Report: UConn Going To Big East For 2020-2021 Season

[superjohn]

So what was posted that is delusional? That was the question.

Not going through all the threads but there were posts acting like UConn baseball matters in the.whole scheme of things.

 

[FromTheInside]

As for the ACC, we all know why BC blackballed us but why did the Florida schools?

It came down to Notre Dame, not Boston College & the Florida schools. If Notre Dame had said "we want UConn" instead of Syracuse, then UConn would be in the ACC. Notre Dame wanted to ensure they were getting exposure in NYC, b/c they have a huge alumni and fan base there.

The Florida schools weren't opposed to UConn, they were opposed to northern expansion AND the addition of more basketball-centric schools. Florida State, Miami, Clemson, and VA Tech fancy themselves as football schools in the mold of the SEC (more or less). They, ESPECIALLY Florida State, have a love/hate relationship with the ACC, b/c they bring in the dollars, but are out-numbered and out-voted on conference matters. Some of the schools felt the ACC should stay out of New England and the upper Mid-Atlantic b/c those schools (and fans) don't fit culturally with Florida through Virginia. And the experience with BC furthered that feeling. But Notre Dame was sold on membership by assuring them historical match ups (Pitt, BC, etc) and a conference presence in the NYC area. So the football schools weren't going to fight that battle, b/c the ACC with northern expansion + Notre Dame was better for them than the ACC without northern expansion and without Notre Dame.

 

[upstater]

Come on man, T-H-I-N-K. Are TV contracts into perpetuity or do they have an end date? While yes, the Big 12's contracts with ABC/ESPN/Fox called for them to increase their payout pro rata, so the payout per member wouldn't decrease, that contract was only through the end of the 2015-16 season. So while the Big 12 could have added UConn or any other team without immediate penalty, the financial impact would be felt beginning with the 2016-17 season, when they would be under a new contract and ABC/ESPN/Fox would no longer be obligated to pay an inflated value for UConn.

Further, ratings aren't judged based on other conferences, they're judged based on their contractual valuation. The entire reason the Big East's contract paid out a measly $40M/yr (for all teams combined) is b/c the ratings expectation was very poor. Even though their ratings are poor relative to other conferences on ESPN, etc, they actually well exceed what Fox forecast. And I can tell you that definitively, b/c we did the analysis for Fox! Higher ratings than expected + 2 NCs for Villanova + UConn is going to add an exceptional amount of value to that contract. When everything shakes out, UConn will make more from this move than had they stayed in the AAC. I have no insider knowledge from within UConn, but I know the realignment game. UConn didn't vote to pay $10M to make less money and torpedo football in the process. I know with certainty that Fox and the Big East have discussed expansion in detail over the last two years. The NBE isn't flying blind in this endeavor.

I don't know who you work for but I find it hard to take you seriously.

Here's why:

1. There was a presentation and analysis by a media firm hired by the B12 during their expansion push a few years ago that showed UConn was actually additive to the conference.
2. What held UConn back is that UConn was not culturally a B12 school (and bad football).
3. The ACC twice determined that UConn was additive to their bottom line when it initially chose UConn and Syracuse for expansion (before BC blackballed it) and then again a few years later, when UConn was "inked in" to use someone's famous words.

We have 3 instances here of UConn being a viable financial candidate for 2 different P5 conferences. It is very hard to believe an anonymous message board poster over a media/financial analysis (which I'm sure is still available on the web) and the ACC's people, who surely vetted UConn.

You may indeed be legit, but believing you would require my to believe these conferences did not do proper vetting of UConn.

 

[navery12]

So what was posted that is delusional? That was the question.

There were posts (mostly from me) saying this is worse for UConn baseball. That's it. But nuance is lost on this board

 

[upstater]

It came down to Notre Dame, not Boston College & the Florida schools. If Notre Dame had said "we want UConn" instead of Syracuse, then UConn would be in the ACC. Notre Dame wanted to ensure they were getting exposure in NYC, b/c they have a huge alumni and fan base there.

The Florida schools weren't opposed to UConn, they were opposed to northern expansion AND the addition of more basketball-centric schools. Florida State, Miami, Clemson, and VA Tech fancy themselves as football schools in the mold of the SEC (more or less). They, ESPECIALLY Florida State, have a love/hate relationship with the ACC, b/c they bring in the dollars, but are out-numbered and out-voted on conference matters. Some of the schools felt the ACC should stay out of New England and the upper Mid-Atlantic b/c those schools (and fans) don't fit culturally with Florida through Virginia. And the experience with BC furthered that feeling. But Notre Dame was sold on membership by assuring them historical match ups (Pitt, BC, etc) and a conference presence in the NYC area. So the football schools weren't going to fight that battle, b/c the ACC with northern expansion + Notre Dame was better for them than the ACC without northern expansion and without Notre Dame.

????

This is revisionist history.

The ACC added two schools.

It wasn't initially UConn over Syracuse.

It was UConn & Syracuse.

BC blackballed it.

I mean, the history of this is quite clear and quite explicit, since we have quotes in newspapers from the principals making these decisions.

Hell, BC's president had to apologize to ESPN for letting the cat out of the bag.

 

[8893]

Not going through all the threads but there were posts acting like UConn baseball matters in the.whole scheme of things.

So it’s delusional for other people to care about things that don’t matter to you.

Got it.

 

[CL82]

Come on man, T-H-I-N-K. Are TV contracts into perpetuity or do they have an end date? While yes, the Big 12's contracts with ABC/ESPN/Fox called for them to increase their payout pro rata, so the payout per member wouldn't decrease, that contract was only through the end of the 2015-16 season. So while the Big 12 could have added UConn or any other team without immediate penalty, the financial impact would be felt beginning with the 2016-17 season, when they would be under a new contract and ABC/ESPN/Fox would no longer be obligated to pay an inflated value for UConn.

Further, ratings aren't judged based on other conferences, they're judged based on their contractual valuation. The entire reason the Big East's contract paid out a measly $40M/yr (for all teams combined) is b/c the ratings expectation was very poor. Even though their ratings are poor relative to other conferences on ESPN, etc, they actually well exceed what Fox forecast. And I can tell you that definitively, b/c we did the analysis for Fox! Higher ratings than expected + 2 NCs for Villanova + UConn is going to add an exceptional amount of value to that contract. When everything shakes out, UConn will make more from this move than had they stayed in the AAC. I have no insider knowledge from within UConn, but I know the realignment game. UConn didn't vote to pay $10M to make less money and torpedo football in the process. I know with certainty that Fox and the Big East have discussed expansion in detail over the last two years. The NBE isn't flying blind in this endeavor.

Um...

So while the Big 12 could have added UConn or any other team without immediate penalty, the financial impact would be felt beginning with the 2016-17 season, when they would be under a new contract and ABC/ESPN/Fox would no longer be obligated to pay an inflated value for UConn.

That's not what you said in your prior post. You said each school was going to make less.

Further, ratings aren't judged based on other conferences, they're judged based on their contractual valuation.

Lol, uh no, they are based on a projection of the actual viewers. Nielsen is the primary source of television ratings. They use electronic and proprietary metering technology to keep tabs on the audience that is watching television programs on any given night.

And I can tell you that definitively, b/c we did the analysis for Fox! Higher ratings than expected + 2 NCs for Villanova + UConn is going to add an exceptional amount of value to that contract.

So when you do the analysis did you, oh I don't know, consider the historic ratings of the NBE? Do you know what they are? How do they rate against the ratings on the ESPN family of networks? Do you consider the platform that they are going to be broadcast on? Just wondering?

I have no insider knowledge from within UConn, but I know the realignment game.

Lol, do you? It sure doesn't seem that way.

 

[superjohn]

So it’s delusional for other people to care about things that don’t matter to you.

Got it.

I told you UConn baseball and UConn soccer matter to me but they don't matter in any sort of decision making process for UConn, they don't move the needle, they don't make money etc.

 

[B12]

I don't know who you work for but I find it hard to take you seriously.

Here's why:

1. There was a presentation and analysis by a media firm hired by the B12 during their expansion push a few years ago that showed UConn was actually additive to the conference.

Link?

 

[8893]

Decent yes, but the AAC is P5 in baseball and the Big East is an also-ran.

It’s not a death sentence like it is for football, but it is an enormous step back for a very good program and will make it much harder to recruit high quality players because the exposure is not remotely comparable.

Again, I hold no delusions about where that ranks among the university’s or men’s basketball fans’ priorities, but I don’t think it is delusional to acknowledge it or regret that it will negatively impact a very good program.

 

[CTMike]

I don't know who you work for but I find it hard to take you seriously.

Here's why:

1. There was a presentation and analysis by a media firm hired by the B12 during their expansion push a few years ago that showed UConn was actually additive to the conference.
2. What held UConn back is that UConn was not culturally a B12 school (and bad football).
3. The ACC twice determined that UConn was additive to their bottom line when it initially chose UConn and Syracuse for expansion (before BC blackballed it) and then again a few years later, when UConn was "inked in" to use someone's famous words.

We have 3 instances here of UConn being a viable financial candidate for 2 different P5 conferences. It is very hard to believe an anonymous message board poster over a media/financial analysis (which I'm sure is still available on the web) and the ACC's people, who surely vetted UConn.

You may indeed be legit, but believing you would require my to believe these conferences did not do proper vetting of UConn.

1) you have UConn blue blinders on, and 2) each passing year since these evaluations we’ve slid further in to the abyss.

 

[upstater]

1) you have UConn blue blinders on, and 2) each passing year since these evaluations we’ve slid further in to the abyss.

Take off YOUR blinders.

He was talking about why UConn wasn't taken in the past.

No one is talking about UConn now in even G5 conferences, since we've told the world the football program is dead.

 

[djct1999]

Was it possible that Randy was caught completely off guard by this announcement? By the tone of his tweets, it seems so but I have no idea. Does anyone have any intel?

 

[upstater]

Link?

Everyone here saw it, knows it. I'm not searching for it because you weren't here.

I totally accepted that UConn was not a good fit for the B12 at the time, but given the number of people in the state, and the affluence, and the fact that SNY was already skinning the hides off of viewers with not even a peep of complaint, this showed how much UConn was worth TV-wise.

 

[JB75]

It is a major sport. I think the problem are the delusional UConn fans who think the only sport that matters or exists at UConn is basketball. Major Universities have 3 major sports and care about each equally.

U think people at Michigan st care about the Spartans baseball program just as much as they do football and hoops? Ya ok.

 

[CL82]

It came down to Notre Dame, not Boston College & the Florida schools. If Notre Dame had said "we want UConn" instead of Syracuse, then UConn would be in the ACC. Notre Dame wanted to ensure they were getting exposure in NYC, b/c they have a huge alumni and fan base there.

Uh, wrong again. Syracuse left well before ND. They weren't a part of the same deal.

 

[kansashusky]

So I am located in the Midwest, and not linked up very strong in New England. But I was at an event yesterday and got to talk to some Big East basketball coaches and they believe Gonzaga will be next and there will be 6 east teams and 6 west teams.

I think that would put the Big East second behind the ACC basketball wise.

 

[JB75]

My buddies and I had season tickets for a about 5 years. Most of the time we stayed in parking lot to tailgate at least till halftime. The tailgating was more fun than the game. Sure we rooted hard for them but .....

 

[3rdbass]

So I am located in the Midwest, and not linked up very strong in New England. But I was at an event yesterday and got to talk to some Big East basketball coaches and they believe Gonzaga will be next and there will be 6 east teams and 6 west teams.

I think that would put the Big East second behind the ACC basketball wise.

That would be very interesting if true.

 

[UConnDan97]

Decent yes, but the AAC is P5 in baseball and the Big East is an also-ran.

It’s not a death sentence like it is for football, but it is an enormous step back for a very good program and will make it much harder to recruit high quality players because the exposure is not remotely comparable.

Again, I hold no delusions about where that ranks among the university’s or men’s basketball fans’ priorities, but I don’t think it is delusional to acknowledge it or regret that it will negatively impact a very good program.

I agree with the general statement, but I'm hopeful that it won't hurt them much. The majority of the roster is made up of northeastern ball players. We have 7 players from California and 1 from Michigan. The rest are from the northeast. To what extent the conference will affect the California pipeline, I'm not sure...

 

[UConnDan97]

Uh, wrong again. Syracuse left well before ND. They weren't a part of the same deal.

He's likely not so "Inside" after all...

 

[upstater]

So I am located in the Midwest, and not linked up very strong in New England. But I was at an event yesterday and got to talk to some Big East basketball coaches and they believe Gonzaga will be next and there will be 6 east teams and 6 west teams.

I think that would put the Big East second behind the ACC basketball wise.

Well, the travel angle will take a hit if this is true, but personally I would love to see Gonzaga.

I do wonder what's in it for Gonzaga though. They have the rep now and their coach is surely a big part of it, but playing cupcakes all season to create a gaudy record is just a free high seed into the NCAA for them.

Traveling across country is going to hurt that gaudy record badly.

Anyway, Gonzaga is in Spokane, not Seattle, so connecting flights all the way. I assume the same is true for Omaha and maybe Indianapolis.

So, half the league would be in Spokane, Omaha, Indiana, Chicago, Milwaukee and Cincinnati.

If they play 20 games, that's 10 games in our division, and 10 games against the west. That means 5 trips out west every season.

So--that's not the worst travel-wise.

 

[navery12]

Everyone here saw it, knows it. I'm not searching for it because you weren't here.

I totally accepted that UConn was not a good fit for the B12 at the time, but given the number of people in the state, and the affluence, and the fact that SNY was already skinning the hides off of viewers with not even a peep of complaint, this showed how much UConn was worth TV-wise.

Guessing you mean this one?

 

[tzznandrew]

Well, the travel angle will take a hit if this is true, but personally I would love to see Gonzaga.

I do wonder what's in it for Gonzaga though. They have the rep now and their coach is surely a big part of it, but playing cupcakes all season to create a gaudy record is just a free high seed into the NCAA for them.

Traveling across country is going to hurt that gaudy record badly.

Anyway, Gonzaga is in Spokane, not Seattle, so connecting flights all the way. I assume the same is true for Omaha and maybe Indianapolis.

So, half the league would be in Spokane, Omaha, Indiana, Chicago, Milwaukee and Cincinnati.

If they play 20 games, that's 10 games in our division, and 10 games against the west. That means 5 trips out west every season.

So--that's not the worst travel-wise.

That's a lot of travel fro Gonzaga. Crazy for them to do that. Also, the NBE wanted to preserve integrity of the round robin. But an E-W split of:

EAST
Connecticut
Georgetown
Providence
St. John's
Seton Hall
Villanova

WEST
Butler
Creighton
DePaul
Gonzaga
Marquette
Xavier

Is a killer conference, though the history is loaded in the East.