Where is our commissioner?

[Fishy]

THE BIG EAST RESPONSE:

We are very proud that UConn earned the No. 1 overall seed in this year's NCAA men's basketball tournament following another tremendous season that included both the Big East regular season and tournament titles. Marquette, a No. 2 seed, and Creighton, a No. 3 seed, give the Big East three of the top 10 overall seeds in the tournament, as many as any other league. We consider each of them legitimate contenders for a Final Four berth and another Big East national crown on April 8th.

These high seeds follow our most successful Big East Tournament to date, which saw five sellouts and our usual impassioned crowds at The World's Most Famous Arena. Our four-year extension with Madison Square Garden, announced on Friday, means that the event, a New York City staple, will celebrate its 50th anniversary at MSG in 2032, a run unmatched in the college basketball world.

We have great respect for the NCAA men's basketball committee and the time and effort that goes into selecting and seeding the teams for the NCAA tournament. It is a very challenging job, and we have been advised that this year’s upsets added to the complexity and contributed to the committee's final bracket selections. Given the high level of play in our league, we are understandably very disappointed that some worthy Big East teams were not selected to participate. We will be working closely with our schools in the coming months to best position the Big East next year and to ensure that we continue to be represented in March Madness in a manner befitting our stature as one of the best conferences in college basketball.

Wow.

That's awful.

The flex about MSG is lame.

 

[Kolumbo]

THE BIG EAST RESPONSE:

We are very proud that UConn earned the No. 1 overall seed in this year's NCAA men's basketball tournament following another tremendous season that included both the Big East regular season and tournament titles. Marquette, a No. 2 seed, and Creighton, a No. 3 seed, give the Big East three of the top 10 overall seeds in the tournament, as many as any other league. We consider each of them legitimate contenders for a Final Four berth and another Big East national crown on April 8th.

These high seeds follow our most successful Big East Tournament to date, which saw five sellouts and our usual impassioned crowds at The World's Most Famous Arena. Our four-year extension with Madison Square Garden, announced on Friday, means that the event, a New York City staple, will celebrate its 50th anniversary at MSG in 2032, a run unmatched in the college basketball world.

We have great respect for the NCAA men's basketball committee and the time and effort that goes into selecting and seeding the teams for the NCAA tournament. It is a very challenging job, and we have been advised that this year’s upsets added to the complexity and contributed to the committee's final bracket selections. Given the high level of play in our league, we are understandably very disappointed that some worthy Big East teams were not selected to participate. We will be working closely with our schools in the coming months to best position the Big East next year and to ensure that we continue to be represented in March Madness in a manner befitting our stature as one of the best conferences in college basketball.

I found it at the Big East website. Not sure what else they could have said, what's done is done.

"These high seeds follow our most successful Big East Tournament to date, which saw five sellouts and our usual impassioned crowds at The World's Most Famous Arena." If this is true, then the Big East was no doubt bent over the barrel. Let's see more impassioned responses even if it can't come from BE HQ.

BIG EAST Statement on NCAA Tournament Selections

BIG EAST Statement on NCAA Tournament Selections

www.bigeast.com

 

[Chief00]

And, the retired Butler AD is on the committee for 2 more years!

Explain that to me????
A total nightmare - please tell me that’s a mistake.

 

[pepband99]

Wow.

That's awful.

The flex about MSG is lame.

Incredibly lame.

Jonathan XV could negotiate a contract with an arena where you basically guarantee 5 sold out sessions. BFD.

 

[JungleLobo]

To be clear, I raised that as another example showing her lack of proactivity/highlight her reactiveness, not turn it into a COVID debate

If you watch a half of DePaul basketball, you will develop Covid-like symptoms

 

[freescooter]

Here’s what the league office really needs to understand, and I think they do by the sound of this statement. “The problem is not in our stars, but in ourselves.”

The real problem is that the NEWBIE has 2 teams that simply don’t matter. 10-10 with 4 wins against Georgetown and DePaul is not the same as 10-10 in any other major league. Those 4 games are like playing in the NEC-Big East Challenge. Ridiculous on its face, but not far from inaccurate. For some perspective on how bad those teams are, look at NET or really any of the other rating services. If it were possible to trade conference members, we would have been better off from a NET perspective with Central Connecticut (NET 249) and Fairfield (161) than Georgetown (205) and De Paul (320). In fact there were 5 teams from the NEC, Central’s league, with a better NET than DePaul, including LeMoyne which is in its first year of D1.

So rather than complain about the system, or the committee or some nefarious plot against the Conference, they should be looking to the Hoyas and Blue Demons. Playing 2 teams in conference that are in essence low mid majors does a huge damage to bubble teams so you have to counteract that by playing, and beating, good non-conference opponents. The League must push those teams either must significantly improve and everyone else to schedule assuming they won’t, or bubble teams from the NEWBIE will be in trouble again and again.

 

[CL82]

Wow.

It sounds to me like the conference's message is "We're sorry some of our coaches publicly criticized the selections. Please forgive us".

It sounded to me like an apology that the conference was not better couple with a promise to do better next year.

Honestly, it was better to be silent.

 

[nomar]

Wow, why bother even making a public statement if this is it? I never had much against Val, but I’m in agreement now that she needs to be shown the door. Bring in someone with a pulse.

If I had to describe the BE’s response in a word, it’d be “tepid.” Probably better to say nothing at all. That was akin to “yeah I know he hit me but I instigated it.”

 

[JeffConn]

What do you mean "consider joining"? We've practically been begging to join because the alternative is becoming gradually less relevant financially and competitively. After over a decade of being left out people still post as if you can invite yourself to a top conference! Really? It doesn't work that way and those within the Boneyard community that have been anti-football will someday realize or leave as their legacy that they were unwittingly anti-UConn in all sports. Money was always a thing. Now it's the biggest thing moving closer to being the only thing.

It's been published that UConn has had recent discussions with the Big 12 and ACC about joining those conferences. Those reports have indicated that Dave Benedict and UConn have previously indicated only interest in membership for all sports (including football). My earlier comments were about UConn reconsidering it's entry level status of membership as an all sports, EXCEPT FOOTBALL, member. I fully understand, as does anyone that is following this, that conference members must ultimately invite a school to join. But schools approach other conferences for consideration into membership all the time. SMU approached the ACC and reportedly offered to not receive significant for a fairly long period of time.

I suggested a UConn negotiation approach including some form of performance criterion in the entry negotiations that includes UConn's football team being able to join at a later time, once it achieves a winning record for a reasonable period of time. The sports talk shows in Big 12 Conference country have broadcasted that the ADs of their football-strong schools and their supporters/fans do not currently want UConn football as a member because they don't want to dilute the quality of play (like Depaul currently does in basketball in the Big East). The Big 12 ADs advise their university presidents during membership discussions and the Big 12 presidents raised concerns about UConn leadership's and the State's long-term commitment to football, citing that the team plays its games in a smaller, older stadium more than 20 miles from campus. As we all expect, geography and travel time and costs to member destinations also affect expansion and conference affiliation decisions. Despite Commissioner Brett Yormark's stated desire to have a coast-to-coast conference (with a member in the New York area) as well as to put more emphasis on basketball, the revenue-driving, football-strong conference members convinced the Big 12 presidents to hold off on extending UConn a membership invitation. Among universities, there's intellectual, football and basketball snobbery, along with their greed. The Big 10 has long preferred only adding large football-strong, heavy research oriented schools with Association of American Universities (AAU) membership (UConn is not a member) and yes, they must invite you into the AAU as well! The SEC will only add large schools with existing strong football programs. University presidents, PHd's functioning as CEOs, primarily make their conference expansion decisions based on how it will financially benefit their schools.

It is not anti-football to try to understand what others on the outside of UConn Nation are saying that effects the existing economic reality of the situation. While rejoining the Big East was a successful short-term decision, regarding conference affiliation over the long-term, UConn is in a complex predicament.

 

[billybud]

UConn is one of the pieces in the tectonic plate puzzle...as the football continents come together in their own Pangaea, what happens to premier basketball schools without a desirable football program ?

It won't be in my lifetime, but I could see an uncoupling of football and basketball...a P2 league of football and, similarly, a P2 basketball league.

Olympic sports, baseball, etc stay in region based conferences.And...P2 should not be forever...things change...like this year...who woulda thought that the UCLA powerhouse of days past would have a net of 107 ?

 

[Hurleyman216]

The Big 12 is the only conference I’d want to join at this point. They still have an exciting basketball product (unlike the Big 10) and we’d bring up the level of our football program substantially. I still think we have too many eyeballs and our basketball programs are too valuable to die is a basketball only catholic league. We shouldn’t be desperate and kill our football program or join a P5 in basketball only. Whoever gets us will get a ton of value from our basketball and will have to live with the state of our football program until it gets turned around.

 

[tzznandrew]

The Big 12 is the only conference I’d want to join at this point. They still have an exciting basketball product (unlike the Big 10) and we’d bring up the level of our football program substantially. I still think we have too many eyeballs and our basketball programs are too valuable to die is a basketball only catholic league. We shouldn’t be desperate and kill our football program or join a P5 in basketball only. Whoever gets us will get a ton of value from our basketball and will have to live with the state of our football program until it gets turned around.

I agree with the last part.

But the B1G should still be the goal. It's not going to happen, but you'd have to think that, if they were adding us, they were making a basketball move and adding someone like Kansas or UNC as well.

It's a good basketball league as is, though, and it will always be safe. That's why you go with it.

 

[freescooter]

It sounded to me like an apology that the conference was not better couple with a promise to do better next year.

Honestly, it was better to be silent.

See my comment above. The top of the conference was very good but DePaul would struggle in the NEC and Georgetown would be in the lower half of the MAAC if you go by metrics. So you can’t claim going 10-10 in the NEWBIE should get you in. Back in the day the ticket to the Dace for Big East teams was .500 in conference and 20 wins. Now you are really playing 16 conference games against true high majors. Based on the MAJOR portion of schedule St John’s was 6-10. Seton Hall had a better claim at 9-7. The worst Team in any other major conference was ranked 217, Louisville in the ACC. But none of them had multiple teams in the 200s and the PAC. Bid 12 and Big 10 had none. And none had anything approaching DePaul level ineptitude. An in a 14 or 16 team league, for example, there is more “room for error.” In an 11 team league playing a round robin format you are going to play 4 effective low mid-majors in conference. Finish .500 and you are screwed.

 

[CL82]

See my comment above. The top of the conference was very good but DePaul would struggle in the NEC and Georgetown would be in the lower half of the MAAC if you go by metrics. So you can’t claim going 10-10 in the NEWBIE should get you in. Back in the day the ticket to the Dace for Big East teams was .500 in conference and 20 wins. Now you are really playing 16 conference games against true high majors. Based on the MAJOR portion of schedule St John’s was 6-10. Seton Hall had a better claim at 9-7. The worst Team in any other major conference was ranked 217, Louisville in the ACC. But none of them had multiple teams in the 200s and the PAC. Bid 12 and Big 10 had none. And none had anything approaching DePaul level ineptitude. An in a 14 or 16 team league, for example, there is more “room for error.” In an 11 team league playing a round robin format you are going to play 4 effective low mid-majors in conference. Finish .500 and you are screwed.

 

[Kolumbo]

Here’s what the league office really needs to understand, and I think they do by the sound of this statement. “The problem is not in our stars, but in ourselves.”

The real problem is that the NEWBIE has 2 teams that simply don’t matter. 10-10 with 4 wins against Georgetown and DePaul is not the same as 10-10 in any other major league. Those 4 games are like playing in the NEC-Big East Challenge. Ridiculous on its face, but not far from inaccurate. For some perspective on how bad those teams are, look at NET or really any of the other rating services. If it were possible to trade conference members, we would have been better off from a NET perspective with Central Connecticut (NET 249) and Fairfield (161) than Georgetown (205) and De Paul (320). In fact there were 5 teams from the NEC, Central’s league, with a better NET than DePaul, including LeMoyne which is in its first year of D1.

So rather than complain about the system, or the committee or some nefarious plot against the Conference, they should be looking to the Hoyas and Blue Demons. Playing 2 teams in conference that are in essence low mid majors does a huge damage to bubble teams so you have to counteract that by playing, and beating, good non-conference opponents. The League must push those teams either must significantly improve and everyone else to schedule assuming they won’t, or bubble teams from the NEWBIE will be in trouble again and again.

I think Cooley has what it takes to turn Georgetown around unless the inter-conference fiasco undermines him. Georgetown needs to be a player in the conference.
DePaul hired a new coach but if it is possible to turn that program around, it might take a very long time.
Either way, with only 11 teams, the conference can't afford to have 2 such anchors. I agree bubble teams may continue to get burned. Most seem to think DePaul can't get kicked out. Maybe Holtmann can hit the portal hard and find some diamonds at mid-majors just hoping to get a chance to play in the Big East.

 

[freescooter]

You are a DePaul fan I guess.

 

[bazz&boujee]

Don’t lose to USC, Rutgers, Michigan, and Boston College. All the letter had to say.

 

[UConnJim]

This take will probably get panned, but Aresco was a fighter for the AAC. He marketed the P6 and he advocated for his conference and schools. That is what Ackerman needs to do. And, the AAC was successful in helping Houston, UCF, and Cincinnati to the Big 12 and I think you have to give Aresco some credit for that. Unfortunately, the AAC didn't work out for UConn, but I would blame the UConn administration for not emphasizing football enough.

 

[CL82]

You are a DePaul fan I guess.

Nope, I just think your whole "fetch" thing is dopey and completely undercuts any point you're trying to make.

Hope that helps!

 

[Chief00]

This take will probably get panned, but Aresco was a fighter for the AAC. He marketed the P6 and he advocated for his conference and schools. That is what Ackerman needs to do. And, the AAC was successful in helping Houston, UCF, and Cincinnati to the Big 12 and I think you have to give Aresco some credit for that. Unfortunately, the AAC didn't work out for UConn, but I would blame the UConn administration for not emphasizing football enough.

What Ackerman needs to do is walked out her office door and not return. I was called sexist last season criticizing her ineptitude. Now it is on public display like never before. Yet, the Big East Presidents can’t find the clarity and strength to do the obvious task of letting Val go. At this point if we must, pay Val for the rest of her life, give her some meaningless title with no responsibilities. Or have the MBB coaches vote a secret ballot on if she keeps her job. But, don’t have her screw things up further.

 

[TheHorde]

If you watch a half of DePaul basketball, you will develop Covid-like symptoms

Norovirus symptoms

 

[housekeys]

I hope the 3 BE teams make deep runs. It should give credence to any kind of "we told you so" mantra coming from the BE faithful. It is then when the BE office better come out screaming.

 

[housekeys]

The problem with Val, seems to be, she convinced herself the football powers would be willing to share the spotlight with the niche BE schools and maintain a status quo. She better re-think the role of the BE in the current college sports landscape.

 

[NoSpamHere]

Finally some love from Fox...

 

[Excalibur]

Watching CSU and thinking about how freescooter thinks that SJU is bad . . .