http://www.wdrb.com/story/20216639/crawf...in-11-days

With props to my friend Clifton Ave who found this article about Louisville's negotiation into the ACC, here is the link that sums up what I have been begging UC's leadership to do.

My favorite part is where Jurich cut his vacation short to make it happen....
"Every waking hour," Jurich said. "This has been the only thing. I pulled in every marker I had in the United States. I really did. Every marker I had in 29 years as an AD, I pulled in, from TV people to other league commissioners to professional sports. Anyone who could vouch for us, I asked them. You've got to sell yourself."

OK, BJ, I'm done. No more posts about our horrible situation. I will only make reference to this article as a guide to what needs to be done as a solution. Sure hope UC's current leadership will spend their "every waking hour" when the next opportunity arises.

Im sure Ono worked just as hard

You do realize the UL athletic budget dwarfs the UC athletic budget, right? That might have something to do with the situation as well...

(06-30-2014 07:05 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  You do realize the UL athletic budget dwarfs the UC athletic budget, right? That might have something to do with the situation as well...

You do realize that UC far out distances UofL in other areas like academics and endowments. The article even points out how Jurich and Ramsey turned the ACC's focus toward their strengths and away from their weaknesses.

TCU and Pitt have nothing close to UofL's athletic budget, but they didn't make it their excuse for staying put.

Hey, I'm just saying it's a little more complicated than the AD "selling" the school. It's been said before, but UC has had the habit of trying to run it's athletics on the "MAC mindset" and then we sit puzzled while other schools get called up.

It's a whole institutional culture we're talking about.

Don't understand why people are so high on Ono? What has he done other than beg on his hands and knees after UofL left us??

(06-30-2014 09:34 PM)Cali_Cat Wrote:  Don't understand why people are so high on Ono? What has he done other than beg on his hands and knees after UofL left us??

Sorry,,that's about the dumbest response i've ever seen on this board.

(06-30-2014 06:03 PM)Ragpicker Wrote:  http://www.wdrb.com/story/20216639/crawf...in-11-days

With props to my friend Clifton Ave who found this article about Louisville's negotiation into the ACC, here is the link that sums up what I have been begging UC's leadership to do.

My favorite part is where Jurich cut his vacation short to make it happen....
"Every waking hour," Jurich said. "This has been the only thing. I pulled in every marker I had in the United States. I really did. Every marker I had in 29 years as an AD, I pulled in, from TV people to other league commissioners to professional sports. Anyone who could vouch for us, I asked them. You've got to sell yourself."

OK, BJ, I'm done. No more posts about our horrible situation. I will only make reference to this article as a guide to what needs to be done as a solution. Sure hope UC's current leadership will spend their "every waking hour" when the next opportunity arises.

Rag, I was actually going to post the same thing over here (someone on BCJ posted it earlier). It's constructive to see how the successful schools did it.

Now if we can get a similar article, with the scoop on how Bohn managed to pull Colorado out of the ruts. We need something to have confidence in

One interesting thing, is a lot of what TJ said about UConn seems to put to rest the generally accepted premise that the ACC blackballed them.

By the way, you know my mod style. You have a right to post what you want. I just also happen to have the right to be irritated by it If there is nothing else to talk about this summer, fire away!!

(06-30-2014 09:55 PM)BearcatBeta Wrote:  

(06-30-2014 09:34 PM)Cali_Cat Wrote:  Don't understand why people are so high on Ono? What has he done other than beg on his hands and knees after UofL left us??

Sorry,,that's about the dumbest response i've ever seen on this board.

Agreed

We can't blame Bohn or Ono for what happened in the past. I'm sure Bohn was picked for his connections and Ono has done nothing but sell the Bearcats from day 1.

We have the academics, an attractive TV market, and a rich recruiting area - now all we have to do is win. The time we have in the AAC must be spent raising our FB and BB to a "Louisville" level - so there's no doubt that we're the next one in line.

99% of selling your program is done quietly. No idea who at UC has done what. Williams was pitching UC although publicly saying we need to keep the Big East together. I think they guy that had the most of an opportunity to get things done at a higher level was Mike Thomas. BK pretty much forced him to get the practice bubble built. He was the guy that BK is quoted as having a MAC mindset. Whit got the Nippert plan finalized and approved very fast, and he also brought in a solid experienced coaching staff with Tubs and his guys. To me this was huge, as this staff has not only kept the program in solid shape but they are doing a very good selling and recruiting.

Ville has had an easier route with a tax payer funded Yum Center (largest revenue bball program in the country) and
although the initial construction for papa johns was private fundraising they did get some public money for that.
Ville got some $$$ that up here is reserved for the Reds and Bengals facilities.

(06-30-2014 10:49 PM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  

(06-30-2014 09:55 PM)BearcatBeta Wrote:  

(06-30-2014 09:34 PM)Cali_Cat Wrote:  Don't understand why people are so high on Ono? What has he done other than beg on his hands and knees after UofL left us??

Sorry,,that's about the dumbest response i've ever seen on this board.

Agreed

I like Ono as well, but I'm not sure why you think it's a dumb response, other than we really don't know for sure what Ono has done. So I guess the point is that on the topic of realignment, I'm not sure we have reason to dismiss him nor put him on a pedestal.

You're right - the jury's out on Ono and Bohn. We'll just have to wait and see who gets called next - then we can pass judgement.

(06-30-2014 10:49 PM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  

(06-30-2014 09:55 PM)BearcatBeta Wrote:  

(06-30-2014 09:34 PM)Cali_Cat Wrote:  Don't understand why people are so high on Ono? What has he done other than beg on his hands and knees after UofL left us??

Sorry,,that's about the dumbest response i've ever seen on this board.

Agreed

Sorry to break up the circle jerk, but you mind providing me with actual evidence??? UC was content doing nothing until UofL left after that they announced the Nippert expansion and started sending Christmas cards. Ono being some great CR wizard has no basis......

Unfortunately, one thing that has not been mentioned is that a P5 conference needs to WANT you in order to join.

(07-01-2014 09:41 AM)Cali_Cat Wrote:  Sorry to break up the circle jerk, but you mind providing me with actual evidence??? UC was content doing nothing until UofL left after that they announced the Nippert expansion and started sending Christmas cards. Ono being some great CR wizard has no basis......

I agree with you, that there is room for you and Rag to be critical of Ono (Bohn? Let's see later). I believe he had one quote that stated this was a "president's club". Well, the recent article about how involved UL's Jurich was in their ACC bid underscores the importance of an AD's role in this.

Can we PLEASE drop this "expansion is done at the presidents' level" charade? Technically, yes, that is where the decisions are made. However, when athletics are taken into account, the AD's input is absolutely crucial.

Anyone who didn't think that the "dead period" after Thomas left, where we didn't have a full-time AD for a couple months, didn't affect our expansion profile has his/her head in the sand.

Also, it shouldn't be ignored that, ever since our failed bid for the ACC, it seems like BYU has been discussed much more than UC, regarding the Big 12. And, UCF has been discussed at least as much as us. UCF - perhaps moving ahead of us since UL left. Should we be satisfied with that??

(edit) I guess I only get irritated by the overt frustration over our conference, because there are a lot worse things that can happen one's own life. But I never did say that I disagreed with the sentiment :-)

(07-01-2014 09:41 AM)Cali_Cat Wrote:  

(06-30-2014 10:49 PM)Cataclysmo Wrote:  

(06-30-2014 09:55 PM)BearcatBeta Wrote:  

(06-30-2014 09:34 PM)Cali_Cat Wrote:  Don't understand why people are so high on Ono? What has he done other than beg on his hands and knees after UofL left us??

Sorry,,that's about the dumbest response i've ever seen on this board.

Agreed

Sorry to break up the circle jerk, but you mind providing me with actual evidence??? UC was content doing nothing until UofL left after that they announced the Nippert expansion and started sending Christmas cards. Ono being some great CR wizard has no basis......

I guess if you only grade a University President's performance on the athletic conference the University is participating within, then he may be graded low. None of us know what is happening behind closed doors. A University President does have other parts of the University to run as well.

Of course, a prospective conference has to have a need to expand and a desire to bring along said University. On top of what is outside of UC's control, Ono has to overcome roughly 30-40 years of bad decisions and abysmal support of UC's athletic department.

(07-01-2014 10:00 AM)Flying Bearcat Wrote:  Unfortunately, one thing that has not been mentioned is that a P5 conference needs to WANT you in order to join.

Bingo!

It's hard to say what's going on behind closed doors but from what we've seen of Ono:

- He spearheaded the contract extension that gave Mick a massive raise, further anchoring him to UC basketball and establishing stability with that sport for many years to come.
- He continuously turns down raises so the money can be allocated to other areas of the school.
- He's on the road constantly promoting the University and collaborating with schools from across the country.
- He and Bohn have created blueprints to renovate Fifth Third Arena and bring that venue into the 21st century along with Nippert.

Put all of those together and you have a president who is positioning the University of Cincinnati in the best way possible should the realignment doors open again, which is all we can ask of him at this point.

I would challenge the entire premise of the article "How U of L changed its conference fate in 11 days". UL's move was YEARS in the making and started with the hiring of Howard Schnellenberger in 1985... the idea they got in after 11 days work by Jurich (who is a damn fine AD) is ludacris.

Quote:ESPN's Andy Katz reported that the last-minute pushes by Connecticut and Cincinnati were intense. Jurich said he never discussed other schools and merits or drawbacks. He just lobbied everyone in the league who would listen, and hoped the votes went his way.

But the article said UConn had already been penned in, not penciled?! So UConn would haven't of had to have such an intense last minute push would they?

This article is good fodder for UL homers and the guillable IMO.

Man if only FIU or Temple would have worked the phones and called in all their markers one of them would be in the ACC now!!!

No, the real reason UL got in over UC or UConn is UL started their push in the Athletic Department in 1985 and had upgrades already in place across the board. UC still has work to do in facilities and olympic sports... I believe UConn was odd school out due to their bitter split with BC some years prior.