UConn to the Big East?

[shizzle787]

I am sure that's why they're aiming for an NFL team. They can support a full franchise there as of now. Tickets sell for 100 pounds and above for each game.

It's a novelty and once or twice a year. They can't support eight home games.

 

[Adios]

It's a novelty and once or twice a year. They can't support eight home games.

3 games a year now and going to four next season. And they all sold out, except 2. You're way behind.

 

[shizzle787]

3 games a year now and going to four next season. And they all sold out, except 2. You're way behind.

They didn't even sell them all out. Ouch. Do you know what happens when you don't sell out. Blackout. Very few teams around here have that problem. 3/4 games featuring teams from the US is one thing. 8 games featuring a London team where most people who follow the sport are already fans of another team is not going to work.

 

[Adios]

They didn't even sell them all out. Ouch. Do you know what happens when you don't sell out. Blackout. Very few teams around here have that problem. 3/4 games featuring teams from the US is one thing. 8 games featuring a London team where most people who follow the sport are already fans of another team is not going to work.

They actually sold out all but one. I was mistaken. I do something called research.

NFL Games in London Sell Out Every Time and Still Lose Money

"League says U.K. capital has become a top-five market for NFL". Internet search engines are quite useful tools.

 

[shizzle787]

They actually sold out all but one. I was mistaken. I do something called research.

NFL Games in London Sell Out Every Time and Still Lose Money

"League says U.K. capital has become a top-five market for NFL". Internet search engines are quite useful tools.

Especially when your own link says and "still lose money."

 

[Bobol]

It's pretty simple.

The American Athletic Conference is trivializing UConn men's basketball program.

UConn lacks commonality with most AAC schools and lacks a geographic rival.

If UConn men's basketball team remains indefinitely in the AAC then it will lose it's prestige and continued to be devalued.

Capisce?

 

[nomar]

Especially when your own link says and "still lose money."

For now.

That’s going to change quickly, Waller said. By continuing to play games in London -- and making them free to watch via the BBC -- the NFL has succeeded in slowly building a fan base. Half of the fans who went to a game at Wembley last year had been to a previous football game, and one-third bought tickets to the full series.

With enough fans, Waller said, “media values go up, your sponsor values go up and the commercial side of the arrangement reaches scale.”

I'm not saying I agree it's a good idea, but the games are popular and getting more popular.

But, anyway, UConn to the Big East!

 

[shizzle787]

For now.

That’s going to change quickly, Waller said. By continuing to play games in London -- and making them free to watch via the BBC -- the NFL has succeeded in slowly building a fan base. Half of the fans who went to a game at Wembley last year had been to a previous football game, and one-third bought tickets to the full series.

With enough fans, Waller said, “media values go up, your sponsor values go up and the commercial side of the arrangement reaches scale.”

I'm not saying I agree it's a good idea, but the games are popular and getting more popular.

But, anyway, UConn to the Big East!

The point that Butch is missing is that while it may be gaining a little in popularity in the UK (due to being new and cool), it is dying in the US (it's actual home) due to concussions, CTE, parents not allowing their kids to play, etc. The Ivy just starting using mechanical dummies in practice as opposed to other human beings for practice. The Ivy League, the arguable birthplace of football, just canned tackling in practice.

 

[upstater]

Except the B1G TV contract is worth almost 20x the AAC one and that softens the travel blow quite a bit.

BE = Big East.

I was referring to the Big East, not the B1G.

Obviously, I like the B1G more than the AAC.

 

[dennismenace]

I mean in the AAC you have:

-UConn is an elite program
-Cincinnati is a perennial top 25 team
-Memphis and Temple who have some tradition of being very good teams, usually pretty consistent, too. Tulsa's probably the penultimate mediocre team.
-While it's kind of hard to say where SMU is right now, Houston and Tulane are doing a lot of the right things and should only stand to get better.
-UCF, USF and East Carolina are atrocious.

In the Big East you have:

-Villanova is an elite program
-Xavier, Creighton, Butler, Georgetown (less so) and Marquette are perennial top 25 teams
-Providence has a some tradition of being a very good team, fairly consistent.
-Seton Hall and St John's have been mostly bad, but at least have some tradition, some brand recognition and a natural rivalry with UConn.
-DePaul is, was and always will be awful.

I would have to think that in addition to the above comments that recruiting would be easier for KO in the Big East
because of the quality of opponents. This would help keep the quality of our BB program up while football can hopefully rebuild. Unfortunately, we may not be on the Big East's "top ten teams we'd like to have" list as others have mentioned.
So by going there we're with another elite program. Instead of one perennial top 25 opponent we have four or five. Even the bad teams are teams we have history with, geographic location, etc. You know - and Providence.

I DO think the AAC stands to continue to improve. I really do. But it's not the Big East and right now - I just don't think there's much of a discussion which place would be better for UConn hoops. There just isn't.

 

[A10 fan]

What will happen to the UConn women. The BE is a mid major in women's hoops. UConn blew away DePaul, the best team in the BE, which also lost to Temple, the third best team in the AAC. Last year in the NCAA Tournament, in a game played at Gampel, Duquesne, the third best team in the A10, blew out Seton Hall, the third best team in the BE. The Dukes also had a 19 point win over St. John's, the second best BE team, during the regular season. The A10 is no women's powerhouse, so what does that make the BE? In the BE, you'll be longing for the days when USF, and Temple were on the schedule. Nothing less than the P5 is going to work for the women.

 

[HooperScooper]

What will happen to the UConn women. The BE is a mid major in women's hoops. UConn blew away DePaul, the best team in the BE, which also lost to Temple, the third best team in the AAC. Last year in the NCAA Tournament, in a game played at Gampel, Duquesne, the third best team in the A10, blew out Seton Hall, the third best team in the BE. The Dukes also had a 19 point win over St. John's, the second best BE team, during the regular season. The A10 is no women's powerhouse, so what does that make the BE? In the BE, you'll be longing for the days when USF, and Temple were on the schedule. Nothing less than the P5 is going to work for the women.

Well first off, nobody thinks of women's basketball in any of these conference realignments. It's irrelevant.

Second, have you seen what the UConn women have done in the AAC? They haven't lost a game in the almost 4 seasons in the conference. And their average margin of victory is probably about 35. So what's the difference if they're in the BE? No losses and an average margin of victory of 45 instead? The women wouldn't be challenged very much no matter what conference they were in.

 

[CTBasketball]

What will happen to the UConn women. The BE is a mid major in women's hoops. UConn blew away DePaul, the best team in the BE, which also lost to Temple, the third best team in the AAC. Last year in the NCAA Tournament, in a game played at Gampel, Duquesne, the third best team in the A10, blew out Seton Hall, the third best team in the BE. The Dukes also had a 19 point win over St. John's, the second best BE team, during the regular season. The A10 is no women's powerhouse, so what does that make the BE? In the BE, you'll be longing for the days when USF, and Temple were on the schedule. Nothing less than the P5 is going to work for the women.

Nothing. This post made me cringe.

 

[A10 fan]

Well first off, nobody thinks of women's basketball in any of these conference realignments. It's irrelevant.

Second, have you seen what the UConn women have done in the AAC? They haven't lost a game in the almost 4 seasons in the conference. And their average margin of victory is probably about 35. So what's the difference if they're in the BE? No losses and an average margin of victory of 45 instead? The women wouldn't be challenged very much no matter what conference they were in.

All of this is true, but as long as the status quo holds, the P5 dream stays alive. Once you blow up football, the dream is over. I don't know if the UConn women can maintain their status after Geno is gone, if they are playing in such a small potatoes league.

 

[shizzle787]

All of this is true, but as long as the status quo holds, the P5 dream stays alive. Once you blow up football, the dream is over. I don't know if the UConn women can maintain their status after Geno is gone, if they are playing in such a small potatoes league.

Geno may not leave for 10-15 years, and football may be in trouble as a sport at the end of that timeframe and basketball would become the new football.

 

[faninAL]

What will happen to the UConn women. The BE is a mid major in women's hoops. UConn blew away DePaul, the best team in the BE, which also lost to Temple, the third best team in the AAC. Last year in the NCAA Tournament, in a game played at Gampel, Duquesne, the third best team in the A10, blew out Seton Hall, the third best team in the BE. The Dukes also had a 19 point win over St. John's, the second best BE team, during the regular season. The A10 is no women's powerhouse, so what does that make the BE? In the BE, you'll be longing for the days when USF, and Temple were on the schedule. Nothing less than the P5 is going to work for the women.

UConn women team is the money maker and I don't think AAC will let it go away.

 

[KembaStepback]

Geno may not leave for 10-15 years, and football may be in trouble as a sport at the end of that timeframe and basketball would become the new football.

I agree with you that there are people not letting their kids play football...but saying the sport is in trouble is going a bit far IMO. NFL and CFB are the 2 most popular sports in the nation. Yes, high school football in not football hotbeds like the northeast will see football dwindle...but in Texas Alabama and Florida Mississippi etc football is a way of life.
Let's also not forget the SB is the most watched TV program every year. Let's also not forget that as long as people like to gamble football will be around.

There might be some major changes coming to protect players...but the game isn't going to be gone in 10 yrs...

 

[IMind]

So let me get this straight. UConn has a couple of down years, the second due to the worst string of injuries I can remember and the obvious solution to the problem is to join a basketball only conference in order to play home and homes with Seton Hall and Marquette? That makes perfect sense.

I'm still trying to find some actual evidence... other than a lot of whining on this board... and our win/loss record that indicates that the AAC is the problem. Our attendance while down is still good when compared to other colleges... at UConn's peak in 2006 attendance was still only 13,948... last year it was 10,413. You're talking about a drop off of 3500 people from it's absolute peak. UConn's attendance has dipped like that in the past when the program has had a couple of down years as well. It's not in recruiting classes, Ollie's recruited well enough to win regularly in the AAC. Facilities? We've built some of the best facilities in the country SINCE we've been in the AAC...

Apparently only by playing Seton Hall and Creighton can this program reach the heights it once had (a couple of years ago when we were in the AAC).

 

[Adios]

The women obviously have no problem in the AAC. The men should be doing the same.

 

[uconnell]

There is an old saying...."you can't go home again". I think it means that things change, so NO to the BE.

 

[pnow15]

The point that Butch is missing is that while it may be gaining a little in popularity in the UK (due to being new and cool), it is dying in the US (it's actual home) due to concussions, CTE, parents not allowing their kids to play, etc. The Ivy just starting using mechanical dummies in practice as opposed to other human beings for practice. The Ivy League, the arguable birthplace of football, just canned tackling in practice.

They canned tackling in games years ago.

 

[nomar]

The point that Butch is missing is that while it may be gaining a little in popularity in the UK (due to being new and cool), it is dying in the US (it's actual home) due to concussions, CTE, parents not allowing their kids to play, etc. The Ivy just starting using mechanical dummies in practice as opposed to other human beings for practice. The Ivy League, the arguable birthplace of football, just canned tackling in practice.

Maybe I missed the beginning of the conversation. I thought the question was whether the NFL could sustain playing 8 games in London?

I agree football is on the decline in the US due to CTE/concussions.

 

[MASSconn]

So let me get this straight. UConn has a couple of down years, the second due to the worst string of injuries I can remember and the obvious solution to the problem is to join a basketball only conference in order to play home and homes with Seton Hall and Marquette? That makes perfect sense.

I'm still trying to find some actual evidence.... other than a lot of whining on this board.... and our win/loss record that indicates that the AAC is the problem. Our attendance while down is still good when compared to other colleges.... at UConn's peak in 2006 attendance was still only 13,948.... last year it was 10,413. You're talking about a drop off of 3500 people from it's absolute peak. UConn's attendance has dipped like that in the past when the program has had a couple of down years as well. It's not in recruiting classes, Ollie's recruited well enough to win regularly in the AAC. Facilities? We've built some of the best facilities in the country SINCE we've been in the AAC....

Apparently only by playing Seton Hall and Creighton can this program reach the heights it once had (a couple of years ago when we were in the AAC).

Delusional. Can do nothing but laugh. Nobody in the country respects the AAC, few more even know it exists. Our brand is being destroyed.

 

[pnow15]

Delusional. Can do nothing but laugh. Nobody in the country respects the AAC, few more even know it exists. Our brand is being destroyed.

I disagree with that. When the Big 12 was looking to expand, they considered 6 or 7 AAC schools. The football programs are doing really well. It is UConn's failure in football and its mediocrity in league play in BB that is hurting the conference, not the other way around. East Carolina is the only school that should not have been included due to its location with the heart of ACC country.

 

[IMind]

Delusional. Can do nothing but laugh. Nobody in the country respects the AAC, few more even know it exists. Our brand is being destroyed.

You can't give me any evidence either. Where's your proof? Who says this other than a few UConn fans who miss the good old days back when we used to play traditional rivals like Virginia Tech and Miami in the Big East.

 

[huskyrob1]

So let me get this straight. UConn has a couple of down years, the second due to the worst string of injuries I can remember and the obvious solution to the problem is to join a basketball only conference.

Get your facts straight, our losses to Wagner and Northeastern and Oklahoma State came before the "worst string of injuries I can remember". This program has deeper problems than injuries. That basketball only conference has some of the best programs in the country, and would help recruiting IMO. Playing St Johns, Georgetown, Villanova, Butler and Xavier, once or twice a year each would make KO's job on the recruiting front much easier IMO.

 

[IMind]

Get your facts straight, our losses to Wagner and Northeastern and Oklahoma State came before the "worst string of injuries I can remember". This program has deeper problems than injuries.

But the other 9 had nothing to do with the injuries?

 

[huskyrob1]

But the other 9 had nothing to do with the injuries?

Not saying nothing to do with the injuries, but losing to Wagner and Northeastern with the 3rd best recruiting class in the country, everyone healthy, and some dynamic sophomores is cause for concern. Lack of depth is one that is obvious, the other is KO's coaching style during games. When Calhoun was coach if you made one or two little mistakes you always got yanked and talked to no matter who you were. JC taught during games, KO should do more of that IMO.

 

[chiller99.5]

FWIW some of the discussion kind of echoes the braggadocio over at the AAC board from Eastern Carolina fans. Yes in football they sell out and draw big crowds, but at away games who gives a rats to see them play ? The UCONN brand in hoops both men and women are a draw when on the road

 

[huskyrob1]

FWIW some of the discussion kind of echoes the braggadocio over at the AAC board from Eastern Carolina fans. Yes in football they sell out and draw big crowds, but at away games who gives a rats to see them play ? The UCONN brand in hoops both men and women are a draw when on the road

Watched the UConn women away last night at Cincinnati, the arena seemed to have a lot more people in it than for a typical Cincinnati women's home game.