UConn Flirting with Big East?

[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?

 

[CL82]

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.

I think that would be extraordinarily poor short term thinking given that it would surrender opportunity for UConn to rejoin the P5 schools whose media contracts are 10 times (or more) larger than our current media deal. The next window for that happening, or not, is 5-7 years. Folding football prior to then would be foolish.

 

[augustaTC]

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

Probably right. I guess my point is that even if one of the major conferences opened their door to UConn, what's the point of it all if it requires the bankrupt State of CT to somehow come up with the gazillion $ it would take to compete in football. And it seems to make no sense to sink whatever additional revenue that might be generated into said football project instead of spreading it around to all the teams. Seems to me that football is a millstone around UConn sports' neck. MBB and WBB will find good conferences to play in based on their history and current programs. But to tie them to football in some way seems to make zero sense to me. But what do I know!

 

[augustaTC]

I think that would be extraordinarily poor short term thinking given that it would surrender opportunity for UConn to rejoin the P5 schools whose media contracts are 10 times (or more) larger than our current media deal. The next window for that happening, or not, is 5-7 years. Folding football prior to then would be foolish.

Why would a P5 school even consider UConn? This eludes me.

 

[Shmermerer]

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?

Ummmm yea defintely. This year might be a bit of a down year than last year. I think we got 6 teams (more than half the conference) in the NCAA tournament last year. This year we will probably get 5 teams. But recruiting is very very good in the Big East. Villanova, St. Johns, Butler, Marquette, Georgetown, Seton Hall. All excellent basketball programs. Two teams in the top 25 and 3 more receiving votes. The AAC has one team in the top 25 and no others receiving votes. FYI Memphis is Not good this year.

 

[HoopsHoppy]

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.

Boy, do you bring back memories with Tony Lavelie - not only saw him play at Yale but also when he played his accordion at the Paramount theater in NYC in the ‘50s.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

Why would a P5 school even consider UConn? This eludes me.

• Strong athletic department anchored by multiple programs with national championships. More basketball championships than any other university.
• Strong academics. (Yes, those are important too).
• Strong fan support/presence in an underserved section of the country (New England/NYC).
• Strong brand/name recognition.

Football may be in the driver's seat today (hell, it might be the whole freakin' bus) but it is under pressure at all levels. UConn would be a nice insurance policy if interest in football goes into decline. I bet most, if not all, P5 conferences would trade one of their current members for UConn right now if they could.

 

[oldude]

I think that would be extraordinarily poor short term thinking given that it would surrender opportunity for UConn to rejoin the P5 schools whose media contracts are 10 times (or more) larger than our current media deal. The next window for that happening, or not, is 5-7 years. Folding football prior to then would be foolish.

I’m sorry but no P-5 conference is interested in UConn. What you suggest is to lose another $10-$20 million pursuing “fools gold” for another 5-7 years

 

[Adios]

Why would a P5 school even consider UConn? This eludes me.

• Strong athletic department anchored by multiple programs with national championships. More basketball championships than any other university.
• Strong academics. (Yes, those are important too).
• Strong fan support/presence in an underserved section of the country (New England/NYC).
• Strong brand/name recognition.

Football may be in the driver's seat today (hell, it might be the whole freakin' bus) but it is under pressure at all levels. UConn would be a nice insurance policy if interest in football goes into decline. I bet most, if not all, P5 conferences would trade one of their current members for UConn right now if they could.

Seriously?

Even more ironic that such a question gets posed by a fan of women's basketball about the most successful women's basketball program on that school's message board. Such petty jealousy.

 

[uconnfan68]

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...…..

Football to B1G, basketball to ACC, baseball to SEC, soccer to PAC-12, polo to Big12. Checks from all. Problems solved.

 

[CL82]

Why would a P5 school even consider UConn? This eludes me.

Mmm, there are reasons but they are, as things stand now, unlikely to tip the scales in our favor. Brand, NYC/MSG presence, access to elevated Tier 1 pricing in the NYC DMA, content, CT demographics are all postives for us. They just aren't positive enough to justify adding us absent a seismic shift somewhere.

 

[CL82]

I’m sorry but no P-5 conference is interested in UConn. What you suggest is to lose another $10-$20 million pursuing “fools gold” for another 5-7 years

What I suggest is keeping us as attractive as possible for a P5 addition while the possibility exists. FWIW, the amount that football is running in the red currently is somewhat illusory. Our IMG and Nike contracts (huge revenue items for the school) would be significantly reduced if we weren't a football school. Whether it is enough to offset our current football deficit is unclear, but it wouldn't surprise me if it is. Keep in mind that football is at its absolute nadir right now. Your projection is high even assuming that we don't have any uptick for the next five-seven years. That's unlikely.

 

[CL82]

Football to B1G, basketball to ACC, baseball to SEC, soccer to PAC-12, polo to Big12. Checks from all. Problems solved.

You are a genius my friend. I'm sold! Now you just need convince the leagues to send us an invite.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Boy, do you bring back memories with Tony Lavelie - not only saw him play at Yale but also when he played his accordion at the Paramount theater in NYC in the ‘50s.

Thanks what was his favorite shot ( all always, maybe wrongly gave him credit for developing it?? I thought I was the only human (ok near human) that remembered him.

 

[boontonbomber]

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.

Don't remember Tony, but turns out his cousin Dante was Otto Graham's favorite target.

 

[HoopsHoppy]

Thanks what was his favorite shot ( all always, maybe wrongly gave him credit for developing it?? I thought I was the only human (ok near human) that remembered him.

Lavelie had a beautiful hook shot - either side - and went on to play for both knicks and Celtics. Used to entertain at half time playing his accordion. His hook was virtually impossible to stop in his day - although he was a bit of a string bean and might suffer against bangers.