Will B12 additions free UCONN to join Big East?

[SJHooper]

Redmen, believe me, we all know that UConn was flirting with the P5 conferences while still in the old Big East. But who cares? That's business unfortunately. No one is loyal these days. I'm still scared Nova and G'Town will be taken overnight by a P5 conference. The point is that UConn is arguably the most successful college hoops program in the past few decades. They have national recognition and they just win. 3 rings for the men's team and 7 for the women's (almost always win it or make the Final Four). Adding them to our conference would put us at another level I believe. Right now we really only have 1 legit program nationally known and powerful enough to have staying power in the top 25. That's Nova. G'Town had a bad season and was never ranked at all if I recall. I expect them to pick up where they left off being a consistent top 25 team, but maybe they will never be the same. If G'Town continues to flounder, all we will have is Nova. UConn would be that other team to always be in the top 25 and very much relevant. Right now we have too many teams who are in and out of contention and only 1 (Nova) who has real staying power and handles expectations. UConn would be a program that has staying power in the top 25, not just once every 5 years. Bottom line is if you want the Big East to be much more respected, you better want UConn to come. Gaining them would really make people say "hey, they are still a really good conference". After last season and if the trend continues, people will see us more like the A-10…respected but not a real high major conference. Perception is reality.

If I'm Val Ackerman, I'm calling up UConn right now and saying "Listen, I know we bolted and you probably hate us for it, but we realize adding UConn to the Big East makes a ton of sense for both sides. Let the P5 conferences keep raiding and realigning…we will add you and Memphis and be totally set in the Big East with 12 schools. You can finally focus on basketball, let football land in the MAC and if the team gets good enough, you can leave. If not, at least you know your basketball program will be top notch with other great programs. What do you say?". I would sell the safety of knowing you are locked in a great conference with only quality programs rather than being nervous 24/7 that you might be stuck with Tulane, Tulsa, Houston, etc. and get left behind. I really hope these phone calls are being made, because if we don't do everything we can to get them here, a P5 conference will take them. I'm sure we could come up with a creative deal with all those brilliant people up top. I'd also sell the fact that their identity and success is as a basketball school first. No one sees UConn as a football school. Many people don't even know they have a football team. The football has failed and money is being wasted. Why not take all that money and invest into the basketball programs? Play to your strengths. MJ wanted to try baseball and he did. He failed. Eventually, he realized he was a basketball player and not a baseball player. UConn needs to be convinced it's a basketball first school and that football will never happen as they wish it will.

[GumbyDamnit!]

Unfortunately Hooper UCONN is pot committed with FB. I don't think we see any chance of them just giving up the dream of big time P5 FB unless they are definitively left holding the bag (ie- 4 or 5 P5 conferences with 16 teams each and they aren't one of them). I don't see the B12 adding an ECU. Can you imagine Texas imagining hosting ECU and trying to act like it is still college FB elite? Just doesn't seem to fit. I think what is more realistic would be seeing the B12 getting raided (Texas, OK, OK st, etc to the pac12 or B1G), and (4) 16 team super FB conferences would remain. The BCS playoffs would simply be the 4 league champions playing it out. If TX were ever taken that conf would fold like a cheap suit.

In terms of the BE just sit back, focus on hoops and wait for the chips to settle. Don't rush out to grab SLU, VCU or Dayton or anyone else until we can see what's best for us. And in terms of Temple, St Joe's, Cincy (even Dayton) and URI there is absolutely 0 reason to have 2 programs from the same market in this conference.

[Bluejay]

I put zero stock in these rumors. Living in a state where the big state college was a member of the Big 12 until very recently, I cant see the remaining Big 12 powers being interested in that group of schools. UCF maybe the only candidate with any appeal.

For the Big 12, the dream add is BYU. UConn would be a great expansion candidate for a lot of other conferences, butthe geography of the Big 12 makes it a big mess. West Virginia is widely seen as a bad fit by everyone, including WVU, due to geography and UConn is even farther.

UConn would be a great add for us if thry dump football, but they never will. They will always hope and dream of moving up. It is what schools at lower levels do (believe me on this one). Now, a school that might actually drop football and would be a geographic fit for us is UMass. I think we lack schools with huge enrollments and alumni bases that could add to TV ratings if successful. I know Temple is in Philly and Nova might not be excited about them, but they would be a tremendous add as well. Although they've struggled recently, they are nationally known and adding them would allow us to dominate a big TV market in Philly. My jesuit, catholic background understands the interest in St Joe's but they just do not move the meter the way Temple would. Temple and UMass are the two schools most likely to dump football in the realignment game and we need to keep an eye on them. I think they are the schools that the league office is talking about when indicating that they will wait on realignment to see what the fallout might be. Our next adds need to be schools that can add to TV ratings.

[Hoopfan]

Unconnected is not parking their football in the MAC. The Mac has already been there and done that and told UMASS (maybe temple) i think it was to fully invest in the Mac or leave.

[hoyahooligan]

1) This seems highly unlikely.
2) The group of schools rumored seems odd. And unfortunately doesn't seem like schools that the AAC would lose that would force Uconn's hand. The good basketball schools are: Uconn, Memphis, Cinci, Temple, SMU. and based on this rumor they're only losing one of those, so the AAC doesn't really get worse from a basketball perspective. So why would Uconn leave. If the schools leaving were Memphis, Cinci, SMU, and UCF then yeah I think Uconn would take a good hard look about getting the hell out of dodge, but not losing UCF, USF, ECU, and Cinci.

3) If they ever do decide to get the hell out of dodge you take them. Because that would mean they're out of options. And even if we are concerned about them leaving again, then we simply make everyone give a grant of rigths to the conference, that way if they leave we have the rights to all their home games so they will get no coverage ever. If the original rumor was true I would add Uconn and Memphis in a heartbeat. It would make us a great Basketball conference.

[muskienick]

The 4 x 16 concept would seem to be the most logical final resting place for the "Big Football" schools. The below colored conference lineups indicates how this one fan imagines the resulting 4 conferences. Left out in the cold could be the following significant schools: the entire AAC, Boston College, and BYU. Frankly, who else should even be mentioned?

At that point, the idea of Villanova or other non-FBS schools entertaining the thought of upgrading their FB programs to FBS status would be downright silly. But as a corollary to that, the thought of the many current FBS schools not included in the 4 x 16 plan to downgrade their FB programs (at least financially, if not in category) would seem extremely prudent since they lost the major "WAR" of realignment.

At that point it would behoove those former FBS schools who lost the "WAR" to seek out the very best partners to form the greatest possible basketball-driven conferences. At that point, the Big East would be in the driver's seat with Conferences like the A-10, AAC, West Coast Conference, MAC, MVC, Horizon, Mountain West, MAAC, WAC, etc. scurrying for relevance.

NEW CONFERENCE (ACC & BIG 12 SURVIVORS): Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas State, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Texas Christian, Texas Tech, West Virginia, Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, NC State, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest

NEW PAC 16 CONFERENCE: Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Utah California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State

NEW SEC: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, UNC, Vanderbilt

NEW BIG TEN CONFERENCE: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, Virginia

There are some "IF's" and "BUT's" related to the above 4 x 16 plan:
1. Obviously, Boston College does not "make the cut" if Notre Dame accepts membership in the New Big Ten.
2. If the new 4 x 16 alignment allows Notre Dame membership but allows it to remain independent of any of the 4 Conferences, then BC would replace Georgia Tech in the New Conference and Georgia Tech would slide over to the New Big Ten.
3. If Notre Dame is granted #2 (immediately above), it would likely have to agree to a minimum number of games (8-10) each season scheduled against members of the 4 new Conferences described above.

[R to the OB]

For every realignment rumor that is true, there are at least ten that aren't. I actually think that realignment has settled for a while.
If we ever have the chance to land UCONN, we had better do it in a heartbeat. Having said that I don't think UCONN is going to drop football down a level or get rid of it completely. I think the ACC will eventually scoop UCONN up (given that their Basketball program remains nationally relevant), but it won't happen for at least a few years.
I agree with Bluejay that Temple and UMASS are much likelier candidates than UCONN if we go to 12.

[Piratefan]

I suspect that if Uconn does not join the B10 or acc in the next 2-3 years then it will be open to joining the BE. We should add them and stop. 10 home and homes would be awesome.

[robinreed]

ADDENDUM TO ORIGINAL POST

Please note that some of the information or misinformation I previously read about the Tuxedo Yoda B12 expansion has been amended, changed, restated or just plain lied about. Here are the original posts on his account. Forgive me for not checking them earlier.

From Twitter
The Big 12 is excited about idea of being the only major conference with a presence in Texas, Ohio & Florida. Networks love this as well.

Locks are Cinci & UCF......lots of conversation regarding UConn, ECU, USF, Memphis.....you can forget BYU & Boise St.

Big battle between Big 12 schools is taking conf to 12 or 14. TV entities will keep per team $ the same regardless.

Told by an athletics guy in Austin & an East Coast media/website guy that realignment is about to start popping again.

Hearing new regime at Texas coming to terms with B12 adding 4 teams: UCF, Cinci, UConn and.......East Carolina. No kidding, East Carolina.

Note: I believe the AD, Coach and President are new (within 1 year) at U of Texas. Also Governor Perry has finally appointed sufficient members of their board of regents to have a 2/3 majority on the board. Robin

Remember this information comes from twitter not the Bible. To be taken with several thousand grains of salt.

[Xudash]

The 4 x 16 concept would seem to be the most logical final resting place for the "Big Football" schools. The below colored conference lineups indicates how this one fan imagines the resulting 4 conferences. Left out in the cold could be the following significant schools: the entire AAC, Boston College, and BYU. Frankly, who else should even be mentioned?

At that point, the idea of Villanova or other non-FBS schools entertaining the thought of upgrading their FB programs to FBS status would be downright silly. But as a corollary to that, the thought of the many current FBS schools not included in the 4 x 16 plan to downgrade their FB programs (at least financially, if not in category) would seem extremely prudent since they lost the major "WAR" of realignment.

At that point it would behoove those former FBS schools who lost the "WAR" to seek out the very best partners to form the greatest possible basketball-driven conferences. At that point, the Big East would be in the driver's seat with Conferences like the A-10, AAC, West Coast Conference, MAC, MVC, Horizon, Mountain West, MAAC, WAC, etc. scurrying for relevance.

NEW CONFERENCE (ACC & BIG 12 SURVIVORS): Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas State, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Texas Christian, Texas Tech, West Virginia, Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, NC State, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest

NEW PAC 16 CONFERENCE: Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Utah California, Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State

NEW SEC: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, UNC, Vanderbilt

NEW BIG TEN CONFERENCE: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, Virginia

There are some "IF's" and "BUT's" related to the above 4 x 16 plan:
1. Obviously, Boston College does not "make the cut" if Notre Dame accepts membership in the New Big Ten.
2. If the new 4 x 16 alignment allows Notre Dame membership but allows it to remain independent of any of the 4 Conferences, then BC would replace Georgia Tech in the New Conference and Georgia Tech would slide over to the New Big Ten.
3. If Notre Dame is granted #2 (immediately above), it would likely have to agree to a minimum number of games (8-10) each season scheduled against members of the 4 new Conferences described above.

This.

Some of you need to take the time to read this. Specifically, anyone who believes that UCONN has a chance to move up needs to carefully read this.

Do the math.

Obviously, I am presuming that any existing P5 member will automatically land in the 4×16 group. You can virtually count on that; if they are already in the club, then they will remain in the club. Does anyone truly believe that the process would involve people sitting around a table discussing the idea of swapping XYZ for Wake Forest or Boston College or Northwestern? It just doesn't work like that.

If you can accept that, and otherwise come to the conclusion that the 4 x 16 model would, in fact, force Notre Dame into one of these conferences, then it becomes terribly clear that even the existing P5 group is one over in terms of what is needed. Given that, allow me to make one edit to my statement about remaining in the club: one existing program would need to be jettisoned.

It would not be about the revised ACC picking up UCONN; it would be about BC or Wake getting dumped.

There simply and mathematically is no room at the inn for UCONN in all of this.