I've seen this argument before, but what makes you think that those teams would not have gotten poached along the way? IMO, UConn would simply have been orphaned a whole lot sooner.
At this stage, our only hope is for the B1G to eventually cherry pick a couple more ACC programs (likely UM or FSU and GT to get the FL and Atlanta Markets) and hope we get an invite sometime down the road. It's hard to believe we went from 3-times NC, including one just 2 years ago, to flat out screwed.
There are all these comments that the leadership at UConn should have made some sort of move years ago. I really don't think that even if they tried harder they would have landed anywhere. The FB program was just getting barely respectable a couple years ago. BC has been running interference since the day they joined the ACC and in no way were we anywhere close to being an attractive program for the B1G.
I think sometimes, as much as you want to blame someone, there's no one to blame. just happens and the program we all love just got dumped on.
I have one crazy thought which is probably crazy on many levels. Once the Catholic schools either leave or dissolve the Big East, UConn will no longer need to pay an exit fee. If I were the administration, I'd come crawling to the ACC and offer them a boat load of money and be willing to forfeit a piece of the ACC Pie for x number of years if they let us join them. Granted the program would take a big financial hit for a few years, but at least we'd be in a viable BB and FB conference where we would end up with more talent and more money down that road than any other alternative. Now unless the folks at UConn believe it's just a matter of when and not if, they could simply be part of some new conference made up of leftovers that are not very good in FB and/or not very good in BB to bide some time till they get that invite.
Just a few weeks ago we got out-maneuvered by UL. Now we need to simply out-pay Cinci & USF for a seat at the ACC table. For those who think we have a shot at a B1G invite, I seriously doubt that will ever happen.
If recruiting wasn't bad already, it just got a whole lot worse. I'd imagine this latest news is going to even make it harder for Geno to recruit. Forget the FB program as far as recruiting. Lastly, if EW was thinking he'd have some sort of pick of the litter when it comes to available BB Men's coaches, he's now lucky to lock up KO at this stage. If I was KO, I'd be in no hurry now to sign that contract, and wait till the spring and make EW have to outbid for him. As much as I am a UConn fan and want Ollie to be our long time coach, I would love to see EW squirm that big fat ass of his as he tries to figure out how to handle the carnage that's taking place on his watch. I hope KO ends up here and gets a huge pay-day. I'm sure he could have been had on the cheap a few months ago. Now the program is poorer and is going to have to play a boat load more to sign him. Now maybe KO, who's a man of integrity, will take the high road and simply accept a moderate deal. But I think he can hold out and get a great deal and still hold to the high heavenly standards he's been keeping to. Maximizing your opportunities to make a nice buck doesn't mean you're not acting in a Godly manner. He'd be simply taking wise approach to the situation at hand, and I hope he does.
