UConn's proposed 2015 BE Division

[coachcap]

byu is easily #1
is prob #2 value wise in just fball
#3 would be interesting. i have been bitching about a nevada school or fresno for a while but i think with memphis being a west team we would be foolish not to consider tulsa/ulm/ull/latech/tulane/arkst type also...

I'm thinking Nevada or Fresno to give the West Coast teams a semblance of normalcy in travel time. After a period of time, you could even have 2 all sports divisions (east-west) under the Big East administrative umbrella.

 

[Adios]

Our logo is cool.

 

[Adios]

When the column starts:
By Brett McMurphy | ESPN.com

I immediately discount. That guy is on some kind of mission to throw Monkey Bones into every discussion. And, that my friends, sends various people in our (self-described) fickle fanbase into a tizzy.

We are going to get a decent contract for our sports content. And, I really don't think 12 to 14 (considering what we are looking at) ... nor 14 to 16 dilutes OUR (UConn) share. We are going to be north of $10m ... and not too close to the ACC $17m. It allows us to fight another decade & raise our credibility (as long as we don't let PP kill the Program in the next 15 months). It simply makes too much sense for us to be in a 7/8 divisional configuration with Cincy/UL, East/Mid-Atlantic and the 2 Florida schools.

We are not going to see the Zipper. We are not going to California more than once a year.

As for the other item on the Wish list, they are not going to let us trashcan Providence College nor Seton Hall in my lifetime.

You might be right.

"Aresco, who had no new information to share on the conference's current television negotiations, said that geography was ultimately the way to go for these divisions. It will keep travel to a minimum, he said, and it will protect old rivalries (Cincinnati-Louisville, Rutgers-Connecticut) and help bring in new ones (Central Florida-South Florida, San Diego State-Boise State). "

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/post/_/id/39272/wheels-in-motion-for-aresco-big-east

 

[businesslawyer]

Why is it better for the Networks? What I see is a guarantee that ever single game will be irrelevant on both sides. UConn gets on good league opponent in UL and bunch we don't want to see. But it's essentially the same for every school. SDSU would turn out for Boise and so naturally they don't get those schools. It's moronic. Every school gets the other schools they would least like to play. It's designed to kill enthusiasm across the league.

Unlike others here, I don't pretend I know everything. It is not intrinsically obvious to me why this way is better, although some like PJ did a very good job setting forth theories.

But there is no reason to doubt that the decisions are being made in conjunction with the bidding of the TV rights, and there is less reason to think that anyone is saying "the networks said they would pay less to do it this way so let's do it this way and get less." Sometimes, life is truly easier if you don't assume that everyone but you is an idiot.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Unlike others here, I don't pretend I know everything. It is not intrinsically obvious to me why this way is better, although some like PJ did a very good job setting forth theories.

But there is no reason to doubt that the decisions are being made in conjunction with the bidding of the TV rights, and there is less reason to think that anyone is saying "the networks said they would pay less to do it this way so let's do it this way and get less." Sometimes, life is truly easier if you don't assume that everyone but you is an idiot.

I don't pretend to know anything about the TV negotiations. I'm speaking as a fan concerned about the possibility of 25k fans being the norm to see that show of a putrid schedule.

 

[businesslawyer]

I don't pretend to know anything about the TV negotiations. I'm speaking as a fan concerned about the possibility of 25k fans being the norm to see that show of a putrid schedule.

Unfortunately, Jimmy, if you're asking where pleasing fans in the building ranks compared with increasing revenue by every last cent, well, that question was answered at UConn (and everywhere else) years ago.

 

[whaler11]

Im sorry i had to stop reading when I got to the post that said we had to consider ULM and ULL. Why not just consider CCSU and Montclair State while you are at it.

 

[Dooley]

I sure hope Louisville doesn't bolt the BE because a home slate of SMU, Navy (and their triple option that we can NEVER stop), SDSU, Memphis and USF doesn't make me all tingly. Honestly, I think this is an olive branch extension to Louisville to convince them to stay long-term. Louisville vs. RU/Boise/Cinci every year in the conference championship game is probably the thought process. I read somewhere in this thread that the league needs a new WVU flagship program and it looks like they're looking to Louisville to be it. A win over a ranked team from the Blue division probably leapfrogs them past any ranked team from the MWC/MAC/CUSA etc to get into a BCS game.

Sadly, that could have been us a few short seasons ago with a more inspired coaching hire.

 

[huskymedic]

Im sorry i had to stop reading when I got to the post that said we had to consider ULM and ULL. Why not just consider CCSU and Montclair State while you are at it.

C'mon Whaler. Ragin Cajuns, Ragin Cajuns....

 

[whaler11]

C'mon Whaler. Ragin Cajuns, Ragin Cajuns....

View attachment 1717

The comedy of course is that 95% of people don't know which branch is the Ragin Cajuns. 99% have no idea what the non Ragin Cajun school's nickname is.

Southeastern Louisiana is playing Marquette on my television now. Maybe that was the big announcement this week and I missed their addition to the Big East.

 

[Marty Jackson]

I think if BYU comes in then the East/West balance of power is a little better, and therefore just sending Louisville or Cincy to the west would make for fairly even divisions and would prompt the league to stick with East/West Divisions.

RU, UCONN, CINN, NAVY, TEMPLE, USF, UCF

vs.

BOISE, SDSU, UL, SMU, HOUSTON, MEMPHIS, BYU

Not bad.

Hopefully and one other west school come on pushing cincy to the east... Maybe Tulsa.

 

[Uconnalliance]

It's time to picket,I smell something and it's the death of the Big East. Start packing.

 

[Marty Jackson]

After 2015 I see this:

East:

RU
UConn
Temple
UL
UC
USF
UCF

West:

SDSU
BSU
/BYU
Navy
UH
SMU
Memphis

Don't see Navy in the west...

 

[uconNYC]

Don't see Navy in the west...

California and Texas are big recruiting areas for Navy. They have a national fanbase. They would probably welcome being in the West.

 

[Marty Jackson]

byu is easily #1
is prob #2 value wise in just fball
#3 would be interesting. i have been bitching about a nevada school or fresno for a while but i think with memphis being a west team we would be foolish not to consider tulsa/ulm/ull/latech/tulane/arkst type also...

Tulsa... Decent hoops, decent football.
Otherwise UNLV or Nevada.

 

[Marty Jackson]

California and Texas are big recruiting areas for Navy. They have a national fanbase. They would probably welcome being in the West.

Lot of travel... You might be right.
But I agree it only happens if they agree.

 

[huskymedic]

The comedy of course is that 95% of people don't know which branch is the Ragin Cajuns. 99% have no idea what the non Ragin Cajun school's nickname is.

Southeastern Louisiana is playing Marquette on my television now. Maybe that was the big announcement this week and I missed their addition to the Big East.

Geaux Lions isn't that exciting.

 

[noeynox]

I have not read every post in this thread, but I have to say, we should be in the championship game mix EVERY YEAR, with the proposed lineup in the OP.

 

[Jerry27]

Seriously? You realize you're going ape snow over a speculated scenario put forth by a"source". Even after the known format presented by the commissioner is said to take into consideration geography and travel you're going to trust the "source"?

 

[Jimdish255]

Theoretically once you have a TV contract you have a partner. OK it didn't work out in the long run for the BE but at least a new network may be a solid partner for the honeymoon period. With a solid foundation and some promotion the league should have more options going forward and more interest in future membership.

 

[UConnDan97]

Unlike others here, I don't pretend I know everything. It is not intrinsically obvious to me why this way is better, although some like PJ did a very good job setting forth theories.

But there is no reason to doubt that the decisions are being made in conjunction with the bidding of the TV rights, and there is less reason to think that anyone is saying "the networks said they would pay less to do it this way so let's do it this way and get less." Sometimes, life is truly easier if you don't assume that everyone but you is an idiot.

I would normally agree with this logic, Biz, but for the fact that it would require seeing Aresco or the presidents actually say they want the zipper. You're making an assumption that the ESPN article, via a "source", has provided you with the future decision of both Aresco and the presidents. Unless I've missed an additional report from Aresco et al., I don't buy the zipper concept for one second. If there are people on this board who are commenting on the stupidity of the zipper concept, I would have to wholeheartedly agree with them. It's not pretension. It's analysis in the absence of opposing facts.

If there is an Aresco statement out there supporting the zipper concept, then I will absolutely retract what I've just said. But I'll believe it when I see it. And if it were indeed true, I would also ask why the league would announce a divisional makeup with geographic ties for the next two years if it didn't make sense to what a tv contract would want. Wouldn't that jeopardize some of the contract value if they already knew that the networks wanted the zipper??? So if I am allowed to infer Aresco's intensions based on today's decision, he has already revealed his hand and is stating that geographic sensibility is also monetary sensibility...

 

[uconnbill]

byu is easily #1
is prob #2 value wise in just fball
#3 would be interesting. i have been bitching about a nevada school or fresno for a while but i think with memphis being a west team we would be foolish not to consider tulsa/ulm/ull/latech/tulane/arkst type also...

You have to stop with the Tulsa, ULM and the rest of the dregs

 

[ZooCougar]

ECU should be ahead of any Sun Belt school or Tulsa.

 

[spsct]

Yes. Presumably they want to have a selection of games going on simultaneously at every time slot, so that you can regionally broadcast each one, and also switch between broadcasts to the most interesting game, much like CBS does in the NCAA tournament. It will make for a much more exciting broadcast for casual fans who don't have deep ties to an individual team but want to see interesting football.

Say you're NBC and you have 2 time slots on Saturday plus your Notre Dame game (3 time slots when Notre Dame plays away). Schedule 3 BE games in each of the two slots, with a selection of teams playing from all parts of the country. Each home area gets to see it's own team, and on NBC Sports Network and in NBC markets that don't have a home team, you show whatever game is most interesting at the moment with highlights from the others. Make the Big East football season an event that excites people's interest like the NCAA tournament. Let people know they'll get entertaining broadcasts, and let people have a rooting interest in West vs East or South vs North or Texas vs Florida rivalries, not just in the individual colleges.

I think it will work out best for TV, and I think the league needs money and TV exposure more than it needs short travel times and the ability of fans to travel to away games.

This is what I was thinking but I was wading through 9 pages of teeth gnashing to see if anyone else got there first. Great post.

And, since I have a bunch of friends in the Tampa area, I want USF to be in our division

 

[Marty Jackson]

You have to stop with the Tulsa, ULM and the rest of the dregs

That's the new name for the group of five... The dregs.