Big East Conference Realignment v2018

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Re: Big East Conference Realignment v2018

Postby GoldenWarrior11 » Fri Feb 16, 2018 9:42 am

Boneyard has some pretty good discussions right now.
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Re: Big East Conference Realignment v2018

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Re: Big East Conference Realignment v2018

Postby Fieldhouse Flyer » Fri Feb 16, 2018 9:49 am

Nothing has changed in the past year according to UConn’s AD David Benedict:

AD Benedict Says UConn Committed To AAC, Refutes Internet Big East Rumors – Hartford Courant – February 15, 2017
UConn athletic director David Benedict refuted an internet report on Wednesday that said UConn administrators had contacted the conference about rejoining.

"There is no truth to the rumors and reports that UConn has had discussions with the Big East Conference for possible membership," Benedict said in a statement. "UConn is having great success as a member of the American Athletic Conference and will continue to do so in the future."

"UConn has won multiple national championships as a member of the American Athletic Conference and has enjoyed postseason success in many sports as a member of the league."

"We are committed to the long-term success of the American Athletic Conference, and believe the conference is committed to being competitive at the highest level."

The internet report, by Jon Rothstein on fanragsports.com, cited sources saying the conference would take UConn back in all sports but football. There have been suggestions for a while now that UConn might seeks to rejoin the Big East. Last year the Big 12 considered expansion, with UConn one of the candidates, but the league decided not to add teams. The fanragsports report did not cite a solution for football.

UConn AD David Benedict: 'We Will Fight To Protect Our Men's Basketball Program' – Hartford Courant – February 6, 2018
Benedict addressed other issues, such as the department’s financial challenges going forward. He reaffirmed school’s commitment to the American Athletic Conference, and the status of men’s basketball coach Kevin Ollie, who is signed through 2021.

There has been speculation about joining the new Big East in sports other than football, and finding a new home for the football program, but Benedict reiterated his commitment to the AAC.

“We’ve got to focus on winning and competing for conference championships in the conference we’re in,” he said. “This isn’t to suggest people shouldn’t long for the days of the old Big East. I get that, and how important rivalries are. When you start talking about the rivalries we had, it’s very understandable that our fan base would long for those days. But let’s not take anything away from the remarkable amount of success [the AAC] has had in a very short period of time. The basketball is also making strides. It’s not to say we have the same type of rivalries we had in the Big East, but you can’t deny that things have improved on an annual basis in this conference. But I totally get where our fan base is coming from.”
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Re: Big East Conference Realignment v2018

Postby Bill Marsh » Fri Feb 16, 2018 12:16 pm

GoldenWarrior11 wrote:Boneyard has some pretty good discussions right now.


Insane. :lol:
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Re: Big East Conference Realignment v2018

Postby Bill Marsh » Fri Feb 16, 2018 12:47 pm

DanofXav76 wrote:
Bill Marsh wrote:
Jet915 wrote:Pretty in depth UCONN to Big East article.

http://adimeback.com/firing-kevin-ollie-will-not-fix-uconns-biggest-problem/


To punctuate the author’s argument, chew on the following:

1. Average attendance at UConn home basketball games is off by 20% in UConn’s first 5 years in the AAC from its last 5 years in the old Big East:

2014-18 - 9,505
2009-13 - 11,840

2. But it’s worse than it appears by just looking at the averages. UConn attendance experienced a post-national championship bump in 2015 (10,687), its second year in the AAC. Attendance has declined every year since to the current low of 7,787, a drop of almost 30% since 2014-15.

3. UConn’s worst attendance in its last 5 oBE seasons was its last season in the old conference, 2013 (10,728). UConn was on probation that year and was ineligible for postseason play in the BET as well as in the NCAA tournament. They started that season with an interim coach in his first year as a head coach and a team whose roster was decimated by defections with 2 players transferring to other schools - both starters on their NC team - and 2 other starters leaving prematurely for the NBA. That year’s attendance was still better than any AAC season - even its post-NC season in 2014-15.

4. This year’s home attendance is the lowest at UConn since 1986-87, Jim Calhoun’s first season, 31 years ago.


Bill, You have as good a handle on UCONN athletics as any on this board. I'm thinking a couple of years ago you felt, for a number of reasons, they were very committed to Div 1 football. Is that still the case?


I don’t know, but I have to think they’re reassessing. Follow the money, i.e. attendance. Fans are voting with their feet by not showing up and that hurts an important revenue stream.

A second factor is that the state’s finances have gone from bad to worse. This couldn’t have come at a worse time for UConn since it coincides with their income from the Big East exit fees disappearing soon.

A third factor which will compound the state’s financing is the recent tax reform by Congress. None of us will any longer be able to deduct our state taxes from our federal taxes in 2019, effectively raising federal taxes next year. Raising federal taxes is one thing, but doing it by making state taxes the culprit is going to put a lot of pressure on states as the locus for holding back on tax increases.

The current UConn president has a clear vision of making UConn a top tier public research university, and she sees athletics as a means to build relationships with peer institutions if they can gain entry to the the Big Ten or ACC. That’s been the motivating force behind boosting football and competing for a spot in a P5 conference with expansion. Combine that with the hundreds of millions of dollars that the state has already invested in Rentschler Field for football and in on campus practice facilities, and I didn’t see any way that they would compromise on their commitment to stay the course at least through the next round of TV contracts and the potential expansion that would accompany it.

However, a bunch of factors have developed that have to raise questions for that whole strategy. In addition to the deterioration of the state’s finances, ESPN is experiencing a financial crisis. It’s highly unlikely that there will be any more money availale in 4-5years to fuel a new round of expansion. There may be less. The conference members will probably want to hold on to what they have rather than adding new members with whom to share revenue.

Then there’s the state of UConn athletics, which makes them a much less attractive expansion candidate. A few years ago, they finished 2nd in expansion a couple of times, making it seem that it was just a matter of time before a spot opened for them. However, through several different coaches, football has proven to be a tougher nut to crack than they thought. Spectacularly unsuccessful for almost a decade now with an accompanying steady decline in attendance. Now that basketball attendance has also declined to levels that are unprecedented in the last 30 years, why would anyone want them? And if no one wants you, why would you continue to throw money into a black hole with the prospect of a ROI shrinking almost by the day?

Things have changed so much in just a couple of years as to cause whiplash. And under the current administration, the economy could get worse sooner rather than later. Aren’t we due for a recession anyway? Sorry that I don’t have any concrete information right now, but I’ll post if I hear anything.

BTW, for all the reasons that UConn is increasingly unattractive to the P5, would the Big East really want them anyway?
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Re: Big East Conference Realignment v2018

Postby kayako » Fri Feb 16, 2018 12:56 pm

EMT wrote:[
Are there examples of coaches returning that were successful? Joe Mullaney 2.0 at PC was a shit show.


Bobby Petrino? Completely different situation @ Louisville, though.
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Re: Big East Conference Realignment v2018

Postby Bill Marsh » Fri Feb 16, 2018 1:46 pm

kayako wrote:
EMT wrote:[
Are there examples of coaches returning that were successful? Joe Mullaney 2.0 at PC was a shit show.


Bobby Petrino? Completely different situation @ Louisville, though.


Looie Carnesecca left St John’s for a couple of years to coach in the old ABA, and then returned to resume his successful run in Jamaica.
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Re: Big East Conference Realignment v2018

Postby ArmyVet » Fri Feb 16, 2018 2:50 pm

Bill Marsh wrote:BTW, for all the reasons that UConn is increasingly unattractive to the P5, would the Big East really want them anyway?

This. I still don't understand why some Big East fans hold UCONN in such high regard and would be willing to cave on what they've accomplished without them.
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Re: Big East Conference Realignment v2018

Postby Bill Marsh » Fri Feb 16, 2018 3:00 pm

ArmyVet wrote:
Bill Marsh wrote:BTW, for all the reasons that UConn is increasingly unattractive to the P5, would the Big East really want them anyway?

This. I still don't understand why some Big East fans hold UCONN in such high regard and would be willing to cave on what they've accomplished without them.


The only reason I can see to add them is if Fox insists. They seemed to be the ones who were pushing for 12 back at the beginning. If they insisted, I’d want them to sweeten the pot for everyone, not just add money for a newcomer or two.
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Re: Big East Conference Realignment v2018

Postby ArmyVet » Fri Feb 16, 2018 3:03 pm

Bill Marsh wrote:
ArmyVet wrote:
Bill Marsh wrote:BTW, for all the reasons that UConn is increasingly unattractive to the P5, would the Big East really want them anyway?

This. I still don't understand why some Big East fans hold UCONN in such high regard and would be willing to cave on what they've accomplished without them.


The only reason I can see to add them is if Fox insists. They seemed to be the ones who were pushing for 12 back at the beginning. If they insisted, I’d want them to sweeten the pot for everyone, not just add money for a newcomer or two.

If ESPN (based in Connecticut) didn't encourage anyone to add UCONN, it's hard for me to fathom that FOX would advocate for them either.
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Re: Big East Conference Realignment v2018

Postby DanofXav76 » Fri Feb 16, 2018 3:06 pm

ArmyVet wrote:
Bill Marsh wrote:BTW, for all the reasons that UConn is increasingly unattractive to the P5, would the Big East really want them anyway?

This. I still don't understand why some Big East fans hold UCONN in such high regard and would be willing to cave on what they've accomplished without them.


Bill,
From all I read on line, the strong sentiment for bringing them back to the fold comes from the fan bases of the C7. I don't get that feel from X, Butler or Creighton fans at all. I'm greedy in that, like most here, absolutely love the ten we have and the true round robin schedule. Now if you'd like to revisit that other favorite thought of yours, adding Gonzaga, then I'm all ears.
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