UConn Flirting with Big East?

[DEpup]

Move the football program to the CAA.... then they could be halfway competitive. The rest of the sports could go to the Big East.

Not a bad idea.

 

[uconnfan68]

This was actually a discussion on Triangle Sports Radio this afternoon. One Host suggested UConn move to the Big East and drop Football to the FCS division. Then they started talking about possible Big East targets.... UW-Milwaukee, Gonzaga, Utah State, WashU-Stl, Harvard Of course they were being facetious.

Not sure why that idea keeps being tossed out. UConn is in the AAC. They have not been invited to join another conference... in basketball or football, or any other sport.

 

[BroadwayVa]

The old Big East had a lot of public universities or at least secular private universities. Face it, football is where athletics departments make their money, and the BE doesn't have football. If that is the choice, you're just as well off in the AAC.

So apparently there is no reason now to keep Uconn from the BE. The only issue as I understand it is that the BE won't (???) accept a non-Catholic school. cv (I won't buy into any school being excluded just because they aren't "one of us"
I acknowledge FB is where the money is but it is also where the money goes. It takes big money to build a big FB program. I doubt the image of Uconn as a FB power will attract no coach of consequence or will the UC or the St Legislature be willing to drag up the many millions of dollars needed for a Big Time program.

 

[j66kicker]

So apparently there is no reason now to keep Uconn from the BE. The only issue as I understand it is that the BE won't (???) accept a non-Catholic school. cv (I won't buy into any school being excluded just because they aren't "one of us"
I acknowledge FB is where the money is but it is also where the money goes. It takes big money to build a big FB program. I doubt the image of Uconn as a FB power will attract no coach of consequence or will the UC or the St Legislature be willing to drag up the many millions of dollars needed for a Big Time program.

Butler is a non-Catholic school and a current member of the Big East.

 

[meyers7]

Butler is a non-Catholic school and a current member of the Big East.

Although it is a private school and was formed as a Christian school way back in the day.

 

[huskeynut]

What is the fascination with the new Big East?

The present BE is in no way anything like the old BE. The Catholic schools split, bought the name and set up a Catholic university basketball conference. DePaul is the best and look what we did to them on the court.

Stop beating the dead horse. UConn is not going back to the BE.

 

[BY06518]

In accounting, the concept is a “sunk cost.” No matter how much money you sink into a bad investment, it should have no relevance in future decision-making. If UConn’s football program is not in the “black,” either downgrade it to FCS or get rid of it entirely.

Yes, kill the national embarrassment that is the football team.

 

[oldude]

Yes, kill the national embarrassment that is the football team.

I don’t think UConn football has much of a national following, so I think any embarrassment is more regional in nature.

 

[BroadwayVa]

I don’t think UConn football has much of a national following, so I think any embarrassment is more regional in nature.

When I started following UC BASKETBALL it wasn't national or even regional, it was local.
An NC or 11 (men/women) and MONEY made UC Basketball teams visible. Other sports still were local. How many teams within 90 miles of Storrs are Nationals in football?

My poorly stated and uninformed point is: Uconn has historically been as most New England teams --LOCAL. I didn't then nor now think that bad. I accept that Geno has taken Uconn to a status no one would have believed in 1970. Does the former Ag school really require national prominence for all sports? Isn't just one great? Connecticut has exceeded it's national image far beyond it's size, wealth, population might predict.

 

[Beemer]

I don’t think UConn football has much of a national following, so I think any embarrassment is more regional in nature.

Regional? Try local. Very local.

 

[meyers7]

What is the fascination with the new Big East?

The present BE is in no way anything like the old BE. The Catholic schools split, bought the name and set up a Catholic university basketball conference. DePaul is the best and look what we did to them on the court.

Stop beating the dead horse. UConn is not going back to the BE.

Well the talk about going back to the BE is not for WBB. It would be for MBB.

 

[oldude]

When I started following UC BASKETBALL it wasn't national or even regional, it was local.
An NC or 11 (men/women) and MONEY made UC Basketball teams visible. Other sports still were local. How many teams within 90 miles of Storrs are Nationals in football?

My poorly stated and uninformed point is: Uconn has historically been as most New England teams --LOCAL. I didn't then nor now think that bad. I accept that Geno has taken Uconn to a status no one would have believed in 1970. Does the former Ag school really require national prominence for all sports? Isn't just one great? Connecticut has exceeded it's national image far beyond it's size, wealth, population might predict.

Many years ago, I used to watch Yale football play before a packed house at the Yale Bowl in New Haven. In those days it was not uncommon for Carm Cozza’s Eli to be nationally ranked.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Many years ago, I used to watch Yale football play before a packed house at the Yale Bowl in New Haven. In those days it was not uncommon for Carm Cozza’s Eli to be nationally ranked.

Yale was THE FB team in CT. When Tony LaVallie (sp) played BB there that too was the BB team to follow. It was local for Ct fans and national for Alum/Yalies.

 

[jdubct]

Regional? Try local. Very local.

Agree. The chief reaction (uproar even) would be in CT mostly involving the $ millions lost in the establishment and ending of the football program.

 

[Palatine]

- BE talk about adding one more member.
- AAC trying to get long-term commitments from members so they can get better (not “good”) TV contract.
- BE secures 10-year contract with MSG for their conference tourney, locking out B1G & ACC from using MSG (BE conference tourney has been out/drawing B1G & ACC conference tourneys).
- Major credibility for BE with Villanova’s recent NCAA titles.
- Speculation on ‘new member’ being UConn and UConn dropping football (including painful details on UConn’s football ineptitude)
- Susan Herbst’s tenure at UConn ending soon.
- No mention of WBB

UConn/Big East chatter starts to bubble as AAC asks for commitment

The BE might be flirting with UConn not the other way around.

UConn would have to be brain dead to go back.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Agree. The chief reaction (uproar even) would be in CT mostly involving the $ millions lost in the establishment and ending of the football program.

No point in ending the FB sport. Accept it is a Yankee Conf type of team and for the students.

 

[oldude]

The BE might be flirting with UConn not the other way around.

UConn would have to be brain dead to go back.

UConn is a state school losing millions on its football program in a state that’s billions of dollars in the red. IMO, UConn would have to be brain dead not to consider options like moving back to the BE, that could minimize the fiscal crisis the school and state are currently experiencing.

 

[augustaTC]

Move the football program to the CAA.... then they could be halfway competitive. The rest of the sports could go to the Big East.

Really like this idea.

 

[uconnell]

Butler is the only non-Catholic Big East school. So they DO allow non-Catholic schools in the conference.

We know that, we just don’t want to be there! Especially giving up football as a non starter. If we do that we might as well drop all our sports down a level. Cause that is what the BE is in my view, no matter the Nova won it all twice, when was the first time they won a Natti?

 

[uconnell]

Really like this idea.

the CAA wouldn’t take our fb program without B.B. men and women. They would be fools too.

 

[Shmermerer]

I would happily welcome UCONN to the Big East again. The AAC is making some strides, but the Big East has as well and is already more solid than the AAC. You add UCONN and I think it would boost recruiting for the programs in conference as well IMO.

 

[Vowelguy]

There’s an entire conference realignment board.

Go there with all your brilliant ideas from this thread. But let me know so I can be sure to get a front row seat to watch @Fishy obliterate you.

 

[jsloanjr]

The BIG 10 is the best option for UCONN...…..RU is getting financially killer in the BG 10...New President needs to make a splash...…..

 

[Adios]

To all the non UConn fans, UConn is looking to join the likes of UMD and Tennessee. Not Rhode Island and William and Mary. Thank you for your thoughts and contributions.

Geno is right about fans.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

The AAC also has some historically good MBB teams - UCONN, Memphis and Houston quickly come to mind. Is the current version of the Big East really much better?