UCONN POLL

[hoyahooligan]

Can't believe people are voting yes to this. UConn is treating the Big East like a stepping stone to bigger things. You guys are ok with this? This conference should be a destination spot for schools, players, and coaches.

Can't believe anyone is voting no on this!

It's a no brainer.

Does adding Uconn help the conference? Yes absolutely.
Would them coming and then leaving again hurt the conference? No not at all.
Do we need Uconn? No not at all, but that's not the question.

I think people who don't want them added are either still mad about the break up or are jealous of Uconn.

I could care less about the whole like minded institutions crap. This is purely a competitive and financial decision and adding Uconn helps with both.

[ArmyVet]

I could care less about the whole like minded institutions crap. This is purely a competitive and financial decision and adding Uconn helps with both.

I get your point but what you must remember is that the people with power who are making this decision most definitely care about the "like minded institutions crap".

[_lh]

I could care less about the whole like minded institutions crap. This is purely a competitive and financial decision and adding Uconn helps with both.

I get your point but what you must remember is that the people with power who are making this decision most definitely care about the "like minded institutions crap".

And while that maybe true, his point is still sound. Why would anyone on this site vote no. There is no downside if done correctly. Add just UCONN, still exit fee if and when they leave, etc.

[ivet]

Can't believe anyone is voting no on this!

It's a no brainer.

Does adding Uconn help the conference? Yes absolutely.
Would them coming and then leaving again hurt the conference? No not at all.
Do we need Uconn? No not at all, but that's not the question.

I think people who don't want them added are either still mad about the break up or are jealous of Uconn.

I could care less about the whole like minded institutions crap. This is purely a competitive and financial decision and adding Uconn helps with both.

So you're OK with the Big East being a stepping stone for these institution? While we're at it, lets add other schools that would benefit the conference in the short term until they get their footing.

Wichita State

Does adding WSU help the conference? Yes absolutely.
Would them coming and then leaving again hurt the conference? No not at all.
Do we need Wichita State? No not at all, but that's not the question.

VCU
Does adding VCU help the conference? Yes absolutely.
Would them coming and then leaving again hurt the conference? No not at all.
Do we need Wichita State? No not at all, but that's not the question.

Cincinnati
Does adding UC help the conference? Yes absolutely.
Would them coming and then leaving again hurt the conference? No not at all.
Do we need Wichita State? No not at all, but that's not the question.

I'd rather pick up Dayton than UConn. At least they want to be here and be committed to the success of the conference instead of their own well being. If we want to be treated like a power conference than we need to act like a power conference

UConn needs a Come to Jesus Moment. They think they have enough clout to dictate where they want to go. If that was the case they would be in either the ACC or B12 already.

[DudeAnon]

I could care less about the whole like minded institutions crap. This is purely a competitive and financial decision and adding Uconn helps with both.

I get your point but what you must remember is that the people with power who are making this decision most definitely care about the "like minded institutions crap".

And while that maybe true, his point is still sound. Why would anyone on this site vote no. There is no downside if done correctly. Add just UCONN, still exit fee if and when they leave, etc.

There are a few reasons to not add UCONN:

1) They aren't private. Make of this what you will, but it may be an issue for the presidents.
2) They will leave at any P5 invite. Although we could impose exit fees to cover for this situation, there is an undeniable brand hit when UCONN leaves. Even worse if they were to dominate in their time here.
3) Don't fix what ain't broken? The NBE has been successful on all fronts thus far with the only real blemish being ratings, though it is a gray area on whose fault that is (FS1 or NBE.)
4) Burned bridges. At the end of the day these are people we are dealing with, who may not have a fond memory of the old relationship.

I would still add them, but its not a 100% clear choice (as seen by the poll results)

[_lh]

Can't believe anyone is voting no on this!

It's a no brainer.

Does adding Uconn help the conference? Yes absolutely.
Would them coming and then leaving again hurt the conference? No not at all.
Do we need Uconn? No not at all, but that's not the question.

I think people who don't want them added are either still mad about the break up or are jealous of Uconn.

I could care less about the whole like minded institutions crap. This is purely a competitive and financial decision and adding Uconn helps with both.

So you're OK with the Big East being a stepping stone for these institution? While we're at it, lets add other schools that would benefit the conference in the short term until they get their footing.

Wichita State

Does adding WSU help the conference? Yes absolutely.
Would them coming and then leaving again hurt the conference? No not at all.
Do we need Wichita State? No not at all, but that's not the question.

VCU
Does adding VCU help the conference? Yes absolutely.
Would them coming and then leaving again hurt the conference? No not at all.
Do we need Wichita State? No not at all, but that's not the question.

Cincinnati
Does adding UC help the conference? Yes absolutely.
Would them coming and then leaving again hurt the conference? No not at all.
Do we need Wichita State? No not at all, but that's not the question.

I'd rather pick up Dayton than UConn. At least they want to be here and be committed to the success of the conference instead of their own well being. If we want to be treated like a power conference than we need to act like a power conference

UConn needs a Come to Jesus Moment. They think they have enough clout to dictate where they want to go. If that was the case they would be in either the ACC or B12 already.

Comparing WSU, UC and VCU to UCONN for a BE addition is just silly and I will leave it at that.

[_lh]

There are a few reasons to not add UCONN:

1) They aren't private. Make of this what you will, but it may be an issue for the presidents.
2) They will leave at any P5 invite. Although we could impose exit fees to cover for this situation, there is an undeniable brand hit when UCONN leaves. Even worse if they were to dominate in their time here.
3) Don't fix what ain't broken? The NBE has been successful on all fronts thus far with the only real blemish being ratings, though it is a gray area on whose fault that is (FS1 or NBE.)
4) Burned bridges. At the end of the day these are people we are dealing with, who may not have a fond memory of the old relationship.

I would still add them, but its not a 100% clear choice (as seen by the poll results)

1.) So. I don't care about this. The positives out weigh the negatives. Even if it is a major issue for the presidents, they are not voting in this poll.
2.) So. I fully expect them to leave for the ACC or B10 but both are remote chances and with a stiff exit fee, the BE says thanks for the memories and large check. I don't see any brand hit if UCONN leaves for football.
3.) I love 10 teams. I only add the following programs if they become available (UCONN, Notre Dame and Kansas). It is a no brainer in my opinion to add any of these three.
4.) I can understand that but get over it.

[Bluejay]

The conference brand certainly does take a hit if a school comes and goes. It makes the conference look unstable to the outside world. Right now the Big East's biggest strength is the stability. Stability sends a message of strength and garners respect. Right now we do not have a single member looking to leave and there are several schools that would love the chance to join.

Maryland's departure from the ACC made the entire ACC look weak. It also caused several other schools to start looking for exit plans, cash grabs or dream about better opportunities. Departures create the perception of instability to the general public and among the fanbases of the schools in the conference. When everyone starts thinking that anyone else could be leaving, schools start looking for options for themselves instead of thinking about the conference as a whole. That attitude is exactly what killed the earlier version of the Big East. We do not need that scent of desperation.

As a Creighton fan, I have no ax to grind when it comes to UConn. I am not bitter over past dealings and am not jealous. It is true that I think they are naive when it comes to realignment (teams in the northeast do not, IMO, completely understand the obsession that schools in the south and midwest have with football and the corresponding financial investment related thereto), but that does not color my perception of adding them. Essentially the idea of putting large exit fees and entrance fees in place sounds nice, but I don't think the bribe is worth it regardless of the fees generated.

[GumbyDamnit!]

If we are just talking purely from a basketball conference standpoint then the answer is obviously yes. I miss UCONN, much in the same way I miss L'ville, ND and Syracuse (I don't miss Pitt or Rutgers even a little). Yes, their fans are tools but that makes beating them that much better. They are sort of like Dallas Cowboy fans. They've had some success so they think they are God's personal gift to the sport. When you shut them up on the court it's all the more sweet.

I am not meaning to disparage current or new conference members when saying that I miss them. I experienced some ridiculously fun games over the years vs the Huskies as a Nova fan. UConn has also won 4 NC's, or as much as the rest of us combined. Their fans travel well to NYC for the BET, and they continue to recruit well. If they were able to leave the AAC it would be a huge boost to their BB program, and I would expect them to be a perennial Top 25 program. With them, and the return to greatness of programs like SJU, Marq and G'town, this conference would be a serious load.

With all that being said, if they don't give up their FCS FB dreams than I am not interested.

[hoyahooligan]

This whole stability thing is BS if the ACC called Villanova or Georgetown or anyone else all sports membership we would leave in a heart beat.

No teams aren't actively looking to leave but if offered the current BE could easily be fractured.

All the talk from the conference about being like minded institutions is just that, talk. It's just marketing. No one actually cares about it.

No one is sitting around and saying oh man the BE is so stable we really admire them. No one is going to think less of us if we add and then lose members. As long as we don't have football pretty much no one is going to think about us period. They'll say the BE is a good basketball conference but they'll never think about us like they do the P5 conferences. And that's fine to an extent. Could be an issue long term in terms of viewership but if we keep winning we'll be fine.