Uconn's time may be near....

[UConnDan97]

A couple of things:

1) Baylor et. al. must feel like they have hit the lottery, since they went from a scenario that essentially had them begging for a Big East invite (back when Texas, TT, OU, and OSU were rumored to the Pac) to now staring at the very real possibility of being in a conference that will offer them 30 million a year from their tv contract. Unreal.

2) God almighty, I f#^king hate the ACC....but if there are any of you on this board that really believe UConn will turn down an ACC offer, you need to put down the mushrooms and turn off the black light. If an invite comes, we are gone, my friends (*throws up in mouth), we are gone...

That is all. Carry on...

 

[Jimdish255]

They fill up 80k, seat venues, while were still working on getting 40k,

Ill give you Bama, but at 36, im old enough to remember when Florida wasn't a pimple on FSU 's behind.
Wasn't the till the old ball coach Steve Spurrier came along and then IF closed ground on the "free shoes state criminoles" as he referred to them.

You're not old enough to remember the FL teams before FSU's glory daze. Wasn't until the mid-80's and some NCAA sanctions that FSU caught up on the field.

 

[baggerbob]

The only ones doing all the spouting of dollar amts, are from west virginia, who is just getting into the big 12. Its strange how a conference that has lost 4 members, in the last 3 years is suddenly seen as a stable place to go. Sure fans like to speculate, but the presidents of Florida St and Clemson will talk to those at Missouri,Texas A&M, Nebraska, and Colorado and I would imagine not want to join as vassals to Texas.

 

[Fishy]

This thread has gone insane faster than the ACC thread did.

No matter how many supposed insiders we hear from or scenarios someone on some backwater message board comes up with, let's see Clemson and FSU go to the Big 12 first. The Big 12 was a dead man walking not that long ago and now they're going to pluck apart the ACC...let's see it happen somewhere other than a message board post before we go nuts.

And honestly, the next mother***er who posts something as insane as UNLV getting invited to the PAC 12 gets banned for as long as the universe exists. Speculation is fine, being a lunatic is not.

 

[coachcap]

This thread has gone insane faster than the ACC thread did.

No matter how many supposed insiders we hear from or scenarios someone on some backwater message board comes up with, let's see Clemson and FSU go to the Big 12 first. The Big 12 was a dead man walking not that long ago and now they're going to pluck apart the ACC...let's see it happen somewhere other than a message board post before we go nuts.

And honestly, the next mother***er who posts something as insane as UNLV getting invited to the PAC 12 gets banned for as long as the universe exists. Speculation is fine, being a lunatic is not.

Oh Geez, & I was about to propose North Dakota State to the B1G...

 

[traitor71]

You're not old enough to remember the FL teams before FSU's glory daze. Wasn't until the mid-80's and some NCAA sanctions that FSU caught up on the field.

The timing was close, but Bowden had FSU playing in the Orange Bowl against Oklahoma in 80 and 81 so he had that program on it's way a few years before Charley Pell's Gators fell by the wayside. Of course it isn't like Florida was really doing anything special back then, they were definitely the last of the Florida big three to realize their potential as a program.

 

[Nostical]

Susan Herbst is the absolute lynchpin in this discussion. Her special genius in perceiving this University in places never before imagined, and executing like no President before her, should give us confidence that we'll be fine in the end. When she came into office she recognized instantly that we'd been sleepwalking for years in the fundraising arena. While the legislature had funded the campus infrastructure, we had failed to aggressively pursue the necessary steps for UConn to achieve a much higher academic standing.
She also understood fully that big time sports are the front porch of the university (knowing full well that our athletic success played a big part in getting those legislative funds in the first place). So she moved quickly, decisively, and intelligently. She replaced the AD, the Provost and quite a few less visible others. She also instilled a sense of urgency and responsiveness never seen before in the academic halls and the fundraising offices. She hired Warde Manuel, who, despite his Buffalo pedigree, she saw as one of the players who was at the “table” with a lot of the other important AD's at major schools. He had connections, and he was a Michigan man.
Now, as she swiftly moves UConn along in the academic and endowment arenas, she also understands we must move our athletics to a better place. In fact she sees it as imperative that we protect and expand our athletic franchise. So, for example, despite the polite conversation, there is no way that Kevin Ollie will succeed Jim Calhoun. She’s not about to put her crown jewel BBall program in the hands of someone with no head coaching experience. Had she been in office earlier, the likelihood is that Coach P would not be the football coach--forget about a Burton outcry, she would have doubled his support. She will be the one to push for stadium expansion at the right time. She will continue to be probing and demanding to achieve her aspiration for UConn to be “more Michigan than Maryland”.
My bet is that given the breathing room she has enjoyed since those chaotic, out of the blue, "beg harder" days, she is well on her way to positioning us for a very soft landing in a very attractive place.

 

[Dann]

unlv to the pac16!

 

[HuskyDogArt]

unlv to the pac16!

Are you kidding???

 

[uconnfan68]

Susan Herbst is the absolute lynchpin in this discussion. Her special genius in perceiving this University in places never before imagined, and executing like no President before her, should give us confidence that we'll be fine in the end. When she came into office she recognized instantly that we'd been sleepwalking for years in the fundraising arena. While the legislature had funded the campus infrastructure, we had failed to aggressively pursue the necessary steps for UConn to achieve a much higher academic standing.
She also understood fully that big time sports are the front porch of the university (knowing full well that our athletic success played a big part in getting those legislative funds in the first place). So she moved quickly, decisively, and intelligently. She replaced the AD, the Provost and quite a few less visible others. She also instilled a sense of urgency and responsiveness never seen before in the academic halls and the fundraising offices. She hired Warde Manuel, who, despite his Buffalo pedigree, she saw as one of the players who was at the “table” with a lot of the other important AD's at major schools. He had connections, and he was a Michigan man.
Now, as she swiftly moves UConn along in the academic and endowment arenas, she also understands we must move our athletics to a better place. In fact she sees it as imperative that we protect and expand our athletic franchise. So, for example, despite the polite conversation, there is no way that Kevin Ollie will succeed Jim Calhoun. She’s not about to put her crown jewel BBall program in the hands of someone with no head coaching experience. Had she been in office earlier, the likelihood is that Coach P would not be the football coach--forget about a Burton outcry, she would have doubled his support. She will be the one to push for stadium expansion at the right time. She will continue to be probing and demanding to achieve her aspiration for UConn to be “more Michigan than Maryland”.
My bet is that given the breathing room she has enjoyed since those chaotic, out of the blue, "beg harder" days, she is well on her way to positioning us for a very soft landing in a very attractive place.

I'm sure there was some sarcasm in that short story, but lots of truth as well (from my perspective). I "hope" (and I've heard what an empty word that is, ie. could be "ceiling" instead and mean as much) that she's as good a judge of character as she seems projected to be by the media and others. I think Coach P was a daring pick at the time, bur I also think it was brilliant in retrospect. He has solidified our recruiting in the Northeast, including NY and NJ. We never get Casey Cochrane without him, whether he's the next "one" or not. He brought an NFL-style into Storrs, and it will only make it easier to get quality kids looking for a great football education, in addition to good academics. I'm sure KO will get a fair shake in any discussion of the next MBB position. From what I've read here, he isn't sure himself of his future plans (NBA?). Has she ruffled feathers? I'm sure she has. Every change at the top means someone's feathers get ruffled below. I'm already much more impressed by her actions than I was of Hogan by the time he left.

 

[Stinger92860]

Do we get Stewart without Coach P? I think it's less likely.

 

[huskypantz]

Do we get Stewart without Coach P? I think it's less likely.

He'd be at Temple, Cuse or BC.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Even if FSU and Clemson go, it is not necessarily good for UConn. The ACC may choose to stay at 12.

Or, I could see FSU and Clemson departures causing VTech to re-engage with the SEC, maybe taking NC State with them. The SEC will try for UNC, but I think UNC would prefer to be in the Big 10 if they were not in the ACC. I think philosophically, UNC would be very reluctant to affiliate with programs like Auburn and Alabama, particularly after the Butch Davis experience.

The Big 10 is all about markets for the BTN, and NC, MD and VA are three of the best markets adjacent to Big 10 country, and all are growing whereas the Big 10 markets are all shrinking. I could see a situation where all 3 pursue Big 10 membership, and the Big 10 accepts them, because in the big 10 revenue model, it is not locked into network TV contracts to expand its top line.

Here is where my theory about what happens next gets a bit creative. I don't see Duke, Wake, et al getting real excited about joining a league with UCF and Memphis. If 6 or 7 ACC schools have left or are trying to leave, I could see the rest deciding that they are not the SEC or the Big 10, and really don't want to be. But the TV rights market is so frothy, they could make incredible dollars by historical standards, without sinking into the cesspool that is big time football.

So Duke, Wake, BCU, Pitt, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, and maybe Miami decide to go for the top academics. They invite Northwestern, Vanderbilt, maybe Rice, Tulane and Villanova. Add Notre Dame and Georgetown as basketball only members. That ACC would get a decent, not spectacular contract, especially if Notre Dame was affiliated.

The Big 10 lets Northwestern go as a 1 for 3 swap to get the MD, VA and NC markets for the BTN. The SEC may squawk, but I suspect most SEC schools would be happy to see Vanderbilt go, and maybe they take Miami or TCU or WVU if they have not signed the GOR yet. The Big 12 replaces TCU with Louisville, and maybe grabs BYU and Cincinnati if it wants to expand to 14.

In that scenario, UConn and Rutgers are totally screwed. Louisville, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Georgetown and Villanova are gone. Without Louisville and Cincinnati, with with the 3 hoops schools gone, NBC may not be interested anymore so Boise and SDSU decide to stay home in the MWC.

 

[coachcap]

Even if FSU and Clemson go, it is not necessarily good for UConn. The ACC may choose to stay at 12.

Or, I could see FSU and Clemson departures causing VTech to re-engage with the SEC, maybe taking NC State with them. The SEC will try for UNC, but I think UNC would prefer to be in the Big 10 if they were not in the ACC. I think philosophically, UNC would be very reluctant to affiliate with programs like Auburn and Alabama, particularly after the Butch Davis experience.

The Big 10 is all about markets for the BTN, and NC, MD and VA are three of the best markets adjacent to Big 10 country, and all are growing whereas the Big 10 markets are all shrinking. I could see a situation where all 3 pursue Big 10 membership, and the Big 10 accepts them, because in the big 10 revenue model, it is not locked into network TV contracts to expand its top line.

Here is where my theory about what happens next gets a bit creative. I don't see Duke, Wake, et al getting real excited about joining a league with UCF and Memphis. If 6 or 7 ACC schools have left or are trying to leave, I could see the rest deciding that they are not the SEC or the Big 10, and really don't want to be. But the TV rights market is so frothy, they could make incredible dollars by historical standards, without sinking into the cesspool that is big time football.

So Duke, Wake, BCU, Pitt, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, and maybe Miami decide to go for the top academics. They invite Northwestern, Vanderbilt, maybe Rice, Tulane and Villanova. Add Notre Dame and Georgetown as basketball only members. That ACC would get a decent, not spectacular contract, especially if Notre Dame was affiliated.

The Big 10 lets Northwestern go as a 1 for 3 swap to get the MD, VA and NC markets for the BTN. The SEC may squawk, but I suspect most SEC schools would be happy to see Vanderbilt go, and maybe they take Miami or TCU or WVU if they have not signed the GOR yet. The Big 12 replaces TCU with Louisville, and maybe grabs BYU and Cincinnati if it wants to expand to 14.

In that scenario, UConn and Rutgers are totally screwed. Louisville, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Georgetown and Villanova are gone. Without Louisville and Cincinnati, with with the 3 hoops schools gone, NBC may not be interested anymore so Boise and SDSU decide to stay home in the MWC.

You almost had me until you sent Northwestern to the ACC. They have had recent success in football with appearances in the Rose Bowl, they get their stipend from the BTN, & I don't think that your vision for a new ACC would ever compensate them for loss of revenue that B1G members receive.

 

[mavblues]

So Duke, Wake, BCU, Pitt, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, and maybe Miami decide to go for the top academics. They invite Northwestern, Vanderbilt, maybe Rice, Tulane and Villanova. Add Notre Dame and Georgetown as basketball only members.

 

[Dann]

i like that nelson.

duke/wake/cuse/pitt/bc/miami/gt/vt/vandy/nw/army/navy +nd/gtown/nova/sju

 

[Pudge]

Susan Herbst is the absolute lynchpin in this discussion. Her special genius in perceiving this University in places never before imagined, and executing like no President before her, should give us confidence that we'll be fine in the end. When she came into office she recognized instantly that we'd been sleepwalking for years in the fundraising arena. While the legislature had funded the campus infrastructure, we had failed to aggressively pursue the necessary steps for UConn to achieve a much higher academic standing.
She also understood fully that big time sports are the front porch of the university (knowing full well that our athletic success played a big part in getting those legislative funds in the first place). So she moved quickly, decisively, and intelligently. She replaced the AD, the Provost and quite a few less visible others. She also instilled a sense of urgency and responsiveness never seen before in the academic halls and the fundraising offices. She hired Warde Manuel, who, despite his Buffalo pedigree, she saw as one of the players who was at the “table” with a lot of the other important AD's at major schools. He had connections, and he was a Michigan man.
Now, as she swiftly moves UConn along in the academic and endowment arenas, she also understands we must move our athletics to a better place. In fact she sees it as imperative that we protect and expand our athletic franchise. So, for example, despite the polite conversation, there is no way that Kevin Ollie will succeed Jim Calhoun. She’s not about to put her crown jewel BBall program in the hands of someone with no head coaching experience. Had she been in office earlier, the likelihood is that Coach P would not be the football coach--forget about a Burton outcry, she would have doubled his support. She will be the one to push for stadium expansion at the right time. She will continue to be probing and demanding to achieve her aspiration for UConn to be “more Michigan than Maryland”.
My bet is that given the breathing room she has enjoyed since those chaotic, out of the blue, "beg harder" days, she is well on her way to positioning us for a very soft landing in a very attractive place.

YES ... I totally agree.

1. I do want Calhoun to have a say. I want it kept in the family. Ollie is not there ... at this moment.
2. Warde Manual is the connections to other major Public Universities and the right profile. Solid hire. Performance? Let's see. Hathaway had to go.
3. I REGULARLY chastise Rutgers. But, let's recognize one thing: they just significant upgraded their Stadium & Infrastructure for Football ... BECAUSE IT WAS THE TIME THAT CAPITAL COULD GET IT DONE. We should have pushed then too. Now, we are in a blah Capital Market (maybe it gets better). We have a far more advantageous Public Finance structure with the Stadium being part of a Public Authority. We definitely could have done the expansion. The ISSUE is the Public Perception. It should have got done ... it must get done.
4. Herbst is damn good.

 

[whaler11]

Is it time for the Boneyard to move to mandatory drug testing?

I can't wait to hear the Hurricane alumni reaction to when they decide to give up on football and join the Patriot League.

 

[Dann]

Is it time for the Boneyard to move to mandatory drug testing?

I can't wait to hear the Hurricane alumni reaction to when they decide to give up on football and join the Patriot League.

miami has alum who are sports fans? doesn't look like it the way there stadium fills up. and wait a sec, i though they were getting rid of football sonn when the ncaa does its dig....for a crapy bball school thats a prety good league they would be joining.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Even if FSU and Clemson go, it is not necessarily good for UConn. The ACC may choose to stay at 12.

Or, I could see FSU and Clemson departures causing VTech to re-engage with the SEC, maybe taking NC State with them. The SEC will try for UNC, but I think UNC would prefer to be in the Big 10 if they were not in the ACC. I think philosophically, UNC would be very reluctant to affiliate with programs like Auburn and Alabama, particularly after the Butch Davis experience.

The Big 10 is all about markets for the BTN, and NC, MD and VA are three of the best markets adjacent to Big 10 country, and all are growing whereas the Big 10 markets are all shrinking. I could see a situation where all 3 pursue Big 10 membership, and the Big 10 accepts them, because in the big 10 revenue model, it is not locked into network TV contracts to expand its top line.

Here is where my theory about what happens next gets a bit creative. I don't see Duke, Wake, et al getting real excited about joining a league with UCF and Memphis. If 6 or 7 ACC schools have left or are trying to leave, I could see the rest deciding that they are not the SEC or the Big 10, and really don't want to be. But the TV rights market is so frothy, they could make incredible dollars by historical standards, without sinking into the cesspool that is big time football.

So Duke, Wake, BCU, Pitt, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, and maybe Miami decide to go for the top academics. They invite Northwestern, Vanderbilt, maybe Rice, Tulane and Villanova. Add Notre Dame and Georgetown as basketball only members. That ACC would get a decent, not spectacular contract, especially if Notre Dame was affiliated.

The Big 10 lets Northwestern go as a 1 for 3 swap to get the MD, VA and NC markets for the BTN. The SEC may squawk, but I suspect most SEC schools would be happy to see Vanderbilt go, and maybe they take Miami or TCU or WVU if they have not signed the GOR yet. The Big 12 replaces TCU with Louisville, and maybe grabs BYU and Cincinnati if it wants to expand to 14.

In that scenario, UConn and Rutgers are totally screwed. Louisville, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Georgetown and Villanova are gone. Without Louisville and Cincinnati, with with the 3 hoops schools gone, NBC may not be interested anymore so Boise and SDSU decide to stay home in the MWC.

. That is just fcking crazy.

 

[traitor71]

miami has alum who are sports fans? doesn't look like it the way there stadium fills up. and wait a sec, i though they were getting rid of football sonn when the ncaa does its dig....for a crapy bball school thats a prety good league they would be joining.

Why do you think they finally came out of their coma and got rid of the Coker/Shannon types? There was finally enough pressure for them to realize that no one would support the football program anymore unless they actually started trying to win again as opposed to having some sort of a "feel good" story roaming the sidelines. They neglected the football program for damn near ten years and people finally got fed up and starting showing that in the best way possible-by not spending money on it.

 

[The Funster]

Yeah, some of you need to take a giant step away from the realignment scenarios.

 

[Sean]

I am going to have trouble sleeping now that Nelson has predicted UConn to be left in the cold in favor of Rice.

Better move to add Old Dominion to the Big East now.

 

[Hoophound]

. That is just fcking crazy.

No way do they add bball onlies when UConn and Rutgers, who are both academically worthy, are still on the board. They might add bball onlies in addition to UConn and Rutgers though. However, that bball conference might be too good.

 

[Dann]

Why do you think they finally came out of their coma and got rid of the Coker/Shannon types? There was finally enough pressure for them to realize that no one would support the football program anymore unless they actually started trying to win again as opposed to having some sort of a "feel good" story roaming the sidelines. They neglected the football program for damn near ten years and people finally got fed up and starting showing that in the best way possible-by not spending money on it.

there was plenty of $$ being thrown at that program. so much so that they got caught. miami is smueast soon.