The View From Section 241 -- the NBE

[CL82]

You think this will end up being a financially sound decision by the university?

Yeah, I kind of do. I'm not happy about it though.

 

[ZooCougar]

Not literally "BYU" but we can certainly do better than the doomsayers are predicting. It's not delusional to believe that when the dust settles this football program can remain viable. Don't be shocked if we get a better TV deal than anticipated and more scheduling help from FOX than presumed.

This is just wishful thinking.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

There’s a lot of stupidity being thrown around here depending on how you feel about this move. I think a few things need to be cleared up:

1) The AAC is not and will not be as good a basketball conference as the New Big East. Furthermore, basketball outside of the top P5 programs is a regional recruiting game, and playing in a southern conference is an issue if you are recruiting mainly in the Northeast.

2) that said, the conference situation was an impediment to our success in MBB, but nowhere near the main cause of our recent disaster seasons. Similarly story for football. Pasqualoni failed before the AAC, with teams that had talent.

3) Football independence will not be better, either from a financial or competitiveness standpoint. Stop thinking that it will be.

4) this doesn’t help or hurt the women’s team. Both conferences are bad, and we recruit nationally not regionally.

5) if a split does come between the p5 and everyone else, nobody will bat an eyelash save for a few local media folks if the Big East isn't included. More likely scenario is that there is no split, but the competitive imbalance will increase with the NBE being on the wrong side of it.

5) CBS would bat an eyelash, as would all the advertisers and brands that make the NCAA tourny money. A p5 split in basketball would destroy all the commercial value of the NCAA tournament, which is largely built off of the cinderella narratives and betting for casual, non college basketball fans. If the P5 splits, it would likely be football only.

 

[Excalibur]

it probably can’t get worse than last year. this year will probably be similiar.

how was pulling a warde going to improve things?

It’s gotten as bad as it has because we stopped trying several years ago. Is this somehow trying harder?

We would be better off just shuttering the program.

 

[huskysupporter]

Yeah, I kind of do. I'm not happy about it though.

Interesting. I just don’t see it. I think it also ensures a permanent foray into mediocrity for all sports. I guess it can still be financially sound despite sports programs going into the dump.

 

[dwalks93]

4) this doesn’t help or hurt the women’s team. Both conferences are bad, and we recruit nationally not regionally.

This is a really thoughtful post and I agree with everything you said with the exception of "this doesn't help or hurt the women's team."

Staying in the AAC meant UConn would need to abide by the new media deal. That meant all broadcasting rights were being shifted to ESPN live streaming. No more SNY network, no more live prime time ESPN games.....basically it was the sports equivalence of "catch and kill." The new media deal insured the UConn women could not use live TV to market themselves and put them in a incredible disadvantage to other big time program being shown live on ESPN.

For posters wondering why UConn pulled the trigger now on the BE this is a huge part of it. How could the UConn compete for recruits against a Notre Dame or South Caroline when none of their games were shown on live TV? What would happen to the UConn fanbase if all the women's games were placed behind a paywall?

The BE may not be better on the court competition for the UConn women but it offers significant marketing benefits.....IMO this is what tipped the scales for UConn to act now.

 

[storrsroars]

It only will make financial sense if they shutter the football program completely. Football’s losses will mount in independent status.

They'll still be losing money no doubt - there is no immediate solution to stem $40+ million of bleeding - but I do think it will be less, and in a couple of years, perhaps considerably less.

 

[Excalibur]

Duly noted, dwalks. I was thinking of the level of competition only and didn’t consider that aspect of it.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

There’s a lot of stupidity being thrown around here depending on how you feel about this move. I think a few things need to be cleared up:

1) The AAC is not and will not be as good a basketball conference as the New Big East. Furthermore, basketball outside of the top P5 programs is a regional recruiting game, and playing in a southern conference is an issue if you are recruiting mainly in the Northeast.

2) that said, the conference situation was an impediment to our success in MBB, but nowhere near the main cause of our recent disaster seasons. Similar story for football. Pasqualoni failed before the AAC, with teams that had talent.

3) Football independence will not be better, either from a financial or competitiveness standpoint. Stop thinking that it will be.

4) this doesn’t help or hurt the women’s team. Both conferences are bad, and we recruit nationally not regionally.

5) if a split does come between the p5 and everyone else, nobody will bat an eyelash save for a few local media folks if the Big East isn't included. More likely scenario is that there is no split, but the competitive imbalance will increase with the NBE being on the wrong side of it.

Auriemma was one of the biggest proponents of UConn returning to the Big East, so he disagrees with you on the impact to the women's program, but you know women's basketball better than Auriemma. Math also disagrees with you on the relative strength of the AAC and Big East in women's basketball.

Other thoughts:

2) You are dead wrong. I predicted exactly what would happen to our athletic program 7 years ago, and it was exactly what happened. The AAC has been catastrophic to UConn's athletic program.

3) It can't be any worse.

5) You are wrong. The Big East has a television sugar daddy and will likely be on the right side of the ledger. The AAC has no chance.

You, like 90% of this board, ignores the existential threat facing football because of CTE. You go on pretending it doesn't exist.

 

[CL82]

Interesting. I just don’t see it. I think it also ensures a permanent foray into mediocrity for all sports. I guess it can still be financially sound despite sports programs going into the dump.

In the balance between maximizing opportunity and minimizing loss it probably is the best path.

 

[John]

In the balance between maximizing opportunity and minimizing loss it probably is the best path.

I'm coming to this conclusion but really need to hear a concrete plan for football moving forward

 

[businesslawyer]

Not literally "BYU" but we can certainly do better than the doomsayers are predicting. It's not delusional to believe that when the dust settles this football program can remain viable. Don't be shocked if we get a better TV deal than anticipated and more scheduling help from FOX than presumed.a

Right. We didnt have a deal with them as part of them wanting us in the Big East -- because we would have announced it if they did -- but sure, with no leverage we will get one later.