MLS to CR and the AAC

[Pudge]

I know ... I know ... we are all hoping the Susan Herbst upgrade elevates us to ... B1G status. That our market and our incredible Mens & Womens Hoop teams (ooops ... I forgot ... for 40% here, the WBB means NOTHING) brings us to the brink of inclusion because Dennis Dodd says the B1G is going to 16.

I believe nothing. I know nothing. (i am not "from the inside")

The first thing still rattling in my brain is that MANY think we were a rung on the ladder ahead of Louisville ... in pencil ... and we lost OUR ACC spot because we didn't lobby enough. So ... those people can put their head on the desk and nap. I have been to Louisville football and have watched our UConn football intensely since 1997 (including seeing shell-shocked Georgia Tech play at Memorial Stadium (hheeehhee). Louisville is at 55,000 in a Football stadium with full corporate sponsorship (they hold weddings on weekends in that Stadium???) and draw a largely sold-out Yum Yum of 22,000. I understand why a Florida State and/or Georgia Tech (see how that recurs) pushed for UL. Rutgers also has a fanbase that has a commitment that we can't quite get to yet.

So ... we are in the AAC. I don't believe the NEW P5 drive is going to eliminate 60 D1 Programs; but, I do believe it creates a dividing line and push to be on the edge of that P5. (like the American MLS is outside the Power leagues of the world)

But let's hire Don Garber of MLS to be our commissioner (sorry Mike Aresco ... you had your chance) and take a trip over a dozen years where this NON-P5 league could go. (many of you will stop reading ... right here)

I think Stadiums and Fanbase is a dividing line today with the P5. We need to build our Fanbase and be over 50k; as many NON-P5 as possible. MLS taught the importance of this.

TV? MLS had virtually nothing in 2006. More and more recently. But, the rising tide of soccer watching is coming. The parallel? I think the B1G network; the SEC; the ACC ... impacting OUR markets in the Northeast can be rather minimal. Specifically speaking, a NESN or a SNY push can be made by a NON-P5 market player. And, I believe we are going to see a rise in overall CFB watching on Tuesday thru Friday nights ... and Saturday. UConn should expect more revenue than that pittance we took in that ESPN deal. We signed a deal to have a deal ... I think there will be opportunity in TV. People in New England ARE not watching the second tier B1G or SEC (Iowa v Minnesota; Mississippi State v Arkansas). We need to be opportunistic.

But ... more important ... suddenly we have the NON-P5.

The MLS just went from an Expansion (membership fee) of $7.5m to $100m. (with ... of course ... the Beckham exception) I think we need to tie ourselves ... declare a truce ... with the MWC. Work to gain bowl opportunities in good venues with them and/or year-end Playoffs ...

Or get excited about being an Indpendent. Hmmmm ... I think if we are an independent, OUR Football schedule in late October and November will suck ... and we won't grow the Fanbase (rather it will decline less than 30,000). Our Hoop NEEDS to remain top shelf ... or that too will never have much past January.

 

[noeynox]

Decent post. One thing stands out to me though, ive been as critical of Aresco, as anyone else. listening to his opening remarks at the press conference, lead me to believe this guy is trying to sell our conference in a way that no other previous conference commissioner has done before. negotiating a decent TV contract s teams left between press conferences was a near impossible task. This this conference can grow the question is can sustain itself during this period changing landscape with its current TV contract for the next 6 years.

hopefully we won't be here in six years but I would still like to see the conference succeed.I would hate to see the teams left behind in a bind going forward.

 

[SubbaBub]

We wouldn't be creating the MLS. How's the revenue for the NASL programs?

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

 

[junglehusky]

MLS's ratings have not duplicated the increase in fandom/attendance of places like KC. MLS's current TV contracts are expiring pretty soon, my guess is the next contract would be incremental, not exponential. Hence Garber's push to expand to new markets by 2020. (This also was the" logic" of Tulane. That didn't work obviously). But I do think if UConn football becomes a top 10 team our ratings would be healthy, or at least good considering the AAC competition.

 

[Pudge]

Awful predicament.

But ... there are Opportunistic ways to grow. And, we (UConn) really need to get ourselves to a far bigger fanbase and keep on pushing all revenue sources. That's why MLS strikes me. Dire straights a few years ago. Vibrancy in new stadiums; new markets; a game that people are gradually turning to. You can't drown all of these markets (even in bigger bigger cities) with just SEC and B1G also-rans. The Football can be more interesting in winning teams outside of the Power 5 - proven repeatedly in the last 15 years.

 

[freescooter]

But let's hire Don Garber of MLS to be our commissioner (sorry Mike Aresco ... you had your chance) and take a trip over a dozen years where this NON-P5 league could go. (many of you will stop reading ... right here)

I agree with some of this,disagree with some, but the part I left I absolutely agree with. Even if not Garber, he is the model of the kind of exec we need to lead this conference. The hiring of Aresco was too late for the Big East to take advantage of his skill set. By the time he arrived on the scene the needs of the conference had changed. We need a promoter, marketer, not a tv exec. We need Harold Hill, not Harold McMillan.

 

[UC990411]

You know we're in trouble when people start to compare the AAC to soccer