Will B12 additions free UCONN to join Big East?

[redmen9194]

There are a lot of assumptions being made here that are not likely to pan out.

First, UConn will not go independent in football. It is way to difficult to schedule a full season of games as an independent which is why there are just four and they are household names with recent or historic success (ND, BYU, Army, Navy).

Parking UConn football in the MAC is an option, only if the MAC wants only UConn football. Why would they? UConn football only brings nothing to whatever conference they might play in. It is UConn hoops that is the reason any conference would be looking for a UConn add. Presuming the MAC would just take UConn football is a stretch.

The Big East will not accept anyone they think is auditioning for a bigger conference...and we shouldn't. Gumby is right. Let's see how this current ten develop over the next few seasons. The potential for our group is very high, we just need to get there.

The Big East is not getting raided by anyone. The only conferences with better TV deals are the P5. The Big East makes more TV money than all football conferences other than the P5. So schools like Nova and G'Town who have football programs would need a P5 invite. That's not coming. The P5 do not need any more hoops programs regardless of how good they are. Football will still drive the decision and there are plenty of established football programs out there to be plucked if necessary. We are good right now. The good thing about our league is that we are immune from realignment rumors. It's a good place to be.

[HoosierPal]

The premise of this thread is that the Big 12 is ready to expand. Why?

The Big 12 announced in May that it distributed $213 million to its member institutions. As this conference has just 10 members, and just eight of them receive full shares, that octet actually trumped the SEC at $23 million per school. Newer members TCU and West Virginia received “just” $14 million apiece. I have no knowledge of their TV contracts, but there is no indication that adding schools will bump up the total package that they now divide by 10.

Reading this thread has been humorous. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. But here we go with some contradictions. We need to stay at 10. We need to add UConn and go to 11. Having two teams in the Ohio market makes no sense. We need to add Temple doubling up on the Philly Market. The logistics of the Big 12 adding UConn just don't add up. But the logistics of the Big East adding Gonzaga do. UConn will see the light and dump football. UConn will never dump football. Why would Texas want to play ECU? (Because they are good?)

Another assumption is that the talked about 4 x 16 is inevitable. Why? The P5 have just started making up their own rules, and now have their own tournament. Why wouldn't they let this run for five or six years to see how it shakes out. Mathematically 4 x 16 is nice, but a nice number isn't necessary for the football tournament they have set up.

Interesting stuff.

[gosports1]

I cant see UConn giving up on their FB dream. They want in the ACC and IMO are willing to wait it out until ND becomes a full ACC member. imo, there is a 3 team race for the 16th spot should the ACC go that route UConn and Cincy being the front runners and Temple in 3rd.

I think they also have hopes for a B1G invite but does/will the B1G have a desire to expand east again?

[GoldenWarrior11]

The BIG 12 doesn't need to expand because they do not currently have a network (like the B1G, PAC12 or SEC Network) to push into new markets - which is/was the major factor in expansion for all of the conferences. The lack of major media markets will hurt in the long run of the conference, but, at present, it is no factor at all. Their schools are getting $$$, and there is no immediate pressure to expand.

The only four in the G5 that has a realistic shot at getting a P5 invite (however small) would be (in no particular order): Cincinnati, UCF, USF and Memphis. The Florida schools would, to me, be the most intriguing because of the markets, school sizes, past football success and access to one of the top football areas in the country (Florida).

Anyone that honestly believes that East Carolina has a realistic shot at a BIG 12 or ACC invite down the road has lost touch with reality. The North Carolina-4 will never allow another school on their turf in the ACC, and ECU doesn't sway the needle for anyone in Texas or Oklahoma.

With regards to UCONN, they had their chance to join the C7 when we all broke away. They decided their conference affiliation based on football, and football-only. There is a reason they are not in the Big East conference, and it has nothing to do with the new incarnation of teams in the Big East. They want to build football in order to secure a P5 invite. That alone should be enough of a reason to stay away from them. No reason to go down the non-football/football split again.

[bmorex]

I'd like to see the breakdown of who is for/against UConn joining the Big East based on their fandom (i.e. Creighton/Butler/Xavier vs. C7).

I don't think UConn dropping football is likely at all, but IF they get tired of the AAC and IF they can park their football in a different conference OR IF they drop it back to FCS, I don't see why the Big East wouldn't want them. They are a national basketball name. Period.

I think a lot of you C7 guys are showing your hatred for UConn because of past rivalries. That is overshadowing your opinion. They would be a slam dunk invite if they wanted to be here.

[muskienick]

I'd like to see the breakdown of who is for/against UConn joining the Big East based on their fandom (i.e. Creighton/Butler/Xavier vs. C7).

I don't think UConn dropping football is likely at all, but IF they get tired of the AAC and IF they can park their football in a different conference OR IF they drop it back to FCS, I don't see why the Big East wouldn't want them. They are a national basketball name. Period.

I think a lot of you C7 guys are showing your hatred for UConn because of past rivalries. That is overshadowing your opinion. They would be a slam dunk invite if they wanted to be here.

I totally agree with bmorex's take on UConn. The fact that Jim Calhoun is gone is simply icing on the cake, especially with Kevin Ollie as their new coach! The Huskies would be a great addition to the Conference. I have no idea who the 12th member would be but I would hope that it would be one with a good recent basketball history, situated in or near a major city not home to a current member of the Big East, and one that would "push the needle" as much as the more recent 3 additions to the C7. (Is Notre Dame as much a longshot as UConn? How cool would the addition of those two schools be if ND wanted continued independence for its football program, more nearby member schools in its chosen non-football Conference, and excellent basketball schools with which the Irish's men's and women's programs could compete?)

[stever20]

I'd like to see the breakdown of who is for/against UConn joining the Big East based on their fandom (i.e. Creighton/Butler/Xavier vs. C7).

I don't think UConn dropping football is likely at all, but IF they get tired of the AAC and IF they can park their football in a different conference OR IF they drop it back to FCS, I don't see why the Big East wouldn't want them. They are a national basketball name. Period.

I think a lot of you C7 guys are showing your hatred for UConn because of past rivalries. That is overshadowing your opinion. They would be a slam dunk invite if they wanted to be here.

I totally agree with bmorex's take on UConn. The fact that Jim Calhoun is gone is simply icing on the cake, especially with Kevin Ollie as their new coach! The Huskies would be a great addition to the Conference. I have no idea who the 12th member would be but I would hope that it would be one with a good recent basketball history, situated in or near a major city not home to a current member of the Big East, and one that would "push the needle" as much as the more recent 3 additions to the C7. (Is Notre Dame as much a longshot as UConn? How cool would the addition of those two schools be if ND wanted continued independence for its football program, more nearby member schools in its chosen non-football Conference, and excellent basketball schools with which the Irish's men's and women's programs could compete?)

ND is more of a longshot. A LOT of their move was due to bowl games. They left the ACC they would lose that...

I'd hope in that case it'd be VCU.

[redmen9194]

I would not say there is a C7 hatred for UConn. I would love to see the Huskies on St. John's schedule - just not as a conference member. For over a decade, the Big East made moves based upon trying to appease the football schools. The football schools always wanted out - always. The Virginia Tech president made an offer to the Big East football schools in 2003 when Miami, Cuse and BC were about to bolt - essentially, he said Va. Tech would not accept any invite to leave the Big East if every other school pledged to do the same. He had zero takers on his offer. When Maryland announced it was leaving the ACC, UConn, Louisville and Cincy were falling over each other trying to get an invite. It was open, it was blatant, and it showed entire disregard for the seven hoops only schools who were bringing in schools like Houston, UCF, and Tulane solely to help the football schools. So when you say the Big East should grab UConn and not be concerned about it's football program, you are ignoring history and the problems that caused. Your conference looks weak when members are trying to leave. We have a good conference. We have ten schools that are committed to making the league work and who are in a destination conference rather than a feeder conference. The day UConn says good bye to FBS football is the day the Big East should send an invite to the Huskies. But there is no need to invite them, and there should be no inclination to do so.

[robinreed]

INFORMATION FROM CSNBBS REALIGNMENT BOARD and BEST COLLEGE SPORTS NEWS NETWORK

Post by AAC member on REALIGNMENT BOARD who quotes Best College Sports News Network

"What this league has to worry about right now is ECU, UC, UCF and USF going to the Big 12 to help create an East Division and get a conference championship game. Details are still very sketchy, but it appears the doors have finally opened to the Big 12 finding regional teams for WVU to assist with travel and also establish a long sought after Florida footprint for the league. Multiple sources have suggested that Mike Aresco is already trying to renegotiate the American's current TV deal for the league in an effort to keep these teams in the conference with more money and a possible Grant of Rights. But Aresco's response is reportedly forcing the hand of the Big 12 even faster.
That is expected to unfold within the next four weeks ...."

Article in Best College Sports News Network web site. (essentially the same quote)

What this league has to worry about right now is ECU, UC, UCF and USF going to the Big 12 to help create an East Division and get a conference championship game. Details are still very sketchy, but it appears the doors have finally opened to the Big 12 finding regional teams for WVU to assist with travel and also establish a long sought after Florida footprint for the league. Multiple sources have suggested that Mike Aresco is already trying to renegotiate the American's current TV deal for the league in an effort to keep these teams in the conference with more money and a possible Grant of Rights. But Aresco's response is reportedly forcing the hand of the Big 12 even faster.
http://www.bcsnn.com/aac/777-memphis-sh ... nment.html

I will wait for confirmation from the Sporting News and ESPN before I fully believe this information.

Web sites and news organizations have been wrong before and may be wrong now but I truly believe we should prepare to make an offer to UCONN in case this occurs. UCONN is the best basketball program in the nation - and NO I am not a UCONN fan or graduate. Actually I have been to their campus only once. I am an XU grad and proud of it. Some have compared the current situation to the old Big East where FB and BB schools fought tooth and nail to get advantage with each blaming the other for what went wrong with the football schools apparently doing most of the blaming. This obviously became unbearable as football schools threatened to leave and many did so. But this is a much different situation as there will be ONLY ONE football school. As some have previously suggested a very large exit fee could be demanded to secure membership. I have often suggested that we remain at 10 teams but adding UCONN is a quantum leap forward. One which we can not turn down if we remain lucid.

[bmorex]

I would not say there is a C7 hatred for UConn. I would love to see the Huskies on St. John's schedule - just not as a conference member. For over a decade, the Big East made moves based upon trying to appease the football schools. The football schools always wanted out - always. The Virginia Tech president made an offer to the Big East football schools in 2003 when Miami, Cuse and BC were about to bolt - essentially, he said Va. Tech would not accept any invite to leave the Big East if every other school pledged to do the same. He had zero takers on his offer. When Maryland announced it was leaving the ACC, UConn, Louisville and Cincy were falling over each other trying to get an invite. It was open, it was blatant, and it showed entire disregard for the seven hoops only schools who were bringing in schools like Houston, UCF, and Tulane solely to help the football schools. So when you say the Big East should grab UConn and not be concerned about it's football program, you are ignoring history and the problems that caused. Your conference looks weak when members are trying to leave. We have a good conference. We have ten schools that are committed to making the league work and who are in a destination conference rather than a feeder conference. The day UConn says good bye to FBS football is the day the Big East should send an invite to the Huskies. But there is no need to invite them, and there should be no inclination to do so.

Yeah but who is running the ship (conference) now? It would be 91% private, basketball-only schools if UConn is added. Those schools would have every say.

You're not ignoring history by adding a UConn. You are accepting the fact that they are a clear-cut must-add/return to the Big East basketball brand and you are giving fair warning to them that they aren't controlling the strings anymore.