Scott Gray Says...

[Kolumbo]

Between the old man's "6 week" prediction and using the Big Ten logo from 2010...boy I dunno.

 

[Dooley]

Scott Gray on the Stan Simpson show on FOX on may 24th talking about his UCONN /Big 10 comment. No inside info to back up his claim but he sounds pretty adamant about it.

May 24: UConn To The Big 10? | WTIC FOX CT

Well, I'll give him this: he's not backing down from what he said on the radio a few days ago. His arguments for UCONN to the B1G seem to follow what we have all been preaching over the last few years: Rutgers is an eternal PR mess, UCONN has a nice SNY TV deal, UCONN is the king of basketball, Diaco is the man, UCONN adds another eastern presence after the B1G conference opened an office in NYC and moved its basketball tournament to Washington, Herbst is positioning the school for AAU, and our coaches could have possibly written in a P5 conference clause to their deals (highly speculative, although there is such writing in Ollie's new deal). I think it's dangerous to start putting timeframes on things like this (ex - "I wouldn't be surprised if this happens in as early as the next 6 weeks") with our fragile fanbase from being kicked in the sack time after time after time again. But I commend him on his courage for taking the lead on this campaign and not backing down from his opinion. I hope that he is right.

 

[HuskyJ]

I just want to say HI to Scott who is clearly reading the BY Conference Realignment Board.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Gray has figured out that if some idiots living in their parents' basements in West Virginia can become Internet stars by making up stuff on Conference Realignment, imagine what he could do?

 

[Sea Goat]

Scott Gray on the Stan Simpson show on FOX on may 24th talking about his UCONN /Big 10 comment. No inside info to back up his claim but he sounds pretty adamant about it.

May 24: UConn To The Big 10? | WTIC FOX CT

I know a lot of you think he's a nut, but he's our nut!

 

[SubbaBub]

I'm not from CT, so I don't know Scott Gray from Adam, but I imagine he is simply throwing a theory out there assembled from sites like this one and others like it. That said, I believe there are many reasons to be hopeful if you are a UCONN Fan.

14 is a terrible # for scheduling purposes. It might not be tomorrow, but at some point both The B1G and SEC will go to 16 each. This entire P5 Movement might be the impetus to get it done sooner than later.

Personally I found it interesting how several media outlets deep in B1G Country ran Pro UCONN articles after your two national titles. Some going as far as questioning membership for the Huskies. A trial balloon perhaps?

If Delany is serious about capturing NYC, he will need more help. The UCONN Brand carries a lot of weight in the city, and is seemingly sitting on a tee. With The B1g set to negotiate its upcoming contracts, having a greater presence in both NYC, and in a wealthy state like CT could be very attractive to potential TV partners. The fact that the new deal would coincide almost perfectly with UCONN's needed timeframe to leave The AAC is a happy coincidence.

JMO but I believe the drive towards P5 will get The CR wheel spinning relatively soon. The issues facing The B1G are The UMD Lawsuit, and the question of a viable # 16. I'd be perfectly fine with one of the two VA Schools as # 16, but with the GOR in place I'm not sure how it would happen.

He is the sports equivalent of the morning traffic reporter sans helicopter. Something to fill 3 minutes per hour on morning drive radio. He knows less than nothing.

 

[UConn Dan]

I know a lot of you think he's a nut, but he's our nut!

cue senhor testiculo

 

[FDNY99]

I listened to Gray's comments to Stan Simpson and his comments about his NCAA contacts were more along the lines of "what do you think the Big Ten thinks of Rutgers now". It seems to me that he is trying to speculate that with UCONN's SNY contract that they are a good catch for the B1G..and at the end Stan asks him and he emphatically answers the question this way "Simpson: This is you speculating UCONN to the Big ten...Gray: Yes this is ME speculating UCONN to the Big ten". I will be SHOCKED if this happens...I hope like hell it will...BUT after being duckked over so many times in CR I'm waiting for the next shoe to fall!

 

[The Funster]

Gray has figured out that if some idiots living in their parents' basements in West Virginia can become Internet stars by making up stuff on Conference Realignment, imagine what he could do?

You used to pimp those WV guys.

 

[noeynox]

You used to pimp those WV guys.

Hey we ALL were duped at one time. Now i still read/follow them on twitter, but its so obvious they're both full of it, makes you wonder how you ever believed in tbe first place.

 

[UCHuskies08]

Hey we ALL were duped at one time. Now i still read/follow them on twitter, but its so obvious they're both full of it, makes you wonder how you ever believed in tbe first place.

It's because you wanted to believe.

People can believe in a lot of stupid things when they absolutely want it to be true. (this could go in a lot of cesspool directions but I'll leave it at that.)

 

[dayooper]

It's because you wanted to believe.

People can believe in a lot of stupid things when they absolutely want it to be true. (this could go in a lot of cesspool directions but I'll leave it at that.)

That's not true. I'm sitting here at Starbucks and I just know this gorgeous twenty something goddess is really into fat, balding, ex college football lineman on the cusp of turning forty. In fact, she's so into me that every time she looks my way, she has to turn her head. She so wants me.

 

[Seaa Blue]

That's not true. I'm sitting here at Starbucks and I just know this gorgeous twenty something goddess is really into fat, balding, ex college football lineman on the cusp of turning forty. In fact, she's so into me that every time she looks my way, she has to turn her head. She so wants me.

"Well she's a guy, so..."

but seriously folks...

I think @dayooper is Warde Manuel.

 

[Gfunk]

That's not true. I'm sitting here at Starbucks and I just know this gorgeous twenty something goddess is really into fat, balding, ex college football lineman on the cusp of turning forty. In fact, she's so into me that every time she looks my way, she has to turn her head. She so wants me.

Holy laughter. Thanks dayooper, really. I needed this moment, I was about to Youtube "Big Lebowski" clips until I saw read this script worthy piece.

 

[djct1999]

He is the sports equivalent of the morning traffic reporter sans helicopter. Something to fill 3 minutes per hour on morning drive radio. He knows less than nothing.

That's just it. We all know nothing. Anyone with knowledge isn't speaking. Most importantly, the quietest of the whole lot is in fact UConn. hmmmm. Hard to believe that Gray knows much of anything, but at least his reasons are coherent and logical.

 

[06029]

Holy laughter. Thanks dayooper, really. I needed this moment, I was about to Youtube "Big Lebowski" clips until I saw read this script worthy piece.

Whenever you need a Lebowski fix. This captures the dialog perfectly.

 

[whaler11]

That's just it. We all know nothing. Anyone with knowledge isn't speaking. Most importantly, the quietest of the whole lot is in fact UConn. hmmmm. Hard to believe that Gray knows much of anything, but at least his reasons are coherent and logical.

Gray's logic is that everyone is going to 16 immediately. This of course in spite of the fact that no one has gone to 16 and there aren't combinations of 16 that make any sense that don't include the Big 12 dissolving - which isn't happening.

 

[djct1999]

Gray's logic is that everyone is going to 16 immediately. This of course in spite of the fact that no one has gone to 16 and there aren't combinations of 16 that make any sense that don't include the Big 12 dissolving - which isn't happening.

or, the Big10 wants to be the first to 16. the Big10 wants a major northeast footprint. the Big10 wants to be proactive, not reactive. surely, the big10 can get to 16 without the big12 dissolving.

 

[Chin Diesel]

That's just it. We all know nothing. Anyone with knowledge isn't speaking. Most importantly, the quietest of the whole lot is in fact UConn. hmmmm. Hard to believe that Gray knows much of anything, but at least his reasons are coherent and logical.

A corollary to follow the money. Follow the silence.

 

[Ha Who]

A corollary to follow the money. Follow the silence.

I like your thought process. Unfortunately, there was silence before the last ACC expansion. It could be good or it could be nothing is going on.

 

[whaler11]

or, the Big10 wants to be the first to 16. the Big10 wants a major northeast footprint. the Big10 wants to be proactive, not reactive. surely, the big10 can get to 16 without the big12 dissolving.

They can't get to 16 without someone challenging a GOR.

That's not Gray's stance. His stance is everyone is going to 16 - no matter how many thousands of miles separate the PAC 12 from other schools.

 

[Stray_Dog]

I like your thought process. Unfortunately, there was silence before the last ACC expansion. It could be good or it could be nothing is going on.

LOL, Well that just about covers it!

 

[Kolumbo]

Realignment/Evolution - they go to four 20-team super conferences. Then the conferences decide to go to two divisions each, the A's and B's. The A's gets a bigger cut of the tv dollars because they are the better teams (A = Ohio State, B = Illinois). Then the A's and B's split so the Power conferences are able to jettison the dead football weight. It comes full circle. I hate this entire poaching mess.

 

[dayooper]

Realignment/Evolution - they go to four 20-team super conferences. Then the conferences decide to go to two divisions each, the A's and B's. The A's gets a bigger cut of the tv dollars because they are the better teams (A = Ohio State, B = Illinois). Then the A's and B's split so the Power conferences are able to jettison the dead football weight. It comes full circle. I hate this entire poaching mess.

Nah, they won't contract unless a team wants to go.

 

[Rappin'Rodney]

Realignment/Evolution - they go to four 20-team super conferences. Then the conferences decide to go to two divisions each, the A's and B's. The A's gets a bigger cut of the tv dollars because they are the better teams (A = Ohio State, B = Illinois). Then the A's and B's split so the Power conferences are able to jettison the dead football weight. It comes full circle. I hate this entire poaching mess.

Bullspit. In 2003/2004 the CIC member institutions spent north of $32 million purchasing a massive amount of fiber optic cable in order to establish the OmniPop research intra-network. OmniPoP links each CIC university together via a complex hub network in Chicago. The system is capable of carrying amounts of data degrees of magnitude greater than the current internet, and operates completely independently of the regular internet. The CIC describes the BTN as being the peer institution to OmniPop. Without OmniPop having been established for research purposes, the BTN would not exist in its current form.

BTW, Illinois is central to the B1G's current & future research success. The Blue Waters supercomputer at UIUC is the only petaflop-capable supercomputer on any university campus in the United States. Currently, any research institution in the world may access Blue Waters, but if and only if the National Science Foundation approves the submitted proposal. At some point in the future, the NSF oversight will expire, and control of the supercomputer will revert to Illinois. At that time, I'm certain Illinois will allow exclusive access to Blue Waters via OmniPop for all members of the CIC. One reason why OmniPop is crucial for future shared petaflop computing is that the current internet is inadequate for sharing real-time or near real-time Big Data.

In short, the CIC via its member institutions has beaucoup bucks and resources wrapped-up in shared brick-and-mortar infrastructure. That's why no current B1G school is leaving, and also why it's crucial that B1G presidents choose any members very carefully when making a "100-year decision," as Delany puts it. The only circumstance under which a current B1G university leaves the B1G is if that school drops sports a la the University of Chicago and reduces its membership to the CIC only. I don't see that happening. I also don't see the sports revenue sharing arrangement in the B1G changing, either. Equal sharing has kept the conference stable for so long, and it contributes to a shared identity. Besides, from a B1G P.O.V., why risk bruised egos over unequal sharing from revenue sports, when revenue from big science dwarfs revenue from sports. It's a pennywise, pound foolish argument.

One parting thought--the CIC is like a roach motel: once they check-in, they don't check-out.

 

[whaler11]

Realignment/Evolution - they go to four 20-team super conferences. Then the conferences decide to go to two divisions each, the A's and B's. The A's gets a bigger cut of the tv dollars because they are the better teams (A = Ohio State, B = Illinois). Then the A's and B's split so the Power conferences are able to jettison the dead football weight. It comes full circle. I hate this entire poaching mess.

Does Purdue become the St Louis Spirits in this scenario?

For those who don't know their ABA history the Spirits folded their franchise in the merger for a percentage of go forward NBA television revenue. $300 million dollars later they finally were bought out for an additional $500 million this year.

Since the schools own slices of the BTN, good luck getting rid of those schools.

 

[Kolumbo]

Bullspit......

In short, the CIC via its member institutions has beaucoup bucks and resources wrapped-up in shared brick-and-mortar infrastructure. That's why no current B1G school is leaving, and also why it's crucial that B1G presidents choose any members very carefully when making a "100-year decision," as Delany puts it.
One parting thought--the CIC is like a roach motel: once they check-in, they don't check-out.

When I think of world class research universities, I think of Nebraska.

 

[Samoo]

When I think of world class research universities, I think of Nebraska.

In terms of Ag sciences, you'd be thinking correctly. They get huge money from companies like Monsanto for GMO work, as well as plenty of grants fromt he USG.

 

[Kolumbo]

In terms of Ag sciences, you'd be thinking correctly. They get huge money from companies like Monsanto for GMO work, as well as plenty of grants fromt he USG.

"...but it's just not Ivy League, now is it?" Or in this case, Big 10 league.

 

[Seaa Blue]

In terms of Ag sciences, you'd be thinking correctly. They get huge money from companies like Monsanto for GMO work, as well as plenty of grants fromt he USG.

And depending on who you talk to, the Ag research dollars are no longer looked as favorably upon by the AAU watchdogs.