The Athletic Group of 5 Mailbag Question: Will UConn's turnaround under Jim Mora get them in a conference?

[SubbaBub]

Regardless of P5 invite or not, winning 10-12 games consistently will put you in the top class of CFB. Ask Boise. Schedule doesn't matter in terms of perception so long a you consistently beat good P5 teams. Schedule matters a ton in selling tickets.

I would not attend if the games were all CUSA and New England plus the odd mid-P5 bone. This years schedule was built to add up to 12 with 6 home games and be bad enough that we could win some of them. Mission accomplished. Next step is to start beating teams that you wouldn't be embarrassed to lose to.

 

[Kiddddddd34]

As much as I love me some MACtion on Wednesday night (Kent State vs. Bowling Green tonight) no matchup in any G5 conference is moving the needle for a casual fan. This would however solve our stadium issue, as we could probably fill up Marrone Stadium for home game against Charlotte.

All we need is a couple cans of spray paint and some goal posts!

 

[ZooCougar]

Agree to disagree. I think the MW has a higher floor brand-wise. With the exception of SJSU and Utah State, the rest of the league includes nationally known universities/brands. The AAC diluted itself but Navy, Temple, Memphis, SMU, ECU, and USF are all decent brands.

Except why would we even consider the Mountain West?

 

[nycscooby]

So long as we can schedule decently with 4-5 P5 games each season then I like indy status. Just keep winning and the rest will take care of itself.

 

[AzHusky]

I found this in a google search:
The bottom line
An extremely approximated breakdown of what to expect over the next few years, both in a Big East reality and a hypothetical situation where UConn stayed in the AAC. This does not take into account a potential bump in attendance:

Big East:
Value of Big East deal with FOX: $4.2 million per year, per team
Value of current deal with SNY: About $1 million per year
Expected value of football deal with SNY: About $1 million per year
Potential football buy game: $1 million per year
Bowl game payout: $310,000, based on 2019
Men’s Basketball Fund: $1.6 million
AAC exit fee: $1 million per year, after 2020
TOTAL: $8.1 million

AAC:
Value of new AAC deal: About $7 million per year, per team
Bowl Game Payout: $2.05 million per team in 2019
Men’s Basketball Fund: $725,000
ESPN+ Production costs: About $1 million per year
Additional travel: About $2 million per year
TOTAL: $6.75 million

 

[shizzle787]

So long as we can schedule decently with 4-5 P5 games each season then I like indy status. Just keep winning and the rest will take care of itself.

I'd prefer 6 but I'd take 4-5.

 

[shizzle787]

Except why would we even consider the Mountain West?

Because we would only play 4 games out west a year and it will likely a) be #6 league perception-wise going forward (big for CFP) and b) if they require basketball games in return, the top of their league is respectable (SDSU, UNLV, New Mexico, etc.).

 

[ZooCougar]

Because we would only play 4 games out west a year and it will likely a) be #6 league perception-wise going forward (big for CFP) and b) if they require basketball games in return, the top of their league is respectable (SDSU, UNLV, New Mexico, etc.).

Until the PAC takes 1 or 2 as expected. It’s a terrible idea.

 

[shizzle787]

Until the PAC takes 1 or 2 as expected. It’s a terrible idea.

I agree. That's why you wait to see what happens with the Pac-12. Either way, I don't think we move football-only to the MW.

 

[freescooter]

Even if we’re winning 10-12 games per season and fighting for the G5 crown, I still don’t think we’d get people at the rent against any C-USA or MAC team the way we would against just about any P5 opponent. I think it’s P5 or independence no matter what. The game against Michigan is potentially what it would look like if we were in a P5 conference

I’m not sure that The Michigan game is likely to repeat very often regardless of conference. When you look at other P5 leagues, you tealize that for every Michigan there are a couple of Purdues and Indianas and Illinois and Rutgers. You look at BC and see that their attendance isn’t overwhelming when they play Virginia and Georgia Tech. Rutgers rarely sells out. BC rarely sells out (Close for Clemson. Will for Notre Dame)

 

[huskymedic]

-> The new-look Conference USA will shift its entire slate of October football games to midweek evenings starting with the 2023 season. CUSA, which will add five new members for the 2023-24 academic year, will play most of its October league games on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, with a handful of games also planned for Thursday and Friday nights.

The deal is viewed as an upgrade for the conference, given that many of its games air on Stadium and NFL Network, so midweek games on ESPN and CBS SN will put C-USA football on channels people actually get and on nights when they aren't overshadowed by the Power 5.

So that's what C-USA gets. What's in this deal for ESPN and CBS. It's basically free content.

SBJ reports each school will earn "in the neighborhood of $750,000 per year" from this contract, which is below what MAC and Sun Belt schools earn and roughly $100 million per year below what Big Ten schools will earn by the end of their deals. <-

 

[shizzle787]

-> The new-look Conference USA will shift its entire slate of October football games to midweek evenings starting with the 2023 season. CUSA, which will add five new members for the 2023-24 academic year, will play most of its October league games on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, with a handful of games also planned for Thursday and Friday nights.

The deal is viewed as an upgrade for the conference, given that many of its games air on Stadium and NFL Network, so midweek games on ESPN and CBS SN will put C-USA football on channels people actually get and on nights when they aren't overshadowed by the Power 5.

So that's what C-USA gets. What's in this deal for ESPN and CBS. It's basically free content.

SBJ reports each school will earn "in the neighborhood of $750,000 per year" from this contract, which is below what MAC and Sun Belt schools earn and roughly $100 million per year below what Big Ten schools will earn by the end of their deals. <-

Ew.

 

[Ajs120102]

-> The new-look Conference USA will shift its entire slate of October football games to midweek evenings starting with the 2023 season. CUSA, which will add five new members for the 2023-24 academic year, will play most of its October league games on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, with a handful of games also planned for Thursday and Friday nights.

The deal is viewed as an upgrade for the conference, given that many of its games air on Stadium and NFL Network, so midweek games on ESPN and CBS SN will put C-USA football on channels people actually get and on nights when they aren't overshadowed by the Power 5.

So that's what C-USA gets. What's in this deal for ESPN and CBS. It's basically free content.

SBJ reports each school will earn "in the neighborhood of $750,000 per year" from this contract, which is below what MAC and Sun Belt schools earn and roughly $100 million per year below what Big Ten schools will earn by the end of their deals. <-

I mean yeah. If the only benefit of this conference is a possible conference championship and a NY6 bowl game then no worth it. We are practically getting paid that amount now and we had a product that was worse than ever.

 

[shizzle787]

From the article:

"SBJ reports each school will earn "in the neighborhood of $750,000 per year" from this contract, which is below what MAC and Sun Belt schools earn and roughly $100 million per year below what Big Ten schools will earn by the end of their deals."

Ouch. Definitely want nothing to do with that league.

 

[shizzle787]

Leagues that are still up:
Big East (7/1/25)
Pac-12 (finishing up soon)
MW (7/1/26)
Notre Dame
Am I missing any?

 

[Kolumbo]

Liberty is ranked with only Tulane as a non P5 ranked higher. This year Liberty scheduled Arkansas, BYU, Wake, VPI, UCONN. Next year it is going to C-USA with Bowling Green, Buffalo, ODU, and UMass on its schedule. Oooph.

 

[huskymedic]

Ew.

 

[ZooCougar]

 

[buddy]

I think they already are especially if Clemson and UNC leave. I’m sure they’re also aware they’d be getting two of the best basketball programs in the country, and one of the best baseball programs too, and Mora’s football team of course.

The should throw out BCU now and add UConn in its place.

 

[businesslawyer]

FCF is exactly right today. There is no reason to do this today, and there is no reason to think we couldn’t join the MAC for CUSA for football whenever we wanted to.

I’m more fearful for the future of independence in football than FCF and many others here are, but if Independence becomes impossible I’m not concerned that we can’t make the move when and if we have to.

 

[metsfan2323]

Liberty is ranked with only Tulane as a non P5 ranked higher. This year Liberty scheduled Arkansas, BYU, Wake, VPI, UCONN. Next year it is going to C-USA with Bowling Green, Buffalo, ODU, and UMass on its schedule. Oooph.

and yet they accepted the offer to join CUSA.

BTW if they go undefeated next year they might end their season in a major bowl, so maybe it's not so bad. They will be selling their recruits that realistic dream.

What kind of record do you think Mora might lead us to next year if we played Liberty's 2023 schedule? and do you think that record might assist our goal of getting a P5 upgrade?

 

[giddyup]

We will be in the B1G someday. It’s the right place for a leading state flagship. Just keep building and winning.

 

[ZooCougar]

 

[Kolumbo]

To be fair, if they marketed this properly, it could become a thing. NFL has Mondays and some Thursdays. This gives guys a reason to get together on an otherwise feel-less day. And it has no competition from the crowded Saturday time slots.

Tuesday has no feel (Seinfeld)

www.youtube.com

 

[Nostical]

UConn shouldn’t be thinking of a minor conference. Independence is far more interesting for the fan base which needs to continue growing. The ACC is currently a prisoner of their grant of rights deal until 2036 (in hindsight a very bad deal by Commissioner John Swofford) Any TV revenue a school is due from the ACC’s contract with ESPN is conference property regardless of whether the school remains an ACC member or leaves for another conference.
But things change.,They always can. People can change, ESPN can change,
I was told by a BC poobah that if there were ever ACC defections (via tough litigation) UConn is now a coveted entity—especially and (cruelly) ironically by BC.
Our goals and David Benedict’s mantra should be Keep building, Keep winning, Keep Mora!