My Big 12 Confidence Meter Rising

[nomar]

Boren said, "... strength of their athletic department, fan base, media market, reputation, integrity and academic standing..." I think that bodes very well for UConn and it's because those very factors also strike me as the most logical criteria that I've been reading and contributing to this forum over the past few months.

I'm just a Texas fan in Austin interested in what's best for the Horns. I don't have any emotional connection to UConn or Connecticut or even the northeast.

But I believe a sustainable Big 12 with a happy, committed Texas and OU is in Texas' best interest. I have believed all along that a 12 member, two division, CCG conference format would be best for the Big 12. And when I look at candidates, UConn has always struck me as best.

Media members seem to love BYU but I'll admit I have an animosity towards church schools. SMU killed the SWC and Baylor sullied the Big 12. Maybe BYU is a good church school and my prejudice is unfair. If WVU wasn't in the Big 12 maybe I'd be more open to entertaining the idea. But with the Big 12 having a stake in the ground in Morgantown, Provo just seems to spread the geographic footprint too far. I just can't see BYU being a better fit than UConn.

Others say Cincy is ready and Houston is splashy but when I look at the facebook map of college football fans (I love those things) those schools don't even have enough fans to carry their own cities.

I think the phrase "academic standing" eliminates Memphis. And don't they have a history of NCAA violations?

I know you're all probably pretty fed up with the entire process and the last thing you want is somebody like me blowing smoke up your ass. And I've seen geographic concerns expressed by some on this forum.

But it's not like this is 1925 and it's not like you're in Tokyo. Everybody travels nowadays and it's no big deal. It probably wouldn't take much longer to get to Storrs than it takes to fly to Pittsburgh and drive to Morgantown.

Besides, you're the ones who will have to bear the brunt of the travel burden. Everybody else in the conference will just have to come to UConn once or twice per sporting season. You're the ones who will spending half your time in the midwest/southwest.

I definitely think UConn would make the best addition to the Big 12, especially if the six qualifications Boren cited really are the factors considered.

You really know how to make a gal feel special

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Question from a friend in Texas.
"You always said that UConn was forever the bridesmaid and left at the altar because the feeling among P-5 Conferences was that the Huskies would always be there for the taking if and when the time came. If these UConn B12 rumors are valid right now why would the ACC or B1G want to cede access to their valuable Northeast/NYC footprint? Any chance you may get a call from either? "

That question from a Texas friend is very insightful
I suspect the personal animosity is somewhat too blame though overplayed.
I also suspect BC and Cuse would love to see us destroyed and pretty much thought we would be gone by now. But the real reason is the football schools wanted Louisville and the threat of their departure was real enough to motivate them in taking a somewhat less attractive Acedemic school in an Un-strategic location . It was an impulse buy based somewhat on the belief that the ACC was our only option.
If we survived we would be theirs for the asking if we died then oh well.
The B1G decision on the other hand was a business decision based on what state best advanced the BTN ,New Jersey with 9million people whose state flagship was AAU vs Ct with 3.5 million and not AAU . Even given that huge disparity we still had some B1G support . The irony of the ACCN is it increased our likelihood of going to the B1G.
That's the best answer I can offer your Texas friend

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Question from a friend in Texas.
"You always said that UConn was forever the bridesmaid and left at the altar because the feeling among P-5 Conferences was that the Huskies would always be there for the taking if and when the time came. If these UConn B12 rumors are valid right now why would the ACC or B1G want to cede access to their valuable Northeast/NYC footprint? Any chance you may get a call from either? "

Tell your Texas friend that the probability of Texas and UConn ending up in the same conference is real.
I don't mean the Big 12
The number of Acedemically suitable Flagships who value athletics ,and are in great markets is extremely limited .
When that happens pilgrimileges to the Ancestral Austin home in Durham Ct will be a must

 

[Macho Grande]

Did anything ever come out of the ACC attempt to eliminate rule that Championship Game required division winners? I'm still holding out hope that NCAA will allow championship game without divisions, which would allow ACC football to have 15 divisionless teams (of which UConn would be be a part). ND making everything challenging, since they are messing up the balance of the league.... I can't see what else would hold up ACC from adding UConn, except for the fact that ND is taking up half a spot....

 

[Jerry1714]

Does not really mean much, but 1 vote would have been nice

ESPN poll: Big 12 coaches favor Houston, BYU

 

[amory]

Does not really mean much, but 1 vote would have been nice

ESPN poll: Big 12 coaches favor Houston, BYU

Diaco still has a lot of work to do.

 

[Adios]

When that happens pilgrimileges to the Ancestral Austin home in Durham Ct will be a must

CT is so under-appreciated. Thankfully.

 

[Nostical]

More raw stuff. Sorry.

"So apparently the muckity mucks at Texas are now in FAVOR of expansion. Why might this be? Because UT and OU have brokered an agreement whereby the Big 12 will add two and more likely FOUR new members. In return for this acquiescence on the part of Texas--who loses nothing short term, since the TV partners will be forced to add full, pro-rata shares of $ for each newbie added---the conference will not seek to penalize the Horns when they leave the conference. In other words, Texas (and OU) are agreeing to allowing the conference to expand now and even assimilating the teams that will be their eventual replacements. This explains why Texas and OU aren't concerned about sticking it to their Big 12 TV partners---they know they will be moving on."

 

[Exit 4]

More raw stuff. Sorry.

"So apparently the muckity mucks at Texas are now in FAVOR of expansion. Why might this be? Because UT and OU have brokered an agreement whereby the Big 12 will add two and more likely FOUR new members. In return for this acquiescence on the part of Texas--who loses nothing short term, since the TV partners will be forced to add full, pro-rata shares of $ for each newbie added---the conference will not seek to penalize the Horns when they leave the conference. In other words, Texas (and OU) are agreeing to allowing the conference to expand now and even assimilating the teams that will be their eventual replacements. This explains why Texas and OU aren't concerned about sticking it to their Big 12 TV partners---they know they will be moving on."

Texas - the masters of extraction!

 

[Exit 4]

More raw stuff. Sorry.

"So apparently the muckity mucks at Texas are now in FAVOR of expansion. Why might this be? Because UT and OU have brokered an agreement whereby the Big 12 will add two and more likely FOUR new members. In return for this acquiescence on the part of Texas--who loses nothing short term, since the TV partners will be forced to add full, pro-rata shares of $ for each newbie added---the conference will not seek to penalize the Horns when they leave the conference. In other words, Texas (and OU) are agreeing to allowing the conference to expand now and even assimilating the teams that will be their eventual replacements. This explains why Texas and OU aren't concerned about sticking it to their Big 12 TV partners---they know they will be moving on."

so add four now and send houston and memphis a notice that they have seats at the table when UT and OU depart at a later date.

 

[upstater]

That "no one will take us because we'll always be available" argument was always BS anyway. It doesn't even make any sense.

UConn is in the AAC due to a combination of:

• Getting a late start even trying to move to another conference, because our leadership didn't see the P5 coming until it was too late
• Bias against the school from the ACC for a variety of reasons (BC wants their territory, certain schools look at UConn as the main driver of the lawsuit thanks to Dandy D|ck Blumenthal, and the football schools don't like our crappy football...go figure)
• Louisville was available for the ACC during the last round of expansion, and they always were a solid candidate, and taking them blocked them from going to the Big 12, which is where they really belong.
• The B1G saw Rutgers as a better add for the NYC market

I suppose you could argue that one of the reasons the ACC took Louisville instead of UConn was because geography would likely prevent the Big 12 from being interested in us, and Louisville was right in their footprint, so if either school was likely to be available later it would be us. But really, Louisville was always a strong add in every category except academics, which we all know no one really cares about.

There's no conspiracy. Just a string of bad breaks.

I think the idea UConn will be there makes sense. Remember, the ACC initially wanted UConn before Pitt. It also wanted UConn before Louisville.

If UConn somehow joins the B12, it will only be because of an absurd situation in college sports. Yes, UConn deserves it. But given the geographic craziness, I think we have enough to say that UConn has been taken for granted by the ACC.

UConn in a P5 conference will be enough to devalue to brands that the ACC landed.

 

[CL82]

Does not really mean much, but 1 vote would have been nice

ESPN poll: Big 12 coaches favor Houston, BYU

"The Big 12 coaches were in Bristol, Connecticut, on Wednesday as part of their annual "Car Wash" on ESPN's campus."​

Wait, say what? It's all coming together...