UConn to Big XII Imminent?

[HuskyHawk]

UConn joining the ACC tilts the balance of basketball to the ACC and makes them the undisputed home of the best basketball in the country.

It also gives football a home for the next 10 years.

It also pays much better than the B12.

The problem with the ACC is SMU. Losing the top 2 to 4 schools is one thing, but being stuck with SMU forever is bizarre and weird.

SMU has a similar problem to ours. We were in a BCS conference, the Big East top tier basketball and football, then it was picked apart and we were left on the sidelines.

SMU was in the SWC, arguably won a NC in football, then they got the death penalty and the SWC got picked apart in 1994 when the SEC and Big Ten decided to negotiate their own TV deals and abandon the CFA. They were left out of what became the original Big XII when the Big 8 added 4 SWC teams. So were Houston and TCU.

I understand the appeal of SMU. Good academics, gobs of money and in the Dallas recruiting market. They have everything Miami has except a more distant winning history. It's no more of a problem than being with Cinci, Houston and UCF in the Big XII. Or Louisville for that matter.

 

[uconn_jack]

You’ll still get paid what you are worth.

Ouch, that was brutal.

 

[upstater]

SMU has a similar problem to ours. We were in a BCS conference, the Big East top tier basketball and football, then it was picked apart and we were left on the sidelines.

SMU was in the SWC, arguably won a NC in football, then they got the death penalty and the SWC got picked apart in 1994 when the SEC and Big Ten decided to negotiate their own TV deals and abandon the CFA. They were left out of what became the original Big XII when the Big 8 added 4 SWC teams. So were Houston and TCU.

I understand the appeal of SMU. Good academics, gobs of money and in the Dallas recruiting market. They have everything Miami has except a more distant winning history. It's no more of a problem than being with Cinci, Houston and UCF in the Big XII. Or Louisville for that matter.

But it is a small school compared to all those schools you mentioned. It's a really niche school. I can only compare it to a Wake Forest or a Boston College.

 

[uconn_jack]

I’m pretty indifferent to changing conferences in general. But those teams would be the closest games to travel too in the Big 12.

Every team except 3 are two time zones away. The competitive disadvantage that we’ll be putting ourselves at would be interesting if we do end up joining.

The disadvantage works both ways and cancels out when they travel to us.

 

[Deleted at users request]

The disadvantage works both ways and cancels out when they travel to us.

They travel to us one time. We will have road trips where we’re constantly going from Storrs to the west back to storrs and back to the west again.

 

[alphasigko]

I don't know. Why do University leaders see it differently than you?

Perhaps because they are clueless?

 

[NEforceUConn]

I don't know. Why do University leaders see it differently than you?

Perhaps they don't have qualified advance degrees?

 

[TheCatsLair]

By my count, the Big12 has spurned us twice: 2016 and 2023. For refresher, this is how we compared back in 2016:
View attachment 103193
How many times do we need conferences to tell us to go screw ourselves? If this week goes by without a vote or invite, the Big12 is solidly in the same category as the ACC regarding UConn's CR woes. Doesn't matter that Yormark is seemingly advocating for us; we're not highly regarded by the voters that count.

The Big Ten has also spurned you numerous times. Would you decline and invite from them?

 

[TheCatsLair]

UConn joining the ACC tilts the balance of basketball to the ACC and makes them the undisputed home of the best basketball in the country.

It also gives football a home for the next 10 years.

It also pays much better than the B12.

The problem with the ACC is SMU. Losing the top 2 to 4 schools is one thing, but being stuck with SMU forever is bizarre and weird.

The Big 12 payout is higher than the ACC's. The Big 12, on average, pays 46 to 47 million per school, the ACC 43 to 44 million per school.

 

[Kolumbo]

They travel to us one time. We will have road trips where we’re constantly going from Storrs to the west back to storrs and back to the west again.

Road trips would include visits to multiple schools per trip in the midwest, south and west so that mitigates the travel issue
Each power conference has more travel now
WVU has been on a remote island since 2012. Now it has Cincy, UCF, hopefully UConn and there will most likely be other eastern programs coming

 

[Deleted at users request]

Road trips would include visits to multiple schools per trip in the midwest, south and west so that mitigates the travel issue
Each power conference has more travel now
WVU has been on a remote island since 2012. Now it has Cincy, UCF, hopefully UConn and there will most likely be other eastern programs coming

Is that how it works in college hoops? Like if there’s a game Sunday, Wednesday, Sunday we would travel straight to the other places?

Yeah it’s an issue that all the power conferences have to deal with. Only the SEC still makes sense geographically because they really only added the Texas schools which are right there.

Those PAC-12 schools that joined the Big Ten are going to rack up MILES though.

 

[TheCatsLair]

Conference realignment is a perfect example of why egotistical blowhards should stay out of important business decisions.

The only smart dealers have been the SEC.
B1G screwed up with Rutgers but could afford to make that mistake - whether their West coast move works is yet to be determined.
Both are vulnerable to greed. Sooner or later the power teams will start complaining about the Indiana’s and Minnesota’s not contributing.

Big 12 seems passable. But grabbing UCF and BYU is dumb. They probably didn’t think PAC schools would be available so soon.

ACC has been stupid from the start. UWV and Cincinnati should be there with UConn. Tulane would’ve be much wiser than CalTex.

BYU raised the Big 12 per school payout by 2 million per school. That's not a guess, that was reported by industry experts to The Athletic. UCF provided access to the Florida market as well as a program that had been successful in football along with BYU. The Big 12 TV deal was so high mainly thanks to access to markets like Ohio, Houston and Florida and a solid brand like BYU. If the Legacy 8 had simply merged with the Four Corners the deal would have been smaller. Fox wanted the more Eastern schools and BYU. If they wanted the Four Corners they would have paid for the Pac.

 

[upstater]

The Big 12 payout is higher than the ACC's. The Big 12, on average, pays 46 to 47 million per school, the ACC 43 to 44 million per school.

You're counting the buy-ins and the reduced payouts. You have to do the average of the contract which is 29.375m.

The ACC's contract is ramping up now will easily exceed the B12.

The real questions is what happens to the 2 conferences in 2031 & 32.

The ACC has the coastline and dense people-heavy markets. But will they stay together? If they do, they'll easily beat the B12 as far as $$ is concerned

 

[KryHavok]

The Big Ten has also spurned you numerous times. Would you decline and invite from them?

What are you talking about? There was never a public courtship between the BIG and UConn. Yes, they took Rutgers over UConn, but nobody here is shocked that the BIG never voted on UConn as we were never a serious candidate for them. Now, IF they were to invite UConn, the answer is yes before the question is finished, but that is not what is going on here.

 

[upstater]

BYU raised the Big 12 per school payout by 2 million per school. That's not a guess, that was reported by industry experts to The Athletic. UCF provided access to the Florida market as well as a program that had been successful in football along with BYU. The Big 12 TV deal was so high mainly thanks to access to markets like Ohio, Houston and Florida and a solid brand like BYU. If the Legacy 8 had simply merged with the Four Corners the deal would have been smaller. Fox wanted the more Eastern schools and BYU. If they wanted the Four Corners they would have paid for the Pac.

Again, you have to consider the half payouts and the buy-ins. It's inflating the per school payout for the old-timers.

The fairest way to do this would be to look at the conference's total payout and divide that by the members.

The ACC is the same way with SMU not getting any money and also paying in.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

But it is a small school compared to all those schools you mentioned. It's a really niche school. I can only compare it to a Wake Forest or a Boston College.

And, Baylor and TCU. Historically, 3 heavily regional, small private schools, each with fairly large endowments, relatively affluent student populations, etc. More recently, each broadening regular student recruiting to more national target markets.

 

[Kolumbo]

Is that how it works in college hoops? Like if there’s a game Sunday, Wednesday, Sunday we would travel straight to the other places?

Yeah it’s an issue that all the power conferences have to deal with. Only the SEC still makes sense geographically because they really only added the Texas schools which are right there.

Those PAC-12 schools that joined the Big Ten are going to rack up MILES though.

I'm pretty sure that's how it works. I am sure UConn would travel to the Kansases or the Texas programs during the same trips.

The biggest frauds are Stanford and Cal. Their travel was bad enough in the PAC 12. Now they will be traveling to the Atlantic Coast all year. Perhaps on solar powered jets.

 

[uconnyankee]

I'm pretty sure that's how it works. I am sure UConn would travel to the Kansases or the Texas programs during the same trips.

The biggest frauds are Stanford and Cal. Their travel was bad enough in the PAC 12. Now they will be traveling to the Atlantic Coast all year. Perhaps on solar powered jets.

No. I think there is a plan to utilize SMU as halfway point and play games there (Olympic sports)

 

[noeynox]

Perhaps because they are clueless?

Or maybe you are. These people have access to information the rest of those don't and continue to try and make this happen. That should be clue #1 for you.

 

[Deleted at users request]

I'm pretty sure that's how it works. I am sure UConn would travel to the Kansases or the Texas programs during the same trips.

The biggest frauds are Stanford and Cal. Their travel was bad enough in the PAC 12. Now they will be traveling to the Atlantic Coast all year. Perhaps on solar powered jets.

That would be helpful.

And yeah they’re nuts. Their programs are bad enough as is without sending them to the opposite coast all season. The jetlag is going to be insane.

 

[Stinger92860]

You’ll still get paid what you are worth.

Actually I believe you get paid what someone else believes you are worth. Interesting example: Home buyers offering more than the listed price of the house.

It appears that the B12 advisory firm believes UConn is worth the add, as does Yormark.

 

[Kolumbo]

Actually I believe you get paid what someone else believes you are worth. Interesting example: Home buyers offering more than the listed price of the house.

It appears that the B12 advisory firm believes UConn is worth the add, as does Yormark.

Right now houses are going for well over asking because of low inventory. Sounds to me like the Big 12 should be ponying up a premium for UConn.

Last we heard was meetings were continuing yesterday. Do we have any updates or have discussions paused?

 

[huskymedic]

Last we heard was meetings were continuing yesterday. Do we have any updates or have discussions paused?

I’m not sure about that… which article had that. Last I saw discussion continued and that nothing/vote was imminent (I was reading that as discussions/not meetings.

There is so much rehash of the same day just to stretch a story…

 

[HuskyHawk]

And, Baylor and TCU. Historically, 3 heavily regional, small private schools, each with fairly large endowments, relatively affluent student populations, etc. More recently, each broadening regular student recruiting to more national target markets.

Baylor is pretty good sized and made the original cut for the Big XII with UT, A&M and TT when the Big 8 raided the SWC. TCU, SMU, Houston and Rice did not.

In any event, it doesn't matter. UConn isn't landing in any conference where all the schools are the ones most like UConn. None of these conferences have schools less like UConn than the Big East already does.

I can arguments for the ACC or Big XII. For me, being with KU and K-State would be cool and being back with BC, Pitt and Syracuse would as well. Once I'm part time in SC, Clemson would be a plus if they stay. But the truth is we go with whoever invites us.

 

[CL82]

I can arguments for the ACC or Big XII

Which is the better choice? The one that actually invites us.