Possible Big 12 Invite rumors

[August_West]

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.

This move has ZERO to do with basketball - stop pretending. We are in the absolute best situation we could be in right now Basketball wise.

 

[August_West]

 

[FfldCntyFan]

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

Please explain how (if this materializes) moving to the best basketball conference in the NCAA's pursuit basketball in the back burner.

 

[HobokenHusky]

Yes, the Big East saved us out of the goodness of their hearts - it is a catholic centric university so maybe it was their way of helping the poor. It hasn’t helped the Big East at all.

Get the duck out of here and try and get past the sweet 16 sometime this century.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

J,

Out of curiosity, if I were to work my way to the PC board would I find any posts authored by you crapping on UConn?

I have no desire to play that game but the way I see it civility is a two way street.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

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?

You think the top men's basketball recruits are going to sign up to play against St. John's behind a Peacock or ESPN+ paywall? That isn't sacrificing Men's basketball?

What about when Hurley and staff need a raise? Sorry Dan, we only make $6M a year from the Big East because August West demanded we play Xavier.

Why do you think so little of our football program? Before the ACC fired the opening salvo to this latest round of realignment we had won the BE 2 of the previous 4 years. We've beat half the teams in what would be the new Big 12...it's not impossible.

Why did Texas and Oklahoma leave? Because it's a better league that makes more money. Isn't that obvious?

 

[gsmooth]

Like CL82 said in one of his posts above, there are some here that staunchly want to stay in the BE with some over the top hyperbole so that triggers a reaction from the hardcore football faithful to hyperbolically crap on the BE.

From reading most of these posts, most UConn fans, including myself, really like the BE and would love for the basketball to stay there while reaping the benefits of the football team being in the B12. Basically, our hearts are in the Big East, but our brains say we have to take the B12 invite if it does come our way, which BTW is no guarantee UConn will get an invite. There are not many UConn fans if any that are sticking their tongues out at the Big East and saying "so long suckers".

Look at my post below that is on page 48 of this thread. I think encapsulates very well the sentiments of most UConn fans, not all UConn fans to be honest.

Me too. In a world with rainbows raining Lucky Charms cereal falling from the sky and cute dogs and unicorns running around I would like it if

1) UConn basketball remained in the Big East (I guess other sports as well except for football as BE doesn't have football)

AND

2) UConn football only went to the Big 12 or it remained independent with a growing following that could make lots of money with an independent TV contract even as a poor man's Notre Dame.

That's fantasy land stuff. I know the big contract from the Big 12 would ease up a lot financial pressure for UConn.

I guess the next best thing would be UConn going to the Big 12 and hoping the Big 12 brings Nova, GTown, and St. John's so that there is still some Big East flavor assuming there is any truth to that even being discussed by the Big 12. In addition to that Colorado being added would be nice only for the fact that Deion is a walking PR machine.


The reality is if the Big 12 offer is made, UConn has to take it without much thought as long as the Big 12 doesn't say, "you will receive 50% less revenue than the other schools for 10 years" or something onerous like that. Even then with getting less revenue from the Big 12 (50% example I stated) UConn would take it, but it would at least make them think more. UConn can't run the risk of waiting out for a better offer from the Big 10 or the ACC, can they?

 

[August_West]

What about when Hurley and staff need a raise? Sorry Dan, we only make $6M a year from the Big East because August West demanded we play Xavier.

Oh I promise you he will get that raise. Wherever we are.

 

[navery12]

This move has ZERO to do with basketball - stop pretending. We are in the absolute best situation we could be in right now Basketball wise.

But basketball would be a factor in the decision, and is why it's such an easy call to make if we get the offer. When it upgrades every sport except men's soccer and is a lateral move at worst for basketball it's a slam dunk decision

 

[Fishy]

It can be solely about UConn Men’s Basketball. This is a UConn Men’s basketball board. Some of us just want to preserve the crown jewel and do not care about any other sports. I’d say that majority of fans think that way. If moving to the Big 12 improves football by 50% and hurts basketball by 5% , it’s a mistake.

The ‘crown jewel’ released plans last week for improving Gampel and immediately qualified those plans by saying that they will not happen.

And then they released a barebones ‘necessary maintenance’ version that was 1/10th the cost of the improvements…and also qualified those by saying that we currently have no path to pay for them.

Keep thinking that bringing in $4.5M a year is the way forward.

 

[August_West]

Why do you think so little of our football program? Before the ACC fired the opening salvo to this latest round of realignment we had won the BE 2 of the previous 4 years. We've beat half the teams in what would be the new Big 12...it's not impossible.

Why were we a national laughing stock for not being able to sell tickets to the Fiesta Bowl?

 

[gsmooth]

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:

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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.

I read Friar Talk every now and then. Yeah, some of them posters are despicable for sure. I hesitate to generalize about a fan base based on a particular blog.

Most, if not all sports blogs, including the Boneyard, have some "civil wars" and hardcore sniping at each other. The Boneyard, or any sports blog for that matter, have their share of morons as well as really good intelligent posters.

 

[aburks41]

The real question is...who does the Big East target to backfill UConn if we left?

Dayton? Do they really want another Ohio school?

St Louis? Barf

UMass? Could be interesting...

Temple? Would Nova allow that?

Memphis?

FAU?

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Why were we a national laughing stock for not being able to sell tickets to the Fiesta Bowl?

The Fiesta Bowl story was absurd and I suspect you know it. The stadium was filled (I was there and the reported attendance substantes this) and the secondary market was so cheap because (if memory serves) the national title game was Oregon Auburn a week later in Glendale and to get that ticket you had to get the Fiesta Bowl seat as well..so the market was flooded with cheap seats. Many UConn fans who were already flying to Arizona made a rational choice to save $100+ a ticket and get seats on StubHub as opposed to through the school.

Not to mention the same year the ACC champion got beat by 28 points too in the Orange bowl but that didn't become a national story and a catalyst for the downfall of the BCS.

UConn athletics isn't a blue blood (you yourself tout this as a badge of honor for hoop) and thus we get the ish treatment by many of the media...you debate this?

 

[August_West]

But basketball would be a factor in the decision, and is why it's such an easy call to make if we get the offer. When it upgrades every sport except men's soccer and is a lateral move at worst for basketball it's a slam dunk decision

Its not a lateral move at worst for Basketball. LOL it is so much not a lateral move. You're a smart guy why can't you see that? There is so much more at play here because of who we are, who CT is as a state, who and what our University is. What makes our hoops program successful and what doesnt. Who our fans are. What they support and what they don't. There is so much more than KenPom conference ranking that goes into this, and what helps us as a program.

Like I said, everyone has to stop pretending this has anything to do with anything BUT Football, and if you don't like that comment take it up with Mr. Fanta.

 

[August_West]

The real question is...who does the Big East target to backfill UConn if we left?

Dayton? Do they really want another Ohio school?

St Louis? Barf

UMass? Could be interesting...

Temple? Would Nova allow that?

Memphis?

FAU?

VCU

 

[August_West]

he Fiesta Bowl story was absurd and I suspect you know it. The stadium was filled (

LOL Im talking School allotment

 

[RipCity]

This move has ZERO to do with basketball - stop pretending. We are in the absolute best situation we could be in right now Basketball wise.

It obviously has the most to do with football, but that doesn’t mean it’s some big step back for basketball.

The big loss for basketball is geographical rivalries. The strength of schedule would improve and the NIL situation would too. Recruiting would only improve and it’s honestly laughable for anyone to say otherwise.

I’d be happy staying in the Big East, but I wouldn’t mourn leaving the Big East for the B12.

 

[August_West]

NIL situation would too.

Explain that to me please

 

[Fishy]

Why were we a national laughing stock for not being able to sell tickets to the Fiesta Bowl?

Because our athletic department is as small-minded as you seem to be and decided to bundle our allotment with a ridiculous travel bundle? We bought tickets…just not through that clown show.

Try to pay a little bit of attention before wading in past your ankles.

 

[August_West]

Because our athletic department is as small-minded as you seem to be and decided to bundle our allotment with a ridiculous travel bundle? We bought tickets…just not through that clown show.

Try to pay a little bit of attention before wading in past your ankles.

Right. Any excuse for a lack of demand. We hear it all.

 

[businesslawyer]

Its not a lateral move at worst for Basketball. LOL it is so much not a lateral move. You're a smart guy why can't you see that? There is so much more at play here because of who we are, who CT is as a state, who and what our University is. What makes our hoops program successful and what doesnt. Who our fans are. What they support and what they don't. There is so much more than KenPom conference ranking that goes into this, and what helps us as a program.

Like I said, everyone has to stop pretending this has anything to do with anything BUT Football, and if you don't like that comment take it up with Mr. Fanta.

What he is saying should be taken seriously, because he's far from alone. Men's basketball fans, unless they also care about football, are having this reaction because, from a men's basketball perspective, leaving the Big East for the Big XII is not what you want. From that perspective, it's not what I want emotionally. Unfortunately, however, turning it down, even if you don't care about football, would require you to think the Big East is guaranteed to be a national player with the P-5 (or less) conferences going forward in hoops, and we can't count on that. I view the offer as one we probably have to take, but not one that will make me happier as a basketball fan in the short term.

And while I don't expect either conference to invite us, for all its issues (stuck in a bad contract that undervalues their schools compared to what the Big XII is getting and the fact that its TX--OK departure hasn't happened yet but will someday), I would still rather take an offer from the ACC than the Big XII for geographic, rivalry and like minded institution perspectives.