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Message: [QUOTE="uconndogs, post: 978743, member: 57"] There is a bigger core issue here and it has to do with the ongoing goal to segregate college athletics through both the allocation of resources and rules of engagement. Reference another thread on this board about the SEC's threat to break away into its own NCAA division. The mindset in major college athletics now is pure cut-throat business. A fixed size pie and everyone wanting a bigger piece. A level playing field for fair competition is now completely missing from any discussion. In my opinion, purely from a business standpoint and ignoring my interest in UCONN athletics for a moment, the strategy is grossly flawed. The market for college athletics can continue to grow (an ever growing pie) if a rational approach were taken to address the markets....and make no mistake about it, these markets are regional and need to be addressed that way. The northeast clearly has continued growth opportunities for college football, but separating and excluding key institutions in that effort into different conferences, some now with gross differences in available resources, is simply not the formula to grow this potentially huge market. I see no reason why the P5 will be more attractive to consumers who follow college athletics. All I see is further disinterest by those who may not have a direct P5 affiliation. Moreover, within the P5 I see the potential for further bifurcation amount the largest athletic departments and those on the margin. At what point does Wake Forest beating FSU once every decade or two become of limited interest to anyone other than maybe a Seminole fan? One of the primary drivers in the NFL's enormous success has been the ability to provide a level playing field such that all franchises can be successful - and the dispersion of success and franchises that reach the Super Bowl support this. College athletics is moving in exactly the opposite direction. It's about limiting competition, grabbing resources and exclusion. In my opinion, it's missing the point entirely about what the consumer most enjoys about college athletics....passion, history, youth, the potential for the unexpected. TV contracts? Not so much. I will bring this right back to our friends at BC. That BC has fought so hard to keep UCONN out of the ACC (and I am not arguing if they were influential or successful in that effort) has NOT been in BC's best interest. What is in BC's best interest is the same thing that is in UCONN's best interest......and Rutgers and Syracuse for that matter - and that is to grow the interest in college football in the northeast to the level reached by basketball. UCONN's inclusion helps in that effort, our exclusion hinders that effort. I will arrogantly state that is progressive thinking and would take courage and leadership. Sadly, I see little of that in college athletics - and in Fr. Leahy and Gene DeFelippo their actions speak for themselves. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach