The AAC and ESPN: will there be an eventual slide?

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Incidentally, earlier in the thread there was some discussion of the American being included in the basketball power conferences.

That's as may be, but I lost a bet when I said there was more than one American team in the men's basketball top 25; actually, not a single AAC team in the poll, even receiving votes. Luckily, I lost the bet to my wife, but, on subject, yikes . . .

 

[rt bb fan]

Why can't only the bb programs go into a different conference and when football gets its act together join them.

 

[Pete]

Incidentally, earlier in the thread there was some discussion of the American being included in the basketball power conferences.

That's as may be, but I lost a bet when I said there was more than one American team in the men's basketball top 25; actually, not a single AAC team in the poll, even receiving votes. Luckily, I lost the bet to my wife, but, on subject, yikes . . .

I saw that also. UCONN women is the only AAC team and in the top 25, men or women, and Tulane's women are the only other team receiving votes (2)

 

[zls44]

Hi,
I have a screen shot of what I think is missing from UConn's Clubhouse Page:

View attachment 7967

I have used the Duke page as an example
http://espn.go.com/womens-college-basketball/team/_/id/150/duke-blue-devils

Thanks. I passed it along to the engineers. No idea when they'll fix it, but they are aware.

 

[UConn990411]

Like Goodgood said it all hinges on the football team. If UConn is to have any kind of shot at getting into a decent conference the football team has to start winning.
I'm not holding my breath waiting for that to happen and I don't think anyone else should either. The program has been abysmal since Randy Edsall left for Maryland.

Why does UConn's football team HAVE to be good ... yet Rutgers, Maryland, Syracuse, etc. all secured P5 invites despite having worse programs?

Sure, having a good football team helps, but markets seem to be the bigger driving force. Unfortunately, UConn's doesn't appear all that attractive to conferences at the moment.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Oh God of the Boneyard Pleeaaasssseee make this way beyond redundant way past depressing thread with its suicidal title slip off the front page!!!!

 

[HuskyNan]

Why does UConn's football team HAVE to be good ... yet Rutgers, Maryland, Syracuse, etc. all secured P5 invites despite having worse programs?

Sure, having a good football team helps, but markets seem to be the bigger driving force. Unfortunately, UConn's doesn't appear all that attractive to conferences at the moment.

If the team were winning, more people would watch the games. UConn also needs to get good enough to beef up the schedule because playing the Stony Brooks of the world isn't going to draw eyeballs to the TV set. And it's not fannies in the seat that are key; it's eyeballs.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Why does UConn's football team HAVE to be good ... yet Rutgers, Maryland, Syracuse, etc. all secured P5 invites despite having worse programs?

Sure, having a good football team helps, but markets seem to be the bigger driving force. Unfortunately, UConn's doesn't appear all that attractive to conferences at the moment.

I'm not sure they have to be "good", but better than they are will make the deal more attractive.

I don't really consider Rutgers or Maryland great programs, but currently they are not worse than UConn; RU improved greatly under Greg Schiano, went 8-5 this season in Kyle Flood's 3rd year, won 3 B1G games and just pretty much pasted UNC in a bowl game. Maryland had a very nice run under Ralph Fridgen (who happens to be offensive coordinator at RU now) and while I know there is some angst in the UConn world over it, I think Randy Edsall was a winning hire for them.

Syracuse isn't very good now, but with their storied history (something RU, Md and UConn all lack) I think they can regroup eventually. Unfortunately you and Syracuse share having hired someone with the initials "PP" in football.

I think - in time - your teams will end up in a P5, at the next conference scramble. What I suspect is there will be a few years of suffering (not in WBB!) until then. And I do hope it happens, as I think all major state universities should be in power conferences.

 

[RadyLady]

Thanks. I passed it along to the engineers. No idea when they'll fix it, but they are aware.

Thank you zls! Merry and Happy!

 

[Gurleyman]

If the team were winning, more people would watch the games. UConn also needs to get good enough to beef up the schedule because playing the Stony Brooks of the world isn't going to draw eyeballs to the TV set. And it's not fannies in the seat that are key; it's eyeballs.

There's a tradeoff. In theory, the gimme win over an FCS team can be the difference between being bowl eligible at the end of the season and building interest in the program, or playing out the string to empty seats and turned off TV sets with nothing at stake. Of course, that's in theory, since it hasn't been a gimme - we lost to Towson, barely beat Stony Brook, might be underdogs next year vs Villanova, and we've been nowhere near bowl eligible lately anyway. But you don't know that when you schedule.

 

[JS]

Oh God of the Boneyard Pleeaaasssseee make this way beyond redundant way past depressing thread with its suicidal title slip off the front page!!!!

I took it up with the God of the Boneyard (GOTB) Rocky, who rather disagrees with despair and made the following observations:

• The OP said there originally was a question mark on the title, so it didn't seem so cataclysmic; and
• ZLS, who admits to having some control over these matters, posted that the disparate treatment by ESPN of the AAC in basketball -- the concern that, according to the OP justified a return to a redundantly discussed topic -- is a mistake that he'll try to get fixed.

The GOTB therefore granted your wish for relief with a more neutral and somewhat less depressing title.

The GOTB also said the thread's persistence and content, as usual in this forum, are beyond repair even for a god.

 

[CTyankee]

I'm not sure they have to be "good", but better than they are will make the deal more attractive.

I don't really consider Rutgers or Maryland great programs, but currently they are not worse than UConn; RU improved greatly under Greg Schiano, went 8-5 this season in Kyle Flood's 3rd year, won 3 B1G games and just pretty much pasted UNC in a bowl game. Maryland had a very nice run under Ralph Fridgen (who happens to be offensive coordinator at RU now) and while I know there is some angst in the UConn world over it, I think Randy Edsall was a winning hire for them.

Syracuse isn't very good now, but with their storied history (something RU, Md and UConn all lack) I think they can regroup eventually. Unfortunately you and Syracuse share having hired someone with the initials "PP" in football.

I think - in time - your teams will end up in a P5, at the next conference scramble. What I suspect is there will be a few years of suffering (not in WBB!) until then. And I do hope it happens, as I think all major state universities should be in power conferences.

Just look at the football bowl games shown in the last two days... The Pinstripe Bowl (whatever that is) broadcast from Yankee Stadium between Boston College and Penn State... Neither team a NY area team, but northern, eastern based... A bowl game with a sold out boisterous crowd; a national audience; an exciting game... Rutgers playing in the Quick Lane Bowl... What do the best of the AAC get??? The Military Bowl between Cincinnati losing to VA Tech (9th best ACC team) from Washington DC area... And the Miami beach bowl for our AAC champion, Memphis... Our football team has a very long way to go before anyone thinks we are material for the ACC or the Big 10.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Just look at the football bowl games shown in the last two days... The Pinstripe Bowl (whatever that is) broadcast from Yankee Stadium between Boston College and Penn State... Neither team a NY area team, but northern, eastern based... A bowl game with a sold out boisterous crowd; a national audience; an exciting game... Rutgers playing in the Quick Lane Bowl... What do the best of the AAC get??? The Military Bowl between Cincinnati losing to VA Tech (9th best ACC team) from Washington DC area... And the Miami beach bowl for our AAC champion, Memphis... Our football team has a very long way to go before anyone thinks we are material for the ACC or the Big 10.

The thing about the B1G schools is they all seem to be huge and with that comes some of the largest alumni/fan bases in the country. That's why Yankee Stadium was full of Penn State fans last night. It's also as close to the Bronx as Boston is. Even if you swapped BC out for UConn last night, Yankee Stadium still would have been 75% Penn State fans. It's why every bowl wants them - they travel very well and spend money - and it seems they've been doing it forever. A bowl would take a 6-6 Penn State over a 9-3 mid-major/middling P5 school any day.

 

[HuskyNan]

Just look at the football bowl games shown in the last two days... The Pinstripe Bowl (whatever that is) broadcast from Yankee Stadium between Boston College and Penn State... Neither team a NY area team, but northern, eastern based... A bowl game with a sold out boisterous crowd; a national audience; an exciting game... Rutgers playing in the Quick Lane Bowl... What do the best of the AAC get??? The Military Bowl between Cincinnati losing to VA Tech (9th best ACC team) from Washington DC area... And the Miami beach bowl for our AAC champion, Memphis... Our football team has a very long way to go before anyone thinks we are material for the ACC or the Big 10.

Bowls usually have a conference affiliation. The Pinstripe Bowl hosts a matchup between an ACC team vs a Big Ten team.

Generally speaking, many bowls will actually designate that the team finishing in a certain place, say third in its conference, will go to a particular bowl to play the fourth place team in another particular conference. This assumes the teams are bowl-eligible, of course. This is another good reason for UConn to be in a P5 conference as the bowls affiliated with the American are lesser bowls (less visibility, less impressive to recruits, less money).

 

[Biff]

The GOTB also said the thread's persistence and content, as usual in this forum, are beyond repair even for a god.

Hey, I can't do everything.....

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Why does UConn's football team HAVE to be good ... yet Rutgers, Maryland, Syracuse, etc. all secured P5 invites despite having worse programs?

Sure, having a good football team helps, but markets seem to be the bigger driving force. Unfortunately, UConn's doesn't appear all that attractive to conferences at the moment.

I think UCONN is hurt by the small population of the state of Connecticut and the fact that their football team doesn't have a lot of out-of-state fans. Obviously, New York, New Jersey and Maryland have much larger populations to expand the Big Ten Network. The ACC is a much more likely future home for you guys since they're more basketball-centric and you could help secure the New England market, along with BC.

 

[HuskyNan]

I thin UCONN is hurt by the small population of the state of Connecticut and the fact that their football team doesn't have a lot of out-of-state fans. Obviously, New York, New Jersey and Maryland have much larger populations to expand the Big Ten Network. The ACC is a much more likely future home for you guys since they're more basketball-centric and you could help secure the New England market, along with BC.

UConn gets quite a bit of coverage in the Boston and NY newspapers. But even teams in the greater NY area, like Rutgers, don't necessarily deiver those markets as they are pro oriented, same with Boston College and the Boston area. TV viewership barely makes a blip on ratings meters in Boston.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

UConn gets quite a bit of coverage in the Boston and NY newspapers. But even teams in the greater NY area, like Rutgers, don't necessarily deiver those markets as they are pro oriented, same with Boston College and the Boston area. TV viewership barely makes a blip on ratings meters in Boston.

Good point; I'm a NJ native and the only college sports fans I remember were Penn State fans. Rutgers didn't have a huge following back then. They were all arrogant in my neighborhood, which is why I still can't stand the Nittany Lions. I actually DO pull for UCONN quite often since it's one of my favorite states and my sister-in-law is a UCONN grad.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

Syracuse isn't very good now, but with their storied history (something RU, Md and UConn all lack) I think they can regroup eventually.

Just for historical accuracy, Maryland was mythical national champion back in the 50s. Bear Bryant was coach there. Admittedly Bryant was no Greg Schiano though.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Just for historical accuracy, Maryland was mythical national champion back in the 50s. Bear Bryant was coach there. Admittedly Bryant was no Greg Schiano though.

Before my time, I was born in the '50s and didn't follow college football seriously until about 20 years ago or so. Did see Bryant, Hayes, Parsegian etc. coach on TV when I was growing up, but it was a casual interest. Interesting, though. I did know that - back in the day - the college football landscape was very different than it is now. Just as over time the women's basketball landscape has evolved and changed.

 

[Stinger92860]

I think UCONN is hurt by the small population of the state of Connecticut and the fact that their football team doesn't have a lot of out-of-state fans. Obviously, New York, New Jersey and Maryland have much larger populations to expand the Big Ten Network. The ACC is a much more likely future home for you guys since they're more basketball-centric and you could help secure the New England market, along with BC.

This small population is a top 25 TV market in the US.

 

[Vowelguy]

As someone who, like, actually helps control these things...post the link and I'll try and get that fixed. P5 is a FB-only thing, so any ranking system that doesn't include the AAC has been unintentionally set up incorrectly.

You mean something good might actually come from a message board post?
Thanks zls!

 

[DobbsRover2]

This small population is a top 25 TV market in the US.

Yeah, and population shouldn't be pushed too much concerning football prowess. States such as Iowa, Mississippi, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, and West Virginia have far smaller populations than Connecticut but with at least a bit more pigskin stature, but maybe it is a factor for 50th ranked Wyoming.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Just look at the football bowl games shown in the last two days... The Pinstripe Bowl (whatever that is) broadcast from Yankee Stadium between Boston College and Penn State... Neither team a NY area team, but northern, eastern based... A bowl game with a sold out boisterous crowd; a national audience; an exciting game... Rutgers playing in the Quick Lane Bowl... What do the best of the AAC get??? The Military Bowl between Cincinnati losing to VA Tech (9th best ACC team) from Washington DC area... And the Miami beach bowl for our AAC champion, Memphis... Our football team has a very long way to go before anyone thinks we are material for the ACC or the Big 10.

This small population is a top 25 TV market in the US.

The population of Connecticut is slightly smaller than Kentucky. Who has two P5 teams,as do smaller states like Kansas,and Iowa.
Market certainly isn't isn't the big issue for us.especially when Fairfield County is added. Sometimes forgotten in the figures.
The one major issue is these fans who love UConn basketball ,never adopted football to anywhere the same level.
The reasons for this are pretty complex , but my feeling is their is huge pent up demand just waiting to be tapped. Exciting competative football ,and opponents whose names actually mean something to the traditional Connecticut football fan will release that potential.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Just look at the football bowl games shown in the last two days... The Pinstripe Bowl (whatever that is) broadcast from Yankee Stadium between Boston College and Penn State... Neither team a NY area team, but northern, eastern based... A bowl game with a sold out boisterous crowd; a national audience; an exciting game... Rutgers playing in the Quick Lane Bowl... What do the best of the AAC get??? The Military Bowl between Cincinnati losing to VA Tech (9th best ACC team) from Washington DC area... And the Miami beach bowl for our AAC champion, Memphis... Our football team has a very long way to go before anyone thinks we are material for the ACC or the Big 10.

This small population is a top 25 TV market in the US.

The population of Connecticut is slightly smaller than Kentucky. Who has two P5 teams,as do smaller states like Kansas,and Iowa.
Market certainly isn't isn't the big issue for us.especially when Fairfield County is added. Sometimes forgotten in the figures.
The one major issue is these fans who love UConn basketball ,never adopted football to anywhere the same level.
The reasons for this are pretty complex , but my feeling is their is huge pent up demand just waiting to be tapped. Exciting competative football ,and opponents whose names actually mean something to the traditional Connecticut football fan will release that potential.