Looks like everyone needs to stay before Navy would consider joining

[Hoophound]

UConn Reaffirms Commitment To Big East

October 02, 2011|By DOM AMORE, damore@courant.com, The Hartford Courant

WASHINGTON — The Big East's presidents reaffirmed the league's survival instinct, and to one degree or another all, including UConn, were on board.
"[UConn president Susan Herbst] was terrific at this meeting," Big East commissioner John Marinatto said. "She said she would do whatever she could to help build a stronger Big East going forward."

Now we just need to get on the phone with Amherst.

Hours later Herbst refuted the use of the word "commitment".

 

[Hoophound]

The size of the money doesn't matter anymore. Even ACCs $20m was dismissed because the SEC can make it worth your while. Missouri's leaked document showed a marginal increase of $12m per annum. You can pay $20m back quickly .... don't even need to calculate the IRR.

WE are going to 12, imho, because nothing really gets killed if we lose ONE. or TWO of 12. Numbers are there to give Navy & others comfort.

True. I have wanted to go 12 or 14 for this purpose. If we aren't raising the fee and Navy is the only one not willing to sign on, then pass on Navy and take someone else. If we assemble enough schools, they will probably fall in anyway.

 

[BlueMAB]

Hours later Herbst refuted the use of the word "commitment".

Got a link?

She denied it 9/21, this quote is from 10/3.

 

[Hoophound]

OK, raise it by $1 million.[/quote

Perfect!!! We agree

I will give you this: Raising the fee may be a waste if we still can't bring in the teams we want. How about this? If we need to raise the fee to get them, we raise them? We will know soon enough if it is needed or not.

 

[upstater]

Answer it yourself, sparky. I like media rights lockups, personally.

LOL, locked in eternity with Umass.

 

[flyonthewall]

Karma may just get UConn too. Navy and the other potential new members want to know that the current BE schools are committed to the BE before they join. Hm, sounds a lot like the 'commitments' UConn claim they got from Miami which were part of the 2004 lawsuit.

 

[BlueMAB]

Hours later Herbst refuted the use of the word "commitment".

Got a link?

She denied it 9/21, this quote is from 10/3.

Still looking?

 

[arnie3]

If Rutgers and UConn are balking at raising the exit fee, they better have options. Ville and WVU have multiple irons in the fire but Rutgers and UConn are looking at slimmer odds of escape. I say, raise the fee and pay up later if you have to. Not sure I like this strategy. Raise the fee and bring in the bst schools possible asap.

Raising the exit fee will not be the answer to the Naval Academy's concern, which is are the 6 schools staying. Your premise is to have an escape clause if UConn is invited to another conference. Their concern is stability. The two are not compatible. This is why I don't see this working.

 

[Hoophound]

Got a link?

She denied it 9/21, this quote is from 10/3.

Still looking?

No, I have a career. She has not committed as of yet. Even in her interview immediately after the meeting she said John would comment on the meeting. She won't raise the exit fee. She hasn't publicly committed. She still say's she is talking to people.

You must be like 17 if you consider a link a great source anyway. The article you copied and pasted above is junk. Read it. It says she committed, then in the article it says "she said she'd do whatever she could to help......blah blah blah. " Where is her quote? It doesn't exist.

You think she committed? Got a link?

 

[BlueMAB]

No, I have a career. She has not committed as of yet. Even in her interview immediately after the meeting she said John would comment on the meeting. She won't raise the exit fee. She hasn't publicly committed. She still say's she is talking to people.

You must be like 17 if you consider a link a great source anyway. The article you copied and pasted above is junk. Read it. It says she committed, then in the article it says "she said she'd do whatever she could to help......blah blah blah. " Where is her quote? It doesn't exist.

You think she committed? Got a link?

A link isn't a great source, but it's a start to backing up what you said. You said she denied it hours later. Shouldn't be that hard to find a quote for someone with a career who took the time to keep reading the thread and respond anyway.

Of course she is talking to people. There's no reason UConn can't explore our options quietly, continue to lobby the ACC, while committing to help rebuild the big east in the meantime. Despite yours and waylon's opinions, those are not mutually exclusive goals.

 

[Rumrunner]

The new new new Big East will have 6 new, untested programs. This conference will be the experiment of all experiments.

Let's summarize:

There are 16 proposed members of this conference.

6 currently play both football and basketball.

1 plays football, but elects to play alone

6 new members will join, 3 of whom will play both football and basketball;
the other 3 will play only football

8 play only basketball


And there are some here proposing that UConn grant to this experimental conference its media rights?

Thank god for President Herbst.

 

[gars44]

This Navy AD may save us from ourselves.

Really. I mean, it's like, maybe the truth is just so close they can't see it. I'm starting to think that Uconn, RU, WVU and Louie are just plain idiotic. I hate say it but it reminds me of every condemned species and race of mankind facing extinction and thinking only of the old tried and true: "It's every man for himself." How about sticking together and facing the common enemy united? That takes courage. Navy may indeed save us from ourselves.

 

[gars44]

If we could keep the AQ and remain in the BE for bball, I am not sure I would want to leave. However, we need to add some quality FB schools, even if they are 2000 miles away.

We can. At least I'm hoping that we have a football conference that is separate from the BB conference. I like the BE basketball conference. Let's just be in different conferences for the two sports. We need to preserve what's left of the BB conference.

 

[gars44]

The new new new Big East will have 6 new, untested programs. This conference will be the experiment of all experiments.

Let's summarize:

There are 16 proposed members of this conference.

6 currently play both football and basketball.

1 plays football, but elects to play alone

6 new members will join, 3 of whom will play both football and basketball;
the other 3 will play only football

8 play only basketball

And there are some here proposing that UConn grant to this experimental conference its media rights?

Thank god for President Herbst.

Hopefully, the basketball conference is called the Big East and the football conference is called "something else." There is no reason anymore to align in a single conference all these wayfarers. Forget it. It's not even close to necessary. Two separate corporations, two separate entities. There is no reason to pretend we are in the same conference anymore. It could be as simple as Big East Football Conference and Big East Sports Conference.

 

[toppencil]

Hopefully, the basketball conference is called the Big East and the football conference is called "something else." There is no reason anymore to align in a single conference all these wayfarers. Forget it. It's not even close to necessary. Two separate corporations, two separate entities. There is no reason to pretend we are in the same conference anymore. It could be as simple as Big East Football Conference and Big East Sports Conference.

I would guess the football schools are hesitant to do that because who gets the automatic bid to the NCAA tourney. Also, the conference BB success has helped the football conference retain prestige that historical football performance didn't warrant.

If you feel the Big East name carries unwanted stigma, give the football portion of the Big East a new brand name; maybe Football East.

 

[CL82]

How does it show commitment?

It doesn't but it lets everyone pretend that it has been made. Hell raise the entry fee to offset it. Let Navy show some commitment as well. Here's the deal -do not do it piece meal. Bring everyone on board, change the fee and be done with story. We can argue that the league is now stronger and now have a championship game to sell. The newbs can talk about they have stepped up as the are now in the a new AQ conference. Will things really have changed? Sure a bit, but the realities of a potential lost AQ status and of future raids will still be there. Everyone can pretend that the it is an end to the story and things have stabilized. It isn't a perfect solution but it is best option we've got.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

I think UCONN should definitely agree to increase the exit fee. What's the worst? UCONN goes to the ACC and has to pay the fees? The upside is if UL or WVU leave the conference, they also have to pay the fees too. I have no idea how long we might stay in the BE. It might be a while before the ACC make its move. Unless SEC raids them, I doubt the ACC will expand anytime soon. Otherwise, they won't be going for a TV contract renegotiation right now until they get their membership down.

I think right now we need to focus on growing the BE. Losing Pitt and SU has forced the BE to think way out of the box. They are finally looking at a national EAST/WEST 12 team football conference. I realize all the potential new schools don't have traditional names. So what? BE can grow them just like BE did for Cincy, USF and UL. It might take a few years, but someone will grow out of the bunch. I sure hope it is UCONN. I believe BE will get some nice new TV markets for football with the new 12 team conference.

BTW, CUSA has exit fee of $7M. BE's $5M exit fee is a freaking joke for a BCS conference. BE should raise it to $15M+ before BE goes out to negotiate the next TV deal.