Rumor- UCONN Pursuing ACC Membership?

[CL82]

There is no door open for us.

Until this uneven revenue distribution is settled there will be zero appetite to add anyone and further dilute what is already a worst in class media deal.

True, but uneven revenue distribution isn’t going to satisfy the heavy hitters of the ACC. Eventually, they will leave, and when they do, there is a potential opening for Connecticut to be a part of the “best of the rest” teams.

 

[Exit 4]

I just wonder if the B1G really knows its next move. I would think its eyes are set on either 2 or 4 more schools to be added in about 4 to 8 years, but the decision as to which from the following pool is subject to how things go in general across an array of areas (media partner needs/academic alignment/perhaps regulatory issues in college athletics/how USC/UCLA fair- do they need more west coast schools to flourish?, etc)

As of today it seems it will be a pick 2 or 4 from:

1) ND
2) Wash
3) one of Oregon/Cal/Stanford
4) UVA
5) UNC (but UNC has said they see themselves in the SEC....)
6) FSU
7) Miami?
8) Colorado maybe? growing state and great bridge between the span
9) Georgia Tech maybe?

The B1G has time on its side. Digest, evaluate and then strike again.

And if the B1G's future ambitions are uncertain, it seems to me that FSU, Miami & Clemson don't have a very strong hand with the ACC for a "new" deal. They have no place to go....yet.

 

[Waquoit]

If we are not talking money or football… just basketball… then I prefer the big east

I agree. I think the powers that be should do us a solid and let us in the Big 12 for FB only.

 

[ZooCougar]

True, but uneven revenue distribution isn’t going to satisfy the heavy hitters of the ACC. Eventually, they will leave, and when they do, there is a potential opening for Connecticut to be a part of the “best of the rest” teams.

Right. After a bunch of things happen that may never happen there might be an open door.

There is no open door,

 

[CL82]

Right. After a bunch of things happen that may never happen there might be an open door.

There is no open door,

You don’t think that the ACC will lose conference members? I do. FSU and Clemson have made clear that they’re not happy. It may not be until 2036, but I think it will happen.

I suspect that our eventual home will be in a group significantly south (dollar wise) of the P2 and somewhat north of the G5. Not the best landing place, but probably the best we can hope for.

 

[Waquoit]

He’s been a runner all his life. I would think he’s got a few left.

So was Jim Fixx.

 

[Waquoit]

LOL
Again.
and again and again and again. You poor saps.

I so much want you to be wrong here. But this entire drama keeps reminding me of the final scene of Shogun. With Richard Chamberlain.

 

[August_West]

I so much want you to be wrong here. But this entire drama keeps reminding me of the final scene of Shogun. With Richard Chamberlain.

I want me to be wrong too. Somehow I had a see the light moment when the ACC did their GOR in 2013, which was even tightened after that. I saw the writing and I let go of it entirely, because it was never going to happen. Not in a decade and probably not the next decade. I was right about the first decade. Put the odds on me for the second.

Because we arent going to the B10 (whatever happened to our AAU initiative anyway, remember that? Jesus there are so many crazy things to remember)

We arent going anywhere. It was the ACC or bust.

We still may end there someday, but if we do it will not be the ACC anyway, because they will have been stripped by SEC and B10. It will be like the AAC forming out of the BigEast breakup.

The ACC GOR has them locked in for another decade. Only ESPN (seriously they can, and they might) can blow it up.

 

[Kolumbo]

Texas, Oklahoma, UCLA, USC. Those were the final nails in the coffin. It is by far and away the P2 and a whole slew of everyone else. So I'm with Adub ^^. Maybe we get in some version of a conference but I am far less concerned about it now than when it was the P5.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

I want me to be wrong too. Somehow I had a see the light moment when the ACC did their GOR in 2013, which was even tightened after that. I saw the writing and I let go of it entirely, because it was never going to happen. Not in a decade and probably not the next decade. I was right about the first decade. Put the odds on me for the second.

Because we arent going to the B10 (whatever happened to our AAU initiative anyway, remember that? there are so many crazy things to remember)

We arent going anywhere. It was the ACC or bust.

We still may end there someday, but if we do it will not be the ACC anyway, because they will have been stripped by SEC and B10. It will be like the AAC forming out of the BigEast breakup.

The ACC GOR has them locked in for another decade. Only ESPN (seriously they can, and they might) can blow it up.

It'd probably be UConn joining an ACC constituted of remnants like:
Old Big East: BC, Syracuse, Pitt, Louisville, and

"Original" ACC: NC State, GA Tech, VA Tech, Wake Forest, and Duke if they get left behind, and

Likely a few other adds such as USF and ECU (would probably need a couple more to get up over a dozen).

Not great, but not bad either. Decent hoops and football, enough attractive games for the casual CT sports fan to go to games. Good for soccer, baseball, field hockey, etc. And provides stability in the new world order and a decent paycheck. That's about all we can hope for - unless football can become a perennial top 30'ish program.

 

[Chin Diesel]

It would seem to make sense that the BiG would want to be in the Bay Area and in Washington/Seattle. Big and affluent markets. Not sure why that didn't happen this round other than maybe they didn't want to obliterate the PAC all at once.

I agree that UNC and Virginia make a lot of sense for the BiG or even the SEC for that matter. But, like FSU, they are mired in the ACC.

UNC and UVA, especially together, are much stronger plays for the B1G or SEC than FSU. Two clear alpha universities that are in growing markets and are contiguous to existing schools.

The Ultimate play for the B1G is a four team grab of UVA, UNC, GT, and FSU. They'd have the eastern seaboard from PA, NJ, MD, VA, NC, GA and FL.

For the SEC UVA and UNC fit nicely with UGA, SoCar, Tenn and the other eastern schools. GT and FSU are much lesser strategic gains for the SEC than they are for the B1G.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

There is no door open for us.

Until this uneven revenue distribution is settled there will be zero appetite to add anyone and further dilute what is already a worst in class media deal.

That’s not what I’m hearing.

 

[Ldandy]

I guess you were not privy to the main reason why UConn left the American Conference at Benedict’s and some head coaches urging.

Great. Does that make Benedict and Hurley 10X more insane than FSU or any other AD considering the fact that they are now flying their teams to Wisconsin, Nebraska, Illinois, and Ohio for a fraction of what FSU would get in The B1G?

 

[ZooCougar]

That’s not what I’m hearing.

I use a better car wash.

 

[ZooCougar]

You don’t think that the ACC will lose conference members? I do. FSU and Clemson have made clear that they’re not happy. It may not be until 2036, but I think it will happen.

I suspect that our eventual home will be in a group significantly south (dollar wise) of the P2 and somewhat north of the G5. Not the best landing place, but probably the best we can hope for.

Sure. They might. But that’s irrelevant.

The door is not open right now.

 

[ZooCougar]

UNC and UVA, especially together, are much stronger plays for the B1G or SEC than FSU. Two clear alpha universities that are in growing markets and are contiguous to existing schools.

The Ultimate play for the B1G is a four team grab of UVA, UNC, GT, and FSU. They'd have the eastern seaboard from PA, NJ, MD, VA, NC, GA and FL.

For the SEC UVA and UNC fit nicely with UGA, SoCar, Tenn and the other eastern schools. GT and FSU are much lesser strategic gains for the SEC than they are for the B1G.

Do you think that UVA and UNC are more valuable in commanding a bigger fee rights wise than FSU and Clemson?

 

[CL82]

It will be like the AAC forming out of the BigEast breakup.

Agree with everything in your post except for this sentence. Nothing could ever match the bucket of suck that was the AAC.

 

[August_West]

Agree with everything in your post except for this sentence. Nothing could ever match the bucket of suck that was the AAC.

Its the same because its the "leftovers"

 

[CL82]

Its the same because its the "leftovers"

There are leftovers that you actually look forward to eating and then there are leftovers that get shoved in the back of the fridge and left to decay. The American was back of the fridge leftovers.

 

[August_West]

Sure. They might. But that’s irrelevant.

The door is not open right now.

ESPN has the key to that door. If they want to torpedo the ACC TV deal then the fur will fly as that is the out in the GOR

 

[Chin Diesel]

Do you think that UVA and UNC are more valuable in commanding a bigger fee rights wise than FSU and Clemson?

Realistically, I don't know. I would definitely look at any numbers with open eyes but I think name brand-wise for academics and athletics, alumni, donor support, etc there's a lot to be said for comparing them as groups of two.

Overall, with UVA butting up against DC metro and UNC's growth they are bigger names and markets than Clemson and FSU. FSU is a clear #2 in the state of Florida compared to the Gators. I am pretty certain Clemson clubs the Gamecocks for national recognition.

All four states are still massive growth states but it's eyeballs and matchups. And it's not just what the fans of those four schools want, it's what the existing schools' alumni and fans want. We all saw that with UConn in AAC. Plenty of football games and some basketball games against highly ranked opponents but UConn fans still weren't interested.

US States - Ranked by Population 2024

worldpopulationreview.com

 

[Luna]

Agree with everything in your post except for this sentence. Nothing could ever match the bucket of suck that was the AAC.

The problem with the aac is everyone had a foot out the door… if they didn’t invite tusa and witchita state and kept the big east name … and signed a gor… and uconn played like the anchor of the conference… they would have made a lot more money… and I think they would have got some of the schools from the big 12 when they Texas and Oklahoma left

 

[jostar1]

That’s not what I’m hearing.

What are you hearing and who are you hearing it from?

 

[UConn Dan]

That’s not what I’m hearing.

What are you hearing and who are you hearing it from?

 

[CL82]

The problem with the aac is everyone had a foot out the door… if they didn’t invite tusa and witchita state and kept the big east name … and signed a gor… and uconn played like the anchor of the conference… they would have made a lot more money… and I think they would have got some of the schools from the big 12 when they Texas and Oklahoma left

Here’s the thing people don’t go from places where they make more money to places where they make less money. The problem with the American wasn’t Connecticut. The problem was that it was a bus station rather than a destination. Everyone, every single one, in that conference wanted to go somewhere else. Probably the biggest problem for us is that Aresco wanted to make it Conference USA on steroids. We wanted the old Big East. It wasn’t compatible.