OT: Scrambled Conferences Keeping Teams Up in the Air

[Whitey23]

NYTimes

When it competed in the Big East Conference, the Connecticut volleyball team was bused to many of its conference road games. This season, its first in the new American Athletic Conference, the Huskies had four two-game conference trips in an eight-week span. Two of them were to Florida (for matches against Central Florida and South Florida) and to Texas (for matches against Houston and Southern Methodist, which required a five-hour bus trip in between matches).

“Travel was tough,” said Connecticut Coach Holly Strauss-O’Brien, whose team finished 14-19 over all and 5-13 in the conference. “Rough and tough."

--

Perhaps no college team faced a more formidable schedule this fall than the West Virginia volleyball team. The only Big 12 Conference team east of the Mississippi River and 90 minutes from the closest major airport, W.V.U. had multigame trips to Texas (twice) and Kansas, and single conference matches at Iowa State and Oklahoma.

No wonder Coach Jill Kramer referred to Gate A89 at Pittsburgh International Airport as her team’s “home away from home.”

“At the same time,” she said, “I wouldn’t change our conference affiliation for anything. We needed a change in affiliation to take our program to the next level.”

The Mountaineers finished 0-16 in their first season in the conference last year, but this year they went 5-11 in the Big 12 and 20-13 over all.

 

[All4SU]

“At the same time,” she said, “I wouldn’t change our conference affiliation for anything. We needed a change in affiliation to take our program to the next level.”

Sure you wouldn't.

 

[Alsacs]

UConn will have to either fundraise like crazy or they will probably in the future copy Temple and cut several varsity sports. Temple realizes with AAC money they can't afford all these sports teams and had to cut 7 varsity sports including baseball and softball. Their TV money is going to eat up all the money they are paying their football coach and men's/women's basketball programs. Thus, they will be relying on attendance/fundraising to foot the rest of the bills. Flying all across the country in these AAC sports will run them a deficit quickly unless they can raise that money. That is why their clock is 4 years due to the current Big East exit fee money keeping them afloat or their AD office will be in big trouble. That isn't even counting how much money they will be paying their athletic director and his assistants.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

UConn will have to either fundraise like crazy or they will probably in the future copy Temple and cut several varsity sports. Temple realizes with AAC money they can't afford all these sports teams and had to cut 7 varsity sports including baseball and softball. Their TV money is going to eat up all the money they are paying their football coach and men's/women's basketball programs. Thus, they will be relying on attendance/fundraising to foot the rest of the bills. Flying all across the country in these AAC sports will run them a deficit quickly unless they can raise that money. That is why their clock is 4 years due to the current Big East exit fee money keeping them afloat or their AD office will be in big trouble. That isn't even counting how much money they will be paying their athletic director and his assistants.

Speaking of our furry friends, I found this jewel in the Grantland Dictionary: College Football Internet Edition:

Connecticut Huskies (n.) — 404 ERROR. FILE NOT FOUND.

Unrelated to UConn, but amusing and apropos to us was this entry:

Multiple (adj.) — a vague descriptor used, especially in the off season, to discuss an offense without actually identifying any of its components.

 

[FAL]

UConn will have to either fundraise like crazy or they will probably in the future copy Temple and cut several varsity sports. Temple realizes with AAC money they can't afford all these sports teams and had to cut 7 varsity sports including baseball and softball. Their TV money is going to eat up all the money they are paying their football coach and men's/women's basketball programs. Thus, they will be relying on attendance/fundraising to foot the rest of the bills. Flying all across the country in these AAC sports will run them a deficit quickly unless they can raise that money. That is why their clock is 4 years due to the current Big East exit fee money keeping them afloat or their AD office will be in big trouble. That isn't even counting how much money they will be paying their athletic director and his assistants.

Yeah, good luck with that:

"Despite the football team experiencing a steady rise in attendance during the past five seasons, when compared to other schools in the conference, the Owls remain at the bottom of the pack. Four weeks into the season and through two home games, Temple has the second lowest attendance in the American Athletic Conference with an average of 23,688. The only university with less average spectators so far is Southern Methodist, which has an enrollment nearly four times smaller than Temple." ...from Temple News , Sept 23, 2013.

 

[Alsacs]

Yeah, good luck with that:

"Despite the football team experiencing a steady rise in attendance during the past five seasons, when compared to other schools in the conference, the Owls remain at the bottom of the pack. Four weeks into the season and through two home games, Temple has the second lowest attendance in the American Athletic Conference with an average of 23,688. The only university with less average spectators so far is Southern Methodist, which has an enrollment nearly four times smaller than Temple." ...from Temple News , Sept 23, 2013.

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That is why Temple cut 7 sports. UConn is paying its 3 coaches 3.5 million dollars, and will be bringing in 3 million from the AAC TV contract. UConn will be counting on attendance/fundraising to prevent them from cutting varsity sports like Temple has done. UConn has Big East exit fee money for the next 4 years that Temple doesn't have that is why their clock is short to either pray the ACC or B1G expands again or starting cutting athletic teams.

 

[Orangello]

Sure you wouldn't.

Indeed I just love airport and airline food and there's nothing better than driving 1.5 hours to an airport for a 3 hour flight. What more could you possibly ask for ?

 

[OrangeCrush22]

UConn will have to either fundraise like crazy or they will probably in the future copy Temple and cut several varsity sports. Temple realizes with AAC money they can't afford all these sports teams and had to cut 7 varsity sports including baseball and softball. Their TV money is going to eat up all the money they are paying their football coach and men's/women's basketball programs. Thus, they will be relying on attendance/fundraising to foot the rest of the bills. Flying all across the country in these AAC sports will run them a deficit quickly unless they can raise that money. That is why their clock is 4 years due to the current Big East exit fee money keeping them afloat or their AD office will be in big trouble. That isn't even counting how much money they will be paying their athletic director and his assistants.

I don't think this is true. Temple managed to field a whopping 24 programs with A10 and MAC money. They're mainly doing this to save money so they can build an on-campus football stadium. Many, many, schools play baseball and softball. It's hard for any school to rise above the rest, especially one located in the northeast. The other sports they cut will never generate revenue at any school. It's a win-win situation for the university.

 

[FAL]

I don't think this is true. Temple managed to field a whopping 24 programs with A10 and MAC money. They're mainly doing this to save money so they can build an on-campus football stadium. Many, many, schools play baseball and softball. It's hard for any school to rise above the rest, especially one located in the northeast. The other sports they cut will never generate revenue at any school. It's a win-win situation for the university.

Hard to believe, even though I checked some articles referring to it. Do you know where Temple's campus is located???? It is in a large urban area. It is like saying NYU wants to build a stadium in the middle of Greenwich Village --except the neighborhood in Philly is not quite so genteel. One of the articles said one of the considerations was to share the stadium with the University of Pennsylvania--Temple is in North Philly, Penn is in West Philly. One is Ivy League, the other is ...well, uh, kinda like the State U. of Joisey, if you know what I mean.. That just ain't gonna happen.

They may be trying to save money, but not for a stadium. That's a pipe dream... Or total BS (more likely).

 

[OrangePA]

Hard to believe, even though I checked some articles referring to it. Do you know where Temple's campus is located???? It is in a large urban area. It is like saying NYU wants to build a stadium in the middle of Greenwich Village --except the neighborhood in Philly is not quite so genteel. One of the articles said one of the considerations was to share the stadium with the University of Pennsylvania--Temple is in North Philly, Penn is in West Philly. One is Ivy League, the other is ...well, uh, kinda like the State U. of Joisey, if you know what I mean.. That just ain't gonna happen.

They may be trying to save money, but not for a stadium. That's a pipe dream... Or total BS (more likely).

I agree.

I don't think a stadium will be built.

The fact is that 24 sports nowadays is a large number that cannot be maintained economically.

The decision is not AAC based.

 

[Full_Rebar]

I'm going to sound like Patrick Hruby here, but schools should look at the money paid to administrators in Athletics if they want to cut. Tell me why an AD gets paid more than a President/Chancellor, or why Ath Dept's are becoming so top-heavy. Taking opportunities from students is the easy way out.

Also, the fact that the NCAA hasn't done anything to limit the travel for non-revenue sports is a complete joke. Another example of them pretending to care about student-athletes, without actually doing anything to help them.