UConn starting to get respect.

[Kolumbo]

 

[cellocgg]

Additional info for the skeptics:

Big 12's discussions to add UConn have stalled

The Big 12's conversations about potentially adding UConn as a member have stalled.

www.espn.com

"Per sources, the talks stalled and ended up being tabled because of the timing. With the initial season of the 16-team league underway and schools facing uncertainty in the House v. NCAA case as well as looming decisions on revenue share, adding membership simply wasn't a priority.

The decision to table the talks doesn't come as a big surprise. Back when UConn emerged as part of the talks last month, an aura of skepticism hung over the Huskies potentially being added.

At the time, ESPN reported that there needed to be some votes added for the league to get the votes of 12 of the 16 Big 12 presidents it would have needed to add UConn."

That means at least 5 teams didn't want us, and that was that...

The news I heard at the time said a formal vote was never taken

 

[CL82]

Additional info for the skeptics:

Big 12's discussions to add UConn have stalled

The Big 12's conversations about potentially adding UConn as a member have stalled.

www.espn.com

"Per sources, the talks stalled and ended up being tabled because of the timing. With the initial season of the 16-team league underway and schools facing uncertainty in the House v. NCAA case as well as looming decisions on revenue share, adding membership simply wasn't a priority.

The decision to table the talks doesn't come as a big surprise. Back when UConn emerged as part of the talks last month, an aura of skepticism hung over the Huskies potentially being added.

At the time, ESPN reported that there needed to be some votes added for the league to get the votes of 12 of the 16 Big 12 presidents it would have needed to add UConn."

That means at least 5 teams didn't want us, and that was that...

Sort of. Remember that the pitch here was basketball first and then football in 2031. That isn't a scenario where we immediately made everyone money. Here's the language that talks about value:

The Huskies have long been coveted by Yormark, who sees college basketball as an undervalued asset. UConn has the best combination of men's and women's basketball teams in the country, as the men's team has won the past two national championships. It also touches the New York market, which would in theory add value in any upcoming television deals.

Yormark was speculating that we would bring an increase in value at some point in the future due to basketball strength. If I recall correctly, the schools that backed that play did so based upon their belief in Yormark's strategic skills. That's a lot different than immediately putting money in people's pockets. Under those circumstances, we would likely get in. What we offered them, instead was a partial membership for five years with the promise that we would suck less in football in 2031. That's a speculation play, which unsurprisingly is a harder sell.

Keep in mind that while ESPN agreed to give us a pro rata share, Fox did not, which makes sense since Fox already has the "valuable" part of our portfolio, namely, basketball games. So we weren't putting money in anyone's pocket, we were temporarily, hopefully, diluting schools shares. That's the reason we couldn't get the necessary votes.

Interestingly, it seems like Yormark got most of that right. We continue to be a power in both men's and women's basketball and football continues to improve. That's a good thing, but until television media partners will pay us enough so that we don't dilute school shares plus paying additional amount so every school makes more money, it doesn't make sense to add us, at least under the current funding paradigm. If that changed so that the proceeds of March Madness were distributed amongst the schools, rather than being used to fund the NCAA, our value takes a quantum leap. If value can be derived from Internet presence sometime in the future, that's something else that we excel at. But those things aren't the current world, so we are left as an interesting, but not quite desirable property.

 

[Stinger92860]

That's the reason we couldn't get to 16 votes.

I believe we would need 12 votes for the B12.

 

[Stinger92860]

Shame on me for forgetting about Mora calling out pretty much everyone, including us, for not investing in the program and NIL. That criticism changed the course of the football program and I believe it is a proof point on the view that UConn is almost always successful when invested and given a level playing field.

 

[CL82]

I believe we would need 12 votes for the B12.

You're probably right. I was basing that on a quick scan of the article Dan posted.

 

[Jetskies]

I'm at the point where i am feeling that no one will add us as long as we're the shy girl sitting in the corner of the gym at the dance. We're ignorable and so the message is clear - become unignorable.

to get in the P4, just gotta forget about the P4, and focus harder than ever on nothing more than winning against better and better... and better opponents. It's a mountain to climb, but we have climbed mountains before. So... we do it.

Next up (in no particular order):

• beat a top 25 (P4) program (not liberty 2022)
• schedule a reasonable P2 big brand and beat them (ole miss? auburn? wisconsin?)
  • reasonable, as in a reach but a doable reach... not Ohio State and Oregon.
• go 12-0 or 11-1
• make the CFP
• consistently send skill position players to the NFL draft (not just linemen)
  • linemen alone means we had a bad year; skill position guys means we put up serious points and won games.
• get in & win the pop tarts bowl, or similarly prestigious non-CFP bowl

as long as we're the one knocking on the door to a conference, they won't let us in because they know we're available (psychology is stupid, i know) --- so, keep kicking *** and become the belle of the ball. The phone calls will come on their own. The goals above are hard enough for a program with P4 money, and we're being forced to do it in the desert. Which is why we can. <3