UCONN???
- Thread starter EERs 3:16
- Start date
The only teams that are coming to the Big 12 are the teams that don't have a shot at landing a future Big 10 or Sec invite.
The Big 12 needs rebranded as the Big Refrigerator Conference. Home of the leftovers.
It is a weak move. UConn dilutes football and only adds some basketball appeal. The latter hardly compensates for the former. The Big XII is in a position of strength to lock up the second tier FBS conference when the ACC inevitably restructures. I don't see how this improves the Big XII currently or improves the chances of the Big XII adding the best available from the ACC when it moves in a similar direction as the PAC 12.
I thought the talks were for everything but football. I may be wrong.
That would certainly make more sense. However if the future is a 20-24 team mega conference, why add non football members and create an even more unwieldy basketball conference?
All other sports now. FB in '31 to give them time to get the program back up to speed. They were very competitive in the BE days. Donors pledging cash.
They’re basically a blue blood in basketball right now and have the “it” coach who just won back to back with no signs of slowing down. In a world where the Big XII is guaranteed to be a second rate football conference in comparison to the SEC and B1G we need to target basketball as a way to legitimize the conference brand.
Might as well just add them and when the conference inevitably gets raided again atleast we don’t have to wait 4 years for them to ramp up their program with the new cash.
You think the Big 12 is likely to be raided? I don't see the SEC or Big 10 going for any Big 12 teams unless those conferences start kicking out dead weight. And I don't see the ACC or any other conference outside of the Big 2 being able to tempt away any Big 12 teams.
The Big XII along with the ACC are a feeder league to the B1G and SEC. Its inevitable one of them will decide it’s beneficial to add whichever program is most successful in the coming years.
It really depends on how many teams the Big 10 and Sec want in their conference. If the goal is to get to 20 teams, then the Big 10 has room for two and the Sec has four slots available. The Acc is most likely to be targeted because they have the best brands in Fsu and Clemson. Where the Big 10 and Sec goes from there is anyone's guess but if they keep deciding to expand Big 12 teams will eventually pop up on the radar again.
Not all expansions are driven by the same reason. Rutgers and Maryland were not added to the Big 10 for power.
The end result IMO is a remaking of the NCAA. They just started scratching the surface of the idea that there are no limits to where they can expand in the US, so more westward expansion is likely for both leagues. My guess is the end game is a merger where the two NFL style conferences are the SEC which is predominately southeast, and the B1G which is “everyone else” and each year there will be a compelling storyline for casuals which is, can the southeast be defeated by the rest of the US.
Very competitive in the BE days? They were 60 - 51 over 9 years and won 2 schmuck bowls
There are also concerns that UConn is one of the most heavily subsidized public FBS athletic departments in the country,
Rumor is they only have support from 6 schools in Big 12. They need 12 of the 16 to even get consideration for an invite.
If Big 12 was smart they would hold off until they see what happens to ACC.
Rumor is they only have support from 6 schools in Big 12. They need 12 of the 16 to even get consideration for an invite.
If Big 12 was smart they would hold off until they see what happens to ACC.
I don't know. Regardless of success I just don't see any Big 12 team being a net add to cash pot for the Big 10 or SEC within the foreseeable future.
They were a team. That’s what I’ll say about their football team. They will probably not be “AAC bad” as if they get the nod to the Big XII they will probably start trying to revive the program, but they are probably a lock for 4-6 win seasons most years.
One year, as it often happened when one of the 8 members didn’t have a great team by their standards, UConn won the league in a crazy tiebreaker and got smashed in the BCS bowl although to be fair whoever went that year would have had the same fate.
If they come into the league then basketball is what they bring to the table. They floundered in the AAC but I would blame that more on lack of exposure and a schedule that consisted of southern nobodies combined with bad hires. That won’t happen if they are playing most of their conference games on ESPN against brand name schools.
B1G still does not exist in the Rocky Mountain time zone or the state of Texas. Can easily see them coming for any of the 4 corner schools, TCU, Tech or Baylor. SEC in all likelihood brings in Clemson and FSU when the GOR expires to boost the brand of Southeast dominance.
Uconn adds "some" BB appeal???? UConn would replace Kansas as the #1 Men's BB team. Woman's would be #1 by far. Baseball would be top 5. They have donor support to expannd facilities and FB NIL money.
This gives us the e try to the NYC Market.
Yes UConn FB IS WEAK. At least now it is weak but back in the day it was competitive in the BE. This is why it could be structured to give FB time to develop the program.
Last edited:
Many forget that. B1G plucked Both to get eyeballs in the biggest metroplex in the country. Ruggers was a perennial BE dog. Maryland had a few decent years.
It was all about eyeballs.
UCONN is a failed experiment, if you want to build a football program, then you have to make that investment, and be prepared for the woes that go with it... UCONN hasn't proven that they're willing to invest and grow the program. IMO, this isn't going to go well. Sure they bring hoops to the table, but hoops doesn't pay the bills...
IMO - the Big Xii is in a fight for survival with the ACC....and we need to expand the chess board.....adding UCONN doesn't do that.
IMO - the Big Xii is in a fight for survival with the ACC....and we need to expand the chess board.....adding UCONN doesn't do that.
The idea of the B1G adding schools from CA was crazy less than 18 months ago. The idea of any of the Big East schools, let alone Rutgers would get the better of Miami financially landing in one of 2 relevant conferences while Miami, VT and BC are left out back in 2003 was insane. So laugh all you want, you clearly haven’t been paying attention for the better part of 20 years. The rule is there are none other than these schools and conferences are open to whatever makes more money. One year it was about killing competition and adding markets, the next it was conference championship games, the next it was about TV markets, the next it was about sexy matchups, the next it was about time zones and killing the competition again.
Last edited:
They did make the investment with the idea they would be playing power conference football and then they got rugpulled and shipped off to a southern midmajor league. You can’t really fault them for letting their program go to shit, when the ROI they banked on didn’t pan out. If you give them an avenue back to a relevant schedule of enticing opponents to fill their stadium and TV money cover the overhead then they will get better.
Correct that they are unlikely to ever move the needle nationally but that’s not what we’re going for. We just need a school that can be what Rutgers is to the B1G, and not suck, the basketball being the best in the country is just a plus.
I wasn't clear. The grandest of the grand basketball appeal is worth less than moderate football appeal. Hence UCONN's basement football appeal is more of a detriment than it's basketball appeal is a gain.
I would rather have those western schools over UCONN. The big mistake was by the previous commish adding Houston and Cincinnati. It's always been about money. Now that money is about can you raise the bar and add more. UCONN for basketball only is the smartest move. Especially if Yormark pulls off the idea of separation from football and basketball allowing basketball conference to make their own deal.
Streaming is the new deal. It's the way of the future.
In 2022-23, 70% of the Big 12 reached the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, which was the highest rate of the Power Five schools. On the women’s side, 60% (also the most in the country) of Big 12 schools made the tournament.
If there is a way to extrapolate dollars out of a basketball-specific deal with the conference’s current partners, Yormark will consider it.
Currently, all Power Five conferences have media rights deals that delegate broadcasting rights for both football and basketball games to specific media outlets, with football rights driving most of the bargain.
If the situation presents itself where we can create more value by decoupling football from basketball, we’ll pursue it, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to do it. It’s all about the value equation. At least we have the option to pursue that if we feel that’s appropriate.” Yormark said
Adding Connecticut for basketball only will work if basketball teams have their own media deal and not a share of football media deal.
If there is a way to extrapolate dollars out of a basketball-specific deal with the conference’s current partners, Yormark will consider it.
Currently, all Power Five conferences have media rights deals that delegate broadcasting rights for both football and basketball games to specific media outlets, with football rights driving most of the bargain.
If the situation presents itself where we can create more value by decoupling football from basketball, we’ll pursue it, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to do it. It’s all about the value equation. At least we have the option to pursue that if we feel that’s appropriate.” Yormark said
Adding Connecticut for basketball only will work if basketball teams have their own media deal and not a share of football media deal.
And an expansion now is what kind of money can you bring us. Are you able to improve our bottom line. Basketball Connecticut fits football doesn't.
