New scoreboard and locker room renovations have been approved.



“A new $2.8 million scoreboard and other improvements to Rentschler Field in East Hartford are among the many things the state Bond Commission is poised to approve Friday at its meeting.”

 

[jostar1]

Matt Norlander@MattNorlander
Last week in Dallas at Big 12 AD meeting, UConn brass presented a deck highlighting investments and work they’d put into football to have it Big 12-ready by 2031. This presentation also included a sell by UConn that would lift Big 12 “from the best to the undisputed best” in basketball


Matt Norlander@MattNorlander
·
3h
There was also the obvious inclusion of the women’s program and how big of a boon that would be for women’s hoops in the Big 12. That said, UConn was summarily dismissed by Big 12 presidents as an expansion candidate just one year ago.


Matt Norlander@MattNorlander
·
3h
Why are we back here? Yormark has desired a NYC/northeast presence in the Big 12 since he took the job. The Huskies winning back-to-back titles in men’s BB reinforced his desire to try and convince Big 12 presidents to reconsider their previous collective stance on UConn.


Matt Norlander@MattNorlander
·
3h
Sources emphasized that it remains unclear, as of today, if Yormark is going to get enough support to get this over the finish line when he presents next Tuesday. A big unknown. Keep in mind, he pushed hard—real hard—for Gonzaga for basically a year, but that died on the vine.


Matt Norlander@MattNorlander
·
3h
There’s also the matter of the Big 12 JUST getting to 16 schools. A lot of ADs + presidents in that league have been steadfast that they wanted to stay at 16 for a while—especially w/ the fallout from the House case settlement still a huge unknown. Will they change their stance?


Matt Norlander@MattNorlander
·
3h
Yormark and UConn are selling that their inclusion would come at “no additional cost to any of the 16 Big 12 schools,” sources said. That primarily stems from football being held out until 2031.


Matt Norlander@MattNorlander
·
3h
By the way, this all lands just a few weeks removed from the Big East announcing a solid new media rights deal through the end of the decade. A deal that was sweetened in no small part because, unlike the previous Big East media deal, UConn was a major selling point.

 

[GoConn]

LOCKED ON ZANETTO BOMB! (yes, he has become key)

 

[jostar1]

 

[UConn Dan]

Fran knows what’s coming!!

 

[Bongo Fury]

I would think

The UConn conference realignment saga is a unique one. No one knows this pain like us.

I agree that’s likely done. It sounds like they’ve been countering offers and the latest version of the deal is going to the presidents. I hope they come through

the ADs would be more resistant than the presidents? Seems like many presidents are mostly into academics, research and prestige? Think UConn is pretty highly regarded.

 

[JohnFSilver]

Very curious what the required "investments" into the football program will be. Part of me hopes Dave got Lamont on board with an on campus stadium to be complete by 2031. If that happens Dave will be the best AD in UConn history

Lamont is the head of the board of trustees. Nothing like this happens without his knowledge.

 

[drayenob]

Dom Amore: UConn to the Big 12 rumor mill is reignited with men’s basketball seen as the jewel

Rumors about the Big 12 Conference making another play for UConn athletics are heating up again but much would have to happen before the Huskies’ athletic department moves.

www.courant.com

Back Door

But there is also this to consider: Just how long would Big 12 schools expect UConn to wait before reaping the full financial benefits? If UConn, which is trying to narrow its budget deficits, committed to spending the additional money it would take to compete in a coast-to-coast conference, pour more money into football, and wait eight or nine years for the revenue to stream to kick in, as SMU agreed to do in joining the ACC, that could defeat the purpose of such a move.

None of these obstacles are insurmountable, if things align. I wouldn’t use the word “imminent,” but it’s inevitable, I believe, that UConn will find a home in a major conference — sooner or later. One can only be certain at the moment that both UConn and the Big 12 are open for business, and open to doing business with each other.

 

[Bongo Fury]

Bobby is already in the Big 12?

 

[JohnFSilver]

I would think

the ADs would be more resistant than the presidents? Seems like many presidents are mostly into academics, research and prestige? Think UConn is pretty highly regarded.

There is also a lot of anti northeast going on. They don’t like to come up,this way and their boosters, culturally, don’t understand why they need to engage an area of the country that is mostly about pro sports.

 

[Kolumbo]

There is also a lot of anti northeast going on. They don’t like to come up,this way and their boosters, culturally, don’t understand why they need to engage an area of the country that is mostly about pro sports.

Surely they must realize they can come up here to see their teams play UConn and then catch the Cowboys vs the Giants or Eagles, or the Rangers and Astros vs the Yankees and Red Sox. I think they'll warm up to the idea.

 

[JohnFSilver]

Surely they must realize they can come up here to see their teams play UConn and then catch the Cowboys vs the Giants or Eagles, or the Rangers and Astros vs the Yankees and Red Sox. I think they'll warm up to the idea.

I know, but I can’t tell u the animosity I have heard. They think everyone lives in Westport.

 

[The Viking]

Take them to two dollar beer night at gampel

 

[Kolumbo]

I know, but I can’t tell u the animosity I have heard. They think everyone lives in Westport.

 

[huskymedic]

multi-post thread:

 

[ZooCougar]

For those of you who are still confused. These are key tweets.

 

[psilotic]

I think Lamont is smart enough to know it's not worth putting lipstick on a pig. I don't see anything besides repairs going to the rent

$100Mplus being put into the XL which is housing a spectacularly failing sportsbook. Now THAT'S lipstick on a pig

 

[Bongo Fury]

There is also a lot of anti northeast going on. They don’t like to come up,this way and their boosters, culturally, don’t understand why they need to engage an area of the country that is mostly about pro sports.

I get that the ads and the boosters would have a bias but wouldn’t think the presidents would. Of course they could be influenced by the boosters and berry.