Manuel feels UConn in middle ground financially with power conferences (K. Duffy)

[Dooley]

Honest question (I'm not being snarky): wasn't the concept of a national concept spread across all time zones essentially shot down? SDSU and Boise both backed out the arrangement and BYU was not interested from the beginning. I would agree that the national concept got me the most excited while UCONN sat in AAC purgatory. My ideal purgatory conference would have been:

UCONN
Temple
Cincinnati
Memphis
UCF
USF
Navy

Houston
SMU
SDSU
Boise
BYU
Colorado St
Fresno St

That would give a 2-division 14 school conference with as best of a mix of football, basketball, TV markets and national appeal as possible. Because it's a purgatory conference, there's no need to get to 16 as some of these schools would bolt for a better conference as soon as the phone rang. If/When a school leaves for another conference, the larger conference concept can be re-shuffled to cut back on travel.

Football would play all division members annually (alternating home/away) and 2 cross-conference mates (1 home and 1 away) per year, allowing for 3 out of conference games. Basketball would play all division members twice (home and away) and each cross-conference mate once (alternating home/away) pr year. Non revenue sports would play all division members twice (home and away) and vary the cross-conference games depending on sport/schedule/budget.

Just typing this out makes me hope that Susan has Jim Delany on her cell phone plan's Friends and Family network.

 

[itgoeslike]

Honest question (I'm not being snarky): wasn't the concept of a national concept spread across all time zones essentially shot down? SDSU and Boise both backed out the arrangement and BYU was not interested from the beginning.

If you remember, in advance of renegotiating the BE contract, ESPN sweetened the BYU deal and proposed a BSU centric deal for the MWC. SDSU really didn't have too many options. We'll see what happens in the future. I will say this, adding the above 3 teams would help both the football and basketball RPI. Maybe New Mexico fits into this model.

 

[ZooCougar]

Honest question (I'm not being snarky): wasn't the concept of a national concept spread across all time zones essentially shot down? SDSU and Boise both backed out the arrangement and BYU was not interested from the beginning. I would agree that the national concept got me the most excited while UCONN sat in AAC purgatory. My ideal purgatory conference would have been:

UCONN
Temple
Cincinnati
Memphis
UCF
USF
Navy

Houston
SMU
SDSU
Boise
BYU
Colorado St
Fresno St

That would give a 2-division 14 school conference with as best of a mix of football, basketball, TV markets and national appeal as possible. Because it's a purgatory conference, there's no need to get to 16 as some of these schools would bolt for a better conference as soon as the phone rang. If/When a school leaves for another conference, the larger conference concept can be re-shuffled to cut back on travel.

Football would play all division members annually (alternating home/away) and 2 cross-conference mates (1 home and 1 away) per year, allowing for 3 out of conference games. Basketball would play all division members twice (home and away) and each cross-conference mate once (alternating home/away) pr year. Non revenue sports would play all division members twice (home and away) and vary the cross-conference games depending on sport/schedule/budget.

Just typing this out makes me hope that Susan has Jim Delany on her cell phone plan's Friends and Family network.

It was shot down. But due to recent developments it may need to be revisited.

If you want a conference full of like minded schools with enough resources to spend to keep pace with the power 5 then you will have to pull from around the entire country in order to get enough schools to have a viable conference. You need 8-10 teams at least.

 

[SixRings]

Honest question (I'm not being snarky): wasn't the concept of a national concept spread across all time zones essentially shot down? SDSU and Boise both backed out the arrangement and BYU was not interested from the beginning. I would agree that the national concept got me the most excited while UCONN sat in AAC purgatory. My ideal purgatory conference would have been:

If I recall something similar was discussed and as zoo said it was shot down. I always liked the idea. It seemed to be the best of all the others and added up to a very strong league. Sort of addition by subtraction. But that league would be nobody's biatch.
Travel is a problem for BB in your model though. Although you alternate yearly you still have 3 or 4 trips across country each year on top of the in-conference travel that would be, by all standards, a lot itself.

 

[huskypantz]

That will run out.

Hopefully after we run out of the AAC.

 

[Dooley]

Thanks guys. Either way, I hope this latest talk of P5 splits or stipends expedites UCONN's escape from this conference.

 

[upstater]

The only possibility I see is UConn talking to BYU and a few other likeminded schools about making commitments to play one another as Independents. BYU parked its basketball in WCC and maybe UConn could do the same with the A-10 but I doubt it. It would be mindbogglingly difficult to arrange these schedules, but the money from going it alone might make it worth it to hire someone who is solely in charge of scheduling.

I'm sure there are several schools in UConn's boat, schools that heel they have enough market pull to command 5x-10x what they are currently making from their conference. If these schools could commit to scheduling one another without sharing their rights, it could be beneficial for all of them.

 

[CAHUSKY]

Ugh


Nevada doesn't have the revenue. They have had a strong team in the past, but we need programs with strong performance and revenue. In this case revenue and the ability to play by P5 standards trumps performance.

Yeah, but they do have an Athletic Director who is a UCONN alum and im a season ticket holder so I think we should include them.

 

[ZooCougar]

The only possibility I see is UConn talking to BYU and a few other likeminded schools about making commitments to play one another as Independents. BYU parked its basketball in WCC and maybe UConn could do the same with the A-10 but I doubt it. It would be mindbogglingly difficult to arrange these schedules, but the money from going it alone might make it worth it to hire someone who is solely in charge of scheduling.

I'm sure there are several schools in UConn's boat, schools that heel they have enough market pull to command 5x-10x what they are currently making from their conference. If these schools could commit to scheduling one another without sharing their rights, it could be beneficial for all of them.

That's basically what the Eastern Independents used to do.

 

[bobbyinaz]

That's basically what the Eastern Independents used to do.

Not easy to do now.

B1G has gone to a 9 game conference schedule. Big 12 with 10 teams in the conference plays 9 conference games. SEC, with the start of the SEC Network, will wind up going from 8 to 9 games because they will want the inventory.

The problem with this approach is finding games once the conference games start for the P5 and even more difficult to find games played at the Rent.

You would need to get at least 6-8 schools to agree to a scheduling alliance to make this work. Maybe UConn, Cinn, BYU, Boise, UCF, USF, ECU & San Diego St. This would guarantee you 7 games. Still need to find 5 games plus need to create some bowl tie-ins

 

[upstater]

Not easy to do now.

B1G has gone to a 9 game conference schedule. Big 12 with 10 teams in the conference plays 9 conference games. SEC, with the start of the SEC Network, will wind up going from 8 to 9 games because they will want the inventory.

The problem with this approach is finding games once the conference games start for the P5 and even more difficult to find games played at the Rent.

You would need to get at least 6-8 schools to agree to a scheduling alliance to make this work. Maybe UConn, Cinn, BYU, Boise, UCF, USF, ECU & San Diego St. This would guarantee you 7 games. Still need to find 5 games plus need to create some bowl tie-ins

That why he mentioned the Eatsern independents. They were committed to one another and played each other each and every year. Yes, of course you need 9 teams to do it. You need 8 games.

 

[Husky25]

Not easy to do now.

B1G has gone to a 9 game conference schedule. Big 12 with 10 teams in the conference plays 9 conference games. SEC, with the start of the SEC Network, will wind up going from 8 to 9 games because they will want the inventory.

The problem with this approach is finding games once the conference games start for the P5 and even more difficult to find games played at the Rent.

You would need to get at least 6-8 schools to agree to a scheduling alliance to make this work. Maybe UConn, Cinn, BYU, Boise, UCF, USF, ECU & San Diego St. This would guarantee you 7 games. Still need to find 5 games plus need to create some bowl tie-ins

A conference by any other name is still a conference.

 

[upstater]

A conference by any other name is still a conference.

Well, you don't have championships. You don't have championship games. You don't have automatic births to the NCAA tourney. You don't have any conference officials or conference HQs. You don't have conference TV rights, conference logos, etc.

 

[Hoophound]

Lol. If we could get $10,000,000 from SNY etc. we could pay other schools to play us and make way more money than we get in the AAC. Seriously, if we manage our own media rights we can pay for games if we have to.

 

[Dooley]

Lol. If we could get $10,000,000 from SNY etc. we could pay other schools to play us and make way more money than we get in the AAC. Seriously, if we manage our own media rights we can pay for games if we have to.

I joked about a HUSKY TV Network a few weeks ago but then got to thinking seriously about it. If UCONN ever did break away from the AAC and owned all of their TV rights, it could sell all content to SNY for a better payday than what we currently get from the AAC. SNY would likely jump at the chance for something like this since showing re-runs of Mike Piazza and Dwight Gooden can only carry you so far.

 

[Husky25]

Well, you don't have championships. You don't have championship games. You don't have automatic births to the NCAA tourney. You don't have any conference officials or conference HQs. You don't have conference TV rights, conference logos, etc.

The point is if your going to create a scheduling alliance with 6-8 other schools, up that target by 3-5 more and create a true conference. The Big Ten was intended in the first place to do just that: make scheduling of sporting events easier and to do it with like minded scholastic institutions. Originally, it was not about TV dollars, ESPN, or how many teams play in post season exhibition football games (Only the Rose Bowl, I believe, in the early years).

 

[Fishy]

UConn
UCF
Cincy
NIU
USF
Boise
SDSU
BYU
CSU


Would love to see the revenue figures of those schools. That conference wouldn't be too shabby in theory.

Cincinnati - $48M
Boise State - $43M
USF - $43M
UCF - $41M
San Diego State - $38M
Colorado State - $31M
Northern Illinois - $23M

Brigham Young is private and therefore figures are not readily available, but checking the last time figures were available and projecting them a bit, I'd be comfortable in saying that they would likely fall just short of Cincinnati's $48M

UConn, at just under $64M, rates higher than Kansas State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina State, Arizona State, Washington State, Utah, Oregon State, Mississippi, Missouri, Iowa State, Colorado and lord knows how many private schools.

 

[ZooCougar]

Not easy to do now.

B1G has gone to a 9 game conference schedule. Big 12 with 10 teams in the conference plays 9 conference games. SEC, with the start of the SEC Network, will wind up going from 8 to 9 games because they will want the inventory.

The problem with this approach is finding games once the conference games start for the P5 and even more difficult to find games played at the Rent.

You would need to get at least 6-8 schools to agree to a scheduling alliance to make this work. Maybe UConn, Cinn, BYU, Boise, UCF, USF, ECU & San Diego St. This would guarantee you 7 games. Still need to find 5 games plus need to create some bowl tie-ins

You're not seeing the point. Although you are sort of right but for a different reason

PSU, WVU, Pitt, SU, BC, Rutgers, Miami, Temple, and perhaps to a lesser degree ECU and maybe even ND (not sure if they were Indy) all used to play eachother with great frequency (Think Flutie and his hail mary against Miami or WVU/SU in that movie a few years ago) . Back then, the model supported schools being independent because TV money wasn't as tied to conferences and most games weren't televised. It was easy to schedule as an Indy because there were scads of them and they were generally in the same region. When Big East football finally came about, using most of those schools as the basis of the conference was pretty much turn key.

I think what Upstater was suggesting and its an idea that would have to be embraced is that we develop habitual scheduling with other high "mid majors" so that we never have a dearth of games and maintain a good SOS.

One could even make the argument that if we could lock in the scheduling, sell our own FB TV rights, and somehow put the other sports in a respectable conference such as the Big East, that it would be far more lucrative for us to get the heck out of the AAC.

The biggest problem of course would be bowl alliances.

 

[ZooCougar]

A conference by any other name is still a conference.

Not true. No exit fee, no championship game, no sharing money.

 

[ZooCougar]

Cincinnati - $48M
Boise State - $43M
USF - $43M
UCF - $41M
San Diego State - $38M
Colorado State - $31M
Northern Illinois - $23M

Brigham Young is private and therefore figures are not readily available, but checking the last time figures were available and projecting them a bit, I'd be comfortable in saying that they would likely fall just short of Cincinnati's $48M

UConn, at just under $64M, rates higher than Kansas State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina State, Arizona State, Washington State, Utah, Oregon State, Mississippi, Missouri, Iowa State, Colorado and lord knows how many private schools.

Ugh NIU is pitiful.

I am just trying think outside the box here. Somewhere there has to be the pieces to create a new construct that is more profitable than the AAC.

I have this feeling that when Aresco tells the Presidents that it's time to adopt the same policies as the P5 that a half or a third of the schools are not going to have the means, and we will be artificially held down.

 

[ZooCougar]

The point is if your going to create a scheduling alliance with 6-8 other schools, up that target by 3-5 more and create a true conference. The Big Ten was intended in the first place to do just that: make scheduling of sporting events easier and to do it with like minded scholastic institutions. Originally, it was not about TV dollars, ESPN, or how many teams play in post season exhibition football games (Only the Rose Bowl, I believe, in the early years).

Not just like minded, but similar in resources. Short of that, if we can figure out how to make more money as Indy and still find an adequate home for the other sports then you have to look into that.

 

[upstater]

The point is if your going to create a scheduling alliance with 6-8 other schools, up that target by 3-5 more and create a true conference. The Big Ten was intended in the first place to do just that: make scheduling of sporting events easier and to do it with like minded scholastic institutions. Originally, it was not about TV dollars, ESPN, or how many teams play in post season exhibition football games (Only the Rose Bowl, I believe, in the early years).

We're in a true conference now. The problem is the TV contract.

 

[upstater]

You're not seeing the point. Although you are sort of right but for a different reason

PSU, WVU, Pitt, SU, BC, Rutgers, Miami, Temple, and perhaps to a lesser degree ECU and maybe even ND (not sure if they were Indy) all used to play eachother with great frequency (Think Flutie and his hail mary against Miami or WVU/SU in that movie a few years ago) . Back then, the model supported schools being independent because TV money wasn't as tied to conferences and most games weren't televised. It was easy to schedule as an Indy because there were scads of them and they were generally in the same region. When Big East football finally came about, using most of those schools as the basis of the conference was pretty much turn key.

I think what Upstater was suggesting and its an idea that would have to be embraced is that we develop habitual scheduling with other high "mid majors" so that we never have a dearth of games and maintain a good SOS.

One could even make the argument that if we could lock in the scheduling, sell our own FB TV rights, and somehow put the other sports in a respectable conference such as the Big East, that it would be far more lucrative for us to get the heck out of the AAC.

The biggest problem of course would be bowl alliances.

I was going one step beyond this. It's the bball rights, men's and women's, that are really lucrative. Go Indy in bball--or somehow affiliate with the A10. I don't know how--what do they make in $$? Do they even care? They can sell the rights to UConn away games.

 

[bobbyinaz]

Not true. No exit fee, no championship game, no sharing money.

No bowl games

 

[Fishy]

Ugh NIU is pitiful.

I am just trying think outside the box here. Somewhere there has to be the pieces to create a new construct that is more profitable than the AAC.

I have this feeling that when Aresco tells the Presidents that it's time to adopt the same policies as the P5 that a half or a third of the schools are not going to have the means, and we will be artificially held down.

Yep, it's painful.

You cannot put together a conference of UConn's peers because they are all in P5 conferences already!

For information purposes...East Carolina and Tulsa are both at around $32M with Tulane a little lower - maybe $29M.