UConn approaching a fork in the road

[chopper]

I admittedly just skimmed it and read other articles that said it is likely to be passed. Not sure why any other Football 5 conferences would say no. It would remove the likelihood at least on the short term that the B12 would poach from either the ACC or SEC.

[Hoyas]

I admittedly just skimmed it and read other articles that said it is likely to be passed. Not sure why any other Football 5 conferences would say no. It would remove the likelihood at least on the short term that the B12 would poach from either the ACC or SEC.

B12 is never poaching from the SEC, and the ACC has a grant of rights. So that's not happening.

[BEwannabe]

even if it passes, you're going to have a regular season and conf championship champ in a 10 team conference in football? That's just crazy. Just for giggles let's go back in time and look at the Big 10 when it was the Big 2 and little 8. Michigan and Ohio St play the last week of the season and then have a rematch 2 weeks later? And how many years would that have happened? You really need 2 divisions to pull the Conference Championship or the Championship will have no fan appeal and who gets bragging rights and BCS points the team that wins last? What if Ohio St wins by 21 at home and loses by a FG in the Championship. The league that chooses this route will set their affiliates up for misery and make the committees life miserable. I'm guessing the scenario above would send the cmt looking to the SEC, Big12 or PAC for a better candidate for the playoffs.

[jfan]

My bad. Thought it was further along.

[DudeAnon]

The next shakeup is in the next 5 years right? They can probably hold out that long. Don't know how much more than that though.

[Bill Marsh]

even if it passes, you're going to have a regular season and conf championship champ in a 10 team conference in football? That's just crazy. Just for giggles let's go back in time and look at the Big 10 when it was the Big 2 and little 8. Michigan and Ohio St play the last week of the season and then have a rematch 2 weeks later? And how many years would that have happened? You really need 2 divisions to pull the Conference Championship or the Championship will have no fan appeal and who gets bragging rights and BCS points the team that wins last? What if Ohio St wins by 21 at home and loses by a FG in the Championship. The league that chooses this route will set their affiliates up for misery and make the committees life miserable. I'm guessing the scenario above would send the cmt looking to the SEC, Big12 or PAC for a better candidate for the playoffs.

Do you really think they've thought it through that thoroughly?

[GumbyDamnit!]

As a Connecticut resident and a sometimes UConn season ticket holder, I have been the first to say that UConn will stay the course with football and the AAC to maintain its viability as a candidate for a P5 conference.

As the result of a recent op-ed in cut viewpoints.org, I am beginning to have my doubts.

1. Financial concerns: in a recent year cited in the article, UConn subsidized it's athletic programs to the tune of $15 million, or 25% of a budget which already includes $6 million of university contributions.

4. Concerns about the welfare of football players as the result of numerous reports on concussions and other brain injury in the sport.

As I said at the beginning, I have been dismissive of claims that UConn may become available to the Big East. I am reversing my position. /

Interesting post BillM. I know that you have been somewhat steadfast in your opinions that UCONN was off the table for BE membership for any foreseeable future. I find points #'s 1 & #4 most interesting.

Let's start with # 4 first. With the recent NFL settlements on head injuries I think it is a matter of time before the NCAA and individual institutions are faced with similar litigation. If we know anything about our legal system is that when trial lawyers smell blood in the water they attack and they normally target those organizations with lots of cash (to either settle or bleed). Where is all the cash in college sports these days? And it IS a serious issue with major college football any way. It is why mothers don't want their kids playing FB, and why short term diagnoses and long-term care for head injuries are becoming so important. It's one thing to profit off the back of these young kids without compensating them--it's another to knowingly put them in positions to suffer long term brain injuries in your quest for the almighty NCAA FB $.

Concussion awareness training in the 2010's & 20"s will be akin to corporate diversity training in the late 1990's. Everyone needs to do it and everyone's eyes will be on it, in order to mitigate risk and stay away from the lawsuits. But what happens when the insurance coverage for these kids soar, and/or the post-playing career healthcare costs that the schools will eventually be burdened with for these kids, sky-rocket?

Now compound that with what is happening with state budgets these days. PA subsidizes Temple U. Temple U loses tens of millions of dollars each year to put a terrible product on the field. UCONN is worse than Temple right now. When do state legislators who aren't fans of college football (more likely in the NEast than South or Midwest IMO) step in and put pressure on their peers to end this madness? Answer: every year they are not invited to the big boy table, they are that much closer. If two things happen with both programs--both the AAC continues to be a poor FB conf & if they are raided for a program or two (eg - Cincy or Memphis) that is not them, then this folly of holding out for that brass ring draws greater scrutiny. I think their biggest problem is that they simply are not a very good FB school. I also think college FB is going to evolve into (4) 16 team super conferences. It just seems that the magic # is 16 and when Texas finally gets pried from the Big12, that conference falls apart and it's the end of major Div 1 FB dreams for anyone outside of those conferences. You might as well drop down to the FCS at that point.

This is the reason I am hoping that the BE just stands pat until the domoinos fall.

[BEwannabe]

even if it passes, you're going to have a regular season and conf championship champ in a 10 team conference in football? That's just crazy. Just for giggles let's go back in time and look at the Big 10 when it was the Big 2 and little 8. Michigan and Ohio St play the last week of the season and then have a rematch 2 weeks later? And how many years would that have happened? You really need 2 divisions to pull the Conference Championship or the Championship will have no fan appeal and who gets bragging rights and BCS points the team that wins last? What if Ohio St wins by 21 at home and loses by a FG in the Championship. The league that chooses this route will set their affiliates up for misery and make the committees life miserable. I'm guessing the scenario above would send the cmt looking to the SEC, Big12 or PAC for a better candidate for the playoffs.

Do you really think they've thought it through that thoroughly?

Truth be told, I'm sure not but the harder they try the more frustrated they'll become becasue it's impossible to predict unintended consequences. Our case study is not very large ( last years B1G Championship sling shots Big 12), the B1G didn't expand knowing this would pay this kind of dividend for Ohio State because no one could predict a beat down like that in a Championship game. The ACC expanded to destroy the Big East but they didn't realize they were destroying their brand in many of their fans hearts. My friends in Carolina don't get playing BC, Syracuse, Pitt and Louisville.

[NJRedman]

I admittedly just skimmed it and read other articles that said it is likely to be passed. Not sure why any other Football 5 conferences would say no. It would remove the likelihood at least on the short term that the B12 would poach from either the ACC or SEC.

Well they wouldn't want the Big XII to get to get it's two best teams to play each other and steal a possible playoff spot from one of the other FB 5 champs. Right now the other 4 have an advantage. The Pac-12 petitioned for a CCG without going to 12 and the Big XII (who was at 12 at the time) along with the other 3 FB 5 conferences shot the idea down. They might go for the ACC's idea of just taking the two best teams and making that the CCG instead of division winners, but I don't think these guys want to do the Big XII a solid and let them stay at 10 teams. The Pac-12 wants Texas and OU. Giving them what they want means neither will be looking to leave soon even after the GoR is up.

[Michael in Raleigh]

I admittedly just skimmed it and read other articles that said it is likely to be passed. Not sure why any other Football 5 conferences would say no. It would remove the likelihood at least on the short term that the B12 would poach from either the ACC or SEC.

Well they wouldn't want the Big XII to get to get it's two best teams to play each other and steal a possible playoff spot from one of the other FB 5 champs. Right now the other 4 have an advantage. The Pac-12 petitioned for a CCG without going to 12 and the Big XII (who was at 12 at the time) along with the other 3 FB 5 conferences shot the idea down. They might go for the ACC's idea of just taking the two best teams and making that the CCG instead of division winners, but I don't think these guys want to do the Big XII a solid and let them stay at 10 teams. The Pac-12 wants Texas and OU. Giving them what they want means neither will be looking to leave soon even after the GoR is up.

I don't necessarily agree that the other conferences will not allow the Big 12 to hold a CCG with ten teams, but you have a goodpoint about past voting on this issue. Remember back in 2003 when the ACC attempted to expand to 12 with MIA, BC, and SYR, but got just VT and MIA? That put them at 11 for the 2004-05 season. The ACC did petition to be able to have a CCG with 11 schools, but was denied. So, later in 2003, the ACC grabbed BC from under Tranghese's nose. I mention this because it does validate your point about how the Pac-12 attempted to get a CCG with just 10 teams.