UConn to Big XII Imminent?

[DFW HOYA]

A real slap in the face. About damn time they help us out.

As opposed to the other ten schools that they made a seven year commitment with?

 

[ZooCougar]

As opposed to the other ten schools that they made a seven year commitment with?

You’ll still get paid what you are worth.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

I am confident we gonna get the votes needed to get in. Why?

1. They want us to establish the Eastern beachfront. This will allow the B12 to grab teams from the ACC when it implodes. Also, B12 removed us as a potential backfill piece when FSU and Clemson leave.

2. We will help with the best basketball conference marketing effort.

3. We come in revenue neutral meaning no team will take a financial haircut.

4. We were penciled in the last time according to Iowa ST AD until the 4 corner school happened. B12 was going to invite us with Colorado had the PAC-12 stayed together.

5. We give them a presence in the NYC. This is huge for the B12 and Yormark. NYC is still the mecca for basketball.

6. Presidents love to be associated with top academic schools, and we would be the highest ranked academic schools in the B12 from day 1.

Now we just need to wait for the good news.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Why is a fake Josh Gattis account reporting this news and why is Borges quoting it?

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Interesting article I thought I’d drop here on how much it would cost to leave the Big East.

 

[CL82]

I am confident we gonna get the votes needed to get in. Why?

1. They want us to establish the Eastern beachfront. This will allow the B12 to grab teams from the ACC when it implodes. Also, B12 removed us as a potential backfill piece when FSU and Clemson leave.

2. We will help with the best basketball conference marketing effort.

3. We come in revenue neutral meaning no team will take a financial haircut.

4. We were penciled in the last time according to Iowa ST AD until the 4 corner school happened. B12 was going to invite us with Colorado had the PAC-12 stayed together.

5. We give them a presence in the NYC. This is huge for the B12 and Yormark. NYC is still the mecca for basketball.

6. Presidents love to be associated with top academic schools, and we would be the highest ranked academic schools in the B12 from day 1.

Now we just need to wait for the good news.

 

[bendm]

Does anyone know what they’re voting on?

If you’ve read the tweets in this thread then you’re as informed as anyone. It seems that they’re voting on UConn as an Olympic sports member as soon as 26 and football by 31, provided we hit some financial milestones. We have no other details other than a ballpark of $15mill/year until full membership. People are hoping for a football scheduling agreement in the meantime

 

[ZooCougar]

I am confident we gonna get the votes needed to get in. Why?

1. They want us to establish the Eastern beachfront. This will allow the B12 to grab teams from the ACC when it implodes. Also, B12 removed us as a potential backfill piece when FSU and Clemson leave.

2. We will help with the best basketball conference marketing effort.

3. We come in revenue neutral meaning no team will take a financial haircut.

4. We were penciled in the last time according to Iowa ST AD until the 4 corner school happened. B12 was going to invite us with Colorado had the PAC-12 stayed together.

5. We give them a presence in the NYC. This is huge for the B12 and Yormark. NYC is still the mecca for basketball.

6. Presidents love to be associated with top academic schools, and we would be the highest ranked academic schools in the B12 from day 1.

Now we just need to wait for the good news.

That’s a take.

It only it were so simple.

 

[ninety-nine]

As opposed to the other ten schools that they made a seven year commitment with?

I get that it serves the Big East's interest to hang onto UConn as long as possible, even if it means we get frozen out of big-time sports in the long run and our programs get left behind. But keep in mind that it was the private Catholic non-FBS schools that, for understandable reasons, made the decision to leave the Big East and split from the FBS schools (acknowledging Georgetown was the only one who voted against it). The Big East with football was GREAT for UConn. But 10 years after UConn had, at the Big East's behest, upgraded its football program at tremendous expense, including building a state-funded stadium, the non-football-schools essentially flipped the script on us. They put a gun to UConn's head and made us choose between dropping FBS football and pretty much just taking a loss on that entire investment (which was going very well at the time), or trying to go our own way while retaining football. We did not want to be in either situation, but we made the logical choice, and the AAC wound up being a poor cultural fit for us, especially after Louisville got poached. All of our sports programs suffered (except women's hoops maybe).

It certainly helped both UConn and the Big East for us to rejoin in 2020, but it's not like the Big East didn't write very onerous terms into UConn's contract that account for the likelihood that UConn would eventually leave for a suitable football-playing conference. It's not unreasonable for UConn to try to survive and be what it wants to be, which is a state flagship university that has top-flight sports programs, including football. Other states get to do that. Why not us? UConn fans love the Big East rivalries, but the remaining schools are fundamentally very different from UConn, and we can't be in the same exact boat forever.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

I get that it serves the Big East's interest to hang onto UConn as long as possible, even if it means we get frozen out of big-time sports in the long run and our programs get left behind. But keep in mind that it was the private Catholic non-FBS schools that, for understandable reasons, made the decision to leave the Big East and split from the FBS schools (acknowledging Georgetown was the only one who voted against it). The Big East with football was GREAT for UConn. But 10 years after UConn had, at the Big East's behest, upgraded its football program at tremendous expense, including building a state-funded stadium, the non-football-schools essentially flipped the script on us. They put a gun to UConn's head and made us choose between dropping FBS football and pretty much just taking a loss on that entire investment (which was going very well at the time), or trying to go our own way while retaining football. We did not want to be in either situation, but we made the logical choice, and the AAC wound up being a poor cultural fit for us, especially after Louisville got poached. All of our sports programs suffered (except women's hoops maybe).

It certainly helped both UConn and the Big East for us to rejoin in 2020, but it's not like the Big East didn't write very onerous terms into UConn's contract that account for the likelihood that UConn would eventually leave for a suitable football-playing conference. It's not unreasonable for UConn to try to survive and be what it wants to be, which is a state flagship university that has top-flight sports programs, including football. Other states get to do that. Why not us? UConn fans love the Big East rivalries, but the remaining schools are fundamentally very different from UConn, and we can't be in the same exact boat forever.

The latest Big East media deal is the final nail in the coffin. We simply can't survive on a $8M per year payout since it doesn't even cover Hurley's salary. If it was $12M to $15M per year, it would be a tougher choice.

We simply need to survive.

 

[jostar1]

Did anyone notice that in the Gary Parrish Matt Norlander video, Norlander said that UConn wouldn't get a full share of football money when they join in 2031? I thought we were getting a full share in 2031.
He says it at 3:57.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Intentional or not sabotage is the effect.

I really don’t like this so out in the open.

I disagree. Stuff takes time, and taking time means more people will find out. The chance of one of the people telling an outsider goes up dramatically as the number of people "in the know" go up. In other words, the Big 12 knew it would leak.

I would like an accelerated process, but I am sure that every time a league considers an accelerated process, someone points out that Rutgers is in the Big 10 and Louisville is in the ACC, showing that massive errors are possible if a league doesn't think expansion through.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Did anyone notice that in the Gary Parrish Matt Norlander video, Norlander said that UConn wouldn't get a full share of football money when they join in 2031? I thought we were getting a full share in 2031.
He says it at 3:57.

Reporters are negotiating with themselves over how little UConn will get. Within a few days, every Boneyard poster will be on the hook for $10,000/year according to "reports".

 

[UCsports]

Did anyone notice that in the Gary Parrish Matt Norlander video, Norlander said that UConn wouldn't get a full share of football money when they join in 2031? I thought we were getting a full share in 2031.
He says it at 3:57.

These are the types of details that need to be worked out. UConn can definitely get an invite if uconn agrees to very favorable terms for the big 12, but what UConn wants is a reasonable compromise. Most in the big 12 are willing to meet in the middle, but the key is convincing almost all or all to meet in the middle in order to maintain cohesion within the conference. Some schools want UConn to essentially prove that uconn can win in football before joining the conference and receiving a full share of tv money while most schools are fine with UConn simply showing significant monetary investment first before getting a full and equal share of money.

 

[John]

Interesting article I thought I’d drop here on how much it would cost to leave the Big East.

it's more costly not to do it.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

it's more costly not to do it.

Can someone show me what the business model for college football will be in 2027 with a pro forma income statement? I bet there is not an athletic director in the country that can do that. So how do we have any idea whether it is more costly or not to stay or go?

 

[UConnJim]

I said this in another post. The last time UConn was in discussion to join the Big 12 in 2023, it was as the 14th school to add with Colorado which is an easy decision. (Of course when Arizona, Arizona St., and Utah became available, UConn was out.) This time, UConn would be the 17th school which means it is part of a larger future strategy for the Big 12 which is more complicated. Add in the Big 12 is a new group of schools working together for one of the first times and I would expect a slow process. I also think some of the ACC schools have reached out to the Big 12 AD and schools to make sure there is a place for them if the ACC blows up which would further complicate the decision process.

 

[jostar1]

It feels like this has culminated. It’s a good thing to not vote just yet, maybe this gets revisited in a few months when basketball is in full swing.

Norlander said it won't be completed even by the middle of September.

 

[John]

Can someone show me what the business model for college football will be in 2027 with a pro forma income statement? I bet there is not an athletic director in the country that can do that. So how do we have any idea whether it is more costly or not to stay or go?

we know you'd rather be Seton Hall North, you don't have to keep saying it.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

guarantee the 6 are, UCF, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Kansas, Houston, and Arizona

I think schools that would be easier to convince Baylor, Tech, Iowa State

I think the most important votes, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, and TCU

if it's 2 no's those are Utah and Arizona State who's presidents don't seem to happy being in the conference as is

I would hope Bobby Hurley is lobbying for us and will do what Zona tells them. I have them in my yes and Houston in the maybe column.

K State will do what Kansas tells them. I thought it was very random they came up to Elliot for a midweek baseball game now maybe that was less obvious? Ok State is interesting. Tech, TCU and Iowa State are high on basketball so they should like us. Houston owes a lot to being associated with us in the AAC. What were they before we teamed up? They were butt.

I have Utah who doesn’t even want to be there and Colorado as the no votes right now.

 

[gsmooth]

I disagree. Stuff takes time, and taking time means more people will find out. The chance of one of the people telling an outsider goes up dramatically as the number of people "in the know" go up. In other words, the Big 12 knew it would leak.

I would like an accelerated process, but I am sure that every time a league considers an accelerated process, someone points out that Rutgers is in the Big 10 and Louisville in the ACC, showing that, especially with Boston College to the ACC, massive errors are possible if a league doesn't think expansion through.

This post is correct, but I made one small fix.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

A one time exit fee is not going to stop anything when you’re going to make exponentially more money.

 

[uconndogs]

Can someone show me what the business model for college football will be in 2027 with a pro forma income statement? I bet there is not an athletic director in the country that can do that. So how do we have any idea whether it is more costly or not to stay or go?

I never thought Nelson and I would be so fully aligned on an issue, but we are on this one. This is a total quagmire and no one is going to be imune to the potential pain. Right now it is impossible to determine what labor costs will be to be competitive at any given level and that includes the Bamas and Michigans of the world.

Be careful what you wish for........

 

[BlueHen]

it's more costly not to do it.

Agreed. It may cost more at first; but should payoff over time. Also, seems like it's a lot easier to remain a power conference school than it is to become one. If the opportunity to become a P4 school opens up, UConn has to grab it.

 

[jostar1]

The Big Mover and Shaker to Watch in UConn and the Big 12
By Pete Mundo

As the reports continue to surface around the Big 12 Conference exploring expansion with the UConn Huskies, there is one entity in all of this that should not be overlooked.

That would be the Big 12’s consulting firm, Endeavor.

As ESPN’s Pete Thamel initially reported, Big 12 athletic directors and presidents spent time on a call on Monday where the topic of adding UConn to the conference was discussed.

Then, as we first reported at Heartland College Sports on Monday afternoon, a source shared with us that Endeavor, the agency that consults for the Big 12 Conference, handled a big portion of Monday’s presentation to Big 12 athletic directors and Presidents.

Endeavor’s Big 12 History
Endeavor has worked with the Big 12 for nearly all of Brett Yormark‘s tenure as Big 12 Commissioner. At the time Yormark brought on the company in September of 2022, Karen Brodkin, Co-Head, WME Sports and EVP of Content Strategy and Development, Endeavor, said, “We are proud to bring the full power of the Endeavor network to bear for the Big 12. Brett and his team are innovating, upgrading and commercially accelerating value across the full spectrum of Conference assets, including media, content, partnerships, championship events, music, entertainment, international events and Web3, and we look forward to partnering with them to realize all of their ambitions.”

The agency has been previously accused by some as playing puppet master in the conference realignment game.

Endeavor has played a role in the Big 12 branching out and trying new things in the college sports landscape, like helping plan the Kansas vs. Houston game in Mexico.

The forward-thinking company has been a perfect fit for Yormark’s leadership style in the Big 12 as he pushes the limits for what college sports looks like well into the future.

Why UConn for the Big 12?
As Endeavor noted in the meeting on Monday, based on a source I spoke with, the company is high on UConn for the Big 12, as it would give the conference more leverage in its next television deal by incorporating the New York City and New England markets, to go along with the Huskies’ high brand equity.

For those pointing to Rutgers‘ move to the Big Ten as a failed experiment into the NYC media market, these moves are not comparable. Rutgers football is irrelevant compared to UConn basketball. When it comes to college sports in the Northeast, basketball runs the show. And when it comes to running the show in basketball, there’s UConn, and then there’s a drop off to Syracuse, Villanova, St. John’s, etc.

So with the conversations clearly advancing between both sides, there will be a continued push from the Big 12’s top consultants to seriously consider this move. Now, it’s up to the Big 12 athletic directors and presidents to warm up to it.

Big 12 Expansion: Endeavor Promoting UConn as Possible Addition

As the reports continue to surface around the Big 12 Conference exploring expansion with the UConn Huskies, there is one entity in all of this that should not be overlooked. That would be the Big 12’s consulting firm, Endeavor. As ESPN’s Pete Thamel initially reported, Big 12 athletic directors...

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