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

[UConn Dan]

I know that.

I am proposing some out-of-the box thinking on UConn's part to get some interest from ESPN and the ACC. It could be part of a discussion.

That is what SMU did. They did some out-of-the box thinking and came up with the suggestion to the ACC that they would take no media money. No other school had done that before. Obviously, UConn can't do that.

ESPN would be very happy to have our Men's and Women's basketball content and was willing to give the Big 12 pro rata for us two years ago (Fox was not interested since they already had us on the cheap). I don't think that has changed. What we negotiate with the conference is another matter.

Should we take SMU deal? I think not. We have significantly more market value than SMU. Should we take less than half a share? I say yes, assuming that it's an increase over what we currently get and we get phased in to full share over 7-10 years.

 

[Exit 4]

Where are you getting this information from?

obviously i am not going to say

 

[Huskyforlife]

Coach K talking up the idea of the ACC taking UConn again, hopefully that means they’re talking behind the scenes and he’s been asked to do positive press for the idea. Just dreaming here.

 

[jostar1]

 

[UConn Dan]

obviously i am not going to say

obviously the source is Exit 68

 

[UConnJim]

Please explain how moving to the ACC would cost us $25mm-$30mm more per year.

To have a competiitve football program in the ACC, UConn would need to spend at least $25 million per year more on football. The operating budget for UConn football is ~$19 million and the operating budgets for mid tier public ACC schools are $35 to $50 million. FSU and Clemson spend close to $70 million on football. And, these numbers are before revenue sharing which kicked in this year and is not included in the numbers. To help you understand, Jeff Brohm the head coach at Louisville all in will make $7 million+ this year. Mora will make ~$2.5 million.

And, some other sports would need a financial boost. Baseball has done well with a Big East schedule and selective OOC scheduling to make the NCAA Tournament. The ACC had the #6, 9, 10, 15, 16, 23, 24 ranked baseball schools last year. Do you really think UConn baseball could compete playing an ACC schedule without an increase in resources?

 

[bendm]

I would like to join a P4 conference, but you are only looking at the revenue side. The cost of running a P4 football program would double or triple what is currently spent. Given the athletic department is ~$30 million in the red each year, how does UConn spend another $25 to $30 million?

What?? Please elaborate on why spending must automatically go up that much. UConn is ALREADY competitive with ACC schools in all sports at the current peanut level of spending so why would that suddenly change if we actually join the conference? Why cant spending go up by some proportional amount to the additional revenue? We would be making more money so we can spend more money and get even better, but we don’t have to start spending X times more money than we would be making just because…it’s not a pro league where there is a minimum amount we have to spend every year.

Mora isn’t going to say “I was fine making 2.5 as an Indy but now that we’re in the ACC I want double.” If that were the case he would have already left for an ACC job. He can get a raise sure but it would have to be proportionate to the additional money coming in.

 

[uchusky32]

To have a competiitve football program in the ACC, UConn would need to spend at least $25 million per year more on football. The operating budget for UConn football is ~$19 million and the operating budgets for mid tier public ACC schools are $35 to $50 million. FSU and Clemson spend close to $70 million on football. And, these numbers are before revenue sharing which kicked in this year and is not included in the numbers. To help you understand, Jeff Brohm the head coach at Louisville all in will make $7 million+ this year. Mora will make ~$2.5 million.

And, some other sports would need a financial boost. Baseball has done well with a Big East schedule and selective OOC scheduling to make the NCAA Tournament. The ACC had the #6, 9, 10, 15, 16, 23, 24 ranked baseball schools last year. Do you really think UConn baseball could compete playing an ACC schedule without an increase in resources?

$50 mill a year from conference rev share and we have the money to spend.

 

[bendm]

$50 mill a year from conference rev share and we have the money to spend.

That’s a no brainer but we’re discussing how “bad” the deal would have to be to still accept it.

 

[Exit 4]

Its not strictly about whether UConn can compete against the B12 or ACC on the budgets they are using today. In a P4 system obsessed with perception issues, UConn has to sell these conferences they can keep at this level of deficit spending today, tomorrow and many years thereafter. The B12/ACC concern is that they let us in, take our economic slice for themselves and then we roll over and behave like Rutgers because we are financially exhausted and all we cared about was the seat. This is one of the reasons it is seen as essential that you have deep political support for whatever move we make. If this was all sunshine and candy we wouldn't see the top of the state involved like we have.

 

[MKH2317]

obviously i am not going to say

Don’t tell us who it is, but what makes them credible? Are they a donor? Are they administration? Are they inside the athletic department? What’s their title?

 

[CashewCrew]

Here's the problem. I have no doubt that UConn can be competitive in men's and women's basketball as UConn has the history and devotes the resources to compete. In football, without a massive annual cash infusion, UConn would not be competitive year in and year out in the ACC. To put things in perspective, UConn would need to double to triple the pay for the head coach to get to the average ACC head football coach.

For UConn to take a no media revenues deal, donors would have to step up to fund the football program to become competitive. I would think UConn would need to raise $25 to $30 million in incremental donations per year to take the no revenue deal. SMU raised $200 million from donors to take the no revenue deal.

I had never really read about the SMU media deal. It's actually absurd. SMU paid $200M up front and will not collect any conference revenue until 2033. 9 years, valued at what $50M a year? That's insane. $650M price tag for a seat at the table (which may not exist in 2036), not even considering the future value of that money.

 

[bendm]

Its not strictly about whether UConn can compete against the B12 or ACC on the budgets they are using today. In a P4 system obsessed with perception issues, UConn has to sell these conferences they can keep at this level of deficit spending today, tomorrow and many years thereafter. The B12/ACC concern is that they let us in, take our economic slice for themselves and then we roll over and behave like Rutgers because we are financially exhausted and all we cared about was the seat. This is one of the reasons it is seen as essential that you have deep political support for whatever move we make. If this was all sunshine and candy we wouldn't see the top of the state involved like we have.

fine. They can add incentives and reasonable milestones but the two options aren’t 1) go broke in the BE trying to support an Indy football team, or 2) go broke in the ACC trying to win the chip every year in every sport. There’s a successful and sustainable middle ground.

 

[metsfan2323]

If we can parlay this season into a decent, football only, PAC offer, or AAC offer we should take it.

Give the middle finger to the SMU deal, efff that.

 

[buddy]

Good thing it's not just about 1 game, right? We have more ACC football wins over the last 2 years than FSU (3 vs 2) and are going bowling for the 2nd straight year and 3rd time in the last 4 years. Our basketball teams are both ranked in the top 5. At #4, we are ranked higher than all 3 ACC men's teams. At #1, our women are of course ranked higher than all 5 of the ACC schools. Nick Saban giving us some love. Rat Face Coach K giving us some love. It's a little more than just a delusional fan base hoping for an invite. There are some external forces working in our favor. No clue if it will translate to anything, but nothing wrong with a little hopeful optimism around here. Based on your comment that I included, you could use a little too. Talking about shares in a conference is no different than talking about what you'd do with lottery winnings. Maybe the chances aren't very good, but it's fun to discuss and imagine. You, good sir, need to take a gummy and, as Frankie said in the 80's, relax.

Hard to be optimistic when one has been beaten down so many times starting with the Louisville debacle. I will however, think about a gummy. That may be good advice.

 

[ScottVib]

That's why I said that Benedict should propose to put all of the women's basketball games on ESPN+.

Frankly that would be a better deal than the current one. At least then you only need one subscription to see all the games, vs something with Fox, something with Turner (TNT/TruTV), Peacock and something with ESPN

 

[CL82]

The biggest problem with UConn to the ACC is that the ACC grabbed SMU for no media revenues and Stanford and Cal for half media revenues. Would UConn join for no media revenues or half?

Yes, disgusting though that is, at least for a few years.

 

[UConnJim]

What?? Please elaborate on why spending must automatically go up that much. UConn is ALREADY competitive with ACC schools in all sports at the current peanut level of spending so why would that suddenly change if we actually join the conference? Why cant spending go up by some proportional amount to the additional revenue? We would be making more money so we can spend more money and get even better, but we don’t have to start spending X times more money than we would be making just because…it’s not a pro league where there is a minimum amount we have to spend every year.

Mora isn’t going to say “I was fine making 2.5 as an Indy but now that we’re in the ACC I want double.” If that were the case he would have already left for an ACC job. He can get a raise sure but it would have to be proportionate to the additional money coming in.

Delusional. You do realize UConn is one of the highest spenders in both men’s and women’s basketball. Why? To be competitive. So, you think UConn can spend less than half of what ACC schools spend on football and be competitive? Do you think any good football coach would come to UConn if the program was underfunded

 

[bendm]

So, you think UConn can spend less than half of what ACC schools spend on football and be competitive? Do you think any good football coach would come to UConn if the program was underfunded

I repeat- We’re already competitive in football even though we spend less and we already have a good coach even though we pay him less. We would have won at least 4-5 ACC games this year. that is being competitive. But If you think the goal is to spend whatever it takes to win the CFP then you’re the one that’s delusional.

Just for fun let’s say we’d get $20mill more from the ACC than our current tv deals pay us. Now using the numbers you threw out we could afford to raise football spending from $19 to $25 mill and give Mora a $500k raise to 3 mill. Keep spending consistent across the other sports and maybe an additional million for baseball just for you. Even with a total increase in spending of $7.5 million the athletic deficit would decrease from ~$30 mill to $17.5 thanks to the additional revenue.

 

[Exit 4]

I repeat- We’re already competitive in football even though we spend less and we already have a good coach even though we pay him less. If you think the goal is to spend whatever it takes to win the CFP then you’re the one that’s delusional

He's just referring to the averages in P4. I wouldnt bet that we could engineer 7-10 win season annually in the ACC while spending far less. The grind of weekly games against bigger rosters would get to us. The talent race would be hard.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

If we can parlay this season into a decent, football only, PAC offer, or AAC offer we should take it.

Give the middle finger to the SMU deal, efff that.

Disagree - if only for the reason that we'd lose our 3-4 ACC games per year. Bad for the football program and bad for the fans. Hard pass.

 

[UConnJim]

I repeat- We’re already competitive in football even though we spend less and we already have a good coach even though we pay him less. We would have won at least 4-5 ACC games this year. that is being competitive. But If you think the goal is to spend whatever it takes to win the CFP then you’re the one that’s delusional.

Just for fun let’s say we’d get $20mill more from the ACC than our current tv deals pay us. Now using the numbers you threw out we could afford to raise football spending from $19 to $25 mill and give Mora a $500k raise to 3 mill. Keep spending consistent across the other sports and maybe an additional million for baseball just for you. Even with a total increase in spending of $7.5 million the athletic deficit would decrease from ~$30 mill to $17.5 thanks to the additional revenue.

We are not competitive in football with a P4 schedule over the long term with current spending. Why do you think Mora had his outburst on investment in football? Why do you think SMU raised $200 million to invest in athletics which equals close to $20 to $25 million per year? Dave knows the math. Ask him and he will not agree with you at all. He has been doing conference call updates, so call into the next one and ask him if UConn can field a competitive P4 football program with our current investment.

 

[metsfan2323]

Disagree - if only for the reason that we'd lose our 3-4 ACC games per year. Bad for the football program and bad for the fans. Hard pass.

We'd still be able to play at least two ACC games per year. If the PAC or AAC offered us a significantly better TV deal we need to strongly consider it. Next year's schedule is brutal and we won't have a Fagnano/Skyler Bell combo every year. Stacking a schedule full of P4 games when we can't compete financially for players is a recipe for losing.

 

[bendm]

We are not competitive in football with a P4 schedule over the long term with current spending. Why do you think Mora had his outburst on investment in football? Why do you think SMU raised $200 million to invest in athletics which equals close to $20 to $25 million per year? Dave knows the math. Ask him and he will not agree with you at all. He has been doing conference call updates, so call into the next one and ask him if UConn can field a competitive P4 football program with our current investment.

Wow I can’t believe You’re actually saying we can’t afford to join a power conference without even knowing how much of a revenue share we’d get. that is the lamest argument I’ve ever heard in my life. Fine stay Indy playing other rando midmajors and the occasional ACC school if they’re feeling generous and if you’re lucky you can go to the Fenway bowl. Incredibly Lame and no upside. And more importantly How long can the school keep covering a $30 mill annual athletic deficit? Something will have to give eventually.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

We'd still be able to play at least two ACC games per year. If the PAC or AAC offered us a significantly better TV offer we need to strongly consider it. Next year's schedule is brutal and we won't have a Fagnanio/Skyler Bell combo every year. Stacking a schedule full of P4 games when we can't compete financially for players is a recipe for losing.

With 9 conf games, it'd be almost impossible to have the schedule flexibility to maintain ACC scheduling greater than one per year.

The Pac or American TV revenue hasn't been nor will be enough to make us jump.

While we won't have Joe or Skyler next season, we'll have to backload as everyone else now has to as well. Three or four P4 games is good - iron sharpens iron and our fans want it (Saturday being evidence of that). Our fan base and the casuals want BC/Syracuse/Duke much more than they want any Pac or American teams (most couldn't even list any).