UCONN POLL

[GumbyDamnit!]

I understand those who suggest that UCONN made their bed with FB and should sleep in it. I get that, and understand if BE fans want to stick with programs without P5 FB aspirations. We're a BB only league and it's come together beautifully--probably faster than any of us could have imagined. But I don't get the "UCONN is on its death bed" talk. I agree with Bill M on this one. They are a GREAT BB program; a national program regardless of league. They've made the tourney 2 of the past 3 years with a NC, and that's considered "dying?". Only 3 BE teams have made 3/3 tourneys. In fact over the past 25 years only maybe Duke has had more overall success than the Huskies. Their recruiting continues to be very strong as well. The AAC isn't ideal (much like Gonzaga in the WCC) but UCONN is a hoops school at its core and will always be a quality program IMO.

They give up P5 FB aspirations and they're my #1 choice for expansion and #2 is nowhere even close.

Don't get so hung up their fans, and look at the body of work. It's impressive. And anyone who says otherwise is either jealous or lying.

[Noonzy]

The older fans of the Boneyard have been staunch supporters of the Big East. It killed them to be in the AAC because they don't even like college football. I have known several older guys and they would love to be back in the Big East. Same thing with the older Syracuse fans. If the presidents ever did decide to take UConn in the conference then it would be a good time to invite Dayton as well. Then it's done. UConn has to get rid of it's P5 football aspirations-period. Let the lawyers work out the monies.
At this point however, I doubt the presidents are even discussing UConn.

[Hall2012]

I understand those who suggest that UCONN made their bed with FB and should sleep in it. I get that, and understand if BE fans want to stick with programs without P5 FB aspirations. We're a BB only league and it's come together beautifully--probably faster than any of us could have imagined. But I don't get the "UCONN is on its death bed" talk. I agree with Bill M on this one. They are a GREAT BB program; a national program regardless of league. They've made the tourney 2 of the past 3 years with a NC, and that's considered "dying?". Only 3 BE teams have made 3/3 tourneys. In fact over the past 25 years only maybe Duke has had more overall success than the Huskies. Their recruiting continues to be very strong as well. The AAC isn't ideal (much like Gonzaga in the WCC) but UCONN is a hoops school at its core and will always be a quality program IMO.

They give up P5 FB aspirations and they're my #1 choice for expansion and #2 is nowhere even close.

Don't get so hung up their fans, and look at the body of work. It's impressive. And anyone who says otherwise is either jealous or lying.

I agree with you that the program certainly isn't dying, but I don't think the AAC enables them to sustain the success they've had the past 25 years (as you said, matched perhaps only by Duke). They're still recruiting well and have a strong (NCAA Tournament worthy) team. However, the UConn brand comes with elite level expectations and compared to those they do seem to be dipping. I think Gonzaga is a good example of a level they can maintain in the AAC- staying a national brand and being an NCAA Tournament regular with some sweet 16 trips.

Can they get back to that elite level if they were to join the Big East or Big XII? Perhaps- I certainly wouldn't rule it out, but I need to see more out of Kevin Ollie than a 6 game winning streak with Jim Calhoun's players to be sure of that.

[FriarJ]

PC and UConn just got named as the two finalist for one of the top PG's in 2017 Top 30ish in most services. Makai Ashton-Langford. I wonder what the individual schools pitches are regarding the conferences?

[NJRedman]

I understand those who suggest that UCONN made their bed with FB and should sleep in it. I get that, and understand if BE fans want to stick with programs without P5 FB aspirations. We're a BB only league and it's come together beautifully--probably faster than any of us could have imagined. But I don't get the "UCONN is on its death bed" talk. I agree with Bill M on this one. They are a GREAT BB program; a national program regardless of league. They've made the tourney 2 of the past 3 years with a NC, and that's considered "dying?". Only 3 BE teams have made 3/3 tourneys. In fact over the past 25 years only maybe Duke has had more overall success than the Huskies. Their recruiting continues to be very strong as well. The AAC isn't ideal (much like Gonzaga in the WCC) but UCONN is a hoops school at its core and will always be a quality program IMO.

They give up P5 FB aspirations and they're my #1 choice for expansion and #2 is nowhere even close.

Don't get so hung up their fans, and look at the body of work. It's impressive. And anyone who says otherwise is either jealous or lying.

They've finished in the middle of the AAC (The 8th best conference the last 3 years in a row) since it's inception. They won their last NC with Calhouns players. Their attendance is slowly sinking. They dropped from 37th in attendance in 2014-15 to 40th in 2015-16.

Here's an article from January this year about the lack of fan support the team is getting.

http://adimeback.com/uconn-basketball-a ... mplaining/

...All of that being said, yes the numbers will rise as the season goes on. That’s what happens with conference play (regardless of what happens tonight). SMU and Cincinnati will both draw a ton of fans. So will the Huskies’ one remaining non-ECU non-conference game against Georgetown. But at this point in the season, UConn has not seen such poor average attendance in the past 20 years.

It’s fair to argue that a pure attendance figure isn’t fair to use because UConn splits its games between two different-sized arenas. That’s why I’ve also looked at percent capacity, which so far has been a little over 74 percent overall — the fourth-worst number in the last 20 years.

Anyone can see that they cannot keep this going with the program feeling the consequences. They should be dominating the AAC. They aren't. They are having trouble selling tickets to both FB and Basketball. The P5 life boat is leaving without them. They are about to be stranded in a southern fired conference with only Temple being a North Eastern basketball school to keep them company. Yes, if they don't fix those issue soon they are in for a very bleak future.

[whiteandblue77]

It's 4:20, poll's closed the tribe has spoken. Now time to smoke the peace pipe

I think the general feeling is we would all LOVE UCONN... IF they were "all in" and weren't tangled up with football aspirations. I feel for them and to be honest I still think they will/should be in the B1G. I don't think the ACC will ever take them, and the B12 (which might have no future anyway) makes zero sense geographically. That said, being a Creightonian, the Billikens and Flyers are my only two BE hopefuls, but they--and this is mostly directed at St. Louis--need to really get their shit together and DOMINATE their league like Xavier, Butler and Creighton did with their respective conferences.

Thanks for the participation, pray for the Huskies! & PRAY FOR MOJO

[NJRedman]

[Xudash]

It's 4:20, poll's closed the tribe has spoken. Now time to smoke the peace pipe

I think the general feeling is we would all LOVE UCONN... IF they were "all in" and weren't tangled up with football aspirations. I feel for them and to be honest I still think they will/should be in the B1G. I don't think the ACC will ever take them, and the B12 (which might have no future anyway) makes zero sense geographically. That said, being a Creightonian, the Billikens and Flyers are my only two BE hopefuls, but they--and this is mostly directed at St. Louis--need to really get their shit together and DOMINATE their league like Xavier, Butler and Creighton did with their respective conferences.

Thanks for the participation, pray for the Huskies! & PRAY FOR MOJO

Would you like to have Wichita State in this conference?

[whiteandblue77]

Would you like to have Wichita State in this conference?

Ha Ha! Touche Dash, well said. Although I'm not afraid to rub X fans the wrong way (we had a poll over at the Underground and you're our #1 rivalry target) my actual one and only target is St. Louis. What can I say, I'd like our State footprint map to connect, they would be another good rival candidate for the Jays, they are JESUIT. But they need to get good and the sooner the better.

[GoldenWarrior11]

And there in lies the risk that UConn took when they decided to remain in the old Big East/American. They took a major gamble being in a conference with Tulane, East Carolina, UCF, Memphis, Houston, SMU and Tulsa. A majority of the conference was composed of Conference USA call-ups, schools that needed UConn in order to elevate their athletic programs and their perceptions. UConn had very little to gain from aligning with these schools, but they were forced to because they believed they did not have any other options. UConn suddenly was forced into a lose/lose situation: if they beat those schools in football/basketball, then they win games they should have and are merely defeating other G5 programs; if they lose to those schools, then their athletic reputation is negatively affected - not to mention improving the perception of those schools' programs.

With each season that passes that sees UConn remain a member of the American, they hurt institutionally and athletically. The results of the game have not changed. UConn, three years later, still remains in a negative situation - surrounded by schools that appear to be called before them.

The true crime for them wouldn't be to stay the course, but rather to see them stand pat (once again) and not consider making a change.