gtmoBlue wrote:It's too late for UConn. They bring history but no current value to us. That window of opportunity has closed. Good luck to them.
Bring in anybody- st anthelm's sisters of the poor, St Thomas Aquinas (Div2), Grand Canyon, Rockhurst - anybody but UConn.
It's the same story as BC, Pitt, & S'cuse, leave the BE and their program goes south. Sorry to hear it, but decisions were made, they all have to live with the consequences.
The only 1 of the four I might consider rejoining us is Syracuse and they won't leave the ACC. Just too much cash on that table.
GoldenWarrior11 wrote:Well, think about ESPN's promotion of the AAC this way:
It is not in their best interest to promote them as a top conference (whether or not they are or not). They were able to pick apart the old Big East by funneling top programs to the ACC (Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Louisville and Notre Dame). They also got to have both Rutgers (B1G) and West Virginia (Big 12) leave due to the league falling apart. The C7 were not asked to leave by ESPN, but our decision was cemented the moment the conference invited Tulane and East Carolina. Since the football league was an absolute shell of its former self, its rights were able to be purchased for pennies on the dollar ($1.7 million to be exact).
The AAC's next contract is coming up for negotiation. Do you really think ESPN wants to give more money, when it is cutting back in talent and employees, and when subscribers are going down, to the American? Absolutely not. Maybe a slight bump in the $3-$4 million range, but that's it. ESPN wants to ensure that its valuable properties are maintained, followed by content fillers on its additional channels (this is where the AAC comes in). If the AAC doesn't want to play ball with ESPN, they can go to a Fox, or an NBC, or really think outside the box and try and go to Netflix or Amazon. That would be a conference killer, IMO. The C7 (NBE) at least had the brand, the history and the reputation to ensure its continuation and survival. The AAC is a collection of misfit toys (public/private, east coast/southeast/southwest, football/basketball) that is only together out of necessity, not choice.
If any of the AAC programs are able to showcase themselves as a power program, they will just orchestrate their move to an actual power conference. If the AAC does want to go to another carrier, ESPN can easily backfill with content with the MAC or Conference USA, who will gladly take the exposure and the $1.7 million per member currently being offered to each school. The P5 is already so far ahead in terms of TV dollars already earned, exposure and reputation over the G5, that is is literally impossible for the gap to be eliminated, much less closed. The 2010-2013 realignment cycle will be remembered as the period that cemented the have's from the have not's. Thankfully, we ended up on the right side of divide.
Who knows if UConn will ever return to the Big East. What I do know is that the Big East does not need UConn in order to be successful, and that - with UConn's recent downturn - it has allowed programs like SMU and Houston to rise. With UConn's consistent disappointments in football, they are now clearly behind a majority of AAC programs in football. This was the danger and the risk in UConn staying in this conference in 2013: if it wasn't successful on the field/court, it would give direct rise to the new programs - and lower it's own reputation and prestige.
DeltaV wrote:GoldenWarrior11 wrote:Well, think about ESPN's promotion of the AAC this way:
It is not in their best interest to promote them as a top conference (whether or not they are or not). They were able to pick apart the old Big East by funneling top programs to the ACC (Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Louisville and Notre Dame). They also got to have both Rutgers (B1G) and West Virginia (Big 12) leave due to the league falling apart. The C7 were not asked to leave by ESPN, but our decision was cemented the moment the conference invited Tulane and East Carolina. Since the football league was an absolute shell of its former self, its rights were able to be purchased for pennies on the dollar ($1.7 million to be exact).
The AAC's next contract is coming up for negotiation. Do you really think ESPN wants to give more money, when it is cutting back in talent and employees, and when subscribers are going down, to the American? Absolutely not. Maybe a slight bump in the $3-$4 million range, but that's it. ESPN wants to ensure that its valuable properties are maintained, followed by content fillers on its additional channels (this is where the AAC comes in). If the AAC doesn't want to play ball with ESPN, they can go to a Fox, or an NBC, or really think outside the box and try and go to Netflix or Amazon. That would be a conference killer, IMO. The C7 (NBE) at least had the brand, the history and the reputation to ensure its continuation and survival. The AAC is a collection of misfit toys (public/private, east coast/southeast/southwest, football/basketball) that is only together out of necessity, not choice.
If any of the AAC programs are able to showcase themselves as a power program, they will just orchestrate their move to an actual power conference. If the AAC does want to go to another carrier, ESPN can easily backfill with content with the MAC or Conference USA, who will gladly take the exposure and the $1.7 million per member currently being offered to each school. The P5 is already so far ahead in terms of TV dollars already earned, exposure and reputation over the G5, that is is literally impossible for the gap to be eliminated, much less closed. The 2010-2013 realignment cycle will be remembered as the period that cemented the have's from the have not's. Thankfully, we ended up on the right side of divide.
Who knows if UConn will ever return to the Big East. What I do know is that the Big East does not need UConn in order to be successful, and that - with UConn's recent downturn - it has allowed programs like SMU and Houston to rise. With UConn's consistent disappointments in football, they are now clearly behind a majority of AAC programs in football. This was the danger and the risk in UConn staying in this conference in 2013: if it wasn't successful on the field/court, it would give direct rise to the new programs - and lower it's own reputation and prestige.
Trashing your own properties to save money on the next contract?
GoldenWarrior11 wrote:Another potential theory: don't count out the thought by ESPN (through new regional networks acquired through Fox) that they will bid on the Big East TV rights once they get close to expiration. They could arrange UConn's move to the Big East, which would then allow them to get back the BE brand, teams, tournament and content (now 20 conference games), and hurt the value of the AAC in the process (not unlike the Old Big East's breakup a few years ago).
I think it stings the executives at ESPN that they no longer have access to their baby. I think they had no idea that the BE would continue and thrive the way it has it its current form, and - coupled with the fact that they would not want the AAC to have any bargaining power in negotiation - they could use the Big East to keep their number down. In a way, the Big East and ESPN could benefit one another by using each other as leverage.
Just a thought.
BEhomer wrote:Uconn still has to prove they are more than just one HOF coach program. I think Ollie has this year and next year. if he doesn't turn it around then he's probably gone. let's see what kind of coach they can bring in then. that will tell alot about their program.
NJRedman wrote:BEhomer wrote:Uconn still has to prove they are more than just one HOF coach program. I think Ollie has this year and next year. if he doesn't turn it around then he's probably gone. let's see what kind of coach they can bring in then. that will tell alot about their program.
I don't think he'll have a next year personally.
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