The Worst Possible Out Come

[IMind]

Stop being rational. Just make fun of some Italian last names and you'll fit in better.

I'm surprised there have been no Mario and Luigi jokes...

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

The reason we are where we are today is because back when the first raid took place the leaders of the BE didn't have the stomach to do what was needed to be done. SPLIT FROM BASKETBALL SCHOOLS!!!!! . Stick your head in the sand and carry on men!!!!!

Really? Or, is it possible the BE football schools stuck with the non-football schools due to the BE's March Madness points and champion's automatic tourney bid. Nope, that played absolutely no role. Yes indeed, stick one's head in the sand and carry on man!!!!!

 

[HartbeatHusky]

I disagree.

Without Mizzou, Texas has an even stronger presence in the conference. Without Mizzou, Iowa St/Baylor should feel even less secure because that is one fewer vote on their side.

We should still be hard after Baylor/ISU and Kansas/KSU.

I think we have a 0% chance at getting any of those schools but that is just me.

 

[businesslawyer]

Sure they care about that but it doesn't mean they didn't make huge mistakes because they were beholdened to Gavitt, Providence and the other basketball schools and neglected the football side of things. And those past mistakes have made the Big East untenable. Marinatto and Tranghese and the other Providence cronies were/are fools that fiddled while Rome burned and Dave Gavitts dream of a basketball super conf while healthy back in the day is coming crashing down because those guys failed to realize years ago that football broadcasting dollars was becoming far more lucrative to D1 FB schools than contracts with MSG. When the first couple FB schools made noises about leaving, they did not take the appropriate steps to save the conf because they pompously refused to see it coming, as long as the BET was safe their motivation to do anything was low. Now Marinatto/Tranghese and the rest of the basketball school mafia are sweating but it's way too late. Consider this....The Big East Basketball network, you know Ronny Perry, Bucky Waters, Bob Picozzi and company. Great right? Love watching them. Ever hear of the Big East Football Network? No? Why?

Incredibly, you attached this to my post which asked what would you have done, that you could have done, that would have saved the conference. You don't find any irony in attaching your discourse to my question? i

 

[upstater]

I just don't get worked up about this who do we add to the Big East stuff. If UConn isn't out of this league within the next 3 or 4 years, there will likely be permanent damage to its football. And they'll be less likely to overcome that damage. So, to me who gets added is irrelevant since the BCS bid is lost regardless.

 

[ZooCougar]

There was some scuttlebutt that the basketball schools were going to block Kansas and Kansas State if the Big 12 collapsed, last year. That's really all I can think of.

Here's the thing... nothing has to happen for quite a while... who the hell knows what will happen in the next 12-24 months. I don't want the Big East panic, back themselves in a corner, and add ECU and UCF... there's no real rush. Those schools will always be available. The Big 12 may still implode...

They were also against adding TCU because the balance of power would have tilted away from them. The football schools basically had to point a gun at their head to get them to change their minds.

The Villanova play was a move to tilt the balance of power back to 50/50.

In the Big 12 you have Texas exercises a disproportionate amount of influence. In the Big East we have 8 basketball schools and Commissioner's office who will always give them more consideration than they deserve.

Who of any value would want to join a conference that operates like that?

 

[businesslawyer]

They were also against adding TCU because the balance of power would have tilted away from them. The football schools basically had to point a gun at their head to get them to change their minds.

The Villanova play was a move to tilt the balance of power back to 50/50.

In the Big 12 you have Texas exercises a disproportionate amount of influence. In the Big East we have 8 basketball schools and Commissioner's office who will always give them more consideration than they deserve.

And the reason that the football schools haven't said we are walking if we can't fire this commissioner whom we all voted for is _______?


Who of any value would want to join a conference that operates like that?

 

[ZooCougar]

Well, two teams walked away last weekend. And two more will walk away if they get into the ACC. If the Big 12 implodes you might see 2-3 more walk out.

Last weekend Pitt and SU fired the Big East in case you hadn't noticed.

 

[RS9999X]

I still think a Big-12 raid is the biggest threat on the table.

Rght now they are feeling like they did after the Alamo. Pissing in the BE waters will make them feel better. Adding BYU, WVU, UConn and LU would look lik a sane response. The Longhorn would get their Network. Rutgers/UConn would get the BE-SNY network and new CT Feed. There's some Synergy there.

On paper I could make it a far better outcome than any other scenario but the BiG or ACC. And sure. i'd like CT to book home and aways with SU, PC, Pitt, Nova, Gergetown, ND and St John's in both sports where it would apply.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

I think the best course of action for UConn, WVU, Rutgers, Louisville, USF, and Cinci would be to jump ship to the Big 12 right now. I'm sure they would have us and this would be a far more stable situation than what this BE is turning into. I would really miss some of the hoops schools but not DePaul, Marquette, Seton Hall, or PC really. If we all go together could we get out of that 27 month waiting period. If so, I say we go for it. I have zero interest of being in a conference with Army, Navy, and Air Force. Sorry, but that does nothing for me as a fan.

 

[ctchamps]

I think the best course of action for UConn, WVU, Rutgers, Louisville, USF, and Cinci would be to jump ship to the Big 12 right now. I'm sure they would have us and this would be a far more stable situation than what this BE is turning into. I would really miss some of the hoops schools but not DePaul, Marquette, Seton Hall, or PC really. If we all go together could we get out of that 27 month waiting period. If so, I say we go for it. I have zero interest of being in a conference with Army, Navy, and Air Force. Sorry, but that does nothing for me as a fan.

I guess putting Na(+) and CL(-) together works. But I'm not sure how many unstable and toxic elements or compounds combined work. I would only go to the merger for football. All other sports including bb stick with the BE. If it appears to be working add sports and then split completely.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

I guess putting Na(+) and CL(-) together works. But I'm not sure how many unstable and toxic elements or compounds combined work. I would only go to the merger for football. All other sports including bb stick with the BE. If it appears to be working add sports and then split completely.

I say we just take the plunge.

The New Big 12 would be

UConn
Rutgers
Louisville
Cincinnati
West Virginia
South Florida
UCF
Missouri

Kansas
Kansas St.
Iowa St.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma St.
Texas
Texas Tech
Baylor

This looks like a pretty damn good conference to me. Doesn't look like a bunch of desperate leftovers at all.

 

[ctchamps]

I say we just take the plunge.

The New Big 12 would be

UConn
Rutgers
Louisville
Cincinnati
West Virginia
South Florida
UCF
Missouri

Kansas
Kansas St.
Iowa St.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma St.
Texas
Texas Tech
Baylor

This looks like a pretty damn good conference to me. Doesn't look like a bunch of desperate leftovers at all.

That conference looks fine. Two problems. It Texas and OU stay in the Big 12 they decide how it is configured, not UConn or the remaining BE football schools.

And Texas is still toxic until it proves it will change its contract once and for all. And I want no part of that instability. That was the same intoxicated driver that caused all the B12's problems and started this current ball rolling. If we are critical over the instability of the association with BE bb schools why go into something even more unstable.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

That conference looks fine. Two problems. It Texas and OU stay in the Big 12 they decide how it is configured, not UConn or the remaining BE football schools.

And Texas is still toxic until it proves it will change its contract once and for all. And I want no part of that instability. That was the same intoxicated driver that caused all the B12's problems and started this current ball rolling. If we are critical over the instability of the association with BE bb schools why go into something even more unstable.

I pretty much agree about Texas but it looks like they'll have to make concessions to keep OU anyway so hopefully that would be the case.

 

[ctchamps]

I pretty much agree about Texas but it looks like they'll have to make concessions to keep OU anyway so hopefully that would be the case.

If they make that agreement, then all of us better hope they include UConn in their expansion talks. That gives UConn some leverage to decide if it takes the offer or approach the ACC on the quiet and give them the ultimatum. But we are all talking hypothetically. And I would bet my body parts that these same type of discussion are taking place between Ms. Herbst, the AD and all the UConn advisors. They have their flow charts in place.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

If they make that agreement, then all of us better hope they include UConn in their expansion talks. That gives UConn some leverage to decide if it takes the offer or approach the ACC on the quiet and give them the ultimatum. But we are all talking hypothetically. And I would bet my body parts that these same type of discussion are taking place between Ms. Herbst, the AD and all the UConn advisors. They have their flow charts in place.

I am sure they are looking at all of these options. The more I think about it the more I like it though. We could help make the Big 12 into the first superconference and it would surely help our football recruiting even more than going to the ACC being in a conference with Texas and OU. We could probably put some distance between us and Cuse and Pitt. On the basketball side we'd be one of the premier powers of the conference and be the eastern counterpart to KU.

 

[sportsart]

I do believe the BE and Big 12 presidents have already said the logistics make this merge a non exsistant option. (olympic sports being the trouble spot)

 

[HartbeatHusky]

I do believe the BE and Big 12 presidents have already said the logistics make this merge a non exsistant option. (olympic sports being the trouble spot)

Hopefully it's because one side wants it to be an acquisition and not a merger and because they don't want non-football members.

 

[ctchamps]

I am sure they are looking at all of these options. The more I think about it the more I like it though. We could help make the Big 12 into the first superconference and it would surely help our football recruiting even more than going to the ACC being in a conference with Texas and OU. We could probably put some distance between us and Cuse and Pitt. On the basketball side we'd be one of the premier powers of the conference and be the eastern counterpart to KU.

Certainly possible. But I've learned never to stay married to any idea or concept, no matter how good or logical things appear regarding said idea. The world is in constant change, always has been and always will be. If the best options don't pan out there is no reason for sour grapes. Just keep being proactive. Things usually have a way of working out especially if the player is doing the right things. And UConn has been doing the right things for a long time. Until the football program is dead and buried the school will continue to look for best options available. And that is all one can ask for.

I wouldn't be surprised if a scenario occurs in which all of us feel the program is dead and buried and out of the blue some surprise takes place putting UConn in a better position than Cuse and Pitt. Heck it happened when Miami, VT and BC went to the ACC. It could happen again.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Our problem was never that we didn't have the flexibility to add teams, it's that no team that could have saved the big east ever wanted to join the big east. you don't team up with the weak, you join the strong.

Here is the problem with your logic. You are acting under the assumption that the only expanmsion candidates are from non BCS conferences. If this were true, there would not be a problem right now as somehow, other BCS conferences have been able to find expansion candidates.

I am not blaming our inability to lure top schools from the ACC, B1G or anywhere else on the catholic members of this conference (although i have been less than thrilled with the fact that half of them have not been contributing anything to this conference for quite some time). I do however believe that the climate we've been in for quite some time has dictated that eventually we will see four sixteen member conferences representing the entirety of the BCS. The goal of every current BCS football school (and many who don't yet have BCS status) is to end up as one of the haves. Outside of the SEC, B1G and (due to geography) P-12, no conference was assured of being one of the last four standing.

The configuration that we had (with both football and non football participants) put us in a position where if we wanted to be the bold ones attempting to lure top schools from other BCS conferences (B-12, ACC) to get to sixteen early and ensure our existence we would have needed some accomodation from the catholic contingent (not easily achieved) and then grown to a 12/24 model. There was no way in hell that this would happen so anyone who wasn't cognizant of the fact that the future for every football member of this conference at best lies in a different BCS (at some point super) conference and at worst in another conference without BCS status was either blind or kidding himself.

The fact that eludes you (and you still have not answered my question on why no other conference has non football members, if you want to repost BL's response as your own I would be happy to debate you on those points) is that we (UConn on its own and the entirety of the football conference) reached the point where it was time to move on well before this round of expansion. All we can do if we remain is hope that it is someone else who plays football here that gets left out instead of us.

 

[Waquoit]

I guess putting Na(+) and CL(-) together works. But I'm not sure how many unstable and toxic elements or compounds combined work. I would only go to the merger for football. All other sports including bb stick with the BE. If it appears to be working add sports and then split completely.

Sure, rub salt into the wounds.