What Now

[Marty Jackson]

i never attended Uconn. Grew up in CT, became a fan in the mid 80's when I was in high school.
Started following football shortly after they made the jump to D1A. Up to that point , was never a big fan of college football. Have been a seaso ticket holder past three seasons and now my kids all have and wear Uconn gear. A school I never went to in a state I no longer reside in.

For almost the past 10 years everything Uconn has had the dual pressure of not just winning, but also wondering the impact on CR.

it's gotten to the point where it seems like Uconns P5 aspirations rest on the success and failure of every play.

I get the issue isn't going away, and I doubt I'll drop my daily habit of checking the BY daily.

But maybe if there truly is a 'quiet period', we as Uconn fans can get back to following the success of the Huskies, help to grow the fan base, and just enjoy the on field success without the added pressure of CR.

I feel some relief that it's quiet right now.

 

[Fishy]

It was a relief today to just hate Bob Diaco because he's an awful football coach instead of hating him because he's killing us in realignment.

 

[Adios]

It was a relief today to just hate Bob Diaco because he's an awful football coach instead of hating him because he's killing us in realignment.

When the game against Maine got going, I knew immediately this was going to be a long season. So did some elderly couple right in front of me. They left the game during the first quarter.

 

[John Greene]

The following is written more in sadness than anger.

The most likely scenario for the foreseeable future requires that UConn take a hard look at the entire AD. Not through national flag blue lenses but in the bright light of reality. At present the AD is a drain on university resources and while in theory it provides a public relations service to various important groups ( prospective students, alumni, etc.) At some point that PR benefit may not be worth the current cost.

Three programs will determine the future of the AD, MBB, WBB and FB. The first two are OK for now. As long as MBB can get to and win in the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament on a regular basis it will be able to sustain fan interest and pull its weight. WBB will be fine as long as GA is coach. When he is gone it may be different but for now it more than pulls its weight.

That leaves FB. The whole reason for upgrading was the correct notion that moving to a higher level would more than pay for itself and provide even better PR for the school. Especially since UConn would be playing against schools that were of interest to both die hard and casual CT fans. The old BE provided the opportunity to do that in a strong conference in a financially sustainable way and UConn took it.

Fast forward to today and we are in a second tier conference, playing schools few CT fans care about, collecting peanuts for TV rights, with no visible path to a better. The question that Herbst & Co. have to ask is " If we were not in the AAC today would we commit the resources to upgrade a FB program in order to get into it"? Don't be held hostage by sunk costs just answer that question as honestly as they can.

I do not have the information to do that. FB may more than pull its weight in the AAC drawing 25,000-30,000 for home games, I doubt it but it may. If my doubts are correct the FB program can not be maintained at its current level. As long as there was the possibility of a near term invite to a better conference the argument could be made that we were not throwing good money after bad. That is no longer the case and as result I believe that without a miracle ( HCBD turns out to be a Nick Saban or Urban Meyer next year) we will see major withdraws of resources from the FB program and a return to a BB first conference.

 

[Adios]

That is no longer the case and as result I believe that without a miracle ( HCBD turns out to be a Nick Saban or Urban Meyer next year) we will see major withdraws of resources from the FB program and a return to a BB first conference.

They are developing the area around the stadium, with the stadium being the centerpiece. We're not going to the Big East. C'mon. The only alternative is a new conference right now. We could start one with Buffalo, UMass, Temple, Army, etc, but that will not work. So AAC, it is. Seems as if Aresco is intent on capitalizing on the Big 12s weak image.

 

[Marty Jackson]

For the first time in a long while, it seems that the big east / AAC might be in a relative position of strength. Boise gets a sweet deal from the MWC. Wonder if Boise and maybe San Diego State, Col State or UNLV might be tempted if Aresco could get $10M/yr for each school.
I don't see BYU joining a defined G5 league unless something drastic happens.

It's been reported that Aresco wants the P6 discussion to happen and he has been vocal on how the bulk of the serious candidates for Big 12 were AAC schools.

Might be an uphill fight, but it doesn't happen without a fight. Aresco was brought on for this reason. Let's see what he can do.

 

[John Greene]

Butch & Marty, my post is just an opinion, I could be totally wrong. Having said that I would classify your responses as hopeful speculation.

Sure if Aresco is able to get $10M per school in the next contract it would help but what is the probability of that happening? I would argue it is much less than 50%. Even then it would only reduce the current subsidy by about 30%. In the meantime UConn is spending current dollars for several years.

With regard to development around the stadium. Two points, first how does any planned development around the stadium help the UConn AD budget? Is UConn going to get some rent or other payment from whatever is placed there? Second, what developer in his right mind would base a project on the economics of a maximum of 40,000 people showing up for 5-8 hours 6- 7 times a year? Any development that takes place there will happen for other reasons. In fact one could argue that because it is there the stadium makes development more difficult since a large prime site is already occupied.

 

[Marty Jackson]

Butch & Marty, my post is just an opinion, I could be totally wrong. Having said that I would classify your responses as hopeful speculation.

Sure if Aresco is able to get $10M per school in the next contract it would help but what is the probability of that happening? I would argue it is much less than 50%. Even then it would only reduce the current subsidy by about 30%. In the meantime UConn is spending current dollars for several years.

With regard to development around the stadium. Two points, first how does any planned development around the stadium help the UConn AD budget? Is UConn going to get some rent or other payment from whatever is placed there? Second, what developer in his right mind would base a project on the economics of a maximum of 40,000 people showing up for 5-8 hours 6- 7 times a year? Any development that takes place there will happen for other reasons. In fact one could argue that because it is there the stadium makes development more difficult since a large prime site is already occupied.

don't forget, when Aresco negotiated the original deal, he had zero leverage and he opted for exposure vs maximizing the payout. Now that that league has stabilized and the overall CR climate is somewhat cooled, I think he can come at the new contract from a different angle. It won't be P5 money, but it should be more than what the Big East gets.
I've mentioned in a different thread, but wonder if an incentive laden deal could work. If the AAC gets teams ranked in the Top 25 or even gets a team into the playoff, that should equate to a higher payout.
OU/Houston was a big game, and had Houston not blown up, the match against Louisville would have been huge. Why shouldn't those programs that excel get some financial reward. Don't care what FTT said, a matchup of top 25 teams get eyeballs.

 

[CL82]

It's been reported that Aresco wants the P6 discussion to happen and he has been vocal on how the bulk of the serious candidates for Big 12 were AAC schools. Might be an uphill fight, but it doesn't happen without a fight. Aresco was brought on for this reason. Let's see what he can do.

We already have. He can complain, he can call us a P6 league while the rest of the college sports world rolls their eyes and he can accept whatever shitacular deal ESPN throws at us.

 

[VAHuskyFan]

If the P5 was really about on-field success, then maybe the AAC could become a P6 conference.

But it's not. It's about TV value. And on-field success is a part of that, but it's just one component. Flagship status, TV footprint, football history, alumni engagement, and long-standing rivalries are all components as well. I'm sure you can think of 2 or 3 more categories I left out. And most of the AAC is garbage in these respects.

So yeah, we can get a few teams in the Top 25. And that's great! But a #10 Houston ain't the same thing as a #10 Texas. And it's foolish optimism to think we'll ever be treated as if it is, or that we can somehow "play our way" into becoming a power conference.

UConn's objective here is simple: get as much of our TV rights back as we can and sell them ourselves for what they're worth (a lot more than we'd get by sharing in even an "improved" AAC contract). If Aresco and the other schools want to fiddle around at the margins and add more schools 2,000 miles away, that should be our price when the AAC TV contract is up in 3 years.

 

[djct1999]

It is even more specific. Its about preserving the value of the most valuable entities..... The same 10-12+ schools that will compete annually for the national title. The G5 will exist as long as this current model exists. Its been said ad nauseam now. The value ESPN gets from schools like UConn, Cincy, & BYU help subsidize the cost of over paying for the B1g and ACC. ESPN needs that to continue to afford these other conferences. My guess is that the head honchos in Bristol are confident they can maintain this for a while. UConn needs to fight back now.

 

[CL82]

It is even more specific. Its about preserving the value of the most valuable entities..... The same 10-12+ schools that will compete annually for the national title. The G5 will exist as long as this current model exists. Its been said ad nauseam now. The value ESPN gets from schools like UConn, Cincy, & BYU help subsidize the cost of over paying for the B1g and ACC. ESPN needs that to continue to afford these other conferences. My guess is that the head honchos in Bristol are confident they can maintain this for a while. UConn needs to fight back now.

How?

 

[djct1999]

How?

How ESPN remains confident? Easy. Until a controlled property revolts, they will continue to string programs along as puppets. How UConn fights back? Go after the model. Go after ESPNs bottomline.

 

[TRest]

How?

A strongly-worded letter. On the good paper stock.

 

[The Funster]

How?

An icy stare.

 

[CL82]

How UConn fights back? Go after the model. Go after ESPNs bottomline.

How?

 

[CL82]

An icy stare.

That might just work. Suzie can cook up a pretty decent one of those.