Possible Big 12 Invite rumors

[upstater]

Said another way Storrs CT is 25 mile from the rest of CT. Its not just the students that fill up the rent. Getting to Storrs on game day will be a nightmare. The rent is centrally located for CT and the anortheast. Bring the teams and they will come.

Other schools have the advantage of having 15k students show up for every on campus football game. This is the main point people are missing with an on campus stadium.

And besides, football culture is about spending the entire Saturday on campus. Tailgating, football game, restaurants, bars.

Think about places that get 110k fans into a stadium when they have a 20 mile one lane road coming off the highway (shorter than the Tolland exit which is 8 miles away). How do they do it?

 

[gsmooth]

There is a negative stigma associated with UConn Football. Kansas and Duke have this a little too regardless of occasional success.

And UConn football earned that negative stigma with a decade of futility and unwatchable football under Diaco's last year and Edsall 2.0.

If UConn doesn't get the B12 invite, then the plan remains the same which is to build UConn as a novelty independent program in the same way as Notre Dame and BYU until a P5 invite comes if it ever does.

Will UConn become Notre Dame in terms of their following? No, but get as close to that as possible. If UConn is 1,000 miles away from Notre Dame in terms of that, get it to the point where they are 700 miles away-in other words do your best to become Notre Dame even though it won't happen per se because Notre Dame has built their following for over a century going back to am radio. Shoot for the moon and get the stars.

Let me know Boneyard, do you agree or am I way off on this?

 

[uconnfan68]

We've been through this one before. Same exact words as last time.

The B12 didn't need to drag UConn yet again after the last time.

No non-P5? What was BYU?

 

[jostar1]

They've made us look like total fools two times now. And once again we find ourselves on the outside looking in. Meanwhile UCF, who were in the damn MAC like 15 years ago, have a P5 lifeline and we still don't. It's unbelievable.

Yeah, and we used to always talk about the "directional" schools.

 

[HuskyHawk]

We're fans. What we do doesn't matter.

We're talking about the public nature of the leaks from the B12.

No one cares that "my feelings" are hurt. That's as it should be.

There's no leaks. There's just certain people trying to influence things by talking to the press. Tramel is an OU guy. We know how OU and UT feel, but who cares? They will be in the SEC.

 

[jostar1]

And UConn football earned that negative stigma with a decade of futility and unwatchable football under Diaco's last year and Edsall 2.0.

If UConn doesn't get the B12 invite, then the plan remains the same which is to build UConn as a novelty independent program in the same way as Notre Dame and BYU until a P5 invite comes if it ever does.

Will UConn become Notre Dame in terms of their following? No, but get as close to that as possible. If UConn is 1,000 miles away from Notre Dame in terms of that, get it to the point where they are 700 miles away-in other words do your best to become Notre Dame even though it won't happen per se because Notre Dame has built their following for over a century going back to am radio. Shoot for the moon and get the stars.

Let me know Boneyard, do you agree or am I way off on this?

Support and funding for football will be decreased before this happens.

 

[gsmooth]

I think it’s safe to say the Edsall 2.0 years didn’t help us. We were an embarrassment. The football minds in the larger conferences remember those years and cringe. Our basketball brands are established. Mora is probably the most important person in the athletic department at this point.

I think it’s safe to say the Edsall 2.0 years didn’t help us. We were an embarrassment. The football minds in the larger conferences remember those years and cringe.

Correct. Edsall 2.0 was a disaster. I remember after Diaco got fired I was thinking "wow our AD is serious about football success" and thought he ain't messing around. Initially I thought he was going keep Diaco and give the speech about believing in Diaco and that we should be patient. I was excited and waiting with anticipation of the next coach they hired. When I saw Edsall was announced later on weekday morning, I was like a balloon that got deflated-the hire was so underwhelming.

Our basketball brands are established. Mora is probably the most important person in the athletic department at this point.
As a good friend of mine from Texas who is a fan of Texas sports teams said about UConn in 2013 in the conference realignment news, "it's not UConn basketball that needs to be sold, their basketball sells itself. It's their football that needs to be sold."

 

[aburks41]

If Jim Mora arrived 4 years ago, we’d likely have an invite in our hands. Houston, UCF, and Cincy all struck gold with their football programs peaking at the right time. If we had 4 seasons in a row of bowl appearances, does that change the narrative around UConn football not being competitive? Probably..

 

[gsmooth]

If Jim Mora arrived 4 years ago, we’d likely have an invite in our hands. Houston, UCF, and Cincy all struck gold with their football programs peaking at the right time. If we had 4 seasons in a row of bowl appearances, does that change the narrative around UConn football not being competitive? Probably..

I think so, too. It's why Edsall 2.0 was such a disaster.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

75% of this board signs up to be played by the same girl over and over again. When are you all going to learn or are you going to keep hurting yourself?

If there's a brass ring you go for the brass ring.

Your comment would be like if after getting knocked off by Florida, UCLA and Mississippi St in consecutive years saying "Why try to reach a final four? You know you are going to keep getting hurt."

 

[CL82]

Said another way Storrs CT is 25 mile from the rest of CT.

Lol, what does that even mean?

What we're seeing in the Trammell article is that an off-campus stadium is considered a detriment to our conference realignment chances.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

When you feel like UConn is in a good spot (2011 post hoop title and BE football title or 2023 post title and bowl game appearance) it always seems to fall short. It's sometimes markets (SUNJ, MD) when they dwarf CT.. or it's football tradition not markets sometimes (Louisville).. or it's recent football success (UCF Houston) and not brand, etc.

Just feels as though the timing is never right for UConn in spite of what we bring.

 

[Jbirdp5]

recruit scraps of Texas, Florida, sprinkle with northeastern kids - viola, good football team.

John have you shared this viola strategy with the staff. I bet they would love to know how easy it is.

 

[John]

John have you shared this viola strategy with the staff. I bet they would love to know how easy it is.

that's how we did it in the Big East, not rocket science. Previous poster indicated there'll be nothing left in Texas due to UT being in SEC. That's flat out wrong.

 

[superjohn]

When you feel like UConn is in a good spot (2011 post hoop title and BE football title or 2023 post title and bowl game appearance) it always seems to fall short. It's sometimes markets (SUNJ, MD) when they dwarf CT.. or it's football tradition not markets sometimes (Louisville).. or it's recent football success (UCF Houston) and not brand, etc.

Just feels as though the timing is never right for UConn in spite of what we bring.

If the timing is never right it's not a timing issue.

 

[willie99]

Worst case, maybe best case, we stay where we are and continue to be part of the national discussion in hoops, a great baseball program, an emerging hockey program, as we excel in other sports as well (even football is moving in the right direction)

Oh the pain, the agony, I can't take it anymore

 

[uconndogs]

that's how we did it in the Big East, not rocket science. Previous poster indicated there'll be nothing left in Texas due to UT being in SEC. That's flat out wrong.

I don't think anyone said that. What makes sense to me is that with NIL and the portal the best talent will reside where the most money can be had. The portal will work both ways. Yes, those that can't get playing time (presumably because those in front of them are more talented) will hit the portal. But, proven talent at programs that do not have the resources (NIL programs) will get poached by those programs that can offer more money. There's plenty of talent to go around, but it's only logical that the best talent will be concentrated where the most money is available.

 

[businesslawyer]

I'm not sure why we are all losing hope here.

It's like you don't know us at all any more.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

If the timing is never right it's not a timing issue.

While I don't totally disagree and the football program not being stronger hurts, it is true that when the Big Ten expanded with Maryland and SUNJ it was all about markets and getting Big Ten network added to the cable in those states/DMAs, conversely when the ACC expanded it was far less about markets and more about perceived football commitment because if it's markets New Haven/Hartford is obviously bigger than Louisville.

We just saw UCF, Cincinnati and Houston selected on the basis of their football.. go back to 2011 prior to the AAC.. those programs were well beneath us.

So while I don't necessarily disagree about football there's been a lot of timing and circumstances that just haven't worked out.

 

[John]

Worst case, maybe best case, we stay where we are and continue to be part of the national discussion in hoops, a great baseball program, an emerging hockey program, as we excel in other sports as well (even football is moving in the right direction)

Oh the pain, the agony, I can't take it anymore

unfortunately the Big East is hurting baseball. There was an article about the weak conference impacting their placement in the tournament.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

If/when Tramel or anyone else starts getting quotes from school presidents and conference commissioners then I'll consider the words non-guesswork/non-influence peddling. Until then, sorry.

 

[CTBasketball]

If there's a brass ring you go for the brass ring.

Your comment would be like if after getting knocked off by Florida, UCLA and Mississippi St in consecutive years saying "Why try to reach a final four? You know you are going to keep getting hurt."

Two completely different scenarios.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

You would think B12 decision makers and ADs (not just the commish) and the dingleberry Tramel would pay a visit, even meet with the Gov before flushing our candidacy. Contempt prior to investigation.

 

[Waquoit]

Think about places that get 110k fans into a stadium when they have a 20 mile one lane road coming off the highway (shorter than the Tolland exit which is 8 miles away). How do they do it?

Maybe we can benchmark! Who are you talking about? Not Michigan, my post-game drive to the highway was on an 8-lane road.

 

[Palatine]

College sports are and will be fluid for the foreseeable future. The only strategy is to do what benefits you today. 30 million versus 6 million is a no brainer.

Even if we go to the B12 that will not be the end of changes in the college sport landscape. But it puts us in a better position for whatever comes next. Whatever comes out of these gates, we have a better chance is we stand together. Together we survive.

 

[upstater]

Just so people realize where things are in terms of investment, UConn spends $96m a year on athletics. UCF spends $69m.

Football Bowl Subdivision | College Athletics Database

NCAA Division I is subdivided according to a school's level of football classification or sponsorship. Previously known as NCAA Division I-A, the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) is the classification for Division I athletic programs with the highest-profile football competition in college athletics.

knightnewhousedata.org

So anyone arguing about UConn not investing (like the idiot St John's guy on Twitter) is absolutely mistaken.

A lot of Big12 a schools are at $100m. Kansas St is at $82m. The new schools are all below.

 

[upstater]

Maybe we can benchmark! Who are you talking about? Not Michigan, my post-game drive to the highway was on an 8-lane road.

Penn State. It was like this until 2000 when the one lane 20 mile road became a 2 lane 20 mile road.

But even in Ann Arbor (where I lived for 2 years) people showed up the night before.

I had a friend that bought a small house there. One night he came home and found 30 cars parked all over his yard. He was in shock. One of the old timers came up and introduced himself and told him they'd been parking there for decades. He even told him all about the many previous owners of the house. He made so much money that fall, he paid several months of his mortgage. Granted, his yard was destroyed, but that's life owning a house around the football field.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Aaand this is why we needed to get an invite. Once you are out of the club, you are out forever. We’re screwed

Our Mens AND Womens basketball brands SHOULD vastly outweigh what should be reversibly bad recent football play; but we can never ever forget that most of these states and their residents culturally hate the “elitist” “yankee” northeast. That biases their acceptance of our previously-horrible-but-improving football program and should definitely be considered an extra hurdle for us. They don’t care that we were ever in the better half of the once-decent Big East (certainly better than any era of the AAC) for most of our time in the conference.

It really feels like the B1G is the only conference that would accept us, but that isn’t going to happen for now. Feels like we will just have to wait and see what happens if/when the PAC and ACC dissolve.

Makes one wonder what could have been had we stayed in the AAC, got Mora and improved with him; like just get to Houston’s level. Seems like there is concern that there is a low ceiling with what he can do while we are independent. I believe we don’t win #5 in the AAC, and obviously we would not be attractive in the AAC with only one non-dismal season and would have likely been passed on this expansion regardless; but it’s still something to wonder.

 

[shizzle787]

Inside the Big 12's pursuit of Gonzaga, UConn as Brett Yormark aims to increase league's basketball dominance

Whether Yormark has the support from the rest of the Big 12 remains to be seen

www.cbssports.com

 

[Rocktheworld]

Inside the Big 12's pursuit of Gonzaga, UConn as Brett Yormark aims to increase league's basketball dominance

Whether Yormark has the support from the rest of the Big 12 remains to be seen

www.cbssports.com

This is nice, and the Commissioner can pine for whatever he wants. But it comes down to the schools voting us in, and they culturally dislike us. It’s the ACC all over again; except now, we have an additional 10 years of dismal football and removal from our glory years.