Forbes: UConn should join Big East as hoops affiliate

[Omaha1]

Don't see it happening because why would the AAC want anything from UConn other than basketball? Nevertheless, worth a read.

Joseph Bailey, a sports industry recruiter who recently served as the Big East’s interim commissioner, says he wouldn’t be surprised if more schools turned to that option. “UConn has two choices, to stay where they are or to affiliate,” says Bailey, who believes an affiliation with the Big East is a possible scenario, if not necessarily likely"

A Big East hoops reunion could be a long shot for Connecticut – the school would need the AAC or another football conference to accept an affiliation agreement that wouldn’t include basketball. Then again, we seem to be moving beyond the era of the traditional conference, so don’t discount anything. For Ollie, selling a schedule against Villanova and Georgetown will help more than selling one against SMU and Cincinnati.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomvanriper ... ey-do-now/

[Professor_Bulldog]

Better than dayton

[DudeAnon]

I'd imagine its almost a given that the ACC will come calling soon, right?

[Jet915]

I'd imagine its almost a given that the ACC will come calling soon, right?

Not necessarily, UCONN football is a joke and everything revolves around football.

[DeltaV]

I'd love to play them again, and felt that way even before their run in the tourney...but they're not going to leave their football in the wind. If they want to get picked up by the big boys (ACC, BIG, etc...and they do), they need to have at least a passable football program, and 'parking' their football in the MAC or elsewhere isn't going to accomplish that. The AAC isn't going to let their crown jewel defect and then allow UConn's football team to use them like keeping around an ex as a f--- buddy.

It's a fun thought, but it isn't going to happen.

[Randy]

I read several articles about a year ago when all of this went down that stated the UCONN brass burned a ridiculous amount of bridges. They were part of the original core basketball schools in the obe. Then, the brass "switched alliances" and decided to side with the football fraction of the BE. The problem? Nobody wants their football program, and now they are left with no friends to throw them a live saver.

[Professor_Bulldog]

I read several articles about a year ago when all of this went down that stated the UCONN brass burned a ridiculous amount of bridges. They were part of the original core basketball schools in the obe. Then, the brass "switched alliances" and decided to side with the football fraction of the BE. The problem? Nobody wants their football program, and now they are left with no friends to throw them a live saver.

Sucks to suck but I'd gladly throw them that life saver for some bball, if only for the image of the league as we go through our formative years.

[SJHooper]

I've said this over and over. The fit is perfect for them. Based in NYC, tons of area alumni pack MSG. They have heritage here. They are the top basketball program hands down in the country when you take into consideration men's and women's as a package and the argument can be made that the men's team is the best in the past decade by themselves.

Why would UConn stay with lames like SMU, East Carolina, Tulane, and Tulsa while we have teams like G'Town, Nova, Marquette, etc? We don't have any garbage programs. The AAC is full of them. I think adding UConn would force everyone to admit we are still a legit power conference and it would stop people from comparing us to the A-10.

It makes zero sense why UConn is in the AAC. They suck at football, they are a clear basketball first school and always will be, they are a former Big East team, tons of local alumni, good academic reputation, geographically perfect, etc. Football loses money in most cases. UConn is one of those schools that loses it. They will get to the point where they realize they need to just put their basketball program first and give up their football dreams which will never come true.

The same can be said for Memphis. They'd fit perfectly here if they just put basketball first and gave up with football which they might suck even worse than UConn at. If we added UConn and Memphis to make it 12 teams we would never have to hear about the old Big East again.

[Randy]

I just don't see the presidents going down this road, especially with UCONN. UCONN was one of the critical schools that put the OBE past the tipping point when they sided with the football schools. Anything is possible, but some serious mending of relationships would have to take place. Plus, UCONN would need to find a place for its football team, without offering the basketball teams.

I just don't see all of that falling into place.

[Jet915]

They have put so much money into football, they aren't going to dump it anytime soon so they aren't going anywhere.