UConn hoops back to Big East

[Capt. Tuttle]

Lets look at big picture outside of $$$$. SU and UConn football will never win a national title in any of our lifetimes. SU and UConn basketball going forward could, but imo not in their current conferences. But whatevs we will take $ over titles. Fun Fun

We are actually closer to a FB title than I ever thought possible. In any year in which we can beat FSU an Clemson (and that easily could have been this year), we have a chance to get into the playoff, and a playoff, rather than a vote, is the only way SU wins a championship.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Smartest decision their athletic program has made since hiring Jim Calhoun.

Won't be pleasant seeing their bball program rising back to national prominence and playing in the Big East tournament at MSG every year. Oh well.

This also explains why Hurley took the job.

I am not certain that anybody in that league, other than Grown, has the national draw anymore. Like us or hate us, GTown and SU built, and always were, the prime movers fo the BE. UCon, I don't think, moves the TV #s.

 

[Bayside44]

The Big East isn’t as good a conference right now as the Perception of Nova carrying it.

Georgetown is like Miami football. They haven’t done squat.
St. John’s/Seton Hall/Marquette/Providence are okay basketball schools but they aren’t national players
Butler/Creighton/Xavier were brought in but they aren’t moving the needle.

The Big East now is a good conference but the American has more teams on the upswing.
The only think the NBE has over the American is their bottom doesn’t suck.
The top 6-8 in the American probably have a brighter future than the top 6-8 in the Big East on aggregate but Villanova is the top program in either conference by a long distance.

I think you're just taking the contrarian point of view on this one.

Their fans, donors, etc didn't invest in the A. Northeast kids aren't drawn to it. They get their recruiting territory back with their crown jewel (MSG in March) to sell again. They'll start showing up at GTown, SJU, the Hall etc for games. The Hurley name means something in a lot of the gyms they have to recruit in. It's great for them and now someone JB and if he ever has a successor will have to deal with.

 

[Bayside44]

I am not certain that anybody in that league, other than Grown, has the national draw anymore. Like us or hate us, GTown and SU built, and always were, the prime movers fo the BE. UCon, I don't think, moves the TV #s.

Some whoever in Fairfield County will turn on their TV and stick with a GTown - UConn game before one with ECU.

 

[CousCuse]

Syracuse built and made the Big East. End of story.

 

[syrBossHogg]

Always felt this was inevitable for them

 

[All4SU]

Smart move by UCONN. They gave it a go in FB but making the leap to D-1, especially in the northeast where big time college football is an afterthought, was always gonna be an uphill battle.

UConn blew it big time. If they had joined up for BE football in 1990 when the conference first was getting its legs, they could have benefitted from the leap that conference took in the 90s. Yes, it would have meant that they would have had to pay their dues - just as their BBall program had to do in the early days of the BE basketball conference. But ultimately, by 2000, they would have been better off. Instead, they thumbed their noses at BE Football until the conference was established, then they felt like it success was owed to them. (And no other team in history has had the advantage of upgrading from 1AA directly into a BCS level conference.) By that time, conference expansion was on the table and the BE was vulnerable. The BE football conference never needed UConn, but if they had showed even a little vision they could have helped build football in the northeast.

They were part of the problem. I have no sympathy. I hope their football program dies an ugly death. And their football fans are , those that were on their board ten years ago.

Good riddance. Welcome back to 1aa. Have fun playing Holy Cross and Lehigh.

 

[CousCuse]

UConn blew it big time. If they had joined up for BE football in 1990 when the conference first was getting its legs, they could have benefitted from the leap that conference took in the 90s. Yes, it would have meant that they would have had to pay their dues - just as their BBall program had to do in the early days of the BE basketball conference. But ultimately, by 2000, they would have been better off. Instead, they thumbed their noses at BE Football until the conference was established, then they felt like it success was owed to them. (And no other team in history has had the advantage of upgrading from 1AA directly into a BCS level conference.) By that time, conference expansion was on the table and the BE was vulnerable. The BE football conference never needed UConn, but if they had showed even a little vision they could have helped build football in the northeast.

They were part of the problem. I have no sympathy. I hope their football program dies an ugly death. And their football fans are , those that were on their board ten years ago.

Good riddance. Welcome back to 1aa. Have fun playing Holy Cross and Lehigh.

Them and Villanova should have committed to upgrading their football programs from the beginning.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

More importantly...

Does UConn still have jalopeno mac and cheese?

 

[All4SU]

Them and Villanova should have committed to upgrading their football programs from the beginning.

Never felt that Nova belonged in big time football. The BE is exactly where they should be. Good for them for knowing that and remaining true to that mission. UConn on the other hand was an opportunist. They’re the guy who shows up late for the party, without bringing any beer, and proceeds to drink everyone else’s. Then they ditch out when it’s time to clean up. Then the next day they bitch about what a crappy party it was.

 

[orangefog]

UConn blew it big time. If they had joined up for BE football in 1990 when the conference first was getting its legs, they could have benefitted from the leap that conference took in the 90s. Yes, it would have meant that they would have had to pay their dues - just as their BBall program had to do in the early days of the BE basketball conference. But ultimately, by 2000, they would have been better off. Instead, they thumbed their noses at BE Football until the conference was established, then they felt like it success was owed to them. (And no other team in history has had the advantage of upgrading from 1AA directly into a BCS level conference.) By that time, conference expansion was on the table and the BE was vulnerable. The BE football conference never needed UConn, but if they had showed even a little vision they could have helped build football in the northeast.

They were part of the problem. I have no sympathy. I hope their football program dies an ugly death. And their football fans are , those that were on their board ten years ago.

Good riddance. Welcome back to 1aa. Have fun playing Holy Cross and Lehigh.

UConn is a leech program. They built their men’s basketball program off of the rest of the Big East and then acted entitled. As you said, they tried to do the same with football. They scoff at the idea of tradition and history, but those things matter in college athletics. At least to those that have tradition and history. Luckily for us, those are all the P5 schools.

 

[NKR1978]

Interesting reading the UConn football board. They’ve subjected themselves to being a permanent mid major. Personally I think they need to save the basketball program and the Big East will do that, but I guess it would be depressing knowing they’ll never be part of a major conference.

As much as I love college basketball, there’s nothing to me like college football. Those crisp fall Saturdays and turning on 3 hours of Gameday and checking the board and getting ready for games is special to me. I actually feel bad for their football fans.

There would be some irony if UMass joined the AAC and started to thrive a bit in football and basketball and passed UConn.

 

[longislandcuse]

As much as I love college basketball, there’s nothing to me like college football. Those crisp fall Saturdays and turning on 3 hours of Gameday and checking the board and getting ready for games is special to me. I actually feel bad for their football fans.

This x 1000

Now that we may actually have a strong football program on our hands again...

This x 10000000

 

[CousCuse]

If the AAC wants to really be vindictive, they will bring in UMASS and put some resources behind them. I have always thought (as many are aware of) that UMASS is the stronger candidate for P5 affiliation in New England.

 

[NKR1978]

This x 1000

Now that we may actually have a strong football program on our hands again...

This x 10000000

I enjoyed that even when we were terrible. It was depressing seeing schools with exciting teams playing meaningful games, but there’s nothing like college football. So glad we finally rejoined the party.

 

[Cuse9292]

The Big East isn’t as good a conference right now as the Perception of Nova carrying it.

Georgetown is like Miami football. They haven’t done squat.
St. John’s/Seton Hall/Marquette/Providence are okay basketball schools but they aren’t national players
Butler/Creighton/Xavier were brought in but they aren’t moving the needle.

The Big East now is a good conference but the American has more teams on the upswing.
The only think the NBE has over the American is their bottom doesn’t suck.
The top 6-8 in the American probably have a brighter future than the top 6-8 in the Big East on aggregate but Villanova is the top program in either conference by a long distance.

Agreed, Memphis/Houston/UCF/Cincy/Wichita St/Temple is better then whatever random 6 the Big East has, Memphis is in a better place as a program then Villanova, even USF is starting to not become a complete joke, obviously at the same time ECU and Tulane are jokes that can't be found in the Big East. It will probably help them with recruiting and selling the program but it's not even close to what everyone is making it out to be. If UConn was as advertised in the AAC then that conference would be on the up and up and would be considered the best G5 conference, especially if SMU didn't drop off.

 

[Eric15]

Memphis is in a better place as a program then Villanova

Let's not go off the deep end. Memphis has zero tourney appearances in the past five years. Nova is probably the strongest program in college basketball in that same time span.

Yes, Memphis has an awesome class coming in, but they have to do something with it before we crown them (maybe they're awesome, or maybe they're Seton Hall with Louie Orr Part Two). Nova brings in a Top 5 recruiting class this year and is a lock to be a preseason Top 10 team again.

 

[Eric15]

As much as I love college basketball, there’s nothing to me like college football. Those crisp fall Saturdays and turning on 3 hours of Gameday and checking the board and getting ready for games is special to me. I actually feel bad for their football fans.

It was like 70 degrees in Maryland this morning and I opened up all the windows, and almost got emotional at how it felt like football weather.

 

[Cheriehoop]

I think the travel in the AAC is a killer. Wichita, Tulsa, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Tampa, Cincinnati, Memphis etc. Not just distance issues but numerous time zone changes. The logistics and ultimately the cost for scheduling particularly with weekday basketball contests and the time lost from classes has to take its’ toll on its’ most Northern and eastern member.

The effect on UConn’s Flagship program, women’s basketball, can’t be ignored. The AAC affiliation hadn’t helped seeding nor competition for the women. This past year only UCF who lost in the first round made it to the NCAA’s. I imagine Geno wasn’t happy.

 

[Alsacs]

Let's not go off the deep end. Memphis has zero tourney appearances in the past five years. Nova is probably the strongest program in college basketball in that same time span.

Yes, Memphis has an awesome class coming in, but they have to do something with it before we crown them (maybe they're awesome, or maybe they're Seton Hall with Louie Orr Part Two). Nova brings in a Top 5 recruiting class this year and is a lock to be a preseason Top 10 team again.

Nova is a top 10 program right now but they are alone within the Big East.
No other BE team in the new BE era from 2014 onward has played in the elite 8.
Butler and Creighton made a singe sweet sixteen but that is it.

 

[Eric15]

Nova is a top 10 program right now but they are alone within the Big East.
No other BE team in the new BE era from 2014 onward has played in the elite 8.
Butler and Creighton made a singe sweet sixteen but that is it.

Why no love for Xavier? They went to the Elite 8 in 2017. They were a 1 seed in 2018 and a 2 seed in 2016, and have only missed the tournament three times this century. They're a strong basketball program.

 

[Orange87]

I’m not a college administrator and I’m not privy to any of the goings-on that contributed to this move for UConn, but from what I do know, it’s hard for me to get my head around the logic of this move.

Syracuse, Pitt et al left the Big East because ‘football drives the bus’. None of us were happy, but we were told it was a move that had to happen or we would die on the vine. There is no big $$ available if your school does not have a football team in a P5. No lucrative TV money. Basketball generates revenue but is nowhere close to football (which by the way still boggles my mind, but whatever). UConn understands this and believes it too, so they dump a -ton of money into a stadium and a program. They get big donors to buy in and (re-) hire what is considered a big name coach. They’re ready to be a player and ultimately either get into a P5 or get that P5 TV money from their current conference.

But their crown jewel men’s hoops program stumbles a bit and instead of dominating their new conference they struggle. The football team just falls off the table altogether.

They hire Hurley and the basketball team shows some promise. UConn is at least feeling better about it’s hoops future. Football is still abysmal BUT the coach is optimistic, saying ‘wait til next year’. So while things aren’t great in Storrs, there is reason to believe that they are on the right track.

Meanwhile reports are published that the athletic department is running a $40 million deficit. In addition to that, there’s is a real possibility that they’ll have to pay their fired hoops coach $10 million. Money they do not have and the state that subsidizes them is well under water themselves so they can’t be expecting much help from Hartford.

If it were me making the decisions there I’d think the prudent thing would be to bite the bullet. Wait it out. My hoops coach is energetic and seems to be able to recruit, my football facilities are upgraded, my coach’s name is respected and if he is to be believed, he has a plan in place. Yes, I’m losing money in the short term but there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

Instead of staying the course though, they effectively abandon football and really any shot at all of a P5 conference and the $$ that comes with that. For what? A short term bump in basketball relevance and a few more sheckles? And let’s not now forget that they incur yet another $10 million invoice for leaving their current conference. Again - money they don’t have.

I mean I get going back to where you had your greatest successes but the Big East is not the same conference it was and the entire college athletics landscape has had seismic shifts. There is no path now for the football program to be successful enough as to be attractive to any P5 conference so that dream is dead and with it, the $$. It seems to me that UConn athletics has abandoned long-term success for short-term...what?

Who wins here? Hurley? If the basketball team does well, the job offers will come for him. The school and athletic department will have a much harder time crawling out from under those millions of dollars of debt. Facilities will suffer, etc., etc.

 

[Alsacs]

Why no love for Xavier? They went to the Elite 8 in 2017. They were a 1 seed in 2018 and a 2 seed in 2016, and have only missed the tournament three times this century. They're a strong basketball program.

I missed 11 seed Xavier in the Elite 8. So I was wrong but that program is basically Florida State or Purdue from a major conference.
Those teams are solid but aren’t brands.
The Big East is Villanova and everyone else. Georgetown like Miami in football if they got good have juice but the rest of the conference is just solid.
UConn did the right thing for their fans being able to attend more road games and maybe increasing their home attendance with familiar names.
The point is though the AAC in basketball has more potential than most realize to be a 3-5 bid league annually.

 

[Hoo's That]

Them and Villanova should have committed to upgrading their football programs from the beginning.

It would have been very difficult for Villanova because, IIRC, they don’t have room for a D-1A compliant stadium on their campus (just like Miami). And, like Miami, they’d have to play in the Linc, the nearest NFL stadium, or Franklin Field. You have to remember, they went from having a team, to giving up football completely, to reinstating a team at D-3 and working their way back up to D-1AA.

 

[Alsacs]

It would have been very difficult for Villanova because, IIRC, they don’t have room for a D-1A compliant stadium on their campus (just like Miami). And, like Miami, they’d have to play in the Linc, the nearest NFL stadium, or Franklin Field. You have to remember, they went from having a team, to giving up football completely, to reinstating a team at D-3 and working their way back up to D-1AA.

Plus Nova doesn’t have enough fans to consistently put 30-40k in a football stadium.
It’s fine for basketball when their on campus arena is under 10k and they play the bigger home games at 76ers arena because opposing fans would fill it up.
Villanova would play Syracuse games at the 76ers arena because our fans would bring 2-5k depending on the day the game was played.

Nova football wouldn’t have worked because of their fanbase.