UConn Smoke

[redmen9194]

As was previously stated, UConn needs the Big East much more than the Big East needs UConn. In fact, the Big East does not need UConn at all. Not even a little bit. UConn has to decide what is more important for them. Their football is not getting them into a "Power 5" conference. There are at least five schools that would be ahead of them on anyone's expansion list. If they want to be a football school in a G5 conference that we know will never get a sniff at a play-off spot (See UCF), then they will be regulated to a conference with no natural rivals, outside their home region, and will continue to pour money into a program that will never yield the return on investment they need. If they want in the Big East, they need to downgrade football. One of the most important reasons the Big East is thriving is because there is a common purpose and identity among the membership. Part of that is basketball is first. It's not just important, it's first. In the Big East, the membership makes athletic decisions with basketball in mind. Any school with an FBS football program will always put football first. That has been the lesson of the Big East as originally constituted. We can't have that, We can't have a member who does not have basketball as the most important sport. We have locked up MSG for a decade without UConn. We have had NCAA tournament success both in terms of numbers of bids and national championships without UConn. We have a national television deal without UConn. As far as I'm concerned, there is no need to add them unless they meet every requirement we have for them. Football is a drug we don't need to play around with again.

[stever20]

As was previously stated, UConn needs the Big East much more than the Big East needs UConn. In fact, the Big East does not need UConn at all. Not even a little bit. UConn has to decide what is more important for them. Their football is not getting them into a "Power 5" conference. There are at least five schools that would be ahead of them on anyone's expansion list. If they want to be a football school in a G5 conference that we know will never get a sniff at a play-off spot (See UCF), then they will be regulated to a conference with no natural rivals, outside their home region, and will continue to pour money into a program that will never yield the return on investment they need. If they want in the Big East, they need to downgrade football. One of the most important reasons the Big East is thriving is because there is a common purpose and identity among the membership. Part of that is basketball is first. It's not just important, it's first. In the Big East, the membership makes athletic decisions with basketball in mind. Any school with an FBS football program will always put football first. That has been the lesson of the Big East as originally constituted. We can't have that, We can't have a member who does not have basketball as the most important sport. We have locked up MSG for a decade without UConn. We have had NCAA tournament success both in terms of numbers of bids and national championships without UConn. We have a national television deal without UConn. As far as I'm concerned, there is no need to add them unless they meet every requirement we have for them. Football is a drug we don't need to play around with again.

The thing that UConn helps with the most quite frankly is TV.... If Fox says they want UConn in the Big East, the Big East would be fools not to have them in the Big East.... The next TV deal is only 6 years out after this year.... That's not too far away at all now. Probably start renegotiations in about 3-4 years.... It would not be wise to piss off Fox.

[Bigfishy]

Great post. Agree 100%

[Westbrook#36]

If UConn was really on that list, they'd already be in.

Yeah, keep telling yourself that, doesn't make any more true. The BE holds all the leverage here, we won't expand unless it is an absolute is a homerun deal for us. Truth is, and you know it, UConn needs the BE much, much more than the BE needs UConn, fact.

If Fox said that the Big East needs to add UConn, UConn will be in the Big East..... Period, end of story.

The thing is ... No it isn't, if Fox wants UConn in the BE, they need to show us the money. Period end of story. Sorry stever.

[jaxalum]

Literally no downside to adding UConn.

What if they leave? Bon voyage! We get a huge exit fee and invest more.

They will steal recruits! They will recruit well with Hurley either way. They already steal some.

They're public and have more money and influence as a FBS school! They are losing money because of football, they'd be 1/11 schools in the extreme minority, and who cares about the profile being private and catholic? It's about results and $.

Will we even get more money per school if we add them? Yes, obviously.

The only "arguments" against them are emotional ones that wish them ill. Would you rather make more money and get more competitive as a conference, or be able to stick your tongue out at them?

I would rather make more money and be more competitive as a conference. Bring them in.

Let them contribute NCAAT UNITS, TV money and publicity.

We don't need to stick our tongues out at them. I'll enjoy some of their FOOTBALL AT All COSTS fans down through time as they realize their belief that the BE and private schools are not viable long-term simply were proven wrong.

UCONN football? Not since the crippled Bismarck came within the range of the King George V guns has something been so primed to burn and sink. Seriously, I would feel sorry for some of them if they weren't so stupid about the viability of the BE and it's ten members.

Both of these posts are spot on. The optics of adding Uconn would be perceived as an established, well-known, national basketball brand, joining and strengthening an established power conference. Besides Gonzaga, every other "wannabe candidate" screams mid-major. Although, St Louis is off to a strong start this year, and if they were to string together some Conference Championships and NCAA runs, I think they would deserve some consideration.

[Fieldhouse Flyer]

.
Further to GoldenWarrior11’s recent post, I have stripped Matt Norlander’s ‘expansion’ article of all content except what Val Ackerman actually said:

(1) "The league was not in discussion about expansion right now", but when pressed, did admit that more than three schools have approached the Big East about potentially joining the conference.

(2) "We do talk about it internally."

(3) "I think every conference commissioner worth their salt has to be thinking about it in terms of long-term, where your league is and [evaluating] the future. But at this point, our schools are very satisfied with the current 10 programs and 10-school setup."

(4) If expansion came to be in the Big East, Ackerman said going to 11 would be most ideal and "very workable" because it could allow the double round-robin intra-league scheduling to remain in place.

(5) Ackerman said any school up for consideration would have to check a lot of boxes before entering into real discussion.

(6) "Geography would be important."

(7) "Commitment to basketball would probably be the No. 1 thing, the notion that they would be additive as it relates to our basketball prospects. Are they going to help secure our chances every year of getting into the NCAA Tournament?"

(8) "Possible No. 2: Would they help us with our tournament? Would they bring fans to Madison Square Garden?"

(9) The Catholic-school angle is also not insignificant. Butler, which is private and of similar makeup to the other nine, is the only non-Catholic institution in the Big East. There's also a high level of camaraderie and morale among the membership now, something that Ackerman noted wasn't there right before the old Big East fissured, when the league was bigger.

Subjective Interpretations and Comments Concerning Val Ackerman’s Statements

NB: the numbers in parentheses below correspond to Val Ackerman’s statements numbered (1) to (9) in her quotes above.

(1) and (3): By far her most important statements. Ackerman clearly did not rule out future expansion of the Big East, but made it equally clear that Big East expansion was not happening in the foreseeable future.

(2) and (5): I would be shocked to hear otherwise.

(4): To the best of my knowledge, this is the first instance of Ackerman publicly expressing a quantitative preference.

(6): To the best of my knowledge, this is the first instance of Ackerman publicly addressing geography, but she was deliberately ambiguous. This could be interpreted as “Gonzaga is too far away to merit consideration”, or it could be interpreted to mean that certain Big East schools are pushing back against certain expansion candidate schools who they deem to be too close geographically (i.e. Xavier/Dayton, Villanova/St. Joseph’s, and Providence/UConn).

(7): Good for Dayton and Saint Louis, not so good for UConn, where Huskies football still drives the bus.

(8): Good for Dayton and UConn, not so good for Saint Louis, who have only drawn more than 7,000 fans for one of six home games in 10,600-seat Chaifetz Arena so far this season. Saint Louis fans are noticeable absent for the Atlantic 10 Tournament and Thanksgiving exempt tournaments. The Billikens' fans do not travel well.

(9): Good for Dayton and Saint Louis, not so good for UConn.

I fully appreciate that my aforementioned interpretations are subjective, and that Val Ackerman’s statements are open to other interpretations. I would be interested in reading other reasonable interpretations of Ackerman’s statements, but far less interested in reading opinions which conflict with Ackerman’s nine statements above.

[stever20]

The thing is ... No it isn't, if Fox wants UConn in the BE, they need to show us the money. Period end of story. Sorry stever.

The thing is the next TV deal..... The Big East needs to make sure that Fox is happy to continue the TV deal past 6 years from now. That's not far away now.... The Big East can't ignore what Fox wants by any stretch of the imagination...

[MullinMayhem]

Can't even believe we're talking about VCU, Dayton, and STL while so many act like they don't want UConn. None of those mid majors totally dominate their conference on a regular basis, get into national headlines, live in the top 25, etc. like Creighton, Butler, and Xavier did. Like I said, we knew Creighton, Butler, and X were all major programs playing in mid major conferences. VCU lost Shaka and suddenly they aren't special. Dayton is solid but hasn't broken through consistently nationally. Same with STL. Solid, not great program. The only 2 schools that we can add and will 100% make us better, increase attendance, and bring way more money, competition, and exposure are: UConn and Gonzaga. Gonzaga won't happen because they're on the West Coast. If they were anywhere near the eastern part of the country, they'd already be in. They won't work. That leaves us with UConn which is already established as a major program with tons of success historically. They've been bad the past several years because Ollie sucked. They have Hurley and they're already playing much better and they will have a top 10 class coming in. UConn is going to be a top 25 team with or without us. We might as well bring them on board so we can beat them and get more nice ranked wins and get more prestige/hype. Who cares if they eventually leave because of football (highly doubt a F5 conference would take them)? The worst case there is we are much richer and we are back where we started: with a great 10 member conference. Nova will not be great every year. This year has proven that. Jay Wright is still human. Years like this hurt national perception with a down Nova/X. F5 conferences always have programs step up to be ranked even when others take a fall or reload. Right now, we may not have anyone to take the place of Nova/X...maybe Marquette...maybe SJ.

[GoldenWarrior11]

There is no question that football was the direct cause of the separation between the Big East and Big East Football. The C7 (and the current Big East) absolutely do not want to have the headaches again of dealing with FBS football, and for good reason. However, with regards to UConn, there would undoubtedly be an exception made. Firstly, UConn has a built-in longstanding relationship with five of our members - Villanova, Georgetown, Providence, Seton Hall and St. John's. They also would immensely increase our value not only in the NYC-area, which is where we are focused, but increase our national reputation and perception as well. Thirdly, their football program is absolutely not taking them places - so an eventual move to the ACC/B1G is remote (at best); this is not like Syracuse/Pittsburgh/West Virginia/Louisville. Finally, even if they do get a P5 invite (however unlikely that would be), the Big East would be losing a luxury, not a necessity, to the future growth and success to the league. The Big East has proven it can be successful without UConn (which was not the case in 2013, when the other schools left). At that point in time, who's to say that a SLU hasn't risen its program to higher consistent levels, or Dayton, or Davidson? Once again, all of the advantages would be in the corner of the Big East (which was not the case from 2003-2013).

If them potentially leaving is the biggest concern, playing out the likely results of the various scenarios actually further support that they are unlikely to be going anywhere for the foreseeable future, IMO.

[Westbrook#36]

The thing is ... No it isn't, if Fox wants UConn in the BE, they need to show us the money. Period end of story. Sorry stever.

The thing is the next TV deal..... The Big East needs to make sure that Fox is happy to continue the TV deal past 6 years from now. That's not far away now.... The Big East can't ignore what Fox wants by any stretch of the imagination...

The thing is... Fox needs to make sure the BE is happy, Fox can't ignore what the BE wants by any stretch of the imagination, their not the only fish in the sea...Again, show us the money. If it makes sense for the BE, we add UConn, if not...