Rumor- UCONN Pursuing ACC Membership?

[CL82]

I use a better car wash.

Yep it’s like when a car wash promotes itself is brushless, but then it has those gravel encrusted cloths that slam up against your car at high speed, scratching the clearcoat. We want to be in a touchless car wash where jets of water are doing the cleaning.

 

[Exit 4]

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, everyone, in that conference wanted to go somewhere else. probably the biggest problem for us. Is Aresco wanted to make it conference USA on steroids. We wanted the old Big East. It wasn’t compatible.

In my view, the proverbial straw was that last media contract where Aresco steadfastly refused to carve out our WBB program from the group media package. That was a massive affront - and we had to leave even if we were dominating and loving it on the mens side after that. There was no way we could ever allow that band of losers to harvest the decades of brand building made with the WBB program.... regardless if monetizing the WBB would be a modest affair. The principle of it all was too offensive.

 

[Hondo 77]

AAU is a strong preference not a requirement. If it was then ND would not be a candidate. FSU and Uconn are strong enough academically to be considered peer schools in The B1G without AAU Membership.

ND is a candidate because they’re ND.

 

[ZooCougar]

Its the same because its the "leftovers"

I was thinking the same thing re the AAC angle.

As a football only conference it would be an improvement over being independent.

 

[ZooCougar]

Yep it’s like when a car wash promotes itself is brushless, but then it has those gravel encrusted cloths that slam up against your car at high speed, scratching the clearcoat. We want to be in a touchless car wash where jets of water are doing the cleaning.

Some of those don’t finish the job though.

 

[ZooCougar]

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

The answer is no.

Cache trumps markets and “growth”.

Nationally FSU and Clemson have more pull then. UNC and UVA.

 

[ZooCougar]

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

But why would they torpedo a deal where they are getting pretty damn good value for how little they are paying?

The only way they torpedo the deal is if it’s the other way around.

I tend to think that at this moment we are further away from the ACC than we have ever been.

 

[Rufus]

I think UVA and UNC would prefer the B1G over the SEC for two reasons:

Academics - Research heavy AAU members of likeminded schools in the B1G.

Olympic Sports - UVA and UNC sponsor many Olympic sports that are not sponsored in the SEC, but are sponsored in the B1G. Men’s Lacrosse, Men’s Soccer, Men’s Wrestling, Women’s Field Hockey, Women’s Lacrosse, Women’s Rowing, etc. That’s a lot of teams to be orphaned if in the SEC when they would all have conference homes in the B1G.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

How about something like this... Because UConn is somewhat desperate to get into the ACC and would bring better value to the conference than several current members and FSU/Clemson and a couple of less vocal schools are worried about their situations and want unequal revenue shares (i.e. FSU should make more than Wake, etc), we agree to come in for a significant enough reduced annual payout for some fairly long horizon.

The big revenue schools get helped by this, the small revenue schools have to give up less than they would if they all can't agree to the general concept of unequal shares, ESPN gets UConn for pennies on the dollar, and FSU gets to snicker (with us) behind the backs of BC (and others) who they resent for "stealing money given their lack of value".

If they did this with UConn and one more school, it accompanied with an unequal sharing of post-season monies (i.e. you eat what you kill as opposed to the peanut butter approach) then perhaps it makes FSU/Clemson/UNC (and even Duke for basketball) happier. It would also better position the ACC in the event of a couple of their bigger brands departing before 2036.

Lots of what-ifs but it seems like the ACC is getting to the point of having to be a bit creative or risking being the old Big East and being stolen from to the point of collapse one day.

If the ACC leadership/presidents were smart, they'd invest in programs with untapped potential instead of doing nothing but rearranging deck chairs on the proverbial Titanic.

 

[August_West]

But why would they torpedo a deal where they are getting pretty damn good value for how little they are paying?

The only way they torpedo the deal is if it’s the other way around.

I tend to think that at this moment we are further away from the ACC than we have ever been.

I don’t think they will . But at the same time considering their SEC deal they might find it in their interest to enable some ACC poaching. That’s the only remote scenario

 

[Kolumbo]

I'm tired of this sheet so I am making the decisions. ACC members will all make like Fleetwood Mac and go their own way and dissolve the conference. A very solid football conference and it's not like anyone else is winning a championship anyway. And hoops, forgetaboutit!

The result: 20 member $$ conference with 10 basketball and 10 all in. maybe add in Army and Navy for football only. who's with me.

1	PC	UCONN
2	SJU	Cuse
3	SHU	BCU
4	Nova	Pitt
5	Georgetown	VaTech
6	DePaul	NC State
7	Marquette	Duke
8	Butler	Wake
9	Xavier	GaTech
10	Creighton	Louisville

 

[noeynox]

if the ACC offered UConn 20 mill year, and splits the rest of what would be UConn's full payout between Clemson and FSU would UConn fans be happy? Would the other ACC schools say hell no?

 

[WestHartHusk]

if the ACC offered UConn 20 mill year, and splits the rest of what would be UConn's full payout between Clemson and FSU would UConn fans be happy? Would the other ACC schools say hell no?

Honestly, I've been thinking the only real solution to the ACC's problems for the next few years is expansion, with the incremental amounts being shared unequally among the new member, FSU and Clemson. Seems a tough sell for the balance of the league, but it at least preserves what they have.

 

[noeynox]

Honestly, I've been thinking the only real solution to the ACC's problems for the next few years is expansion, with the incremental amounts being shared unequally among the new member, FSU and Clemson. Seems a tough sell for the balance of the league, but it at least preserves what they have.

Then perhaps 2 members with FSU and Clemson splitting half of one new members full share and the rest of the league splitting half of othe other ones. But 13 years is LONG TIME, for the new schools to commit to such a thing but who is the other member?

 

[HuskyHawk]

Well, on this he’s right as this is what I’ve said all along. Is a GOR in this context specifically enforceable? Meaning that the ACC and ESPN could keep showing FSU homes games if it leaves for the Big Ten? Maybe, and maybe not. The existence of the GOR severely ratchets up the risk to an FSU of leaving. But, if it leaves, the ACC is far from certain it can keep showing the games (although it should be able to obtain damages for the loss of the games).

For example, OU and Texas each paid $50m to the Big XII to get out one year early. So people thinking FSU or Clemson are getting out 12 years early? Yeah, good luck with that. The point people miss is that the risk belongs to the networks not the conference. They may be unable to broadcast games. They aren't taking that risk.

Meanwhile, I've seen no evidence that the SEC wants Clemson or FSU. It could have snatched either one of them up at any time in the last 30 years. Sure Clemson is a hot brand now, but if the money weighs on them South Carolina could pass them. Florida State hadn't even been good recently. The B1G wouldn't even consider those two when Washington and Oregon are available. UVA and UNC would appeal.

I don't think it's unreasonable that the ACC adds UConn now that Notre Dame is playing more games in conference and its ability to schedule has been hurt by expansion. It's not getting UCLA and USC regularly anymore. B1G is going to play very few OOC games.

 

[HuskyHawk]

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

I don't think the B1G would touch FSU or Clemson with a ten foot pole. The B1G would consider UNC and UVA. The SEC might consider all four, but has repeatedly rejected FSU and Clemson who wanted to join for decades. It took Missouri over them for example.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

The only way the ACC considers taking UCONN now is because they believe there are pending departures and UCONN provides the best value to fill vacancies. I have to believe that some of the programs in the ACC are losing their collective minds watching what's going on with the SEC and BiG, but if the GOR has them unequivocally locked in, then no one is leaving and UCONN isn't getting in.

my two cents......

That’s not the only way
The other is if they believe the B12 is interested in you .
It’s similar to girls / women
Your prospects might seem dismal with no one interested in you .but as soon as one shows an interest they seem to come from places you never expected
Bad Metaphors aside I don’t believe the ACC wants another conference in what they consider their area . Creating dissonance is a tried and true way to achieve the outcome you want .

 

[CL82]

if the ACC offered UConn 20 mill year, and splits the rest of what would be UConn's full payout between Clemson and FSU would UConn fans be happy? Would the other ACC schools say hell no?

Isn’t it up to ESPN as to what they will spend? Wouldn’t it be cheaper for them just to do side deals of 8500 a piece to Clemson FSU?

 

[noeynox]

Isn’t it up to ESPN as to what they will spend? Wouldn’t it be cheaper for them just to do side deals of 8500 a piece to Clemson FSU?

Why pay them more just because? If you add teams at least you have more content.

 

[CL82]

Why pay them more just because? If you add teams at least you have more content.

Because that additional content would cost you $20 million. If ESPN wanted our content, it was there for the taking it any time. If the goal of adding Connecticut is to stabilize the ACC by giving more money to Clemson and FSU, isn’t it more efficient just to create side deals for them?

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Because that additional content would cost you $20 million. If ESPN wanted our content, it was there for the taking it any time. If the goal of adding Connecticut is to stabilize the ACC by giving more money to Clemson and FSU, isn’t it more efficient just to create side deals for them?

Not if they can make incremental revenue off of showing UConn games. It's about growing the pie - not just adjusting the same pie in varying portions.

 

[CL82]

Not if they can make incremental revenue off of showing UConn games. It's about growing the pie - not just adjusting the same pie in varying portions.

Is UConn’s content worth $20 million? I’d like to think so, but no one’s offering it to us yet.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Well, on this he’s right as this is what I’ve said all along. Is a GOR in this context specifically enforceable? Meaning that the ACC and ESPN could keep showing FSU homes games if it leaves for the Big Ten? Maybe, and maybe not. The existence of the GOR severely ratchets up the risk to an FSU of leaving. But, if it leaves, the ACC is far from certain it can keep showing the games (although it should be able to obtain damages for the loss of the games).

There are a few things to unpack here and most lead to the conclusion that an enormous risk will be undertaken if a school attempts to leave a conference without reaching agreement on departure terms, or if a conference adds a school that didn’t come to agreement on departure terms from its previous home.

• The closest analogy that I have seen on enforceability of GOR was something written a couple years back on one of these boards comparing it to publishing rights for music. If there is a clear parallel, major problems could arise if a school attempts to depart the ACC and say “try to enforce the GOR”. One clear example that I know of is the song Bittersweet Symphony by the Verve. Anyone who isn’t aware of what happened there, a quick google search will provide the answer.
• I imagine if for example FSU or Clemson left for the SEC (or B1G) without coming to a departure agreement, the ACC would immediately file injunctions in every applicable jurisdiction. If the successor conference allowed games to be played, they could be on the hook for damages (beyond the damages that the departed school would need to deal with). I don’t see how either conference would take that risk.
• The schools in question and the conferences in question are looking at this as a business. Businesses do not like leaving things for the courts to decide when it comes to arguments that value a fraction of what this could value. I don’t see anyone being willing to sit through dragged out court hearings (which could mean years of broadcasts that it hasn’t been determined who has the rights to) and the knowledge that there could be a few hundred million dollar gap between what was expected (or hoped for) and what was decided. Again, risk mitigation would lead the way.
• While backroom agreements happen regularly (and charges are seldom brought) between conferences and schools that they may consider adding as members, this would be an entirely different level, especially if terms of departure are still in question. A school departing the ACC, which would require paying the departure fee and dealing on some level with the GOR would likely need more assurances than (financial and otherwise) than for example Texas or UCLA departing their current homes for the SEC and B1G respectively. Logically no school is going to clear itself from ACC obligations only to hope to find a landing spot that makes the cost of departure worth the end result. I imagine that it would be somewhat easier for the ACC to allege damages if the SEC or B1G are willing to accept membership from a school accepting a new member who is not fully freed from its prior conference. The departing school may be required to spend time ín the wilderness prior to joining its new conference to prevent that conference from dealing with damages from the ACC.

While enforceability of the GOR if a school were to leave and say “sue me” may be an enormous unknown, the potential downside of this unknown is likely significant enough that the parties involved would finds it far more logical to reach a buyout and avoid the risk.

 

[noeynox]

Is UConn’s content worth $20 million? I’d like to think so, but no one’s offering it to us yet.

Yeah, because the going rate to a p5 is more than 20 million. If you look at the data compiled by some we are an outlier outside the P5. Especially now that BYU has been picked up. Houston and Cincinnati were pouring more institonal money into athletics than we were if I recall.

It's a spitball idea. The other schools don't have to give up some of their current money and they add some content across the board. Shut Clemson and especially FSU up. They could throw the women's team on the acc network to help that struggling entity.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Is UConn’s content worth $20 million? I’d like to think so, but no one’s offering it to us yet.

I'm not saying it is or isn't worth $20m. But I don't think it's out of the question if we were existing in a bona-fide conference and able to elevate football and leverage our strong basketball (especially the women's team as women's basketball may become more of a revenue driver nationally in the next handful of years). Let's hope.