Why this could be the last trip to the Maui Invitational

[HooperScooper]

Sounds like MTEs could become a thing of the past and UConn will have more home and home series with top teams. So if you're going to Maui, savor it. Could be the last one.

"Who knows?," said Benedict. "How the models change, how these promoters do things ... I think some of these promoters have been doing well off of the backs of some really high-level programs. Because of the shifting economics in college athletics, everyone's really looking at what you control with a much finer toothcomb. So, you're less willing to take less. You want to go to a great event. Let's face it, Maui has been the standard for a long time. But, those type of events probably aren't going to be as important as they used to be, because of how the model is changing."

https://www.nhregister.com/sports/uconn-mens-basketball/article/maui-invitational-mte-david-benedict-uconn-huskies-19923312.php

Alternate access:
Why this could be UConn men's basketball team's last trip to Maui Invitational: 'Model is changing'

 

[Rocktheworld]

I need to get me a toothcomb

 

[HooperScooper]

I need to get me a toothcomb

Borges actually had it "tooth-comb". I took out the hyphen.

Toothcomb - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Inyatkin]

We may not go to Maui in the future because we can't give up the revenue from a home game against East Texas A&M or whoever.

I'm guessing schools in a better conference situation don't have to worry about this kind of thing.

 

[Rocktheworld]

We may not go to Maui in the future because we can't give up the revenue from a home game against East Texas A&M or whoever.

I'm guessing schools in a better conference situation don't have to worry about this kind of thing.

Every peer school in “better situations” schedule just as many cupcakes as us. People here just get bent out of shape that we don’t play a P5 team in the first few games of the season. We have early season tournaments baked in to our season which routinely feature name programs, so we don’t need to worry about playing some SEC team in early November. The staff obviously want to use them as exhibition games too

This is about name schools realizing that the promoters of these tournaments are taking home a disparate proportion of revenue, and that schools aren’t taking home enough to justify the travel/lodging etc. Unless the promoters change things up, the ADs will pursue better means of generating revenue. It’s that simple. It’s their jobs.

 

[Dutch Boyd]

We may not go to Maui in the future because we can't give up the revenue from a home game against East Texas A&M or whoever.

I'm guessing schools in a better conference situation don't have to worry about this kind of thing.

Did a search on the other blue bloods and they also have about 4/5 cupcakes on their schedules as well. Our 6 tough non conference games are coming. Just so happened that our first 4 were them.

 

[upstater]

The only real question here is, do you want enough NIL to keep up with everyone else? If you do, then schedule home/away games against Michigan State, instead of going to Maui. Or would you rather take a trip to Maui? Then go to Maui.

 

[Rocktheworld]

The only real question here is, do you want enough NIL to keep up with everyone else? If you do, then schedule home/away games against Michigan State, instead of going to Maui. Or would you rather take a trip to Maui? Then go to Maui.

Basically this

 

[Waquoit]

The draw for these things used to be you got to play 3 extra regular season games. Since you get them anyway now, why bother?

 

[HooperScooper]

The only real question here is, do you want enough NIL to keep up with everyone else? If you do, then schedule home/away games against Michigan State, instead of going to Maui. Or would you rather take a trip to Maui? Then go to Maui.

Isn't this about revenue sharing with athletes that is coming next year? The school making more money wouldn't contribute to NIL. Or do I have this all wrong? Tough to keep up with this rapidly changing NCAA landscape.

 

[willie99]

I would trade the Maui for an additional 3 strong OOC games every year. We get 1 or 2 home games per year, on a rotating basis of course

Way more fun for me. Never been to Maui

But I do like the Battle for Atlantis

 

[upstater]

Isn't this about revenue sharing with athletes that is coming next year? The school making more money wouldn't contribute to NIL. Or do I have this all wrong? Tough to keep up with this rapidly changing NCAA landscape.

Schools will be paying NIL out of their own pockets. I'm sure they'll ask contributors to chip in

 

[Drew]

Schools will be paying NIL out of their own pockets. I'm sure they'll ask contributors to chip in

Just FYI - it’s both. Schools will pay athletic department revenues to their athletes and athletes can still book/sign NIL deals on top of that revenue share from the AD with collectives or other businesses.

 

[MU in MKE]

I can't find the article now, but I read about a new type of game or tournaments that are going to be driven by big $$ sponsors and promoters who will pay players or NIL groups directly to play. It may become a big thing really soon and everyone is going to try to get in on it, regardless of Blueblood all the way down to lowest D1 schools.

 

[HooperScooper]

I can't find the article now, but I read about a new type of game or tournaments that are going to be driven by big $$ sponsors and promoters who will pay players or NIL groups directly to play. It may become a big thing really soon and everyone is going to try to get in on it, regardless of Blueblood all the way down to lowest D1 schools.

NIL-driven Players Era Festival sets schedule, TV partners: Alabama vs. Houston is marquee game in Las Vegas

The schedule for the eight-team 2024 Players Era Festival in Las Vegas is set

www.cbssports.com

 

[Inyatkin]

Every peer school in “better situations” schedule just as many cupcakes as us. People here just get bent out of shape that we don’t play a P5 team in the first few games of the season. We have early season tournaments baked in to our season which routinely feature name programs, so we don’t need to worry about playing some SEC team in early November. The staff obviously want to use them as exhibition games too

This is about name schools realizing that the promoters of these tournaments are taking home a disparate proportion of revenue, and that schools aren’t taking home enough to justify the travel/lodging etc. Unless the promoters change things up, the ADs will pursue better means of generating revenue. It’s that simple. It’s their jobs.

It's not about who we play. Cupcakes are fine. It's that we're saying we are in such a financial state that we don't want to give up home-game revenue to go to those early-season tournaments you mentioned.
If we had more revenue coming from our conference, this wouldn't be a problem.

 

[Waquoit]

If we had more revenue coming from our conference, this wouldn't be a problem.

Unnecessary shade. If we had more money from our conference we'd still be looking for even more.

 

[auror]

The draw for these things used to be you got to play 3 extra regular season games. Since you get them anyway now, why bother?

You still get 2 extra games playing in a 5+ team MTE.

 

[Inyatkin]

Unnecessary shade. If we had more money from our conference we'd still be looking for even more.

OK. When Big 10 teams say they won't go to Maui because they can't afford it, we'll know for sure.

 

[ec33]

You would hope that UConn is trying to be at the front of creating an MSG MTE with a decent payout for participating schools. Other top schools want the NYC exposure. Broadcasters would be happy. It would seem like a nice marketing opportunity for the company that bought the naming rights.

 

[kemba]

It's not about who we play. Cupcakes are fine. It's that we're saying we are in such a financial state that we don't want to give up home-game revenue to go to those early-season tournaments you mentioned.
If we had more revenue coming from our conference, this wouldn't be a problem.

But the statement “we won’t go to Maui because we don’t want to give up the revenue for east Texas a&m” is not what the article says. It says we’d prefer to schedule more high level home and homes to Maui. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing though people can have different opinions on that

 

[EROCK CONN]

OK. When Big 10 teams say they won't go to Maui because they can't afford it, we'll know for sure.

Ironically, the 2025 Maui field is the worst one they’ve had in recent memory by far.

If these preseason tournaments want to stay relevant, they are going to have to fork over more money to the teams and players.

 

[bendm]

ironically, the 2025 Maui field is the worst one they’ve had in recent memory by far.

huh? 3 top 5 teams, 4 top 10 teams, plus MSU which is a borderline top 25 team, is the best field in recent memory

 

[HooperScooper]

huh? 3 top 5 teams, 4 top 10 teams, plus MSU which is a borderline top 25 team, is the best field in recent memory

He said 2025 field.

 

[HuskyHawk]

It's a sad reality of the state of our AD. The travel expenses plus the equal shared revenue across multiple schools means that we'd make more over a 2 year period with 3 home and 3 road games against good opponents. Or neutral site games at MSG where we get a larger share of the take and travel is on a bus.

Going to the hockey game last Friday it's really staggering parking at the South Garage and walking by Werth, Burton, Morrone, the Baseball stadium and then Toscano. UConn has put a lot of money hoping we'd eventually get that P4/5 revenue.