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

[Vowelguy]

This was sensationalism.

Uh, duh, he was making a joke.

 

[ZooCougar]

I think many do. I think the biggest problem for UConn with NIL is leadership. Until Mora spoke up, there was very little leadership to help the fan base understand NIL and why it is important. If UConn had an athletics booster club, there would be a natural group that raises money for athletics and they could have provided leadership and marketing for setting up an NIL collective.

Isn’t that kind of what just happened?

 

[Duncan Idaho]

I think many do. I think the biggest problem for UConn with NIL is leadership. Until Mora spoke up, there was very little leadership to help the fan base understand NIL and why it is important. If UConn had an athletics booster club, there would be a natural group that raises money for athletics and they could have provided leadership and marketing for setting up an NIL collective.

What is the purpose of the UConn Club? Seems to have ties with the Bleed Blue nil. What are the relationships with sport specific booster clubs like Friends of Soccer? UConn Foundation funds? Should there be a Football specific booster club to coordinate the giving?

 

[UConnJim]

Isn’t that kind of what just happened?

It just did and it was what I was asking for. Now, if we can get an athletic booster club...

 

[CTBballfan243]

What is the purpose of the UConn Club? Seems to have ties with the Bleed Blue nil. What are the relationships with sport specific booster clubs like Friends of Soccer? UConn Foundation funds? Should there be a Football specific booster club to coordinate the giving?

Maybe the UConn club can have bake sales and returnable can/bottle drives to raise NIL money for the collective.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Make the case against the profligate build, sure. Crapping on the sport - especially when we’ve been good with poor facilities (this goes for several non-revenue sports) - is where we’ll part ways. There is a more direct line for a good facility and winning hockey (and I’m not invested in hockey) than taking that money (however that would work) and putting it into football infrastructure, such as coaches and staff. The track record on salary to performance for football assistants is not great, as has been bandied about ad nauseum this season. I think the case has been made for going 6-6 this year with the resources we have. And putting that 70 mil into The Rent or and other bricks & mortar doesn’t get you a win moving forward. The road forward is stable AD/state support and NIL. We don’t have to beggar other winning programs any more than we historically have.

I honestly doubt that Hockey even loses money. Hockey East does get some TV money, we draw pretty well and travel is via bus to almost every game. Hockey was a smart investment that should have been made 20 years earlier.

Baseball is tough because we are good, and built another new stadium for it, but it will be so hard to compete going forward. Soccer is saddest, because we used to be very very good and now we suck. Another new stadium built for that too.

 

[CL82]

I honestly doubt that Hockey even loses money. Hockey East does get some TV money, we draw pretty well and travel is via bus to almost every game. Hockey was a smart investment that should have been made 20 years earlier.

Baseball is tough because we are good, and built another new stadium for it, but it will be so hard to compete going forward. Soccer is saddest, because we used to be very very good and now we suck. Another new stadium built for that too.

Why is it going to be hard to compete for baseball?

Soccer desperately needs a new coach. Yes, I know this is only year one of the post Ray Reid era, but it doesn't look like anything is going to happen until we get new coaching in. Unfortunately that's at least a year away, and perhaps two.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Why is it going to be hard to compete for baseball?

Soccer desperately needs a new coach. Yes, I know this is only year one of the post Ray Reid era, but it doesn't look like anything is going to happen until we get new coaching in. Unfortunately that's at least a year away, and perhaps two.

Because it is already hard in the northeast and once all the P4 schools are sending money to kids, which we can't afford to do, we are going to struggle to recruit.

 

[CL82]

Because it is already hard in the northeast and once all the P4 schools are sending money to kids, which we can't afford to do, we are going to struggle to recruit.

Shrugs. This is always going to be a money game. If we commit to paying players, we will be fine for a while. I don't see this being as big an issue as getting sufficient NL for baseball

 

[Drew]

 

[CoastAtlantic]

 

[Exit 4]

CRA - you can never really leave it

 

[tzznandrew]

CRA - you can never really leave it

Most of this is Stop.

But it seems quite obvious UNC and Virginia are the biggest prizes left.They have hugely successful athletic departments and are flagship programs in states that neither the SEC nor the B1G are in.

 

[UConnJim]

Most of this is Stop.

But it seems quite obvious UNC and Virginia are the biggest prizes left.They have hugely successful athletic departments and are flagship programs in states that neither the SEC nor the B1G are in.

I do agree that UVA and UNC are attractive potential additions, but I think this is the old way of thinking about conference expansion. In the long run, the captive cable bundle is going away so adding geographies won't increase the value of a conference network, but brands will enhance value. Of the remaining non-P2 football brands, the most valuable football brands are Notre Dame, Florida State, and Clemson. Think about this, which football game would have more interest and have better ratings? Florida/Florida St. or Florida/Virginia?

 

[champs99and04]

I do agree that UVA and UNC are attractive potential additions, but I think this is the old way of thinking about conference expansion. In the long run, the captive cable bundle is going away so adding geographies won't increase the value of a conference network, but brands will enhance value. Of the remaining non-P2 football brands, the most valuable football brands are Notre Dame, Florida State, and Clemson. Think about this, which football game would have more interest and have better ratings? Florida/Florida St. or Florida/Virginia?

While I see you're point, at some point the SEC has to realize that not everyone in that league can succeed in football. Virginia and UNC would give them a major presence in critical recruiting markets and potentially add a lot of $ in basketball. I wouldn't even be shocked if they took Duke at some point to add a second private to pair with Vandy.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

While I see your point, at some point the SEC has to realize that not everyone in that league can succeed in football. Virginia and UNC would give them a major presence in critical recruiting markets and potentially add a lot of $ in basketball. I wouldn't even be shocked if they took Duke at some point to add a second private to pair with Vandy.

I think UNC and UVA are better for the B1G than SEC

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

I do agree that UVA and UNC are attractive potential additions, but I think this is the old way of thinking about conference expansion. In the long run, the captive cable bundle is going away so adding geographies won't increase the value of a conference network, but brands will enhance value. Of the remaining non-P2 football brands, the most valuable football brands are Notre Dame, Florida State, and Clemson. Think about this, which football game would have more interest and have better ratings? Florida/Florida St. or Florida/Virginia?

Agreed - even Louisville garners more tv ratings than UVa.

 

[Kolumbo]

Most of this is Stop.

But it seems quite obvious UNC and Virginia are the biggest prizes left. They have hugely successful athletic departments and are flagship programs in states that neither the SEC nor the B1G are in.

As if that mattered

 

[JeepCSC]

I think UNC and UVA are better for the B1G than SEC

You shut your mouth

 

[WrenchFan69]

While I see you're point, at some point the SEC has to realize that not everyone in that league can succeed in football. Virginia and UNC would give them a major presence in critical recruiting markets and potentially add a lot of $ in basketball. I wouldn't even be shocked if they took Duke at some point to add a second private to pair with Vandy.

I think Duke to the SEC makes a ton of sense, especially if UNC goes there. The SEC needs someone to lose football games, win basketball games, plus the whole academic profile thing.

 

[Waquoit]

I think we could work with FSU and Clemson. The minute they sign on with us the investment would flow in. It would be like Fred and Ginger, we would give them class.

 

[champs99and04]

I think UNC and UVA are better for the B1G than SEC

It'd definitely seem like the better fit based on what the league has traditionally valued, but then again I can't pretend to know what the hell it values after its raid of the PAC-12. Maybe it continues its football-first approach and nabs some combination of FSU, Clemson, and Miami. Maybe it makes a play for Kansas, or even tries to flip an SEC school like Missouri. (It'd be unprecedented, but I bet at some point we're going to see an SEC school leave for the Big Ten, or vice versa)

 

[MilliniumPrince]

NC State is not part of the UNC System

 

[CL82]

CRA - you can never really leave it

UNC and UVA have been potential yes votes for Connecticut moving to the ACC. So, they're leaving the ACC seems entirely consistent with conference realignment rule #1.

 

[Kolumbo]

NC State is not part of the UNC System

The UNC System consists of over a dozen universities, including NC State, UNC at Chapel Hill, UNC at Charlotte, ECU, App State, etc. Connecticut does it differently where the "State" schools are separate from UConn.

He makes a good point. Big time hoops!