Rumor from the .

[Dooley]

Lets PRETEND for a moment that UConn athletics disappeared. People who watched UConn are not going to switch allegiances to other schools or programs. My guess, these fans would just dig their heals in and follow the PROS, whether this is the NFL, NHL, NBA, etc. And this would be especially true for those that aready have a PRO team that they follow. Others might develop a fan support for a particular close by pro team. But my opinion is that in general, fans, would snub the college game as their team is no longer in it. I do not see these fans touting any of the C-7 or rooting for Syracuse, Rutgers, or any other proposed NYC Team from the tri-state area.

If it's not UCONN, it's crap. Similar to when the Whalers left and Whaler fans didn't warm up to the idea of supporting the Rangers' farm team, I find it very hard to believe that UCONN fans would warm up to watching Syracuse or BC games. If it weren't for the occasional UCONN game aired, I would cancel my ESPN cable package right now.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

I am sure that UConn's National Championship got Herbst and Manuel a pat on the head from the ACC and Big 10. Since both conferences fully expect UConn's athletic program to whither and die in the AAC, I doubt they will do anything other than say "attaboy" and wait for UConn to fade away.

Why would either conference prefer the withering death of a successful athletics program to capitalizing on the success instead?

 

[RegisteredUconn]

I am pretty certain that most ADs/Presidents/Commissioners lose very little sleep over the success of the UConn athletic programs. Instead, the NYC/Tri-State market probably has caused a few restless nights. While UConn remains in purgatory, that market remains up for grabs and the threat for these above mentioned people to miss out on it remains real. I will say it again......UConn is the missing link. Whichever conference gets them wins, the other clearly loses. My theory has been consistent: The Big 10, while inviting Rutgers and Maryland, gave UConn a "to do" list to prep for admission.

I couldn't like this post any more if I tried.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

And I would bet that as long as the ACC has any doubt about that, that if the ACC feels UConn's administration is anything less than 100% desirous of joining the ACC, the ACC will not offer membership to UConn.

Think about what you wrote.
You've got it completed backwords. UConn's adminstration pursued the the ACC .
Herbst is a proud Acedemic type,from Duke. How could she not take that rejection somewhat personally in light of a perceived Acedemic lightweight besting her.
Connecticut and ND have one similarity
For ND it's been a decades long shedding of its Catholic identity to gain acceptance from the Acdemic elites. For UConn it's a struggle to get out of the shadow of those same elites and gain an equal footing with the top State flagships through out the country. Your disdain for the Big is born of your inferiority complex fostered from past rejection by your closest neighbors. Our current ACC distain is born from a similar rejection. That's called pride.
You can call our current strategy what ever you like.
If you were not only rejected but embassessed by an 8th grade girl . Chasing her usually has the opposite effect. Pursuing other options is normaly the better solution.
Usually you become better looking to the original girl as more of her peers become interested in you.
This Jr high stragey in variation is used on the consumers daily.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

I have a feeling Diaco will soon have folks talking about us even more. We are currently poised at the best possible place (given our current reality). BBall heaven with fantastic coaches leading our storied programs. A great showing of fan support--especially in the NYC/Boston areas. Great practice facilities for FBall and soon BBall. An expandable stadium. Now we need FBall to shine. We need to make some early noise, get noticed, draw loud crowds, and become a credible party in ACC/B1G conversations. With our extremely competent President and our rising, respected and ever more connected AD, the stage is set. It's lights, camera, action time.
That means a fast start this fall---and beating BYU.

We need to stack our schedule for early success. Starting 8-0 or 9-0 gets us on the map and gets people talking. We need that buzz. Even if we lose 3 of the last four, that won't negate a fantastic start. Let's stop finding ourselves at 5-2 or 6-3. That gets us nowhere. Even if we win the last 3, 9-3 relegates us to the "ignore" column. But finishing 9-3 after a 9-0 start means we remain in the conversation because 9-0 puts us there and 9-1 and then 9-2 don't remove us. Front load the schedule with the games we have the best chance of winning.

 

[Sea Goat]

If it's not UCONN, it's crap. Similar to when the Whalers left and Whaler fans didn't warm up to the idea of supporting the Rangers' farm team, I find it very hard to believe that UCONN fans would warm up to watching Syracuse or BC games. If it weren't for the occasional UCONN game aired, I would cancel my ESPN cable package right now.

Let's be clear - I wouldn't watch Bf...ingC or Syraf... at the point of a gun.

 

[huskyrob1]

Because this isn't about UConn's certain death. Its about tv rights, branding, and marketing. The goal for both Delaney and Swofford is NYC. All along, this board has broken down and over analyzed tv markets, number of households, neilsen ratings, etc. Not once I have read about the intrinsic value that UConn will immediately add by joining either conference. Addition by subtraction. My guess is UConn will add at least 10million per by the reverse effect it will have on the conference left out. If the ACC adds UConn, it immediately locks in the northeast. IF the Big 10 adds UConn, if leaves the ACC with a huge hole it can't fill and a minimum of two programs in realignment Sibera. UConn in all of this is still an extremely valuable pawn and will come at a relatively cheap price long term. It isnt about an unwillingness to spend another dime. Its more about spending that dime to make a quarter.

Swofford's under a lot of pressure and sweating it. Lately he looks in the mirror and he is seeing John Maranato looking back at him, I mean can history repeat itself? If Miami and FSU ever left the ACC (and there have been rumors), he's left with a basketball league and Notre Dame only in some sports, and Virginia Tech bolts to the Big 12. He's left with an ACC championship game with ratings in the toilet, and ESPN wants his head.

 

[noeynox]

We need to stack our schedule for early success. Starting 8-0 or 9-0 gets us on the map and gets people talking. We need that buzz. Even if we lose 3 of the last four, that won't negate a fantastic start. Let's stop finding ourselves at 5-2 or 6-3. That gets us nowhere. Even if we win the last 3, 9-3 relegates us to the "ignore" column. But finishing 9-3 after a 9-0 start means we remain in the conversation because 9-0 puts us there and 9-1 and then 9-2 don't remove us. Front load the schedule with the games we have the best chance of winning.

So what you're saying is... you're a fan of the Syracuse let's start 25-0, and print up some T Shirts

 

[RegisteredUconn]

If I was Delaney, I would just call Swofford and say "if you don't, I won't" when it comes to inviting UConn. What can Swofford do? If the ACC makes an offer to UConn, Delaney can beat it, so what is the point of making an offer? By isolating UConn, the Big 10 is increasing the chances that UConn will whither and die in the AAC over the next 5 to 10 years, and then the Big 10 will not have to pay a nickel more for the New York market that Rutgers didn't deliver. If UConn does something extraordinary in that period, enough to get Swofford to try and force the issue, then Delaney can move at that point. Swofford may want to move, but roughly 1/4 to 1/3 of this membership is not interested or is actively against UConn, no matter how much Tobacco Road might like us, and he can't beat Delaney, so what's the point? Everyone sits tight and waits or UConn to die. If you were the ACC or Big 10, and wanted to increase your market penetration in New York and the northeast without spending another dime, then leaving UConn in the AAC would be the perfect solution.

Interestingly, most of the posters on this board agree with that strategy.

Absolutely the wrong strategy unless you enter the NYC market with the intention of enjoying a microscopic presence there. The way to penetrate a market is to provide compelling viewing there. The product for sale is the contest. A contest requires two teams. The best way to provide compelling viewing is a heated rivalry. It's either Syracuse and UConn or Rutgers and UConn.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

This is probably true, but I doubt it was a sure thing. More like, if you do this, you'll enhance your position down the road if we decide to expand again.

I'll bet the B1G already knows its position on future expansion.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

So what you're saying is... you're a fan of the Syracuse let's start 25-0, and print up some T Shirts

Absofreakinglutely! Not as a long term position, but as a way to generate program buzz.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

You can smell the fear in ACC fans already.

So that's why I've had to hold my nose.

 

[businesslawyer]

We need to stack our schedule for early success. Starting 8-0 or 9-0 gets us on the map and gets people talking. We need that buzz. Even if we lose 3 of the last four, that won't negate a fantastic start. Let's stop finding ourselves at 5-2 or 6-3. That gets us nowhere. Even if we win the last 3, 9-3 relegates us to the "ignore" column. But finishing 9-3 after a 9-0 start means we remain in the conversation because 9-0 puts us there and 9-1 and then 9-2 don't remove us. Front load the schedule with the games we have the best chance of winning.

You realize (I hope) that you can't do this, because you only control your non-conference schedule?

 

[thatguyed]

I had a dream that UConn agreed to join the ACC. There was a special signing ceremony covered by ESPN. SH and WM were seated at a table with 2 ACC hats in front of them.

They pulled out their pens and went to grab the ACC hats and then paused. They looked at each other, smiled, and then reached behind their chairs to grab their B1G hats, put them on and yelled in unison...."psych"...pulled out their B1G documents and we joined the B1G.

It felt so real....

I'd be happy if they just signed it on the hood of a car.

 

[thatguyed]

It's tough, but don't overstate it. He is at a flagship state university, most coaches are not. His school just won two basketball championships. It just had the #1 pick in the MLS draft. It has several players in the NFL and NBA, including some star level talent in the NBA. His facilities are superb.

The reality is, kids in high school have heard of UConn. It isn't Buffalo. It has brand power, pretty considerable brand power. More than many schools in P5 conferences. What that means, in my mind, is that it is a highly leveraged program. A little success, at this juncture, with a telegenic guy like Diaco at the helm, could just explode things.

Secondary sports for college but field hockey championship too and making some noise in MLB.

 

[Ha Who]

You realize (I hope) that you can't do this, because you only control your non-conference schedule?

Even more important than w/l is capacity crowds. Perception is everything. If there is 100 pct capacity, people will wonder how the university is not in a p 5 conference. This is where WM and SH NEED TO STEP UP. find a way to get rid of unsold tickets. Donate them to youth groups. But 1 get one deals. Etc. I know season ticket holders will not like it, but now is the time to get rid of 40000 tickets every game

 

[nelsonmuntz]

It's amazing how easily you will accuse people of being willing to commit what would be flat out crimes. Not to mention the fact that killing UConn basketball does not just create a vacuum in metro NY -- it hurts the market by wronging a team that has become as popular in that market as any other and has clearly deserved a better fate. Not everything is a zero sum game.

It is amazing how easily you will naively believe that the Big 10 or ACC will "do the right thing" and offer us a membership that will be worth hundreds of millions of dollars over the next 10 years, when they could just agree to not offer us, let us fade away, and potentially grab our market share in New York without having to spend a dime.

Much worse collusion has occurred for much less money, and none of it has anything to do with what anyone "deserves".

 

[Fairfield_1st]

It is amazing how easily you will naively believe that the Big 10 or ACC will "do the right thing" and offer us a membership that will be worth hundreds of millions of dollars over the next 10 years, when they could just agree to not offer us, let us fade away....

Since it's a board we can imagine any scenario we want, but I find it hard to imagine that the ACC and B1G would agree on anything, especially something that wreaks of collusion and potentially large payout if caught and convicted.
I also agree with someone else that you don't just grab UConn's share because they drop down to mid major or less. I don't think you can annex fans like that.

 

[HuskyJ]

and offer us a membership that will be worth hundreds of millions of dollars over the next 10 years, when they could just agree to not offer us, let us fade away, and potentially grab our market share in New York without having to spend a dime.

For the BIG and ACC to even consider colluding against UCONN, wouldn’t they both have to FIRST decide that UConn owns a large piece of New York. Having concluded that why in the world would they then risk losing that valuable property to the coconspirator if either side backed out of the deal. If UConn does have that Value (which we all think it does) the cost isn’t to the conferences but to the Media partners. If UConn doesn’t have that value then there is no need to collude at all.

 

[FAIRTIDES]

Since it's a board we can imagine any scenario we want, but I find it hard to imagine that the ACC and B1G would agree on anything, especially something that wreaks of collusion and potentially large payout if caught and convicted.
I also agree with someone else that you don't just grab UConn's share because they drop down to mid major or less. I don't think you can annex fans like that.

My "scenario:"

I may be a minority of one, but I believe UCONN’s CR dye has been cast for some time. I now believe that SH, WM and, probably, BD know exactly where UCONN is going. I don’t think BD takes the job if there’s a chance that circumstances he can’t control put him in position to fail. Nor, do I think he brings friends to participate in a suicide mission. Nor, do I think they’d come.

Take things a step further. Two Sundays ago there was a captured audience estimated at 200,000 in Hartford. A significant portion of the crowd had to be voting age adults. Yet, not one State or National Politician took the opportunity to comment on UCONN’s present situation. Not one, “look what bad people have done/are doing to our State, Flagship University and Athletic Department,” or “this is what I would have done .....,” or “this is what I will do...” Argue that the event was closely scheduled or scripted or that the forum might have been inappropriate. I don’t buy it. To a politician, it is red meat to a lion; especially when the only way to make that particular crowd unhappy is to suggest that the school drop sports, altogether. Yet, not one pushy Politician tried to elbow into the proceedings. This follows a long period of political and UCONN Administration silence on the subject of CR. There has to be a “muzzle edict.”

Fanciful as my feelings may seem, they allow me to ignore rumors. In the last week we’ve been told that Cincy is next in line followed by UCONN and Memphis. Now UCONN’s BB championships have created a curious tipping point that is threatening to the point of making ESPN recommend UCONN to the BIG. Talk about extremes? Ride that roller coaster if you like. I believe that it is has been decided.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

My "scenario:" .....

Yours is believeable to me. My only question would be why are they sitting on it so long? Are they waiting for that legislation to pass to allow uneven groupings of teams in a conference?

 

[caw]

It is amazing how easily you will naively believe that the Big 10 or ACC will "do the right thing" and offer us a membership that will be worth hundreds of millions of dollars over the next 10 years, when they could just agree to not offer us, let us fade away, and potentially grab our market share in New York without having to spend a dime.

Much worse collusion has occurred for much less money, and none of it has anything to do with what anyone "deserves".

First hundreds of millions may be slightly overstating things.

Second, I'm curious how you come to either league grabbing UConns market share in the case of UConn "dying"? I will give you the fact Rutgers brings a good number of eyeballs for football. I will even give you that other b1g alumni bases in NYC will watch the Rutgers games but I'm not sure how UConn dying changes that equation for those outside those fanbases. Let's call them the random fan. UConn right now pulls UConn fans and whoever they are playing in football. That's it. Will a bunch of UConn fans suddenly start watching B1G or ACC teams in NYC bc UConn is "dead"? I don't think so. So for college football, neither the ACC not B1G is stealing the UConns share of the pie (and it's not a huge share for football).

Now as for basketball, this is where some of the random fan could be won if UConn were "dead." There is one huge flaw for the B1G in this scenario: no team in the B1G has a strong NYC basketball presence. If anything UConn dying just gives NYC to the ACC in a gift basket for basketball. Rutgers basketball is a joke and being in the B1G (even with UConn "dead") won't change that. They aren't a brand and don't project as one in basketball.

For basketball, the ACC may be able to generate huge numbers of eyeballs in the NY area bc of Cuse but the B1G won't and can't without UConn. Rutgers versus Michigan won't be a draw for eyeballs in basketball, UConn/Michigan that's another story. Football unfortunately (and the main reason UConn is in this mess) doesn't change a lot either way.

I can see why the ACC sees UConn as duplicative but the B1G won't prosper bc UConn is dead and could actually have something to gain by adding UConn.

 

[Seaa Blue]

I may be a minority of one, but I believe UCONN’s CR dye has been cast for some time. I now believe that SH, WM and, probably, BD know exactly where UCONN is going.

Yeah, I put SH's mention of Ohio State and Michigan under a microscope and tried to figure if she would go there if there was an NDA in place with the Big Ten.

"This is our front porch in a sports-minded country," UConn President Susan Herbst said Thursday. "As an academic, worrying about the research mission and development of UConn, you cannot buy the kind of media we get through athletics. It's true for Michigan. It is true for Ohio State. It is true for all the great places. They would not trade [athletic accomplishment] for anything."
​

I think the answer is 'yes', she would, given that she is so familiar with the Big Ten, and it reveals nothing.

Conversely, would she have gone there if the ACC is your eventual home? I don't think so.

 

[Afroabe224]

My "scenario:"

I may be a minority of one, but I believe UCONN’s CR dye has been cast for some time. I now believe that SH, WM and, probably, BD know exactly where UCONN is going. I don’t think BD takes the job if there’s a chance that circumstances he can’t control put him in position to fail. Nor, do I think he brings friends to participate in a suicide mission. Nor, do I think they’d come.

Take things a step further. Two Sundays ago there was a captured audience estimated at 200,000 in Hartford. A significant portion of the crowd had to be voting age adults. Yet, not one State or National Politician took the opportunity to comment on UCONN’s present situation. Not one, “look what bad people have done/are doing to our State, Flagship University and Athletic Department,” or “this is what I would have done .....,” or “this is what I will do...” Argue that the event was closely scheduled or scripted or that the forum might have been inappropriate. I don’t buy it. To a politician, it is red meat to a lion; especially when the only way to make that particular crowd unhappy is to suggest that the school drop sports, altogether. Yet, not one pushy Politician tried to elbow into the proceedings. This follows a long period of political and UCONN Administration silence on the subject of CR. There has to be a “muzzle edict.”

Fanciful as my feelings may seem, they allow me to ignore rumors. In the last week we’ve been told that Cincy is next in line followed by UCONN and Memphis. Now UCONN’s BB championships have created a curious tipping point that is threatening to the point of making ESPN recommend UCONN to the BIG. Talk about extremes? Ride that roller coaster if you like. I believe that it is has been decided.

I like where your head is at. I think a lot of the moves in the past year or so could point to WM and SH knowing something that we don't. Why commit to football staff salaries if revenue is going to decrease over the next 5/10 years in the AAC. Same with the commitment to hockey. Increasing the yearly expenses by millions with a projected revenue decline would be irresponsible over the long term. This to me means they may have something B1G up their sleeve.

Also as far as timing, I think I read in the Maryland/ACC deal once you announce you are leaving you lose rights to certain conference money? So I'm thinking if UConn did have a move in the works, keeping it mum for as long as possible could be a financial benefit.

 

[upstater]

Any UConn fan that is casting aspersions towards the ACC is an idiot. Yes, they've spurned us, yes, they destroyed the Big East. But guess what, folks? They have 1 of 5 life rafts that could potentially be thrown to us to save us from drowing in the AAC. And considering 2 of the 5 are complete non-starters (PAC/SEC), and another highly unlikely (Big 12), you can guarantee that the UCONN administration is not snubbing its nose toward the ACC. You don't bite the hand that (may potentially) feed.

I cringe at a lot of the comments here re: not wanting to join the ACC. At this point, we should be so lucky....

I wouldn't want to join that group of never-accomplished-anythings if my life depended on it. Let them drown in their vinegar-based sauces.

 

[The Viking]

If I was Delaney, I would just call Swofford and say "if you don't, I won't" when it comes to inviting UConn..

If you think Delany and Swofford trust each other to make such a deal than I'd say your batsh1t crazy.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

First hundreds of millions may be slightly overstating things.

Second, I'm curious how you come to either league grabbing UConns market share in the case of UConn "dying"? I will give you the fact Rutgers brings a good number of eyeballs for football. I will even give you that other b1g alumni bases in NYC will watch the Rutgers games but I'm not sure how UConn dying changes that equation for those outside those fanbases. Let's call them the random fan. UConn right now pulls UConn fans and whoever they are playing in football. That's it. Will a bunch of UConn fans suddenly start watching B1G or ACC teams in NYC bc UConn is "dead"? I don't think so. So for college football, neither the ACC not B1G is stealing the UConns share of the pie (and it's not a huge share for football).

Now as for basketball, this is where some of the random fan could be won if UConn were "dead." There is one huge flaw for the B1G in this scenario: no team in the B1G has a strong NYC basketball presence. If anything UConn dying just gives NYC to the ACC in a gift basket for basketball. Rutgers basketball is a joke and being in the B1G (even with UConn "dead") won't change that. They aren't a brand and don't project as one in basketball.

For basketball, the ACC may be able to generate huge numbers of eyeballs in the NY area bc of Cuse but the B1G won't and can't without UConn. Rutgers versus Michigan won't be a draw for eyeballs in basketball, UConn/Michigan that's another story. Football unfortunately (and the main reason UConn is in this mess) doesn't change a lot either way.

I can see why the ACC sees UConn as duplicative but the B1G won't prosper bc UConn is dead and could actually have something to gain by adding UConn.

If the Big 10 contract is worth $25MM/year/school, over 10 years that is $250MM. The ACC is about 20% less, but that is still hundreds of millions. That is the nut UConn has to bring with them to justify UConn's addition.

It is stating the obvious to say that any interest in UConn in NYC may fade if UConn can not continue to be successful. If the ACC or Big 10 believe that UConn's success is in doubt in the AAC, why not just wait out UConn for a few years and see if the interest fades? Then they can scoop up the residual college basketball interest between them. I agree that Syracuse and the Big East would be best positioned for hoops, but a greater profile in NYC from Rutgers could increase interest in Big 10 schools, many of whom have large alumni presence in NYC.

I understand the reasons why the Big 10 might add UConn at some point. Those are not reasons why the Big 10 WILL add UConn. The Big 10 is clearly waiting for something from UConn, otherwise they would have added the Huskies already.

 

[businesslawyer]

It is amazing how easily you will naively believe that the Big 10 or ACC will "do the right thing" and offer us a membership that will be worth hundreds of millions of dollars over the next 10 years, when they could just agree to not offer us, let us fade away, and potentially grab our market share in New York without having to spend a dime.

Much worse collusion has occurred for much less money, and none of it has anything to do with what anyone "deserves".

You can't compare these to for-profit businesses. In business, when you violate antitrust laws you do it to make money and take that risk. These are non-profits. The thought that University Presidents are going to risk their futures on per se violations to carve the college sports market up 65 ways, instead of 68 ways, when they don't get to keep the money is absurd.

 

[upstater]

I got a kick out of this from a Louisville fan:

B1G grabs Kansas and UConn, ACC counters deeper into B1G country grabs Cincinnati and WVU and gives ND even more Bowl access and Benefits to permanently lock Them into ACC so when in the distant future They will be the point school or Flagship program. The Stars are aligning.

Sounds like a very Swoffordish "counter" move. The goal seems to be to forget about the population centers. Instead, grab Central NY, Pitt, a little section of Coolidge Corner, Louisville, and now Cincy. Leave the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland and half of DC to the B1G!

 

[uconndogs]

You can't compare these to for-profit businesses. In business, when you violate antitrust laws you do it to make money and take that risk. These are non-profits. The thought that University Presidents are going to risk their futures on per se violations to carve the college sports market up 65 ways, instead of 68 ways, when they don't get to keep the money is absurd.

Isn't that exactly what they have let go on to this point?