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

[AllHusky]

BY= Brett Yormark
BY=Boneyard

Hmmm….Conspiracy Kitty, what say you?

 

[John]

BY= Brett Yormark
BY=Boneyard

Hmmm….Conspiracy Kitty, what say you?

The call is coming from inside the house!

 

[huskymedic]

-> UConn athletic director David Benedict recently traveled to Dallas to pitch the Big East school to Big 12 administrators. Conference ADs and presidents were scheduled to hear from the league’s media consultants Monday and further discuss Yormark’s latest vision.

To add a new member, 12 of the 16 Big 12 schools would need to be in favor. According to several people familiar with the situation who spoke with The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the discussions are private, Yormark still has convincing to do among his members that adding UConn is a sound move and the Big 12 needs to act fast.<-

The Courant uses AP Ralph’s article above for a story??

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Drew]

This is a good thing for our candiancy.

Said another way: Big 12’s media consultants came in and talked to the decision makers about UConn’s media value and how it would translate with Big 12 membership- those conversations were positive/productive enough that the decision makers are willing to continue down the path on this and didn’t immediately say “thanks but no thanks”

 

[ZooCougar]

The Courant uses AP Ralph’s article above for a story??

Our state media is worthless

 

[GoConn]

Seems somewhat positive. I'll take it.

 

[JMick]

This is a good thing for our candiancy.

Said another way: Big 12’s media consultants came in and talked to the decision makers about UConn’s media value and how it would translate with Big 12 membership- those conversations were positive/productive enough that the decision makers are willing to continue down the path on this and didn’t immediately say “thanks but no thanks”

What makes no sense to me is that if we were going to be the team that goes with Colorado pre-collapse, didn't they already do this stuff? It doesn't add up. It's not like anything has materially changed

 

[huskymedic]

 

[HuskyHawk]

Re: HuskyHawk's question - I checked my HS alma mater's football schedule for this season (Bristol Central). There's only one Saturday game (Nov 2), which oddly is on the same weekend UConn has a Friday night home game. The rest of Central's games are on Friday, and a few Thursday. I think that's pretty much the way it is everywhere in CT now - not many Saturday games.

Excellent. That is good news. It wasn't the case back when we lost out on the spots to the ACC.

 

[Gburyhusky]

For newcomers to this insanity - they only take a vote if they have the votes.

 

[jostar1]

What makes no sense to me is that if we were going to be the team that goes with Colorado pre-collapse, didn't they already do this stuff? It doesn't add up. It's not like anything has materially changed

I wondered this about Benedict. I don't think he went last year, but he went this year.

My conclusion is that it is because of the 4 Corners Schools. They weren't there last year. They will be voting this year. And from what I've read, they need convincing.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

For newcomers to this insanity - they only take a vote if they have the votes.

That is not true. I believe that UConn did lose a vote at the ACC Board once.

 

[JMick]

Excellent. That is good news. It wasn't the case back when we lost out on the spots to the ACC.

Yes it definitely was. Most teams have had lights and play on Friday since the late 90s. It's just some FCIAC holdouts and schools that still don't have lights that play on Saturdays

 

[NowInStorrs]

Our state media is worthless

Less than worthless. They seem actively detrimental.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Maybe cope but... would there be interest in continuing talks if the presentation today didn't have them leaning in our direction? Otherwise you'd think they'd shut it down and not waste anymore time.

 

[GoConn]

What makes no sense to me is that if we were going to be the team that goes with Colorado pre-collapse, didn't they already do this stuff? It doesn't add up. It's not like anything has materially changed

Good point. Maybe we weren't ever really close last summer?

 

[UConn Dan]

What makes no sense to me is that if we were going to be the team that goes with Colorado pre-collapse, didn't they already do this stuff? It doesn't add up. It's not like anything has materially changed

I hear you. What’s changed is the media dollars had dried up with the addition of all 4 PAC schools. It was reported last time that ESPN would give us pro rata.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

What makes no sense to me is that if we were going to be the team that goes with Colorado pre-collapse, didn't they already do this stuff? It doesn't add up. It's not like anything has materially changed

This is a big decision and there is a process. Nothing is unusual about this so far.

 

[ZooCougar]

Maybe cope but... would there be interest in continuing talks if the presentation today didn't have them leaning in our direction? Otherwise you'd think they'd shut it down and not waste anymore time.

They wouldn’t the information if it wasn’t 100% beneficial.

 

[How Sway?!]

What makes no sense to me is that if we were going to be the team that goes with Colorado pre-collapse, didn't they already do this stuff? It doesn't add up. It's not like anything has materially changed

Our media value has increased with the back to back titles and the new NCAA women's tournament rights.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I hear you. What’s changed is the media dollars had dried up with the addition of all 4 PAC schools. It was reported last time that ESPN would give us pro rata.

And ESPN is about to lose a mountain of content with USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington going to the Big 12, and ESPN lost out on the Big East. It needs content.

 

[superjohn]

I would phrase it as resentment, not hatred and I have a firm belief that our success from 2007-2010, along with sone comments by the only two within the school who had the ability to speak for the football program (Edsall & Hathaway) bothered quite a few schools and their fan bases.

Many saw us as a school that really didn't give a s#!t about football until we were guaranteed a spot in a then New Years day bowl conference. Edsall and Hathaway viewed bragging about having access to one of the major bowls (which many schools that had been playing competitive football for many decades did not have) as a good thing.

That we won our conference (while losing to the two worst teams in the conference, and a non-conference game to a mediocre at best Temple squad) irritated enough people that within our conference other schools were publicly lobbying to change the rules so that West Virginia could go instead of us, the committes conspired to send us to the worst possible destination for us and the narrative from shortly before that game until years afterward was that we did not belong.

We were painted as an entitled school/fan base that needed the guarantee of a reward in order to be willing to provide an effort. Sadly, beginning with Hathaway's decisions shortly after Edsall left, we've done very little to change the opinions of anyone on the outside.

Some of our fanbase is insufferable.

I had a friend today text me b^tching about Andy Katz and how he hates UConn because he ranked UConn the second best college basketball fanbase in the country after Kentucky.

 

[UConn Dan]

And ESPN is about to lose a mountain of content with USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington going to the Big 12, and ESPN lost out on the Big East. It needs content.

Yup. And it’s also reported that ESPN would pony up for UConn this year too but Fox will not (since they have us for cheap). So that’s the issue.

The fact that talks continue is in our favor.

 

[UConnJim]

The Big 12 schools have not been in a conference together for that long so the dynamics of how the conference works are still in flux so I'm sure the decision making process will be drawn out. Look at the groups of schools:

Long term Big 12 schools: Baylor, Iowa St., Kansas, Kansas St., Oklahoma St., Texas Tech

Pac 12 adds: Arizona, Arizona St., Colorado, Utah

AAC/Big East adds: UCF, Houston, Cincinnati, West Virginia

The other 2: TCU, BYU