Possible Big 12 Invite rumors

[gsmooth]

The Big East plays a true round-robin, as does the Big 12. But with the increased size of the Big 12, how can they keep that up? Especially with 16 teams. Impossible.

I agree with you it would be impossible to play a true round robin like the BE does. I am saying that UConn will play certain teams home and home every year and I think that would include Kansas as they and UConn are the blue bloods. It is simliar to UNC and Duke. Those two always play home and home even though they play some other teams only once and some other teams home and home but it would change year to year

 

[Kolumbo]

"to smoke out anyone looking to leave" That's hysterical! Gee, who could that be.

 

[kobebeanbryant]

It's funny I'm on the 57th page of this thread, and there's so little here about playing Kansas perhaps 2x a year in basketball, and facing teams like Cincinnati, Baylor, West Virginia, Iowa St, Kansas St or Houston. This isn't chopped liver.

I really don’t care about any of those teams aside from Kansas, and none of them are going to care about us (except maybe Cinci).

 

[upstater]

I really don’t care about any of those teams aside from Kansas, and none of them are going to care about us (except maybe Cinci).

Back in the old days of the Big east, I was much more excited about playing West Virginia and Cincy than all but 4 of the current BE teams.

 

[upstater]

If UConn joins, they will use pods. We will hardly see Kansas.

Yes, because the TV execs would hate to see that matchup. They're paying for Kansas TCU, nt Kansas UConn.

 

[zls44]

Back in the old days of the Big east, I was much more excited about playing West Virginia and Cincy than all but 4 of the current BE teams.

Do you remember what the UConn-Cincy games looked like?!?!?!?

 

[navery12]

I really don’t care about any of those teams aside from Kansas, and none of them are going to care about us (except maybe Cinci).

In football maybe. In basketball every single B12 team would get excited to play one of the best basketball programs in the country

 

[upstater]

No we prefer seton hall, St. John’s, GTown, and pc because they’re closer. And Creighton, Marquette, DePaul and butler makes sense regionally.

Sarcasm

I'm fine with people making a case for St John's, PC, villanova & Georgetown. All I'm saying is that we'd get some great games in the B12.

 

[upstater]

Do you remember what the UConn-Cincy games looked like?!?!?!?

Mick Cronin is not there anymore

 

[WestHartHusk]

Moves that in no way have benefitted TV. Further proving that these have all been conference decisions, not TV decisions. Do you think ESPN and FOX really want to pay for Rutgers?

They are doing it, so yes.

 

[Tyler2Rings]

The Big East plays a true round-robin, as does the Big 12. But with the increased size of the Big 12, how can they keep that up? Especially with 16 teams. Impossible.

Do the math for 16 teams. UConn would play three teams 2x and twelve teams 1x for 18 games.

I imagine they would look at 20 or 22 game schedule for $$

 

[zls44]

They are doing it, so yes.

They're doing it because they don't have the leverage folks say they do. The leagues call the shots. No matter how hard people want that not to be true, its been borne out to be true over and over and over and over and over again.

 

[zls44]

The latest example- instead of another SEC league game, one more cupcake remains. Do you think ESPN wants to air Alabama-Samford or Alabama-not Samford? And to get it, they're gonna have to pay more. Because thats what the SEC says, and what they say goes.

https://www.si.com/college/2023/06/01/sec-schedule-eight-games-greg-sankey-meetings

 

[jostar1]

If the Big East is discussing raising the exit fees, this seems like a forgone conclusion.

That's for other Big East schools. We already have a separate exit fee.

 

[superjohn]

and none of them are going to care about us (except maybe Cinci).

Everyone cares about playing the best team in the country.

 

[jostar1]

"to smoke out anyone looking to leave" That's hysterical! Gee, who could that be.

That's for other Big East schools, not UConn. We already have our own ridiculously high exit fee. So what other schools do they think might be leaving? What are they hearing?

 

[WestHartHusk]

The latest example- instead of another SEC league game, one more cupcake remains. Do you think ESPN wants to air Alabama-Samford or Alabama-not Samford? And to get it, they're gonna have to pay more. Because thats what the SEC says, and what they say goes.

https://www.si.com/college/2023/06/01/sec-schedule-eight-games-greg-sankey-meetings

Your point is that ESPN and Fox are babes in the woods and couldn’t foresee this, which is nonsensical.

They signed contracts that allow everything that you are describing to happen because they were still OK with it.

You apparently think these publicly traded companies are not represented by competent legal and business advisors and are signing contracts they don’t like and that lose money.

You are also ignoring that TV networks destroyed the Big East and are in the process of destroying the PAC-12.

Just take the L on this point and move on.

 

[UConn Dan]

That's for other Big East schools. We already have a separate exit fee.

The bylaws say our exit fee is $30mil or the current big east exit fee for other members whichever is greater. Hopefully we can get the ink dry by the end of the month.

 

[zls44]

Your point is that ESPN and Fox are babes in the woods and couldn’t foresee this, which is nonsensical.

They signed contracts that allow everything that you are describing to happen because they were still OK with it.

You apparently think these publicly traded companies are not represented by competent legal and business advisors and are signing contracts they don’t like and that lose money.

You are also ignoring that TV networks destroyed the Big East and are in the process of destroying the PAC-12.

Just take the L on this point and move on.

They can forsee it, sure, but they sure as heck aren't rooting for it. It costs them more money for largely the same stuff they've already got the rights to! Why the heck would they want that!

FOX/CBS/Disney/etc would love to not have pro ratas in the contracts. But they have to. Why? Because if they say no, somebody else will agree to give it to them. And you can't not have either the SEC or Big Ten rights. This is a part of what's playing out with the Big 12, where ESPN has agreed to the increase but FOX hasn't, so the Big 12 is trying to force the league to a bigger spot where they've got to go with it too.

 

[nadav]

Nova improved, Seton Hall improved, Providence improved, UConn improved once they came back

Seton Hall and Providence improved because the league got weaker. They never did anything in the NCAA tournament.

 

[superjohn]

Seton Hall and Providence improved because the league got weaker. They never did anything in the NCAA tournament.

I agree with that somewhat but Seton Hall got screwed the Covid year when they didn't have the tournaments as did Creighton. Seton Hall was very good with Whitehead, Delgado, Carrington as well despite not having tournament success.

 

[Kolumbo]

That's for other Big East schools, not UConn. We already have our own ridiculously high exit fee. So what other schools do they think might be leaving? What are they hearing?

That was my exact thought after I posted. Which schools will vote against it because they may be valuable to another P5 conferece/Big 12.

 

[How Sway?!]

Back in the old days of the Big east, I was much more excited about playing West Virginia and Cincy than all but 4 of the current BE teams.

Cincinnati joined in 2005. Those were notthe old days.

 

[JMick]

That was my exact thought after I posted. Which schools will vote against it because they may be valuable to another P5 conferece/Big 12.

Maybe there is some merit to Big East teams leaving for the Big XII. Aaron Torres tweet about us being part of a larger picture would then make a lot more sense.

IMO it still doesn't make sense for us to leave unless we really expect other east coast teams to help with the travel burden

 

[John]

Cincinnati joined in 2005. Those were notthe old days.

Semantics

 

[CL82]

Because, once again, as I have said for 15 years and been proven to be correct repeatedly: the conferences call the shots, not the TV leagues.

Perhaps, but the media broadcast partners decide whether or not to pay for any addition and ultimately that is a critical that conferences use in making "their" realignment decisions.

 

[CL82]

They're doing it because they don't have the leverage folks say they do. The leagues call the shots. No matter how hard people want that not to be true, its been borne out to be true over and over and over and over and over again.

And yet Ron DeFilippis expressly said "ESPN told us what to do."

I guess he was lying?

 

[HooperScooper]

And yet Ron DeFilippis expressly said "ESPN told us what to do."

I guess he was lying?

Gene DeFilippo.

Boston College AD Says ESPN Told ACC ‘What To Do’ For Conference Expansion

Come fan with us. SB Nation is the largest independent sports media brand, consisting of SBNation.com, MMAFighting.com and over 300 fan-centric team communities.

www.sbnation.com

FWIW he later apologized and took back what he said.

Boston College’s Gene DeFilippo Apologizes For Saying ESPN Influenced Expansion

Boston College Athletic Director Gene DeFilippo has sent a letter of apology to the presidents and ADs of the Atlantic Coast Conference for saying in a newspaper interview that ESPN told the league…

www.courant.com

 

[CL82]

Gene DeFilippo.

Boston College AD Says ESPN Told ACC ‘What To Do’ For Conference Expansion

Come fan with us. SB Nation is the largest independent sports media brand, consisting of SBNation.com, MMAFighting.com and over 300 fan-centric team communities.

www.sbnation.com

FWIW he later apologized and took back what he said.

Boston College’s Gene DeFilippo Apologizes For Saying ESPN Influenced Expansion

Boston College Athletic Director Gene DeFilippo has sent a letter of apology to the presidents and ADs of the Atlantic Coast Conference for saying in a newspaper interview that ESPN told the league…

www.courant.com

Yeah, him!

 

[noeynox]

Gene DeFilippo.

Boston College AD Says ESPN Told ACC ‘What To Do’ For Conference Expansion

Come fan with us. SB Nation is the largest independent sports media brand, consisting of SBNation.com, MMAFighting.com and over 300 fan-centric team communities.

www.sbnation.com

FWIW he later apologized and took back what he said.

Boston College’s Gene DeFilippo Apologizes For Saying ESPN Influenced Expansion

Boston College Athletic Director Gene DeFilippo has sent a letter of apology to the presidents and ADs of the Atlantic Coast Conference for saying in a newspaper interview that ESPN told the league…

www.courant.com

Probably got scolded for saying it out loud.