OMG Please Make this go Away

[uconnbill]

Maybe the complaints are the league does a terrible job at it? Or maybe just changing letters to numbers in a hashtag changes everything!

If Aresco was here before the split of the Big East I am sure things would have worked out differently. Maybe the Big East would still be as it was or at least we might have a seat at the table, unlike now.

 

[whaler11]

How can you possibly question the credentials of a person who has more than 25K post on a message board? The man is obviously a font of all knowledge and wisdom. Aresco can't hold a candle to that output since he has a full time job so can't possibly spend 18-20 hours a day trolling.

How dare anyone question the wisdom of Mike Aresco.

Is this like when nobody was supposed to question Warde Manuel. Or Paul Pasqaloni. Or Bob Diaco.

Bob Diaco knows more about football than I do. How dare I notice the obvious fact he had no idea what he was doing and was going to be an abject failure.

I know it's been a long decade. Do we have so little self-respect as a fanbase that we are going to apologize for Mike Aresco. With the pathetic TV deal, additional terms that kill UConn and the addition of schools that make no sense?

Going into the television headwinds they are moving in the exact wrong direction. There isn't a worse time for something regional to pretend it's national - but let's follow this guy down the toilet.

 

[whaler11]

"the commissioner is a dope". You have to be one of the most egotistical characters on this board. I would love to have the opportunity to compare your credentials with those of Aresco.

Any time you want to swing by my office and have a conversation about putting together deals my door is open.

I'd resign before I'd put my name on the AAC television deal.

 

[traitor71]

You have to try and sell the league to people. Some positive marketing is a step, compelling football is the next step, and finding a way to keep hot coaches is a huge step. That last one is going to be the biggest issue in my opinion, because talent (players or coaches) wants to perform on the biggest stage possible. The "power 6" thing may seem silly, but the league has to try something.

 

[Adios]

Most of the conference was considered by the Big 12 for expansion. That does speak volumes regarding the value of the schools and markets in our present conference.

 

[noeynox]

Why the AAC's push to make itself part of the Power Five matters in college football

 

[Pudge]

Yup. Wheeler Dealer whaler11 has a better resume and more accomplished than Mike Aresco.

TV wise, the AAC is going to do better. P5 like? Heck no. But I find some of those contracts unsustainable.

 

[gtcam]

You believe that every conference exists as a scheduling consortium - yet are going to educate me on more complicated topics?

I read some more. It got worse:

Defending Tulsa and Tulane. There is no defense for this. None. Zero. Neither then nor now.

P6 means something other than P6? Um ok got it.

You seem to be the one struggling with differing opinions. Sorry I'm not willing to ignore reality and pretend the American leadership isn't terrible.

I'm happy for them that someone thinks they are clever. I'm sure they were quite giddy to change that e to a 6.

Is it me or are you incapable of seeing someone else's view as "maybe makes some sense"?
I fail to think that you or I or anyone on this site as being the only ones who are correct 100% of the time
Jerry27 brings up valid points but rather than discuss them you co0ntinually rant your views
We get you don't like Aresco, the AAC, the P6 nomenclature but my God, please discuss once in a while rather than preach
Who knows, if done constructively, maybe, just maybe, more may see merit

 

[Fishy]

Why the AAC's push to make itself part of the Power Five matters in college football

This...

It isn't a "power conference," and might not ever be one.

But the perception that it has separated from the rest of the Group of Five is important in this landscape of college football.


Not a bad consolation prize.

It's marketing. It's like Lincoln comparing themselves to Mercedes - Lincoln doesn't believe it and they're not trying to convert people who are shopping for a Mercedes - they're trying to separate themselves from Cadillac or Buick or whoever.

What's the Mountain West's campaign? Or the Sun Belt's? If they have one, no one knows what it is and that's the point.

 

[noeynox]

It's what I said in my first post in the thread. They want to be perceived as a cut above the other G5's. There is nothing wrong with that approach.

We will see if they can sustain momentum in football, and gain SOME in men's basketball.

 

[B1GEast]

This debate is done

 

[whaler11]

Yup. Wheeler Dealer whaler11 has a better resume and more accomplished than Mike Aresco.

TV wise, the AAC is going to do better. P5 like? Heck no. But I find some of those contracts unsustainable.

I make better deals for my employer than Mike Aresco did for the AAC television deal. That isn't even in question.

Aresco has done nothing for UConn and you guys fawn over him for what reason?

Is it Stockholm Syndrome?

His deals have hurt UConn, yet you guys act like he can't be questioned?

Maybe he can bring on some more dead weight to suckle at UConn's teats.

 

[whaler11]

Is it me or are you incapable of seeing someone else's view as "maybe makes some sense"?
I fail to think that you or I or anyone on this site as being the only ones who are correct 100% of the time
Jerry27 brings up valid points but rather than discuss them you co0ntinually rant your views
We get you don't like Aresco, the AAC, the P6 nomenclature but my God, please discuss once in a while rather than preach
Who knows, if done constructively, maybe, just maybe, more may see merit

No offense but we've been through all of this a million times. People talk themselves into someone inept being competent because they want to believe. In a few short months or years it becomes clear that they supported losers. Things like adding Tulane and Tulsa don't 'maybe make some sense' they are 'things that are actively bad why in the world are you even considering this'.

Thanks Mike Aresco! Thanks for the opportunity to allowing UConn to prop up school's garbage athletic departments. Maybe there are some more terrible athletic schools thousands of miles away you'd like to invite with whom UConn can share their dwindling market value.

I've seen the light - this guy is great - UConn is so much better off with a commissioner who cares about saving his job over maximizing the leagues revenues. I can't believe I ever thought this guy isn't the best. We are so lucky to have him. Nobody in the world is qualified to criticize him because he is the greatest businessman in the world - just ignore that Wake Forest gets more TV money than the whole AAC.

 

[whaler11]

It's what I said in my first post in the thread. They want to be perceived as a cut above the other G5's. There is nothing wrong with that approach.

We will see if they can sustain momentum in football, and gain SOME in men's basketball.

They don't say they want to be perceived as the best of the rest. They say P6 and pow6r.

Other that delusional Mountain West fans everyone else considers them above the other 4 leagues.

I know very few went to the AAC tournament - maybe if others did they would have seen this mickey mouse organization in action.

 

[crewbear742]

The post above this one is an impressive load of crap..

You kids ever hear about marketing? Commercials?

What do you do when you're watching TV at night? Turn to the wife and state, "I do not believe that Chevrolet makes the best cars for that has not be conferred upon them in word and deed by other carmakers."

They know it's not going to get them into an autonomy situation, but if it puts financial daylight between them and the rest of the G5, it will have worked. this is not that freaking hard to understand.

Yes, I have heard of commercials. If you are a Super 8, you probably shouldn't advertise yourself as more like the Hilton just to try to put distance between yourself and Motel 6. You will end up emphasizing just how far short of the Hilton you fall. Why? Because the distance between the Hilton and a Super 8 is much larger than the distance between a Super 8 and a Motel 6. But it doesn't matter if the AAC differentiates itself from the MW. That's not relevant. This P6 designation is not intended to increase such a distance. It is intended to decrease the perception of distance between the AAC and the P5. All it can do is remind the observer that the AAC isn't a Power Conference. It communicates exactly the opposite of what it intends to communicate.

The B1G says that it considers UConn a P5 opponent. That designation was conferred. UConn could not have self-declared itself a P5 opponent in the B1G's eyes. What else is that but an explicit claim by the B1G to define the boundaries of the Power Conferences? The other Power conferences are doing exactly the same thing. Who is in the P5? Exactly who the P5 says in is the P5. It is a self-defined cartel that defines and defends its own borders. There is no path for the AAC to play itself into that cartel. That means the AAC isn't getting in unless the P5 says they are in. And why would the P5 ever do that?

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Adding Tulane, Tulsa and East Carolina to the league was extremely short sighted. I'd much rather be a 9 team football league and 9 team hoop league (Navy football, Wichita State hoops) than ever have to play Tulane, Tulsa or ECU in anything.

The finances for the league needing a title game never made sense when you look at the take home per team with 12 teams and then look at what it would be with 9 teams and not a title game.

I've said it here before that Aresco gets a free pass and I'm not sure what he could be different now but his salary is damn near more than we get for our AD as a whole from TV. Unacceptable.

Agree with Whaler regarding the hoops schedule too. UConn should never, ever have to double up in basketball with the dregs like ECU, Tulane etc. at the expense of a SMU like what happened this season. The idea is to maximize TV matchups and you purposely eliminate a game that's been featured on CBS, ESPN for one that is lucky to be on CBS Sports Network 9pm on a Sunday night?

The TV deal needs to be on ESPN at at least twice the money and UConn needs tier 3 back at minimum to buy us until the next round of CR, which I hope happens in my lifetime. ( I believe they already have the women's tier 3 back at $1M a year).

 

[whaler11]

Adding Tulane, Tulsa and East Carolina to the league was extremely short sighted. I'd much rather be a 9 team football league and 9 team hoop league (Navy football, Wichita State hoops) than ever have to play Tulane, Tulsa or ECU in anything.

The finances for the league needing a title game never made sense when you look at the take home per team with 12 teams and then look at what it would be with 9 teams and not a title game.

I've said it here before that Aresco gets a free pass and I'm not sure what he could be different now but his salary is damn near more than we get for our AD as a whole from TV. Unacceptable.

Agree with Whaler regarding the hoops schedule too. UConn should never, ever have to double up in basketball with the dregs like ECU, Tulane etc. at the expense of a SMU like what happened this season. The idea is to maximize TV matchups and you purposely eliminate a game that's been featured on CBS, ESPN for one that is lucky to be on CBS Sports Network 9pm on a Sunday night?

The TV deal needs to be on ESPN at at least twice the money and UConn needs tier 3 back at minimum to buy us until the next round of CR, which I hope happens in my lifetime. ( I believe they already have the women's tier 3 back at $1M a year).

Here is what Mike Aresco has delivered UConn:

1. Recruited programs that increase the mouths to feed and don't bring any local or national revenue to the the league. They dilute the schedule and provide zero interest in their market, our market or nationally.

2. Oversaw the organization that ran the AAC tournament so poorly in Hartford that AA baseball attendance dwarfs it. The AAC tournament has been here twice and they seemingly learned nothing from the first time. I know few of you bothered to attend but if you had you'd understand it was amateur hour.

3. Negotiated a TV contract that pays the AAC half what the Big East basketball league gets paid even with 'P6' football. Seton Hall's basketball program alone generates twice the TV money of UConn's basketball and football programs. UConn gets half as much TV money as Seton Hall while supporting FBS football which costs tens of millions of dollars to operate.

4. A league which provides it's tier 3 rights to ESPN for nothing. His deals favor the loser programs which generate no interest or revenue and allow UConn to underwrite their ineptitude.

Mike Aresco has done NOTHING as AAC commissioner for UConn, but I'm the jerk for pointing this out. You've got a terrible leader who bleeds you dry to the benefit of Tulane, Tulsa and East Carolina - but they do it for a living. While they sit around snapping towels over their lame hashtags, UConn continues their slide into oblivion but let's not say anything bad about Mike Aresco. He certainly has done well for this school and fanbase.

 

[noeynox]

They don't say they want to be perceived as the best of the rest. They say P6 and pow6r.

Other that delusional Mountain West fans everyone else considers them above the other 4 leagues.

I know very few went to the AAC tournament - maybe if others did they would have seen this mickey mouse organization in action.

They don't have to say it, it's clearly the goal. Everyone knows the P5 designation is locked into the structure till 2025. This is long term hold play to see what happens after that.

Your anger toward Mike Aresco is misguided. He has to look out for all schools and get the presidents blessings on who is in the conference. You should be more pissed off at Herbst, Manuel and the other people who should have done SOMETHING. For UConn to not be in this situation, but then again who cares. Being pissed at anyone changes nothing. We are the biggest loser in conference realignment bar none.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Unless anything unforeseen happens, Aresco is going to be the one negotiating the next TV contract, so we'll see what he comes up with. I'm not too confident given how the league has been run to date, even if it is a losing hand.

Couple of random points:

1) I don't really have a problem with the P6 marketing campaign. The AAC will never be P6, but I think everyone knows that. The Big East, who's old lineup featured 5 of 8 teams that are now "P5", had performed better than the ACC in most years, was always viewed as the weak link. The 3/8 left, plus teams like Tulane, ECU, (Tulsa to their credit has been good in football and decent in hoops) add nothing to this cache. The AAC is clearly the 6th best football league, but there is no incentive for the cartel to let them into the party.

2) Tier 3 rights and UConn retaining it's SNY deal are an absolute must. I'm sure the SNY deal won't be as much as it was in the past, as there are a) less games, b) less quality games, but taking that and splitting it among 12 teams is absurd and barely puts a dent in the bucket when spread that thin. I guess UConn really doesn't have any recourse if the league says no, but you would think it's better for the league as a whole to let one of its premiere programs still fund their AD to its proper levels.

 

[Adios]

Yes, I have heard of commercials. If you are a Super 8, you probably shouldn't advertise yourself as more like the Hilton just to try to put distance between yourself and Motel 6. You will end up emphasizing just how far short of the Hilton you fall. Why? Because the distance between the Hilton and a Super 8 is much larger than the distance between a Super 8 and a Motel 6. But it doesn't matter if the AAC differentiates itself from the MW. That's not relevant. This P6 designation is not intended to increase such a distance. It is intended to decrease the perception of distance between the AAC and the P5. All it can do is remind the observer that the AAC isn't a Power Conference. It communicates exactly the opposite of what it intends to communicate.

The B1G says that it considers UConn a P5 opponent. That designation was conferred. UConn could not have self-declared itself a P5 opponent in the B1G's eyes. What else is that but an explicit claim by the B1G to define the boundaries of the Power Conferences? The other Power conferences are doing exactly the same thing. Who is in the P5? Exactly who the P5 says in is the P5. It is a self-defined cartel that defines and defends its own borders. There is no path for the AAC to play itself into that cartel. That means the AAC isn't getting in unless the P5 says they are in. And why would the P5 ever do that?

Because they want to add some AAC schools/market to the club. Even the media is picking up on it, and that is huge. Now AAC teams need to win. Auriemma's probably got women's bball locked down for a few more years, at least.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Because they want to add some AAC schools/market to the club. Even the media is picking up on it, and that is huge. Now AAC teams need to win. Auriemma's probably got women's bball locked down for a few more years, at least.

Butch,
Do you go on any of the AAC boards? I don't even go on Cinci's anymore.

 

[freescooter]

The ACC isn't a doormat lol. I'd say having Clemson and FSU is pretty darn good, and UNC has become a pretty good program of late as well. Virginia Tech, Louisville, Miami are all very competitive as well

Now they are but for a very long time it was FSU and the 7 dwarfs. They joined the conference and literally were unbeaten for 7 years. Didn't lose an ACC game, not 1. Then lost to UNC Iirc and went 3 more years without a league loss. And remember when BC, VaTech and Miami joined they were immediately the top teams in the ACC for 3-4 years. It was a garbage football league that built itself into something, though I still contend it is really an inch deep. The American, outside the #1 and some years #2 teams would probably be pretty competitive.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Adding Tulane, Tulsa and East Carolina to the league was extremely short sighted. I'd much rather be a 9 team football league and 9 team hoop league (Navy football, Wichita State hoops) than ever have to play Tulane, Tulsa or ECU in anything.

The finances for the league needing a title game never made sense when you look at the take home per team with 12 teams and then look at what it would be with 9 teams and not a title game.

I've said it here before that Aresco gets a free pass and I'm not sure what he could be different now but his salary is damn near more than we get for our AD as a whole from TV. Unacceptable.

Agree with Whaler regarding the hoops schedule too. UConn should never, ever have to double up in basketball with the dregs like ECU, Tulane etc. at the expense of a SMU like what happened this season. The idea is to maximize TV matchups and you purposely eliminate a game that's been featured on CBS, ESPN for one that is lucky to be on CBS Sports Network 9pm on a Sunday night?

The TV deal needs to be on ESPN at at least twice the money and UConn needs tier 3 back at minimum to buy us until the next round of CR, which I hope happens in my lifetime. ( I believe they already have the women's tier 3 back at $1M a year).

ECU was a very strong football program for a long time when they were invited. They were ranked around 15-20 early on their first year and had some nice wins but have indeed been very warm garbage since then.

 

[whaler11]

Now they are but for a very long time it was FSU and the 7 dwarfs. They joined the conference and literally were unbeaten for 7 years. Didn't lose an ACC game, not 1. Then lost to UNC Iirc and went 3 more years without a league loss. And remember when BC, VaTech and Miami joined they were immediately the top teams in the ACC for 3-4 years. It was a garbage football league that built itself into something, though I still contend it is really an inch deep. The American, outside the #1 and some years #2 teams would probably be pretty competitive.

Virginia on a Thursday night.

 

[BlueMAB]

Because they want to add some AAC schools/market to the club. Even the media is picking up on it, and that is huge. Now AAC teams need to win. Auriemma's probably got women's bball locked down for a few more years, at least.

FWIW, you're one of my favorite posters because your perspective is so far out there I can't help but laugh.

The P5 wants to add AAC schools? Is that why the Big 12 considered schools like Arkansas State, Colorado State, and New Mexico before eventually deciding not to add anyone?!

If any P5 conference wanted an AAC school, all they have to do is ask. Any of us would take a haircut on revenues for however long it took to get out of this conference.

It's great that the BIG considers UConn a P5 so that Illinois and Indiana aren't hurt by having us on the schedule (the BIG requires 1 P5 OOC game/year), but to argue that's evidence the P5 wants AAC schools is really fcking crazy.