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

[That Guy]

Don’t think they need bait for the PAC schools. They are pretty desperate right now. Sadly they’ll get voted in before UConn.

Oregon State I would understand. They've had some decent football and they will have a very good team this season. Their baseball is also extremely good. But Wazzou??? Outside of a few years with Mike Leach they have been completely irrelevant in every sport. They're also in the middle of nowhere over there in eastern Washington. I would probably give up on college athletics if they got the invite over us.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

One of the dumbest things ever. Total non-starter.

Even if Kraft was sincere, the Giants and Jets would have nixed it. They just didn't want to ruin Kraft's grift.

Oh, then why did the NFL send Connecticut a $2.4 million to avoid a potential lawsuit for breach of contract?

From the NY Times, March 3, 2000

Ten months after the New England Patriots backed out of a $375 million deal that would have made Hartford a star in the National Football League's constellation of football cities, Connecticut finally got some payback today.​

​

Exactly $2,399,060.66.​

​

That is the amount the league wired to Connecticut this afternoon to settle an embarrassing episode for the state and Gov. John G. Rowland, the foremost champion of the deal that evaporated almost overnight last April. It called for the state to finance a new stadium for the Patriots in exchange for a 30-year lease.​

​

​

 

[zls44]

 

[DarthGrumpy]

LOL ACC

Theme of the ACC President's meeting...

 

[Skiblets]

A brutal week. Hopefully something breaks our way soon.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Give us $20 million per year, a bowl tie-in, a 5-6 game football arrangement, and automatic all-sports invite in 2031.

ab-so-ducking-lutely not

 

[UConnTrumbull]

And some say we’ve been over dramatic…

 

[zls44]

And some say we’ve been over dramatic…

There are folks on here who see that and will think “yes, obviously, that’s why we needed to join the Big 12”.

To that I say: I have no interest in playing TCU and Kansas State just to be able to play in the Big College Championship Presented by FanDuel against South Carolina in Monterrey in 2036. I’m good. I’m gonna enjoy what we’ve got and hope maybe we get an ACC spot with folks we know and hate until then, thanks.

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

They were. That’s why I said Yormark is a snake. He completely lied straight to our administration’s face. We did nothing wrong, but he embarrassed us in front of everyone. He needed a sacrificial lamb and UConn was perfect for the job

I just don’t buy any of this, man. Not sure who your sources are, but I don’t buy that Yormark specifically is “playing” us. Why on earth did the Big 12 need UConn to leverage PAC 12 schools into joining the conference? UConn had nothing to do with the PAC 12 media rights deal and Apple debacle.

We’re not important enough to have that kind of impact on those schools, lol. I fully believe Yormark is highly interested in adding us to the conference, but the PAC 12 shenanigans is priority right now, and he’s had a hard time convincing the conference presidents to make us a priority.

 

[JMick]

Because it didn't dummy, take the L

Lol ok. We are basically going to be in the equivalent of the NAIA in 10 years playing ECU and Temple again

 

[UConnTrumbull]

There are folks on here who see that and will think “yes, obviously, that’s why we needed to join the Big 12”.

To that I say: I have no interest in playing TCU and Kansas State just to be able to play in the Big College Championship Presented by FanDuel against South Carolina in Monterrey in 2036. I’m good. I’m gonna enjoy what we’ve got and hope maybe we get an ACC spot with folks we know and hate until then, thanks.

So it’s cool to play in the Big College Fanduel tournament if we’re in the ACC but not the XII? I’m confused.

 

[NH Husky]

There are folks on here who see that and will think “yes, obviously, that’s why we needed to join the Big 12”.

To that I say: I have no interest in playing TCU and Kansas State just to be able to play in the Big College Championship Presented by FanDuel against South Carolina in Monterrey in 2036. I’m good. I’m gonna enjoy what we’ve got and hope maybe we get an ACC spot with folks we know and hate until then, thanks.

This is how we all should be thinking now. At least the tweet acknowledged 6 power conference so essentially we already are “in”.

 

[CL82]

It would be cool but no one outside of UConn fans would really care

I guess, but isn't us caring enough?

(in any event I wouldn't have to read columns about how Connecticut wasn't committed to football because they play 25 miles off campus)

 

[ConnHuskBask]

There are folks on here who see that and will think “yes, obviously, that’s why we needed to join the Big 12”.

To that I say: I have no interest in playing TCU and Kansas State just to be able to play in the Big College Championship Presented by FanDuel against South Carolina in Monterrey in 2036. I’m good. I’m gonna enjoy what we’ve got and hope maybe we get an ACC spot with folks we know and hate until then, thanks.

Relegated to playing in the NIT presented by Draft Kings just so we can play Butler.

Makes sense.

 

[uconnyankee]

This is garbage and the man deserves an ass kicking for his stunning lack of grey matter.

Anyways, the one shinning light in all of this is seeing the eventual implosion of the ACC and the rats like BC, Cuse, etc fall into even greater irrelevance.

I think UConn’s best shot is to use the next couple of years to get as flashy and committed to football as possible (generate buzz, like Co did) and work channels. The school has good fundamentals that would make it attractive but it has to change perception.

As for B12, I 100% believe he was interested in UConn and may still want us in this period or the next. B10 is a distant distant hope. Otherwise we’ll end up in some non-premiere league and won’t be able to compete in the long run in any important sport. There are years between that and where we are now, but the BBall only fans have to recognize that the Hurleys of the world don’t coach for places w no resources.

Agree. Football has to go scorched earth on everything and everyone. Give Mora all the resources, get recruits with chip on their shoulder, play anyone anywhere.

 

[ec33]

Oregon State I would understand. They've had some decent football and they will have a very good team this season. Their baseball is also extremely good. But Wazzou??? Outside of a few years with Mike Leach they have been completely irrelevant in every sport. They're also in the middle of nowhere over there in eastern Washington. I would probably give up on college athletics if they got the invite over us.

I hope Oregon State can successfully argue their case. It does create an other "odd team scenario" and a "better than zero" chance.

The league apparently did pre-approve a move to 18 teams by the end of the calendar year - which is what led to the reports of "ooh basketball only schools" - but it is full members.

Not excited about it - but worth monitoring it as much as FSU temper tantrums.

 

[NH Husky]

Relegated to playing in the NIT presented by Draft Kings just so we can play Butler.

Makes sense.

Maybe not the best example. Butler has been to two Final Fours since 2010. TCU never. K St last time 1964. But other than that, good point.

 

[UConnJim]

A couple of thoughts.

Yormack has legitimate interest in UConn and he knows the Big 12 needs more Eastern time zone exposure as they have 3 teams in the time zone now which is not enough. 47% of the population lives in the Eastern time zone and you need Eastern time slots for football games and basketball games. For example, FOX can not broadcast weekly 6:30 PM basketball games with Big 12 content due to their Central and Mountain time zone heavy teams. And, Arizona is on Pacific Time for most of the football season as they do not observe daylight savings time.

I do think Yormack was sincere about his interest in UConn as he thought he had Colorado and needed a 14th. I don't think anyone (except a few) would have imagined that the Pac 12 would collapse as quickly as they did. And, Arizona/Arizona St./BYU/Utah have a history of playing against each other so it makes sense to add them since they were available, which is unfortunate for UConn.

As for athletic department revenues, they should be up this past year due to improved football and men's basketball attendance as well as higher basketball pricing. Sure, it's not enough of an increase, but all of us can do our part by attending games and donating to UConn athletics.

The Big 12 has become a mishmash of teams which will probably be hard to manage as they have just lost 2 teams and they are adding 8 and they have a media contract that expires in 2031. Sure, it's a better situation that UConn is in, but you have 5 to 7 schools that would leave if they had the option which is not the definition of stability.

Finally, UConn will be fine and conference realignment is not over so there will be other opportunities down the road.

 

[huskidork]

damn

 

[giddyup]

Few basic points:

(1) we were played by YoMark and he’s another media scumbag
(2) there was nothing DB and UConn could do about it when you’re dealing with people that have bad faith
(3) the university should be out in front of this. There is no honor in getting kick in the nuts and taking it silently.

Statement should be along these lines:

“Regrettably the b12 couldn’t see the value of brining the most dominant basketball program in the nation for the last 25 years and being part of the largest media markets in the nation. Being a top 25 state university, there are conferences with more suitable academic peers in any case. We look forward to football’s continued success under Coach Mora and the continued dominance of our basketball programs. Undoubtedly, more change is coming and the tremendous value UConn brings will be recognized by astute leaders.

Optional add-on:

P.S. Yormark is a lying manipulative P.O.S. that wasted our time and resources, and your presidents are as dumb as the institutions they lead. No hard feelings, though.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

LOL ACC

ACC is run by idiots. They are just a bunch of backward follow the crowd type that never think out of the box. They deserve to be picked apart soon. I am looking forward to that day.

 

[How Sway?!]

Don't know how to break it to you (or @shizzle787 ) but next round of BE media negotiations could be very disappointing. They have little reason to offer an increase over the current deal.

The last round of realignment has taught us a lot of things about networks preferences, but most importantly the following:

They still care about tv markets, but only those in central and eastern time zones.

Brands are a lot more important than on field success, though if they are successful then all the merrier

Guess who has brands, are successful, and are in the eastern and central time zones. There'll be market for the big east, it might not be with Fox but there will be suitors.

 

[Huskyforlife]

If the B12 offers a basketball only spot and covers our exit fee from the Big East, I think we have to take it. We want to be in on their basketball tournament after the split, and we’d now have a foot in the door for future expansion. It’s also just a really strong basketball league tbh.

 

[NE Football]

The ACC can still add Cal & Stanford.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

If the B12 offers a basketball only spot and covers our exit fee from the Big East, I think we have to take it. We want to be in on their basketball tournament after the split, and we’d now have a foot in the door for future expansion. It’s also just a really strong basketball league tbh.

Please stop with this non-sense. No chance.