As long as your hometown city and hometown state refuse to realize they are sitting on a goldmine, and continue to insist on branding Buffalo as "UB", the "University of Buffalo", or just "Buffalo", they have as much chance of getting into the Big Ten as Slippery Rock. As the last three pages of this thread proves, they will be a laughingstock forever. But there were low level talks with the Big Ten about 12 years ago where UB was told that if they ever rebranded as "New York State" or the "University of New York", the Big Ten would be willing to talk.
The University of New York in the Big Ten is not as far fetched as you think, but it looks now like politics MAY be getting involved.
Danny White has redone the uniforms with "New York" on the front, and put the state of New York's picture in the middle of the basketball court. If you look at the coach's backdrops during press conferences now, they HEAVILY emphasize New York and deemphasize UB. However, I hear he is getting some backlash on actually announcing the school on television and radio as "New York". Hence, it looks like they will run onto the field at Ohio State next week identified simply as "Buffalo". A HUGE disappointment.
It is felt that if they are branded as a University representing not only all the schools in the SUNY system (approximately 450,000 students), but the entire state of well over 19 million residents, they would at least double the television ratings (which, since it is against Ohio State, and Ohio State's opening game, would be much bigger than normal anyway). Branded as "New York vs Ohio State", people from all across the state would be interested. Branded as "Buffalo vs Ohio State", no one will care.
First let me say that a LOT would have to happen for New York to be accepted to the Big Ten. Number one, keep the state and city from shooting themselves in the foot. But remember. Sometime in the next 10 years, there is a good possibility that you will have an empty 73,000 seat professional football stadium, surrounded by 3 metropolitan areas of over 1 million people apiece (Buffalo, Rochester, Hamilton/Niagara Falls), with no professional football team.
Question for you Lou Nole. What pro team would Bills fans root for if the Bills left Buffalo? When I've asked that question locally, the biggest response I've gotten is the Steelers, Giants, and Jets. No one else even comes remotely close. The Steelers are probably bigger the closer you get to the PA border, and the Giants are probably bigger the further you get away from it.
That would be more interesting for UConn. Lets run with that for a little bit.
