Will B12 additions free UCONN to join Big East?

[Bill Marsh]

The twitterverse has apparently gone all agog with rumors that the B12 will soon add 4 teams. The rumors have the schools coming from the AAC. Supposedly UCF, USF, Cincinnati and ECU will be added to the B12. I say supposedly because similar rumors occur every 3 or 4 months.

IF this is true it will almost certainly destroy the AAC and perhaps free up UConn and Temple to join the Big East. Although I suspect Villanova will do everything possible to veto Temple the addition of UConn to the BE would be a major achievement. Internet rumors concerning Louisville, Pitt and Syracuse have proven accurate however for every accurate rumor there are 66999 which are false. None the less I like this rumor as UConn would be a significant addition to our conference.

In other threads I have pleaded to hold our membership to 10. However if UConn and Temple are available the situation changes dramatically.

The one downside is that the B12 is televised by ESPN and Fox. Putting and increased number of B12 basketball games on Fox and FS1 might reduce the amount of BE games on the network. However this is speculation not unlike the expansion rumors themselves.

The rumors seem to have been initiated by a Tuxedo Yoda on his twitter account and several others have followed suit.

I suspect we will find out within a few months if this is accurate or the rumors may just continue for another 10 years.

PLEASE SEE MY POST ON PAGE 3 FOR CORRECTED INFORMATION ABOUT TWITTER RUMORS.

PLEASE SEE SECOND INFORMATION UPDATE ON PAGE 5

Congratulations, Robin Reed, you've kicked off the new basketball season with the longest running thread in months. Amazing how many will post on a thread about realignment.

Even more amazing is that 7 pages of virtual ink have been spilled over a proposal that has not even the remotest possibility of ever happening.

[gosports1]

I dont see a scenario where anyone currently in the "club" gets booted. So IMO BC and Wake are safe.
Losing the 4 mentioned to the B12 (except for cincy) would actually strengthen AAC BB, so UConn need not worry about that. They can stay at 10 for BB and make Army an offer they cant refuse to get a FB only #12.

Uconn can contiunue to pump cash into FB. When/if ND finally joins the ACC full time in FB, where will the ACC look for #16? Cincy, UCF,USF and ECU ARE gone to the B12.(although they wouldnt want more florida or No Car schools anyway)
What are their options?

Only 2 contenders that I can see
UConn and Temple. IMO UConn would have the edge

Other schools that may be "discusssed" or brought up just arent as attractive for various reasons

[Bill Marsh]

I dont see a scenario where anyone currently in the "club" gets booted. So IMO BC and Wake are safe.
Losing the 4 mentioned to the B12 (except for cincy) would actually strengthen AAC BB, so UConn need not worry about that. They can stay at 10 for BB and make Army an offer they cant refuse to get a FB only #12.

Uconn can contiunue to pump cash into FB. When/if ND finally joins the ACC full time in FB, where will the ACC look for #16? Cincy, UCF,USF and ECU ARE gone to the B12.(although they wouldnt want more florida or No Car schools anyway)
What are their options?

Only 2 contenders that I can see
UConn and Temple. IMO UConn would have the edge

Other schools that may be "discusssed" or brought up just arent as attractive for various reasons

Not only would it be unlikely that schools would get booted, it would be illegal unless a conference folds.

I agree that the AAC would get stronger in basketball with the loss of the 4 schools in question. Losing ECU would be addition by subtraction. UMass, which has a very strong basketball program right now, would be the first addition, replacing Cincy very nicely. They could then add a couple of the best basketball programs from CUSA and/or the MAC while adding Army football to complement Navy. They would also have the opportunity to add non-football programs like VCU to strengthen basketball.

[stever20]

I dont see a scenario where anyone currently in the "club" gets booted. So IMO BC and Wake are safe.
Losing the 4 mentioned to the B12 (except for cincy) would actually strengthen AAC BB, so UConn need not worry about that. They can stay at 10 for BB and make Army an offer they cant refuse to get a FB only #12.

Uconn can contiunue to pump cash into FB. When/if ND finally joins the ACC full time in FB, where will the ACC look for #16? Cincy, UCF,USF and ECU ARE gone to the B12.(although they wouldnt want more florida or No Car schools anyway)
What are their options?

Only 2 contenders that I can see
UConn and Temple. IMO UConn would have the edge

Other schools that may be "discusssed" or brought up just arent as attractive for various reasons

Not only would it be unlikely that schools would get booted, it would be illegal unless a conference folds.

I agree that the AAC would get stronger in basketball with the loss of the 4 schools in question. Losing ECU would be addition by subtraction. UMass, which has a very strong basketball program right now, would be the first addition, replacing Cincy very nicely. They could then add a couple of the best basketball programs from CUSA and/or the MAC while adding Army football to complement Navy. They would also have the opportunity to add non-football programs like VCU to strengthen basketball.

I would kind of think ODU would be a natural add. And maybe even UTSA(not much for hoops, but man football looks like they would be a goldmine).

You would have-
UConn, Temple, Memphis, Houston, SMU, Tulsa, Tulane, Navy FB only, UMass, ODU, VCU BB only, UTSA, and 1 other. For FB- you have UConn, Temple, Navy, ODU, Memphis, and UMass. Out west- Houston, SMU, Tulsa, Tulane, UTSA, and 1 other. Would be tempted to say New Mexico. A BB conference with UConn, Temple, VCU, Memphis, UMass, SMU, and New Mexico? Wow, that's deep. Your bottom rung in hoops would be ODU, Houston, Tulsa, Tulane, and UTSA(and not all of those are bad at all, especially with the greater exposure). Football would be meh, but basketball would be really good.

[robinreed]

I now regret my quoting Tuxedo Yoda in his tweets concerning the B12 picking up 4 expansion teams from the AAC. His twitter account now states that the University of Miami will leave the ACC for the Big12. Apparently everyone is going to the Big12. Perhaps we should offer DePaul several million dollars to stay with us. Even they may be going to the B12.

This does not change my belief that UCONN would be a great add to the Big East however I question Yoda's rumors even more than previously.

[stever20]

I now regret my quoting Tuxedo Yoda in his tweets concerning the B12 picking up 4 expansion teams from the AAC. His twitter account now states that the University of Miami will leave the ACC for the Big12. Apparently everyone is going to the Big12. Perhaps we should offer DePaul several million dollars to stay with us. Even they may be going to the B12.

This does not change my belief that UCONN would be a great add to the Big East however I question Yoda's rumors even more than previously.

Shouldn't your sentance there be Perhaps we should offer the Big 12 several million dollars to take DePaul???

[Bill Marsh]

A basketball-centric AAC after UC, ECU, UCF, and USF leave:

UMass
UConn
Temple
VCU (non-football)
Memphis
Tulane
Houston
SMU
Tulsa
Wichita State (non-football)
Army (football only)
Navy (football only)

That would be a pretty good basketball conference

[herodotus]

I see a lot of talk about the 4 x 16 model, but I don't see the current playoff format (or any playoff format for that matter) driving that model. Let me explain why----

What the SEC (and to a lesser extent, the Big 12 and Pac 12) have realized is that Big 10 football sucks. The SEC is looking at the current playoff model and licking their chops at the possibility of getting two teams in yearly. If the 4 x 16 model comes about, it will probably involve each conference getting one guaranteed bid. Why would the SEC want that? From their perspective, at best it costs them one bid a year. I think they feel pretty confident (and rightfully so) that the second place SEC team will be better than the best Big 10 team (and maybe the best ACC team) more often than not. Further, after decades of being brainwashed that they need the Big 10/Rose Bowl to maintain relevance, the Pac 12 has finally discovered that it doesnt really need the Big 10 at all. I think the PAC 12 and BIG 12 also see sceanrios where their second place team might be able to edge out a Big 10 team for a playoff bid every once in awhile. Why would those conferences want to guarantee a bid to the Big 10 who they think is inferior and largely loathe because of the riches brought to the Big 10 because of the BTN?

I think that 4 x 16 is largely dead at this point. The Big 12 is satisfied with where they are and the conference that most needs to improve their football product (B1G) cant find another school available that would do that. The only way 4 x 16 happens is ifthere is an expansion of the football playoff --- and even then I dont see it being that likely.

This post hits the nail on the head. There will be no 4x16 model. What is going to happen, is that once the schools see how successful the 4 team playoff is, they will expand it to 8 teams. This will allow all five leagues to send their champion, as well as leaving 3 extra spots to cover ND, and BYU when warranted, additional teams from the best conferences, and a spot for the occasional G5 team that has a great year, satisfying any demands for access that might get Congress to start snooping around. If the Big12 took the 4 teams mentioned, the threat of FSU and Clemson going to the Big12 would be dead. This would likely open to door for UConn to get into the ACC. I see UConn as being in a spot where either the status quo holds, or they make it into a P5 league. While AAC football is very mediocre, the hoops is likely to be far better than folks on this board think. Describing Tulsa as slop is laughable. If Tulsa is slop, what are PC, DePaul, and SH? Tulsa's 8 NCAA bids over the last 20 years is only one less than the combined total of 9 for those 3 schools. The AAC is a very solid hoops league. Regardless of what you think of him, Sampson has won everywhere he's been, and I expect him to turn Houston into the type of power it was when Guy Lewis was there. Conversely, someone needs to step up and give Villanova, and Georgetown some help at the top of this league.

[HoosierPal]

I see a lot of talk about the 4 x 16 model, but I don't see the current playoff format (or any playoff format for that matter) driving that model. Let me explain why----

What the SEC (and to a lesser extent, the Big 12 and Pac 12) have realized is that Big 10 football sucks. The SEC is looking at the current playoff model and licking their chops at the possibility of getting two teams in yearly. If the 4 x 16 model comes about, it will probably involve each conference getting one guaranteed bid. Why would the SEC want that? From their perspective, at best it costs them one bid a year. I think they feel pretty confident (and rightfully so) that the second place SEC team will be better than the best Big 10 team (and maybe the best ACC team) more often than not. Further, after decades of being brainwashed that they need the Big 10/Rose Bowl to maintain relevance, the Pac 12 has finally discovered that it doesnt really need the Big 10 at all. I think the PAC 12 and BIG 12 also see sceanrios where their second place team might be able to edge out a Big 10 team for a playoff bid every once in awhile. Why would those conferences want to guarantee a bid to the Big 10 who they think is inferior and largely loathe because of the riches brought to the Big 10 because of the BTN?

I think that 4 x 16 is largely dead at this point. The Big 12 is satisfied with where they are and the conference that most needs to improve their football product (B1G) cant find another school available that would do that. The only way 4 x 16 happens is ifthere is an expansion of the football playoff --- and even then I dont see it being that likely.

This post hits the nail on the head. There will be no 4x16 model. What is going to happen, is that once the schools see how successful the 4 team playoff is, they will expand it to 8 teams. This will allow all five leagues to send their champion, as well as leaving 3 extra spots to cover ND, and BYU when warranted, additional teams from the best conferences, and a spot for the occasional G5 team that has a great year, satisfying any demands for access that might get Congress to start snooping around. If the Big12 took the 4 teams mentioned, the threat of FSU and Clemson going to the Big12 would be dead. This would likely open to door for UConn to get into the ACC. I see UConn as being in a spot where either the status quo holds, or they make it into a P5 league. While AAC football is very mediocre, the hoops is likely to be far better than folks on this board think. Describing Tulsa as slop is laughable. If Tulsa is slop, what are PC, DePaul, and SH? Tulsa's 8 NCAA bids over the last 20 years is only one less than the combined total of 9 for those 3 schools. The AAC is a very solid hoops league. Regardless of what you think of him, Sampson has won everywhere he's been, and I expect him to turn Houston into the type of power it was when Guy Lewis was there. Conversely, someone needs to step up and give Villanova, and Georgetown some help at the top of this league.

I agree with this 100%, and stated as much in an earlier post. The AAC will get a nice boost when football only member Navy joins next year. Navy won't win any national tournaments, but they bring in a national fan base and attention on TV. That means satisfied sponsors. Losing Louisville in basketball hurts the AAC, but bringing in Navy certainly helps mitigate that loss. No one should argue that to the P5, and thus everyone else who pays the bills, football trumps basketball.

[notkirkcameron]

A basketball-centric AAC after UC, ECU, UCF, and USF leave:

UMass
UConn
Temple
VCU (non-football)
Memphis
Tulane
Houston
SMU
Tulsa
Wichita State (non-football)
Army (football only)
Navy (football only)

That would be a pretty good basketball conference

The more I think about it, the American almost nailed their conference name. They should have been the Americain Athletic Conference. They almost had it.

They're a waystation. A stopping off point. A safe haven for refugees and other people looking to move on to better places, but who are at the moment trapped and can't leave. It's basically Rick's Cafe Americain, and just like "Everybody goes to Rick's," no fewer than 16 different schools have come to the Original Big East/American before leaving for a better life in other lands.

Mike Aresco is Humphrey Bogart's Rick. UConn is Ingrid Bergman's Ilsa. And as we know, Bogey loves Ilsa. They had some magical times together. But it couldn't last. Forces beyond their control intervened. Now of all the gin joints in all the world, UConn finds itself in Mike Aresco's bar. Which sounds great, but Ilsa doesn't love Rick anymore. She loves Victor Laszlo (The ACC or the Big Ten. Whoever calls first). She pretends to still be in love with Rick, but that's only because Rick has the letters of transit (FBS football); her ticket out of this dump. She doesn't really love Rick, she's just using him to get the letters of transit so she can get to the airport, get on a plane, and get out.

Now, despite everything, Rick may still have feelings for Ilsa. Hell, Ilsa might even still have feelings for Rick ("We'll always have six overtimes..."), but both Rick and Ilsa know that at the end of the day, when push comes to shove, she is not going to let go of the letters of transit no matter what, and she is getting on that damn plane with Victor Laszlo, because it's her only real choice, and while she can kiss Rick and reminisce about the old times, she's doing what she has to to survive. If she stays with Rick, she'll regret it; maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of her life. Here's looking at U....Conn.