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

[WestCoastHusky]

I am still hoping our friends at BYU can pull a BCU on Utah.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

I believe part of this is due to FOX trying to block Apple from getting quality college content. I am pretty sure FOX called their buddies at B1G and got them into action just like ESPN did with ACC.

Apple can simple offer more money to save this. If rumor is correct with Apple offering 20M per team per year, they can save the PAC by offering $12M more per team per year. For a 12 team conference, that's $144M more per year for the PAC-12.

Of course, FOX can always screw this by paying B1G $400M more per year for Oregon, Washington, Cal, and Stanford.

 

[ec33]

I am still hoping our friends at BYU can pull a BCU on Utah.

I suspect we will find that Mormons are better Christians than the Catholics at BCU.

 

[Chin Diesel]

This is it, this is the end of realignment, this is the end of UConn basketball...

Make an epic movie about this and call it The End Game.

 

[noeynox]

Dumb question:

Won't a P2 or even a P3 run into anti trust issues? What's stopping the FTC from saying you can't continue to consolidate?

What's the difference between a BCS, P5,4,3,2?

 

[noeynox]

The percentage of our fan base that believes just covering their eyes and ears for the next decade and thinking things will just “work out” is impressive.

College athletics is becoming more expensive by the day. Our revenue is absolutely static - we will not make more than what we’re making in television rights and the department had a mandate to cut the deficit not grow it.

So expenses will go up, revenue is static and the deficit is inflexible. What will happen is that we will be able to do less. Facilities, amenities, player perks, whatever it is, we will just have to do less.

Long haul…that’s not a winning formula.

I have heard the UConn Twitterati litterally use the phrase "tax away" to keep the BB program at an elite level. These have to be smart people, but there is a disconnect with reality somewhere.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

3) Again, what does that look like? Is it a P-2, P-3, or P-4? Do they just abandon the regular season for basketball and run a 54-56 team tournament where every single team from the P-whatever is invited?

It will have the SEC and B1G at tier one. They will land on 20, 22, 24 schools in each conference. Half of the school's that make the tournament (of greater importance, 75% of the top ten seeds) will be from the tier one conferences.

The second tier will be two or three conferences, totalling 32 to 34 schools (ACC remnants, B-12 remnants, whatever happens to the remaining PAC schools) and, for basketball the BE. Eight to ten schools from here will make the tournament.

Tiers three and four will be mid majors and low majors, they will fill out the tournament. Once or twice a decade you may see a second bid from one of these conferences but that will be a rarity.

The tier one conferences landing 75% of their members in the tournament won't be much of a stretch (especially with their financial advantages) as it has happened at times already. Tier two being subject to two, on occasion three bids each year becoming the reality also is not much of a stretch as the member schools will be at a massive financial disadvantage, crippling members who haven't been able to consistently compete under the current configuration, leaving whatever schools may remain at the top fighting themselves for whatever talent they may be able to convince to go to a tier two school.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

If BC can blackball UConn out of the ACC, surely BYU can do the same with Utah

Aren't mormons supposed to be nicer than catholics?

 

[InTheRed]

I went to Joe Morrone soccer camp, I was a fan but soccer and field hockey don't exactly give you a major bump in applications, raise your profile dramatically nationally, and aren't the impetus for major capital campaigns.

30 years ago the basketball team had, off the top of my head, 4 future nba players on it in Donyell Marshall, Donny Marshall, Ray Allen, and Travis Kinght.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I believe part of this is due to FOX trying to block Apple from getting quality college content. I am pretty sure FOX called their buddies at B1G and got them into action just like ESPN did with ACC.

Apple can simple offer more money to save this. If rumor is correct with Apple offering 20M per team per year, they can save the PAC by offering $12M more per team per year. For a 12 team conference, that's $144M more per year for the PAC-12.

Of course, FOX can always screw this by paying B1G $400M more per year for Oregon, Washington, Cal, and Stanford.

You're throwing around numbers like $144 million per year and $400 million per year like its monopoly money.

 

[BigTenFan]

I suspect we will find that Mormons are better Christians than the Catholics at BCU.

The Mormons are some of the saviest business people you will ever find. BYU has very deep pockets. I don't know about Utah

 

[noeynox]

30 years ago the basketball team had, off the top of my head, 4 future nba players on it in Donyell Marshall, Donny Marshall, Ray Allen, and Travis Kinght.

Kevin Ollie

 

[ctchamps]

I am not burying anything, but I am also not trying to ignore what’s happening around us - and I’m not just a UConn basketball fan.

The revenue issue will have consequences all the way down the line. We’re running a P5 athletic program on basically no television revenue. No one else is trying to do what we’re doing - even schools that were recently promoted to the P5 were not doing what we’re doing. We can’t defy gravity forever.

And a split is coming. The NCAA is basically almost irrelevant now and it’s expensive to run. The power conferences will run their own show and we do not want to be on the other side of that split.

My personal opinion is that realignment will once again happen without us. I don’t see us being included down the line when the ACC blows up and various power schools are absorbed by other conferences - 2011 was probably our shot and whatever life is like for a school outside of the power structure is what we will have to deal with in a few years.

Agree with everything you stated except one. We will be in this time. Over the next decade those who are failing to understand the implications you are making will be grateful they did not prevail.

 

[giddyup]

We won a soccer National Championship in 1981.
Field Hockey in 1981 and 1985.
Not bad for a "cow town".

Today has been nothing short of hysterical. Hopefully this madness is over soon.

It was hardly a country club in the 80s. More like a mental institution comprised of 75% savages, 15% real students and 10% randos up for a good time. A fair statement is nobody went there unless you could go somewhere else better. Today, it is crown jewel. Thank Calhoun (and billion+ spent on upgrades) for transforming UConn as a first class place.

 

[NowInStorrs]

 

[uconnyankee]

I am still hoping our friends at BYU can pull a BCU on Utah.

Do they even have a vote?

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Do they even have a vote?

Yes.

 

[djct1999]

What our AD needs to do is to have UConn become a threat to one of the networks. UConn has been a pawn in all of this because it’s a hidden gem. It delivers a valuable market for pennies on the dollar. Why would anyone give that up if they don’t truly have to? Make them be forced to.

 

[djct1999]

I believe part of this is due to FOX trying to block Apple from getting quality college content. I am pretty sure FOX called their buddies at B1G and got them into action just like ESPN did with ACC.

Apple can simple offer more money to save this. If rumor is correct with Apple offering 20M per team per year, they can save the PAC by offering $12M more per team per year. For a 12 team conference, that's $144M more per year for the PAC-12.

Of course, FOX can always screw this by paying B1G $400M more per year for Oregon, Washington, Cal, and Stanford.

This isn’t part of it. It’s all of it.

 

[UConn Dan]

Anyone know if there’s a chance that after an executive session can the Arizona board come back immediately following to a public session and have a vote? Instead of waiting another 24 hours?

If not, team 16 won’t be announced until Monday of next week. But you can read the tea leaves from which school calls a special board meeting and through leaks.

 

[djct1999]

Anyone know if there’s a chance that after an executive session can the Arizona board come back immediately following to a public session and have a vote? Instead of waiting another 24 hours?

If not, team 16 won’t be announced until Monday of next week. But you can read the tea leaves from which school calls a special board meeting and through leaks.

Can we assume that since Utah didn’t call one yet, they aren’t tied to the hip with the Az schools?

 

[Bongo Fury]

Doesn't Fox already have us for like $4 million a year? Why would they want to move us to the Big 12 to pay us $32 million a year?

The payment is split with ESPN so they could still pay the same. I feel though Fox was sold on better BB content.

 

[aburks41]

Can we assume that since Utah didn’t call one yet, they aren’t tied to the hip with the Az schools?

The longer Utah goes without one, the better it gets for us. But the second they schedule one, it’s over

 

[UConn Dan]

Can we assume that since Utah didn’t call one yet, they aren’t tied to the hip with the Az schools?

I hope so. I hope the big 12 told Utah “we are not interested at this time”

 

[powerplay]

This is great

"There are, of course, emotional ties to the Big East and certain fans who would cast away football for a sole focus on basketball in the Big East. But the university has shown it will support football aggressively, the motivation being that the sport, in this landscape, has to be driving a bus that carries every UConn program to a place from which it can win."

"The rest lines up just fine. Look across the nation, across platforms: Does any program, in its major sports, have a better four-coach lineup than Mora, Hurley, Geno Auriemma and Jim Penders? The Huskies win in Olympic sports, too. UConn has a big-time feel and a big-time operation without a big-time affiliation. It needs one."

I get the Big East attachment, but for me, the Big East attachment died when Cuse, BC et al left. It just wasn't the same. We have a P5, 4,3 operation. An argument can be made that when UCF, BYU et all we're added to the XII that our facilities and performance, at the time weren't up to par. That narrative has changed dramatically. We check too many boxes to be left out again. I never forget rule #1 but we bring too much to the table now to be overlooked. (depending on the source, We have the #30 media market which overlaps #1 and #9. BY talks about adding value, it appears he gets that with UConn. I'm not trying to disrespect any schools, yes our football has seen better days, but what has CU, UA, ASU done in football in recent memory, 1 Natty from 33 years ago. Yes football drives the bus but something also has to be said about our collection of Natties across multiple sports. Yes, XII doesn't sponsor some of our sports, my point is just about every sport UC participates in, we're successful. XII already has BYU, do they bring SLC market or does Utah? I would think UConn's status as a flagship in a new market would bring more to a new conference as opposed to another school in a state that you already have. I remain cautiously optimistic.