UConn Smoke

[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...

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...

Except there really are only 2 fishes. ESPN and Fox. Is ESPN going to give the Big East what Fox has?

[Bluejay]

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

Assuming this is true, the follow-up question naturally is "Then why haven't they done so?"

The obvious answer would have to be that Fox does not believe they are worth the extra money.

Stever keeps making the same statement over and over, but has yet to provide an iota of evidence that Fox actually wants UConn. I know many here are very fond of UConn, but I am not yet convinced there are worth it from a financial perspective or Fox would be flashing cash and the AAC wouldn't be including them among the schools in that conference that would receive a smaller portion of TV money in a proposed GOR.

[Xudash]

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

Assuming this is true, the follow-up question naturally is "Then why haven't they done so?"

The obvious answer would have to be that Fox does not believe they are worth the extra money.

Stever keeps making the same statement over and over, but has yet to provide an iota of evidence that Fox actually wants UConn. I know many here are very fond of UConn, but I am not yet convinced there are worth it from a financial perspective or Fox would be flashing cash and the AAC wouldn't be including them among the schools in that conference that would receive a smaller portion of TV money in a proposed GOR.

Well, assuming you are correct that Fox does not place a higher financial value on UCONN, we may as well stop discussing the A10 mid-major candidates below UCONN.

Without knowing where Fox stands on the dollars issue, it should be beyond obvious to anyone here that UCONN is the Numero Uno pick for #11.

[Bluejay]

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

Assuming this is true, the follow-up question naturally is "Then why haven't they done so?"

The obvious answer would have to be that Fox does not believe they are worth the extra money.

Stever keeps making the same statement over and over, but has yet to provide an iota of evidence that Fox actually wants UConn. I know many here are very fond of UConn, but I am not yet convinced there are worth it from a financial perspective or Fox would be flashing cash and the AAC wouldn't be including them among the schools in that conference that would receive a smaller portion of TV money in a proposed GOR.

Well, assuming you are correct that Fox does not place a higher financial value on UCONN, we may as well stop discussing the A10 mid-major candidates below UCONN.

Without knowing where Fox stands on the dollars issue, it should be beyond obvious to anyone here that UCONN is the Numero Uno pick for #11.

Maybe, just maybe, Fox doesn't think any of them are worth extra money. Maybe that is why there has not been any expansion.....

[Gopher+RamFan]

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.

In the 4 seasons since Shaka left:

VCU has 3 Tournament appearances, 1 Conference Championship, 1 Conference regular season Championship
Dayton has 3 Tournament appearances, 2 Conference regular season Championships (all under Archie)
SLU has 0 Tournament appearances, 0 Championships.

UConn should be the top target, they are a brand.

[Westbrook#36]

Except there really are only 2 fishes. ESPN and Fox. Is ESPN going to give the Big East what Fox has?

They just might, does Fox want to find out? If it's that important for Fox to UConn in the BE, they can show us how important it is($$$). Again, the BE holds the leverage here, we expand only if it makes sense for the BE, not because Fox or anyone else says so.

[stever20]

Except there really are only 2 fishes. ESPN and Fox. Is ESPN going to give the Big East what Fox has?

They just might, does Fox want to find out? If it's that important for Fox to UConn in the BE, they can show us how important it is($$$). Again, the BE holds the leverage here, we expand only if it makes sense for the BE, not because Fox or anyone else says so.

Or Fox can go and get some basketball from the Big 12. Ratings wise wouldn't be that much different. To act like Fox wouldn't have input into things is rather naïve. Of course they will have a lot of input.

And with all the basketball that ESPN already has- wouldn't get what the Big East has gotten in terms of most all games on FS1.... I don't see folks here happy going to ESPNU for games.

[redmen9194]

We do not need UConn - for any reason whatsoever. If they meet our criteria and want to join I would take them simply because 11 works and thy would be the best fit. But if they kept football at the FBS level, they should be an automatic no. I don't care if they kept football as an independent. If your most important sport is football, this is not your league. The Garden doesn't care about us expanding (did anyone see last week's news on that?) and we still have six years on our deal with Fox and they don't seem to care either. Stop acting like we are some mid major conference trying to stay alive. We are a destination conference. No one seems to remember UConn begging the ACC to take them before we spilt off. That is what happens when football is your priority. We are not a temporary solution to someone's football problem. Not anymore. I like our ten, as does MSG apparently. If UConn wants to be with us, they need to act like us. Not the other way around.

[adoraz]

It's certainly possible that:

1. UConn wants to join the Big East.
2. If added, Fox won't up the $$$ per team on the current deal, which still has about 7 more years on it.
3. Big East therefore won't add UConn until closer to the expiration of their TV contract, where they will use them as a bargaining chip for more $$$ per school.

In that case, Big East would have all the leverage.

Truth is though, none of us know what's going on behind the scenes. Could be a lot of different scenarios going on, so we shouldn't act like this is a black and white issue. Anytime there's this much money involved, there are numerous factors to consider.

[gosports1]

Dayton seems to check the most boxes
Commitment to BB
Institutional fit
Geographic footprint
Brings fans to Garden

None of the other realistic candidates check all of these 4 boxes (UConn, VCU, SLU, Richmond , Gonzaga)