UConn's Big East Rival

[HuskylnSC]

Our biggest rival should be the next team to stand in front of us. dislike them all. Make them all hate us.

 

[FatHank]

I want us to whip up on everyone in the BE so Hurley can say on the recruiting trail that we're top dawgs and everybody is after us and we need YOU to join our squad to take the BE crown the next for years and make deep runs in the NCAA tournament.

Aside from that, I am just super excited to play recognized, respected, and renowned schools again. A win over Georgetown in DC or a win over Nova in Philly sounds much better than a win against SMU in Dallas or a win over Houston in TX if you ask me.

Its also great to hear on TV that we're heading to the BE with the general consensus we're back where we belong and the general excitement about us coming back in.

Big East here we come and I am aboard the train.

 

[Palatine]

No one is stopping you from watching ECU USF basketball games

Or Providence versus URI.

 

[Bobol]

I can't wait to see UConn play Butler University at Butler's home Hinkle Fieldhouse which was the setting for the final scene of the championship game in my favorite film of all time Hoosiers.

Jimmy Chitwood ..... YES !!

 

[willie99]

PC & St John's are geographic naturals. And we'll be battling Nova for those BET titles when we start overtaking MSG again

 

[Jbirdp5]

As they play on actual networks and get paid actual money while the ZBE plays on the fishing and hunting network for peanuts.

Why does how much money a school takes in make you want to play them more? what’s ur logic?

 

[willie99]

I'm beginning to think that many current board members really don't know much about the original Big East days. The glory years beginning in the 80's before JC, the 90's, maybe not even 02, 04, 09. And that's a good thing for them, means they're young

 

[superjohn]

Or Providence versus URI.

That was on ESPN2.

 

[superjohn]

I'm beginning to think that many current board members really don't know much about the original Big East days. The glory years beginning in the 80's before JC, the 90's, maybe not even 02, 04, 09. And that's a good thing for them, means they're young

Freescooter and Palatine have no excuse, they're older than dirt.

 

[Robertelamin]

Why does how much money a school takes in make you want to play them more? what’s ur logic?

Freescooter probably doesn’t know the AAC is moving to a streaming service next year. Nothing says legit like ESPN+

 

[scoscox]

Xavier fans online have always pissed me off. They act so entitled and above UConn simply because they joined the Big East and their best seasons of all time literally coincided with our worst stretch.

this is just about the rivalry with UC. when you're in their conference your program was a has been and collapsing and now that you spurned them and you're with us you're on the rise again!

nothing personal

 

[Palatine]

That was on ESPN2.

What was the rating?

 

[dennismenace]

What a list! Rock fights galore! This is going to be great and we are well on the way to rebuilding for it.

 

[Jbirdp5]

What was the rating?

Lol so now it doesn’t just have to be on a good network for you it also has to get a good rating, you’ll just keep changing the story

 

[uconnyankee]

The AAC would have been respected if UConn and Memphis lived up to their historical norms. The bottom of the AAC did not drag the conference down as much as our subpar play.

Rivalries need relevance. In the OBE our rivalries changed because we stayed relevant as most teams went through phases. The one exception was Syracuse which is why we love dumping on them more than any other team we have been conference affiliated with since the Yankee Conference. For example early in JC's UConn career we had a strong rivalry with BCU. They were geographically close, they had good teams and JC was a Boston guy. After going on that large win streak (20 straight wins against them?) they were unimportant to us and the rivalry shifted to Pitt, Nova, and Syracuse.

The women's team didn't need rivalries to be nationally respected. The BE developed into a modicum of respect because UConn women carried the conference on their back and brought up some teams. This really didn't happen for them in the AAC. It didn't matter. UConn women had a large bullseye on their back because everyone they played against circled that game against UConn on their calendar. They were the de facto rivals of everyone.

UCLA and USC football used to be a huge nationally perceived rivalry. It still is locally but UCLA has been in the dumps a long time and USC has been as well recently. The rivalry between Michigan and OSU has lost a lot of luster with the dominance of OSU. This is similar to what happened between us and BCU although Michigan never became as irrelevant. If those football teams played each other twice or three times every year the interest would have decreased even more precipitously.

I was less interested in which conference we played in based on rivalries. Fans should be excited to watch their team no matter which team we play against. For me it's fun to watch development of teams and players. IMO there is much too much emphasis on the goal (winning a NC) at the detriment of being engaged with the team and players over the course of the season. It's a natural extension of rooting for a successful program that has won it all many times, but it's an anchor against enjoying things as they play out.

I have mixed emotions about going back to the BE. From a monetary standpoint it makes sense at this point in time. That's not a guarantee in the future. From a travel standpoint it's a significant improvement for most UConn sports sans football which is an unknown. That means fans can get to more venues increasing the noise potential at arenas as long as teams stay relevant. And relevancy is the key. The women's team draws large crowds in away games even when they are playing subpar teams. BCU struggled with attendance even though they are in the sexiest bb conference. Recruiting already has gotten a bump, but unless UConn does well that will rapidly change. Look at Georgetown. My biggest reservation is joining a league with small student enrollments. It will be harder for smaller universities to fund their ADs over time.

For now I'm happy. But outside of the couple of recruits who came our way because of the BE bump the major happiness is the development of the team.

well said.... I think a big difference in this New BE vs the Old BE was the coaches. I think a read a while back that it was for this reason that Calhoun was guided to Uconn and the BE.... The coaches and their persona was a huge selling point (spelling is likely off): Thompson, Carnesecca, Massimino, Calhoun, Boeheim, Carlesimo, O'brien, Pitino and of course Calhoun. These coaches were the faces of their respective universities. The league has some familiar faces but nothing like it once was.

 

[metsfan2323]

Georgetown is taking SMU to the woodshed at SMU. Apparently Ewing can coach.

If Ewing can bring Hoya Paranoia back....

 

[Phorcys]

I notice your list is alphabetical, except for Pee Cee at the bottom.

Any particular reason?

(And, yes, I know the alphabet—but “Saint” John’s precedes Seton Hall, even though “St.” John’s does not.)

I love the list, nonetheless: universities and fan-bases that support basketball first.

(This is coming from someone who grew up playing both football and basketball, and, also, happened to attend Clemson for graduate school. My blood is national flag blue, and the Huskies’ national championships matter more than the Tigers’, as far as I’m concerned, although as a football fan and Clemson alum, the past several years have been pretty fun.)

Who do you believe that will be UConn's new Big East Conference rivals in basketball ? I'm guessing Xavier and Villanova

Butler,
Creighton,
DePaul,
Georgetown,
Marquette,
St. John's,
Seton Hall,
Villanova,
Xavier
Providence College.

 

[Phorcys]

I say we start with Pee Cee as our primary rival.

 

[MattMang23]

When were Rutgers, WEst Virginia or BC actually rivals? Oh wait

Rutgers and West Virginia not so much, but I know for a fact that the school Coach Calhoun hates the most is Boston College. That, in my eyes, gives them a pretty good case for being a rival to us.

As they play on actual networks and get paid actual money while the ZBE plays on the fishing and hunting network for peanuts.

Good. I nominate you, then, to devise a plan to have the ACC or Big Ten change their minds on being done with expansion and invite us so you’ll finally stop whining about the Big East.

 

[Martin]

I hope everybody hates us. Like Duke, Kentucky, Patriots......…..

It’s better to be hated than ignored.