So is there a bigger meaning to BC vs. UConn?

[tomcat]

Waaay back when, relations between the two schools were strained, to say the least. (Please correct me if I'm wrong, but) I seem to recall that the UConn AD's office got sideways with BC's. My recollection is that UConn, justifiably proud of its accomplishments, was viewed by BC as just a tad too arrogant, and that BC blocked UConn from entering the ACC. Over the years, any discussion o UConn getting into that league was followed by the phrase "if BC doesn't blackball us," which seemed a real possibility.
No one ever saw the two teams getting together, never mind for an exhibition doubleheader. I realize that it's unlikely that anyone has a definitive answer to this, so it's all speculation, but does anyone think that relations have thawed, and what might that mean for the future?

 

[Vowelguy]

BC viewed UConn, correctly, as a threat and wanted to be the top dog in New England/Northeast. BC had a strong MCBB team until UConn ascended, and hoped that keeping UConn out of the ACC would stunt its growth. Also didnt want UConn FB to overtake BC's.
It's a scarce recruiting area, esp in FB. Dont want to have to fight over the few morsels available.

The lawsuit post the Big East breakup didn't help.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Probably just as much meaning as Tenn. vs. UConn.

 

[tomcat]

Forgot about the lawsuit. That probably weas the final touch.. I wonder if things are changing.

 

[CTyankee]

I think it was a TV and recruiting issue primarily focused on men's basketball and football...

 

[Skeets]

I'm pretty sure it was the lawsuit. If Jim Calhoun was still around, I don't think UConn would play BC in any sport. Jim could really hold a grudge. More evidence? Jim versus John Calipari.

 

[HuskyNan]

BC viewed UConn, correctly, as a threat and wanted to be the top dog in New England/Northeast. BC had a strong MCBB team until UConn ascended, and hoped that keeping UConn out of the ACC would stunt its growth. Also didnt want UConn FB to overtake BC's.
It's a scarce recruiting area, esp in FB. Dont want to have to fight over the few morsels available.

The lawsuit post the Big East breakup didn't help.

BC didn’t need UConn to stunt its growth. They accomplished the falling-off-a-cliff-like descent to the ACC basement in football and basketball all by themselves

 

[msf22b]

Waaay back when, relations between the two schools were strained, to say the least. (Please correct me if I'm wrong, but) I seem to recall that the UConn AD's office got sideways with BC's. My recollection is that UConn, justifiably proud of its accomplishments, was viewed by BC as just a tad too arrogant, and that BC blocked UConn from entering the ACC. Over the years, any discussion o UConn getting into that league was followed by the phrase "if BC doesn't blackball us," which seemed a real possibility.
No one ever saw the two teams getting together, never mind for an exhibition doubleheader. I realize that it's unlikely that anyone has a definitive answer to this, so it's all speculation, but does anyone think that relations have thawed, and what might that mean for the future?

Tomcat:

The thought crossed my mind as well

 

[BRS24]

Waaay back when, relations between the two schools were strained, to say the least. (Please correct me if I'm wrong, but) I seem to recall that the UConn AD's office got sideways with BC's. My recollection is that UConn, justifiably proud of its accomplishments, was viewed by BC as just a tad too arrogant, and that BC blocked UConn from entering the ACC. Over the years, any discussion o UConn getting into that league was followed by the phrase "if BC doesn't blackball us," which seemed a real possibility.
No one ever saw the two teams getting together, never mind for an exhibition doubleheader. I realize that it's unlikely that anyone has a definitive answer to this, so it's all speculation, but does anyone think that relations have thawed, and what might that mean for the future?

BC didn’t need UConn to stunt its growth. They accomplished the falling-off-a-cliff-like descent to the ACC basement in football and basketball all by themselves

BC didn't want any New England competition, and now they are in the ACC, and generally not at the top of the rankings for most sports. I'd bet that the ACC doesn't care now, as it's one more team to get a plausible win, opposed to UConn M&WBB who would wreak havoc. 😁

 

[Longtime fan]

Waaay back when, relations between the two schools were strained, to say the least. (Please correct me if I'm wrong, but) I seem to recall that the UConn AD's office got sideways with BC's. My recollection is that UConn, justifiably proud of its accomplishments, was viewed by BC as just a tad too arrogant, and that BC blocked UConn from entering the ACC. Over the years, any discussion o UConn getting into that league was followed by the phrase "if BC doesn't blackball us," which seemed a real possibility.
No one ever saw the two teams getting together, never mind for an exhibition doubleheader. I realize that it's unlikely that anyone has a definitive answer to this, so it's all speculation, but does anyone think that relations have thawed, and what might that mean for the future?

I don't think there is any big deal now between these two schools.

 

[FanSince17]

BC didn't want any New England competition, and now they are in the ACC, and generally not at the top of the rankings for most sports. I'd bet that the ACC doesn't care now, as it's one more team to get a plausible win, opposed to UConn M&WBB who would wreak havoc. 😁

So, teams (colleges) actually choose to drop the stature of their programs by playing weak schedules? That philosophy leads to lesser recruits, because kids want to be on TV and in the limelight. They don't want to be in the Yankee Conference if they could be in the ACC or Big East. Is BC doing that? They have basketball tradition.

 

[WiseWillie]

While this forum is devoted to UConn basketball and it's competition and vice versa, for BC it's football that traditionally drives the $ bus, not basketball.

 

[Skeets]

BC didn't want any New England competition, and now they are in the ACC, and generally not at the top of the rankings for most sports. I'd bet that the ACC doesn't care now, as it's one more team to get a plausible win, opposed to UConn M&WBB who would wreak havoc. 😁

I think that is one of the reasons Rutgers was invited to join the Big Ten. In addition to access to the NY market, Rutgers gives other Big Ten schools a plausible win. Here's a thought: in a P4 conference UConn football would give other teams a plausible win, but Storrs has no market advantage and no P4 conference would be drooling to compete with M&WBB. So, if you buy into this line of reasoning, UConn's M&WBB does nothing to help UConn's chances of joining a P4, and perhaps it even hurts the chances a little bit.

 

[HuskyNan]

While this forum is devoted to UConn basketball and it's competition and vice versa, for BC it's football that traditionally drives the $ bus, not basketball.

Maybe, but the team they love is hockey - they’ve actually won championships in that sport. And, oh by the way, UConn stole their coach 😎

 

[CL82]

While this forum is devoted to UConn basketball and it's competition and vice versa, for BC it's football that traditionally drives the $ bus, not basketball.

Not really. BC football is not good and isn't supported by their fans. The sole sport that BC is consistently good in is hockey.

Yes, the Boston College AD given an interview to the globe in which he said that BC "blackballed" UConn, who had been scheduled to join the ACC with Syracuse, because "Boston College wanted to be the New England school." The ACC ended up taking Pittsburgh instead. Ironically, Boston College, Syracuse and Pittsburgh have all seen their athletics decline in the ACC.

On the other hand, the three schools each get a media distribution from the ACC of about $35 million a year plus an additional college football playoff distribution of about $15 million a year. UConn get media distribution of about 5 million per year from the big east. Our total distributions are a few million more than that because of NCAA credits we earned.

I'm not confident at all that we will get an offer from the ACC (or the Big 12), but if it came, we would accept it because we would be earning about 10 times the athletic department revenue we do currently.

 

[HuskyNan]

Yes, the Boston College AD given an interview to the globe in which he said that BC "blackballed" UConn, who had been scheduled to join the ACC with Syracuse, because "Boston College wanted to be the New England school." The ACC ended up taking Pittsburgh instead. Ironically, Boston College, Syracuse and Pittsburgh have all seen their athletics decline in the ACC.

Don’t forget Miami and VATech. It took years for Miami to climb out of the pit they fell into and VA Tech? Anyone heard anything about them lately?

And what about Rutgers and West Virginia? Crickets

 

[uconnfan68]

I think that is one of the reasons Rutgers was invited to join the Big Ten. In addition to access to the NY market, Rutgers gives other Big Ten schools a plausible win. Here's a thought: in a P4 conference UConn football would give other teams a plausible win, but Storrs has no market advantage and no P4 conference would be drooling to compete with M&WBB. So, if you buy into this line of reasoning, UConn's M&WBB does nothing to help UConn's chances of joining a P4, and perhaps it even hurts the chances a little bit.

Except for the fact that all those NCs give conferences something to brag about.

 

[CL82]

Don’t forget Miami and VATech. It took years for Miami to climb out of the pit they fell into and VA Tech? Anyone heard anything about them lately?

And what about Rutgers and West Virginia? Crickets

And yet they have had hundreds of millions of dollars more pouring into their state economies.

I don't think we'd fall off the edge of the cliff if we joined a major conference. We've got a history of institutional commitment to athletics and, currently, an outstanding slate of coaches across many sports.

 

[HopJim]

Dittos to Nan's comments. BC's sinking to the depth of the ACC sports rankings was well deserved. BC tried to take on the Big Boys without the same level of alumni and administrative support and paid the price.
Some have commented that BC felt that UConn was arrogant. This may be true but guessing many BC alums were equally arrogant due to BC's well-deserved accomplishments. I had forgotten that while living in the Boston area in the years before BC's move to the ACC, they were often a top 20 team in football and basketball (and other sports I don't follow) with many high draft choices. Having Heisman Trophy winner, Doug Flutie, and top QB Matt Ryan as examples is not too shabby. Seems like a long time ago for BC.

 

[DefenseBB]

My spin of understanding is Joanna Bernabei-McNamee agreed to play so when she gets let go after this year, she can get Geno to give her a recommendation….

 

[cwh20]

With so so many changes in conference teams over the years and with the passage of times it makes sense the UConn BCU* animosity has cooled enough that they can at least schedule each other.

* When BC was welcomed into the ACC the official announcement welcomed Boston College University into the fold. The ACC slighted them by not even bothering to know their name. Haha. Of course the men’s board here took to referencing BCU right away as a dig on them.

And BCU was good in hoops partly because they were getting some top CT talent way back when the BE was new. Michael Adams, John Bagley, Jay Murphy etc. and I realize this is the women’s board but the men did have a TWENTY THREE game winning streak over BCU under Calhoun. And then their failure in the ACC always makes me smile.

 

[CL82]

access to the NY market,

This was it. Rutgers gave the Big Ten the ability to be on first tier cable at a higher per subscriber rate. That brought in millions of dollars to the conference. In addition to that New Jersey has a population of about 9 million people wedged in between New York and Philadelphia. It made tremendous sense in the cable TV world though as more people cut the cord, it will continue to bring in reduced revenue to the conference.

Conference alignment is interesting because in every iteration conferences seem to be focusing on different factors, football, priors, demographics, etc. I would think for the next round there might be an emphasis on social media presence, and that is an area where Connecticut shines.

Don't get me wrong, I have considerable skepticism that we get a seat at the big boy table. If we get into one of the existing P for conferences, it will likely be because the ACC has had considerable defections when it's grant of rights lapses, around 2030, if I recall correctly. A diminished ACC may be our best option. I don't think the big 12 would pull the trigger on us before then,given the possibility of attracting ACC defectors at that time.

 

[Cuango]

My spin of understanding is Joanna Bernabei-McNamee agreed to play so when she gets let go after this year, she can get Geno to give her a recommendation….

🧊

 

[broooce]

This was it. Rutgers gave the Big Ten the ability to be on first tier cable at a higher per subscriber rate. That brought in millions of dollars to the conference. In addition to that New Jersey has a population of about 9 million people wedged in between New York and Philadelphia. It made tremendous sense in the cable TV world though as more people cut the cord, it will continue to bring in reduced revenue to the conference.

Conference alignment is interesting because in every iteration conferences seem to be focusing on different factors, football, priors, demographics, etc. I would think for the next round there might be an emphasis on social media presence, and that is an area where Connecticut shines.

Don't get me wrong, I have considerable skepticism that we get a seat at the big boy table. If we get into one of the existing P for conferences, it will likely be because the ACC has had considerable defections when it's grant of rights lapses, around 2030, if I recall correctly. A diminished ACC may be our best option. I don't think the big 12 would pull the trigger on us before then,given the possibility of attracting ACC defectors at that time.

Agree but ever hopeful. As I've said before in other posts, UConn being invited to a P4 conference is a smart accretive addition given our sports history and success. Emerging sports that will be increasingly valued (IMO) by networks and streaming platforms include WBB, ice hockey, lacrosse, softball and volleyball. Events that will fill ever growing content needs of the media companies that pay beaucoup bucks to the conferences.

That's why I keep rooting for Jim Mora to continue building up the football program so that it's no longer a negative in the eyes of other conferences, and for the university to finally get AAU accreditation.

 

[Padutch5]

Good summary of the history of only one fact is missing. Our then attorney general , sue em all , sorry, Blumenthal chose to sue Syracuse and BC on their departure from the Big East. That should all be behind us, but some people have long memories. Adding UCONN now would be a big plus for the struggling ACC