UConn escape plan - The Big East

[GoldenWarrior11]

It is generally agreed that UConn is not going anywhere, which is fine - they want to push football to get into ACC/Big 10. However, it is clear that this move is severely hurting basketball. It is such a shame.

Not that it matters to the whole idea of conference realignment, but UConn women's basketball is probably going to suffer even worse in the end.

2 things-
1- no matter where they went outside of getting in the ACC- they were going to lose. Big East and AAC COMBINED have 3 top 40 teams outside of UConn. AAC actually better than the Big East right now- 7 vs 9.
2- in women's basketball you can compete extremely well outside the big conference. Look at La Tech all those years.

It also goes back to the lose/lose scenario UConn is in while in the AAC. If they win, they will not get credit from media/fans for beating likes of Tulane, ECU, Tulsa, Houston, SMU, Temple, UCF, USF, etc, because they should. However, if/when they lose to those teams, they get mocked for losing to such poor basketball programs.

[stever20]

It also goes back to the lose/lose scenario UConn is in while in the AAC. If they win, they will not get credit from media/fans for beating likes of Tulane, ECU, Tulsa, Houston, SMU, Temple, UCF, USF, etc, because they should. However, if/when they lose to those teams, they get mocked for losing to such poor basketball programs.

In women's hoops- USF is actually #19 right now in the RPI so that's not a killer at all...

for women's hoops- UConn would have been mocked more in the Big East. Seton Hall is #38. The other 9- 83,91,71,88,169,96,217,263,and 273. As a conference- Big East went 61-52 OOC.

A whole lot different in women's hoops vs men's hoops. In women's hoops, it would be no better by being in the big east than being in the AAC. Maybe worse even. At least for them now, they still have ESPN and can use that to get the good OOC home games.

[JOPO]

It is generally agreed that UConn is not going anywhere, which is fine - they want to push football to get into ACC/Big 10. However, it is clear that this move is severely hurting basketball. It is such a shame.

Not that it matters to the whole idea of conference realignment, but UConn women's basketball is probably going to suffer even worse in the end.

It sort of makes you wonder if aren't picked up quickly by one of the P5 how far will they let their basketball teams fall before they give up the experiment and admit defeat? Basketball, not football, butters the bread and pays the bills in Connecticut.

[TheBall]

Is there anyone who who thinks there is a 25% chance or greater of uconn being in the conference of americans in 2025?

[NJRedman]

No animosity whatsoever. Rutgers to many in New Jersey is a fallback option, not a first choice. They were never on my radar. When I was in high school Rutgers was always encouraged as a safety school, somewhere you knew you could go if you didn't get into or couldn't afford your top choices but did not want to go the county college route. Sorry, this is just the way it was. I went to a catholic high school geared toward college prep (about 98% of my class went on to college) so maybe that has something to do with it as well.

You and NJRedmen seem to have this vastly inflated view of Rutgers. I just do not see Rutgers on the same level as schools in the Big East, ACC, Big Ten and the like either athletically or academically. Rutgers to me is more on the level of a Temple or a UMass. Sorry, but Rutgers just does not hold much allure for me. They never seem to be happy with who they truly are and instead would like you to believe they are something they truly are not. Obviously they've been able to convince the two of you but I'm not buying what they are selling. I just don't see it.

Hahaha Dude, stop acting like Seton Hall is some academic bastion.

Rutgers is ranked #70 by US News. Stop acting like its a community college. Umass is #76 Temple is #121 Seton Hall is #126. Anything else you want to try and spin?

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandrevie ... ities/data

You can see them however you want but those conferences obviously think differently. Personally I see Seton Hall as an A-10 or Horizon league school.

Yeah, why the over-the-top hostility towards anyone that criticizes Rutgers?

[/quote]

It's not over the top hostility towards anyone who criticizes Rutgers, it's just towards dumb Seton Hall fans who throw around stupid insults about Rutgers which aren't true. They are a good (not great) FB program and they are a really good (not great) school. Seton Hall fans acting like they went to Princeton in how they talk down to Rutgers is a joke. I get it, they don't like them, but don't come on a sports discussion board and throw around ridiculous comments when they themselves are lucky to be in the Big East. Seriously, my Johnnies have done poorly over the last 15 years but Seton Hall has been worse. Way worse. Lots of balls to throw stones while in glass houses.

Oh and I do root for Rutgers FB every fall.

[stever20]

It is generally agreed that UConn is not going anywhere, which is fine - they want to push football to get into ACC/Big 10. However, it is clear that this move is severely hurting basketball. It is such a shame.

Not that it matters to the whole idea of conference realignment, but UConn women's basketball is probably going to suffer even worse in the end.

It sort of makes you wonder if aren't picked up quickly by one of the P5 how far will they let their basketball teams fall before they give up the experiment and admit defeat? Basketball, not football, butters the bread and pays the bills in Connecticut.

It's not teams, it's team. Their women would be no better in the big east than in the AAC. Our women's bb right now isn't good at all- we may even be a 1 bid conference.

I don't think they move at all until the AAC is raided and they aren't one of the teams.

[BEwannabe]

Rutgers will be a fine addition to the B1G. They led Indiana for most of the game yesterday. In football, just an easy to comprehend example, Schiano might have never left if they were in B1G, it's all about finding the right person because there is no question they're in a great, great league and for those college football fans in the region having the likes of Ohio St or Michigan coming to the region has to be exciting. Next year, Ohio State, Sparty, and Nebraska travel to NJ and the following year Michigan and Penn State. I know it's a pro fan base area but these teams will generate a ton of interest. Ohio State will fill the stadium so Redman you better get your tickets early.

[Hall2012]

It's not over the top hostility towards anyone who criticizes Rutgers, it's just towards dumb Seton Hall fans who throw around stupid insults about Rutgers which aren't true. They are a good (not great) FB program and they are a really good (not great) school. Seton Hall fans acting like they went to Princeton in how they talk down to Rutgers is a joke. I get it, they don't like them, but don't come on a sports discussion board and throw around ridiculous comments when they themselves are lucky to be in the Big East. Seriously, my Johnnies have done poorly over the last 15 years but Seton Hall has been worse. Way worse. Lots of balls to throw stones while in glass houses.

Oh and I do root for Rutgers FB every fall.

I apologize in advance for responding to this. I'll keep it brief because far too many threads have been hijacked by SJU v SHU debates and I don't want to do that again, by I just can't ignore such a ridiculous statement.

Talk about throwing stones while in glass houses. What can you possibly use to back up the argument that Seton Hall has been "way worse" than St. John's over the past 15 years? If you actually take the time to look at what both teams have accomplished (however little) over that timeframe, you'll find it to be very even.

[GreatDaneAttorney]

UConn drops a tight one to Houston today. Though UConn was a longshot already, they now almost certainly must win the conference tourney to get a bid to the NCAAs.

I know it's not fair to look at a single season, but if we project out a few down years for UConn, the AAC could kill that basketball program. The names are just not there to draw significant interest. Wichita St, VCU, and UMass might be solid additions for the AAC, and if they don't make those additions, I think UConn will want to shop for other options, including the Big East.

[GumbyDamnit!]

I think Cincy will struggle in the AAC. I think Pitt will struggle in the ACC. UCONN (and Syr) are national programs. They might have down yrs here and there but will do fine. Their recruiting hasn't suffered. They'll be fine IMO.