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Message: [QUOTE="TruDomGopher, post: 1284832, member: 4159"] Think this through: Rice. There is only [U]one[/U] reason to be thinking affiliate membership with Rice: Football. This kinda/sorta makes sense--there's a fair-sized B1G alumni base, Texas-based bowls, and certain schools (Nebraska) are unhappy that the recruiting pipeline into Texas just ain't what it used to be. In the background, you've got the tv executives. Fox needs inroads. If I remember right, a recurrent theme here is that ESPN hates UConn. Well, that means only one thing: Fox loves UConn. The enemy of my enemy is a friend. So why would you need a 16th football school like Rice? Simple: You've got a 15th. Like UConn. Reasons to add UConn: Geography Men's Basketball Women's Basketball Hockey TV Academics Susan Herbst's fashion style Football Seriously, please don't take offense, but the B1G ain't gonna be adding UConn because of football anytime soon--but they want everything else enough to find a football partner--that would mean: UConn, [U]all sports[/U], probably under some time of provisional membership contingent on metrics. (A provisional membership may or may not be a bad thing depending on terms. In any event, it would be the chance to jump up and strut your stuff.) To paraphrase from the HBO Leno/Letterman movie: "UConn would be our New England star, and I don't know how to put a price tag on that." My fear on waiting with UConn has always been that if the B1G doesn't add you now but waits for GOR's to run, you might not get in because suddenly two schools perceived as "better" become available and UConn's again shunted aside. Uh, uh, you need to get in ASAP. Fortunately, I'm pretty sure the enemy of your enemy is my friend Fox has been hounding B1G day and night to figure out a way to work UConn into the equation. The B1G still has something no other conference has: a proven TV network in an area of the country where winter drives up viewership. I mean this in the best possible way: only Fox/B1G can exploit UConn and maximize UConn's value. I think it was Fishy that said something to the effect: You'll notice there isn't any frenzied bidding around UConn. That is true--but only because it's still the inspection period and bidding hasn't even opened yet. In a way, it makes more sense than waiting out GOR's or getting involved in costly court fights. The TV needs programming [U]now[/U] and there's money being left on the table. It dovetails with all the rumors we've been hearing surrounding UConn. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach