Memphis and Cincy to Big 12?

[SJHooper]

This is hilarious if true. I still think UConn is way too good to get left out of a football 5 conference, but if they really do get left out, they will have to come to the Big East. I mean, that's their only choice of relevancy. Their championships will eventually become forgotten, the Calhoun era will be distant, and all the aura will wash away if they remain in the AAC after the only other major teams leave. They still might be ranked almost every year, but people would question them come tourney time regarding seeding. Articles saying "Is UConn for real?" and implying they just ran through a weak AAC.

The Boneyard banned me, because I was making them sad talking about the real possibility they are left out in the cold. I'd love to see what they are saying now with this very realistic rumor. If they get left out, no way will they put up with playing Tulane, ECU, UCF, SMU (who will lose Brown very soon either way), Tulsa, etc.

It's so refreshing that the basketball only schools banded together fighting for what we were: hoops schools, while UConn tried getting greedy and is now punished for it. If UConn simply realized it was a basketball school and gave up on football once and for all, they'd be in the Big East right now. As much as I love seeing them suffer, adding them would really shut people up who question the conference these days.

[SJU1987]

The other conferences don't wanna mess with the Conneticut Attorney General.

[Bill Marsh]

This is hilarious if true. I still think UConn is way too good to get left out of a football 5 conference, but if they really do get left out, they will have to come to the Big East. I mean, that's their only choice of relevancy. Their championships will eventually become forgotten, the Calhoun era will be distant, and all the aura will wash away if they remain in the AAC after the only other major teams leave. They still might be ranked almost every year, but people would question them come tourney time regarding seeding. Articles saying "Is UConn for real?" and implying they just ran through a weak AAC.

I have to disagree, Hooper.

UConn in the AAC will be in the same position that Memphis was in CUSA after Louisville, Cincy, USF, Marquette, and DePaul left. Memphis didn't become irrelevant.

UConn would have to follow the same strategy that Memphis follows and that Gonzaga follows, which is to schedule very aggressively OOC. People will question them at tournament time only if they are lacking big wins and have a poor SOS. If they can compensate for a weak conference schedule by a super strong OOC schedule and if they can win those games, no one will question them.

SMU has demonstrated that other programs can rise up and fill the void created by other programs leaving. Houston and Temple have great histories in basketball and are certainly places where a nationally competitive program can be built even if that's not the case now.

A smart move by the AAC would be to emphasize basketball credentials rather than football in replacing Cincy and Memphis. If they did that, UMass would be a no brainer and would be a step in the right direction to maintaining prominence in basketball. I'm not sure that there's another football school out there right now that would strengthen their basketball profile, so maybe the smart thing to do would be to not replace both Cincy and Memphis but to add UMass and leave it as a 10 team conference in basketball. Perhaps they could convince Army to join for football only so that they could have their conference championship game.

Their other option would be to get to 12 basketball members by adding a couple of non-football schools like VCU And ?Wichita State. This would give them 12 for all sports albeit with a couple of football only members and a couple of non-football members.

[Bill Marsh]

If the B12 expands without Uconn, I expect that Uconn will reach out to Val. If the acc or b10 wanted uconn then they would be in.

Not so fast. If Notre Dame brings their football program into the ACC at some point, UConn is the natural choice for #16.

If Diaco can successfully build up UConn's football program, I think the Big 10 would have a lot of interest. The problem for UConn is that it would only happen if there is a partner and there isn't an obvious one out there unless the Big 10 raids another P5 conference. UConn and Kansas, for example would be a nice pair of bookends for them to add.

Timing in life is everything. UConn's football program needs to be ready when the moment arrives. So far it hasn't been. But if the predicted 4 x 16 model ever comes to fruition, it will likely only happen with the demise of the Big XII. Would all of the Big XII schools automatically get in? No. Each school would have to sell itself on its own merits, which could create an opportunity for UConn if there football program is viable at that point.

I'm sure that all of what I've outlined is exactly what the planners at UConn are thinking. So, there is no way that they are dropping football any time soon because that would condemn them to second tier status eternally. They are competing for just the opposite, i.e. To gain status as a nationally elite institution on all levels, including athletics. The current situation will only motivate them to redouble their efforts.

Forget about UConn in the Big East's future, it's not the direction in which they want to move and they're not the kind of partner that the Big East wants.

[robinreed]

Bill,
Living as I do in the heart of B10 territory I often read the pronouncements of the glorious leader i.e. Jim Delaney. I recall but unfortunately did not copy/save one of big Jim's statements to the effect that AAU membership was essential to the B10. He realized his mistake and then corrected his statement that "membership in the AAU is required at the time of admission". No doubt this was to cover Nebraska and their AAU demotion.

I know you are geographically close to UCONN, what have you heard from the local press or the university about how they will handle this. I also would like to know if the UCONN stadium is owned by the university or directly owned by the state. I have not been able to find this stadium information online.

I am not asking you to be an unpaid researcher but if you happen to have knowledge of these things please post.

Thanks much for your courtesy

Perhaps this should have been a PM rather than a public post, I don't know.

[marquette]

Bill,
Living as I do in the heart of B10 territory I often read the pronouncements of the glorious leader i.e. Jim Delaney. I recall but unfortunately did not copy/save one of big Jim's statements to the effect that AAU membership was essential to the B10. He realized his mistake and then corrected his statement that "membership in the AAU is required at the time of admission". No doubt this was to cover Nebraska and their AAU demotion.

I know you are geographically close to UCONN, what have you heard from the local press or the university about how they will handle this. I also would like to know if the UCONN stadium is owned by the university or directly owned by the state. I have not been able to find this stadium information online.

I am not asking you to be an unpaid researcher but if you happen to have knowledge of these things please post.

Thanks much for your courtesy

Perhaps this should have been a PM rather than a public post, I don't know.

Owned by the state operated by Global Spectrum, which is the Connecticut arm of a national stadium management company.

I forgot about AAU membership. Looks like the ACC is UConn's best bet then. Too far for the Big 12, no AAU, and the SEC would more likely raid the Big 12 than settle for UConn. Interesting.

[NJRedman]

If the B12 expands without Uconn, I expect that Uconn will reach out to Val. If the acc or b10 wanted uconn then they would be in.

Not so fast. If Notre Dame brings their football program into the ACC at some point, UConn is the natural choice for #16.

If Diaco can successfully build up UConn's football program, I think the Big 10 would have a lot of interest. The problem for UConn is that it would only happen if there is a partner and there isn't an obvious one out there unless the Big 10 raids another P5 conference. UConn and Kansas, for example would be a nice pair of bookends for them to add.

Timing in life is everything. UConn's football program needs to be ready when the moment arrives. So far it hasn't been. But if the predicted 4 x 16 model ever comes to fruition, it will likely only happen with the demise of the Big XII. Would all of the Big XII schools automatically get in? No. Each school would have to sell itself on its own merits, which could create an opportunity for UConn if there football program is viable at that point.

I'm sure that all of what I've outlined is exactly what the planners at UConn are thinking. So, there is no way that they are dropping football any time soon because that would condemn them to second tier status eternally. They are competing for just the opposite, i.e. To gain status as a nationally elite institution on all levels, including athletics. The current situation will only motivate them to redouble their efforts.

Forget about UConn in the Big East's future, it's not the direction in which they want to move and they're not the kind of partner that the Big East wants.

Okay a couple of things.

UConn isn't the natural selection for 16 if ND joins the ACC full time. WVU would be a much more attractive option to the FB schools like FSU & Clemson. Plus they have natural rivals with VT & sPitt. Their academics aren't great but neithe are UofLs. The ACC is a much more stable league than the B12. If the B12 brings in Memphis and Cincy when this current contract is up you could see UT & OU look back to the Pac about becoming the Pac-16.

UConn has ememies in the ACC who will do whatever they can to keep them out and their FB program isn't helping them out.

I wouldn't be shocked if there is a push to drop FB back to FCS or all together and try and get back to the BE. Their TV revenue which isn't that great already will only get worse. Now throw in dwindling ticket sales. The future looks bleak for our Huskie friends.

[BillikenFriar]

UCONN made enough money from the C7 departure to comfortably ride out this process. The question is can Ollie recruit well in this new environment and can football get just good enough to make them tolerable to a proper conference. Interesting times in Storrs.

[NJRedman]

UCONN made enough money from the C7 departure to comfortably ride out this process. The question is can Ollie recruit well in this new environment and can football get just good enough to make them tolerable to a proper conference. Interesting times in Storrs.

I don't know how you could say they are financially comfortable. That little nest egg isn't going to last very long and when its gone they are SOL. They need to figure out what they want to do and where they want to go very fast. These plans take time to unfold. If they lower or drop FB they still get to keep that nest egg, make more in TV money and save by not having to spend on their FB program.

Not saying it's going to happen but if they think they can wait they are going to be the cricket playing all summer long while the ants (Cincy, Memphis & WVU) work to be ready for the winter.

[robinreed]

Bill,
Living as I do in the heart of B10 territory I often read the pronouncements of the glorious leader i.e. Jim Delaney. I recall but unfortunately did not copy/save one of big Jim's statements to the effect that AAU membership was essential to the B10. He realized his mistake and then corrected his statement that "membership in the AAU is required at the time of admission". No doubt this was to cover Nebraska and their AAU demotion.

I know you are geographically close to UCONN, what have you heard from the local press or the university about how they will handle this. I also would like to know if the UCONN stadium is owned by the university or directly owned by the state. I have not been able to find this stadium information online.

I am not asking you to be an unpaid researcher but if you happen to have knowledge of these things please post.

Thanks much for your courtesy

Perhaps this should have been a PM rather than a public post, I don't know.

Owned by the state operated by Global Spectrum, which is the Connecticut arm of a national stadium management company.

I forgot about AAU membership. Looks like the ACC is UConn's best bet then. Too far for the Big 12, no AAU, and the SEC would more likely raid the Big 12 than settle for UConn. Interesting.

Thanks Marquette