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

[noeynox]

Check out @dennisdoddcbs's Tweet:

 

[Exit 4]

Which would more likely sell out: Temple vs Texas at the Link or UConn vs Texas at Met Life? Which game primetime would garner a higher national rating?

No one is saying UConn captures NYC. UConn has greater brand recognition and gives access to NYC, which I am sure also has a larger alumni base than Philly for every school in the Big12.

I'm glad you are so confident about such a scenario. Yes, we would do better, but I'm not confident it would be by a significant margin.

 

[sub legacy]

don't confuse noise as fact. Very little of what you summarized is true. If Memphis and Houston are added and UConn us not, the fate of the Big 12 will be sealed.

Exactly. Memphis offers nothing but a business tycoon trying to make it rain on the Big XII. At least Cincinnati and Houston are understandable over Memphis. Memphis would be instant dead weight in that conference.

 

[amory]

David Ubben‏@davidubben
David Ubben Retweeted Brian A

UConn university spokesman and AD both declined comment earlier this week

11:20 AM - 22 Jul 2016

This + Cincy's sudden silence is...interesting...

 

[upstater]

Same way that Nike helped blow up Oregon into a contender...a reported $300 million in contributions reported so far by Phil Knight. Either personal money from a billionaire or a corporate contribution.

Or T Boone Pickens and his $500 million in contributions to Oklahoma State...as he famously said about his name on campus..."it'll be a hell of a long time before someone says, 'who the hell was that guy' ".

Beware of these big one-shot deals: Boone Calls the Plays as Largess Complicates Life at Alma Mater

$500 million is nice, but if the university loses the bond on a building meant for research, and so loses the research funding in the process, it gets complicated.

 

[HuskyHawk]

This + Cincy's sudden silence is...interesting...

The lawyer in me smells an NDA

 

[upstater]

I would be utterly surprised if Memphis is invited. Their academic standing is just atrocious and I honestly think there's a limit to how low the Big 12 presidents are willing to go on that.

And seemingly lost in yesterday's big news about Houston was this article about BYU, which succinctly reveals why they're not the shoo-in so many people imagine them to be: Could BYU witch hunt keep the Cougars out of the Big 12?

At this point, I would guess that Cincy, UConn and Houston all have seats at the table because they all possess excellent qualities without unsightly baggage.

And I would guess, the biggest decision the Big 12 still has to make is who is #4. If not BYU, then who?

But here's the nub, as I see it: All of us who believe UConn is the best candidate should hope like hell that the Big 12 can settle on a fourth because if they have to drop down to two, UConn may not have the support within the conference that Cincy and Houston seem to have.

This sounds like good logic to me, but if you go through this process and only manage to add Cincinnati as a new market, well--you've done a what will be known as a B12 blunder.

 

[uconnell]

It is not that they currently have big bucks, only the promise of future big bucks if selected to the Big 12.

Many things were promised by Memphis to gain acceptance to the AAC such as The Liberty Bowl, Fed ex $$$, which all disappeared the minute they were in the AAC. They talk big but do not deliver.

 

[CL82]

s.

IF (these are all big IF's) Bevo and the Sooner Schooner want to have travel a part of their decision making process for non-FB and BB sports, the Memphis has a check mark. IF, making UWV happy with more than 1 travel partner, Memphis is closer than Hartford. IF stadium size is an issue to the Big 12, Memphis is at 59,000 while Uconn would need to go thru a highly contentious bonding process to expand (there will be a lot of no votes in the state right now for expansion).

I think that bonding authorization process is going to go something like this:

1) AAC TV deal is "X" and the Big 12's TV deal "10x X."
2) Expansion will be paid off 100% by UConn without state funds.
3) All in favor "Aye." Any nays ? No? Motion passes.

 

[noeynox]

We monitoring again???

Check out @WINYRadio's Tweet:

 

[CL82]

We monitoring again???

Check out @WINYRadio's Tweet:

FROM THE NEWSROOM: STORRS, Conn. (AP) — UConn's athletic director says he's waiting to hear from the Big 12 about its interest level before making any pitch to join the conference.

WTF? Don't play hard to get!

 

[amory]

We monitoring again???

Check out @WINYRadio's Tweet:

Nah, I don't buy it. This guy was brought in as a closer.

 

[CTMike]

We monitoring again???

Check out @WINYRadio's Tweet:

Classic head fake.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Classic head fake.

Here is Mr. Benedict at work...

 

[Ozone21]

That never gets old!

 

[uconnphil2016]

Classic head fake.

Yeah I'm pretty sure Benedict isn't trying to divulge any earth shattering information to WINY radio out of Putnam...

 

[Peacefrog]

Here is Mr. Benedict at work...

I'm not sure about strength of the analogy but watching that sure does make me feel better amidst all this angst.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

I still think Temple should get more consideration. Big school, big alumni base, good basketball, acceptable Olympic sports in a major metropolitan city.

They're a risk for the obvious reasons, but I have to think that Texas & OU would love to play in front of 70k fans in Philly every other year.

Temple doesn't sponsor baseball which is a very popular sport in the Big12. Are any northeast schools actually good at baseball?

 

[huskymedic]

Yeah I'm pretty sure Benedict isn't trying to divulge any earth shattering information to WINY radio out of Putnam...

It's an AP Story by CT based Patrick Eaton-Robb. They've been muzzled.

 

[superjohn]

Temple doesn't sponsor baseball which is a very popular sport in the Big12. Are any northeast schools actually good at baseball?

Yes, UConn.

 

[djct1999]

We monitoring again???

Check out @WINYRadio's Tweet:

I sure as hell hope he was eating doughnuts while saying this.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Yes, UConn.

BC was good this year too. Heck, even Bryant. I don't know how.

 

[don356]

I laughed when I read that almost 3 months ago.

All kidding aside: Philly is an untapped gold mine. The biggest problem is that Villanova doesn't have a FBS team and no one really cares about Temple.

Philly=Boston, not sure how many Temple alum live in the area, but it's very hot and cold for football. Mostly cold.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

FROM THE NEWSROOM: STORRS, Conn. (AP) — UConn's athletic director says he's waiting to hear from the Big 12 about its interest level before making any pitch to join the conference.

WTF? Don't play hard to get!

Benedict is trolling. He's feeling pretty confident right now and can barely contain himself.

 

[CL82]

I sure as hell hope he was eating doughnuts while saying this.

... or sipping a piña colada.