Should Uconn say "no" to the ACC?

[junglehusky]

For all of it's problems, the ACC is still going to be more stable than the NNBE. We all know the structural defects in the OBE/NBE - bball membership versus football members. Two things have changed - Notre Dame has left the scene, further isolating the bball / catholic schools, and Marinatto added new football members in big markets, plus a few football only schools. The NBE was a house of cards that was very fortunate to have one wing of the house collapse but have time to add new pieces to rebuild. But the structure of the NNBE is so precarious that removing either UConn or UL will result in the bball schools splitting off.

Now, if only UConn goes, perhaps we'll see the football membership stick together (UL, Cincy, USF, Navy, Boise, SDSU, UH, SMU, Temple might still be a step above the MWC). But you know both UConn and Louisville would much rather NOT be in that league. It would be felt as a much worse fit for UConn because of geographic, but more importantly, academic reasons. Though Temple, SMU and Navy are good academic institutions, there's just not enough in common with the student bases which as I've written about before, is a major consideration for UConn.

 

[Sean O]

It would be felt as a much worse fit for UConn because of geographic, but more importantly, academic reasons. Though Temple, SMU and Navy are good academic institutions, there's just not enough in common with the student bases which as I've written about before, is a major consideration for UConn.

Academics plays absolutely ZERO role in conference realignment. That's just a talking point to maintain the illusion of student athletes. If they did matter, the Big Ten would have said no to Nebraska, West Virginia would still be in the Big East and the ACC would laugh at adding Louisville.

If the ACC chooses UConn over Louisville, it will be because UConn has a top 30 TV market to itself and decent pull in NYC thanks to the SNY deal. If academics plays a role in the decision, the ACC is doing it wrong.

 

[Vuce]

Academics plays absolutely ZERO role in conference realignment. That's just a talking point to maintain the illusion of student athletes. If they did matter, the Big Ten would have said no to Nebraska, West Virginia would still be in the Big East and the ACC would laugh at adding Louisville.

If the ACC chooses UConn over Louisville, it will be because UConn has a top 30 TV market to itself and decent pull in NYC thanks to the SNY deal. If academics plays a role in the decision, the ACC is doing it wrong.

Then the ACC should be adding Houston as their first option.

 

[tzznandrew]

Then the ACC should be adding Houston as their first option.

Exactly. There are a number of issues when it comes to realignment. Some of which are football performance, some of which is historical football performance, some of which is tied to the TV market a school is in, and some of which is tied to the member institution itself.

Syracuse has been terrible in football for a while, and is not in a great market. Yet they were picked up.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Basically, ESPN could save the ACC by upping the take to $19MM a year, spreading it more evenly, and letting the ACC schools keep some amount of Tier 3 content. In other words, for peanuts and letting the ACC keep stuff that ESPN is not running on its networks anyway, ESPN can keep the whole ACC show going.

If it doesn't do that, what does that say about ESPN's opinion of the ACC? If ESPN doesn't make those concessions, it is deciding it wants to destroy the ACC. And we know how that show ends.

 

[ctchamps]

Yes, that would teach them!

 

[CL82]

Yep. Absent sitting on a B1G offer, just sigh, die a little inside, and say yes.

 

[Point6]

In all seriousness if the does hit the fan in the ACC, at least the BE is not yet bound by a contract w ESPN. ACC leftovers added to our current menu of teams and market forces might get the BE a much better deal that what the ACC has now.

 

[SAMCRO]

The leftovers of the ACC (after UVa and UNC go the B1G, VaTech and NC State go to the SEC, and FlaState and Clemson go to the Big 12) are BCU, Syracuse, Pitt, Wake, Duke, GaTech, and Miami. How is joining them a step up?

Over Memphis, Temple, DePaul, Seton Hall, and PC..... really?

 

[uconnfan68]

Could it happen? well, Rutgers is in the big 10 so I guess anything is possible.

^this

 

[The Funster]

When doe the current B1G deal expire? Sure it's a whopping 24.6M but Rutgers and MD won't get a full share until the 7th year. I don't know about anyone else but 7 years is a lifetime in the whirlwind media business. Can anyone say with any certainty what the TV ladscape will be in 7 years? 10 years? Will the demand for college football remain this strong?

 

[djct1999]

Its called reverse psychology. Lets tell the ACC we will will only come if they get rid of FSU. Then lets see how people view us!

 

[sportsart]

Besides the Big 12 who does ESPN have a major contract with other than the Big East and the ACC?

Do you think ESPN is going to let the ACC turn into after helping to destroy the Big East?

They do have time slots to fill and one would think they wouldn't want to water down one of the only "major" conferences they have left.

ESPN will step up and keep the ACC in tack.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

Over Memphis, Temple, DePaul, Seton Hall, and PC..... really?

Citing just the worst performers is not an indicator of someone confident in his argument.

 

[Sean O]

Besides the Big 12 who does ESPN have a major contract with other than the Big East and the ACC?

It currently shows games on ABC or ESPN from every conference, except the Mountain West. And they're even showing Boise State/Nevada this weekend for reasons Im not quite sure of - so actually every conference that plays FBS football will have a game aired on ABC/ESPN this year.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

So what we have here is the following scenario . . . any place that UConn goes the other conference members look to jump ship to greener pastures. Is that about it? So if UConn gets an ACC invite it will start an exodus of UVA, UNC, Clemson, FSU, Virginia Tech. . . and anyone else who can get out of dodge. Nice. And we have folks here that think PP deserves another year. . . he's created a snoozefest here in two seasons and nobody wants to be associated with it. Funny in a couple of years the Big East will morph again - Syracuse, Pitt, Miami, UConn, BCU and others will now have occupied the ACC who's left their home for hiring ground away fom the flooding.

 

[SAMCRO]

Citing just the worst performers is not an indicator of someone confident in his argument.

Okay, over Memphis, Temple, Navy, USF, UCF, DePaul, Seton Hall, PC, Marquette, SJU, GTown, and Nova...Really? I left out SMU, UH, BSU, and SDSU b/c I don't believe they will join the league if UConn, and most likely UL, and UC are no longer in it.

To clarify, I'm not making the argument that the vision of the future ACC you described us potentially landing in is an all star scenario. I am saying it is significantly more desirable (for me anyways) than what the NNNNBE is turning into, and it will warrent a bigger TV contract. Just my opinion.

 

[Jericho]

It isn't a no brainer. From what I have read, the ACC contract is $15MM a year with a bullet at the end. That is not nearly enough to hold the league together when every single school in the ACC is worth much more than that to another league. If ESPN does not amend that contract, the ACC is going to get shredded in realignment. And if that happens, being in the open market is a better place to be than locked up in a lousy long-term deal. We also don't know if there are any built-in penalties in the deal for losing schools.

The WAC teams are kicking themselves for joining the MWC now. Whatever the WAC's problems, it only had 2 years left on its contract while the MWC deal runs through 2019. The MWC schools make less than $1MM a year, while the WAC would have made 2 or 3x that on the open market right now. Other than the fact that the MWC had better, higher profile programs, I can't figure out why all the WAC teams joined because financially it was a terrible decision. The Big East and ACC are in the same spot now. If ESPN does not amend the ACC TV contract, there is no financial reason to join that league and lock into a 15 year deal that is below market now and will be 1/3 of market by the end.

Don't see how a "leftovers" league earns more than $15 million. It's better to be part of the remaining ACC (with teams like Syracuse, BC, etc...) and get $15 million than to play with Houston and Memphis and Tulane and get $5 million. And that's IF the ACC falls apart. So again, to me it's a no-brainer.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

Okay, over Memphis, Temple, Navy, USF, UCF, DePaul, Seton Hall, PC, Marquette, SJU, GTown, and Nova...Really? I left out SMU, UH, BSU, and SDSU b/c I don't believe they will join the league if UConn, and most likely UL, and UC are no longer in it.

To clarify, I'm not making the argument that the vision of the future ACC you described us potentially landing in is an all star scenario. I am saying it is significantly more desirable (for me anyways) than what the NNNNBE is turning into, and it will warrent a bigger TV contract. Just my opinion.

Choosing between crappy and crappier is an ugly thought. I can only squeeze my nose so tight to hold out the stench. When crappy is one hundred turds and crappier a hundred and two, there's a distinction but not a difference.

Forgetting basketball for the moment, I see Orlando and Tampa/St. Pete, and Dallas and Houston, and San Diego, Philly, and Memphis (plus L'ville and Cincy as of now) vs. Pittsburgh, parts of New York, whatever BCU can pull out of Boston, Atlanta, Miami, and a little bit of North Carolina.

 

[zls44]

Tulane and East Carolina.

That's my counter-argument.

THE PROSECUTION RESTS.

 

[MattMang23]

Anyone still considering saying "no" in light of this morning's news?

 

[junglehusky]

Citing just the worst performers is not an indicator of someone confident in his argument.

and yet (at least before the Rutgers move) it was not at all uncommon for boneyarders to cite Duke, Wake, UVA when taking jabs at ACC football. *shrug*

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

I'll jump off a bridge if UConn says no to any other conference.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Anyone still considering saying "no" in light of this morning's news?

Nobody with even a tiny bit of functioning grey matter. This is the ultimate no-brainer. The NBE is now set to become a crappy basketball league as well as football league. I would seriously prefer the MAC or A10.

 

[Sean O]

Anyone still considering saying "no" in light of this morning's news?

I can tell you I would not have written the blog post that started this thread if I knew they were adding Tulane.

East Carolina as football-only is actually fine with me - they have a ton of support, a big stadium and people respect their football program.. They're also really, really fun to watch if anyone caught the wild game with Marshall on Friday.

But Tulane in all sports? WTF?