What Do You Think?

[hallcity]

I'm an ACC fan coming in peace to ask about an idea that occurs to me -- U.Conn joining the ACC for women's basketball only. I have no idea whether this will ever be seriously considered. This is just my idea but I think it makes sense for both parties.

As a background, Johns Hopkins University (JHU) is asking to join the ACC for men's lacrosse only. JHU is a huge power in men's lacrosse but is Division 3 in everything else. There are differing opinions about whether the ACC will seriously consider JHU's request but my guess is that there's a reasonable chance it will happen. The rationale would be that this would make ACC lacrosse even stronger and it is already by far the strongest conference in men's lacrosse. Lacrosse's popularity is growing rapidly. More importantly, the ACC is planning on establishing its own TV network. These conference networks depend upon fees paid by cable operators. Add JHU to ACC lacrosse and you probably get Maryland cable operators to pay to carry the ACC network, since lacrosse is really, really big in Maryland. (There are more high schools fielding lacrosse teams in Maryland than football teams.) The Maryland cable operators wouldn't be paying fees as high as those paid by NC cable operators but they could still be significant. Adding JHU lacrosse would also screw U.Md. and there's plenty of bad blood between the ACC and U.Md.

Adding U.Conn. women's basketball to the ACC would strengthen ACC women's basketball further and would probably get Connecticut cable operators to carry the ACC network.

Why wouldn't the ACC just take U.Conn in toto? It's just not happening. The ACC feels like U.Conn doesn't add enough to the table in football to justify it. There's also bad feelings from U.Conn's role when the ACC added BC, Va.Tech and Miami.

Why might U.Conn consider it? You're heading into a very weak conference and Geno isn't getting any younger. Remember La. Tech? They used to be a power in women's college basketball. Get in the ACC and you're part of what is likely to be the strongest women's basketball conference for a long, long time to come with U.Conn has a great chance to stay strong in women's basketball for a long, long time to come. Be proud and say no and who knows what the future will bring.

What do you think

 

[outsidethebox]

I'm an ACC fan coming in peace to ask about an idea that occurs to me -- U.Conn joining the ACC for women's basketball only. I have no idea whether this will ever be seriously considered. This is just my idea but I think it makes sense for both parties.

As a background, Johns Hopkins University (JHU) is asking to join the ACC for men's lacrosse only. JHU is a huge power in men's lacrosse but is Division 3 in everything else. There are differing opinions about whether the ACC will seriously consider JHU's request but my guess is that there's a reasonable chance it will happen. The rationale would be that this would make ACC lacrosse even stronger and it is already by far the strongest conference in men's lacrosse. Lacrosse's popularity is growing rapidly. More importantly, the ACC is planning on establishing its own TV network. These conference networks depend upon fees paid by cable operators. Add JHU to ACC lacrosse and you probably get Maryland cable operators to pay to carry the ACC network, since lacrosse is really, really big in Maryland. (There are more high schools fielding lacrosse teams in Maryland than football teams.) The Maryland cable operators wouldn't be paying fees as high as those paid by NC cable operators but they could still be significant. Adding JHU lacrosse would also screw U.Md. and there's plenty of bad blood between the ACC and U.Md.

Adding U.Conn. women's basketball to the ACC would strengthen ACC women's basketball further and would probably get Connecticut cable operators to carry the ACC network.

Why wouldn't the ACC just take U.Conn in toto? It's just not happening. The ACC feels like U.Conn doesn't add enough to the table in football to justify it. There's also bad feelings from U.Conn's role when the ACC added BC, Va.Tech and Miami.

Why might U.Conn consider it? You're heading into a very weak conference and Geno isn't getting any younger. Remember La. Tech? They used to be a power in women's college basketball. Get in the ACC and you're part of what is likely to be the strongest women's basketball conference for a long, long time to come with U.Conn has a great chance to stay strong in women's basketball for a long, long time to come. Be proud and say no and who knows what the future will bring.

What do you think

NO, NEVER! We will be just fine.

 

[uconnell]

Thanks but no thanks.

 

[Vowelguy]

Moot point. Im sure the AAC wouldn't allow.

 

[Drumguy]

Why would we want to for any sport, not just the best program in he history of women's basketball (I know we're tied for # of NCs but some of TNs came in the early not as competitive years).

You'all turned us down not once but 3 times, so it's pretty evident of what your conference (not necessarily fans) think of UConn.

 

[semper]

I'm probably the only 'Yarder who would vote for this, but I would vote for it...but then I would have taken EDD first, and am generally a contrarian around these parts.

 

[UConnCat]

Why might U.Conn consider it? You're heading into a very weak conference and Geno isn't getting any younger. Remember La. Tech? They used to be a power in women's college basketball. Get in the ACC and you're part of what is likely to be the strongest women's basketball conference for a long, long time to come with U.Conn has a great chance to stay strong in women's basketball for a long, long time to come. Be proud and say no and who knows what the future will bring.

What do you think

Geno isn't getting any younger ... for what? What is it that membership in the ACC would allow Geno to accomplish that he hasn't already accomplished in his HOF career? He's the premier coach in WCBB. He just won NC #8 and is in good position to win #9 and perhaps another over the next few years. He's won 19 BE Regular Season Titles and 18 BE Championships, including years in which the BE was considered the strongest WBB conference. He's played multiple ACC teams and beaten them badly. I'm certain Geno would relish the opportunity to play in the new ACC, but not in the manner you're suggesting. I doubt UConn or Geno would ever consider separating WBB from the rest of UConn athletics. It's not what UConn or Geno are all about.

I don't know about others on this board, but if I read one more comparison of UConn to La Tech I may just scream.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Time you headed to the sweat lodge.

 

[semper]

Look, I just want to see great games and good match-ups and WCBB is my sport, and UCONN is my team. So I'm hoping something is going to help us out of this mess. It's a grim season. And, PS In Geno I trust. So clearly he knows a lot we don't and will be conivving ways out for us. But man, what a slog of a season we are facing.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

Look, I just want to see great games and good match-ups and WCBB is my sport, and UCONN is my team. So I'm hoping something is going to help us out of this mess. It's a grim season. And, PS In Geno I trust. So clearly he knows a lot we don't and will be conivving ways out for us. But man, what a slog of a season we are facing.

Sorry, but I am fired up about next season...lots of problems in life, but UCWB is not one of them.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

Geno isn't getting any younger ... for what? What is it that membership in the ACC would allow Geno to accomplish that he hasn't already accomplished in his HOF career? He's the premier coach in WCBB. He just won NC #8 and is in good position to win #9 and perhaps another over the next few years. He's won 19 BE Regular Season Titles and 18 BE Championships, including years in which the BE was considered the strongest WBB conference. He's played multiple ACC teams and beaten them badly. I'm certain Geno would relish the opportunity to play in the new ACC, but not in the manner you're suggesting. I doubt UConn or Geno would ever consider separating WBB from the rest of UConn athletics. It's not what UConn or Geno are all about.

I don't know about others on this board, but if I read one more comparison of UConn to La Tech I may just scream.

The comparison to LaTech can be way overdone. The sole illustrative aspect is the very encouraging one that the program was able to continue on (in an arguably worse situation than UConn is going to be in) as long as Leon was there.

I think that the OP was referring to what might happen after Geno retires, which it is far to early to know for sure. Odds would be that the ACC would be a better place for the program to continue to dominate than the AAC, but then again, who knows what the scope of WBB will look like in 10 years?

The actual suggestion was goofy, no one is going to consider it.

 

[Tidepool]

I like the idea for the competition the ACC would bring, but I don't see it happening. I think some reasons have been stated, but also I don't think UConn's situation is comparable to Johns Hopkins'. JHU has only one Div. 1 team, it appears. UConn has many, including some non-basketball teams that are national powers. If UConn is or will be looking to join a more powerful conference now or in the future, they will want to be able to offer their premier WCBB program as part of the dowry. Wouldn't UConn view the "loss" of WCBB to the ACC as making it even harder to ever get out of the AAC? Or is football such a gorilla that no other sport will matter? Anyway, thanks for posting your idea, and don't get discouraged.

 

[Tonyc]

I understand where your coming from and it is a very noble gesture. I think what your saying is it will keep UConn alive in WCBB. However the ACC really hasn't had an impact on WCBB. Yes Duke UNC and MD have made some noise and had great recruiting classes but really haven't been to to many . UConn IMO May only falter what Geno retires. In a polite way with UConn the AAC will grow because of what UConn WCBB brings. UConn will beat some teams in the AAC by 50+ and has proven it can beat Duke UNC and MD by 20 and 30+ with ease. So looking at it by having UConn in the ACC will only make the ACC better but does nothing for UConn. If UConn stays where they are they will make the AAC better for WCBB. You can say what you want about other coaches but Geno has done an unbelievable job at UConn and his leadership and record will help the AAC become a great conference in a few years.

 

[pinotbear]

Thanks but no thanks.

to expand upon that, and to quote Delbert McClinton:
"Thanks, but no thanks, baby, I already got more trouble than I need".

 

[EricLA]

Look, I just want to see great games and good match-ups and WCBB is my sport, and UCONN is my team. So I'm hoping something is going to help us out of this mess. It's a grim season. And, PS In Geno I trust. So clearly he knows a lot we don't and will be conivving ways out for us. But man, what a slog of a season we are facing.

Next year is going to be a grim season? Really? How are most of the teams in the new league any worse than Providence, Cinci, 'Nova, Marquette (we beat them 94-37 last year), Seton Hall, Pitt, etc etc? We also destroyed USF, Rutgers, Georgetown, Syracuse, and L'ville by 33 IN THE NC GAME.

I'm not saying the new conference will be great. It won't. Besides UCONN, I believe only USF made the NCAA's. SMU, Memphis, ECU and Tulane all made the NIT. Tulane made the 3rd round. I believe Tulsa won C-USA and they only lost to Stanford by 14 points in the 1st round. Navy also made the NCAA's. Again, I sure hope UCONN gets out of the conference sooner rather than later, and I'm not actually saying the conference is nearly as good as the former BE. But it's also possible if we end up stuck there for the long haul, that these "new" teams will grow their programs.

One last thing - UCONN will now have probably at least one game every year in Texas, and possibly in Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. It's possible that this could help open up even more doors for recruiting in those areas. Sure parents can see every game on SNY, but UCONN being in those states every year, or every other year, can only help in recruiting.

 

[HGN]

Hallcity , I don't think your idea would be accepted by the ACC....or by UConn. The ACC has made in clear that they wanted to destroy the Big East Conference, with UConn in it , by not inviting UConn initially. The only way the ACC can claim WCBB supremacy is to bring down UConn , the ONLY remaining power outside the ACC in the East. In the next few years the ACC may be battling the upstart AAC for National Championships.

Hallcity, it is a noble idea , but DOA IMHO.

 

[reno tony]

You asked a question in good faith. I will answer by asking you a question. Why not get Duke, N.C., Maryland, N.D. and whoever else feels up to the challenge to request admission into the AAC...... just for WCBB if that makes you feel better. UCONN will be just fine without the ACC pity.

 

[stamfordhusky]

As a background, Johns Hopkins University (JHU) is asking to join the ACC for men's lacrosse only. JHU is a huge power in men's lacrosse but is Division 3 in everything else. There are differing opinions about whether the ACC will seriously consider JHU's request but my guess is that there's a reasonable chance it will happen. . . .

Adding U.Conn. women's basketball to the ACC would strengthen ACC women's basketball further and would probably get Connecticut cable operators to carry the ACC network.

1. The ACC is more interested in JHU than they are in the ACC. Unless it happened today, JHU has not "asked" the ACC if they can join. It's more the other way around. The ACC will end up with five lax programs when Maryland leaves. It takes six teams for a conference to get an automatic bid to the NCAA and the ACC would like to have that extra way for a team to get in. Thus they have an incentive to find a sixth team. However JHU seems to be much more interested in the Big 10 - which also will have five lax teams and needs one more.

2. Lacrosse is totally different from basketball since there will be only five ACC teams that play it - as opposed to basketball which every school plays. Thus thre are things they would do in lax that they would not do in a core sport.

3. There is no way UConn's league would allow them to go to another league for one sport - especially an important one. It's not allowed by the bylaws and there is no way a majority would support changing them.

 

[pap49cba]

We'll see how the likely winner of the "very weak conference" does against the vaunted ACC at tournament time. Keep wishing.

 

[UConnCat]

Johns Hopkins has scheduled a news conference for tomorrow morning at which it is expected to announce its lacrosse program will be joining the B1G.

 

[stamfordhusky]

Johns Hopkins has scheduled a news conference for tomorrow morning at which it is expected to announce its lacrosse program will be joining the B1G.

Not a surprise. Despite the contention in the original post, JHU had very little interest in the ACC. The interest was mostly from the ACC - who wants to add a sixth team.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Personally. I think the middle letter in AAC is just fine compared with the ACC. I mean what has the ACC ever offered WCBB that is so great? In the time since UConn won its first NC on the way to 8 and upping, the sad-sack ACC has won one. I know it has great women's soccer (well it has UNC), but it overall is a kind of not a conference you want to hook up with for more than one-night Swofford-lubricated stand unless you're BCU or the Cuse, who didn't have any choice.

 

[triaddukefan]

I think imma leave this thread alone

 

[sivad40]

Personally. I think the middle letter in AAC is just fine compared with the ACC. I mean what has the ACC ever offered WCBB that is so great? In the time since UConn won its first NC on the way to 8 and upping, the sad-sack ACC has won one. I know it has great women's soccer (well it has UNC), but it overall is a kind of not a conference you want to hook up with for more than one-night Swofford-lubricated stand unless you're BCU or the Cuse, who didn't have any choice.

Since the ACC is a down trodden conference as a whole, how many AAC teams would turn down an invite to join the ACC if offered?

 

[HuskyNan]

Since the ACC is a down trodden conference as a whole, how many AAC teams would turn down an invite to join the ACC if offered?

Of course the AAC would jump at a chance to be in the ACC but that has nothing to do with how fabulous the league is and everything to do with football money. AAC teams would roll over and beg if the B1G, SEC or Big 12 came calling, too. If UConn joined for wbb only, there'd probably be no football money and therefore no compelling reason to leave the AAC.