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

[upstater]

6/8 is a 75% clip. If the other teams are 8/8 (not impossible, as I feel teams opposed to us would be most likely to leak) we probably sneak in, but 12/16 sound acrimonious.

Once they get the 12th vote, it will be unanimous. Only the B1G had negative votes when PSU was invited. All the other additions were unanimous.

 

[upstater]

I don't think the spending is the issue. It's from where the money they are spending comes. They'd much rather the money come from a large base of donors than from a state government. A lot has to happen to turn off each individual donor spigot than does the current government subsidy.

The difference of course is the media money, of which UConn receives very little. If UConn joined the B12, it would instantly vault into the top quarter of the league in spending, even if it reduced it's university subsidy by $20m. And then if it became really aggressive in fake accounting, it would take all the branding revenue for the entire university and include that as athletics income. That's just one common trick. There are many more.

 

[GoConn]

Wait is ESPN offering to up the Big 12 Media deal to add us?

 

[upstater]

Bingo- the concern is the lack of big time athletics donors/fundraising (which is something UConn has struggled with for years). Relying on the state to fund improvements to facilities (look at how long its taken to do anything at The Rent, XL, Gampel as an example) rather than a large base of donors is one of many things that highlight the existing issue, along with the lack of initiative related to NIL and low fundraising amount as it relates to football.

I would hope as part of the presentation, AD David Benedict has a list of high end donors willing to step up with multi-year commitments once it becomes official.

The vast majority of P4 schools rely on the state for facility improvements. Michigan does. Texas does. Donors don't pay for stadiums, except in the case of T Boone Pickens and the $450m he donated (then rescinded because he lost all his money, only to give it again a decade later). The bonding for those projects goes through the school, not the AD. So does the debt service. You won't see debt service for facilities on the AD's balance sheet. And if donors pony up for stadiums, the money never goes to the construction of the stadium itself. Instead, it becomes athletic donor revenue.

I've long said that the top programs could professionalize and use the university brand if they wanted to, but the only thing holding them back is the fact that so many universities owe hundreds of millions, if not billions, on facilities. Look at Cal-Berkeley. That's a massive hole in the budget.

 

[jostar1]

Wait is ESPN offering to up the Big 12 Media deal to add us?

Yes. But most or all of it is to pay us. Maybe a little of it would go to the other schools to pay travel expenses. Adding UConn is supposed to be revenue neutral to the other schools.

 

[JohnFSilver]

Our state media is worthless

There is only one or two left. They can’t do everything. And, there is no dedicated college football writer at any of the legacy papers.

Ralph is one of the best in the business and actually cares about the big 12.

 

[BugsyCT]

Gotta wonder which of the 8 schools voted yes or no and which ones of the remaining 8 are left undecided.

And what it would take to sweeten the deal for everyone so we get the 12 needed votes.

 

[Huskyforlife]

I think the only thing left of concern is finding out when they will take an official vote. Especially if Zanetto is correct that the needed votes are secured and all these meetings are formalities. You'd think the final pitch and vote would be before College Football really kicks off.

 

[ec33]

I think the only thing left of concern is finding out when they will take an official vote. Especially if Zanetto is correct that the needed votes are secured and all these meetings are formalities. You'd think the final pitch and vote would be before College Football really kicks off.

My way of thinking is it is either tomorrow because they have the votes or "still working out the details" because BY doesn't have the votes and turns to hoping that Mora's boys change some minds by not being awful.

 

[Kowalski]

Gotta wonder which of the 8 schools voted yes or no and which ones of the remaining 8 are left undecided.

And what it would take to sweeten the deal for everyone so we get the 12 needed votes.

Hopefully don’t need to sweeten it if Yormark & Endeavor can convince 6 of them to join the 6 schools already on board. If they’re on the fence, the benefit of the doubt should go to Yormark.

 

[bendm]

I don’t really understand the assumption that yormark still has the votes when it was just reported that the unofficial vote was 6-2 and at least a couple schools still needed convincing. Otherwise wouldn’t the latest intel be along the lines of “yormark still has the votes…”

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

I don’t really understand the assumption that yormark still has the votes when it was just reported that the unofficial vote was 6-2 and at least a couple schools still needed convincing. Otherwise the latest intel would be along the lines of “yormark still has the votes…”

Possible alternative consideration: After Big 12 presidents potentially just received media details, Endeavor’s reports, more information from UConn, etc, why would anyone reasonably believe undocumented rumors to be accurate? Alternatively, what’s the likelihood no university presidents would be compelled to share important updates with their respective board of trustees before any formal votes would occur? Bit early in the process? To be determined.

 

[jostar1]

I don’t really understand the assumption that yormark still has the votes when it was just reported that the unofficial vote was 6-2 and at least a couple schools still needed convincing. Otherwise wouldn’t the latest intel be along the lines of “yormark still has the votes…”

That wasn't an "unofficial" vote. Dodd got info about 8 schools.
6 Yes 2 No

He doesn't know about the other 8 schools. If he did, he would have put it in the story.

 

[JMick]

I don’t really understand the assumption that yormark still has the votes when it was just reported that the unofficial vote was 6-2 and at least a couple schools still needed convincing. Otherwise wouldn’t the latest intel be along the lines of “yormark still has the votes…”

It seems he's never had the votes to begin with. He's trying to persuade them

 

[JohnFSilver]

This feels illegal but it's probably not. It's surely a conflict of interest.

The loss of UConn on its channels really hurts espn hoops credibility.

They do not have the most storied name in women’s basketball on its channel nearly as much anymore. And, they literally embarrassed themselves on hoops coverage when they all acknowledge the best team in the country and sport, a historic dynasty, isn’t on their channel after December.

ESPN men’s hoops coverage been cringeworthy with no UConn, Villanova, Marquette and creighton.

It’s gonna be the Paige bueckers year for women’s hoops, and they don’t have much access to Paige.

I think espn desperately wants the men’s and women’s product back on their network.

Especially if Hurley keeps UConn top 10.

 

[JohnFSilver]

Also the two no votes…guarantee one is Oklahoma State and other is TCU?

Thst would be my guess.

 

[JMick]

Also the two no votes…guarantee one is Oklahoma State and other is TCU?

Thst would be my guess.

Oklahoma State will vote no even if it's 15-1

 

[Waquoit]

Also the two no votes…guarantee one is Oklahoma State and other is TCU?

Et tu, former Big East partner?

 

[JohnFSilver]

Oklahoma State will vote no even if it's 15-1

Okie really is one of those schools that is tied to being southwest football culturally.

 

[Drew]

Also the two no votes…guarantee one is Oklahoma State and other is TCU?

Thst would be my guess.

I would almost certainly bet the other no is Utah given their vocal displeasure with joining and wanting to be in as strong of a football league as possible

None of the people are still there likely but TCU did receive a UConn vote and support to join the Big East 15 years ago. Not exactly shocking to imagine them being supportive of us joining this go round.

 

[jostar1]

Et tu, former Big East partner?

TCU didn't play any games in the Big East.

 

[upstater]

Okie really is one of those schools that is tied to being southwest football culturally.

If you've ever been to Stillwater, you would sympathize with those poor people. This is all they have. By the way, the water is not still in Stillwater. But there's still some water left there. And that's how it got its name.

 

[CL82]

Bingo- the concern is the lack of big time athletics donors/fundraising (which is something UConn has struggled with for years). Relying on the state to fund improvements to facilities (look at how long its taken to do anything at The Rent, XL, Gampel as an example) rather than a large base of donors is one of many things that highlight the existing issue, along with the lack of initiative related to NIL and low fundraising amount as it relates to football.

I would hope as part of the presentation, AD David Benedict has a list of high end donors willing to step up with multi-year commitments once it becomes official.

Except UConn actually has excellent NIL for basketball And reasonably good NIL for football.

 

[Drew]

Except UConn actually has excellent NIL for basketball And reasonably good NIL for football.

Reasonably good would depend who you are comparing us to. Football funding is the issue here.

 

[CL82]

Reasonably good would depend who you are comparing us to. Football funding is the issue here.

Look at the portal class we have this year. We are able to compete with P4 schools.