Mark Blaudschun/Boston Globe: football/basketball split happens sooner rather than later

[IthacaMatt]

Not sure UConn can beat out Rutgers. Rutgers is the dominant brand in NYC in terms of fans.

I think the ACC should take Rutgers, Louisville and UConn right now and leave a spot for ND. The ACC can then try and renegotiate a deal knowing that they have absorbed all of ND's target market. ND would probably join the ACC at some point with this model. There is no way ND is going to tell anybody they are joining their conference until they have their hand forced. The ACC needs to expand now to protect itself but also to secure its spot as ND's #1 suitor.

Again, the ACC has to just do it. They aren't getting a wink and a nod from ND first. Once its done, the ACC will have to live with whatever the result is but they may be in trouble and this is the best way to prepare for change.

I'm a Rutgers (Law) alum, and I don't see Rutgers as a dominant brand of anything other than Soprano's jokes. I guess I ought to update that to say "and Snooki jokes".

 

[mattp]

Not sure UConn can beat out Rutgers. Rutgers is the dominant brand in NYC in terms of fans.
.

are you serious with this? saying Rutgers is a dominant brand in NYC in terms of fans is flat out nonsense

The only factual information I have seen on that market shows Rutgers dominating that market for viewers in relation anyone else. While they dont rule NYC, they have a big head start. Greater New York is in large part NJ.

you haven't seen any factual information. what you saw was one poll. there's a big difference

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I'm pretty sure it's well documented that Rutgers was in 4 of the 5 highest rated ESPN games in NYC.

If Rutgers is really good, NYC will tune in.

 

[Hoophound]

I'm pretty sure it's well documented that Rutgers was in 4 of the 5 highest rated ESPN games in NYC.

If Rutgers is really good, NYC will tune in.

Exactly. I was put in my place on this issue by a few Rutgers fans about a year ago. They have a strong NJ base of fans/casual viewers that back them when they win. I think they may get the benefit of the doubt at some point because the B10 or ACC might think that people will tune in if Rutgers starts playing the big name programs. While that would be presumptuous, they might believe it.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Rutgers v. Louisville drew a huge rating on ESPN2 in NYC I think 2 years ago on a friday night big east football broadcast,going head to head with West Virginia v. Syracuse or something on ESPN in the same friday night 8PM time slot.

Was a big deal for New Yorkers. The problem with all of it, is that it occurred on a friday night in the same time slot, in the same market for both Syracuse and Rutgers. College football primetime is saturday afternoon and evening, and Rutgers and Syracuse should have been broadcast in different time slots.

 

[UCFBfan]

I truly am worried if ND goes to the ACC because I think it's really a coin flip over who the ACC takes between Rutgers and UConn. Neither command the NYC market yet have the possibility to. Neither are dominant in football but have both shown promise. UConn basketball trumps Rutgers, easily, but with the ban next season, UConn basketball is taking a major publicity hit. Rutgers has the accreditation that B1G schools all have (the initials have slipped my mind) while UConn is the leading public university in New England and quickly rising. So really, there is not one thing that separates either university. It really could come down to who the ACC presidents feel they want.

Could it come down to BC saying No again and rounding up support against UConn? Maybe. It could also be that since UConn and Rutgers are so close, they go with Rutgers because the Tobacco Road schools are worried about bringing in another powerhouse in bball. Who the hell knows what happens.....I will say that it would be best if ND doesn't join the ACC because UConn could be royally screwed when the dominoes start to fall and Rutgers is the selected team for the ACC.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I will say that it would be best if ND doesn't join the ACC because UConn could be royally screwed when the dominoes start to fall and Rutgers is the selected team for the ACC.

Totally agree. I wouldn't want our big time athletic future being in the hands of a coin flip choice or a BCU administrator who wants us out.

If we somehow got in with ND, that would be fantastic for UConn. However, I don't want to see Rutgers screwed in any of this because they do have good bunch of fans and I would hate to see them left out. Maybe that's not a popular opinion and yes better them than us, but still it sucks going through this as a fan base.

 

[UCFBfan]

However, I don't want to see Rutgers screwed in any of this because they do have good bunch of fans and I would hate to see them left out. Maybe that's not a popular opinion and yes better them than us, but still it sucks going through this as a fan base.

I agree with you. I'd even go so far as to say that even when Syracuse was in the BE, Rutgers was our biggest FB rival. Never had a bad experience with a Rutgers fan and being from Jersey, I liked having a place to stay for free when I went to away UConn games! I hope we both move together, but in the end, rather us be in and RU out!

 

[Hoophound]

Totally agree. I wouldn't want our big time athletic future being in the hands of a coin flip choice or a BCU administrator who wants us out.

If we somehow got in with ND, that would be fantastic for UConn. However, I don't want to see Rutgers screwed in any of this because they do have good bunch of fans and I would hate to see them left out. Maybe that's not a popular opinion and yes better them than us, but still it sucks going through this as a fan base.

If the ACC is raided, we will be on speed dial. Then we will all be on edge waiting for that conference to fall apart.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I agree with you. I'd even go so far as to say that even when Syracuse was in the BE, Rutgers was our biggest FB rival. Never had a bad experience with a Rutgers fan and being from Jersey, I liked having a place to stay for free when I went to away UConn games! I hope we both move together, but in the end, rather us be in and RU out!

Same here! Parents are still in NJ, so if it's a weekend game I try to get to the Rutgers/Seton Hall hoops games and the football game every other year.

My Dad, unfortunately for him, got to both the Seton Hall and Rutgers hoops games this year. I think they said it was the first time since the 1970s that Rutgers/Seton Hall beat us in the same season. Could be wrong on that stat.

 

[UCFBfan]

Same here! Parents are still in NJ, so if it's a weekend game I try to get to the Rutgers/Seton Hall hoops games and the football game every other year.

My Dad, unfortunately for him, got to both the Seton Hall and Rutgers hoops games this year. I think they said it was the first time since the 1970s that Rutgers/Seton Hall beat us in the same season. Could be wrong on that stat.

I know it was the first time in a really long time. The funniest thing about Rutgers for me is that growing up, I never gave a rats ass about it. It was never even a school I considered when I looked at colleges. Yet now people think they command the NY market. There was never a time I can remember when RU was on tv. I graduated HS in '99 so it's not too long ago that this was true. The only time I went to a Rutgers game was when they played PSU in the Meadowlands. Both m parents went to PSU so I grew up a huge fan. I hope it all works out in the end.....for UConn first!

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I know it was the first time in a really long time. The funniest thing about Rutgers for me is that growing up, I never gave a rats ass about it. It was never even a school I considered when I looked at colleges. Yet now people think they command the NY market. There was never a time I can remember when RU was on tv. I graduated HS in '99 so it's not too long ago that this was true. The only time I went to a Rutgers game was when they played PSU in the Meadowlands. Both m parents went to PSU so I grew up a huge fan. I hope it all works out in the end.....for UConn first!

Good point. I graduated high school in 2005 and Rutgers was never on tv or even an afterthought to my friends and me.

I went to the Rutgers big win over Michigan State in I think fall 2004(maybe 2003) and I went to a basketball game vs Syracuse once. I got to a ton of live sports, be it Yankees, Giants, Knicks, Devils but Rutgers wasn't really in the sports conscience.

I think now this has probably changed with football at least, though I did notice last year they had a fair share of ESPN3 or ESPNU games.

 

[CTMike]

Ha, small world... my parents are about 45 min from Piscataway. Gotta get to the Rutty game this year...

 

[Chin Diesel]

Ha, small world... my parents are about 45 min from Piscataway. Gotta get to the Rutty game this year...

Isn't every location in NJ within 45 minutes of Piscataway?

It's like saying your from Ct and within an hour of Hartford.

 

[The Funster]

Couple of things on Rutgers. Their athletic department is bleeding money like a stuck pig. We've all seen the article from last summer that showed how Rutgers athletics had a 115M budget shortfall over the previous six years. They may be lucky if a conference switch cuts into even half of the shortfall. Secondly, if NYC will back a Rutgers winner, what freakin conference will they join that will help them achieve that? If Rutgers couldn't build a baskeball program in the BE what conference can they build one in? If Rutgers couldn't perform consistently in a weak BE football conference where are they going to go and win?

I'd like nothing more than to see Rutgers succeed. However, in all things, Rutgers is akin to a black hole: stuff gets thrown in and nothing comes out.

 

[CL82]

Marinatto was the point man for all of this, and at times he looked overmatched, so much so that one official from a Big East school suggested to Marinatto the best way he could help was to resign.

Harsh.

 

[zls44]

I wanted to say this, just for the sake of saying it:

The idea that UConn can never do anything in college football is bulls**t. We know this based on fact. UConn actually made a BCS game without even really trying to get there.

I should know. I watched them play.

 

[mattp]

I truly am worried if ND goes to the ACC

why on earth would ND ever join the ACC over the B1G? i have yet to hear one good reason for it. they have much bigger rivals in the B1G, and they have a lot more in common with them. personally i think they'll stay independent, but if they were going to join a conference the only thing the ACC offers is easy wins

 

[willie99]

be the first time that schools walk away from more money

the basketball schools aren't here because they like turnover and stress

 

[pepband99]

I'm pretty sure it's well documented that Rutgers was in 4 of the 5 highest rated ESPN games in NYC.

If Rutgers is really good, NYC will tune in.

This, though technically true, is mostly BS. Why? "NYC" as a television market INCLUDES a good chunk of NJ.

NJ, by default, cares. NY, not to mention Fairfield County, also part of "NYC , couldn't give a rat's @#$%@#%@#%.

Let's not confuse NJ viewership with any association with "NYC" , aside from proximity.

 

[freescooter]

why on earth would ND ever join the ACC over the B1G? i have yet to hear one good reason for it. they have much bigger rivals in the B1G, and they have a lot more in common with them. personally i think they'll stay independent, but if they were going to join a conference the only thing the ACC offers is easy wins

The first part is pretty much right on, but I'm not so sure about your second point. The Big, with the exception of Northwestern are all major public universities. Among the public universities, nebraska is the smallest with an enrollment of around 25,000. Notre Dame has about 8500 which makes it smaller than even Northwestern (12,000+-). With the exception of location, Notre dame is arguably a better fit with the ACC which is a mix of public and private schools several of which are closer in size to Notre Dame than Michigan and Ohio State and Michigan State...Of course the Irish have a long history with the Big 10 largely due to proximity.

The other problem for Notre Dame in joining the Big 10 is that they would be hard pressed to compete year in year out in my estimation, and Notre dame can't join a conferenece and be a regular 2nd division dweller. To me it is a lot easier to win in the ACC. Now I agree that they will do everything possilbe to remain independent, but if they are forced by circumstances to join a league, I think they will have to think long and hard about which league they join.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

This, though technically true, is mostly BS. Why? "NYC" as a television market INCLUDES a good chunk of NJ.

NJ, by default, cares. NY, not to mention Fairfield County, also part of "NYC , couldn't give a rat's @#$%@#%@#%.

Let's not confuse NJ viewership with any association with "NYC" , aside from proximity.

Doesn't that mean they are still highly rated in the NY market? That's like saying U of Indiana only does well in Indianapolis because it is in Indiana.

 

[pepband99]

Doesn't that mean they are still highly rated in the NY market? That's like saying U of Indiana only does well in Indianapolis because it is in Indiana.

Yes, but the point is that people are blurring the line between "NYC" and the "NY television market". NYC itself is either spoken for by expats/notre dame/etc or untapped, depending how you look at it. The "NY television market" includes the area with the highest concentration of Rutgers fans.

It's like us claiming "we own NY!" by drawing a high rating on SNY. It's just false.

 

[UCFBfan]

Yes, but the point is that people are blurring the line between "NYC" and the "NY television market". NYC itself is either spoken for by expats/notre dame/etc or untapped, depending how you look at it. The "NY television market" includes the area with the highest concentration of Rutgers fans.

It's like us claiming "we own NY!" by drawing a high rating on SNY. It's just false.

However, do you think these conferences care who the people are that are watching? All they care about is that the NYC market is watching Rutgers football. It's the same logic behind why UConn getting so much air time on SNY is huge! No one care if people in NYC or NJ or Fairfield county are watching the games. The reality is, these locations make up the NYC market and if 4 of the 5 biggest games were Rutgers games, then that's important. No one cares who the person living in Brooklyn roots for as opposed to the people living in Newark, NJ. The bottom line is, the constituents of the NYC market were watching Rutgers football. That's what matters to the conferences.

Not saying UConn can't surpass this but it's the reality of the NYC TV Market.

 

[whaler11]

. If Rutgers or UConn mattered worth a damn in NYC then they wouldn't both still be in the Big East. If they mattered in NYC the ACC wouldn't have gone fishing for Pitt and Cuse.