Non-Key Tweets

[Luna]

I think Crieghton and Xavier are the power players in the Big East. Villanova and UConn middle of the pack

Your joking?

 

[Kolumbo]

If Villanova and uconn left… that would destroy the big east…

Devil's advocate, the Big East becomes stronger. The BE was fine before UConn joined. If nova left, there are a dozen programs waiting in the wings to fill the vacuum - Dayton, SLU, Bonnies, Richmond, Gonzaga - UMass, VCU, George Mason - all of those programs who have experienced some level of success would kick it up a few notches in the BE. Any program would get even better just by being in the BE.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Any program would get even better just by being in the BE.

Tell that to DePaul

 

[Luna]

Devil's advocate, the Big East becomes stronger. The BE was fine before UConn joined. If nova left, there are a dozen programs waiting in the wings to fill the vacuum - Dayton, SLU, Bonnies, Richmond, Gonzaga - UMass, VCU, George Mason - all of those programs who have experienced some level of success would kick it up a few notches in the BE. Any program would get even better just by being in the BE.

Well.. the next tv contract is key…besides the men’s basketball… the uconn women’s basketball team vs South Carolina had over a million viewers… the big time woman's programs besides uconn are in ether the acc or the sec … which tv rights are owned by espn… right now fox owns uconns tv rights…i think they are going to want to keep them… women's basketball has different demographics then
Either football or mens basketball… which makes them valuable

 

[Kolumbo]

Tell that to DePaul

and Marquette and Xavier and Creighton...

 

[CoastAtlantic]

 

[ScottVib]

It's not going to happen, but a Big XII basketball conference that added Gonzaga, UConn, Villanova & Creighton (or St. John's) plus Kansas, Cincinnati, Houston, WVU, et. al, would have some pretty fun matchups. The only way UConn could make that move though would be if football were included... the only way the Big XII could do that is if it found someone else (Memphis?) they wanted.

The bigger problem is even if the Big XII values basketball more than other conferences.. I don't think the dollars are there for that kind of arrangement to make the collective enough additional money (or provide any additional stability). Even with a partial payout to the non-football membership, I don't think the benefits overcome the potential opportunity cost of some day luring one of the four corner schools. If they had wanted to make a move involving UConn for basketball purposes, they already had a tailor made opportunity.. and they chose UCF.

 

[CL82]

The Big East experimented with mixing basketball only and football schools. We all know how that ended. Basketball only schools would not be able to compete with the football schools in the same conference because they wouldn’t have anything that even vaguely approached the same amount of resources. It is two different worlds.

Similarly, uneven distributions is a desperate last ditch effort to hold a conference together that, in my opinion, is doomed to failure. Schools getting less will resent schools getting more. Schools getting more will resent giving anything to the schools getting less.

Conferences work better when they’re about shared interests. Football versus basketball only’s, haves versus have nots are both a recipe for failure.

 

[jostar1]

If they had wanted to make a move involving UConn for basketball purposes, they already had a tailor made opportunity.. and they chose UCF.

UCF was invited to join the Big 12 when Bob Bowlsby was the commissioner. The new commissioner, Brett Yormark, has a basketball background. That has been mentioned in the rumor of the Big 12 and the Big East.

From wikipedia:

Yormark started his professional career working in various positions in sports and entertainment. In the early 90s, he began selling TV time to Upper Midwest sports teams at Katz Sports in New York, where he acquired and managed the broadcast sales rights for several NBA, MLB and NHL teams, which included the Brewers, Bucks, Timberwolves, and Wild.

Yormark then moved on to sell sponsorships for the Detroit Pistons and with Palace Sports and Entertainment as a senior account executive. In 1998, he got a position with NASCAR as a director of corporate marketing and helped open an office in New York to expand the sport nationally. With NASCAR, he went on to become vice president of corporate marketing and helped successfully negotiate a massive 10-year, $750 million sponsorship deal.[2]

In 2005, then Nets owner Bruce Ratner hired Yormark to help transform the Nets into a world-class organization and a more popular, modern, and contemporary brand. Yormark helped manage the franchise's transition from New Jersey to Brooklyn, and led the marketing and operations functions of Barclays Center, which opened in 2012. He spent 14 years with the Nets organization as CEO of Brooklyn Sports Entertainment. He negotiated several marquee deals for the Barclays Center, including with the New York Islanders, UFC, NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, ACC men's basketball tournament, and the Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament. Under Yormark’s leadership, the Barclays Center placed annually in the top ten of all entertainment venues world-wide for ticket sales.[3]

 

[buddy]

Your joking?

Who is likely to win the BE Championship? Preseason poll showed UConn in fifth place, right where are they now. Not exactly carrying the BE torch.

 

[Kolumbo]

The Big East experimented with mixing basketball only and football schools. We all know how that ended. Basketball only schools would not be able to compete with the football schools in the same conference because they wouldn’t have anything that even vaguely approached the same amount of resources. It is two different worlds.

Similarly, uneven distributions is a desperate last ditch effort to hold a conference together that, in my opinion, is doomed to failure. Schools getting less will resent schools getting more. Schools getting more will resent giving anything to the schools getting less.

Conferences work better when they’re about shared interests. Football versus basketball only’s, haves versus have nots are both a recipe for failure.

This is all true. However, the Big East was in unchartered territory and lessons have been learned. We have to compete with B1G and Big 12 programs now and we'd have to compete with B1G and Big 12 programs as part of a merger. I think it could work given the right revenue model that all parties would be happy with. I don't think basketball programs would resent football programs making more as long as all the details are spelled out ahead of time.

 

[CL82]

This is all true. However, the Big East was in uncharted territory and lessons have been learned. We have to compete with B1G and Big 12 programs now and we'd have to compete with B1G and Big 12 programs as part of a merger. I think it could work given the right revenue model that all parties would be happy with. I don't think basketball programs would resent football programs making more as long as all the details are spelled out ahead of time.

[Shrugs]. Human nature.

 

[Luna]

Who is likely to win the BE Championship? Preseason poll showed UConn in fifth place, right where are they now. Not exactly carrying the BE torch.

I do like both those teams.. and they have great fan bases… and im glad uconn shares a conference with them…but uconn and Villanova are national brands.. not sure those other schools are

 

[buddy]

I do like both those teams.. and they have great fan bases… and im glad uconn shares a conference with them…but uconn and Villanova are national brands.. not sure those other schools are

UConn is a national brand no doubt, but not a lynchpin for the Big East Conference was all I was trying to point out.

 

[Ha Who]

I think Crieghton and Xavier are the power players in the Big East. Villanova and UConn middle of the pack

Kind of like FSU

 

[CL82]

UConn is a national brand no doubt, but not a lynchpin for the Big East Conference was all I was trying to point out.

Maybe, but Fox values them as a part of the conference. And since the media rights are up for negotiation, that’s kind of important. Since UConn joined the Big East, viewership is up and attendance is up. So, while you can may not be “critical” their membership, and Big East is certainly “meaningful”

 

[Stinger92860]

243 followers. Could be legit.

One of his followers is a car wash!!

 

[Stinger92860]

It's not going to happen, but a Big XII basketball conference that added Gonzaga, UConn, Villanova & Creighton (or St. John's) plus Kansas, Cincinnati, Houston, WVU, et. al, would have some pretty fun matchups. The only way UConn could make that move though would be if football were included... the only way the Big XII could do that is if it found someone else (Memphis?) they wanted.

The bigger problem is even if the Big XII values basketball more than other conferences.. I don't think the dollars are there for that kind of arrangement to make the collective enough additional money (or provide any additional stability). Even with a partial payout to the non-football membership, I don't think the benefits overcome the potential opportunity cost of some day luring one of the four corner schools. If they had wanted to make a move involving UConn for basketball purposes, they already had a tailor made opportunity.. and they chose UCF.

A B12 league with those teams would clearly be #3 ahead of the PAC and ACC overall, and #1 in bball.

 

[Huskyforlife]

I’d personally welcome a B12 move. Great basketball league, and a home for football. Could be worse.

 

[Hoophound]

I’d personally welcome a B12 move. Great basketball league, and a home for football. Could be worse.

Agreed. I love the Big East and I’m really enjoying being back here. However, I love the football program, I need to be realistic, the B12 would be good for the overall AD.

 

[buddy]

I’d personally welcome a B12 move. Great basketball league, and a home for football. Could be worse.

Absolutely. It appears that the ACC that UConn may be invited to in a decade or so will look nothing like the ACC that is in existence now.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

A B12 league with those teams would clearly be #3 ahead of the PAC and ACC overall, and #1 in bball.

Yeah, but on huge point is basketball doesn't mean a whe lot in comparison to football. This has kind of been the point the past couple of decades

 

[CL82]

Yeah, but on huge point is basketball doesn't mean a whe lot in comparison to football. This has kind of been the point the past couple of decades

It has been, but the only available incremental improvement to conference value will soon be, if it isn’t already, fan base size, fan base enthusiasm, and to a certain extent, basketball success.

 

[Storrs South]

 

[coachcap]

If that's the case:
BigXII: "Would you..."
Appropriate AD Dave responses:
"In a heartbeat!"
"You had me at hello..."
"Yes, Yes, a 1000x YES!"
"I thought you'd never ask!"