Non-Key Tweets

[BlueMAB]

And that's what people said about UConn basketball before Calhoun. Bobby Knight saw a sleeping giant and so did Jim Calhoun. UConn football has suffered from the worst possible coaching hire and a horrible conference situation. They were building something great and then a self-inflicted wound and a wound outside of their control derailed the progress, they are finally building back up but need a P5 to play in. If you don't think there would be any juice around New England and NYC for football games with UConn v. Texas, UConn v. Ohio State, UConn v. Oklahoma, UConn v. Michigan then you are crazy.

You're putting words in my mouth, and missing the point.

I'm not arguing that UConn can't be a very good football program.

I'm not arguing that people in CT wouldn't be excited for UConn vs OU or Texas.

But if you think Boston and NYC are going to be excited about a football game between UConn and Iowa State, you're crazy. We played before, how much buzz was there in NYC for that game? None. Our true value in NYC is basketball. But it hasn't been enough to move the decision makers to pick us.

There's a reason 1) we're still on the outside looking in and 2) sweating it out for a spot against the likes of Cinci, Houston, Memphis, BYU, and USF/UCF.

In the end, I think we get in, because I agree the value is there. I just don't think the value is so much more, that it's a no-brainer. Up until the ACCN, the B12 wasn't expanding. So what's more important, our DMA or the impact of the ACCN?

But yeah sure, I'm just trolling. Answer this, if UConn was so valuable that it doesn't make any sense for us to be passed up, why is anyone nervous? Because the presidents of the B1G, ACC, and B12 are stupid? Because of a grudge about a lawsuit? Because they're scared of the sleeping giant football program?

Or is it because they aren't sold on the idea that UConn can create more revenue for the conference than it receives?

 

[LongTimeHusky]

If you (or more specifically CL82) were honest, you'd recognize that our "state wide" appeal in Fairfield County isn't anywhere close to what we need it to be. And that the residents of FC, for a very long time, far more closely identify with NYC, than Hartford or UConn.

And yes, I agree 100% that UConn has far more upside. But if you're going to be honest, we don't lack competition.

If you want to be honest, we are competing not just with College Football, but with the Yankees, Sox, Giants, Pats, etc etc for media attention, and fan support. And that's why CL82's state line argument is so delusional.

This media market that we like to tout as being so valuable, is a pro market. If you're going to be honest, then don't make fun of the fact that BCU is about the 6th most important team in Boston, and then scratch your head as to why UConn isn't getting more traction from P5 conferences due to the NYC DMA.

If our football team had a quarterback the quality of Dan Orlovsky, or better, the stadium would be packed!!! Getting us into a P5 conference gives us the chance to get that type of quarterback. This fact is not debatable!

 

[Kevin Caliendo]

I agree in general, but the "decision-makers" didn't approach Syracuse, Pitt, BC et al before Uconn, those schools teamed up and went to the ACC. Hathaway and the former administration was completely ignorant to what was going on around them. If the old Big East was together and we were starting the proces from scratch, UConn would have been in the ACC. but whatever, a confluence of stupidity and poor timing, luck and judgement has led to this, where basically you are hoping and praying that the powers that be in the state of Texas pick Uconn over Memphis, Houston, Cincy and/or BYU.

 

[CL82]

Oh wait, so now we're not concerned about the lines on the map? We're not going to talk about those teams' impact into that NYC DMA? You can't have it both ways. You can't say those teams don't matter when looking at the CT population, and then argue that access to the NYC DMA is a major plus, but pretend like there isn't any competition already in that market.

If conference weren't concerned about the competition in that market, if they didn't think it was already diluted, we'd already have been invited somewhere. It's not as much a slam dunk people pretend it is.

Nope. We are not in a P5 conference largely because of protectionism by BCU, but if you are a UConn fan you know that narrative, right?

 

[Santini35]

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 30m30 minutes ago
Per text BTM: Herbst has been given B12 ok to proceed. Location of Formal Presentation with Big 12 officials is unknown. Date is soon.


Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 27m27 minutes ago
Per TEXT BTM: Will call you tonight. OU contacts confirm Formal Presentations by invitation will happen soon. No confirm on UCONN info.

 

[kyleslamb]

I don't know what Fortune 500 companies has to do with the merits of UC or UConn but I will say as a strike against UC that they can't even get people in their own city to attend games when they're good. They don't have a fan base outside of four or five counties. They do have plenty of merits, but if the Big 12 is looking for a dent in media markets in Ohio, it will be limited to Cincinnati and (maybe) Dayton. Of course, this really isn't about media markets because they're not even adding a network so at most it's about size of fan base for a possible online digital platform. And that's where, again, UC will struggle.

That said, regardless of UC's strengths or weaknesses, I think everyone knows they're in the driver's seat. It's probably mostly due to geography, as in relative proximity to an existing member, but nonetheless they'll get in if the league expands.

The debate should really be about how the Big 12 views UConn to Houston, BYU, UCF and Memphis IMHO.

 

[don356]

I clearly wrote "OHIO has more F500 companies than CT." So no, not in Cincinnati. Although Cincinnati does have more Fortune 500 companies than any city in Connecticut or any other city in Ohio. Significantly more than Storrs.

It's not about how many big companies you have, it's about how many companies you have that spend big on tv advertising. That's were all this money comes from, and all of these sports networks have non sports parents, etc. so it's all tied in.

 

[BlueMAB]

Nope. We are not in the ACC partially because of protectionism by BCU.

FIFY.

Did BCU keep us out of the B1G?

If we were that valuable to the ACC, why wouldn't the rest of the presidents get together and tell BCU to STFU?

Again, I think we're getting into the B12. But considering the competition.....Nobody out there, including is, is exactly "highly desirable". We're basically the default selection, and there's debate on that all over the country. Some of it (most maybe) is uneducated, but it's there.

 

[don356]

This pac 12 az/az st. talk, is the pac 12 not under a grant of rights as well? What school in their right mind would leave another p5 conference to join one with Texas in it?

 

[NYUConn]

Pretty cool argument we're having here for the 400th time. Let me know if it turns out differently this time.

 

[BlueMAB]

Pretty cool argument we're having here for the 400th time. Let me know if it turns out differently this time.

I'll let you know in about 20 minutes.

I've only been in and out of this thread a few times a year. My apologies for forgetting this has been discussed to death. I still find the arguments that people make fascinating. They want to talk about our reach into NYC/New England while totally ignoring all of the other sports teams and their reach into CT, Boston, and NY/NJ.

 

[CL82]

FIFY.

Did BCU keep us out of the B1G?

If we were that valuable to the ACC, why wouldn't the rest of the presidents get together and tell BCU to ?

Again, I think we're getting into the B12. But considering the competition.....Nobody out there, including is, is exactly "highly desirable". We're basically the default selection, and there's debate on that all over the country. Some of it (most maybe) is uneducated, but it's there.

Did my post mention the B1G? Why would BCU have anything to do with the B1G?

FWIW we aren't in the B1G because we aren't AAU and because NJ has 6 million more people than we do.

Do you seriously not know the narrative with the ACC?

We were picked to join Syracuse in the ACC, but BCU blocked us from getting out of the three member expansion committee, and Pitt was taken as alternative.

We were set to replace Maryland in the ACC, but FSU felt the conference was too strongly skewed to BBall and blocked us with BCU and Miami.

Now to you use your logic, would we have been the intitial choice both times if we had no value?

 

[BlueMAB]

Did my post mention the B1G?

FWIW we aren't in the B1G because we aren't AAU and because NJ has 6 million more people than we do.

Do you seriously not know the narrative with the ACC?

We were picked to join Syracuse in the ACC, but BCU blocked us from getting out of the three member expansion committee, and Pitt was taken as alternative.

We were set to replace Maryland in the ACC, but FSU felt the conference was too strongly skewed to BBall and blocked us with BCU and Miami.

Now to you use your logic, would we have been the intitial choice both times if we had no value?

Yes, you mentioned the B1G when you said we weren't in a P5 because of BCU. The B1G is a P5.

I appreciate you thinking you're educating me as to the narrative, but you didn't address the question as to why the rest of the presidents let BCU prevent them from adding the most valuable product out there. Is it that they don't care about value? Or that they felt they could get equal value elsewhere, and therefore did.

I never said we had no value. In fact I've said repeatedly we'll get to a P5 because the value is there. Why fabricate an argument I never made? Why pretend like pro sports don't matter in CT when it comes to media markets?

 

[CL82]

Yes, you mentioned the B1G when you said we weren't in a P5 because of BCU. The B1G is a P5.

I appreciate you thinking you're educating me as to the narrative, but you didn't address the question as to why the rest of the presidents let BCU prevent them from adding the most valuable product out there. Is it that they don't care about value? Or that they felt they could get equal value elsewhere, and therefore did.

I never said we had no value. In fact I've said repeatedly we'll get to a P5 because the value is there. Why fabricate an argument I never made? Why pretend like pro sports don't matter in CT when it comes to media markets?

Ah I get it. You are reffering to this post:

Nope. We are not in a P5 conference largely because of protectionism by BCU, but if you are a UConn fan you know that narrative, right?

I've bolded a key word that you apparently missed.

Anyway as others have noted above, you are likely trolling. It is stunning that you don't know this narrative. It doesn't seem like you really particularly interested and rest of us have discussed ad nauseum.

 

[UConn Esq]

It's not about how many big companies you have, it's about how many companies you have that spend big on tv advertising. That's were all this money comes from, and all of these sports networks have non sports parents, etc. so it's all tied in.

I agree.

 

[BlueMAB]

Go back and look at your post here:
Non-Key Tweets
You'll see the language you quoted from me referred to the ACC.

Anyway as others have noted above, you are likely trolling. It is stunning that you don't know this narrative. It doesn't seem like you really particularly interested and rest of us have discussed ad nauseum.

The language I quoted referred to P5 conferences. I fixed it for you. Unless you were trying to say BCU kept us out of the B1G, your statement was inaccurate.

Nope. We are not in a P5 conference largely because of protectionism by BCU, but if you are a UConn fan you know that narrative, right?

It's stunning that you keep telling me what you presume I do and don't know.

Again...if UConn was such a slam dunk for the NY market, why did the rest of the presidents let BCU prevent them from adding the most valuable product out there to that highly desirable market? Not once, but twice? Is the market not as important? Are we not as strong there (due to competition)? Or did Louisville and Pitt, with stronger football programs, bring comparable market value to the network, and by extension, the ACC?

Do the presidents not care about value? Or did they feel they could get equal value elsewhere, and therefore weren't going to be penalized by BCU's protectionism?

You can't tell the forest from the trees, so yes, convince yourself that you're the smartest person in the room. Tell us more about how we're attractive to schools in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Iowa because our women's basketball program helped a MLB team from NY get on TVs in CT.

 

[CL82]

The language I quoted referred to P5 conferences. I fixed it for you. Unless you were trying to say BCU kept us out of the B1G, your statement was inaccurate.

It's stunning that you keep telling me what you presume I do and don't know.

Again...if UConn was such a slam dunk for the NY market, why did the rest of the presidents let BCU prevent them from adding the most valuable product out there to that highly desirable market? Not once, but twice? Is the market not as important? Are we not as strong there (due to competition)? Or did Louisville and Pitt, with stronger football programs, bring comparable market value to the network, and by extension, the ACC?

Do the presidents not care about value? Or did they feel they could get equal value elsewhere, and therefore weren't going to be penalized by BCU's protectionism?

You can't tell the forest from the trees, so yes, convince yourself that you're the smartest person in the room. Tell us more about how we're attractive to schools in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Iowa because our women's basketball program helped a MLB team from NY get on TVs in CT.

Everyone else has already given up, I'm not going bother any further as you don't seem paticularly interested in doing anything other than wheel spinning.

But hey you have a good day now.

 

[FDNY99]

Bingo. Why do you think the B1G and ACC are engaged in a year's long p1ssing contest over which contest is "New York's"? About 1/4 of the advertising in Yankee Stadium is for a B1G or ACC conference or member school.

The best part - neither can lay 100% claim. So why wouldn't the Big 12 (specifically Texas and Oklahoma) want a piece of that? Would UConn elevate the B12 to either of those conferences territorial claim alone? Absolutely not. But UConn would absolutely cut the pie in 3 ways - some pieces bigger than others. And that would be incredibly valuable for the B12 (and UConn).

As a person who works in NYC...and has worked in the inner city in NYC for over 14 yrs...lives in the NYC DMA. The ONLY team in the ACC that really moves the needle is ND...and that is in football more than anything else. Cuse is popular on LI...but not in NYC compared to UConn, Michigan, PSU, and RU. The longer Syracuse is removed from the BE the more irrelevant they become. I'd say the ACC is clinging to NYC if they bank on Syracuse. I think ND fans there don't really associate ND with the ACC and because of football they just associate ND with ND. If UConn went to the B-12 I can see a school like Kansas surpassing Syracuse in hoops popularity.

 

[FDNY99]

I'll let you know in about 20 minutes.

I've only been in and out of this thread a few times a year. My apologies for forgetting this has been discussed to death. I still find the arguments that people make fascinating. They want to talk about our reach into NYC/New England while totally ignoring all of the other sports teams and their reach into CT, Boston, and NY/NJ.

NYC DMA isn't college football friendly...I know..I live and work in it. It IS college basketball friendly. The reason it is basketball friendly..NYC has always been and always will be a basketball Mecca on the eastern seaboard. Pro sports run the show here...college football is popular by alumni bases that work and live in the DMA. I'll give you another one...take a look at Hockey East rosters and see how many kids come from the NYC DMA (there are a bunch)...yet college hockey doesn't even register here. But the Rangers and Islanders dominate the market...they even push the Devils to an after thought here. But what is know here in the NYC DMA is this...if the area it serves has a college team that belongs to a conference that has a network..you get a premium subscriber rate. I fully know that if UConn gets into the B-12 and somehow the B-12 schools end up getting Texas to move on converting the LHN to a B12N my FIOS bill is gonna go up...just like it went up when RU joined the B-1o.

 

[CoastAtlantic]

MH ver3 ‏@MH ver3 6h6 hours ago
Heard today that Colorado St has also been in talks with the PAC.

MH ver3 ‏@MH ver3 55m55 minutes ago
Feeling around the B12 is that UT doesn't really want Houston but is playing nice for show.

MH ver3 ‏@MH ver3 54m54 minutes ago
Not likely they get in as they don't have support from other schools outside of Texas

MH ver3 ‏@MH ver3 55m55 minutes ago
But hey, stranger things have happened.

Brad Weiss ‏@UConnPittDad 55m55 minutes ago
@MH ver3 what are you hearing about uconn's chances

MH ver3 ‏@MH ver3 52m52 minutes ago
@UConnPittDad they have the support but BYU and UC seem most likely at this point because UT and OU


ME: "But hey, stranger things have happened" like none of the past moonshine theories coming ever close to true. But, hey, FSU is still going to that wheat belt conference, right?



Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 41m41 minutes ago
I did read Chip Brown's article. Important note: B12 schools outside of state of Texas will not agree to "Texas increase" 40% to 41.6%

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 38m38 minutes ago
Greg Flugaur Retweeted Greg Flugaur

https://mobile.twitter.com/flugempire/status/756621840269844480… As we mentioned Thursday-am,before "UH tweets" were sent by Texans, UH is top 4...but 3 non Texas Schools is price.

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 34m34 minutes ago
Just imagine..close your eyes ..B12 expands by only 2 with UH being 1 of them You can't can you. Neither can B12 Presidents outside of TX

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire 25m25 minutes ago
I was not taking a shot at UH. Just pointing out a "Texas Centric" Conf going from 40% to 41.6% is not happening. 40% to 35.7% is the road

 

[jostar1]

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire · 7h7 hours ago
BTM just texted following:
"I will call you tonight. More of the same but further along. Herbst is taking a trip. Tell Pete happy-Bday"

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire · 4h4 hours ago
BTM/OU contacts:
Formal Presentations begin next week.
Belief Formal Presentations will end no later than 2 weeks.

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire · 4h4 hours ago
BTM/OU contacts:
B12 Presidents had primary invitation list scoped out before last meeting adjourned.

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire · 4h4 hours ago
BTM/OU contacts:
Multiple Universities have knowledge, been told directly or indirectly, that they will recieve invite for Presentations.

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire · 4h4 hours ago
My big takeaway....is that your either on the presentation list right now...or you are not going to be...

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire · 4h4 hours ago
I do believe though, in some odd manner, that this latest info puts in perspective in why some schools don't feel the need to be public.

Spencer Freeman ‏@srfreeman25 · 4h4 hours ago
@flugempire Looking like BYU, Houston, UConn, and Cincinnati. Correct?

Greg Flugaur‏@flugempire
@srfreeman25
That is what OU contacts believe we are heading. After horse trading of votes to elevate 3 of them to 8 votes needed.

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire · 3h3 hours ago
Another takeaway is don't expect B12 invites to Cont membership to be given out for at least 3 weeks.
Formal Presentations first...

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire · 2h2 hours ago
As we mentioned Thursday-am,before "UH tweets" were sent by Texans, UH is top 4...but 3 non Texas Schools is price.

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire · 2h2 hours ago
Just imagine..close your eyes ..B12 expands by only 2 with UH being 1 of them
You can't can you.
Neither can B12 Presidents outside of TX

Jkat ‏@jkat513 · 2h2 hours ago
@flugempire so if Houston adds on you have to expand to 4

Greg Flugaur‏@flugempire
@jkat513
Yes.

Houston Coog Man ‏@HoustonCoogMan · 48m48 minutes ago
@flugempire No UH means no UT-Hou. This is worth more than all the money UT gets from Big12. "We tried" doesn't get them UT-Hou.

Greg Flugaur ‏@flugempire · 45m45 minutes ago
@HoustonCoogMan
I understand.
But UH can't get to 8 votes without a grand B12 compromise which will entail 3 non Texas schools inclusion

Houston Coog Man ‏@HoustonCoogMan · 48m48 minutes ago
@flugempire When has UT EVER done anything to help the group. It's always about UT and this situation is no different. Makes UH #1 priority

Greg Flugaur‏@flugempire
@HoustonCoogMan
That's fine...UH is priority #1 for the whale UT.
But math is math. Horse Trading is needed for UH.

 

[whaler11]

I think Flug is right - and it sort of shows how broken the Big 12 is.

The right move is to add 2 - Cinci and UConn and try to build
up the league's value to survive at the next negotiation.

Instead they will probably add 4 and completely screw it up because these fools can't make what is really a simple decision. Because Kansas should have Houston in their league so Texas can build a campus near them - that's some solid decision making.

The only thing worse than being passed over by this league... is being in this league.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I think Flug is right - and it sort of shows how broken the Big 12 is.

The right move is to add 2 - Cinci and UConn and try to build
up the league's value to survive at the next negotiation.

Instead they will probably add 4 and completely screw it up because these fools can't make what is really a simple decision. Because Kansas should have Houston in their league so Texas can build a campus near them - that's some solid decision making.

The only thing worse than being passed over by this league... is being in this league.

If the consequences weren't so dire you might be right but given the situation the converse of you assessment is unfortunately true.

 

[whaler11]

If the consequences weren't so dire you might be right but given the situation the converse of you assessment is unfortunately true.

It's called hyperbole. Writers sometimes use it to make a point.

 

[Sea Goat]

It's called hyperbole. Writers sometimes use it to make a point.

On a boneyard thread? Hyperbole? I won't believe it!