Texas & OK ask to join SEC?

[Vowelguy]

1) These rumors rarely come to fruition.
2) Why would the SEC want them? It's already the strongest FB conference by far. Does moving even further ahead of the pack generate the kind of $$$$$ that would be needed to increase school payouts?
The SEC FB deal is reportedly $3B. This expansion would need to bring in an additional $430M to increase team payouts. And probably a lot more than that to persuade some of the schools to go along. They'd almost certainly have to go to 9 conference games which takes away a cupcake win and replaces it will an L for schools like Arkansas, Ole Miss, Kentucky (Vandy of course).

 

[Fishy]

SMU would buy their way in.

They can’t.

I don't think so, Memphis is the logical addition there and there's really no one else.

They have less than no chance. They have a negative change.

In my mind, our scenarios are going to be dictated by Kansas.

1) If none of the Pac-12, B1G, or ACC wants them, I believe the Big 12 will not remain a power conference and expand by 2 schools (Houston and UCF). The American backfills with Rice to keep Navy happy. Nothing happens for us.

2) If B1G wants them bad enough (and I don't think the B1G will be able to poach a non- Big 12 power school), I think #16 will either be us or Iowa State (because of AAU). This scenario=WIN for us

3) I don't see the ACC grabbing them for the same reasons they didn't grab us.

4) If the Pac-12 grabs them I think they will be paired by Texas Tech to get into Texas. The Big 12 would be left with 6 schools and probably add 4 (Houston, UCF, Cincinnati, and Boise State or Colorado State). Navy goes independent as even though the AAC would likely backfill with Rice, Navy would be able to get a better schedule as an independent. We would probably play them frequently, if not yearly. This scenario=WIN for us

I don't see scenario 3 happening, but scenario 1 is at worst a toss-up, scenario 4 helps our football schedule, and scenario 2 would be a life raft the school.

Kansas is in a pickle. Nothing they do will affect UConn - most likely, they remain in a reconstituted Big 12.

The Big 12 raiding the AAC and not picking UCONN is probably an underrated reason why we left the AAC. I know there were many reasons, but the realization that this might happen would be as good as any.

The AAC was killing the basketball program. It kinda starts and ends there.

 

[superjohn]

They can’t.



They have less than no chance. They have a negative change.



Kansas is in a pickle. Nothing they do will affect UConn - most likely, they remain in a reconstituted Big 12.



The AAC was killing the basketball program. It kinda starts and ends there.

How does UConn compete in this new wild west and consolidation of power?

 

[NowInStorrs]

I've read that this may not be a very reliable source. Take it with a grain of salt.

 

[Dean Wormer]

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I don't see what value a conference of TCU, Texas Tech, Baylor, WVU, Iowa State, Kansas, K State and OSU has to anyone. It is a bunch of third tier markets and schools. Someone may care about Kansas, that's it. They have no TV contract, and ESPN is about to slit the league's throat. How is this league more valuable than the American?

This should help the Big East in negotiations with Fox.

 

[Waquoit]

We sit tight and I'm not so sure folks won't becoming after us before too long. Like John Silver said, we have sticky fans.

 

[hoopsfan22]

We sit tight and I'm not so sure folks won't becoming after us before too long. Like John Silver said, we have sticky fans.

You think the B1G, ACC, or $EC will be calling UConn? We're a mid-major school. There is no chance of that.

 

[Waquoit]

You think the B1G, ACC, or $EC will be calling UConn? We're a mid-major school. There is no chance of that.

You can't say that with any confidence. This is a paradigm shift, everything goes back to zero. If your first 2 go to 16 teams, I think we have a shot. Clearly a better shot than if we were tethered to the sinking AAC. And don't forget the sticky fans.

 

[Storrs South]

 

[metsfan2323]

You can't say that with any confidence. This is a paradigm shift, everything goes back to zero. If your first 2 go to 16 teams, I think we have a shot. Clearly a better shot than if we were tethered to the sinking AAC. And don't forget the sticky fans.

I agree. Put us in the ACC or B1G and the football program springs back to life fast. For the fans it would be like 2003 on steroids.

 

[huskymedic]

Updated…

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

Let's just hurry up and get to the three 20 team super conferences already.

BIG : + Virginia, North Carolina, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Florida State, UConn
SEC : + Texas, Oklahoma,, Virginia Tech, NC State, Miami, Notre Dame
PAC12 : +Kansas, Oklahoma St, Texas Tech,, Iowa St, Duke, Pitt, Syracuse, West Virginia

The AAC/B12/ACC leftovers can all merge in to the 'leftover conference' with : AAC 11 + BC, Wake Forest, TCU, Kansas St, Baylor, Louisville, BYU

 

[hoopsfan22]

You can't say that with any confidence. This is a paradigm shift, everything goes back to zero. If your first 2 go to 16 teams, I think we have a shot. Clearly a better shot than if we were tethered to the sinking AAC. And don't forget the sticky fans.

Football drives the bus. Those big football conferences aren't looking for reclamation projects. They want schools that can contribute right away and add enough revenue so that overall average payout to each school increases. I do not think we meet that criteria and likely never will as a smallish school that's good at basketball once a decade.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Football drives the bus. Those big football conferences aren't looking for reclamation projects. They want schools that can contribute right away and add enough revenue so that overall average payout to each school increases. I do not think we meet that criteria and likely never will as a smallish school that's good at basketball once a decade.

The next person that says "football drives the bus" should get a 2 day timeout. Markets drive the bus. EVERYTHING else is secondary.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

The next person that says "football drives the bus" should get a 2 day timeout. Markets drive the bus. EVERYTHING else is secondary.

Not sure that is exactly true any more. Up until about 2 years ago, yes Markets drove the bus (it was all about getting the cable households to justify the network contracts and subscription fees). But I think the shift in the media landscape now has digital subscriptions as the driver--so the number of fans and dollars that would pay to subscribe to the digital offering. In the long run, I think that shift helps UConn.

 

[metsfan2323]

I don't see what value a conference of TCU, Texas Tech, Baylor, WVU, Iowa State, Kansas, K State and OSU has to anyone. It is a bunch of third tier markets and schools. Someone may care about Kansas, that's it. They have no TV contract, and ESPN is about to slit the league's throat. How is this league more valuable than the American?

This should help the Big East in negotiations with Fox.

The Big 12 poaching the AAC is a way to filter out Tulsa and Tulane and they probably all feel threatened by SMU with the new pay the player rules so they may get filtered out too.

 

[hoopsfan22]

The next person that says "football drives the bus" should get a 2 day timeout. Markets drive the bus. EVERYTHING else is secondary.

That's why UConn with its #33 DMA, a bigger market than more than half of the P5 teams (including THEEEEEEE Ohio State University), continues to be on the outside looking in and is never up for serious consideration?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I don't think this is all bad for UConn. The conferences have not always acted strategically, but if they do, I think this is how it will play out.

1) Whenever a market that has equilibrium suddenly has a shock that elevates one competitor above all others, the other competitors usually respond. The SEC has elevated itself in both markets and product on the field as the clear #1 conference. The other three leagues can drop into a subordinate role, or they can respond. I think they will respond.

2) How do they respond? By grabbing products (i.e. content) and markets.

2.a) As dysfunctional as the league has been, the Pac 12 has to do something immediately, because it is the most vulnerable with its failed network and small membership. I think it has to look at BYU and Boise, and maybe CSU. It is possible that the conference could try to grab TCU or Houston, but that doesn't seem likely.

2.b) the ACC is the #3 competitor, and the schools it has added have not really elevated the league. It will make another run at ND, which will probably be rebuffed. After that, I think there will be pressure to add more markets. My fear is that the league looks to Florida for UCF and USF. I do not think Miami and FSU want that, so then the ACC has to look north. Cincinnati, WVU and UConn are all candidates.

2.c) The Big 10 may start a bidding war for Texas and Oklahoma. That is what I would do if I was the Big 10 leadership. Assuming that fails, they will invite Notre Dame. Notre Dame will probably decline, and then the next two options are Kansas and UConn. The Big 10 will never add a weak academic school (WVU) or a secondary school in its market. WVU also has the problem of having an essentially worthless market.

Whatever is left of the MWC, Big 12 and AAC will merge into 1 or 2 leagues.

3) Even if Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC is the only move in this round of realignment, it damages the Big 12 as a major basketball conference, which means Kansas, WVU, OSU, Texas Tech and Baylor take a step backwards in recruiting and probably lose some coaches. This helps the Big East both on the recruiting trail and in their negotiations with Fox.

 

[Fishy]

How does UConn compete in this new wild west and consolidation of power?

I’m not sure anything really changes immediately.

But this will effectively be pro sports in a few years and I do not see that ending well for us or anyone outside of the top of the Big Ten or SEC.

 

[VCE]

How does UConn compete in this new wild west and consolidation of power?

Sack up and do what UCONN has done for the past three decades plus?

 

[gampelcrazies]

I mean if the B12 implodes there’s no way Kansas doesn’t join the Big east right?

 

[TRest]

The Big 12 poaching the AAC is a way to filter out Tulsa and Tulane and they probably all feel threatened by SMU with the new pay the player rules so they may get filtered out too.

Every school in the AAC would jump at the chance to join the decimated Big 12.

 

[metsfan2323]

I mean if the B12 implodes there’s no way Kansas doesn’t join the Big east right?

Why would they implode? There are still some good sports schools left behind. Baylor won the tournament just 3 months ago and Houston was in the final four. Poach the best teams from the AAC and its still a very good football and basketball conference. The implosion only happens if there is P4 expansion beyond just Texas and Oklahoma and Kansas likely gets selected in that scenario. If that were to happen the remnants of the B12 would likely join the AAC and make that conference much better than it is now.

I don't see how the Big East adds anybody.

 

[Skiblets]

Emmett says it’s time to decentralize and within days all hell breaks loose. Hate the NCAA all you want but it held this craziness together. Kinda like Ghaddafi or Sadam Hussein. Take them out of the picture and everything spins off its axes.

add in that NIL essentially gave college sports the for profit go ahead with no salary cap and the amateur model is essentially gone. Watching a Wesleyan game in that beautiful campus just moved up the list