National Championship or ACC?

[Stainmaster]

I expected much more favorability for the ACC invite when I made this. This is shocking.
I'm curious the average age of the ACC voters vs. the 2 championships voters..

Frankly, I think it's ACC and I don't think it's even close. Can you imagine playing Duke, UNC, Virginia, FSU, Cuse, Pitt, ND every year multiple times? We'd be competing almost every year in the ACC with Hurley.
Never mind the financial aspect and long-term viability...

The old fogies here don’t care if they leave the future of the fanbase out to dry. They’ve witnessed 2-4 times as many live national championship games as some younger fans have, they spent years freely traveling into the city for the BET, but it’s still not enough for them. They ought to share the wealth and give us the chance to experience the magic of top-tier UConn basketball when we’re their age.

 

[UofCT]

Outside of Duke & UNC, assuming this is for basketball only, are there any ACC schools that would turn down 2 National Championships in a row if that meant leaving the ACC for AAC?

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

The old fogies here don’t care if they leave the future of the fanbase out to dry. They’ve witnessed 2-4 times as many live national championship games as some younger fans have, they spent years freely traveling into the city for the BET, but it’s still not enough for them. They ought to share the wealth and give us the chance to experience the magic of top-tier UConn basketball when we’re their age.

Even if I were an old fogie, I'd want to see UConn playing Big Monday games at Gampel in February against Duke and UNC every year almost as much as 1 championship run.

 

[8893]

The old fogies here don’t care if they leave the future of the fanbase out to dry. They’ve witnessed 2-4 times as many live national championship games as some younger fans have, they spent years freely traveling into the city for the BET, but it’s still not enough for them. They ought to share the wealth and give us the chance to experience the magic of top-tier UConn basketball when we’re their age.

I don't think this is accurate. If we win two more NCs--consecutively, no less--you should derive the same joy from them as I would. Choosing that option does not rule out a more favorable change to our conference affiliation; it only rules out the ACC, which I am not convinced is a guarantee of experiencing "top-tier UConn basketball" for decades to come. I do know that the afterglow of experiencing National Championships sustains for a very, very long time.

I know that the conventional wisdom is that the Big Ten will never come calling, but that would be my preferred conference hands down. As I said upthread, that would probably even change my vote here.

 

[BackAftaThis]

I don't think this is accurate. If we win two more NCs--consecutively, no less--you should derive the same joy from them as I would. Choosing that option does not rule out a more favorable change to our conference affiliation; it only rules out the ACC, which I am not convinced is a guarantee of experiencing "top-tier UConn basketball" for decades to come. I do know that the afterglow of experiencing National Championships sustains for a very, very long time.

I know that the conventional wisdom is that the Big Ten will never come calling, but that would be my preferred conference hands down. As I said upthread, that would probably even change my vote here.

I voted on the basis of why is this exclusive. If I choose back to back national titles now, does this mean we can't get invited to the ACC in the future? If you can guarantee me 2 national titles now, it would be most fun I ever had. Back to back tournament wins easy trumps just playing a game at Duke. There are assumptions made on both sides of this decision. If we go to the ACC and lose, is that fun? And since age was brought up, I graduated UConn in 2010.

 

[Tenspro2002]

I voted on the basis of why is this exclusive. If I choose back to back national titles now, does this mean we can't get invited to the ACC in the future? If you can guarantee me 2 national titles now, it would be most fun I ever had. Back to back tournament wins easy trumps just playing a game at Duke. There are assumptions made on both sides of this decision. If we go to the ACC and lose, is that fun? And since age was brought up, I graduated UConn in 2010.

I think the exercise is agnostic about the future after the decision is made.

If we win 2 championships, we could be stuck in the AAC forever or we could get a P5 invite.
If we get an ACC invite, we could never win a championship again or we could win 10 in the next 50 years.

If you care at all about the long-term viability of the program, and you pick the 2 championships, you're basically gambling that the AD product is sufficient to earn a P5 invite on its own.

It's hard to think that the long-term viability of the program would become worse if you straight-up pick the ACC.

 

[CL82]

The Big 10 will come knocking if UConn fits the profile of a Big 10 university. That means upgrading research into the top tier, and strong fan support for athletics. The former isn't likely given the state's budget troubles and declining demographics and economy, and the latter looks suspect with the lack of sellouts for football and basketball.

But I empathize, I'd love to see the ACC lose the whole Northeast corridor by giving up on UConn in favor of the second best program in northern Kentucky.

FWIW I believe we are a Tier 1 research school.

 

[JeepCSC]

I don't think this is accurate. If we win two more NCs--consecutively, no less--you should derive the same joy from them as I would. Choosing that option does not rule out a more favorable change to our conference affiliation; it only rules out the ACC, which I am not convinced is a guarantee of experiencing "top-tier UConn basketball" for decades to come. I do know that the afterglow of experiencing National Championships sustains for a very, very long time.

Only if you keep the coach. And even then, only maybe. 2011/2014 wasn’t consecutive but the general idea remains that it did not prevent a slide. Coach K in all his glory had to have a 2-14 ACC record wiped from his career only 3 years after Laettner’s b2b, and if he was as close to leaving for the NBA as he boasts about then Duke wouldn’t be the Duke we recognize today. Indiana hasn’t been Indiana since almost a decade before Knight attacked a student, but the insulation of B10 and all the money and matchups the conference provided meant the county didn’t notice until 2017 or thereabouts.

Again, we all want titles. But we also want to be entertained. This sport exists outside the confines of 6 games in March/April. Our time isn’t wasted if our team fails to win it all. You can better sell recruits and fans with compelling competition in January and February. You all have more titles in 2019 than you had in 2009. But wasn’t 2009 more fun because the stake each game was higher and the future was brighter of what could happen in the BE?

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

They ought to share the wealth and give us the chance to experience the magic of top-tier UConn basketball when we’re their age.

It was pretty great. Bummer that you missed it.

 

[8893]

I also think that attending the Final Fours when we win National Championships makes one enjoy them more and longer. I attended '99, '04 and '11 and every time I wear the garb from those years or am otherwise reminded of them I fondly recall the Final Four weekend because those trips are so freaking great. I don't have the same attachment to '14 because I didn't attend that one; and I am so glad that I didn't attend '09 in Detroit.

 

[Guapo]

There are some smart, good bonyarders here that are so wrong on this.

It is clear that our obsession with conference realignment has warped our sense of reality

 

[polycom]

There are some smart, good bonyarders here that are so wrong on this.

It is clear that our obsession with conference realignment has warped our sense of reality

What funds an athletic department? I know it isn’t national championships in basketball...

 

[Guapo]

What funds an athletic department? I know it isn’t national championships in basketball...

I am aware but do you realize that this would give us 6 National championships???

 

[whaler11]

There are some smart, good bonyarders here that are so wrong on this.

It is clear that our obsession with conference realignment has warped our sense of reality

i know usually your posts are really good...

 

[Guapo]

i know usually your posts are really good...

Lol I’m just saying, if you guys go to some fanbases that are currently in a Power 5 conference and ask if they’d trade being in the AAC for 2 straight national championships, I think some of you would be surprised by their answer.

 

[polycom]

Lol I’m just saying, if you guys go to some fanbases that are currently in a Power 5 conference and ask if they’d trade being in the AAC for 2 straight national championships, I think some of you would be surprised by their answer.

Sure some basketball only schools would be happy with that. But top tier public school fan bases would not be happy with that at all. Please visit some other schools or ask fans of other schools they want to see a viable program not win the next to championships and then fall away into the abyss. How do people plan on funding our AD with national championships?

I doubt anyone from Maryland would rather be us. People who love sports(people from other parts of the country) care about the match ups and the occasional championship.

 

[Guapo]

Sure some basketball only schools would be happy with that. But top tier public school fan bases would not be happy with that at all. Please visit some other schools or ask fans of other schools they want to see a viable program not win the next to championships and then fall away into the abyss. How do people plan on funding our AD with national championships?

I doubt anyone from Maryland would rather be us. People who love sports(people from other parts of the country) care about the match ups and the occasional championship.

I don’t know what to tell you. I’ll take my 6 championships and be tied with UNC

 

[Guapo]

I know for a fact that winning the next two national championships would be one of the most joyous and incredible fan experiences for many of us.

If some of you would rather trade that for a Monday night game in February against Wake Forest than bully for you.

 

[NC_Uconn_Fan]

Take the championships. I miss being an arrogant UCONN fan.

 

[JeepCSC]

I don’t know what to tell you. I’ll take my 6 championships and be tied with UNC

You have more titles than Kansas. Kansas wouldn’t trade to be in the AAC if their life depended on it (which incidentally their athletics life would). Phog isn’t getting filled to see Tulsa and UCF as conference mates, and they aren’t getting a title-winning coach to be their football coach in the AAC.

 

[JeepCSC]

I don’t know what to tell you. I’ll take my 6 championships and be tied with UNC

All UNC’s storied past couldn’t prevent Doherty. Deep pockets and strong roots help weather the storms that occur. Bill Russell couldn’t keep USF afloat as a major powerhouse in a mid-major.

 

[UconnFanDC]

I'll take winning next 2 National Championships. ACC and Big 10 will come calling immediately after. I can wait for the call after 2 years while boasting about us being the best while talking trash to those laughing now.

 

[HuskylnSC]

How about we win the two national championships then start our own network and make a fortune

 

[HuskylnSC]

No one is going to come calling until our football team can put fannies in the seats and behind the TV. Just saying basketball is not going to be our ticket in.

 

[Dibbie]

2 Titles hands down, winning is so much fun. Plus, two more titles would either make the AAC a revered basketball conference or open the door to future invites. Win-win...like I said, winning is fun.