UConn, Cincy, BYU, Boise St.

[HartbeatHusky]

It's time for UConn to lead the charge in creating a new conference with the other most valuable FBS schools that are not in a P5 conference. Take a page out of the Big 12 playbook and realize that smaller can be more valuable. We need to be on the phone with Cincy, BYU, and Boise St. right now. Don't even talk about travel not being idea. We really can't worry about that right now. Fat needs to be trimmed. We can't afford to associate with certain schools that we are stuck with now. Our best bet, considering no more P5 Expansion for a while:

UConn
Cincinnati
BYU
Boise St.
Memphis
SMU
UCF
UNLV

UConn, Cincy, BYU, Boise St. and UCF have appeared in BCS, or equivelent, bowl games with Boise and UCF both winning the ones they played in. BYU has a legit National Title and SMU has a really old one and 2 claimed. In hoops, the conference is no slouch. UConn has 4 NCAA championships, UNLV has 1, Cincy is recognized with 2. Really, the only 2 weak hoops programs are UCF and Boise St., and Boise is improving. We need to do something. I think this is one option that I haven't really seen proposed before. We can start over and try to negotiate a more valuable TV deal with a more focused product. I think these are the 8 most marketable brands left outside the P5.

 

[uchusky32]

Ok, I'll play this game. You will have to add ECU they are a football school with success.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

Ok, I'll play this game. You will have to add ECU they are a football school with success.

Maybe down the line. We don't need them right now though. Too much competition in NC and basketball too much of a project. I don't think the brand is marketable enough.

 

[Shabazzkets]

UNLV (or other similarly located schools) and Connecticut should never be in a conference together. College sports should be about the kids, and the kids suffer way too much having to fly out to the west coast every couple of weeks. It could work for football, but it would be a disaster for hoops.

Plus, as a hoops conference, the one you propose isn't much better than what we have. UConn should be trying to get into a better conference for hoops, not praying its decrepit football program can gain success by virtue of being associated with the moderately good football programs you mention.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

UNLV (or other similarly located schools) and Connecticut should never be in a conference together. College sports should be about the kids, and the kids suffer way too much having to fly out to the west coast every couple of weeks. It could work for football, but it would be a disaster for hoops.

Plus, as a hoops conference, the one you propose isn't much better than what we have. UConn should be trying to get into a better conference for hoops, not praying its decrepit football program can gain success by virtue of being associated with the moderately good football programs you mention.

Honestly, I think that ship has sailed. A10 isn't the answer and Big East might just say thanks but no thanks, we just got 6 bids and don't need any FBS members. I'm not ready to drop football. I'd honestly go to the BE if they'd have us and we could put football in the MAC.

 

[MattMang23]

It's time for UConn to lead the charge in creating a new conference with the other most valuable FBS schools that are not in a P5 conference. Take a page out of the Big 12 playbook and realize that smaller can be more valuable. We need to be on the phone with Cincy, BYU, and Boise St. right now. Don't even talk about travel not being idea. We really can't worry about that right now. Fat needs to be trimmed. We can't afford to associate with certain schools that we are stuck with now. Our best bet, considering no more P5 Expansion for a while:

UConn
Cincinnati
BYU
Boise St.
Memphis
SMU
UCF
UNLV

UConn, Cincy, BYU, Boise St. and UCF have appeared in BCS, or equivelent, bowl games with Boise and UCF both winning the ones they played in. BYU has a legit National Title and SMU has a really old one and 2 claimed. In hoops, the conference is no slouch. UConn has 4 NCAA championships, UNLV has 1, Cincy is recognized with 2. Really, the only 2 weak hoops programs are UCF and Boise St., and Boise is improving. We need to do something. I think this is one option that I haven't really seen proposed before. We can start over and try to negotiate a more valuable TV deal with a more focused product. I think these are the 8 most marketable brands left outside the P5.

Hmm... They should try that...

http://m.espn.go.com/extra/ncaa/story?storyId=7323183&src=desktop

 

[HartbeatHusky]

Hmm... They should try that...

http://m.espn.go.com/extra/ncaa/story?storyId=7323183&src=desktop

No football only. No extra mouths to feed like Tulane and Tulsa. No contract renewal terms already locked in with ESPN like the oBE had either.

 

[MattMang23]

No football only. No extra mouths to feed like Tulane and Tulsa. No contract renewal terms already locked in with ESPN like the oBE had either.

You have to figure there was a reason they were joining football-only before and not for all-sports. I'm sure all-sports was discussed before they settled on football-only.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

You have to figure there was a reason they were joining football-only before and not for all-sports. I'm sure all-sports was discussed before they settled on football-only.

Of course there were reasons but it was also initially decided by the old regime in the context of keeping what was left of the BE intact. I don't know if this could work but I think that both the AAC and MWC are bloated, which dimishes the per member, and overall value of each leauge. I think that UConn, Cincy, BYU, and Boise St. are by far the most valuable non P5 properties left and that a much smaller league with those 4 at the core could be a more attractive TV property.

 

[MattMang23]

Of course there were reasons but it was also initially decided by the old regime in the context of keeping what was left of the BE intact. I don't know if this could work but I think that both the AAC and MWC are bloated, which dimishes the per member, and overall value of each leauge. I think that UConn, Cincy, BYU, and Boise St. are by far the most valuable non P5 properties left and that a much smaller league with those 4 at the core could be a more attractive TV property.

I think you've definitely identified the most attractive TV properties, but since it's basically been tried before I don't know, albeit in a slightly different form, how this outcome would be any different. Worth a shot to explore, I guess, but I don't think this is a really workable option.

 

[Stinger92860]

Considering how poorly the AAC has been treated by the NCAA selection committe it's has become clear to me that we need to get out even if it means dropping football or teaming with BYU, etc. for a small football only league. We risk too much waiting for a P5 invite. Our schedules are becoming weaker and with the exception of hockey and WBB recruiting is difficult. I hope there is something going on behind the scenes.

 

[Dooley]

Can't drop football. That only seals basketball into mid-majordom for eternity. Creative scheduling with BYU, Boise, and whatever P5 school will play us is the only way to go until we get the P5 tap. The state General Assembly should waive their football requirement to play all "home" games at the Rent. We need to be 100% available for games in NYC/Boston.

 

[Fishy]

Remember when the AAC decided to dribble out our pile of realignment cash year by year?

Yes, well, now you know why.

 

[UConn990411]

UNLV (or other similarly located schools) and Connecticut should never be in a conference together. College sports should be about the kids, and the kids suffer way too much having to fly out to the west coast every couple of weeks. It could work for football, but it would be a disaster for hoops.

Plus, as a hoops conference, the one you propose isn't much better than what we have. UConn should be trying to get into a better conference for hoops, not praying its decrepit football program can gain success by virtue of being associated with the moderately good football programs you mention.

It stopped being about the kids decades ago. It's about survival at this point, until if/when the P5 conferences are forced to expand again.

With that being said, UConn and BYU/Boise/UNLV will never be in a conference together.

 

[justinslot]

C-can Temple come too? More wins than Syracuse now*, just as many titles!**

*Thanks, cheaters!
**Why yes I will count winning the initial 1938 NIT as a national title.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

C-can Temple come too? More wins than Syracuse now*, just as many titles!**

*Thanks, cheaters!
**Why yes I will count winning the initial 1938 NIT as a national title.

I think Temple with a 40k seat OCS would be pretty solid and also Colorado St. on the other end. I think I'd start of with just those 8 that I listed though.

 

[frankthetank]

Ok, I'll play this game. You will have to add ECU they are a football school with success.

ECU is the classic school that fans seem to love (mainly because their football fan base is very good for a G5 school), but university presidents absolutely hate. Remember that even in the midst of the old Big East getting raided left and right, ECU was added AFTER Tulane and was only given a football-only membership at the time. It only turned into an all-sports invite after the Big Ten took Rutgers and the ACC took Louisville. I'm not saying that it's fair, but there is a big gap in perception between how fans perceive the value of ECU and what the decision makers at the university president level think.

I've always like the football-only conference idea - if you took the best of the AAC and MWC, it would be a pretty good league at least on the field. (Whether the TV people would care is a different matter). I suggested that the old Big East add schools like Boise State and BYU as football-only members years ago before Marinatto ended up proposing it (although by the time he did it, it was too little too late).

 

[Slasher]

If we're going wide and far, I'd add Temple and San Diego State.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

If we're going wide and far, I'd add Temple and San Diego State.

I like Temple with an OCS but personally see more upside in Colorado St. than SDSU. Colorado is a great state. My brother moved there about a year ago and they only have 1 P5 school.

 

[Sky ball]

All America Conference

East: Uconn, Temple, UCF, USF, Memphis, Cinci
West: Boise, BYU, SDSU, UNLV, NEV, Fresno State

12 team two div conference - best of the West best of the East

Football 5 games vs own div and 3 vs other div. 1 or 2 x-country trips a year. = 8 games

Basketball: Home and home own Div and 3 away and 3 home vs other div = 16 games

Maybe some different teams? SMU? Houston? ECU?

 

[Sky ball]

Football Only:

East: UConn, Temple, ECU, UCF, USF, Memphis, Cinci, - 6 games vs East and 3 games vs west

West: Byu, Boise, SDSU, Nev, UNLV, Houston, SMU

 

[Kolumbo]

I like SDSU because SD is SD. And if you start talking football only, distance doesn't matter. A 2 hour flight vs. a 5 hour flight means nothing when looking at total travel time.
This takes me back to my thinking back when CR first began. All conference should be regional and let them create separate football only conferences. Makes absolutely no sense whatsoever for Olympic sports teams to travel so far. The old Big East was great in that respect for soccer, baseball, tennis, etc.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

All America Conference

East: Uconn, Temple, UCF, USF, Memphis, Cinci
West: Boise, BYU, SDSU, UNLV, NEV, Fresno State

12 team two div conference - best of the West best of the East

Football 5 games vs own div and 3 vs other div. 1 or 2 x-country trips a year. = 8 games

Basketball: Home and home own Div and 3 away and 3 home vs other div = 16 games

Maybe some different teams? SMU? Houston? ECU?

I think it needs to be the minimum number of teams required and round robin play. So I think somewhere between 8 and 10 teams works best. 9 may actually be perfect so we could have double round robin 16 game schedule in hoops.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

I like SDSU because SD is SD. And if you start talking football only, distance doesn't matter. A 2 hour flight vs. a 5 hour flight means nothing when looking at total travel time.
This takes me back to my thinking back when CR first began. All conference should be regional and let them create separate football only conferences. Makes absolutely no sense whatsoever for Olympic sports teams to travel so far. The old Big East was great in that respect for soccer, baseball, tennis, etc.

I just think we have to suck it up about the travel. We're in a far flung all-sports conference now. We have to be willing to travel to create the absolute best possible conference.

 

[UCFBfan]

The problem with this is that 6 of the 8 schools you mentioned in your OP are schools that have been mixed with various rumors about jumping up to the big boy table. No network in their right mind would shell out more then we are getting in the AAC to carry those games. Let's not even start to talk about what that basketball schedule might look like. Ugh....I'm a FB fan at heart but you need to look at both sides here. That might work as a FB conference in fantasy land but not as a bball conference. Plus, the second the Big12 decides it wants Cincy and BYU, you're screwed even harder then we currently are in the AAC should the same happen.

Plus, as Fishy stated so eloquently, we'd lose all the real money we need to stay alive from the old BE.