Non-Key Tweets

[upstater]

Terry Pegula just built two rinks, one with abundant seating for D1 NCAA hockey, right next to the Sabres Arena. Too bad UB hired a reb for its AD who decided to change the name of the university and thereby alienate all the local supporters. The AD of course wants to look elsewhere for a better position, so killing football is a career-ender for him, even if it would be the best thing for the school. So, Pegula moves on and then Canisius becomes the tenant of the new arena, and UB is left with a generational error that will continue to compound the losses well into the future.

 

[sportsart]

Terry Pegula just built two rinks, one with abundant seating for D1 NCAA hockey, right next to the Sabres Arena. Too bad UB hired a reb for its AD who decided to change the name of the university and thereby alienate all the local supporters. The AD of course wants to look elsewhere for a better position, so killing football is a career-ender for him, even if it would be the best thing for the school. So, Pegula moves on and then Canisius becomes the tenant of the new arena, and UB is left with a generational error that will continue to compound the losses well into the future.

So are you saying Tulane has a better shot at an invite to the B1G than UB?

 

[upstater]

So are you saying Tulane has a better shot at an invite to the B1G than UB?

Yes, absolutely!!!!!!!!!

 

[Afroabe224]

Can someone explain to me how I am supposed to believe Buffalo would get a B1G invite over Mizzou, OU, Kansas, UConn or heck even University of Alaska-Fairbanks!?!

 

[pj]

Can someone explain to me how I am supposed to believe Buffalo would get a B1G invite over Mizzou, OU, Kansas, UConn or heck even University of Alaska-Fairbanks!?!

I believe they are talking about hockey-only invite, similar to the lacrosse-only invite to Johns Hopkins. The Presidents like the AAU/CIC academic cooperation and Buffalo is attractive on that basis.

But, once in the club, you may have a better shot at a full invite if you upgrade athletics ...

If true, this shows how critical AAU status is for UConn.

 

[noeynox]

Can someone explain to me how I am supposed to believe Buffalo would get a B1G invite over Mizzou, OU, Kansas, UConn or heck even University of Alaska-Fairbanks!?!

Why yes, someone can. That would be someone named The Dude of WV, and his "B1G Source".

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Can someone explain to me how I am supposed to believe Buffalo would get a B1G invite over Mizzou, OU, Kansas, UConn or heck even University of Alaska-Fairbanks!?!

Easily, they play in a pro stadium, they have a large and loyal season ticket base. And as E.J. Manuel matures I believe the Bills would be very competitive in the B1G.

 

[B1GALUM]

I think there are several ways to view the Dude of WV's contention that UB is a candidate for the B1G.

First, UB is actually under consideration. UB is an AAU public research university located in a contiguous state to a B1G university. UB approached the B1G from this perspective and inquired about membership in the B1G. The B1G, as a courtesy to an AAU university, did provide "benchmarks" that would need to be met to be considered for membership. Of course, these "benchmarks" thus far have not been described nor a timeline to meet these "benchmarks" disclosed by the Dude of WV. It may be that these "benchmarks" are not intended to be met any time soon but rather a due date to coincide with expiration of the GORs of other conferences has been discussed with UB .

Second, UB is not actually under consideration but this is being leaked as such for an alternate purpose. Delany is in a difficult position with respect to B1G expansion from the perspective that the B1G presidents want AAU members. Delany leaks UB as a potential candidate. There is significant backlash among B1G alums and fans, akin to the "Leaders" and "Legends" fiasco, given a lack of athletic success at UB. Delany goes to the B1G presidents with this backlash and lays out the need to be more flexible with the de facto AAU membership requirement in order to continue B1G expansion with universities that may or may not be AAU members but can bring an athletic brand to the B1G.

Third, he is just making s&!t up to generate hits and once again raise the hopes or ire of those alums and fans of universities that have been losers to date in the conference realignment game.

 

[billybud]

Please, please...let it be true that the B1G expands with Rutgers, Maryland, and Buffalo.

 

[upstater]

I believe they are talking about hockey-only invite, similar to the lacrosse-only invite to Johns Hopkins. The Presidents like the AAU/CIC academic cooperation and Buffalo is attractive on that basis.

But, once in the club, you may have a better shot at a full invite if you upgrade athletics ...

If true, this shows how critical AAU status is for UConn.

It's not true. UB doesn't even have hockey.

 

[UConnDan97]

Christ almighty. More "Buffalo to the B1G" talk. I can now officially "unwatch" this thread...

 

[huskymedic]

Christopher Lambert‏@theDudeofWV56m
B1G has established benchmarks for the University of Buffalo. One of the tidbits B1G source is sharing.

I wonder if it's the same list of benchmarks SH already has - minus the AAU piece

 

[DarthGrumpy]

I can’t see Buffalo getting into the B1G at all. Yes, UB is AAU and contiguous to the B1G footprint; but…

1) UB is #109 in the US News Ranking, which is behind everyone else in the B1G including Nebraska (#101)

2) UB offers no marquee sports

3) At best, UB offers the Buffalo (#52) and Rochester NY (#78) TV markets (New Haven/Hartford is #30) and have nearly no presence in NYC or any other major TV market, unless the B1G is trying to reach Toronto.

4) Western NY is not a recruiting hotbed for football (some lacrosse and soccer) and is facing a declining population

To get into the B1G, I believe that they need to hit more than just AAU and contiguous points. All three recent additions were contiguous. Nebraska is not AAU but offers a marquee football team, Maryland and Rutgers are AAU but offer DC (#8) and NYC (#1) TV markets plus they are both good recruiting states for football.

UConn, Kansas, Oklahoma, Virginia, etc. all offer a lot more than UB, and that is not a slap to UB at all, just a fact.

 

[upstater]

I can’t see Buffalo getting into the B1G at all. Yes, UB is AAU and contiguous to the B1G footprint; but…

1) UB is #109 in the US News Ranking, which is behind everyone else in the B1G including Nebraska (#101)

2) UB offers no marquee sports

3) At best, UB offers the Buffalo (#52) and Rochester NY (#78) TV markets (New Haven/Hartford is #30) and have nearly no presence in NYC or any other major TV market, unless the B1G is trying to reach Toronto.

4) Western NY is not a recruiting hotbed for football (some lacrosse and soccer) and is facing a declining population

To get into the B1G, I believe that they need to hit more than just AAU and contiguous points. All three recent additions were contiguous. Nebraska is not AAU but offers a marquee football team, Maryland and Rutgers are AAU but offer DC (#8) and NYC (#1) TV markets plus they are both good recruiting states for football.

UConn, Kansas, Oklahoma, Virginia, etc. all offer a lot more than UB, and that is not a slap to UB at all, just a fact.

1. USNews gets all the SUNY's horribly wrong. Don't really know why. Not sure the state really cares either.

Look at this: https://www.google.com/search?q=U+b...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Acceptance rate is decent, SATs are around 1200, research budget is just under $400 million, 30,000 students, AAU school.

Whatever USNews is doing, it's doing it wrong. This probably has everything to do with reputation and guidance counselors nationally. USNews will have a piddling school like Clemson ranked high, whereas a school with much higher ranked departments and resources ranked low. I can't really explain it. This is similar to the way that U. Rochester is somehow not well known by guidance counselors (22.5% of the score) but very well known by academics. Maybe western NY is just a hinterland out of the national consciousness.

3. You're right about the small market, and it's not going to grow. For pro sports, the market is much bigger. You have to consider that the market for Conn. is much bigger because it's a two hour drive from one end of the market (northeast) to the other (New London), whereas the Buffalo market is 30 minutes north to the Canadian border (I can do it in 20) and 30 minutes south (i.e. a 1 hour drive north to south), and it only goes 30 minutes east. I commuted to Rochester 60 miles away for a few years. You add that DMA, and things change. But this is only relevant for a pro market since college sports aren't big up here. As well, 20% of the pro sports market in Buffalo comes from Ontario (I only use the Sabres and Bills season ticket base as an example).

4. Western NY is a huge recruiting hotbed for hockey. That's the main sport up here.

5. UB is not committed to growing its sports. All this talk is a fantasy.

As for USNews, these are the schools it gets badly wrong, up or down:

SHOULD GO DOWN AT LEAST +15

1. Miami
2. Yeshiva
3. Northeastern
4. Fordham
5. BYU
6. Clemson
7. Baylor
8. Clark
9. Marquette
10. Miami, OH (I'm convinced people think this is Miami, FL)
11. Delaware
12. TCU
13. Vermont

Q: Why is Marquette national but Villanova or RIT regional?

UPS BY 15 AT LEAST:
1. Colorado
2. Cal Santa Cruz
3. UMass
4. Binghamton
5. Buffalo
6. Missouri
7. Loyola
8. NC State
9. Kansas
10. Oklahoma
11. Iowa State
12. Oregon
13. Arizona
14. Temple
15. Illinois-Chicago
16. Ohio U.
17. Cincinnati

Most of these schools should be ahead of the downs above.

 

[CL82]

I think there are several ways to view the Dude of WV's contention that UB is a candidate for the B1G.

First, UB is actually under consideration. UB is an AAU public research university located in a contiguous state to a B1G university. UB approached the B1G from this perspective and inquired about membership in the B1G. The B1G, as a courtesy to an AAU university, did provide "benchmarks" that would need to be met to be considered for membership. Of course, these "benchmarks" thus far have not been described nor a timeline to meet these "benchmarks" disclosed by the Dude of WV. It may be that these "benchmarks" are not intended to be met any time soon but rather a due date to coincide with expiration of the GORs of other conferences has been discussed with UB .

Second, UB is not actually under consideration but this is being leaked as such for an alternate purpose. Delany is in a difficult position with respect to B1G expansion from the perspective that the B1G presidents want AAU members. Delany leaks UB as a potential candidate. There is significant backlash among B1G alums and fans, akin to the "Leaders" and "Legends" fiasco, given a lack of athletic success at UB. Delany goes to the B1G presidents with this backlash and lays out the need to be more flexible with the de facto AAU membership requirement in order to continue B1G expansion with universities that may or may not be AAU members but can bring an athletic brand to the B1G.

Third, he is just making s&!t up to generate hits and once again raise the hopes or ire of those alums and fans of universities that have been losers to date in the conference realignment game.

I kind of like your second scenario for the obvious reason.

 

[woomba]

Upstater,

The main reason for the difference is that US News puts heavy emphasis on student:faculty ratio in their rankings. Most private schools report the entire school's faculty in this data even if they do not teach any undergraduate level classes while public schools report only faculty who are involved at the undergraduate level.

If you go by pure peer assessment rankings you get rankings closer to what you're describing

 

[whaler11]

Maybe WNY is a hinterland? Maybe?

 

[upstater]

Maybe WNY is a hinterland? Maybe?

I think this is the reason why.
On the other hand, it is pretty nice up here.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

My football-less alma mater has a better shot at getting into the B1G than its reverse-ordered brother, UB.




But, really, they probably do as a hockey-only companion were BC to get an invite.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

My football-less alma mater has a better shot at getting into the B1G than its reverse-ordered brother, UB.

But, really, they probably do as a hockey-only companion were BC to get an invite.

If B1G really wants to move East and make a big splash in hockey, I could see the B1G going after BU if BU would consider leaving Hockey East. It would be the same as the alliance with Johns Hopkins for Lacrosse as both BU and Johns Hopkins are AAU. Only challenge is that BU is D1 in all other Olympic sports while Johns Hopkins is only D1 in men’s and women’s lacrosse.

If B1G did go that direction, UConn would make an excellent Eastern partner for BU in hockey, plus adding a major sports name. With BU, B1G can afford to wait for UConn and Penn State to develop as they would have Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State, and BU at the top.

 

[woomba]

Uneven members doesn't really matter for sports other than FB though. A hypothetical hockey add wont change the math for potential FB members

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

If B1G really wants to move East and make a big splash in hockey, I could see the B1G going after BU if BU would consider leaving Hockey East. It would be the same as the alliance with Johns Hopkins for Lacrosse as both BU and Johns Hopkins are AAU. Only challenge is that BU is D1 in all other Olympic sports while Johns Hopkins is only D1 in men’s and women’s lacrosse.

If B1G did go that direction, UConn would make an excellent Eastern partner for BU in hockey, plus adding a major sports name. With BU, B1G can afford to wait for UConn and Penn State to develop as they would have Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State, and BU at the top.

BU would not leave Hockey East without BC coming too.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Uneven members doesn't really matter for sports other than FB though. A hypothetical hockey add wont change the math for potential FB members

For football, the B1G is not going to add just 1 program unless that program is named Texas or ND. Thus, UConn, or any other program, is going to need a partner.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

BU would not leave Hockey East without BC coming too.

I would think so, too; but, 20 years ago, who would have ever thought that Syracuse and G-Town would be in two different basketball conferences.

 

[upstater]

There's no incentive for hockey teams to travel. No extra money in it. AND, the quick travel within Hockey East is too easy to give up.