UConn Formally Withdraws From AAC

[JavaMan]

In just four short paragraphs, UConn president Susan Herbst declared in a letter sent to the conference commissioner and leaders at member universities her university’s intentions to sever ties with the American Athletic Conference.

“I am writing to inform you that [UConn] has accepted an invitation from the Big East Conference to participate as a member institution,” Herbst wrote in a letter to AAC commissioner Mike Aresco.

Full Article [HERE]

 

[Plebe]

The "University of Southern Florida" bit has certainly invited some derision from Bulls fans.

 

[MSGRET]

The "University of Southern Florida" bit has certainly invited some derision from Bulls fans.

Doesn't anyone proof read anything now days? How can a University president sign something with an obvious error as Southern instead of South. I guess nobody in the athletic department saw it. Just think how Jose is going to use this for when the Bulls play UConn next year.

 

[DefenseBB]

Well, if we are going to quibble over language, let me continue "As a founding member of the AAC, UConn has greatly valued its membership,” Herbst wrote. which is not entirely true either. The AAC was the Big East Conference, to wit, the members that split from the Big East, purchased the name "The Big East", leaving remaining conference members to find a new name-American Athletic Conference. UConn, as virtually, everyone here knows, was not a founding member of the Big East.
Given the money in the red that the UConn AD is in, the cost to get out of the AAC and the cost to regain entry into the Big East, has a cost-benefit analysis been done on when the school (and the state!) will recoup this money with a new Fox TV contract? After all, it's about the money.

 

[UConnNick]

Well, if we are going to quibble over language, let me continue "As a founding member of the AAC, UConn has greatly valued its membership,” Herbst wrote. which is not entirely true either. The AAC was the Big East Conference, to wit, the members that split from the Big East, purchased the name "The Big East", leaving remaining conference members to find a new name-American Athletic Conference. UConn, as virtually, everyone here knows, was not a founding member of the Big East.
Given the money in the red that the UConn AD is in, the cost to get out of the AAC and the cost to regain entry into the Big East, has a cost-benefit analysis been done on when the school (and the state!) will recoup this money with a new Fox TV contract? After all, it's about the money.

UCONN is a founding, charter member of the original Big East Conference on May 31, 1979, which also included BS College, Providence, Syracuse, St. John's, Seton Hall and Georgetown. Villanova joined one year later (1980).

The AAC is the successor entity to the original BE. Cincinnati and USF were the other two original BE teams which stayed with UCONN in the successor league. The NBE we are joining bears no relationship to the original except for buying the name and the record books from us, USF and Cinn.

You are correct as to Herbst's misconception about the AAC as a conference. Technically it has no charter members because it's a successor in name only. I suppose a twisted argument could be made that UCONN, being the sole remaining founding member of the 1979 BE makes it also the lone charter member of the AAC, but it's merely a successor, not a new conference. It makes UCONN the only member of the conference started in 1979 that belonged from the beginning until likely next year or the year after.

I guess you could say we are the only founding member of the AAC because it's really the original BE with a new name, but even so, Herbst is still wrong. She called us, "...a founding member of the AAC." That's flat out wrong because the other schools are all newbies compared to us, and none were our partners in 1979 when the original BE was formed. Indirectly referring to the others as "founders" of the AAC is incorrect.

 

[DefenseBB]

UCONN is a founding, charter member of the original Big East Conference on May 31, 1979, which also included BS College, Providence, Syracuse, St. John's, Seton Hall and Georgetown. Villanova joined one year later (1980).

The AAC is the successor entity to the original BE. Cincinnati and USF were the other two original BE teams which stayed with UCONN in the successor league. The NBE we are joining bears no relationship to the original except for buying the name and the record books from us, USF and Cinn.

You are correct as to Herbst's misconception about the AAC as a conference. Technically it has no charter members because it's a successor in name only. I suppose a twisted argument could be made that UCONN, being the sole remaining founding member of the 1979 BE makes it also the lone charter member of the AAC, but it's merely a successor, not a new conference. It makes UCONN the only member of the conference started in 1979 that belonged from the beginning until likely next year or the year after.

I guess you could say we are the only founding member of the AAC because it's really the original BE with a new name, but even so, Herbst is still wrong. She called us, "...a founding member of the AAC." That's flat out wrong because the other schools are all newbies compared to us, and none were our partners in 1979 when the original BE was formed. Indirectly referring to the others as "founders" of the AAC is incorrect.

Oh man, thank you, not sure what I was thinking as you are 100% correct. I just hope the money situation gets better and our basketball programs both get back to the levels we had when we were last in the Big East (of which we were a founding member-I learn quick!)