Mike Aresco addresses UConn's departure, the impact on his American Athletic Conference moving forward

[CL82]

Ass

Replacing us with BYU is the only move aresco can make to actually improve his conference.

And ESPN would love it. All that content behind the ESPN plus pay wall.

Of course, nobody in Provo has given any indication whatsoever that BYU is even thinking about joining the far-flung league. And AAC commissioner Mike Aresco has repeatedly said he hasn’t heard from BYU since UConn’s pending move became public.

It's unsourced speculation. The one interesting thing is the notion that ESPN let's them keep their side deal. If the AAC contract stays as is and BYU keeps their side deal, that makes a lot sense for everyone except ESPN. Thus it won't happen.

 

[Pudge]

Well, instantaneously there will be a slew of broken football contracts creating options for UConn.

If it happens, my mind will be centered on the notion there was a long shot conspiracy in place to make this chain of events happen. ESPN hands out bad deal contract to AAC, gets lucky that UConn exits, softly encourages exit, softly pushes BYU to take our seat, then after a few weeks goes by rescinds whatever extension offer they had in front of BYU and redirects them to see that empty seat in the AAC.

This is really the only scenario - valid or not, that could happen. The rest of the football options have zero value, especially for ESPN to commit to a 12 year contract.

yup

We will be able to schedule Utah or Utah State .... and 4 other games out west. We are the biggest Independent not Army.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

If BYU hypothetically joined the AAC for football, a few potential UConn opponents could have openings, e.g., 4 Pac12/Fox schools not including Utah-BYU. Note many BYU alumni, fans, and LDS live in most of the states BYU visits and has scheduled at home; read mutually beneficial scheduling. Not so much 2019, but BYU’s done a good job scheduling.

Whether that translates for UConn is to be determined, but I don’t see the Huskies potentially plugging schedules with most of BYU’s hypothetical openings. A few P5s would be great

 

[freescooter]

Uh, what exactly does that any of that have to do with Aresco giving up our T3 rights and getting paid less on a net basis than a basketball only conference? Oh if we are such a drag on the conference, why are we the only school that has a network willing to pay seven figures for T3 rights?

You guys are blasting Aresco. We did zero to help him. Had UConn been the UConn of 2010-11 it’s a much different conversation. We were sort of like one of those old heavy weight champs who gets hired as a greeter in Las Vegas. A name but no game any more and ESPN as well as everyone else knows it. Be interesting to see what SNY really pays for T3 rights.

 

[noeynox]

You guys are blasting Aresco. We did zero to help him. Had UConn been the UConn of 2010-11 it’s a much different conversation. We were sort of like one of those old heavy weight champs who gets hired as a greeter in Las Vegas. A name but no game any more and ESPN as well as everyone else knows it. Be interesting to see what SNY really pays for T3 rights.

While agree with you, we gave it a go here and it just wasn't a good fit for us. Time to move ahead, if in 15 years this move was a disaster, so be it. We were slowly dying on the vine.

 

[jdb50]

Before in the AAC scheduling USC would have been nice but tough, now it is possible. I hope we get into a yearly with BYU, Boise, Army and the University has a realistic approach to admissions to be able to schedule tougher teams in the future.

 

[Pudge]

You guys are blasting Aresco. We did zero to help him. Had UConn been the UConn of 2010-11 it’s a much different conversation. We were sort of like one of those old heavy weight champs who gets hired as a greeter in Las Vegas. A name but no game any more and ESPN as well as everyone else knows it. Be interesting to see what SNY really pays for T3 rights.

Yeah but ...

It’s a $7m Gross. Net $5m. That’s not $14m. I don’t think - given all we could imagine - a 8 win UConn changes that marketplace marker. We are better off with our individual parts ... and scramble for something for Football

You can’t change the Math

 

[CL82]

You guys are blasting Aresco. We did zero to help him. Had UConn been the UConn of 2010-11 it’s a much different conversation. We were sort of like one of those old heavy weight champs who gets hired as a greeter in Las Vegas. A name but no game any more and ESPN as well as everyone else knows it. Be interesting to see what SNY really pays for T3 rights.

Yeah that’s a whole lot of words, but it really doesn’t answer the question. Do you believe that the Americans media contract is based solely on UConn‘s performance? If not, then you have no point.

But I think you’re missing the point. There’s not a lot of love for Aresco on this board because his immediate deal specifically disregarded the things that were important to UConn. I suppose one could make an argument that that was necessary to get a good media deal, but at the end of the day he got less on a net basis for an FBS all sports conference including football in a deal that runs through 2032 they end the Big East got for a basketball only conference at the end of their deal. It is tough to argue that that is a good deal.

 

[freescooter]

When the biggest most significant player in your league, the only one with a real national rep can’t beat Wagner in Basketball and barely beats Rhode Island in football it doesn’t help the conference. Central Florida has been great. Even Memphis & Temple, the dregs of college football for a decade, have dramatically outperformed us in both sports. It didn’t work because we failed spectacularly. In football and basketball. If Hurley fails to return us to the top ( and it will actually be easier in the Big East, fewer good teams fewer bad ones too to be fair) what will the next move ?

 

[Guapo]

Of course, nobody in Provo has given any indication whatsoever that BYU is even thinking about joining the far-flung league. And AAC commissioner Mike Aresco has repeatedly said he hasn’t heard from BYU since UConn’s pending move became public.

It's unsourced speculation. The one interesting thing is the notion that ESPN let's them keep their side deal. If the AAC contract stays as is and BYU keeps their side deal, that makes a lot sense for everyone except ESPN. Thus it won't happen.

From what I’ve read, ESPN has a great deal with BYU. They bring in the ratings.

The AAC would dilute that brand.

 

[CL82]

From what I’ve read, ESPN has a great deal with BYU. They bring in the ratings.

The AAC would dilute that brand.

Right now ESPN is within its rights to reduce the American deal. BYU won’t do anything if it were at insults in a reduction of its dealers and independent. There is zero incentive for ESPN to merge two properties it already owns.

 

[nadav]

You guys are blasting Aresco. We did zero to help him. Had UConn been the UConn of 2010-11 it’s a much different conversation. We were sort of like one of those old heavy weight champs who gets hired as a greeter in Las Vegas. A name but no game any more and ESPN as well as everyone else knows it. Be interesting to see what SNY really pays for T3 rights.

Yup and IU and UCLA are bad basketball schools.

 

[don356]

When the biggest most significant player in your league, the only one with a real national rep can’t beat Wagner in Basketball and barely beats Rhode Island in football it doesn’t help the conference. Central Florida has been great. Even Memphis & Temple, the dregs of college football for a decade, have dramatically outperformed us in both sports. It didn’t work because we failed spectacularly. In football and basketball. If Hurley fails to return us to the top ( and it will actually be easier in the Big East, fewer good teams fewer bad ones too to be fair) what will the next move ?

I just hope Uconn drops down to a lower level of fball, because the "spectacular failure" is going to be worse looking if we do manage to schedule a lot of D1 games of any caliber opponent as the recruiting is not going to improve as an independent. That's wishful thinking. Selling quality talent on coming to Uconn with no chance to play for a conference championship or bowl spot of any magnitude without an affiliation is going to be dragging a boulder up a hill in the middle of summer.

 

[tiger8mush]

I just hope Uconn drops down to a lower level of fball, because blah blah blah

no.

 

[noeynox]

I just hope Uconn drops down to a lower level of fball, because the "spectacular failure" is going to be worse looking if we do manage to schedule a lot of D1 games of any caliber opponent as the recruiting is not going to improve as an independent. That's wishful thinking. Selling quality talent on coming to Uconn with no chance to play for a conference championship or bowl spot of any magnitude without an affiliation is going to be dragging a boulder up a hill in the middle of summer.

 

[DefCONNOne]

Yeah Randy, that's why everyone is leaving the P5 for Independence. SMH.

 

[Dooooooomed]

Yeah Randy, that's why everyone is leaving the P5 for Independence. SMH.

Wait a minute.... We left the P5?!?!?!?!?!

 

[Hoophound]

Yeah Randy, that's why everyone is leaving the P5 for Independence. SMH.

Meh. I think he was balls on when he tweeted that. Nobody wants UConn to figure this out. It irritates them that we win basketball titles all the time and it really pissed them off when we were winning football games too. That’s why people pretend us going FBS was a mistake and that no one in CT cares. Our Fiesta Bowl appearance and long run of sellouts and near sellouts trashes that narrative. Regardless, we have fans of programs that haven’t ever done anything of note trashing us. UConn succeeding as an Indy is a nightmare to ESPN, the whole AAC, and every other northeastern FBS school.

 

[Guapo]

Wait a minute.... We left the P5?!?!?!?!?!

It was a typo: he meant #power6

 

[UConnNick]

When the biggest most significant player in your league, the only one with a real national rep can’t beat Wagner in Basketball and barely beats Rhode Island in football it doesn’t help the conference. Central Florida has been great. Even Memphis & Temple, the dregs of college football for a decade, have dramatically outperformed us in both sports. It didn’t work because we failed spectacularly. In football and basketball. If Hurley fails to return us to the top ( and it will actually be easier in the Big East, fewer good teams fewer bad ones too to be fair) what will the next move ?

I agree with your premise, but we were not the only school in the AAC with a national rep in at least one major sport. At one time in their history, Houston was a major national player in two different sports, at a time they were in a power conference. SMU also was in football, until the NCAA killed them. Cincinnati was in BB going back to the days of Oscar Robertson, and throughout the 1990's to the present. Their football team went to BCS bowls as recently as within the past 10 seasons. Temple has had a long history as a BB power regardless of conference. Wichita St. has ascended to national prominence in BB.

Those schools are going to continue to improve. We were a big name until the past few seasons, when both of our most visible teams stunk. We would have turned it around in the AAC. Now it won't matter even if we do.

 

[noeynox]

I agree with your premise, but we were not the only school in the AAC with a national rep in at least one major sport. At one time in their history, Houston was a major national player in two different sports, at a time they were in a power conference. SMU also was in football, until the NCAA killed them. Cincinnati was in BB going back to the days of Oscar Robertson, and throughout the 1990's to the present. Their football team went to BCS bowls as recently as within the past 10 seasons. Temple has had a long history as a BB power regardless of conference. Wichita St. has ascended to national prominence in BB.

Those schools are going to continue to improve. We were a big name until the past few seasons, when both of our most visible teams stunk. We would have turned it around in the AAC. Now it won't matter even if we do.

Some of you are a bunch of self loathing bleeps. The AAC, is no bigger vehicle to our BBall success than the Big East. FB is TBD.

 

[whaler11]

If you couldn’t see the AAC is a dead end for UConn you should stop commenting because you don’t have enough vision to be responsible for something this important.

 

[jdb50]

There is no doubt that we repeatedly failed to win the games but when our men's basketball team walked into Tulsa, ECU, Tulane, even SMU and Houston and the attendance looked like it could have been a CCSU vs Bryant matchup it was clear we were hanging around with the wrong crowd as my parents would say.

 

[UConnNick]

Some of you are a bunch of self loathing bleeps. The AAC, is no bigger vehicle to our BBall success than the Big East. FB is TBD.

I have no idea how stating facts about the athletic history of our AAC members makes me a "self loathing bleep", but please explain exactly how we are going to remain relevant in football playing as an Independent? I also take issue with your comment that the AAC is no better home for BB than the Big East. Perhaps it's true now, but going forward, the AAC will show significant improvement, with UCF, USF, Houston, Temple, Cincinnati, Memphis and Wichita State. Other than UCONN, can anybody name me seven other NBE teams that have a future looking as bright or brighter than the seven AAC teams named above? I'll be waiting for your answer.

 

[noeynox]

I have no idea how stating facts about the athletic history of our AAC members makes me a "self loathing bleep", but please explain exactly how we are going to remain relevant in football playing as an Independent? I also take issue with your comment that the AAC is no better home for BB than the Big East. Perhaps it's true now, but going forward, the AAC will show significant improvement, with UH, UCF, USF, Houston, Temple, Cincinnati, Memphis and Wichita State. Other than UCONN, can anybody name me eight other NBE teams that have a future looking as bright or brighter than the eight AAC teams named above? I'll be waiting for your answer.

There is no way of knowing that teams USF, UCF, Memphis, etc are gonna be better than Nova, Seton Hall, Providence, etc. Travel costs for UConn across all sports figured to have been higher than any one else's. You also have to keep in mind UConn started off from a different point to get here. UConn was getting like 10 million from the last Big East TV deal before bowl payouts and ncaa credits and all that stuff. So yeah these guys are excited to be netting 5 million for all sports. Its better than any G5 league will sniff, but its not worth the headaches with the travel, lack of revenue, losing SNY etc. We stuck around to see the 2nd TV contract. When it didn't deliver to our satisfaction, we made a move. Now we have to wait and and see how this unfolds. The defeatist crap from some posters is a bit much. I'm sure official P6 status is going to be granted the day our exit becomes official.