Yormark confirms that the big 12 was in expansion talks with Connecticut and Gonzaga but indicates neither program is being pursued any longer.

[Sea Goat]

Yormark is on to something the brain dead folks at Storrs should be pushing for . semi autonomy for the 32 D1 basketball conferences
The elephant in the room is Basketball schools are completely getting shafted in their association with the NCAA tournament and there is no outcry .
The men’s basketball tournament earns a billion dollars yet
the distribution pool for participating conferences is about $175,000,000 or less than 20% . By comparison the power football schools keep over 80% of their playoff money
Last year the Big East earned 15 units @$338,000 per unit or about $5,000,000 a year for 6 years or $30,000,000 and The Big East is thrilled .
Yet that number per unit at 80% is about $1,500, 000 per unit
would have been $22,000, 000 or $132,000,000 over six years
The Big East could be dividing $80,000,000 to $100,000,000 annually varying with tournament success .
That‘s without changing the tournament and all 32 D1 conference’s participation.
That’s not Power conference money but it makes Basketball a much more important player .
Huggins in a one of his rants indicated this and I ran the numbers
The question is why basketballs schools allow themselves to be exploited ?
Those that think the chief beneficiary is the NCAA corporate office are mistaken . They distribute half the sum $500,000,000 to 1200 member schools for no apparent reason
They also help finance multiple championship , however many are partially covered by a $35,000,000 a year deal with ESPN that includes the NIT, Baseball, Softball , The men’s tournament overseas rights and the gem , the women’s Basketball tournament that is currently valued at about $80,000,000 as a stand alone which turns that tournament as a nice profit maker. The current deal expires this coming year and should at least triple .
It turns out BB is a pretty lucrative sport however the schools that make the money aren’t compensated equitably.
The huge impact of getting $7,000,000 a year for each Big East team is significant and makes a BB school much more attractive in CR . Excluding conferences that earn one or even two units annually is also totally unnecessary . The benefits out weight the cost .

March Madness is the only big money maker for the NCAA. They desperately want to hold onto it. There is no reason why it couldn't be managed like the CFP. You're right - UConn would automatically be worth more in CR. When Emerich left the NCAA last year he was making about $3.3mm per year.
Why do you think they covet March Madness?

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Why do you think they covet March Madness?

Because it pays for D2 and D3 athletics and a ton of revenue for the schools/conferences that play/advance in the big dance.

 

[Sea Goat]

Because it pays for D2 and D3 athletics and a ton of revenue for the schools/conferences that play/advance in the big dance.

Exactly - but if we're a top 5-10 team in college BB, then take advantage of it. BTW, what does CFP football contribute to D-2 and D-3 programs? Why should that be on BB via March Madness to fund? Why can't NCAA BB be spun off like football did with CFP? The big football powers control the money in that sport. Why can't the big BB powers control March Madness money too? We've won 20% of the BB Nattys in last 25 years. We definitely get a seat at that table! If all the BB money was freed up for distribution ala football, don't you think UConn would have conference suitors?

For us there would be no more door mat status - pathetically waiting on some conference, stocked with under performing members, to show us some love. The football guys talk about a 28 team prestige league. Why can't the BB powers do something similar? This endless guano of pining away for some conference that uses us as a stalking horse has got to end. Why can't this be done and then have a conference for your olympic sports minus BB?

 

[baggerbob]

Exactly - but if we're a top 5-10 team in college BB, then take advantage of it. BTW, what does CFP football contribute to D-2 and D-3 programs? Why should that be on BB via March Madness to fund? Why can't NCAA BB be spun off like football did with CFP? The big football powers control the money in that sport. Why can't the big BB powers control March Madness money too? We've won 20% of the BB Nattys in last 25 years. We definitely get a seat at that table! If all the BB money was freed up for distribution ala football, don't you think UConn would have conference suitors?

For us there would be no more door mat status - pathetically waiting on some conference, stocked with under performing members, to show us some love. The football guys talk about a 28 team prestige league. Why can't the BB powers do something similar? This endless guano of pining away for some conference that uses us as a stalking horse has got to end. Why can't this be done and then have a conference for your olympic sports minus BB?

The basketball tournament funds the NCAA without that money it doesn't exist.

 

[superjohn]

The basketball tournament funds the NCAA without that money it doesn't exist.

Why is basketball tasked with funding all the non revenue sports? Since everything is about money now why don't we scrap all the non revenue sports?

 

[Patman]

Why is basketball tasked with funding all the non revenue sports? Since everything is about money now why don't we scrap all the non revenue sports?

there are three tournaments that produce a profit. Mens basketball, womens basketball, mens ice hockey. So it goes.

 

[Nostical]

Yormark understands all of this. He’s playing three dimensional chess while the yokels who don’t get it are struggling trying to open their tobacco stained checkers pouches. He still may convince them but he needs our help. Win football games, bring in some must watch star players— (next years QB from Texas?), keep promoting us on social media, invite the negative podcast media voices to our campus. Get any visiting fan there. At the end of yesterday’s NCSt podcast the host asked his UConn podcast guest what there was up there for fans coming to the game to see or do, His answer was “not much around the stadium” ( a Burger King and Cabelas)—ok true). West Hartford or Manchester for dining—(OK), but I was waiting for him to say “and if they have the time, take the well worth it 30 minute drive to our campus in Storrs. You and your fans will be impressed“.
Wasn’t said.

 

[SoFla Steve]

So what do we all make of this . . .

Big 12 Has Resumed Conference Realignment Talks With Gonzaga

 

[superjohn]

So what do we all make of this . . .

Big 12 Has Resumed Conference Realignment Talks With Gonzaga

If you can add a good basketball program from the WCC who plays in the middle of nowhere instead of adding the best basketball program in the country you have to do it!

 

[August_West]

At this point I wouldn't even accept or entertain an invite from this shitshow of a league.

 

[Sole]

If uconn accepted a basketball only offer in the big 12… the ones making that decision for uconn should be fired on the spot

 

[Drew]

Gonzaga making the P5 before UConn would legit be all time. I have no words.

 

[Hoophound]

Gonzaga making the P5 before UConn would legit be all time. I have no words.

Well, that’s disingenuous. We could go B12 for basketball only in a heartbeat. We wouldn’t want to.

 

[Gburyhusky]

Gonzaga making the P5 before UConn would legit be all time. I have no words.

We are in a power conference in the sport that matters most for UConn.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

At this point I wouldn't even accept or entertain an invite from this shitshow of a league.

Clearly it would be best for our long term athletic existence and status to be in a P* conference, but it really is a headshaker in terms of the B12's interest in Gonzaga. Are they a top 10/15 bball program? Yes, but after Few moves on could they be the equivalent of Boise State in football? Time will tell. But one thing won't change - Gonzaga is a small institution in a remote, small market so it has more of a chance of becoming insignificant if it's not putting up 25+ win bball seasons. B12 would be much better going after WSU and OSU.

 

[Drew]

We are in a power conference in the sport that matters most for UConn.

We are in a high major basketball conference. Not a power five conference. This is two completely different things.

Gonzaga has 5000 undergrads as part of its small private religiously affiliated school in Spokane.

$32M AD revenue and is 762 miles from the closest Big 12 team in BYU

They’ve made two final fours EVER.

Big 12 is absolutely psychotic for doing this. And for UConn to now be sitting here in a league that has teams that have been in the Horizon League, A-10, and CUSA in the last 20 years while schools like Gonzaga get the call up to the Big Leagues is just a complete and total joke.

 

[superjohn]

Well, that’s disingenuous. We could go B12 for basketball only in a heartbeat. We wouldn’t want to.

Did you guys not read the short article? It says Gonzaga for all sports.

 

[superjohn]

We are in a high major basketball conference. Not a power five conference. This is two completely different things.

Gonzaga has 5000 undergrads as part of its small private religiously affiliated school in Spokane.

$32M AD revenue and is 762 miles from the closest Big 12 team in BYU

They’ve made two final fours EVER.

Big 12 is absolutely psychotic for doing this. And for UConn to now be sitting here in a league that has teams that have been in the Horizon League, A-10, and CUSA in the last 20 years while schools like Gonzaga get the call up to the Big Leagues is just a complete and total joke.

P5 is a made up thing with no application to basketball, Big East is obviously a Power basketball conference.

Big 12 is going to be a bunch of teams from the AAC, Conference USA, WCC, MVC, A-Sun...

 

[Gburyhusky]

We are in a high major basketball conference. Not a power five conference. This is two completely different things.

Gonzaga has 5000 undergrads as part of its small private religiously affiliated school in Spokane.

$32M AD revenue and is 762 miles from the closest Big 12 team in BYU

They’ve made two final fours EVER.

Big 12 is absolutely psychotic for doing this. And for UConn to now be sitting here in a league that has teams that have been in the Horizon League, A-10, and CUSA in the last 20 years while schools like Gonzaga get the call up to the Big Leagues is just a complete and total joke.

I understand your viewpoint but respectfully disagree. Also it should be noted that the Big 12 now has schools formerly in C-USA, American and WCC.

 

[Dooooooomed]

Well, even if we were considering a non-football invitation, this is likely where the talks did/will fall apart:

"The source said Gonzaga would potentially get $2 million if accepted into the league, a pittance compared to the other schools."

 

[Sole]

I hope they do go in the big 12… because I certainly don’t want them in the big east

 

[Drew]

P5 is a made up thing with no application to basketball, Big East is obviously a Power basketball conference.

Big 12 is going to be a bunch of teams from the AAC, Conference USA, WCC, MVC, A-Sun...

Except its actually not a ‘made up thing’ and is codified into the NCAA bylaws: NCAA adopts new Division I model giving Power 5 autonomy

And we sponsor more sports than basketball. The Big East in fact is not a ‘power’ conference- it’s a high-major in one sport and low major in everything else. Just because you and others don’t care about anything else doesn’t change that.

 

[superjohn]

Except its actually not a ‘made up thing’ and is codified into the NCAA bylaws: NCAA adopts new Division I model giving Power 5 autonomy

And we sponsor more sports than basketball. The Big East in fact is not a ‘power’ conference- it’s a high-major in one sport and low major in everything else. Just because you and others don’t care about anything else doesn’t change that.

I'm well aware that UConn sponsors more sports than basketball, I'm also well aware the Big East is a Power conference in basketball. Lolz at you thinking P5 is still a thing.

I guarantee I know way more than you about UConn athletics across the board.

 

[upstater]

Except its actually not a ‘made up thing’ and is codified into the NCAA bylaws: NCAA adopts new Division I model giving Power 5 autonomy

And we sponsor more sports than basketball. The Big East in fact is not a ‘power’ conference- it’s a high-major in one sport and low major in everything else. Just because you and others don’t care about anything else doesn’t change that.

We just don't know the significance of P5 for basketball yet.

The NCAA has a financial reason for wanting to hold onto the tournament, and the football school have a financial reason to rip it away. For the NCAA, this is the entire reason for its existence, and it would otherwise be incredibly diminished if the tourney was taken away from them. It's possible the NCAA would cease to exist.

There's no way to know if schools outside the P5 power structure would be given an equitable seat at the table.

Given the way the P5 have treated conferences like the MWC or AAC, you could certainly see the possibility that they would try to screw over the BE. Especially once the NCAA is out of the picture and the selection committee then becomes P5 dominant.

Everything points to the P5 then slowly snuffing out conferences outside the structure either through money ($$ for coaching, $$ for facilities, TV slots) or else through certain slights (seeding, tourney berths, etc.). I'd add refereeing to that too.

The NCAA structure right now establishes a balance between all leagues. We don't know what the future holds.

 

[superjohn]

We just don't know the significance of P5 for basketball yet.

The NCAA has a financial reason for wanting to hold onto the tournament, and the football school have a financial reason to rip it away. For the NCAA, this is the entire reason for its existence, and it would otherwise be incredibly diminished if the tourney was taken away from them. It's possible the NCAA would cease to exist.

There's no way to know if schools outside the P5 power structure would be given an equitable seat at the table.

Given the way the P5 have treated conferences like the MWC or AAC, you could certainly see the possibility that they would try to screw over the BE. Especially once the NCAA is out of the picture and the selection committee then becomes P5 dominant.

Everything points to the P5 then slowly snuffing out conferences outside the structure either through money ($$ for coaching, $$ for facilities, TV slots) or else through certain slights (seeding, tourney berths, etc.). I'd add refereeing to that too.

The NCAA structure right now establishes a balance between all leagues. We don't know what the future holds.

There is no P5.

 

[Drew]

I'm well aware that UConn sponsors more sports than basketball, I'm also well aware the Big East is a Power conference in basketball. Lolz at you thinking P5 is still a thing.

I guarantee I know way more than you about UConn athletics across the board.

Got it- so you’re just putting your head in the sand. I’ll stop engaging you here since you don’t want to deal in reality.

 

[CL82]

So what do we all make of this . . .

Big 12 Has Resumed Conference Realignment Talks With Gonzaga

CR rule #1 still in effect, as always.

 

[superjohn]

Got it- so you’re just putting your head in the sand. I’ll stop engaging you here since you don’t want to deal in reality.

Somehow this makes sense in your head.

 

[NowInStorrs]

Well, even if we were considering a non-football invitation, this is likely where the talks did/will fall apart:

"The source said Gonzaga would potentially get $2 million if accepted into the league, a pittance compared to the other schools."

The SMU classic

 

[huskymedic]