Susan Herbst statement on Expansion

[BugsyCT]

per Dez' blog

 

[Rumrunner]

AP: Falls well short of commitment to Big East

And so it begins.

 

[Rumrunner]

"Conference expansion and realignment has been a subject of public speculation for the last several months and will continue to be so in the future, for years most likely. It is not close to being over, so we need to have some patience. There have been new rumors every day regarding schools and conferences, and now Pittsburgh and Syracuse are leaving the BIG EAST, which is a jolt, but not a huge surprise.

"UConn is a proud charter member of the BIG EAST and we have taken a lead role in the league's success over the years. However, it is my responsibility as President that we stay in constant communication and be actively involved in discussions with our counterparts from around the country to ensure the successful long-term future of our university's athletic program. The truth is that our teams will play competitive athletics at the highest level of excellence, wherever things land, and our central goals will be academic success and compliance, always. "To my mind, the conference realignments and incessant national gossip is distracting many presidents and athletic directors from the real conversations we should be having, about academics, the distorting role of money in sports and what it means to support student-athletes.

I hope all settles soon, and we can change the national focus away from profiteering and back to student-athletes, where it belongs."

 

[willie99]

she's involved, she's concerned, maybe she's even a little p!ssed

 

[epark88]

Just find us a big-boy seat, Mrs. Herbst. Just find us a big-boy seat...

 

[TRest]

The ACC pretends to be all about the student athletes, which would seem to fit her goals. God, I'm looking for any sign of escape from this mess, hoping for an ACC invite is just filthy.

 

[LRock34]

"UConn is a proud charter member of the BIG EAST and we have taken a lead role in the league's success over the years. However, it is my responsibility as President that we stay in constant communication and be actively involved in discussions with our counterparts from around the country to ensure the successful long-term future of our university's athletic program. "

What else needs to be said. We're gone.

And I love this:

"To my mind, the conference realignments and incessant national gossip is distracting many presidents and athletic directors from the real conversations we should be having, about academics, the distorting role of money in sports and what it means to support student-athletes. I hope all settles soon, and we can change the national focus away from profiteering and back to student-athletes, where it belongs."

We might be leaving but we look great doing so. See my post on Pitt and Cuse falling on their swords. I also take this statement as evidence we are partnering with strong academic schools. That wont include JC transfer U's like Kansas State, Iowa State.

 

[Skiblets]

Women's hoops has to help a bit.....we help schools fill their gyms once a year and help to offset the sinkhole that is women's hoops in most conferences...provide an alternative source of revenue (granted not a ton) but still.....

Add in soccer, track, baseball and field hockey success
good news from usn&wr
Northeast corridor

Hope we find a seat at the dance

 

[JaYnYcE]

I love Herbst


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Rumrunner]

Start with the premise that she knows that her words are going to be parsed, everywhere from ct to acc hq's, to tx, kentucky, etc., the use of the coordinating conjunction "however" is telling. It is a grammarian's way of saying in layman's terms, uconn is out of the big east.

No words mimicking marinate's to any degree, nor of the other school's releases.

 

[BugsyCT]

Gotta think we bring enough to the table that we'll find a seat. More so than a lot of other schools that are wringing their hands today.

 

[Jimdish255]

"Conference expansion and realignment has been a subject of public speculation for the last several months and will continue to be so in the future, for years most likely. It is not close to being over, so we need to have some patience. There have been new rumors every day regarding schools and conferences, and now Pittsburgh and Syracuse are leaving the BIG EAST, which is a jolt, but not a huge surprise.

"UConn is a proud charter member of the BIG EAST and we have taken a lead role in the league's success over the years. However, it is my responsibility as President that we stay in constant communication and be actively involved in discussions with our counterparts from around the country to ensure the successful long-term future of our university's athletic program. The truth is that our teams will play competitive athletics at the highest level of excellence, wherever things land, and our central goals will be academic success and compliance, always. "To my mind, the conference realignments and incessant national gossip is distracting many presidents and athletic directors from the real conversations we should be having, about academics, the distorting role of money in sports and what it means to support student-athletes.

I hope all settles soon, and we can change the national focus away from profiteering and back to student-athletes, where it belongs."

I would suggest our central goal (at this moment) is finding a seat at the table before the music stops. But we're doing the right thing here and I'm confident we land on our feet with the new leadership in place. Still awaiting Marinatto's next move though.

 

[Devland]

What ever she does I hope she consults Robert Burton first.

 

[TRest]

I would suggest our central goal (at this moment) is finding a seat at the table before the music stops. But we're doing the right thing here and I'm confident we land on our feet with the new leadership in place. Still awaiting Marinatto's next move though.

Marinatto's next move is to see what is left after Monday, then go to the B12 leftovers with hat in hand. He and the basketball schools will be like Kate Gosselin and her 8 kids looking for another gravy train.

 

[Skiblets]

Isn't Pendergrast's first day tomorrow, or is that Jeff's last day? Either way, phone lines must be burning up today in Storrs.

 

[Rumrunner]

This ties in with the ACC insider that stressed how important academics were to the ACC, and they played a larger role than most pundits realized.

The ACC pretends to be all about the student athletes, which would seem to fit her goals. God, I'm looking for any sign of escape from this mess, hoping for an ACC invite is just filthy.

 

[Stinger92860]

We are a top 20 public University. Why not the B10x?

 

[ArizonaHusky]

My wife mentioned that she didn't quite understand why no one wants the past mens and womens champion, I agree I don't understand it either.... Uconn better hold onto a chair when the music slows down.

 

[tzznandrew]

We are a top 20 public University. Why not the B10x?

And have our natural rivals be Rutgers and Penn State?

Let's hope we end up in the ACC. They can take bus rides to Rutgers, Syracuse, BC. Maybe Pitt and Maryland. It would feel more right.

It's sad that the BE fell apart all because they wouldn't take Penn State. Miami, BC, PSU, Pitt, Syracuse, West Virginia, VTech--plus Louisville, Cincy, UConn, Rutgers--would not lose members. Oh well.

 

[Rumrunner]

Maybe she's channeling the boneyard, but if I'm reading her release right she states that pitt and su leaving wasn't a surprise. A jolt. As in, the timing was quicker than she realized. I'm guessing the Texas talk spurred pitt to act sooner than originally planned.

 

[NHUConnfan]

I'm just going to say this...

That was probably the most politically correct - but at the same time - BALLER statement to this whole clusterduck.

 

[Section205]

From reading that statement, it sounds like UCONN's future athletic conference headquarters will either be in Greensboro NC, or Park Ridge, IL.

 

[Stinger92860]

And have our natural rivals be Rutgers and Penn State?

Let's hope we end up in the ACC. They can take bus rides to Rutgers, Syracuse, BC. Maybe Pitt and Maryland. It would feel more right.

It's sad that the BE fell apart all because they wouldn't take Penn State. Miami, BC, PSU, Pitt, Syracuse, West Virginia, VTech--plus Louisville, Cincy, UConn, Rutgers--would not lose members. Oh well.

I completely agree that the ACC is a better fit for us geographically. However, would you rather have rivalries with Rutgers and BCU? If we are in the B10x we never have to worry about this crap again.

 

[tzznandrew]

I guess I enjoy hating BC, love playing Syracuse and Pitt, and thinks Rutgers' irrelevance hilarious. Maryland would also be a great rival (we naturally hate them already). I just don't feel much about Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, etc. Trust me, I'll take them. They do bring more money. But as a fan, if the BE must go (and now it must), the ACC is the better choice.

 

[husky10]

i for one am drooling over the thought of Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan etc coming to the rent to play us every few years