My sources

[WestCoastHusky]

What you guys don't understand is FSU Clemson and BC ( to name a few ) think uconn football is not at their level. Well BC just hates you but that's different. The more football schools that leave the acc is better for you. Also i didn't say uconn wasn't on the acc radar, just not in the top 2.

First of all, ACC will be the old BE. ACC is stupid with their expansion plans. The fact they even took UL just showed how desperate they are. BC football? You lost any credibility with that stupid statement.

It is just a matter of time before the ACC is raided to shreds. What has happened to the BE will repeat with the ACC. Just wait and see. I just hope UCONN is nowhere near that mess when it goes down.

 

[RMoore1999]

I'm telling you. Have a nice trip.

Agreed, but feel free to return if your sources tell you that the B1G, SEC, B12 or acc are imminently about to invite Connecticut. I define "imminently" to mean within 48 hours.

I'm sure even Fishy and bl would appreciate a heads-up once the move is certain. Thanks.

 

[scdono]

True, i don't make the rumors i just tell you guys
am not MH.....

Also i am a uconn fan! i told you i lurked the board for a very long time. on a unrelated note i also for some reason follow northwestern......

Are you like seven years old?

 

[CL82]

Kevin Ollie
Like El Vino

Paul Pasqualoni
Anal Quail Pop Us

Jim Delany
End My Jail

Warde Manuel
A Lewd Manure
Warn, Meal Due

Boston College
Beset Colon Log

lol

 

[Alum86]

I cannot believe I read throgh these posts. And I think Frank the Tank's avatar is Oscar Gamble if I remember my Topps '78 cards.

 

[The Funster]

Boston College University

Bunch of flaming s.

Well, maybe I'm a couple of letters off...

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

It's so strange that one ACC school votes against our inclusion because they're afraid they won't be able to compete with us, and two others vote against us for the exact opposite reason, they think we can't compete against them?

Either these presidents and AD's are morons, or someone isn't telling the truth. Gotta be one or the other.

 

[CL82]

It's so strange that one ACC school votes against our inclusion because they're afraid they won't be able to compete with us, and two others vote against us for the exact opposite reason, they think we can't compete against them?

Either these presidents and AD's are morons, or someone isn't telling the truth. Gotta be one or the other.

Not so much. BCU can't compete with us and FSU would kick our ass. It's a marriage of convenience.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

Not so much. BCU can't compete with us and FSU would kick our ass. It's a marriage of convenience.

Oh yes, quite much thank you.

What does FSU think of BCU's take? Or do they have buyer's remorse re:BCU and don't want to let another potential welfare case like them in again?

 

[frankthetank]

I cannot believe I read throgh these posts. And I think Frank the Tank's avatar is Oscar Gamble if I remember my Topps '78 cards.

Yes, it's the great hair of Oscar Gamble. Go White Sox!

 

[frankthetank]

Oh yes, quite much thank you.

What does FSU think of BCU's take? Or do they have buyer's remorse re:BCU and don't want to let another potential welfare case like them in again?

I've said this in other places: never underestimate how much university presidents overestimate the value of BC (if that makes sense). They are transfixed by the Boston market (a place where many of them were educated at some point) and believe that BC brings *enough* traction in that market that they're thought of as a valuable piece. I don't think that anyone thinks of BC as a headliner or as a team that is ever going to be bigger than the Red Sox/Pats/Celtics/Bruins, but they are a solid "depth" school (excellent academics and location) that brings value to the league even when they're a bottom feeder (unlike, say, Iowa State or Washington State).

For the ACC (and I say this as someone that was convinced that UConn was going to go to the ACC instead of Louisville when Maryland defected), looking at it from the outside, I think it was MUCH more about FSU and other football schools pushing for more perceived football quality than anything about BC. BC might have had an objection to UConn, but honestly, I can't blame them from an unbiased perspective any more than Villanova keeping Temple out of the Big East for years, Florida not letting FSU into the SEC, or all of the Big Ten schools protecting their own markets. Having that conference advantage has shown to be more important to schools over and over and over again than creating a regional rival (especially in this era where TV markets and contracts are so important). The "it's better to create a regional rivalry" argument is always one that's advanced by the school that's left out and is then freely ignored by the school in the better position. I can understand the specific animosity toward BC from the people on this board, yet they're not really taking a different stance than Ohio State is with Cincinnati, Penn State is with Pitt, Florida is with FSU, etc.

Regardless, the ACC invite to Louisville seemed to be more about timing than anything. 1 year ago, Louisville likely would have never been considered, but I truly believe that the defection of Maryland was a complete shock to Jim Swofford (who despite what some people might say here, is VERY smart regarding overall college sports landscape) and that perceived football quality had to come as priority #1 in expansion (and it's not as if though Louisville has a shabby basketball program, either). That concern trumped everything else.

 

[pj]

I've said this in other places: never underestimate how much university presidents overestimate the value of BC (if that makes sense). They are transfixed by the Boston market (a place where many of them were educated at some point) and believe that BC brings *enough* traction in that market that they're thought of as a valuable piece. I don't think that anyone thinks of BC as a headliner or as a team that is ever going to be bigger than the Red Sox/Pats/Celtics/Bruins, but they are a solid "depth" school (excellent academics and location) that brings value to the league even when they're a bottom feeder (unlike, say, Iowa State or Washington State).

For the ACC (and I say this as someone that was convinced that UConn was going to go to the ACC instead of Louisville when Maryland defected), looking at it from the outside, I think it was MUCH more about FSU and other football schools pushing for more perceived football quality than anything about BC. BC might have had an objection to UConn, but honestly, I can't blame them from an unbiased perspective any more than Villanova keeping Temple out of the Big East for years, Florida not letting FSU into the SEC, or all of the Big Ten schools protecting their own markets. Having that conference advantage has shown to be more important to schools over and over and over again than creating a regional rival (especially in this era where TV markets and contracts are so important). The "it's better to create a regional rivalry" argument is always one that's advanced by the school that's left out and is then freely ignored by the school in the better position. I can understand the specific animosity toward BC from the people on this board, yet they're not really taking a different stance than Ohio State is with Cincinnati, Penn State is with Pitt, Florida is with FSU, etc.

Regardless, the ACC invite to Louisville seemed to be more about timing than anything. 1 year ago, Louisville likely would have never been considered, but I truly believe that the defection of Maryland was a complete shock to Jim Swofford (who despite what some people might say here, is VERY smart regarding overall college sports landscape) and that perceived football quality had to come as priority #1 in expansion (and it's not as if though Louisville has a shabby basketball program, either). That concern trumped everything else.

Agree about the regional rivalry bit. A few observations:
- Given that these are now billion-dollar decisions, the conferences must be hiring marketing experts and getting a very clear picture of the value schools bring. I doubt the snap judgment of uninformed presidents is going to be deciding conference expansion going forward. BC is tiny by most metrics compared to UConn.
- If Swofford thinks football quality is decisive, he's missing the move to networks and the critical importance of audience / subscriber base / market share. Louisville is a small-market team whose fans are all local to the school. Connecticut is a regionally important school which controls a major media market and is one of the leading colleges in two of the top 5 markets in the country. Football success waxes and wanes, and if Connecticut invests in football, as it is, its football program will be superior to Louisville's before long.
- Finally, the overwhelming importance of football currently is an accident of history -- the NCAA redistributes basketball revenue, football revenue accrues to schools and conferences, but that institutional mix may not survive the move to superconferences and conference networks. Basketball inventory may become important again. Also, networks will need year-round inventory that is enough to deter subscribers from cancelling once football season ends. Secondary sports may actually grow in importance.

 

[Dann]

cincy-tosu???? both publics. big state and city state schools IN THE SAME STATE
fl-fsu???? psu -pitt-temple?????

COME ON NOW, cut the bs.

bc is a private school in boston, ma. uconn is the big public of ct. not the same state, bc is not public. it would be like syracuse blocking rutgers from the acc. well the states touch each other so....its completely dutduhduh to make that argument. bc blocked uconn and then made up the fable new england operates like 1 state story to push the story and act like them claim the whole region. its exactly what cuse was/is/failing to try to do in nyc. ny state is our state, so since nyc is in the state its ours. no matter how far away or how close other schools are and so on.

do all of u not get it yet. private schools are dying and big publics are rising in the college sports world. so private schools are doing anything and everything they can so they they dont join holy cross. if that means making up crazy marketing and regional foothold tactics then u bet its worth the $.

just based off our growing brand name we are fighting this from both ends. cuse from the northwest and bc from the northeast. just imagine if we had any leadeship at uconn that dam 2 shi*s about it and actually wanted to change public opinion on this issue or atleast fight it. i mean how much does it cost to put a funny ass 15 second commerical on sny. dont do anything uconn. just draw a line form cuse to nyc and then do one to uconn, temple and ruty and psu. then play short stick for fun. that would kill and ppl would be fired up over it. at the end when cuse has the longest stick just have some funny saying like "congrats, your the farest away from the city" or something racy like "congrats, thats the 1st time being the longest isn't a good thing". then do one explaining the borders of the states in new england and put it on tv in bosoton and acc territorys on espn or something.

this isn't hard and its a winable war if anyone at uconn cared. but they dont.

RAGE

 

[businesslawyer]

It's so strange that one ACC school votes against our inclusion because they're afraid they won't be able to compete with us, and two others vote against us for the exact opposite reason, they think we can't compete against them?

Either these presidents and AD's are morons, or someone isn't telling the truth. Gotta be one or the other.

Do not, repeat, NOT, exclude "both" as a reasonable possibility.

That having been said, I think it's far more likely that we don't know nearly as much about what happened as we think we do from various reports than that the ACC and its Presidents acted like morons.

 

[uconndogs]

Well, we have in from a good source, Fr. Leahy at BC, that these things are mostly about academics....hence, Louisville instead of UCONN. Mind you, he didn't clarify whether it was good or bad acadmics.............

 

[CL82]

Oh yes, quite much thank you.

What does FSU think of BCU's take? Or do they have buyer's remorse re:BCU and don't want to let another potential welfare case like them in again?

I'll bet FSU doesn't give a hoot about BCUs take. This was an excercise in vote counting with a bit of muscle flexing by FSU. Oh yes they almost certainly have buyers remorse. Doesn't everyone who buys a lemon?

 

[upstater]

I've said this in other places: never underestimate how much university presidents overestimate the value of BC (if that makes sense). They are transfixed by the Boston market (a place where many of them were educated at some point) and believe that BC brings *enough* traction in that market that they're thought of as a valuable piece. I don't think that anyone thinks of BC as a headliner or as a team that is ever going to be bigger than the Red Sox/Pats/Celtics/Bruins, but they are a solid "depth" school (excellent academics and location) that brings value to the league even when they're a bottom feeder (unlike, say, Iowa State or Washington State).

For the ACC (and I say this as someone that was convinced that UConn was going to go to the ACC instead of Louisville when Maryland defected), looking at it from the outside, I think it was MUCH more about FSU and other football schools pushing for more perceived football quality than anything about BC. BC might have had an objection to UConn, but honestly, I can't blame them from an unbiased perspective any more than Villanova keeping Temple out of the Big East for years, Florida not letting FSU into the SEC, or all of the Big Ten schools protecting their own markets. Having that conference advantage has shown to be more important to schools over and over and over again than creating a regional rival (especially in this era where TV markets and contracts are so important). The "it's better to create a regional rivalry" argument is always one that's advanced by the school that's left out and is then freely ignored by the school in the better position. I can understand the specific animosity toward BC from the people on this board, yet they're not really taking a different stance than Ohio State is with Cincinnati, Penn State is with Pitt, Florida is with FSU, etc.

Regardless, the ACC invite to Louisville seemed to be more about timing than anything. 1 year ago, Louisville likely would have never been considered, but I truly believe that the defection of Maryland was a complete shock to Jim Swofford (who despite what some people might say here, is VERY smart regarding overall college sports landscape) and that perceived football quality had to come as priority #1 in expansion (and it's not as if though Louisville has a shabby basketball program, either). That concern trumped everything else.

Not buying your post one little bit. You seem to be unaware that RODEO! for heaven's sake outdraws BC football in Boston! Rodeo on frickin' ESPN2! It's not just that they can't compete with the Patriots. They can't compete with rodeo. Anyone who has lived in Boston and knows the sports scene realizes that BC is the least favorite school of the 3 Boston schools that play hockey. BU and N'eastern have more sway precisely because more people from the Boston area attend those institutions.

Did you read the ACC's reaction to BC blackballing UConn? Duke and UNC ridiculed the idea, they were flabbergasted and perplexed. After all, there are 4 UNC schools within less than 100 miles of one another in the conference. Practically everyone has a neighbor in the ACC. We know that BC has always been afraid of UConn (and they pointed that out early on when UConn went D1), but BC is the same school that lost 27 times in a row to UConn bball, and whose football has fallen off drastically. Much more than UConn. Perceived value?

Maybe you should look up some stats on UConn football. Last several years, they've beaten Louisville more times than they've lost to them (including this year). In fact, when you look at the three schools that just joined the ACC (Louisville, Syracuse and Pitt) UConn has a winning record against them overall since joining the Big East football side. Talent wise, UConn puts more in the NFL even. 4 kids in the Senior Bowl and NFL combine this season. What metrics are people using? Wins, talent, etc. Those don't count?

 

[Fishy]

I think Frank referenced 'perceived' football quality and there is no question that Louisville trumps UConn in that regard.

Re-read Frank's post. I think you're arguing points he really didn't make.

 

[frankthetank]

Not buying your post one little bit. You seem to be unaware that RODEO! for heaven's sake outdraws BC football in Boston! Rodeo on frickin' ESPN2! It's not just that they can't compete with the Patriots. They can't compete with rodeo. Anyone who has lived in Boston and knows the sports scene realizes that BC is the least favorite school of the 3 Boston schools that play hockey. BU and N'eastern have more sway precisely because more people from the Boston area attend those institutions.

Did you read the ACC's reaction to BC blackballing UConn? Duke and UNC ridiculed the idea, they were flabbergasted and perplexed. After all, there are 4 UNC schools within less than 100 miles of one another in the conference. Practically everyone has a neighbor in the ACC. We know that BC has always been afraid of UConn (and they pointed that out early on when UConn went D1), but BC is the same school that lost 27 times in a row to UConn bball, and whose football has fallen off drastically. Much more than UConn. Perceived value?

Maybe you should look up some stats on UConn football. Last several years, they've beaten Louisville more times than they've lost to them (including this year). In fact, when you look at the three schools that just joined the ACC (Louisville, Syracuse and Pitt) UConn has a winning record against them overall since joining the Big East football side. Talent wise, UConn puts more in the NFL even. 4 kids in the Senior Bowl and NFL combine this season. What metrics are people using? Wins, talent, etc. Those don't count?

You don't need to convince me of those things, but as I said in the first sentence of my post: fans underestimate how much university presidents OVERESTIMATE the value of BC. I'm not saying that I personally believe that BC is worth it, but university presidents have come to the conclusion that they are. As I've also said, I thought that the ACC was going to add UConn instead of Louisville from the get go. I pointed out on my blog during the ACC expansion talks that the gap between UConn and Louisville football was not nearly as much as the media was making out to be. However, UConn completely got crushed on selling that viewpoint themselves. I even told some UConn people during that week where the ACC was debating between expansion candidates that UConn was COMPLETELY losing the PR battle, the football quality perception gap (regardless of the actual gap in reality) wasn't even close, and UConn needed to change that perception immediately. It never happened. Props need to go to Louisville AD Tom Jurich on that front - he got it done and was relentless in selling that they were the "football" choice even though Louisville is as much of a basketball school as anyone.

Also, I believe that I underestimated how much of a detriment that the relative youth of UConn playing football at the FBS-level was going to be in the process. It might not be fair, but the pre-FBS football history of UConn (or any other school that has only recently upgraded to FBS football) is looked as non-existent by the power conferences, and that's something that can't be resolved with anything other than the passage of time. In essence, it was more advantageous for a school with a long and historically awful history like Rutgers than to have a short period of good rising prospects like UConn.

Look - I feel for you guys. UConn did pretty much everything that it was supposed to do as an athletic department over the past 15 years. If these realignment moves were being made 10 or 15 years from now, UConn wouldn't have been sweating. However, the timing is that massive changes are occurring now, which makes it more tenuous. You essentially have to hope that the ACC gets poached again (and even as a Big Ten guy that would benefit from that happening, I don't think it's anywhere near as likely as the realignment Armageddon people want to make it out to be).

 

[Adios]

The state of Connecticut does desire it's football program. Our upside is huge.

 

[upstater]

You don't need to convince me of those things, but as I said in the first sentence of my post: fans underestimate how much university presidents OVERESTIMATE the value of BC. I'm not saying that I personally believe that BC is worth it, but university presidents have come to the conclusion that they are. As I've also said, I thought that the ACC was going to add UConn instead of Louisville from the get go. I pointed out on my blog during the ACC expansion talks that the gap between UConn and Louisville football was not nearly as much as the media was making out to be. However, UConn completely got crushed on selling that viewpoint themselves. I even told some UConn people during that week where the ACC was debating between expansion candidates that UConn was COMPLETELY losing the PR battle, the football quality perception gap (regardless of the actual gap in reality) wasn't even close, and UConn needed to change that perception immediately. It never happened. Props need to go to Louisville AD Tom Jurich on that front - he got it done and was relentless in selling that they were the "football" choice even though Louisville is as much of a basketball school as anyone.

Also, I believe that I underestimated how much of a detriment that the relative youth of UConn playing football at the FBS-level was going to be in the process. It might not be fair, but the pre-FBS football history of UConn (or any other school that has only recently upgraded to FBS football) is looked as non-existent by the power conferences, and that's something that can't be resolved with anything other than the passage of time. In essence, it was more advantageous for a school with a long and historically awful history like Rutgers than to have a short period of good rising prospects like UConn.

Look - I feel for you guys. UConn did pretty much everything that it was supposed to do as an athletic department over the past 15 years. If these realignment moves were being made 10 or 15 years from now, UConn wouldn't have been sweating. However, the timing is that massive changes are occurring now, which makes it more tenuous. You essentially have to hope that the ACC gets poached again (and even as a Big Ten guy that would benefit from that happening, I don't think it's anywhere near as likely as the realignment Armageddon people want to make it out to be).

Frank,
You have to understand that some of us disagree with this point that it's a PR battle. Quite the contrary. Many of us have pointed out that this are going on inside the ACC that change the way schools are evaluated. To say our AD didn't point out these things as he made his pitch is to assume that pitches are made publicly and not privately. Many of us look at UConn's loss and realize that several other things should be factored in:

1. Obstructiveness from both BC and Miami for a variety of reasons. BC in particular has been ridiculed for its stance.
2. Internecine power battles within the ACC. For instance, the FSU BOT Prez making half-cocked claims about UNC and Tobacco Road conspiring to deliver Tier 3 football rights to ESPN while at the same time hoarding Tier 3 basketball rights for themselves. In many ways, siding with the southern school (Ville) and its perceive football advantage was a matter of FSU showing whose schlong is longer. I doubt anyone was really invested in Ville (or UConn) for that matter, but in that family battle schools chose sides. Why? Because some schools saw the potential of the conference falling apart if FSU became even more upset as it already was (see BOT Prez's comments). Other schools chose sides because they believed their futures were more commonly linked with UNC (i.e. Virginia, Duke and Wake Forest, etc.). But when the UNC Prez comes out the day after Ville's invite and makes a completely embarrassing and uncalled for comment ("Ville's inclusion had nothing to do with academics") you know that the Ville-UConn contest was more about bitterness and vindictiveness inside the ACC.
3. Others have pointed out that a 3rd element was also in play, strategic positioning. I'm not sold on this too much, but many have pointed out that FSU cock-blocked the B12 by making sure that in the case the B12 became itchy at adding new members, Ville was off the market. UConn, which cannot conceivably join another conference other than the ACC, was left behind because no other conference would have it. Effectively, in case FSU and its preferred coattail hangers-on ever leave the ACC for the B12, the ACC will be saddled with Ville. And this is a good bit of strategy to make sure the road to the B12 isn't obstructed for FSU in the future.

 

[pj]

Frank, I'm just surprised you don't see UConn as a viable B1G candidate. Meets all the stated criteria and brings a large market. Far superior to BC in that regard. You may be right about perceptions but perceptions are re-evaluated after the data is examined, and the B1G is not going to be rushed into a decision the way the ACC was. The ACC acted based on prejudice and perception, the B1G will act on reality.

The reality is between the state of Connecticut and UConn's fanbase in adjoining states that lack public BCS-level athletic programs, and the lack of competition from any major school in either New England or New York, what UConn brings in audience/market terms is comparable to what UVa and UNC bring (bigger states, but they share the state with competing BCS programs including state programs).

I also think that the ACC decision was influenced by several unusual factors: (1) UConn being a tougher and slower contract negotiation, at a time when the ACC wanted to move quickly and they couldn't risk issuing an invitation that UConn might decline or drag out long enough to make the ACC look vulnerable; (2) FSU and other ACC football schools wanting to create bidders for themselves and thus wanting to take away an alternative from the B12; (3) BC wanting to avoid a local competitor. None of those factors would be at play in a B1G decision.

 

[UConnDan97]

Frank, I'm just surprised you don't see UConn as a viable B1G candidate. Meets all the stated criteria and brings a large market. Far superior to BC in that regard. You may be right about perceptions but perceptions are re-evaluated after the data is examined, and the B1G is not going to be rushed into a decision the way the ACC was.

The reality is between the state of Connecticut and UConn's fanbase in adjoining states that lack public BCS-level athletic programs, and the lack of competition from any major school in either New England or New York, what UConn brings in audience/market terms is comparable to what UVa and UNC bring (bigger states, but they share the state with competing BCS programs including state programs).

I don't know if the B1G will ever consider us "B1G material" or not, but what I can say is if perception (or performance!) mattered more than monetary data, Maryland would still be in the ACC and Rutgers would still be in the Big East...

 

[upstater]

I think Frank referenced 'perceived' football quality and there is no question that Louisville trumps UConn in that regard.

Re-read Frank's post. I think you're arguing points he really didn't make.

Here's what I read. I acknowledge that he only believes Presidents value BC more. But then, he references BC's secondary value below that of the pro sports. From living in Boston, and spending many an evening talking to the reporters there at the Dugout, BC's significance is actually far less than its sub-radar existence below pro sports. I also don't think UConn's failure to receive an invite was a simple matter of losing to Ville in terms of perception when it comes to football. I explained why in my post above this one.

 

[pj]

I live in Boston. Just as a matter of brand presence, you see far more UConn shirts, caps, etc than BC. UConn basketball far outdraws BC basketball in Boston. UConn football is probably competitive with BC football in terms of TV ratings.

And the BC brand doesn't extend much beyond Rte 128.

 

[Adios]

UConn, which cannot conceivably join another conference other than the ACC, was left behind because no other conference would have it.

Who are you fooling? The Big 10 and Big 12 are thinking about us.

 

[UConn5]

Quick point in response to frank's comments about the increasing admissions standards at the southern state schools. You left out a key point. Admissions at all state university's are skyrocketing and it is in large part due to the ridiculous price of college right now and the state of our economy. UConn has benefited from this as well. UConn is way harder to get into now then it was 5-7 years ago. People know that they don't want to waste their money on a crappy private school that costs $40,000/yr when their state school is half of that.

Regarding BC...who blames them for hating UConn at this point. UConn led the charge in suing them and the ACC when they left (albeit surreptitiously). I don't think BC has the pull to be able to keep UConn out of the ACC if others were enthusiastic about UConn joining. People here are poopooing BC's athletic program but they are half the size of UConn and have had a Division 1 football program for years and years whereas UConn is just recently getting involved. BC's reputation has been skyrocketing over the past 10 years or so. Presidents value the school because its academics are excellent and they spend a ton of money on their sports programs.

Say what you want about BC...but they have out maneuvered UConn at every stage of conference realignment. They have positioned themselves very well whereas UConn has positioned themselves horribly.

Edit: Forgot to mention Hockey. I remember HFD and I discussed this a bit maybe a month ago, but BC brings with it the #1 hockey program in the country. This isn't determinative...but it definitely helps when it comes to B1G.

 

[uconndogs]

Say what you want about BC...but they have out maneuvered UConn at every stage of conference realignment. They have positioned themselves very well whereas UConn has positioned themselves horribly.

BC began playing football at a higher level than UCONN about a million years ago and in the 80s lucked out with Flutie. That's not a strategy, that's history and luck. In recent developments they've managed to take two relatively successful athletic programs and run them so far into the ground that they may melt at the earth's core.

 

[UConn5]

BC began playing football at a higher level than UCONN about a million years ago and in the 80s lucked out with Flutie. That's not a strategy, that's history and luck. In recent developments they've managed to take two relatively successful athletic programs and run them so far into the ground that they may melt at the earth's core.

Back in 2003 the ACC originally wanted Miami, BC and Syracuse. The presidents only approved Miami and surprisingly added VTech. BC didn't just sit idly and accept it, they went back and lobbied for inclusion and eventually got it. It was a smart move by them because they are now in a better place because of it. The fact that UConn at the time didn't have the same options doesn't mean that BC hasn't out maneuvered them.

It sucks and I hate it.

 

[frankthetank]

Frank, I'm just surprised you don't see UConn as a viable B1G candidate. Meets all the stated criteria and brings a large market. Far superior to BC in that regard. You may be right about perceptions but perceptions are re-evaluated after the data is examined, and the B1G is not going to be rushed into a decision the way the ACC was. The ACC acted based on prejudice and perception, the B1G will act on reality.

The reality is between the state of Connecticut and UConn's fanbase in adjoining states that lack public BCS-level athletic programs, and the lack of competition from any major school in either New England or New York, what UConn brings in audience/market terms is comparable to what UVa and UNC bring (bigger states, but they share the state with competing BCS programs including state programs).

I also think that the ACC decision was influenced by several unusual factors: (1) UConn being a tougher and slower contract negotiation, at a time when the ACC wanted to move quickly and they couldn't risk issuing an invitation that UConn might decline or drag out long enough to make the ACC look vulnerable; (2) FSU and other ACC football schools wanting to create bidders for themselves and thus wanting to take away an alternative from the B12; (3) BC wanting to avoid a local competitor. None of those factors would be at play in a B1G decision.

Let's put it this way: if the Big Ten supposedly has the power to poach UVA from the ACC (and I'll be the first one to tell you that I'm skeptical of that occurring), then it will likely have the power to poach schools such as Georgia Tech and Florida State. (UNC is a bit a different animal.) Those schools alone are going to be higher on the pecking order than UConn. Now, UConn has a lot of positive attributes that would be attractive to the Big Ten in a vacuum. It's just that UConn has to be graded in comparison with the other expansion candidates that the Big Ten wants (and is probably willing to wait for). UConn has a good population base, but it's not as large compared to UVA, UNC, GT or FSU. UConn has good academics, but it's not an AAU member like UVA, UNC or GT. UConn has good TV value, but not nearly the same as the other non-AAU member that could be considered (FSU). UConn has good sports, but it's not at the level of UNC basketball or FSU football.

So, UConn might be #6 on the Big Ten's list after those 4 schools and Notre Dame. That means that UConn definitely has value, but there are only 2 or 4 spots available depending upon who you talk to. It's similar to the ACC situation: UConn was the #2 choice, but there was only 1 spot available.