ACC looking to add UConn as 16th member

[Alsacs]

I heard the same about UCONN BB. Over and over and over and over again.

I don't think this is Ollie's last FF.

The best FB team is the NE has been the one with the best coach or the one with a great QB. If Diaco can coach, he can win at UCONN. Just like Ollie.

Basketball is completely different as I said. You only have 13 scholarship players. Plus, any team can get a McDermott and go on a run. Basketball is NOT the same as Football. You need a complete team to be a contender for a football NC you only need 3-4 good players and 1 special player to win a basketball NC.

UConn basketball can easily be a NC contender even without being in an elite league. Wichita State got a 1 seed this season that is all you need to know. I don't think UConn will be a contender every season like they could have been if the old Big East was still around, but the AAC will be a multiple bid decent league for basketball because you only have 13 scholarships and UConn's program will be able to recruit enough in the Northeast to remain afloat.

Football good luck as the other teams in the region will have access to better leagues and that will resonate with recruits. UConn football is a 2 star program maybe 3 star program if I want to be kind. UConn basketball is 5 star total different game.

 

[cuseguy]

I would trade UConn for BC in a heartbeat.

That's what BC was afraid of.

 

[sdhusky]

Basketball is completely different as I said. You only have 13 scholarship players. Plus, any team can get a McDermott and go on a run. Basketball is NOT the same as Football. You need a complete team to be a contender for a football NC you only need 3-4 good players and 1 special player to win a basketball NC.

UConn basketball can easily be a NC contender even without being in an elite league. Wichita State got a 1 seed this season that is all you need to know. I don't think UConn will be a contender every season like they could have been if the old Big East was still around, but the AAC will be a multiple bid decent league for basketball because you only have 13 scholarships and UConn's program will be able to recruit enough in the Northeast to remain afloat.

Football good luck as the other teams in the region will have access to better leagues and that will resonate with recruits. UConn football is a 2 star program maybe 3 star program if I want to be kind. UConn basketball is 5 star total different game.

I don't know about that. UCONN has put a ton of 2 stars into the NFL.

We have more current NFL players than Michigan St or Purdue. Or Pitt. or Syracuse. Or BCU. Or Boise. Or Baylor. Or Wake or Washington or WVU or Central FL. I can go on...

We didn't beat any P5 programs for most of those players.

 

[Alsacs]

S

I don't know about that. UCONN has put a ton of 2 stars into the NFL.

We have more current NFL players than Michigan St or Purdue. Or Pitt. or Syracuse. Or BCU. Or Boise. Or Baylor. Or Wake or Washington or WVU or Central FL. I can go on...

We didn't beat any P5 programs for most of those players.

Syracuse has had 1st round draft picks the last 2 years, and our talent is ticking upwards. UConn got several of those NFL players by recruiting them to play in a BCS league which you are no longer affiliated in. Listen, I don't want to get into a pissing match I get your a UConn fan and your basketball is fine, but UConn football is NOT and if you guys invested in D-1 football a lot earlier and more history I think you have a better chance for survival than you do now. UConn isn't even the biggest football dog in its new conference South Florida(w. Taggart), Central Florida, Cincinnati all have brighter football futures than UConn, and football drives the bus.

I can't believe the B1G chose Rutgers over UConn, but it did and that ship has sailed. If the B1G wanted UConn name the 16th team? Their isn't one if Kansas became available that would mean Oklahoma and Texas would be available as well. Maryland left the ACC because of the NC State AD bankrupting the UMD AD and no other ACC school is interested. Notre Dame isn't joining the ACC fulltime until 2033 at the earliest thus UConn football is in trouble. Basketball won't be in as much trouble, but football is.

 

[Scooch]

Just to state a fact... UConn is actually a "national" hoops program. They are consistently ranked in the top 10 when 'favorite college basketball team' is surveyed. Last year they were 10th (Syracuse was 5th; Duke, UNC, Kentucky, Ohio State were 1-4).

But that, of course, had no bearing on conference realignment. In a lot of ways UConn was a victim of self-inflicted wounds and lousy timing. The football-centric ACC schools were not thrilled about SU and Pitt being added to the ACC, since they've long felt the league favored hoops (they, of course, were right). So when Maryland bolted there was pressure to add a school that would bring football credibility. There really weren't a lot of great options, and Louisville was in the midst of a nice resurgence under Charlie Strong. Still, they had endured several mediocre seasons after Bobby Petrino left, so it's not like they were (or are) a perennial football power. But they sure as hell looked infinitely more attractive than UConn football, who made a predictably terrible hire in Pasqualoni and saw their already fragile program decline.

Who knows, if they had made a dynamic hire and were riding a couple of 9/10 win seasons and attractive bowl wins maybe the ACC goes their way. They certainly have a much better academic profile, and a better market to boot. But there was no way to sell that football program to the FSU's and Clemson's of the ACC.

 

[sdhusky]

Just to state a fact... UConn is actually a "national" hoops program. They are consistently ranked in the top 10 when 'favorite college basketball team' is surveyed. Last year they were 10th (Syracuse was 5th; Duke, UNC, Kentucky, Ohio State were 1-4).

But that, of course, had no bearing on conference realignment. In a lot of ways UConn was a victim of self-inflicted wounds and lousy timing. The football-centric ACC schools were not thrilled about SU and Pitt being added to the ACC, since they've long felt the league favored hoops (they, of course, were right). So when Maryland bolted there was pressure to add a school that would bring football credibility. There really weren't a lot of great options, and Louisville was in the midst of a nice resurgence under Charlie Strong. Still, they had endured several mediocre seasons after Bobby Petrino left, so it's not like they were (or are) a perennial football power. But they sure as hell looked infinitely more attractive than UConn football, who made a predictably terrible hire in Pasqualoni and saw their already fragile program decline.

Who knows, if they had made a dynamic hire and were riding a couple of 9/10 win seasons and attractive bowl wins maybe the ACC goes their way. They certainly have a much better academic profile, and a better market to boot. But there was no way to sell that football program to the FSU's and Clemson's of the ACC.

Very accurate assessment in my opinion.

I would also add that UCONN was very passive in this whole process. Thankfully, that's changed. There is no doubt that from the president on down, UCONN is trying to do everything it can to get in the AAU and B1G.

I think AAU is a matter of when, not if.

The B1G is more of a hope/dream at this point

 

[rrlbees]

Very accurate assessment in my opinion. I would also add that UCONN was very passive in this whole process. Thankfully, that's changed. There is no doubt that from the president on down, UCONN is trying to do everything it can to get in the AAU and B1G. I think AAU is a matter of when, not if. The B1G is more of a hope/dream at this point

LOL. Very accurate assessment? You've been in denial in all your other posts. Having a good basketball team means little to realignment or being a national brand with a national following...not just a singular sport.

 

[Trueblue25]

If sports were about success and competition, Syracuse, Uconn etc. would still be playing every year.

Unfortunately sports is about money.

So we play Notre dame.

 

[NashvilleOrange]

I believe that outside of message board hate, most Syracuse fans want UConn in the ACC. It just makes sense. What I really don't get is why UConn fans want the B1G more than the ACC. It doesn't add up for their program. ACC is a good mixture of big budget football and smaller colleges who have a chance to compete.

 

[NKR1978]

I believe that outside of message board hate, most Syracuse fans want UConn in the ACC. It just makes sense. What I really don't get is why UConn fans want the B1G more than the ACC. It doesn't add up for their program. ACC is a good mixture of big budget football and smaller colleges who have a chance to compete.

Because they ACC and ESPN have conspired to destroy UConn. Many of them think it's an actual conspiracy to destroy their athletics because they got too good too fast and everyone is afraid of them.

 

[cuseguy]

Why? At the time if the first ACC raid, Yukon was playing 1-AA football. Some would claim that they still are.

I just wish SU had beaten that I-A team more often when it used to play them.

 

[Cuseman78]

I heard the same about UCONN BB. Over and over and over and over again.

I don't think this is Ollie's last FF.

You still have Big East quality players from your old neighborhood. Of course you would still be able to compete this year. Come back in 5 years after years of playing the Tulanes and Tulsas of the world and lets see if Uconn can keep the same stature. Recruiting is going to suffer, there's not really any way around that long term unless you get selected into a major conference.

There will be a lag, but if you don't move into a better neighborhood, Uconn basketball will falter long-term. I guess you could be the Gonzaga of the East coast, but there really aren't that many examples of good programs in bad conferences. Uconn will be a tough sell going forward considering their surroundings.

 

[Guinness]

Because they ACC and ESPN have conspired to destroy UConn. Many of them think it's an actual conspiracy to destroy their athletics because they got too good too fast and everyone is afraid of them.

Do you honestly blame them? If it had us that had been left out and we found out that a company NY state gave millions in tax breaks too told the ACC to take two teams not named Syracuse you don't think we would be flipping our stuff?

 

[cuseguy]

You still have Big East quality players from your old neighborhood. Of course you would still be able to compete this year. Come back in 5 years after years of playing the Tulanes and Tulsas of the world and lets see if Uconn can keep the same stature. Recruiting is going to suffer, there's not really any way around that long term unless you get selected into a major conference. There will be a lag, but if you don't move into a better neighborhood, Uconn basketball will falter long-term. I guess you could be the Gonzaga of the East coast, but there really aren't that many examples of good programs in bad conferences. Uconn will be a tough sell going forward considering their surroundings.

I think UConn may be the exception to the rule. They're building an impressive basketball facility. They're in a good area for recruiting. They have a great history. We'll see.

 

[texasorange]

It is amazing how and April fools joke post has led to a four-page discussion on Yukon. That being said I don't really want them in the ACC. I don't believe they will ever get to the Big Ten. But we will see, who the hell knows what will happen...

 

[cuseguy]

It is amazing how and April fools joke post has led to a four-page discussion on Yukon. That being said I don't really want them in the ACC. I don't believe they will ever get to the Big Ten. But we will see, who the hell knows what will happen...

Because we don't have any great rivals in the ACC.

And I'm not sure giving it time will matter.

 

[Moontan]

Yukon's best chance may come when the current GoRs approach expiration. If the ACC, B1G and SEC were to go to 18 by grabbing some Bevo schools and going with a 2x9 alignment then there may be a spot for Storrs Agricultural School.

 

[Tigertrain]

I think the ACC nearly made a fatal mistake by not adding West Virginia before they went to The B12. The ACC could have hastened the B12's death had they added WVirginia and we would be closer to a 4 conference playoff solution.

Nothing against UCONN, they have a good program. However I think most Clemson fans want a school that has a rabid football fan base and would make for an easy, fun road trip. I don't see an available school that fits that description at this time.

 

[Scooch]

I think the ACC nearly made a fatal mistake by not adding West Virginia before they went to The B12. The ACC could have hastened the B12's death had they added WVirginia and we would be closer to a 4 conference playoff solution. Nothing against UCONN, they have a good program. However I think most Clemson fans want a school that has a rabid football fan base and would make for an easy, fun road trip. I don't see an available school that fits that description at this time.

The Big 12 should have taken Louisville. Why they didn't is a mystery, it made more sense than
WVU in every conceivable way.

 

[BlackKnight76]

UConn would be a fine 16th member, but no chance that the ACC closes the door on Notre Dame football. The league is fine at 14 for now. Also, that Blumenthal lawsuit was so magnificently shortsighted its amazing. Totally screwed UConn in these last few waves of expansion, especially if that story about UConn getting blocked by BC in favor of Pitt is true.

 

[orange79]

UConn would be a fine 16th member, but no chance that the ACC closes the door on Notre Dame football. The league is fine at 14 for now. Also, that Blumenthal lawsuit was so magnificently shortsighted its amazing. Totally screwed UConn in these last few waves of expansion, especially if that story about UConn getting blocked by BC in favor of Pitt is true.

While I agree that the lawsuit did UConn no favors (along with their non-existent football history), I was always dubious of the 'BC blackballed UConn' story. I just don't think BC had/has that sort of power.

 

[Scooch]

While I agree that the lawsuit did UConn no favors (along with their non-existent football history), I was always dubious of the 'BC blackballed UConn' story. I just don't think BC had/has that sort of power.

They don't, the story is BS.

Does anyone think for one second that if UNC, Duke, FSU, etc. wanted UConn that B-freakin-C could "block" them?! It's ludicrous on its face.

Pitt is in western PA. Good football recruiting ground. Good hoops, competent football, good school. And they were being pursued by the B12. That's all there was to it.

 

[Guinness]

Pitt is in western PA. Good football recruiting ground. Good hoops, competent football, good school. And they were being pursued by the B12. That's all there was to it.

Recruiting grounds is a major reason FSU and Clemson fans list about not wanting UConn and why the next invite could go to Cincinnati instead of them.

 

[Moontan]

They don't, the story is BS.

While BCU couldn't block a Storrs invite, I fully expected them to suggest Pitt as an alternative if Storrs was the initial target. Similarly if Pitt and Yukon were seen as equal, I would've expected BCU to promote Pitt's football(-related) benefits as a means to thwart (or delay) a Storrs invitation.

 

[Moontan]

The Big 12 should have taken Louisville. Why they didn't is a mystery, it made more sense than WVU in every conceivable way.

Those bloody politicians...

It also could've made sense for Bevo to rush WVU, as they did, and announce the additions Louisville & Cincy as part of a normal exodus from the BE. The latter would've occurred at the same time as the SU & Pitt departures.

In the latter scenario, the BE would've been down to Yukon, USF, Rutgers and Temple. Following the Rutgers departure it would've made sense for USF to head to C-USA; Temple back to the MAC; and Yukon to stick with the BE, placing their football program in the MAC, C-USA or Sun Belt. Bevo would've finished the ACC's task of killing off BE football.