Possible Big 12 Invite rumors

[husky429]

And it joins its place in line with 80% of other D1 programs - including P5s and P2s. At least we have major success to show for it - enrollment bump, capital investment, giving on the rise.

Why are you assuming that making money and having successful sports are mutually exclusive for UConn? That's nuts. We can make money with P5 tv deals and continue to have success with our basketball, baseball and (hopefully) football team. That is what big-time programs do.

 

[noeynox]

Regarding the Mike Anthony piece this morning ... I doubt that Benedict would be speaking on the record or making these kinds of public comments if there was anything happening with the Big 12.

I agree with this.

 

[Kolumbo]

UConn won't be in the B12. But if the B12 offered, we'd be stupid to be worried about our basketball program. It's the best conference in basketball, has two teams we have Big East history with, and has some historically great basketball programs.

And...I actually think the football program can win some games in that conference, just like they could in the ACC. They ain't winning the league ever, but they can be a regularly bowl-eligible team that scores an upset every now and then.

I agree it's not happening but UConn could definitely compete and eventually win a conference like that. It's not a murderers' row of Alabama, Georgia & LSU.

It would be great to see UConn basketball and football in a pod with Cincy, WVU, Pitt, Syracuse, Louisville in the Big 12.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Recruiting may take a bit of a hit for northeast kids, I'll concede that but nationally if anything it helps. Call it a wash.

We're talking 10 road trips over the course of an entire basketball season too. Given we already play road games in Milwaukee, Chicago, Omaha, and Indianapolis, it's maybe truly an additional 6 truly inconvenient trips.

I'll tell you as someone who has probably seen 99% of UConn football snaps since 05, I'm going to be way more excited to see Big 12 teams coming to the Rent than the likes of FIU, Utah State, USF, and good lord Sacred Heart.

That's true. Let's look at the travel considerations.

Big East opponents in order of travel distance (roughly):
Providence
St. John's
Seton Hall
Nova
Georgetown
Xavier
Butler
DePaul
Marquette
Creighton

Big XII opponents in order of travel distance (roughly):
WVU
Cincy
UCF
ISU
KU
KSU
OSU
Houston
Baylor
TCU
TTU
BYU

Cincy and Xavier are a wash. WVU and Georgetown are basically a wash by plane. Creighton and Kansas are a wash. UCF is about as far as Milwaukee or Chicago. ISU isn't much farther.

So you're basically swapping: Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, Nova, Butler for KSU, OSU, Houston, Baylor, TCU, TTU, and BYU. And you're not going to play every Big XII team on the road every year, so probably an additional 5 longer trips per year. That's not a huge lift.

What killed us in the AAC wasn't the travel, it was the team, fans, recruits not getting up for the likes of ECU and Tulane and our coach checking out mentally. The former isn't going to be a problem when we have Kansas, Houston, and Baylor on the schedule, and the latter, well, that's not going to be a problem either.

 

[TRest]

That's true. Let's look at the travel considerations.

Big East opponents in order of travel distance (roughly):
Providence
St. John's
Seton Hall
Nova
Georgetown
Xavier
Butler
DePaul
Marquette
Creighton

Big XII opponents in order of travel distance (roughly):
WVU
Cincy
UCF
ISU
KU
KSU
OSU
Houston
Baylor
TCU
TTU
BYU

Cincy and Xavier are a wash. WVU and Georgetown are basically a wash by plane. Creighton and Kansas are a wash. UCF is about as far as Milwaukee or Chicago. ISU isn't much farther.

So you're basically swapping: Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, Nova, Butler for KSU, OSU, Houston, Baylor, TCU, TTU, and BYU. And you're not going to play every Big XII team on the road every year, so probably an additional 5 longer trips per year. That's not a huge lift.

What killed us in the AAC wasn't the travel, it was the team, fans, recruits not getting up for the likes of ECU and Tulane and our coach checking out mentally. The former isn't going to be a problem when we have Kansas, Houston, and Baylor on the schedule, and the latter, well, that's not going to be a problem either.

Obviously we don't get to decide on a future destination, but the B12 is the least appealing P5 conference from a big-name school standpoint. What I do find hilarious is UCF, UC and Houston fans on-line complaining that they don't want any G5 schools added in the future.

 

[Greedo]

Obviously we don't get to decide on a future destination, but the B12 is the least appealing P5 conference from a big-name school standpoint. What I do find hilarious is UCF, UC and Houston fans on-line complaining that they don't want any G5 schools added in the future.

This may be true, but I do think they're the most stable conference outside of the P2. The ACC is dead in the water, and with USC and UCLA leaving the PAC12, everyone there is scrambling for a life raft. Texas and Oklahoma leaving the B12 didn't seem to cause as much of a stir for the conference as USC and UCLA leaving the PAC12 did. There is a good chance the B1G takes more schools from the PAC12, and some also will likely go to the B12. They are probably just as dead as the ACC.

 

[Billy Jack]

Imagine suggesting nobody in Tennessee knows about UConn? The school that dethroned their only national title contending program? Yes, women's basketball is popular in Tennessee, yet nobody in the state heard about UConn

That's funny. It's more likely they hate UConn

Fans of women’s basketball in Tennessee have heard of UConn. That’s for sure.

 

[Samoo]

What drives the P5? Football.

If the B12 expands it is based on football.

It’s reasonable to think that if the B12 wanted UConn Football, it may consider taking UConn for football only.

It would be the best position for UConn to remain in the Big East and to have its football in the B12, even with the uncertain future of the B12.

It would be my best position to remain married to my wife and start dating Miss Universe, and just about as likely to happen...

 

[Stinger92860]

So you think the golf team and field hockey would really like flying to Lubbock for those Tuesday afternoon matches?

In November, December, January and February, yes!!!!

 

[Stinger92860]

you realize there's plenty of P5 schools north of the Mason-Dixon line?

I think yo

Holding out for B1G.

Even if our Football made the CFP, we are woefully behind in research dollars despite rthe recent big jump, which puts us at 300M. I think we need 3 to 3.5X of that to get a sniff from the B1G. That‘s a significant amount of money to obtain on a yearly basis.

The B12 buys us time and money until the break away. It will be interesting to see if carriage fees still make a difference. If not, some current P5 schools would be in trouble, but not if they have the research Money.

 

[Stinger92860]

That's true. Let's look at the travel considerations.

Big East opponents in order of travel distance (roughly):
Providence
St. John's
Seton Hall
Nova
Georgetown
Xavier
Butler
DePaul
Marquette
Creighton

Big XII opponents in order of travel distance (roughly):
WVU
Cincy
UCF
ISU
KU
KSU
OSU
Houston
Baylor
TCU
TTU
BYU

Cincy and Xavier are a wash. WVU and Georgetown are basically a wash by plane. Creighton and Kansas are a wash. UCF is about as far as Milwaukee or Chicago. ISU isn't much farther.

So you're basically swapping: Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, Nova, Butler for KSU, OSU, Houston, Baylor, TCU, TTU, and BYU. And you're not going to play every Big XII team on the road every year, so probably an additional 5 longer trips per year. That's not a huge lift.

What killed us in the AAC wasn't the travel, it was the team, fans, recruits not getting up for the likes of ECU and Tulane and our coach checking out mentally. The former isn't going to be a problem when we have Kansas, Houston, and Baylor on the schedule, and the latter, well, that's not going to be a problem either.

Can someone without a life, please do a total distance and average? I am still a beleiver that a plane flight is till a plane flight regardless of the distance. For many of the student athletes at the P5 level this is a treat.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

Why are we attractive (or should be attractive) to the B10

1) Both our basketball programs are among the nation's best, indisputable

2) We are NYC's team

3) We'll bring in New England too

4) Baseball

5) Hockey

6) Academic excellence

7) Mora improving football (he'll get a mega raise with an invite)

8) Other powerhouse regional or national programs

They want to be a legitimate basketball powerhouse, and they do, we're their solution (I don't think early exits is their goal)

I believe time is on our side, we're going to land on our feet

While I agree with what you stated, and we certainly deserve to be in a conference like the B1G. It is better to wait in the B12 vs Big East for the B1G invite that may or may not ever come.

 

[Billy Jack]

Big Ten teams have won only 2 NCAA MBB titles in the last 33 years. Poverty conference for basketball. Underperforms in the tournament every. single. year.

Akin to the AAC.

Would be the death of our MBB program.

Move to the B12 >>>>> Move to the B10

When UCLA joins, the expanded Big Ten teams will have won 3 NCAA MBB titles in the past 33 years. B12 teams have won 3 NCAA MBB titles in the past 33 years.

The other benchmark for MBB success is Final Four appearances. Current Big Ten teams have been to 24 F4’s in the past 33 years and that will grow to 29 with the addition of UCLA. Current B12 teams have been to 15 F4’s in the past 33 years and that will remain the same when Texas and Oklahoma leave, having been replaced by Houston and Cincinnati + BYU and UCF.

Move to the B10 >>>>> Move to the B12

 

[UConn Dan]

Regarding the Mike Anthony piece this morning ... I doubt that Benedict would be speaking on the record or making these kinds of public comments if there was anything happening with the Big 12.

Benedict didn’t confirm or deny anything other than he doesn’t have a decision to make in front of him at this time - meaning there’s no formal offer. And note that the decision is at the president level not the AD.

It’s been confirmed from Big 12 sources that UConn is very much in play. Here’s the latest from the athletic:

ACC unity, Pac-12 timeline, UConn on Big 12 radar? What we’re hearing on realignment

Why the Pac-12 remains in a holding pattern, a window into the Big 12's eye on UConn and where the ACC stands after a buzzy few days.

theathletic.com

Yormark continues to explore his options for expanding the Big 12 into a 14- or 16-member conference going forward. Nothing seems imminent in terms of extending invitations to new members, but the first-year commissioner is doing his homework and UConn is one of several schools on his radar, Big 12 sources told The Athletic.

 

[Billy Jack]

Can someone please do a total distance and average? I am still a beleiver that a plane flight is till a plane flight regardless of the distance. For many of the student athletes at the P5 level this is a treat.

It’s the distance + the change in time zones. DePaul, Marquette, and Creighton are the only BE schools in a different time zone. Except for West Virginia, Cincinnati, and UCF, every other B12 school is in a different time zone and BYU is 2 time zones away.

 

[TRest]

While I agree with what you stated, and we certainly deserve to be in a conference like the B1G. It is better to wait in the B12 vs Big East for the B1G invite that may or may not ever come.

Yes it is more important to gain entry to the P5 club than be on the outside looking in, where we have been since the BCS unraveled.
Although from an Olympic sports standpoint I believe the B12 doesn't sponsor a lot of what we do, like field hockey, soccer etc.

 

[noeynox]

Benedict didn’t confirm or deny anything other than he doesn’t have a decision to make in front of him at this time - meaning there’s no formal offer. And note that the decision is at the president level not the AD.

It’s been confirmed from Big 12 sources that UConn is very much in play. Here’s the latest from the athletic:

ACC unity, Pac-12 timeline, UConn on Big 12 radar? What we’re hearing on realignment

Why the Pac-12 remains in a holding pattern, a window into the Big 12's eye on UConn and where the ACC stands after a buzzy few days.

theathletic.com

Yormark continues to explore his options for expanding the Big 12 into a 14- or 16-member conference going forward. Nothing seems imminent in terms of extending invitations to new members, but the first-year commissioner is doing his homework and UConn is one of several schools on his radar, Big 12 sources told The Athletic.

That's a good article. Everyone should read it.

 

[Billy Jack]

I think yo


Even if our Football made the CFP, we are woefully behind in research dollars despite rthe recent big jump, which puts us at 300M. I think we need 3 to 3.5X of that to get a sniff from the B1G. That‘s a significant amount of money to obtain on a yearly basis.

The B12 buys us time and money until the break away. It will be interesting to see if carriage fees still make a difference. If not, some current P5 schools would be in trouble, but not if they have the research Money.

This is a really important point because joining the Big Ten isn’t just about joining a sports league, it’s also about joining a research consortium.

 

[FriarJ]

UConn is a top basketball job right now. The Big East is part of that. There are two challenges keeping it from Top 5. First, we don't have unlimited funds at the university for coach and assistant salaries. A move to the Big 12 (or ACC) could significantly help with that.

The other challenge is NIL. It's hard to know where we stand. Our competitors seem to think we have southern Connecticut fund managers throwing money around, but I've never seen evidence of that. A move to a P5 conference wouldn't change that as the university can't pay NIL.

We should assume that our biggest donors and NIL contributors will be as split as this thread. UConn should be in touch with them about any move to get their temperature and pull all to the desired goal.

You think NIL is important in basketball? Wait to you guys see what it will take to pay a football team that can try and win in the B12. You need big money people who only care about football. Is that going to happen in Connecticut like it does in, say Texas?

I have to say this whole thread is hilarious for many reasons. The same posters saying the same things as years ago. Obviously the desire to be wrong again is very powerful here.

The post that said “we recruit nationally now” particularly gave me a chuckle. Where do you think UConn was recruiting in 2013?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

This is a really important point because joining the Big Ten isn’t just about joining a sports league, it’s also about joining a research consortium.

The CIC is far more important to the members of the B1G than most of the general public realizes and research dollars often make athletic revenues appear small. This is why I still believe that eventually Cal & Stanford will end up in the B1G.

We absolutely need to improve our profile as a research institution. Even if it doesn't get us into the B1G it will help the school and the state tremendously.

 

[FriarJ]

The Big East has not “invited us back” even one time. We joined a conference before it was formed. We were then deserted by the Catholic schools so they could control their destiny without football, who invited us in to their new conference that bought the Big East name.

If we leave the Big East and are invited back, it will be the first time we are invited back.

Only a lawyer or someone like CL82 (who plays a lawyer on this board) could type this. You won’t be invited back for the 1st time. Happy?

 

[noeynox]

B1G is a pipe dream for now on many fronts. That is the real reason i cannot believe so many people's attitudes toward the Big 12. The 12 is positioning themselves as the 3rd League. If you CAN get in, you do it without hesitation.

 

[superjohn]

B1G is a pipe dream for now on many fronts. That is the real reason i cannot believe so many people's attitudes toward the Big 12. The 12 is positioning themselves as the 3rd League. If you CAN get in, you do it without hesitation.

There will be only 2 power conferences.

 

[How Sway?!]

From The Athletic article and previous reports of ESPN and Fox not willing to prorate non-P5 schools, would you still take a B12 invite if it only involved a partial share of TV payments, say $20 million?

It would be a tough pill to swallow that we would be second tier members while schools like UCF, Cincy and Houston are full

 

[metsfan2323]

There will be only 2 power conferences.

So you think the college football playoff (expanding to 12 next year) will eventually only provide auto bids for the B1G and SEC? I don't see it happening. Sure those 2 leagues will always have a financial advantage, but having that advantage is not the determining "power" factor. Being in a football league with an auto-bid is the determining factor.