Non-Key Tweets

[pj]

I'll stake out Delany's car wash.

 

[TruDomGopher]

The Flug said no new full member before 2019. That would rule your scenario out. Plus, I would be shocked if they picked Rice. They're not that desperate.

Hockey. Baseball. Lacrosse. That's probably their thinking.

Maybe. But since I got my chemo yesterday and I just have to sit quietly today and not hurl on my keyboard, let me get into this a bit.

If all they're talking about is lacrosse--fine, I have absolutely no idea. It may be the sport of the future but it is most definitely not the sport of now. Delany went to the Hopkins/Rutgers match and doubled the attendance. Rice doesn't have lacrosse or hockey, I don't think. Baseball? Zero tv needle movement. None. That's not even a rumor, it's a footnote.

Flug says no new members before 2019. I think otherwise--I think there will be movement before the new contract. In the land of my personal bias, I think Fox will have a say and I think they want UConn in play. B1G, dump football and go Big East, whatever: UConn has too much television value to be sitting where it is. In my experience, the guy that writes the checks (ie. Fox) has a pretty strong hand compared to the guy that cashes the check (ie. B1G). Yes, the B1G probably has multiple schools they'd rather have but their dance cards are full for...oh, ten years or so.

The UConn to B1G with a Texas presence is old news--go to the CSNbbs and check back--it turned up two years ago or so. Rice is interesting twist, though. AAU. (Which may make UConn easier for the COP/C to swallow.) Right market. And, for a small school, they have an absolutely friggin' huge football stadium--if I remember right, they got like a 70,000 seater or something like that.

(The Boston U thing is ongoing in this thread so for practical purposes, just ignore it...)

So could these pieces come together in a way that makes the constituent parties happy or at least form a package they can live with?

So it boils down to this: I like my version better.

 

[pj]

The only thing that makes Rice even fractionally-plausible to me is the persistent rumors that the one SEC school the B1G has courted is Vanderbilt. Clearly, the focus was on using athletics to promote academics, rather than on athletic prowess or money-making. (Kentucky would be more geographically contiguous and far more potent athletically and market-wise.)

It still seems very unlikely.

 

[TruDomGopher]

Moving on with my hypothesis re: Fox.

Let's say that the B1G is dragging their feet not because of AAU or some such factor, but only because of money. The B1G is concerned that the constituent schools could lose money if UConn doesn't pull as projected and they'd in effect end up subsidizing UConn at their expense. (As I mentioned previously, the worst case scenario for UConn is revenue neutral.)

Fox can fix that thusly: UConn signs a GoR to B1G. B1G turns around and sells rights to some percentage of UConn games to YES and effectively guarantees UConn is profitable to the B1G. Fox assumes the risk.

Everybody wins. Well, maybe not the AAC but f....never mind.

 

[TruDomGopher]

The only thing that makes Rice even fractionally-plausible to me is the persistent rumors that the one SEC school the B1G has courted is Vanderbilt. Clearly, the focus was on using athletics to promote academics, rather than on athletic prowess or money-making. (Kentucky would be more geographically contiguous and far more potent athletically and market-wise.)

It still seems very unlikely.

Yes, it does seem unlikely. But since I'm bent on seeing UConn in the B1G--through sheer willpower if it comes to that--I'll take any remotely plausible scenario no matter how unlikely.

 

[Maebh]

The only thing that makes Rice even fractionally-plausible to me is the persistent rumors that the one SEC school the B1G has courted is Vanderbilt. Clearly, the focus was on using athletics to promote academics, rather than on athletic prowess or money-making. (Kentucky would be more geographically contiguous and far more potent athletically and market-wise.)

It still seems very unlikely.

Always liked Kentucky's location relative to other B1G schools but once you cross the Ohio River you are in the capital "S" south. Not a bad thing in and of itself, but I think they may still be fighting the 'War of Northern Aggression'. How does that play out for a bunch of mid-west schools?

 

[upstater]

If we could protect the future of our basketball program and make more money in the process it would be difficult to say no to.

Given that we already have two B1G teams scheduled for back to back years, I can't imagine there begin a huge ordeal to get a couple more B1G games as an associate member.

The problem with this is that, there is absolutely no reason for them to ever take our football program.

So, do we wait it out a risk losing both football and hoops or save hoops but kill football almost certainly?

BTW I don't think partial member is likely, but it's just for fun to debate it.

if you're making 4x as much money as you are now, and you're keeping football alive, all you have to do as a partial member is wait for the ACC to call. You're in a better position than you are in now. You're not waiting for someone to save your BB, just someone to save your football.

 

[upstater]

The only thing that makes Rice even fractionally-plausible to me is the persistent rumors that the one SEC school the B1G has courted is Vanderbilt. Clearly, the focus was on using athletics to promote academics, rather than on athletic prowess or money-making. (Kentucky would be more geographically contiguous and far more potent athletically and market-wise.)

It still seems very unlikely.

Vanderbilt has kind of a long history. Rice is like Emory. Great schools but snobs hold up their noses at new money. Having been on Rice's campus, and noting that Rice only became a full residential university somewhere around 1956-1965, it doesn't have that snobby appeal. The campus is amazing in its design, and its attempt to look like Harvard, but all the brickwork in the end is sterile. Kind of reminds me of all the brownstones in Boston's South End. Just because the rest of the city has history, it doesn't mean you can reproduce it with brick.

 

[Adios]

The SEC's rise is tied in with Vanderbilt's McGugin, Fielding Yost and Michigan

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

I simply cannot fathom Rice in the B1G.

 

[Maebh]

QUOTE="brasssbonanzaa, post: 1286148, member: 794"]I simply cannot fathom Rice in the B1G.[/QUOTE] Nor can anyone else. Have a joyous Easter.

 

[TruDomGopher]

I can imagine Rice in the B1G but I'm off my meds again. . .

 

[dayooper]

I can imagine Rice in the B1G but I'm off my meds again. . .

My Gopher friend, Rice as a full member (or even a partial for football) goes against everything that the Big10 has done so far, sans one thing: AAU. They are so far down the media market pecking order that their football teams just don't measure up. They have an incredibly small alumni base and a football team that hasn't done anything since I remember. If the goal is to "grease the path" for entry into Texas, what happens when they get that bigger school? They become very redundant.

What if the team they were looking for was baseball? Rice's baseball team can stand alone in any conference, let alone the Big10. Add at least 1 or 2 more teams, and you have a southern wing of baseball and, if Flugs is correct, put the Big10 brand in the area. Adding baseball teams like Tulane and Houston would certainly help Rice and their traveling problem. Adding those three teams would give Big10 baseball 16 teams (Wisconsin doesn't have a baseball team). Go to east-west divisions and you have yourself a way of entering The Big10 brand into Texas. Will it work? That's a different story and I'm not so sure it would.

 

[TerryD]

Let's review the current slate of rumors and tidbits:

Back in mid-February, OkaForPrez posted an ambiguous post that UConn was in a P5 push. UConn could quietly be in play. Followed up with rumors of B1G rep at basketball game--interesting in that it may be the person in charge of branding. Solid news: Fox is getting killed with Big East BB. Extended rumors Fox is pushing at B1G.

Guess: Fox is fed up with the COP/C and their snob/AAU status stuff. Guess: B1G can't/won't try to break a GOR and Fox wants action now. Waiting ten years when there are available pieces to be monetized now doesn't cut it.

Confirmed: B1G would take ASU as partial for hockey. In effect, confirming that B1G is moving or drifting away from full conference model to a network model.

Flugaur latest rumor twittering: Partial or affiliate. Rice. SW. NE. YES.

Personal bias: I want UConn in B1G. (Colors my thinking.)

Output: UConn, full membership contingent on meeting metrics. This should satisfy the COP/C. Who else would be of any value to YES tv? The need would be a traveling partner, primarily for football. Enter Rice. Who know's? Maybe they'll end up being the next Baylor--a little school that could. If not, no long range complications. A trial run for TV. East/west balance. (Important to note: no hockey or lacrosse with Rice and nothing but football moves a needle with them.)

From there, you could fill in affiliate memberships as needed or desired or available. Maybe try to entice Boston U for hockey or something.

The partial/affiliate thing is just another internet rumor, but in the totality it's a piece of the puzzle that fits because of the wait on GOR's, tension between tv executives and presidents, and so on. It's fun to play with so I'm going with this today:

UConn to B1G.
Rice affiliate football only.
Boston U all sports.

I thought that hybrids and partial memberships were bad things and signs of a weak, unstable conference?

 

[TruDomGopher]

Couple of things:

First, I wasn't joking about the meds. I have to stop taking them to root for Wisconsin.

Second, aside from some creative play with the idea of Rice, my guess is Flug is referring to Rice as start-up lacrosse. As a start-up, there would be no conference entanglements and they could probably capture enough data from attendance/tv metrics in the 10th largest DMA to calculate how bright a B1G future might be in Texas with minimal risk/cost.

That would also apply to UConn if UConn is in fact going to get men's lacrosse up and running. Maybe another program here or there to shore up New England. Don't know what optimal would be for lacrosse but I'm pretty sure it's about lacrosse.

Baseball? Only game I know that can cram 15 minutes of action into three hours. Don't follow it at all--if the B1G thinks it fits the bill for affiliate memberships it will just be more teams playing a sport I ignore. dayooper, your theory seems well thought out and I'm willing to go with it.

I don't seriously see Rice as a candidate for the B1G but it's just plausible enough to make me speculate a bit.

 

[Ldandy]

I thought that hybrids and partial memberships were bad things and signs of a weak, unstable conference?

Nah, only when Notre Dame is involved.

 

[kingdobbs]

Couple of things:

First, I wasn't joking about the meds. I have to stop taking them to root for Wisconsin.

Second, aside from some creative play with the idea of Rice, my guess is Flug is referring to Rice as start-up lacrosse. As a start-up, there would be no conference entanglements and they could probably capture enough data from attendance/tv metrics in the 10th largest DMA to calculate how bright a B1G future might be in Texas with minimal risk/cost.

That would also apply to UConn if UConn is in fact going to get men's lacrosse up and running. Maybe another program here or there to shore up New England. Don't know what optimal would be for lacrosse but I'm pretty sure it's about lacrosse.

Baseball? Only game I know that can cram 15 minutes of action into three hours. Don't follow it at all--if the B1G thinks it fits the bill for affiliate memberships it will just be more teams playing a sport I ignore. dayooper, your theory seems well thought out and I'm willing to go with it.

I don't seriously see Rice as a candidate for the B1G but it's just plausible enough to make me speculate a bit.

The Colonial (a very good top to bottom league with high performers Delaware, Hofstra and Towson, and local rivalry potential with UMass and Fairfield) and Big East (high performers Georgetown and Denver, and of course the history UConn has with the league) are probably both better options for a UConn lax startup than associate membership with the B1G.

 

[TruDomGopher]

I thought that hybrids and partial memberships were bad things and signs of a weak, unstable conference?

Actually, I think the B1G is the most stable conference because of the CIC, not the sports or network. Some of the departments in some of these schools are wrapped so tightly it would nigh unto impossible to pry them apart. And the primary focus of the B1G from way back was to cooperate in making sure the eastern establishment schools didn't get all the research funding. Oh, yeah, and they could play each other in sports, too.

If a school fits, hybrids and partial memberships may be a good thing for all concerned.

Or, in the alternative, if you look at the B1G as a television network, it could be a way to buy programming rights under a non-commercial cover.

In any event, it is a fundamental shift away from the B1G "all for one and one for all" philosophy that has served it well these many years. They clearly weren't willing to bend much for ND. What it Texas wanted a "deal"--would the B1G tell them to pound sand? I don't really know at this point where this is all going, but I anxiously await the next installment.

 

[TruDomGopher]

The Colonial (a very good top to bottom league with high performers Delaware, Hofstra and Towson, and local rivalry potential with UMass and Fairfield) and Big East (high performers Georgetown and Denver, and of course the history UConn has with the league) are probably both better options for a UConn lax startup than associate membership with the B1G.

And UConn needs to do what's best for UConn. Delany can fish for yeses, but he might not get them.

(Of course, if Warde wakes up with a horse head in his bed, we'll know Delany made him an offer he couldn't refuse.)

 

[CL82]

If Delany asked Manual to be his dog walker, it would be an offer that Warde can't refused. The correct answer to any request is "yes sir, Mr. Delany" until we are out of our current conference.

 

[TruDomGopher]

If Delany asked Manual to be his dog walker, it would be an offer that Warde can't refused. The correct answer to any request is "yes sir, Mr. Delany" until we are out of our current conference.

Yeah, but here's where I'm afraid this all ends up:

Hypothetically, what if the B1G approaches and says, "Look, we have Rice ready to sign a six year contract to play football in the B1G. We want UConn to bring in all sports for six years and we'll pay you well--but understand you won't be members. We just want to monetize the spots we're holding for UVA/UNC or OK/Texas. It's strictly a pay-for-play contract."

What then?

 

[CL82]

"yes sir, Mr. Delany"

 

[TruDomGopher]

"yes sir, Mr. Delany"

You make me laugh. That reminds me: I should stop by the Rutgers board and read the whining "We should have held out for a better deal" thread.

 

[MattMang23]

You make me laugh. That reminds me: I should stop by the Rutgers board and read the whining "We should have held out for a better deal" thread.

Wait, that's a real thread?

If Rutgers had said anything other than yes, they would have been on the phone to UConn so quickly.

 

[Seaa Blue]

I thought that hybrids and partial memberships were bad things and signs of a weak, unstable conference?

Have you been drinking with those Old Big East boys again?