Why would ESPN deliberately try to destroy UConn athletics?

[SubbaBub]

CR has been going on long enough that we might need a history of CR thread, but I ain't creating it.

But in short,

Miami - Left for a better FB conference (the one with FSU in it)
BC - Saw Miami was leaving and said, we need to follow them.
VT - same as BC once Syracuse did the noble thing and tried to save the Big East.

Pitt - ACC/ESPN decided the BE had to go and told Pitt it will be you or someone else. They went.
Cuse - Same as Pitt. (The Uncle Flippy comments from BC fit in here.

WVA - Found a lifeboat good for them
UL - Given our lifeboat at the behest of FSU, Miami, BC and Clemson. Good for them.

RU - B1G asked.
TCU - You don't look anything like your profile pic, BE. Thanks Texas.

C7 - rightfully decided to cut bait with FB schools once the idea of sharing a conference with ECU and Tulsa became apparent.


Non-Big East moves.

Nebraska - F Texas, Hello B1G dollars and academic ties.

Colorado - F Texas, Hello California
Utah - Wait, you want us? Hi, P12.

Texas A&M - F Texas, Hello SEC
Missouri - Are you sure B1G? No? Hello SEC and oh yeah, F Texas.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The American is viable for ESPN as long as UConn is in it.

That scares me.

Which is precisely why I think they leaked to Blauds that they'd consider leaving it if they don't get in the B12 and the AAC is gutted. It was a message. Supposedly, the American is ESPNs most profitable college property. Ratings exceeded any expectation and the cost is negligible.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

...

ESPN is not deliberately trying to destroy UCONN-they are business people looking to maximize value and minimize cost for quality content.. it sucks, but it is what it is

This is what I don't get about the whole "ESPN hates us" meme. No serious business seeks to cripple its partners because, in the end, it will come back and bite THEM in the ass. If a deal isn't good for both parties, it is bad for both. Oh, one party might profit in the short term but, over time, that is a losing strategy.

 

[CL82]

CR has been going on long enough that we might need a history of CR thread, but I ain't creating it.

But in short,

Miami - Left for a better FB conference (the one with FSU in it)
BC - Saw Miami was leaving and said, we need to follow them.
VT - same as BC once Syracuse did the noble thing and tried to save the Big East.

Pitt - ACC/ESPN decided the BE had to go and told Pitt it will be you or someone else. They went.
Cuse - Same as Pitt. (The Uncle Flippy comments from BC fit in here.

WVA - Found a lifeboat good for them
UL - Given our lifeboat at the behest of FSU, Miami, BC and Clemson. Good for them.

RU - B1G asked.
TCU - You don't look anything like your profile pic, BE. Thanks Texas.

C7 - rightfully decided to cut bait with FB schools once the idea of sharing a conference with ECU and Tulsa became apparent.


Non-Big East moves.

Nebraska - F Texas, Hello B1G dollars and academic ties.

Colorado - F Texas, Hello California
Utah - Wait, you want us? Hi, P12.

Texas A&M - F Texas, Hello SEC
Missouri - Are you sure B1G? No? Hello SEC and oh yeah, F Texas.

Disagree a bit.

BCU was actively working on their exit while they held leadership positions in the conference. They were proactive about leaving, not reactive.

Pitt was the second choice to UConn in round 3 of the eviseration of the Big East. One wonders about how we would feel about ESPN, if BCU hadn't lobbied against us in committee.

The whole F Texas thing is spot on.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

CR has been going on long enough that we might need a history of CR thread, but I ain't creating it.

But in short,

Miami - Left for a better FB conference (the one with FSU in it)
BC - Saw Miami was leaving and said, we need to follow them.
VT - same as BC once Syracuse did the noble thing and tried to save the Big East.

Pitt - ACC/ESPN decided the BE had to go and told Pitt it will be you or someone else. They went.
Cuse - Same as Pitt. (The Uncle Flippy comments from BC fit in here.

WVA - Found a lifeboat good for them
UL - Given our lifeboat at the behest of FSU, Miami, BC and Clemson. Good for them.

RU - B1G asked.
TCU - You don't look anything like your profile pic, BE. Thanks Texas.

C7 - rightfully decided to cut bait with FB schools once the idea of sharing a conference with ECU and Tulsa became apparent.


Non-Big East moves.

Nebraska - F Texas, Hello B1G dollars and academic ties.

Colorado - F Texas, Hello California
Utah - Wait, you want us? Hi, P12.

Texas A&M - F Texas, Hello SEC
Missouri - Are you sure B1G? No? Hello SEC and oh yeah, F Texas.

VT and Miami went because they had the votes. BCU, at first, did not. The football schools in the ACC initially rejected the Eagles. But Swofford and ESPN wanted 12 instead of 11, and the ACC sort of owed BCU for being their Big East mole.

 

[upstater]

This is what I don't get about the whole "ESPN hates us" meme. No serious business seeks to cripple its partners because, in the end, it will come back and bite THEM in the ass. If a deal isn't good for both parties, it is bad for both. Oh, one party might profit in the short term but, over time, that is a losing strategy.

Mega corporations are filled with short-term employees who look at the bottom line, and are compensated well. Look at Roger Goodell, the author of an NFL lockout/strike in 2021. Meanwhile, he makes $40 million a year for the next 5 years. So what does he care that his short term decisions are leading to negative outcomes?

 

[MattMang23]

VT - same as BC once Syracuse did the noble thing and tried to save the Big East.

Be careful not to give the fruits too much credit here. Save for the Virginia governor threatening UVA, Cuse would have been glad to leave with Miami.

 

[J187Money]

CR has been going on long enough that we might need a history of CR thread, but I ain't creating it.

But in short,

Miami - Left for a better FB conference (the one with FSU in it)
BC - Saw Miami was leaving and said, we need to follow them.
VT - same as BC once Syracuse did the noble thing and tried to save the Big East.

Pitt - ACC/ESPN decided the BE had to go and told Pitt it will be you or someone else. They went.
Cuse - Same as Pitt. (The Uncle Flippy comments from BC fit in here.

WVA - Found a lifeboat good for them
UL - Given our lifeboat at the behest of FSU, Miami, BC and Clemson. Good for them.

RU - B1G asked.
TCU - You don't look anything like your profile pic, BE. Thanks Texas.

C7 - rightfully decided to cut bait with FB schools once the idea of sharing a conference with ECU and Tulsa became apparent.


Non-Big East moves.

Nebraska - F Texas, Hello B1G dollars and academic ties.

Colorado - F Texas, Hello California
Utah - Wait, you want us? Hi, P12.

Texas A&M - F Texas, Hello SEC
Missouri - Are you sure B1G? No? Hello SEC and oh yeah, F Texas.

HOF post.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

ESPN screwed over the AAC and UCONN with its incredible sweet media deal. Of course, they want to keep UCONN dirt cheap while overpaying for schools like WF and BCU. SNY was paying UCONN almost as much for our women bball tier-3 as ESPN is paying UCONN for all of our media rights. We are being royally screwed right now by ESPN simply by associating with the AAC.

UCONN has to leave ESPN if it wants a better deal. If we don't get into the B12, UCONN needs to sign with another company ASAP to get out of this bad contract. BE/FOX looks fine for non-FB sports. For FB, UCONN should talk to better teams in the MWC and AAC to form a nationwide FB-only conference if we can get a better deal for all parties. At minimal, we should explore this possibility.

 

[06029]

VT and Miami went because they had the votes. BCU, at first, did not. The football schools in the ACC initially rejected the Eagles. But Swofford and ESPN wanted 12 instead of 11, and the ACC sort of owed BCU for being their Big East mole.

Actually, the NCAA denied the ACC's request to hold a football conference championship game with only 11 teams. It was voted against by the B1G who at time did not believe in championship games, the Big 12 because they had 12 and felt everyone else should, the SEC because they always vote no unless they think of it first and the BE because, we know why. That forced the ACC go to 12 quickly and it was Cuse and BC on the table and they chose BC.

 

[SubbaBub]

It was initially Miami, Cuse, and BC. Cuse backed out, VT stepped in and BC committed to staying, presumably because Cuse stayed. The BE would have survived as a P6 had they done so. But, instead they maneuvered for spot #12 once the NCAA said you need 12 for a CCG. Presumably so another school didn't take it. CR moved at lightning speed back in those days. (Sin #1).

When ESPN decided stripping the BE for parts was the thing to do. BC blocked UConn even though we were preferred over Pitt. (Sin #2). The BE was toast by this point because two teams were leaving.

When it came down to Us v. UL, BC sided with UL (Sin #3). Even if no one was listening to BC by then, their vote could have carried the day with the NC block.

 

[06029]

It was initially Miami, Cuse, and BC. Cuse backed out, VT stepped in and BC committed to staying, presumably because Cuse stayed. The BE would have survived as a P6 had they done so. But, instead they maneuvered for spot #12 once the NCAA said you need 12 for a CCG. Presumably so another school didn't take it. CR moved at lightning speed back in those days. (Sin #1).

When ESPN decided stripping the BE for parts was the thing to do. BC blocked UConn even though we were preferred over Pitt. (Sin #2). The BE was toast by this point because two teams were leaving.

When it came down to Us v. UL, BC sided with UL (Sin #3). Even if no one was listening to BC by then, their vote could have carried the day with the NC block.

Cuse NEVER backed out. The ACC left them out along with BC.

The ACC went public too early with 3 teams. The VA legislature laid down the path that TX is following. UVA said VT and whomever or no one. Not sure who else they got on their side on the vote but the prize at that time was Miami and then they took VT at the same time. BC and Cuse got left behind. It was only after that Cuse professed its unfailing love of the BE. They were prepared to go the first time around. How they got left behind for BC less than a year later has never been fully made clear other than Boeheim maybe convinced the school to stay put for the BB games he knew and loved.

This is why the current Big 12 20 team courtship is a massive cluster fork. Too public, too easy for politicians to get in the way in TX. The B1G and the last round of the ACC expansion is how it should work. Let it be known when it is a done deal. Keep it out of the press.

 

[SAMCRO]

Cuse NEVER backed out. The ACC left them out along with BC.

The ACC went public too early with 3 teams. The VA legislature laid down the path that TX is following. UVA said VT and whomever or no one. Not sure who else they got on their side on the vote but the prize at that time was Miami and then they took VT at the same time. BC and Cuse got left behind. It was only after that Cuse professed its unfailing love of the BE. They were prepared to go the first time around. How they got left behind for BC less than a year later has never been fully made clear other than Boeheim maybe convinced the school to stay put for the BB games he knew and loved.

This is why the current Big 12 20 team courtship is a massive cluster fork. Too public, too easy for politicians to get in the way in TX. The B1G and the last round of the ACC expansion is how it should work. Let it be known when it is a done deal. Keep it out of the press.

This ^^^. Let's not kid ourselves about Cuse, they never did the honorable thing. They were essentially left at the altar due to t Virginia state politics. They then recommitted their loyalty to the BE, along with BC. The ACC petitioned the NCAA to be able to have a CCG with only 11 teams, they were shot down.. after that they went after ND again, ND said no thank you, then they invited BC to be #12 in order to have a CCG.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

Mega corporations are filled with short-term employees who look at the bottom line, and are compensated well. Look at Roger Goodell, the author of an NFL lockout/strike in 2021. Meanwhile, he makes $40 million a year for the next 5 years. So what does he care that his short term decisions are leading to negative outcomes?

Bad apples exist. Mega-anythings are going to have some. None of which makes screwing others a good strategy for the mega-something.

 

[Adios]

ESPN does play a part in UConn being successful. Like I've been saying, all about paying dues. If ESPN sees us as valuable enough to anchor the damn AAC (which is what I was thinking), some "P5" conference will see value in us for their conference, too. We're getting airtime in Big 12 territory for expansion, as one of the top candidates. No ex-Yankee Conference foe has anywhere near as much clout as we do now. I don't think the Big 12 would even care for Syracuse or BC.

 

[upstater]

Bad apples exist. Mega-anythings are going to have some. None of which makes screwing others a good strategy for the mega-something.

Bad apples? Look at the risk insurance sold by Wall Street banks and insurers a decade ago. Huge commissions. But gutted their companies. People have a great incentive to make money, and if they can make more money in some ways which are legal but of short-term benefit and long-term detriment, they will do it. Heck, we made a hero of one guy, Michael Burry of the Big Short, who had a very short-term outlook.

 

[jayfromfla]

Should we not get into the Big 12 we should go back to BE for most sports. Ther run an Independent program. Try to get 8+ games a year with the P5 programs . All should be Home and home contracts only . no 2-1. Then fill in with Boisie State, Army, , Navy, BYU and one home game with FCS. With that schedule we shop an independent contract with Fox, CBS Sports, NBC Sports etc But growth of the program is essential and cultivation our TV market in NY, Boston and Connecticut

 

[SubbaBub]

Don't ever question my memory. I could be wrong, but don't question it.

3 Big East schools invited to join ACC Miami, Syracuse and Boston College got the bids. Now the Big East gets to make a counterproposal.

ACC : Cut off: Lobbying by Virginia officials caused SU to lose its ACC bid in 2003

But finally on June 24, when the presidents voted on each expansion plan separately, Virginia Tech and Miami were approved as the 10th and 11th teams. Warner and Casteen had won. Crouthamel and Shaw had lost.

***

Syracuse history professor David Bennett thought it was obvious SU could still join the ACC even after June 24. This was an obvious second chance as, to Bennett, it was clear the ACC would go to 12 teams to have a lucrative conference championship game.

Bennett, the former chairman of the Athletic Policy Board and the NCAA Faculty Representative from 1975-95, went to Shaw.

‘The question I had for (Shaw), it wasn’t a question, it was a strong feeling, and it was that this could not stand,’ Bennett said. ‘ … They were clearly going to add either Boston College or Syracuse. And I thought we should make a full-court press to be that school.’

Shaw and Crouthamel chose not to.

Instead, the two, along with University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark Nordenberg and then-University of West Virginia President David Hardesty Jr., worked to rebuild the Big East into the unbalanced yet formidable 16-team basketball superconference it became, Shaw said.

Boston College, though, secretly pursued the path Bennett suggested for Syracuse and ultimately joined the ACC in October 2003.

‘At the time we had no intent of leaving, at the time we were obsessed with putting the conference back together,’ Shaw said.

 

[MattMang23]

Should we not get into the Big 12 we should go back to BE for most sports. Ther run an Independent program. Try to get 8+ games a year with the P5 programs . All should be Home and home contracts only . no 2-1. Then fill in with Boisie State, Army, , Navy, BYU and one home game with FCS. With that schedule we shop an independent contract with Fox, CBS Sports, NBC Sports etc But growth of the program is essential and cultivation our TV market in NY, Boston and Connecticut

Yeah, shoulda done that long ago. What were we thinking? Home and homes with 8 Power Fives every year and the other four games with the best teams not in the P5?! Wow! Why hasn't that happened yet, Suzie?!

 

[BlueDogs]

Whatever the history, UConn got played and left holding a bag of crap. We need folks who are willing to use leverage and play hard ball with ESPN.

 

[uconnell]

Yeah, shoulda done that long ago. What were we thinking? Home and homes with 8 Power Fives every year and the other four games with the best teams not in the P5?! Wow! Why hasn't that happened yet, Suzie?!

Sarcasm

 

[mavblues]

This is what I don't get about the whole "ESPN hates us" meme. No serious business seeks to cripple its partners because, in the end, it will come back and bite THEM in the ass. If a deal isn't good for both parties, it is bad for both. Oh, one party might profit in the short term but, over time, that is a losing strategy.

The (former) Big East disagrees with you.

 

[MattMang23]

Sarcasm

Hard to tell on the interwebs.

 

[Kolumbo]

This is what I don't get about the whole "ESPN hates us" meme. No serious business seeks to cripple its partners because, in the end, it will come back and bite THEM in the ass. If a deal isn't good for both parties, it is bad for both. Oh, one party might profit in the short term but, over time, that is a losing strategy.

I get what you are saying but espn and UConn are hardly business partners. UConn is basically espn's organ monkey right now barely working for food scraps.

 

[huskymedic]

Try to get 8+ games a year with the P5 programs . All should be Home and home contracts only . no 2-1.

Sounds hunky dory in theory but can you help me understand what leverage we may have (in reality) to make that happen as your proposed independent in football?

 

[RegisteredUconn]

I get what you are saying but espn and UConn are hardly business partners. UConn is basically espn's organ monkey right now barely working for food scraps.

One partner is taking advantage of another which is why what ESPN is doing is bad strategically.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

The (former) Big East disagrees with you.

Disagreeing doesn't make them right.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

Bad apples? Look at the risk insurance sold by Wall Street banks and insurers a decade ago. Huge commissions. But gutted their companies. People have a great incentive to make money, and if they can make more money in some ways which are legal but of short-term benefit and long-term detriment, they will do it. Heck, we made a hero of one guy, Michael Burry of the Big Short, who had a very short-term outlook.

By definition, strategies don't focus on the short term.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Either UConn is the unluckiest school in CR or someone or someones at ESPN are working against us. When schools like Houston and Memphis are considered viable alternatives to UConn for the Big 12, I tend to think luck has nothing to do with it. If ESPN really wanted UConn to succeed, it would contact the ACC and tell them that ESPN wants Connecticut and a bigger profile in New York, and tell the ACC that ESPN will cover UConn's addition. Because the alternative is that UConn goes away. ESPN has chosen "UConn goes away".

 

[CTMike]

Either UConn is the unluckiest school in CR or someone or someones at ESPN are working against us. When schools like Houston and Memphis are considered viable alternatives to UConn for the Big 12, I tend to think luck has nothing to do with it. If ESPN really wanted UConn to succeed, it would contact the ACC and tell them that ESPN wants Connecticut and a bigger profile in New York, and tell the ACC that ESPN will cover UConn's addition. Because the alternative is that UConn goes away. ESPN has chosen "UConn goes away".

What's ESPN's motive to kill UConn in this scenario?