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

[nelsonmuntz]

That’s fine. But what we don’t know is how much this is going to ruin athletics for UConn and everyone else.

College athletics definitely has some future challenges. I have pointed them out for years.

My point is that UConn needed a little chaos to shake the log jam of conference membership, and these recent court cases, together with the move to streaming, create the chaos. It still might not work out for UConn, but it gives UConn a chance, where the other path, lock step march to a P2 that would control college sports, was a death sentence for the UConn athletic program.

 

[BlueHen]

Interesting… on the Syracuse message board all they talked about is how great the big east tournament is and how much they missed it.. and how awful the acc tournament was

Are you sure they weren't talking about how great the Big East tournament was?

It was the best tournament before several schools, including Syracuse, left for the ACC. There was a lot of dislike among the Big East schools and fan bases back then. Made for a great tourney atmosphere and lots of memorable games.

Now Syracuse is a conference where nobody cares about them. They traded away some great rivalries for more money. Syracuse (and BC) should be begging their fellow ACC schools to add UConn ASAP so that at least some of their games will generate fan interest.

 

[CL82]

Now Syracuse is a conference where nobody cares about them. They traded away some great rivalries for more money. Syracuse (and BC) should be begging their fellow ACC schools to add UConn ASAP so that at least some of their games will generate fan interest.

Should, but won't. Particularly for BCU I think that there is a mindset and probably a correct one, that they can't compete with us so their best option is to hope that our lack of P4 media money will eventually strangle us.

That said, if a mass exodus comes we remain the most logical addition, not that that's ever helped us before.

 

[Luna]

Are you sure they weren't talking about how great the Big East tournament was?

It was the best tournament before several schools, including Syracuse, left for the ACC. There was a lot of dislike among the Big East schools and fan bases back then. Made for a great tourney atmosphere and lots of memorable games.

Now Syracuse is a conference where nobody cares about them. They traded away some great rivalries for more money. Syracuse (and BC) should be begging their fellow ACC schools to add UConn ASAP so that at least some of their games will generate fan interest.

No.. they were talking about this year… also when the acc had their tournament in New York the only fans that showed up were family and friends while down the street at the msg the big east was playing in front of a sold out msg

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Drew]

I know they’re not subject to it because they’re a private school but I wonder if Wake will do something similar as well. They already have games @ App and @ ECU scheduled- this is easier to do with 4 non-conference games per year instead of 3.

 

[John]

No.. they were talking about this year… also when the acc had their tournament in New York the only fans that showed up were family and friends while down the street at the msg the big east was playing in front of a sold out msg

The Big East Tournament is a great event, been to many myself. However it's not something you pin your entire athletic department to. It's 4 days of one single sport. There's 361 other days in the year, and a wide assortment of other men's and women's sports within the UConn athletic department.

 

[CoastAtlantic]

 

[HuskyHawk]

The Big East Tournament is a great event, been to many myself. However it's not something you pin your entire athletic department to. It's 4 days of one single sport. There's 361 other days in the year, and a wide assortment of other men's and women's sports within the UConn athletic department.

I think the point @upstater was trying to make is that with Rutgers, Syracuse, BC and Pitt replaced with midwestern schools, the BET isn't what it was. UConn fans may not notice it. But it never dominated the city's sports landscape.

There is something to be said about the way southern and midwestern state schools, and the cities and towns they are in dominate the sports landscape. I have mentioned it often talking about Kansas in Lawrence, and if you went last November, tell me you didn't see it. Went to a brewery filled with families who were not going to the game, and everyone had KU gear on eating dinner. Before the Big XII went to crap and lost Mizzou, Nebraska and OU, KC was like that with the whole city focused on the Big XII tournament. Still will be more focused than NYC is for BET, but not like it was. NY, Boston, Philly, DC and everything in between are pro-sports first. The BET and even NCAAT get bumped for local NBA and NHL.

 

[ZooCougar]

Conservative estimate is that only about 40 schools can afford this.

There are like 36 schools in the SEC and B1G.

 

[upstater]

I have no idea what they're even trying to say.

They're employees. What else would they be?

This flashes me back to Penn State when I got my first paycheck as a TA and it had deductions for not only SS and Medicare, but federal taxes, and then local school board taxes and local income taxes. I looked at it incredulously. This was essentially my room & board money and it was taxed.

There is no way they aren't treated as employees. This has already been decided by the courts and NLRB, when they allowed students to unionize.

 

[Sea Goat]

Speculation re: anything to do with the ACC is risky. When FSU and Clemson get out, watch for an attempted mass exodus by the rest of the so called magnificent 7. So, I don't know if there will be much left. I think the play with the ACC might be more relevant in the BB sphere than anything else. I think the play by the true BB "blue bloods" is to do in BB what has been done in FB. March Madness is the last "golden goose" for the NCAA (The NCAA grosses about $1.2b on March Madness.). March Madness provides about 80% of the NCAA's yearly revenue. The return for a team like UConn is paltry by comparison. We start out in a conference that only had 3 teams in the field. The NCAA decides which bubble teams get in and surprise, surprise - it takes more questionable entrants from the bigger conferences. It figures that it must placate the 800 pound conference gorillas first and foremost! As a result, the NCAA makes the rich, richer by putting more big conference teams in the tournament, than say BE teams. Seton Hall and St. Johns got snubbed in March, but Virginia gets in? A friggin joke!
As it turns out, our closest game in March or April was vs. St. Johns in the BE Tournament!

It's time to look at forcing the issue re: March Madness. Since we have been screwed conference-wise, we should look to see what other premier BB programs want to take over March Madness and spread the wealth we have all helped create more fairly to the best performing teams. If the premier BB schools take over March Madness ala CFP, UConn gets a prime seat at that table. Some of the better remnants of the ACC could be involved too, but many others, like BCU would be irrelevant.

 

[freescooter]

Interesting… on the Syracuse message board all they talked about is how great the big east tournament is and how much they missed it.. and how awful the acc tournament was

It’s the Syracuse board. They also think they are New York City’s team. Plus I don’t think they’ve ever won it. Probably colors their view. I also concede it ain’t the same in Washington. But in Greensboro it is a basketball junky’s dream. Everybody from your Uber driver to the waitress in the place you eat between sessions is talking ACC basketball.

 

[billybud]

Interesting… on the Syracuse message board all they talked about is how great the big east tournament is and how much they missed it.. and how awful the acc tournament was

Of course they have fond memories...they have won eight conference tournaments....zero in the ACC.

Ten regular season conference championships...zero in the ACC

The ACC move has not been kind to the Orange.

 

[Ha Who]

It’s the Syracuse board. They also think they are New York City’s team. Plus I don’t think they’ve ever won it. Probably colors their view. I also concede it ain’t the same in Washington. But in Greensboro it is a basketball junky’s dream. Everybody from your Uber driver to the waitress in the place you eat between sessions is talking ACC basketball.

Never won. I’m not a fan but come on. Don’t you spit stuff out because it sounds good.

Big East Tournament Champions, by Year | Coaches Database

List of Big East Tournament champions in men's basketball - clickable links to individual team and head coach pages for each year's winner.

www.coachesdatabase.com

 

[superjohn]

I think the point @upstater was trying to make is that with Rutgers, Syracuse, BC and Pitt replaced with midwestern schools, the BET isn't what it was. UConn fans may not notice it. But it never dominated the city's sports landscape.

There is something to be said about the way southern and midwestern state schools, and the cities and towns they are in dominate the sports landscape. I have mentioned it often talking about Kansas in Lawrence, and if you went last November, tell me you didn't see it. Went to a brewery filled with families who were not going to the game, and everyone had KU gear on eating dinner. Before the Big XII went to crap and lost Mizzou, Nebraska and OU, KC was like that with the whole city focused on the Big XII tournament. Still will be more focused than NYC is for BET, but not like it was. NY, Boston, Philly, DC and everything in between are pro-sports first. The BET and even NCAAT get bumped for local NBA and NHL.

You're comparing Kansas City to New York City.

 

[Hogoff]

Never won. I’m not a fan but come on. Don’t you spit stuff out because it sounds good.

Big East Tournament Champions, by Year | Coaches Database

List of Big East Tournament champions in men's basketball - clickable links to individual team and head coach pages for each year's winner.

www.coachesdatabase.com

Pretty sure he was talking about Syracuse never winning the ACC tournament. They’ve never even made it past the quarterfinals.

 

[KryHavok]

Of course they have fond memories...they have won eight conference tournaments....zero in the ACC.

Ten regular season conference championships...zero in the ACC

The ACC move has not been kind to the Orange.

Almost as if the Orange has ironically developed scurvy, but instead of vitamin C deficiency, they suffer from Championship deficiency.

 

[Patman]

in other words, some private entity wants to be paid money and have it be sanctioned by congress. we usually call this a "cabal"

 

[FfldCntyFan]

in other words, some private entity wants to be paid money and have it be sanctioned by congress. we usually call this a "cabal"

They also appear to want the benefits that employees receive without the costs or drawbacks of being employees.

 

[How Sway?!]

The Big East does wonders for the football program. Super competitive.

Yeah the BE is stoping the football team from getting multiple P4 transfers

Oh wait...

 

[UConnJim]

It’s the Syracuse board. They also think they are New York City’s team. Plus I don’t think they’ve ever won it. Probably colors their view. I also concede it ain’t the same in Washington. But in Greensboro it is a basketball junky’s dream. Everybody from your Uber driver to the waitress in the place you eat between sessions is talking ACC basketball.

Wow. Have you ever been to Greensboro? There is not much near the arena and many people tailgate in the parking lot. It is a completely different environment compared to the Big East Tournament. My Syracuse friends would love for Syracuse to be in the Big East to go back to MSG.

 

[freescooter]

Disagree…. Big East had a great tourney this year.
I think there is a solid core of coaches that will get this league back to a solid 4-5 teams every year and 5-6 in some.

The league this year should have had 4 teams possibly 5.

It just can’t be UConn and the seven dwarfs. Another team has to step up and challenge UConn.

I agree but I don’t see it happening. I mean, it isn’t like we haven’t seen this movie before. The leading man has changed but the dwarfs are still the dwarfs. Who stepped up to challenge Villanova? Nobody.

 

[freescooter]

Wow. Have you ever been to Greensboro? There is not much near the arena and many people tailgate in the parking lot. It is a completely different environment compared to the Big East Tournament. My Syracuse friends would love for Syracuse to be in the Big East to go back to MSG.

I have and it is nothing but ACC basketball. As I said from the Uber driver to the waitress to the person who checks you in at your hotel, they all talk nothing but ACC hoop. At the MSG nobody knows or cares outside the arena.

Maybe if your Syracuse friends team made it to the Finals, which they never did, they’d have a different view. Plus it is in North Carolina so it is much less convenient. Yeah, and I don’t believe it for a minute that they want to rejoin the NOOB. They want the original Big East, not the current “new” edition. Of course they had a major hand in wrecking the original.

 

[freescooter]

Never won. I’m not a fan but come on. Don’t you spit stuff out because it sounds good.

Big East Tournament Champions, by Year | Coaches Database

List of Big East Tournament champions in men's basketball - clickable links to individual team and head coach pages for each year's winner.

www.coachesdatabase.com

I meant they like the Big East tourney because they won it 7 times. They don’t like the ACC because they never made the finals.