I agree that it’s hard to imagine that the XII cares where the stadium is located. If they do, so be it — I wouldn’t not take the deal based on that — but I can’t imagine the XII cares about location as opposed to attendance.
Patriot League
ESPN is full of Syracuse grads who would like nothing more than to see us fail and eat poop. If ESPN was in our corner we would have been in the ACC 15 years ago.mmm.. I hope you are correct, but the tone of this article in ESPN written by Pete Thamel suggests the opposite:
Sources: UConn in early talks for joining Big 12
The Big 12 and UConn are in discussions for the Huskies potentially joining the league, sources told ESPN, though a high-ranking conference official cautioned there is "a far distance between conversations and anything that would happen."www.espn.com
The the link between the Big 12 and UConn has more specifics as far as the preliminary terms as opposed to last year's rumors which had no specifics at all. But this could be more of the same mental masturbation for UConn and its fans.
I am in the camp of I will believe it when I see and hear Yormark officially announce it. If UConn Football was merely mediocre the last decade averaging between 5-7 a season with 85% of The Rent filled out with loud fans, UConn would be in a Power conference by now.
This is my position as well.
They are trying to make the deal work. Is it their fault that UConn football brings no money to the table?
To this point, a 20 minute ride from Bradley to East Hartford is probably preferable for most teams flying in. Coupled with the distance for a suitable hotel from campus to house an entire visiting football team. There’s much more logistically to an on campus stadium than people are taking into account. People act like the Rent is a dump, it doesn’t have bells and whistles but is a great playing surface and great atmosphere when there’s a reason for people to show up
We've already gotten it wrong before and still put up 3 new banners after the fact
You forgot about Kansas, Baylor, Ua and Houston. Oh and Iowa St is top 10 this year. B12 has 4 of top 7 and 5 of top 9 in espn pre season poll. And the BE has….UConn top 5.
The bet has less to do with how good you think football can be in the right position, and more to do with how far in the future it may be possible to have a nationally prominent basketball program without being in a big time football conference. There are never guaranties when betting on the future (if there were, I wouldn’t have to make a living billing by the hour), but it is reasonable to fear the inability to compete for much longer without being in a football conference.
I don't think they'd be telling Miami or Pitt to build an on-campus stadium.
Scheduling is going to be a problem in all sports moving forward. Especially football as we see the direction major conferences are going.
That "having a seat at the big table" belief is what Lew Perkins was telling everyone who would listen all through the 1990's while football was still playing 1-AA.
The Rent can be expanded to 60,000 according to Gilbane, the contractor.
www.gilbaneco.com
Georgetown stinks. Villanova stinks. St John’s has 2-3 years of relevance at the most before Pitino retires. Seton Hall is the definition of mediocre. Providence is okay.
Just saying I understand it but it still sucks we have to do this to save UConn basketball. I rather stay in the Big East if college athletics hadn't turned into the mess it is now.