UConn/Big 12 Meeting Next Week

[uconn_jack]

This has not worked well for former Big East basketball schools. Syracuse stinks, Pitt stinks, BC stinks, Rutgers stinks, Louisville stinks. I’m for staying.

To be fair, Rutgers and BC stank before too, but yes, this concerns me as well. I think one of the differences though is that our program is built and ready for this kind of change within the new NIL and transfer environment. Not to mention our BB brand is stronger than those other schools. Also, it always felt to me that the ACC never really accepted them into the club so to speak, it continued to be Tobacco Road with peripheral teams.

 

[ZooCougar]

This has not worked well for former Big East basketball schools. Syracuse stinks, Pitt stinks, BC stinks, Rutgers stinks, Louisville stinks. I’m for staying.

You sound like the people who ran Sears and JC Penney.

 

[Kolumbo]

I think it looks bad for Yormark for the story to get out there if he doesn't have the votes.

It sounds like Benedict and Toscano went out there to make a presentation to the Big 12 athletic directors at Yormark's request to get it over the line. Last year, Yormark visited UConn. I don't believe anyone from UConn went to the Big 12.

Imagine Big 12 AD's going into a meeting with Coaches Mora, Hurley, Auriemma, Penders. as long as they don't turn down the bourbon they should kill those meetings.

 

[drayenob]

So what do we think is going on behind the scenes? Is UConn President Maric lobbying the big 12 presidents for support? Is Benedict lobbying the AD's? Is Lamont involved(or Malloy )? Are they ready to counter any negative articles that always seems to come out? I am hoping it is all hands on deck and no one is vacationing.

 

[kemba]

Having to wait that long for football to join just doesn’t make sense to me. Having to wait for football revenue but still joining does. A significantly shorter ramp up period makes some sense as well I guess. But playing 6 more years as an independent doesn’t help get us ready to compete in the big 12, nor do we need that long to make any additional investments they want us to make unless they do want an on campus stadium.

I do believe that as long as we are guaranteed being a full member is part of the deal we need to take it, but I do really hope 2031 isn’t accurate or that we can negotiate that down.

 

[Kolumbo]

Having to wait that long for football to join just doesn’t make sense to me. Having to wait for football revenue but still joining does. A significantly shorter ramp up period makes some sense as well I guess. But playing 6 more years as an independent doesn’t help get us ready to compete in the big 12, nor do we need that long to make any additional investments they want us to make unless they do want an on campus stadium.

I do believe that as long as we are guaranteed being a full member is part of the deal we need to take it, but I do really hope 2031 isn’t accurate or that we can negotiate that down.

Timeline, money, lots of factors to negotiate. a "runway to 2031" could mean various things. I don't know if there is some type of partial membership leading up to 2031 but yes, UConn should be negotiating for the shortest membership timeline possible even if revenue is delayed.

Telling UConn to improve football while delaying football money makes no sense for either side. Both want UConn Football to improve as quickly as possible. It takes money to make money. It would be undermining both UConn and the Big 12 to try to improve without the funding.

 

[Bongo Fury]

Lol, Dauster is nuts. I'm sure Dan is horrified and pissed off beyond belief that we would be in the absolute best basketball conference in the country while having exciting matchups against the cream of the crop in the sport like Kansas, Baylor, Arizona, and Houston.

And have much greater tv visibility, more money to offer players and retain coaches.

 

[ctchamps]

To be fair, Rutgers and BC stank before too, but yes, this concerns me as well. I think one of the differences though is that our program is built and ready for this kind of change within the new NIL and transfer environment. Not to mention our BB brand is stronger than those other schools. Also, it always felt to me that the ACC never really accepted them into the club so to speak, it continued to be Tobacco Road with peripheral teams.

Tobacco road wanted us. Clemson and FSU did not for football reasons and BC for territorial reasons. Probably going to bite BC in the end.

 

[UConnJim]

Timeline, money, lots of factors to negotiate. a "runway to 2031" could mean various things. I don't know if there is some type of partial membership leading up to 2031 but yes, UConn should be negotiating for the shortest membership timeline possible even if revenue is delayed.

Telling UConn to improve football while delaying football money makes no sense for either side. Both want UConn Football to improve as quickly as possible. It takes money to make money. It would be undermining both UConn and the Big 12 to try to improve without the funding.

Disagree. Time for the boosters/alumni/fans to pony up. Donate, buy tickets and show up for games, ...

 

[jostar1]

Disagree. Time for the boosters/alumni/fans to pony up. Donate, buy tickets and show up for games, ...

Hope there is a scheduling agreement with the Big12. There should be if they want us to get things going.

 

[Kolumbo]

Disagree. Time for the boosters/alumni/fans to pony up. Donate, buy tickets and show up for games, ...

Disagree with what? That the Big 12 is better off inviting UConn and not paying UConn? Of course we should try to raise as much money as possible but UConn also needs to get paid, like the brand it is.

 

[Stinger92860]

Having to wait that long for football to join just doesn’t make sense to me. Having to wait for football revenue but still joining does. A significantly shorter ramp up period makes some sense as well I guess. But playing 6 more years as an independent doesn’t help get us ready to compete in the big 12, nor do we need that long to make any additional investments they want us to make unless they do want an on campus stadium.

I do believe that as long as we are guaranteed being a full member is part of the deal we need to take it, but I do really hope 2031 isn’t accurate or that we can negotiate that down.

We can make 2031 work for football with them throwing us 3-4 games a year.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

We can make 2031 work for football with them throwing us 3-4 games a year.

It will give us a chance to schedule other easier games and get some wins. We can make it work.

 

[GHSWolverines]

why does dauster think uconn football can't get good?

Since 2004, they had only 5 winning seasons

 

[ZooCougar]

Since 2004, they had only 5 winning seasons

Kansas was worse. UConn was never as bad as KU at their low point.

 

[NEforceUConn]

The big question here is has Taylor Swift weighed in on this situation?

 

[Redding Husky]

I think they’ll require an on campus stadium.

 

[SubbaBub]

7 years seems like a long time before full membership. In the NIL era you can field a competitive team in about 3 or 4. Seems like a recipe for being screwed on the back end. The entire FBS is going to be blown up in 2026/7 when the ACC GOR expires.

If UConn signs, they should prepare to never play a full share FB season in the B12 and use it to petition for some other post Armageddon conference. The FB scheduling agreement and payout share would be determinative for me. No need to give up the Big East for magic beans. There needs to be a visible path for UConn to be a full power conference partner in the next 5 years. We want the financial infrastructure by 2027.

2024 is to 2031 as 2017 is to 2024. The CFB landscape has changed a lot in 7 years and will change a lot in the next 7. This isn't an end game scenario but if the money and access is legit, they will have to accept it.

I would not commit to a $200M stadium without full membership and confidence that the conference is stable. That's just a repeat of 2003, and I don't think Richard Blumenthal will be alive then to save us. That is a joke, just let it lie.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Not clear the Big 12 is on the right side of the divide either, and if they aren't then we joined a league with Kansas State and Iowa State and abandoned a league with teams that basketball fans actually care about.

I am generally pro-Big 12, but this is not a simple choice. UConn is making a big bet on the future of college football that we may get really, really wrong.

The B-12 is at best on a precipice. The BE is on the wrong side of the divide. If we move from the BE to the B-12 we may well still end up on the wrong side a dozen years down the road. For the most part I agree with your assertion, but my take is moving to the B-12 may end up being wrong, remaining in the BE when we would have had the opportunity to join a current P-4 school will be wrong.

Also, I'm not sure many of our fans really care about DePaul or Butler.

 

[superjohn]

The B-12 is at best on a precipice. The BE is on the wrong side of the divide. If we move from the BE to the B-12 we may well still end up on the wrong side a dozen years down the road. For the most part I agree with your assertion, but my take is moving to the B-12 may end up being wrong, remaining in the BE when we would have had the opportunity to join a current P-4 school will be wrong.

Also, I'm not sure many of our fans really care about DePaul or Butler.

It's a really easy decision now with the whole revenue sharing thing. Once UConn is in we're in, we'll be on the right side of the divide.

 

[NJHusky]

I think they’ll require an on campus stadium.

Why?

 

[bendm]

Why?

It’s called “talking out of our ass”

That Requirement would’ve been made clear to us last year and there would be no reason to reengage now

 

[Bboy Lace]

 

[GoConn]

On Campus stadium would make students significantly more interested, which results in long-term fans as alumni.

 

[ZooCougar]

The B-12 is at best on a precipice. The BE is on the wrong side of the divide. If we move from the BE to the B-12 we may well still end up on the wrong side a dozen years down the road. For the most part I agree with your assertion, but my take is moving to the B-12 may end up being wrong, remaining in the BE when we would have had the opportunity to join a current P-4 school will be wrong.

Also, I'm not sure many of our fans really care about DePaul or Butler.

Kansas is not Wichita State

Oklahoma State is not Tulsa

Iowa State is not “Creighton”