Possible Big 12 Invite rumors

[Chin Diesel]

We all are. But it's more fun being hopeful. I was out to campus for a few games this spring. I loved how all the new sports facilities looked. And I'm thinking, considering the deficits the AD is running; how did UConn get the wherewithall to build all of these things at once? Then you hear that one of the reasons for the first rejection was the state of the facilities other than BB and FB. Hey look, we're being reconsidered all of a sudden!

Yes. Baseball, softball and all of a sudden volleyball gets its own facility too. All sports the Big12 emphasizes more than the Big East emphasizes. Next up, track and field and golf. Need to get Twin Hills and Skunkamaug up to snuff.

 

[businesslawyer]

Yeah I am leaning more towards us being used as leverage to get the Pac schools on board. I feel like the longer this goes on without an invite, the worse it gets for us. Once Arizona and ASU see that their options are FOX/ESPN with the B12, or behind an Apple TV paywall, they will make the move.

My instinct tells me that this is what is going on. If Yormark weren't using us to put pressure on others, the courtship would have been much more secret.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Back before the split, when BE had like 30 teams, weren’t there specific programs (top 25) that were assured to play each other, regardless of the rotation. As a result with UConn being a top program at the time, we always had home and home with the other elite teams.

If this deal happens, I see UConn/Kansas as the marquee matchup in basketball. And I think they’d figure out how to make that happen twice a year. Of course, if either program slides, the matchup would be de-emphasized.
UConn/Cincy has been a nice matchup too with some great games in AAC. Love the potential for WVU too. UCF is meh, but they’ve been decent, we just don’t have much history/rivalry. But I don’t get jazzed about Butler or DePaul either.

There's no chance in hell that the Big 12 - led by a basketball centric commissioner - expands by adding UConn to only then limit what would be the premiere conference basketball game in country behind maybe only Duke UNC to a once a year matchup.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

My instinct tells me that this is what is going on. If Yormark weren't using us to put pressure on others, the courtship would have been much more secret.

Not saying I disagree with your general premise that we are being used as leverage, but the big 12 visiting Storrs was pretty secretive, no? Think it was only broken by a UConn twitter fan.

 

[Rico444]

I can't think of a single program whose profile will be harmed.

Men's soccer, Women's field hockey (Big 12 doesn't sponsor those sports).

 

[Chin Diesel]

Men's soccer, Women's field hockey (Big 12 doesn't sponsor those sports).

They'll be fine and could stay in the BE since Big12 doesn't sponsor those sports.

And facilities for both those sports are top notch amongst their peers. Not too many places will turn away the opportunity to take on those programs.

 

[HuskyHawk]

There's no chance in hell that the Big 12 - led by a basketball centric commissioner - expands by adding UConn to only then limit what would be the premiere conference basketball game in country behind maybe only Duke UNC to a once a year matchup.

There is no chance in hell that the schedule in an unbalanced manner for any team. If they can't do round robin, then each team will have 1-2 teams they only play once, and that will rotate year to year. So yes, every 10 years or so you'd play KU once. It's how every league of that size does it.

 

[ucp990411]

By the Crown Jewel, I assume you mean UConn Women's Basketball?

Huh?

 

[nadav]

To be fair, that is taken from a discussion where Kansas State and recent National finalist Texas Tech are being treated like they are NJIT and not so much a dig at either school. Although I will say Kevin Willard is an absolute fraud.

 

[nadav]

No such luck, man. We aren’t going anywhere!

 

[Rico444]

They'll be fine and could stay in the BE since Big12 doesn't sponsor those sports.

And facilities for both those sports are top notch amongst their peers. Not too many places will turn away the opportunity to take on those programs.

Is there a number lower than zero? That's the percentage that the Big East allows UConn to jump ship after 3 years but keep a couple of programs behind.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Is there a number lower than zero? That's the percentage that the Big East allows UConn to jump ship after 3 years but keep a couple of programs behind.

I doubt they are that petty. You don't want to keep the best field hockey program in the nation and a two time national champion soccer team? Women's soccer used to be dominant as well.

 

[CL82]

For what it's worth, while @FriarJ is coming to our board and lecturing us on civility, there is a seven page thread on his home board Friartalk which is predominantly filled by profanity and a recurring misspelling of our schools name:

He has posted in that thread but hasn't called for civility there even once. Apparently he saves the preaching about civility for when he comes on the our board.

The most interesting thing in that seven page thread is that, aside from the profanity and wishing our players and program died in a plane crash, there is a concern for the validity of the Big East should we leave. There are a bunch of posts that hope that Creighton, or Xavier, or Marquette or someone will step up and have a high national profile and "maybe get to some final fours" so that the league will have some legitimacy. But there are no posts, not a single one, suggesting that Providence should be the one to lead the conference.

I have never seen a fanbase so resigned to being a parasite. No wonder why they are so bitter.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

There is no chance in hell that the schedule in an unbalanced manner for any team. If they can't do round robin, then each team will have 1-2 teams they only play once, and that will rotate year to year. So yes, every 10 years or so you'd play KU once. It's how every league of that size does it.

I'm not saying UConn Kansas is in the same breath as UNC Duke but those two schools in an expanded ACC somehow miraculously end up playing each other twice a regular season.

 

[nadav]

Is there a number lower than zero? That's the percentage that the Big East allows UConn to jump ship after 3 years but keep a couple of programs behind.

Then you put the soccer team in the America East (with two other top 25 teams) and see what happens. But it’ll obviously have no part in any actual realignment discussions.

 

[August_West]

We're not going anywhere. Dont worry lil bro.

Nor should we. It just so happens that there is not a dumber message board poster in the world than a UConn fan who constantly plays the Game of Thrones with Conference Realignment scenarios.

Dave Benedict and UConn admin smarter than we were years ago. They know its a stupid move. They know the last time WE DID make a BCS bowl game (Fiesta) that the top story going into that game when the UConn brand was mentioned was how we couldn't sell any tickets, and we were a national laughing stock. They know that they will severely harm the flagship chasing butterflies

.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Is there a number lower than zero? That's the percentage that the Big East allows UConn to jump ship after 3 years but keep a couple of programs behind.

I doubt they are that petty. You don't want to keep the best field hockey program in the nation and a two time national champion soccer team? Women's soccer used to be dominant as well.

Field hockey has Old Dominion, Liberty and Temple in it. I don't think they are too concerned about UConn's other sports.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

We're not going anywhere. Dont worry lil bro.

Nor should we. It just so happens that there is not a dumber message board poster in the world than a UConn fan who constantly plays the Game of Thrones with Conference Realignment scenarios.

Dave Benedict and UConn admin smarter than we were years ago. They know its a stupid move. They know the last time WE DID make a BCS bowl game (Fiesta) that the top story going into that game when the UConn brand was mentioned was how we couldn't sell any tickets, and we were a national laughing stock. They know that they will severely harm the flagship chasing butterflies

.

You know AD David Benedict's thoughts how? Seems like you're projecting your thoughts.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

We're not going anywhere. Dont worry lil bro.

Nor should we. It just so happens that there is not a dumber message board poster in the world than a UConn fan who constantly plays the Game of Thrones with Conference Realignment scenarios.

Dave Benedict and UConn admin smarter than we were years ago. They know its a stupid move. They know the last time WE DID make a BCS bowl game (Fiesta) that the top story going into that game when the UConn brand was mentioned was how we couldn't sell any tickets, and we were a national laughing stock. They know that they will severely harm the flagship chasing butterflies

.

Let me get this straight - in your view Dave Benedict would be stupid to:
a) join a P5 designated league in all sports solidly top 3 in both football and basketball,
b) has an already agreed upon tv deal that has the games on linear ESPN/Fox,
c) with total league distribution at an estimated $50M annually

In order to
a) stay in a non P5 basketball only league with smaller Catholic private schools,
b) let football die on the vine as an independent with an expiring CBS Sports Network deal,
c) stay in a basketball league with no future tv deal in a landscape where money and time slots are drying up?

To quote Jim Calhoun you're not really that stupid, are you?

 

[August_West]

Let me get this straight - in your view Dave Benedict would be stupid to:
a) join a P5 designated league in all sports solidly top 3 in both football and basketball,
b) has an already agreed upon tv deal that has the games on linear ESPN/Fox,
c) with total league distribution at an estimated $50M annually

In order to
a) stay in a non P5 basketball only league with smaller Catholic private schools,
b) let football die on the vine as an independent with an expiring CBS Sports Network deal,
c) stay in a basketball league with no future tv deal in a landscape where money and time slots are drying up?

To quote Jim Calhoun you're not really that stupid, are you?

Yes. Big12 makes no sense . None. We will not chase mediocrity in Football to sacrifice the Best Basketball program in the country. If the Big12 is so great why did Texas and Oklahoma run?

 

[August_West]

"Funny how you claim to be the basketball capital of the world and then put basketball on the back burner"

 

[That Guy]

Men's soccer, Women's field hockey (Big 12 doesn't sponsor those sports).

How does any conference that takes itself seriously not sponsor Men's soccer??? That's actually crazy to me.

 

[Durks07]

For what it's worth, while @FriarJ is coming to our board and lecturing us on civility, there is a seven page thread on his home board Friartalk which is predominantly filled by profanity and a recurring misspelling of our schools name:

View attachment 88659
View attachment 88660
He has posted in that thread but hasn't called for civility there even once. Apparently he saves the preaching about civility for when he comes on the our board.

The most interesting thing in that seven page thread is that, aside from the profanity and wishing our players and program died in a plane crash, there is a concern for the validity of the Big East should we leave. There are a bunch of posts that hope that Creighton, or Xavier, or Marquette or someone will step up and have a high national profile and "maybe get to some final fours" so that the league will have some legitimacy. But there are no posts, not a single one, suggesting that Providence should be the one to lead the conference.

I have never seen a fanbase so resigned to being a parasite. No wonder why they are so bitter.

 

[RipCity]

"Funny how you claim to be the basketball capital of the world and then put basketball on the back burner"

Joining the best basketball conference in the country isn’t exactly ‘putting basketball on the back burner’.

Yes we couldn’t drive to our away games, but you’re talking like the B12 is the MAAC.