UConn to Big XII Imminent?

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Greg Flugar said Allstate may want a New York City market presence if they sponsor the B12. (good news for UConn) Also, even if UConn not voted on in 2024, B12 vote is possible in 2025.

I've been thinking both the conference naming rights and a potential Big12 Network would tip things in our favor.

 

[CL82]

Well this certainly isn't going to help. I expect nothing from UConn football and yet I still didn't expect this in year three of Mora. It looks like he's never coached a football game before and it looks like these kids are learning a new sport.

It's more the talent gap then anything. We are slower and weaker

Believe it, or not, I actually felt like there were some encouraging signs. I felt like our athleticism has stepped up a little bit in the coaching during some stretches, didn't seem like it was being randomized via dice throws.

Baby steps.

 

[CL82]

I think Butler, other than us, are the only schools that don't have a priest on the bench.

Well, Georgetown definitely should. Otherwise, they don't have a prayer.

 

[KryHavok]

Looks like a bunch of NIL mercenaries.

I would have preferred mercenaries since they should be somewhat hungry for action and a chance to prove themselves. What we have seen so far is something far from that.

 

[CL82]

We don't have a guaranteed rivalry in the BE either. Let's face it.

We don't have a rival, yet, I hear other fan bases, talking about how they perceive us as being their rival. it sounds arrogant to say it, but I think it's more true than not, we are everyone's Super Bowl.

 

[bendm]

Butler is not a "Catholic school".

I think Butler, other than us, are the only schools that don't have a priest on the bench.

It was founded as a Christian school

 

[GoKU]

Greg Flugar said Allstate may want a New York City market presence if they sponsor the B12. (good news for UConn) Also, even if UConn not voted on in 2024, B12 vote is possible in 2025.

This. It would have been nice if the UConn/Big 12 stuff wasn't leaked, Yormark is still working it through, and has been for months. It makes everyone look bad when it's leaked before it's done.

 

[RSTuthill]

Greg Flugar said Allstate may want a New York City market presence if they sponsor the B12. (good news for UConn) Also, even if UConn not voted on in 2024, B12 vote is possible in 2025.

UConn should set some conditions. AFTER the FB season. No talking before.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

This. It would have been nice if the UConn/Big 12 stuff wasn't leaked, Yormark is still working it through, and has been for months. It makes everyone look bad when it's leaked before it's done.

Yes that leak was terrible. It created much drama about the situation when it's not needed.

UConn is being dragged through the mud by a bunch of people that know very little about UConn or how realignment works. The only thing they see is the pitiful football team while ignoring everything else about UConn. It out a bunch of pressure on the negotiation when it's not needed.

Looking back, the leak was just terrible. It was nothing imminent about the situation when everything was still in negotiation.

 

[RSTuthill]

Yes that leak was terrible. It created much drama about the situation when it's not needed.

UConn is being dragged through the mud by a bunch of people that know very little about UConn or how realignment works. The only thing they see is the pitiful football team while ignoring everything else about UConn. It out a bunch of pressure on the negotiation when it's not needed.

Looking back, the leak was just terrible. It was nothing intermittent about the situation when everything was still in negotiation.

My theory is that B12 negotiation news is corrosive to FB success. Wish they had waited until after the season.

Btw, I think you meant to type imminent, not intermittent.

 

[alphasigko]

UConn should set some conditions. AFTER the FB season. No talking before.

With what leverage?

 

[gsmooth]

Yes that leak was terrible. It created much drama about the situation when it's not needed.

UConn is being dragged through the mud by a bunch of people that know very little about UConn or how realignment works. The only thing they see is the pitiful football team while ignoring everything else about UConn. It out a bunch of pressure on the negotiation when it's not needed.

Looking back, the leak was just terrible. It was nothing imminent about the situation when everything was still in negotiation.

I know people here skewer Mark Zanetto on Locked on UConn. I have no issue with him and I appreciate him pushing out content. However, even when he said the word "imminent" my first reaction was "sure whatever". Conference realignment and recruiting news deserve the same mindset that I always give it, "it's not a done deal because some podcasters and fans think it's a done deal. It's a done deal when it actually is a done deal." Anything is else is massive hearsay.

 

[RSTuthill]

With what leverage?

Simply not run down to Dallas to make presentations until after the season.

 

[jostar1]

I've been thinking both the conference naming rights and a potential Big12 Network would tip things in our favor.

Re conference naming rights---it would be helpful if Yormark could get a price for conference naming rights with and without UConn so he had some concrete numbers to show the Presidents.

Potential Big 12 Network---Rather than a network, I wonder if ESPN's regional sports network strategy and it's direct-to-consumer version is the reason that they want UConn now. DTC is coming in the Fall of 2025. When we were in the AAC, it was said that ESPN wanted UConn women's basketball fans for its start-up ESPN+.

"Beyond acting as a key hedge against cord-cutting and the winnowing of the traditional cable bundle, a full DTC version of ESPN is also predicated on a full set of features. The forthcoming service will include all ESPN networks, including ESPN+, embedded within it, along with full integration with ESPN fantasy and ESPN Bet, statistics, merchandising and commerce, and personalized features.

“Flagship [DTC] is a top priority for ESPN. It’s a top priority for the Walt Disney Company,” Pitaro said. “It’s an understatement to say we have all hands on deck from a product and development perspective.”

The flagship DTC version of ESPN is also eyed as a key tool in the regional sports strategy with its ability to geotarget users."

ESPN's Pitaro: RSN Turmoil An Opportunity For More Local Games

 

[Bongo Fury]

I would have preferred mercenaries since they should be somewhat hungry for action and a chance to prove themselves. What we have seen so far is something far from that.

Fair enough. Hope they can pull it together.

 

[huskymedic]

Assisted

 

[HuskyHawk]

It's both but the coaching is abominable. No discipline with the players, horrible defensive schemes, horrible play calling, then there is the tackling. Why can't these kids tackle year after year? That's not a talent thing. We were told we upgraded a great deal talentwise through the portal.

I accept the talent gap. I didn’t expect to win or come close. But many FCS teams with what should be worse talent than UConn, would have been better than we were. I don’t know if it’s roster turnover, lack of practice or not enough coaches, but it’s not just talent. I don’t think Mora is a bad coach, but there the team looks like they don’t know what the hell they are doing.

 

[HuskyHawk]

We don't have a guaranteed rivalry in the BE either. Let's face it.

If the Big East grew to where the B1G is now, Syracuse would be pitted against Georgetown, Seton Hall vs. St. John's, and we'd get PC.

Also, it may be that PSU and USC chose one another for rivalries. We'll see in the future. PSU and USC did 4 different home and homes (8 games) over a span of 20+ years (1990-2015) until the B1G started ballooning in size.

This is one of the reasons I support the move. Our biggest rival right now is probably a team in Omaha. Changing that to a team in Lawrence isn’t any more geographically challenging. Our next closest rival now is in Milwaukee. Let’s not pretend that there are a bunch of great local rivalries now. There’s PC and maybe St. John’s, but they will go back to being terrible when their ancient coach retires. It’s possible that Villanova recovers, but it is possible they become what Georgetown has been for 20 years.

So many traditional rivals have been split up. You need to forge new ones.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

This is one of the reasons I support the move. Our biggest rival right now is probably a team in Omaha. Changing that to a team in Lawrence isn’t any more geographically challenging. Our next closest rival now is in Milwaukee. Let’s not pretend that there are a bunch of great local rivalries now. There’s PC and maybe St. John’s, but they will go back to being terrible when their ancient coach retires. It’s possible that Villanova recovers, but it is possible they become what Georgetown has been for 20 years.

So many traditional rivals have been split up. You need to forge new ones.

Agreed - the Old Big East was absolutely the best and there's no arguement. However, staying in this version of the Big East within the future landscape will put our basketball jewels in peril. A move has to be made into a power conference or we'll slowly decay into irrelevance. Sad, but true. And perhaps even sadder is that the local media and politicians don't get it. Hell, they need to not just get it, but need to become cheerleaders for our future.

 

[superjohn]

This is one of the reasons I support the move. Our biggest rival right now is probably a team in Omaha. Changing that to a team in Lawrence isn’t any more geographically challenging. Our next closest rival now is in Milwaukee. Let’s not pretend that there are a bunch of great local rivalries now. There’s PC and maybe St. John’s, but they will go back to being terrible when their ancient coach retires. It’s possible that Villanova recovers, but it is possible they become what Georgetown has been for 20 years.

So many traditional rivals have been split up. You need to forge new ones.

I think you're selling Nova, PC, and St. John's short. I'll never understand the Neptune hire and why he's still there but I don't see Nova falling off the map. Programs go through lulls, hey it happened to us. Louisville is going through it. Nova is all about basketball and even with the changing landscape I don't see them going away. Their NIL is huge and they have enough money people supporting the program along with some really good NBA players who are all about their alma mater. Providence has really stepped up their NIL and it's the only game in town, their fanbase is rabid and they continue to get players. St. John's after being lost for a long time has a renewed commitment to basketball and financial backing. Georgetown, I'll never quite understand. They should be great but their obsession with never moving on from John Thompson has destroyed them.

Even with all the changes as long as something crazy doesn't happen and the NCAA tournament is scrapped I don't see these Big East schools being marginalized. They are basketball schools, it's their identity and not having to worry about football and the money that goes along with it should enable them to keep strong in basketball.

 

[FearThePups]

Agreed - the Old Big East was absolutely the best and there's no arguement. However, staying in this version of the Big East within the future landscape will put our basketball jewels in peril. A move has to be made into a power conference or we'll slowly decay into irrelevance. Sad, but true. And perhaps even sadder is that the local media and politicians don't get it. Hell, they need to not just get it, but need to become cheerleaders for our future.

Seriously? Wasn’t yesterday’s beatdown against a mediocre Big 10 team enough proof why the B12 doesn’t want us? This never ending discussion is moot until we can field a respectable (meaning not getting massacred) team. The problem is the administration and AD don’t have a clue on how to hire a successful and winning coach for football. See the history of our head coach revolving door with no appreciable results.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Seriously? Wasn’t yesterday’s beatdown against a mediocre Big 10 team enough proof why the B12 doesn’t want us? This never ending discussion is moot until we can field a respectable (meaning not getting massacred) team. The problem is the administration and AD don’t have a clue on how to hire a successful and winning coach for football. See the history of our head coach revolving door with no appreciable results.

It's not about whether our football program becomes P3/P4 competitive. It's about being left behind in a non-power conference. The power conferences already have a peeking order within them (see SEC/Big10....gap.... ACC/Big12) as evidenced by FSU being shunned from the CFP, TCU making the CFP final game and being laughingstocked. The same schism is starting to show in basketball -- Big East bubble teams left behind last year, the Big East not being in as many conference showdowns, etc. When the incredible financial pressures of the House case (and the others that will follow) become too much for the power conferences to stomach, they will power play their way to snatch more of basketball revenues from the non- power conferences. It's not if, it's when.

 

[GoConn]

btw anyone who thinks our loss to Maryland matters in this is dead wrong. It was literally one single game, the total final record is what will matter.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I think you're selling Nova, PC, and St. John's short. I'll never understand the Neptune hire and why he's still there but I don't see Nova falling off the map. Programs go through lulls, hey it happened to us. Louisville is going through it. Nova is all about basketball and even with the changing landscape I don't see them going away. Their NIL is huge and they have enough money people supporting the program along with some really good NBA players who are all about their alma mater. Providence has really stepped up their NIL and it's the only game in town, their fanbase is rabid and they continue to get players. St. John's after being lost for a long time has a renewed commitment to basketball and financial backing. Georgetown, I'll never quite understand. They should be great but their obsession with never moving on from John Thompson has destroyed them.

Even with all the changes as long as something crazy doesn't happen and the NCAA tournament is scrapped I don't see these Big East schools being marginalized. They are basketball schools, it's their identity and not having to worry about football and the money that goes along with it should enable them to keep strong in basketball.

In all candor, I'm not sure any BE basketball programs beyond Nova and UConn carry a whole lot of weight outside of their own fan bases and fan bases of other BE schools.

I also don't really see any BE school beyond us being able to make a serious run at a title for the forseeable future.

I am far from pleased that Yormark decided now to take another run at us as I don't see what his big hurry was. If he waited a year or two, everything would have been similar and we would have had more time to attempt to stabilize the football program (which wouldn't join until 2031 anyway). It would be insignificant in either direction if we were to have remained in the BE for all other sports for an additional year or two and we wouldn't be constantly under a microscope with the general public viewing us as hoping to build a good enough football program to promote ourselves out of the BE, which is exactly the way we will be viewed going forward.