Think the rumor was kicking before? Buckle up.

[CL82]

I was talking with a friend who was interviewing for a job. She had an interview at a small lab in Maine that did good work but was hours away from civilization (i.e. Boston). She got the offer but wasn't sure that was the right move... she decided not to go after talking to another scientist who had worked there, who said that because of their remoteness they were desperate for scientists. That way she could turn them down and in case she didn't get any other offers, re-establish contact a couple months later and most likely would still have an offer.

The Big east is exactly like the lab in Maine in this situation. We could have given Kansas an ultimatum and it would have no effect because they know if armageddon happens (like Boise leaving) they can still pick up the phone and call us because we'll be desperate for name recognition.

Yeah, but if your friend's company was closing and the Maine offer was presented like Sworford pitch to Pitt and 'cuse (i.e. we have 10 names, you are the top, you have two weeks to decide, if you don't accept in 2 weeks, we'll move on to name 3) that might well have changed her calculus. The BE made B12 schools the Motel 6 offer (we'll leave a light on for you) that let them wait things out, like your friend chose to do. They should have pressed their hand while Kansas and K -State were in panic mode.

In any event that ship, like so many other has sailed. We have to sit on the sidelines and hope for the best.

Eh, it is what it is.

 

[Nostical]

Our stated goal with UConn 2000, which gave birth to our FBS efforts, was to be like Virginia and North Carolina.

That's evolved. Now when Susan Herbst drives down Rte 195, she sees Michigan.

 

[pinotbear]

i'd cat if we got a invite to the b10.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrstitustrout/6550253559/
http://www.pawsonline.info/wav/angry 01.wav

 

[HuskyHawk]

That's evolved. Now when Susan Herbst drives down Rte 195, she sees Michigan.

Michigan was on the orginal list. UVA, UNC and Michigan. But she didn't list Michigan for football success, but academic success. Football is just a means to attract and retain students, faculty and research dollars. Do you people really think a million or two a year is big money to these schools? Seriously. That is pocket change.

 

[businesslawyer]

I don't think Penn state would leave the B1G for any reason outside of hostile aliens invading Chicago (but leaving the east coast alone for once), but I like the rest of your post.

And even then it might depend on whether the aliens' preferences run to girls or .... never mind. Cheap shot.

 

[Rondogg]

I can't wait until this is all behind us and we are safe in a good conference. This whole thread is very anxiety inducing.

 

[UCFBfan]

Being in the "New Big East" or the ACC will be irrelevant if there is further expansion to 16. UConn will only have one option if the ACC is to be raided further, the Big Ten, UConn is no more likely to go there if it sits in the "New Big East" with the Bad News Bears or in a geographically sensible conference filled with rivals that the team has its history (such as it is) with.

I'm not talking money, I don't care, that's up to the AD, but as a fan, the ACC (post-raid) is so much more interesting to me than the "New Big East" its not even close.

I couldn't agree more on this part. Look, UConn is probably not going to be in the big picture for the Big 4 conferences for the near future. I think anyone thinking UConn is even on the B1G's radar is crazy. So why be in a horrible conference with one rival (Rutgers) when we can hope to be in a conference with all of our old rivals in both football and basketball. I know we're a newer program in the football world but any game against BC, RU, or Syracuse will always have some bad blood and be exciting!

Some of you wanna only think from a football perspective but honestly, what do you think is going to happen to our basketball program if we stick with this horrible new BE? People are going to totally be lining up to buy tickets to see UConn-UCF/UH/SMU. Please....Even Memphis and Temple don't do anything to make me excited. Without Syracuse and Pitt the basketball season is not as exciting.

 

[ZooCougar]

Love for a purged ACC is making me nauseous. You people out of your minds?! There will be nothing left! The B1G strives to have strong football, basketball and hockey programs. Exactly what UConn is aiming for.

Do you reside in an alternate reality where the sky is purple?

I'll take a conference with peer schools from the same region as us, near urban areas where we actually have alums over a randomly generated conference of schools that are neither close to us or have a shared history.

 

[Carl Spackler]

It is a no-brainer. I'd rather be in a conference with North Carolina, UVA and the MAC schools than in the NBE. Recent football success is irrelevant. What matters is associating with flagship universities with national reputations. Our stated goal with UConn 2000, which gave birth to our FBS efforts, was to be like Virginia and North Carolina. We are a basketball centric athletic department. The only reason we even play FBS football is to gain associations with major research universities that also play FBS football. Not to gain associations with glorified community colleges and commuter schools like Boise, Memphis and Houston. Nobody in their right mind expects UConn to become a football power.

Yes, the Big Ten is a fantastic result in the unlikely event that we get an invite. In the the real world however, nothing is better for UConn than FSU and Clemson bailing on the ACC, leading them to add Uconn and Rutgers. The entire original Big East (minus West Virginia and Temple) would be reunited with several excellent universities along the east coast. It's what the Big East football conference always dreamed of being.

Now here is part 2. UConn and Rutgers to the ACC collapses the BE. The hoop schools will split off. Notre Dame will be forced to a conference. I doubt that the B12 will add them just for olympic sports. Imagine the options available to them. 1. join the Big Ten 2: join the ACC. Could Notre Dame pull Penn State to the ACC? Maybe. The latter would create the true Eastern league everyone has been pining for. The TV contract would be better than fine.

I agree with this. The ideal 10 team conference for UConn would look something like this (assuming UMass is successful in upgrading and gets a facility and infrastructure built before beign forced to pack it in and go back) : Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Penn State, Maryland, Temple, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Virginia Tech.

The fact that nothing like that actually exists, and the history behind it, could be the subject of a book - a long book. I"ve written most of it here in the past year. Just need an editor.

Funny - all I wanted to do was talk football, but the liars took over last year.

Currently, preventing something like an association of colleges like that from actually forming, are companies like Disney, and News Corp, and Comcast, and their business contracts and profit interests around live sports programming.

THe chance of forming an eastern seaboard all sports league like this - can only happen one way.

The complete destruction of the big east and acc - both, both conferences entirely dissolving and ceasing business.

That's not happening, so we make do with the best we can, and make sure that we don't start doing business with liars again.

 

[whaler11]

Yeah it's Disney. Not Penn State who doesn't want to play football with UMass.

 

[observer]

It is a no-brainer. I'd rather be in a conference with North Carolina, UVA and the MAC schools than in the NBE. Recent football success is irrelevant. What matters is associating with flagship universities with national reputations. Our stated goal with UConn 2000, which gave birth to our FBS efforts, was to be like Virginia and North Carolina. We are a basketball centric athletic department. The only reason we even play FBS football is to gain associations with major research universities that also play FBS football. Not to gain associations with glorified community colleges and commuter schools like Boise, Memphis and Houston. Nobody in their right mind expects UConn to become a football power.

Yes, the Big Ten is a fantastic result in the unlikely event that we get an invite. In the the real world however, nothing is better for UConn than FSU and Clemson bailing on the ACC, leading them to add Uconn and Rutgers. The entire original Big East (minus West Virginia and Temple) would be reunited with several excellent universities along the east coast. It's what the Big East football conference always dreamed of being.

Now here is part 2. UConn and Rutgers to the ACC collapses the BE. The hoop schools will split off. Notre Dame will be forced to a conference. I doubt that the B12 will add them just for olympic sports. Imagine the options available to them. 1. join the Big Ten 2: join the ACC. Could Notre Dame pull Penn State to the ACC? Maybe. The latter would create the true Eastern league everyone has been pining for. The TV contract would be better than fine.

Finally somebody who gets it. The best hope for UConn is an ACC that survives and adds UConn and some other school whether to replace two defectors or as 15 and 16. Of course, ND would be great but doubt they are ready to give up their FB independence.

I just don't get the 'hope the ACC collapses' thinking. A combo of a collapsed ACC and select teams from the NBE will impress exactly no one.

 

[FAIRTIDES]

It is a no-brainer. I'd rather be in a conference with North Carolina, UVA and the MAC schools than in the NBE. Recent football success is irrelevant. What matters is associating with flagship universities with national reputations. Our stated goal with UConn 2000, which gave birth to our FBS efforts, was to be like Virginia and North Carolina. We are a basketball centric athletic department. The only reason we even play FBS football is to gain associations with major research universities that also play FBS football. Not to gain associations with glorified community colleges and commuter schools like Boise, Memphis and Houston. Nobody in their right mind expects UConn to become a football power.

Yes, the Big Ten is a fantastic result in the unlikely event that we get an invite. In the the real world however, nothing is better for UConn than FSU and Clemson bailing on the ACC, leading them to add Uconn and Rutgers. The entire original Big East (minus West Virginia and Temple) would be reunited with several excellent universities along the east coast. It's what the Big East football conference always dreamed of being.

Now here is part 2. UConn and Rutgers to the ACC collapses the BE. The hoop schools will split off. Notre Dame will be forced to a conference. I doubt that the B12 will add them just for olympic sports. Imagine the options available to them. 1. join the Big Ten 2: join the ACC. Could Notre Dame pull Penn State to the ACC? Maybe. The latter would create the true Eastern league everyone has been pining for. The TV contract would be better than fine.

There's a lot of nobility in what you say, but you are living in a world that no longer exists. Marinatto was over his head, but he was right about one thing, "The collegiate model is dead." Unfortunately, he's correct. Unfortunately, as well, is that it took him so long to figure it out.

As far as UCONN"s ability to become a FB Power? The day UCONN put $150 million + on the table was the day I, and others, believed that UCONN's football intentions were to be more than just FB relevant. UCONN should and probably will take the best FB related situation available with the best FB related schools.