UCONN POLL

[Hall2012]

To me, it's pretty simple. If they genuinely want to join the Big East, they're welcome to. As annoying as their fans are, UConn is a major hoops brand and a traditional Big East brand that would add financial value to the league. That's really all they add though. It's not like we'd be adding a national championship contender. At this point, they're likely a middle 3rd team that could maybe sqeak into the NCAAs but more likely end up in the NIT. Could they build their program back to where it was in the Big East? Maybe, but they don't have Calhoun anymore either.

What I don't like is being their "plan B." I understand that this is inevitable because their plan A is P5 football and that isn't changing. The Big East is a top basketball league and should be a destination league. Although the circumstances are reasonable (football vs not), I don't like the idea of taking on a "P5 reject." The P5 fans and trolls over at ESPN will jump down our throats for it and milk it for all its worth to discredit the league. I want a program that wants to be in the Big East, not one that's settling for the Big East.

Bottom line is if they miss out on the Big XII, they'll need us a lot more than we'll need them. The Big East as it stands is a very relevant league and all signs point to sustaining that success. Adding the UConn brand would help, but it's far from essential to the league's success. UConn is going to struggle to stay relevant in every thing but women's basketball in a weakened AAC, especially once the exit fee revenue is gone.

[whiteandblue77]

From what I read, it seems the only reason some of them are against it is because they are worried about being excluded from the future non-NCAA governing body that the P5 schools form. No one on their board has brought it up but I just can't see a governing body like that existing without the membership of the 3rd best basketball conference in the country.

Big-revenue football is driving that bus, with college basketball appearing in its rear-view mirror.

New Atlantic 10 Television Contract Shows Big East Basketball Schools Aren't Going Anywhere – October 3, 2012

The ACC television deal, which pays each school an average of $17 million per year, is divided 80% for football and 20% for basketball.

Not sure what your point is. In 2013 our contract for $4.1 mil per school for 12 years (still got 9 more after NC #1) blew away the speculation in that 2012 article (which points out that the basketball teams for all the football programs only get $3.5 mil.) that Big East basketball couldn't stand on its own financially.

Here's a chart for you:

Big East Basketball Program Annual TV Contract Money: $4.1 mil
#############

Football 5 Basketball Program Annual TV Contract Money: $3.5 mil
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Atlantic 10 Basketball Program Annual TV Contract Money: $350 K
#

So who more likely to be left out of any new divisions because they can't compete financially?

[NJRedman]

Pride always comes before the fall. These fans (the young ones) think they have always been on top and thats just the way it's going to be. They have no idea that they didn't even make the NCAA's as a member of the Big East until 1990. They are a johnny come lately and they are about to be left behind on the ash heap of sports history like USF (San Fran), Houston and CUNY. They also think we are the fake big east and they are still in the real big east. haha

And to the fake big east conference, its the fake big east because the schools left the real big east (AAC) and just bought the name/madison Sq. garden rights. I hate when people ask why UConn left the big east, it didn’t the big east left them.

Ummm no, you took the money we took the house and kids. Now the money is running out and that hot new girlfriend you thought you'd get hasn't shown up and you think you are still better than your ex but she just lost a lot of weight and is doing great.

[Savannah Jay]

Pride always comes before the fall. These fans (the young ones) think they have always been on top and thats just the way it's going to be. They have no idea that they didn't even make the NCAA's as a member of the Big East until 1990. They are a johnny come lately and they are about to be left behind on the ash heap of sports history like USF (San Fran), Houston and CUNY. They also think we are the fake big east and they are still in the real big east. haha

And to the fake big east conference, its the fake big east because the schools left the real big east (AAC) and just bought the name/madison Sq. garden rights. I hate when people ask why UConn left the big east, it didn’t the big east left them.

Ummm no, you took the money we took the house and kids. Now the money is running out and that hot new girlfriend you thought you'd get hasn't shown up and you think you are still better than your ex but she just lost a lot of weight and is doing great.

Very nice analogy...

The AAC...the "real" big east. Said no reasonably intelligent person ever.

[whiteandblue77]

Does anyone really have a solid argument why the NCAA would let 4 or 5 conferences break into their own organization before they just bend over and capitulate to what the conferences want for football? I.e., letting them do their thing, stop policing them, let them sell their damn jerseys on ebay if they want to, drive luxury cars if some schmuck is stupid enough to lend them the keys, etc., as long as the NCCAA gets their share (and they sure do)? This is America but the NCAA is treating major college football players--who make millions for just about everyone but themselves and take on the threat of injury like no others--like they live in a communist country for chrissake? The NCAA thinks they're Kim Jong Un or something. Regarding football the NCAA IS acting like a bunch of douche bags. What really needs to happen is for the NCAA to pull their heads out of their ass with football, step off, then all will be business as usual.

Plus wouldn't the 4-5 conferences want to let the NCAA keep doing their thing with all the other sports? Why would a school or conference for that matter, who breaks away from the NCAA because their football team is the shit, want to start having to manage all the olympic and title IX sports on their own when the NCAA does a great job of that? The Olympics have proven Title IX works for us, and our universities, right?

The only thing that really makes sense is that the NCAA backs off all their football policing bs and everyone goes home happy. Bottom line: the F5 ALREADY are their own division! It's called FBS. The G5 is already F-ed. All of them need to just join the FCS and enjoy it, and get over it.

[NJRedman]

Does anyone really have a solid argument why the NCAA would let 4 or 5 conferences break into their own organization before they just bend over and capitulate to what the conferences want for football? I.e., letting them do their thing, stop policing them, let them sell their damn jerseys on ebay if they want to, drive luxury cars if some schmuck is stupid enough to lend them the keys, etc., as long as the NCCAA gets their share (and they sure do)? This is America but the NCAA is treating major college football players--who make millions for just about everyone but themselves and take on the threat of injury like no others--like they live in a communist country for chrissake? The NCAA thinks they're Kim Jong Un or something. Regarding football the NCAA IS acting like a bunch of douche bags. What really needs to happen is for the NCAA to pull their heads out of their ass with football, step off, then all will be business as usual.

Plus wouldn't the 4-5 conferences want to let the NCAA keep doing their thing with all the other sports? Why would a school or conference for that matter, who breaks away from the NCAA because their football team is the shit, want to start having to manage all the olympic and title IX sports on their own when the NCAA does a great job of that? The Olympics have proven Title IX works for us, and our universities, right?

The only thing that really makes sense is that the NCAA backs off all their football policing bs and everyone goes home happy. Bottom line: the F5 ALREADY are their own division! It's called FBS. The G5 is already F-ed. All of them need to just join the FCS and enjoy it, and get over it.

The schools don't want to pay these kids either. That money is going to come from their own coffers. Then these kids are employees and they get a whole new set of rights and can unionize and negotiate as a group. Thats the last thing the schools want. They already have what they want. They can make whatever rules they like. They've already won, only silly conspiracy theorists think they will actually break off on their own. They don't need to do that, they already rule the roost.

[DudeAnon]

http://the-boneyard.com/threads/uconn-t ... eam.95884/

According to UCONN fans, we are just biding our time until we are squashed by the P5.

[Bill Marsh]

Does anyone really have a solid argument why the NCAA would let 4 or 5 conferences break into their own organization before they just bend over and capitulate to what the conferences want for football? .

The answer is simple. Membership in the NCAA is voluntary. Members re free to leve whenever they want, and the NCAA has no power to stop it and absolutely nothing to say about it.

[Bill Marsh]

Pride always comes before the fall. These fans (the young ones) think they have always been on top and thats just the way it's going to be. They have no idea that they didn't even make the NCAA's as a member of the Big East until 1990. They are a johnny come lately and they are about to be left behind on the ash heap of sports history like USF (San Fran), Houston and CUNY.

I'm confused by your comment.

1. You knock UConn for not making the NCAA's as a member of the Big East until 1990. Why is that significant? Wouldn't Seton Hall fit a similar description? Should we not take them seriously? How about Butler? Or Xavier? Duke didn't win a NC before 1991 and they won them all under the same coach. Hmm.

2. You call UConn a Johnny come lately, but then trash the pedigree of schools like USF, Houston, and CCNY who do have pedigrees before 1990. Which is it? Recent success or success from long ago? And CCNY is just a crazy comparison since they never accomplished anything of significance other than 1950, and their program was killed by the betting scandals along with most of NYC basketball. In contrast, UConn in 1990 went to the first of 10 Elite 8's, 5 Final Fours, and 4 NC's over a quarter century. Houston isn't much better. Although they have 5 Final Fours to their credit, they never won a NC and never reached even the Elite 8 in any season other than those 5. USF is a better comparison, but their ruin came from boosters paying players and the president suspending the program after the practice had become BOTH chronic and resistant to intervention. There is no sign of any of that happening at UConn.

3. You predict that their program is about to be left on the ash heap of sports history. Why? Is there any sign that the program is in decline? They're bringing in a top ten recruiting class this year. That sure doesn't sound like a program in decline. Bad facilities or academics? Nope. Their coach is considered to be one of the hottest young coaches in the business. If he resigned tomorrow, both college and NBA programs would be lining up for his services. What other programs have you targeted for the ash heap of sports history? Florida? Michigan State? Both have also had big runs in the same quarter century during which UConn has excelled. Does an old pedigree assure future success? Is Indiana returning to championship form any time soon? UCLA?

[Bill Marsh]

To me, it's pretty simple. If they genuinely want to join the Big East, they're welcome to. As annoying as their fans are, UConn is a major hoops brand and a traditional Big East brand that would add financial value to the league. That's really all they add though. It's not like we'd be adding a national championship contender. At this point, they're likely a middle 3rd team that could maybe sqeak into the NCAAs but more likely end up in the NIT. Could they build their program back to where it was in the Big East? Maybe, but they don't have Calhoun anymore either.

They didn't have Calhoun in 2014 either. They're bringing in a top ten recruiting class this year. They have a coach who won a NC just 3 years ago. How does their program need rebuilding?

This kind of comment reminds me of fans who were trashing Villanova just a few years ago. In the words of Mark Twain, "Reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated." You're dismissing the program that has probably had the most high level success of any program in the country in recent years. Middle of the BIg East? Borderline NCAA tournament team? Seriously?