UConn escape plan - The Big East

[robinreed]

I have nothing new to offer other than this... Rutgers to the B1G? Thank God and good riddance.

To the new BE members, you should feel extremely fortunate to not have that program in any way associated with a conference that you are now a part. Talk about an armpit of a BB program. If the BE, in it's heyday, was a Ferrari, then they were the gum that became permanently wedged into the performance tires after it was run over. And I've heard about Dayton fans, but Rutgers fans were the absolute worst fans to deal with. Their last tourney appearance? 24 years ago. Last tourney win? How about 36 years ago. And yet year after year their fans would talk sh!t.

When I think back to all of the Syracuse, L'ville, Nova, Gtown, Marquette, Pitt tournament credit $ that Rutgers "earned" over the years I am sickened. Rutgers epitomized the idea that some do great things, while others contribute nothing whatsoever and sit close by waiting for their handouts. Disgrace.

Rutgers got into the B10 because of their large student body, large alumni numbers, being in the vicinity of the NYC market and their large research programs and grants. In other words they did not earn membership because of their sports all of which are pathetic. Worse yet their school and alumna simply don't care

[JOPO]

Bottom line, Rutgers does not belong in the Big Ten, the ACC or the Big East. They are a mid-major school at best who never should have left the A-10.

You had better call the Big Ten office NOW. Tell them about their mistake. Tell them that you-know-better. And then tell the Big Ten how they should handle the rest of the season, seeing that Rutgers 10 basketball conference games left. I am sure they will thank you for bringing this oversight to their attention.

Aside from easy wins and a built in 1AA opponent in football Rutgers adds very little to the Big Ten.

[JOPO]

General comment about Rutgers...

Their basketball arena has a really odd set-up. I'm going to screw up the details, but i think it's on the Joyce Kilmer Campus, in a location that actually has a ton of space with wide open grassy fields.

A cousin of mine works in the "RAC", and the first time i met him there i got lost (I still get lost) and didn't recognize the RAC as an athletic center... it's not near the main campus, and it looks like just a large white science building or something. Parking is kind of a pain, and to go to a game, you have to drive. I've never actually been to the main campus or quad, and i think to get there from the RAC, you'd have to cross a series of divided highways and a river.

It wouldn't happen for a long time, but i think the team would be better served either with a new 10k+ seat arena on the main campus, or something closer to the train line. Or maybe at the Meadowlands (if that arena still exists). As it is now, especially in winter, it's like traveling across the Russian steppes to get to a game. Also, the RAC seats around 6k or 7k, and i think concessions are limited.

Inside the RAC it's clean, and the locker rooms are gorgeous and modern. The athletic department offices and cubicles are just upstairs from the court, which is kinda different. You can step out of a cubicle, walk twenty feet, and look over a railing down at the court. On the other end of the court from the offices (behind the basket on the right when you're watching games on TV) is a wide open unused space... maybe a back entrance is located there.

The football stadium seats 50+k, and is down closer to the river on the edge of the Joyce Kilmer campus. I know they renovated and expanded the stadium, and I think parking is good, but i haven't spent much time there.

Anyway, the RAC was built around the time of their 1976 Final Four. It must've been state-of-the-art back then, but now i think does not help with their recruiting and all.

The RAC is barely a glorified high school gym. It was recently announced that the Meadowlands will be closing in the coming months. That said, even if RU could play there no one would go. They attract crickets on campus there is no way any of them will travel over an hour to get to the Meadowlands. The football stadium was expanded because Schiano threw a temper tantrum. On the rare occasion it sells out it is because the road team as turned it into their home field and visitors outnumber the home fans. Most who go to Rutgers really do not care about their athletic teams as evidenced by the lack of financial support.

I have two cousins who graduated from Rutgers and one who works there. None of them care about athletics there and wish the school would focus their attention and funding towards academics instead of trying to compete with the big boys because they know it is a waste of time, money and resources that they feel could be better used elsewhere. They also aren't too thrilled with the parade of embarrassing incidents that seem to plague the place (much to the amusement of the rest of the family).

[JOPO]

I have nothing new to offer other than this... Rutgers to the B1G? Thank God and good riddance.

To the new BE members, you should feel extremely fortunate to not have that program in any way associated with a conference that you are now a part. Talk about an armpit of a BB program. If the BE, in it's heyday, was a Ferrari, then they were the gum that became permanently wedged into the performance tires after it was run over. And I've heard about Dayton fans, but Rutgers fans were the absolute worst fans to deal with. Their last tourney appearance? 24 years ago. Last tourney win? How about 36 years ago. And yet year after year their fans would talk sh!t.

When I think back to all of the Syracuse, L'ville, Nova, Gtown, Marquette, Pitt tournament credit $ that Rutgers "earned" over the years I am sickened. Rutgers epitomized the idea that some do great things, while others contribute nothing whatsoever and sit close by waiting for their handouts. Disgrace.

Amen! Well said Gumby!

[JOPO]

I went to the RAC once for a night game. The parking lot was pitch black. A lawsuit waiting to happen. Put some damn lights out there.

The campus and area in general isn't very safe. You always hear stuff on the news about the crime around there.

[stever20]

what was so amazing about Rutgers was that they never once qualified for the NCAA as a member of the Big East. Hell- USF of all teams qualified- and actually won 2 games- and was 6 points away from going to the Sweet 16. But Rutgers never in 16 years made the tourney. Only 4 times did they not finish 10th or worse. If a USF can get a rub off of the Big East, why in the heck could Rutgers never do so?

[GoldenWarrior11]

USF definitely did more than Rutgers, but that's not saying much. They never really contributed to the Big East (at least in basketball) in the 7 years they were there. One tournament appearance doesn't earn their spot.

Out of curiosity, why was South Florida added to the Big East after Miami, Boston College and Virginia Tech left to the ACC (joining Cincinnati, Louisville, Marquette and DePaul in the BE)? Their football program was still in infancy stages (having just made transition to NCAA D-1 three years prior). Both USF and UCF were not considered very good in football. I would have thought that a Memphis/ECU combo would have been a nice compromise between the football and basketball schools.

[JOPO]

USF definitely did more than Rutgers, but that's not saying much. They never really contributed to the Big East (at least in basketball) in the 7 years they were there. One tournament appearance doesn't earn their spot.

Out of curiosity, why was South Florida added to the Big East after Miami, Boston College and Virginia Tech left to the ACC (joining Cincinnati, Louisville, Marquette and DePaul in the BE)? Their football program was still in infancy stages (having just made transition to NCAA D-1 three years prior). Both USF and UCF were not considered very good in football. I would have thought that a Memphis/ECU combo would have been a nice compromise between the football and basketball schools.

All of the good/real football school were already taken. It got to the point where is you knew what a football looked like the Big East would take you. The fact that you sucked in football and most likely basketball as well became less and less of a concern. Thank God the C7 woke up and got rid of those able to identify a football. We are much better off. If you need any more proof just look at what poor UConn is now stuck with!

[stever20]

USF definitely did more than Rutgers, but that's not saying much. They never really contributed to the Big East (at least in basketball) in the 7 years they were there. One tournament appearance doesn't earn their spot.

Out of curiosity, why was South Florida added to the Big East after Miami, Boston College and Virginia Tech left to the ACC (joining Cincinnati, Louisville, Marquette and DePaul in the BE)? Their football program was still in infancy stages (having just made transition to NCAA D-1 three years prior). Both USF and UCF were not considered very good in football. I would have thought that a Memphis/ECU combo would have been a nice compromise between the football and basketball schools.

My point on USF wasn't that they deserved the spot. Moreso that even they got a rub off the Big East and eventually did well enough to make the tourney..... It's more a slam on Rutgers than it is a kudo's for USF!

2002 Memphis won the NIT, and then 2003 and 2004 made the tourney pretty easily. But their football program was solid as well. I totally understand USF from a football perspective though. Mostly recruiting. I think the fact was it was always going to be 8/8, and with the football already having Pitt, UConn, Syracuse, WVU, and Rutgers- only could add 3 programs. Cincy was right in the middle of the Bob Huggins era, and Louisville was just starting the Rick Pitino era. Plus Louisville was dominant in football at that point. So they were a lock to get in. If the fb felt that they needed to remain in Florida- that took it to Cincy vs Memphis. Cincy being a bit more in the footprint made it easy I guess.

ECU had no shot at this- their fb program was awful at that point.

[Hall2012]

USF definitely did more than Rutgers, but that's not saying much. They never really contributed to the Big East (at least in basketball) in the 7 years they were there. One tournament appearance doesn't earn their spot.

Out of curiosity, why was South Florida added to the Big East after Miami, Boston College and Virginia Tech left to the ACC (joining Cincinnati, Louisville, Marquette and DePaul in the BE)? Their football program was still in infancy stages (having just made transition to NCAA D-1 three years prior). Both USF and UCF were not considered very good in football. I would have thought that a Memphis/ECU combo would have been a nice compromise between the football and basketball schools.

It was mainly that the Big East wanted a football presence in the fertile recruiting grounds of Florida and hoped that, with the help of the Big East brand, USF could one day reach the levels of UofF, FSU, and Miami.

The part I never understood is why USF over UCF? All I can see is that Raymond James Stadium is preferable to the ancient Citrus Bowl and that Tampa is a slightly bigger media market than Orlando (ranked 13 vs 19).

But on the other hand, UCF has the second largest student body in the nation- which also means a lot of alumni. That alone should be a huge selling point. It's football team had also been around a lot longer, meaning it likely already has a larger market presence and would be less of a project- especially with all of those students and alumni to get excited by the power conference affiliation (even if it was the Big East).