The Aresco moves (if you raise your head) ...

[freescooter]

Pudge,
That has been the argument in 2003, 2004, 2010, now again in 2012, except that for us, it hasn't been the answer. We, UConn, has been left behind yet again, in large part because we're a "basketball school." We need to break th emold here and recreating the smae Big East that has been disastrous for our long term aspirations is to my mind just creating the same dynamicic. Syracuse, Pitt, it seems even Louisville, can survive that dynamic in part because they have football history. We don't so we need to be in a place that isn't "the best basketball conference." If the new all-sports conference doesn't work out I'm not sure we, UConn, are any worse off than we are now, stuck in a 2nd rate league that doesn't know what it wants to be.

 

[Pudge]

Stark contrast:

With basketball onlies - $4m per School & national networks on Mixed format. ESPN & Fox & CBS. For basketball alone. Plus the tie gets you $6-8m for Football content.

Versus

60% for our stretched maddeningly football.

This is a HISTORIC moment. The dollars are there for college sports. These whiny egocentric rants against the Catholics ignores the asset that basketball is. We are where we are ... and only some probability of getting an invite to ACC/B1G riches. Aresco needs to bleed the cartel. And, the tool is what we've always had - good hoop.

 

[freescooter]

I don't know. Might be worth seeing those numbers, bu tif its only a couple of Million, say $8 million for the Big East model and $6 for something else, with upside potential I have to llok seriosuly. And your argument is exactly what it was in 2003, and what it was in 2004 and what it was in 2010, and what has it gotten us? Not the other programs, but UConn? Obvioulsy there is no way to prove it, since it didn't happen, but it is at least possible that had we split in 2003-04 we'd still have an all-sports league that would rival the ACC at least on the field and in the media deal. We just keep holding tight to this idea that somehow we need the basketball onlies to be successful, but I think it is much more the other way around. Really only Georgetown and Marquette have been consistently good. Villanova has been up and down and the others, yuck. Despite their yammering, Providence lives in deathly fear that the Big East will go away. So does Georgetown, so does Villanova. they know their "CYO conference" will be lucky to net them what they make now. so while the league will probably keep the split personality, I think it is time for some fresh thinking on the idea. Just doing the same thing for a small amount of extra money isn't going to be long term beneficial.

 

[Pudge]

Fiction.

In 2003-2004, at the time of the first ACC raid, the BE Football was poorly situated. And, frankly, two of the bell cows (Syracuse, Pitt) then went on to flatline through most of the next 7 years. Never achieving their fans inflated opinion of themselves. Cincy, Louisville, USF, UConn ... we all had to fight our way to a higher level. Success on the field or not (thinking Louisville with Kragthorpe); that was also a challenging period building fanbase & facilities. We ... in retrospect whiffed on some of this. We never were in a position to rival the ACC. And, humorously, only the complete flail by FSU & Miami kept us near. CYO conference? There are valuable pieces.

I bought the argument that we could have/should have split.

But ... now?

Sports Content is gaining incredible deals. And, we really have OK football ... but the POTENTIAL to reap good access with the entrants because we have hoop cache & can grab assets (*Western schools). It's the obvious Dollar grab.

 

[freescooter]

I said mine was a minority view. But the idea that staying with the basketball schools would solve the problems has time and again shown to be just as fictional. The bell cows, as you refer to them, have all gone on to newer pastures. wishing it was 1985 and the Big east had 3 of the final four and basketball was almost equal in value to football doesn't make it so. this approach hasn't worked and I see little reason to think ti will get any better in the future. Adding, yet again, basketball only schools to this monstrosity worked so well the last time, it makes sense to do it again. Hell, the big East has not only lost its old line schools, it is losin gits newer football members now too. Nostalgia is fine, but it isn't going to do anything for the future of UConn athletics.

 

[businesslawyer]

I said mine was a minority view. But the idea that staying with the basketball schools would solve the problems has time and again shown to be just as fictional. The bell cows, as you refer to them, have all gone on to newer pastures. wishing it was 1985 and the Big east had 3 of the final four and basketball was almost equal in value to football doesn't make it so. this approach hasn't worked and I see little reason to think ti will get any better in the future. Adding, yet again, basketball only schools to this monstrosity worked so well the last time, it makes sense to do it again. Hell, the big East has not only lost its old line schools, it is losin gits newer football members now too. Nostalgia is fine, but it isn't going to do anything for the future of UConn athletics.

No one has ever claimed that staying with the basketball schools '"solves all our problems." Just that we're better off financially with 'em than without 'em without a countervailing benefit from splitting up.

 

[Pudge]

It's more money today.

I don't think that has always been the answer since 2003. But, it is undeniably the case today. OUR Basketball gets us to a Contract on Football etc ... that is far more than just a Football alone. And, in fact, maybe 5 times what the MWC (the next league gets). That's important. We may not get to the next tier this year ... we need to keep building/investing. Competing.

 

[freescooter]

It's more money today.

I don't think that has always been the answer since 2003. But, it is undeniably the case today. OUR Basketball gets us to a Contract on Football etc ... that is far more than just a Football alone. And, in fact, maybe 5 times what the MWC (the next league gets). That's important. We may not get to the next tier this year ... we need to keep building/investing. Competing.

It absolutely was always the reason. I still think in hind sight it was a mistake then and it will be a mistake now. the football side of the big East was never able to get out of the shadow of the basketball side and it won't going forward. that's less important for Syracuse/Pitt even Louisville and BC because they have at least some history and some level of national recognition. But for us, for some unique reasons, it is a bad idea. We make a little less money, maybe it isn't reaosnable, but again, Temple, UConn, Memphis, Cincy is going to be as good a conference as Georgetown, Marquette and a bunch of has beens. And football has a chance, maybe not a great one, but a chance to develop its own identity.

 

[Pudge]

Our Friar friend may say Yuck to Tulane ... but BE sources stated that their invite was initiated by the BB schools. Academic affinity.

This highlights the problem. Aresco, unlike Marinatto/Tranghese, better have a clear direct plan; there are too many agendas.

 

[businesslawyer]

Our Friar friend may say Yuck to Tulane ... but BE sources stated that their invite was initiated by the BB schools. Academic affinity.

This highlights the problem. Aresco, unlike Marinatto/Tranghese, better have a clear direct plan; there are too many agendas.

Pudge -- that has to have been it. It had to have been the basketball schools screaming about the academic dilution caused by the football expansion and saying if you want a football school take a Tulane where it least the academics are good.

There is no other rational explanation.

 

[Pudge]

Markets. Maybe Aresco, who I think is absolutely wired into incremental dollars by Cable viewers, had that.

My thought: What many here argue on current history predicting future results; often, is refuted by the Big East experience in football from 2003-2012. WE THOUGHT ... that Pitt & SU would be powers as BC/Miami/VaTech left. A Cincinnati was nowhere in 2003. I went to our first game out there ... and saw Coach Dantonio eat a Chili-thingy. Their crowd & tailgating & their Depth Chart ... were not near what they became. 3 solid coaches & they are a top 30 Program ON THE FIELD. Rutgers & UConn too; both had a great decade. There is NO reason we can't see that at Memphis. And with Tulane, in a region with abundant talent, can hit the jackpot (maybe its this former NO Saint coach) with a Coach, there is hope. Memphis, because we took our eyes off them, actually won the last 4 games of their season (I think). Coach Fuentes?

Tulane is an outlier. I don't know enough about them to even comment ... except they went through horrendous years following an undefeated year in (LIKE) 1999. I do think that their is this bipolar behavior from Presidents that they flow, like moths to light, to an academic school; far more likely from a Georgetown or a St. John's or a Villanova (or that creep at BC & his academic argument). They still watch $$$ though.

I am as ANTI-CARTEL as I can be. I'd love to see UConn rise to the B1G or ACC; but, I hate the anomalies in this crappy system. A true playoff would praise a Northern Illinois (as the March Madness does) rather than denigrate them for their inability to bring 15000 fans or their "supposed" unqualified stature. (I hope they kick Seminole behind) Therefore, thinking as Aresco, I would take stock in my Assets - primarily the ability to pay 2 - 5 times more today than many of the other Conferences outside the Cartel - and I would go Bold & Big. National? You're already there. You might as well capture the fastest growing markets you can grab. There is a simple reason why San Diego State is not in the Pac12. It is not academic, athletic, market or future stature. Same, IMHO, for UCF & USF. Texas schools?

Looking at a University's Football today (or the last 3 years) is shortsighted. Got to think 2020 & 2030. Thinking that way (in my biased view), you would never take a Syracuse University or Boston College over UConn. And you should take the Universities, nationally, that give you the comparative advantage that gets you Mega-dollars in today's content environment.

 

[whaler11]

Tulane has to be an add from the basketball schools. The math on votes doesn't work if they weren't.