"Several"? Hmm...

Delany agreed that the process wasn't ideal but said the conference had to move swiftly and quietly because several other institutions were seeking the same spot.

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-11...allace-loh

(11-06-2013 05:34 PM)SeaBlue Wrote:  "Several"? Hmm...

Delany agreed that the process wasn't ideal but said the conference had to move swiftly and quietly because several other institutions were seeking the same spot.

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-11...allace-loh

Hmmm. I call BS. I have no doubt others were interested in the B1G, UConn for instance, but seriously doubt the B1G was about to take UConn instead if UMD could decide right away. Sounds like a salesman's rush job pressure tactic, repeated now to toot the horn of the B1G.

(11-06-2013 05:34 PM)SeaBlue Wrote:  "Several"? Hmm...

Delany agreed that the process wasn't ideal but said the conference had to move swiftly and quietly because several other institutions were seeking the same spot.

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-11...allace-loh

I guess the "several other institutions" were seeking a $40 million travel subsidy and an even more front loaded contract? Maryland must have been the lowest bidder!

I'd buy:

Interested, but Big Ten not because of academics and distance:Florida State (this would have been a bigger expansion had they been willing to do it).

Big Ten only interested in as 2nd teams: Rutgers (who was chosen), Pitt, Syracuse, Boston College,

Big Ten interested, but school not: North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia Tech

The core of the ACC was always going to be the hardest to prod. Maryland worked out, but that was with major financial issues and large changes in the state over decades

well, we can be sure UConn would've accepted an invitation to the Big Ten...

(11-06-2013 05:34 PM)SeaBlue Wrote:  "Several"? Hmm...

Delany agreed that the process wasn't ideal but said the conference had to move swiftly and quietly because several other institutions were seeking the same spot.

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-11...allace-loh

Why is that a surprise to you? I can name about 200 institutions that would jump through hoops of fire to join the B1G

(11-06-2013 09:31 PM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(11-06-2013 05:34 PM)SeaBlue Wrote:  "Several"? Hmm...

Delany agreed that the process wasn't ideal but said the conference had to move swiftly and quietly because several other institutions were seeking the same spot.

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-11...allace-loh

Why is that a surprise to you? I can name about 200 institutions that would jump through hoops of fire to join the B1G

Yeah, I am generally a big supporter and proclaimer of Delany's skills at speaking to interviewers but this here was not one of his best efforts.

My initial thoughts were pretty similar to yours but we both know that the other isn't talking about major conference schools.

(11-06-2013 06:25 PM)orangefan Wrote:  

(11-06-2013 05:34 PM)SeaBlue Wrote:  "Several"? Hmm...

Delany agreed that the process wasn't ideal but said the conference had to move swiftly and quietly because several other institutions were seeking the same spot.

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-11...allace-loh

Hmmm. I call BS. I have no doubt others were interested in the B1G, UConn for instance, but seriously doubt the B1G was about to take UConn instead if UMD could decide right away. Sounds like a salesman's rush job pressure tactic, repeated now to toot the horn of the B1G.

Agreed. The Big Ten approached THEM in 2010. The Big Ten is providing them, but not Rutgers, a travel subsidy. UMD got to announce first they were joining. It was UMD's spot to lose, nothing more.

I really hate Delany. These shenanigans where trustees and presidents are backed into these complex situations are so hypocritical to the nature of these institutions, and I wish someone would go after the cabal.

Delany was twice burned on negotiations in his tenure: the Penn State leak (that delayed the vote for almost a year) and then the Notre Dame one in the 90's that went "public" to the entire institutional operation that resulted in the tabling of the vote. This is why he/the B1G do it this way. Utterly insulting.

...and Loh deserves whatever blame he gets, too. Don't indulge these practices.

He is saying Maryland and Rutgers were, who we chose over UConn, UMass, Cincinnati, and Buffalo!

(11-07-2013 06:43 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  Agreed. The Big Ten approached THEM in 2010. The Big Ten is providing them, but not Rutgers, a travel subsidy. UMD got to announce first they were joining. It was UMD's spot to lose, nothing more.

Nothing I've heard suggests that the Big Ten had talked with Maryland that early.

My take on Maryland being announced first is that Delany was already there to steady the ship because the deal went down so quickly.

Also, the Rutgers deal was already done, no surprise there. Everyone knew where he was headed after Maryland. If Rutgers had gone down first, the circus in Maryland would have been, well, a circus.

Does anyone really know for sure that UMD athletics were actually 'losing' money? IMO, the cutting of several programs simply posturing by Loh for justification to leave the ACC for the B1G, the easiest team in the conference to dislodge.

(11-06-2013 05:34 PM)SeaBlue Wrote:  "Several"? Hmm...

Delany agreed that the process wasn't ideal but said the conference had to move swiftly and quietly because several other institutions were seeking the same spot.

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-11...allace-loh

It jives with what former Illinois AD said, except the former Illinois AD said other ACC schools were interested.

Who knows why the other ACC schools didn't work out (not AAU?....). I'm sure everyone will put their own spin on it.

http://www.thetelegraph.com/sports/local...0f31a.html

(11-07-2013 09:16 AM)Topkat Wrote:  

(11-06-2013 05:34 PM)SeaBlue Wrote:  "Several"? Hmm...

Delany agreed that the process wasn't ideal but said the conference had to move swiftly and quietly because several other institutions were seeking the same spot.

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-11...allace-loh

It jives with what former Illinois AD said, except the former Illinois AD said other ACC schools were interested.

Who knows why the other ACC schools didn't work out (not AAU?....). I'm sure everyone will put their own spin on it.

http://www.thetelegraph.com/sports/local...0f31a.html

Yeah, or the ACC signed a GOR. Thats why it didnt work out.

(11-07-2013 08:36 AM)vandiver49 Wrote:  Does anyone really know for sure that UMD athletics were actually 'losing' money? IMO, the cutting of several programs simply posturing by Loh for justification to leave the ACC for the B1G, the easiest team in the conference to dislodge.

Yes, they were (and are). The expansion of Byrd Stadium (under former AD, and current NC State AD, Debbie Yow) along with the inconsistent performance of the football program put Maryland in a tight financial situtation. Couple that with the fact that the State of Maryland restricts how public dollars can be spent on collegiate athletics, it was worse.

I don't have time to provide links to references here. If you're really interested go to http://www.baltimoresun.com and just do a search. You'll find the articles.

Wow, UConn, Buffalo, Cincinnati and others wanted in the Big Ten? You don't say. That's some news right there.

(11-07-2013 08:22 AM)SeaBlue Wrote:  

(11-07-2013 06:43 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  Agreed. The Big Ten approached THEM in 2010. The Big Ten is providing them, but not Rutgers, a travel subsidy. UMD got to announce first they were joining. It was UMD's spot to lose, nothing more.

Nothing I've heard suggests that the Big Ten had talked with Maryland that early.

My take on Maryland being announced first is that Delany was already there to steady the ship because the deal went down so quickly.

Also, the Rutgers deal was already done, no surprise there. Everyone knew where he was headed after Maryland. If Rutgers had gone down first, the circus in Maryland would have been, well, a circus.

There was an article (out of one of Baltimore's papers, iirc) where President Loh said the Big Ten had contacted the school before his tenure in the role. He started in late 2010. Who knows, the overtures could have gone back even longer, but at the very least, UMD was on the Big Ten's radar since then.

The deal did go down quickly, but I think it exposed how little both Loh and Delany felt about board involvement were they made more aware and had the process been more transparent or thorough. As claimed by the Cunningham conversations, Loh wasn't picking up the phone about the subject, and I think those schools knew there was some talking going on (and not just at UMD, but several ACC schools) for some time. I don't think Loh wanted to give the ACC any chance, and wasn't going to let the ACC get to the board to have some say (like FSU's president allowed Swofford to do with their board members). To him, there was nothing the conference could have offered him to stay. I've often wondered if that meant they weren't happy with the additional northeastern additions, or emphatically against ND's "sweetheart" deal.

Rutgers had been in the pipeline since the 90's off and on. It sounded like they were a fait accompli for almost any eastern expansion, regardless of who else was coming aboard.

(11-07-2013 11:34 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  There was an article (out of one of Baltimore's papers, iirc) where President Loh said the Big Ten had contacted the school before his tenure in the role. He started in late 2010. Who knows, the overtures could have gone back even longer, but at the very least, UMD was on the Big Ten's radar since then.

I think it was the other way around however. If it's the same article, I think Loh said he mentioned to Big Ten people at some AAU function or something that (paraphrased) Maryland wouldn't be totally offended if the Big Ten came knocking.

(11-07-2013 01:27 PM)SeaBlue Wrote:  

(11-07-2013 11:34 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  There was an article (out of one of Baltimore's papers, iirc) where President Loh said the Big Ten had contacted the school before his tenure in the role. He started in late 2010. Who knows, the overtures could have gone back even longer, but at the very least, UMD was on the Big Ten's radar since then.

I think it was the other way around however. If it's the same article, I think Loh said he mentioned to Big Ten people at some AAU function or something that (paraphrased) Maryland wouldn't be totally offended if the Big Ten came knocking.

The B10 had indeed contacted Maryland in the past. No move was possible until the B10 had their man in the Presidency. When Loh arrived on campus, moving to the B10 was near the top of his personal agenda. He's a B10 man.

(11-07-2013 01:35 PM)lumberpack4 Wrote:  The B10 had indeed contacted Maryland in the past. No move was possible until the B10 had their man in the Presidency. When Loh arrived on campus, moving to the B10 was near the top of his personal agenda. He's a B10 man.

He's been around, not just to the Big Ten.

Regardless, the board gave him the job.

(11-07-2013 01:55 PM)SeaBlue Wrote:  

(11-07-2013 01:35 PM)lumberpack4 Wrote:  The B10 had indeed contacted Maryland in the past. No move was possible until the B10 had their man in the Presidency. When Loh arrived on campus, moving to the B10 was near the top of his personal agenda. He's a B10 man.

He's been around, not just to the Big Ten.

Regardless, the board gave him the job.

Yes, but a better question is "would Mary Sue hire him?" Maybe it's just a Grinnel thing.