Mike Demauro
The Day
Senior Sports Columnist
January 8, 2016

"The Big 12 may be in play for UConn in the future. Athletic department sources said recently that UConn president Susan Herbst has sought counsel from former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese. Herbst asked him to use his contacts and expertise to see exactly when and where UConn might fit in conference realignment.

Athletic department sources said that UConn may be on the Big 12’s radar because of its presence in New York, to the degree that the UConn-Texas basketball series may continue in the future at Madison Square Garden and UConn-Texas may play football in the future at Yankee Stadium. What is fact and what is fiction is unclear, but there’s no denying that UConn will be in the conversation, if the Big 12 expands...UConn will be a candidate. http://www.theday.com/sports-columns/201...mess-first

Mike Tranghese is the former Big East commissioner. Lately, he has been a member of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee.


Tranghese in the New York Times, March 11, 2013:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/12/sports....html?_r=0
Rutgers was accepted into the Big Ten last fall, with the widespread belief that the conference wanted a foothold in the New York metropolitan area. But while intending no disrespect to Rutgers, Tranghese said: “A lot of people don’t understand what makes New York tick. The two schools with the biggest impact in the New York market have been Syracuse and Connecticut.”

This engagement comes at the time this was published:


UConn's Ticket To Power Five Conference Goes Through New York
http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-husk...olumn.html

UConn has become a prime subject of Big 12 expansion chatter
http://www.centralctcommunications.com/b...l?mode=jqm

It looks like UConn is looking at the Big 12 and the Big 12 at UConn in a serious manner. Pete Thamel, Tramel, almost all the Connecticut sportswriters, DeMauro of The Day, Jeff Jacobs and Desmond Conner of the Hartford Courant,Jerry McGuire of the Bristol Press are hearing the same thing...

It sounds like UConn is moving up the expansion list chart for the B12.

There was probably a point in time where UConn would have found a move to the B12 as outlandish but now feels its needs to do anything in its power to gain admission to a power conference.

If basketball proves an asset to the B12 why not add both UConn and Memphis to the conference?

B12 (UConn, Memphis)-We love basketball.
AAC (Buffalo, UMass)-We love the Northeast.
MAC (Illinois St.)-We love Chicago.

If UConn leaves, then I think the AAC may abandon the Northeast. The northernmost member would be Temple at that point.

(01-08-2016 09:11 AM)oliveandblue Wrote:  If UConn leaves, then I think the AAC may abandon the Northeast. The northernmost member would be Temple at that point.

And go with LaTech and Louisiana as expansion candidates?

(01-08-2016 09:11 AM)oliveandblue Wrote:  If UConn leaves, then I think the AAC may abandon the Northeast. The northernmost member would be Temple at that point.

If UCONN leaves, expect UMASS to replace them.

(01-08-2016 09:31 AM)malenko2 Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 09:11 AM)oliveandblue Wrote:  If UConn leaves, then I think the AAC may abandon the Northeast. The northernmost member would be Temple at that point.

If UCONN leaves, expect UMASS to replace them.

Logically.....

They fit the AAC profile which is giant enrollment/giant market school once you get beyond the tiny privates (SMU, Tulsa, Tulane, Navy, Aresco).

If there is any commissioner more clueless about realignment than Tranghese its hard to imagine. Engaging him, if this post is true, means UConn is pretty clueless and perhaps desperate as well.

Universally, the reaction from UConn fans that concern them the most is that such a late engagement perhaps means that UConn dropped the ball earlier and is playing catch up. Given Mr. Tranghese's experience, contacts, knowledge and current work placement, no one is arguing in a serious fashion that he isn't one of the heaviest hitters in college sports.

As for the AAC, the south and Texas based on pure demographics are where its future lies, even if UConn is rejected.

(01-08-2016 09:34 AM)bullet Wrote:  If there is any commissioner more clueless about realignment than Tranghese its hard to imagine. Engaging him, if this post is true, means UConn is pretty clueless and perhaps desperate as well.

With the ACC and B1G already covering much of the North East market for Themselves, UConn to the Big 12 would give UConn a deserved shot at a P5 and give the Big 12 a larger presence among Basketball and Football fans in that Northeastern region to watch games They might never have been interested in before. It would definitely expand the Big 12 footprint away from a basically 3 state market share between Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.

(01-08-2016 09:51 AM)BE4evah Wrote:  Universally, the reaction from UConn fans that concern them the most is that such a late engagement perhaps means that UConn dropped the ball earlier and is playing catch up. Given Mr. Tranghese's experience, contacts, knowledge and current work placement, no one is arguing in a serious fashion that he isn't one of the heaviest hitters in college sports.

As for the AAC, the south and Texas based on pure demographics are where its future lies, even if UConn is rejected.

(01-08-2016 09:34 AM)bullet Wrote:  If there is any commissioner more clueless about realignment than Tranghese its hard to imagine. Engaging him, if this post is true, means UConn is pretty clueless and perhaps desperate as well.

The Bigeast4ever playbook:
Step 1: Post a link to an article involving CR and UConn
Step 2: Stretch what the article says to fit agenda
Step 3: Wait for negative comment about UConn
Step 4: Comment on negative comment to give more ammo for other posters
Step 5: Watch thread go for 20 pages

(01-08-2016 09:31 AM)malenko2 Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 09:11 AM)oliveandblue Wrote:  If UConn leaves, then I think the AAC may abandon the Northeast. The northernmost member would be Temple at that point.

If UCONN leaves, expect UMASS to replace them.

There is no way UMass will be the replacement. They regularly have games with less than 10K in attendance, thus, the thought that they "deliver" the Boston market is laughable. Can't draw in Boston, a joke of an on campus stadium, weak on field performance, and a flagship basketball program that has been a tornament team once since the 1990's--that's just not a an attractive package.

The reality? If UConn is taken by the Big-12, then that means the last New England program of any value will be gone (other than Army, who has shown no interest in an AAC invite). The AAC would have zero incentive to rebuild in the area as the available peices are all low end Sunbelt level programs at best.

No, the loss of UConn would cause the AAC to exit the northeast and move elsewhere. I'd expect the announcement of the AAC headquarters moving to Dallas would follow shortly after such a shakeup.

(01-08-2016 10:02 AM)Hank Schrader Wrote:  The Bigeast4ever playbook:
Step 1: Post a link to an article involving CR and UConn
Step 2: Stretch what the article says to fit agenda
Step 3: Wait for negative comment about UConn
Step 4: Comment on negative comment to give more ammo for other posters
Step 5: Watch thread go for 20 pages

AAC would look at an Old Dominion or a southern school. Maybe even NIU, although you'd probably want an East team. Otherwise you can always swing Navy back east.

(01-08-2016 09:01 AM)BE4evah Wrote:  Athletic department sources said recently that UConn president Susan Herbst has sought counsel from former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese.

That's rich.

(01-08-2016 10:05 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 09:31 AM)malenko2 Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 09:11 AM)oliveandblue Wrote:  If UConn leaves, then I think the AAC may abandon the Northeast. The northernmost member would be Temple at that point.

If UCONN leaves, expect UMASS to replace them.

There is no way UMass will be the replacement. They regularly have games with less than 10K in attendance, thus, the thought that they "deliver" the Boston market is laughable. Can't draw in Boston, a joke of an on campus stadium, weak on field performance, and a flagship basketball program that has been a tornament team once since the 1990's--that's just not a an attractive package.

The reality? If UConn is taken by the Big-12, then that means the last New England program of any value will be gone (other than Army, who has shown no interest in an AAC invite). The AAC would have zero incentive to rebuild in the area as the available peices are all low end Sunbelt level programs at best.

No, the loss of UConn would cause the AAC to exit the northeast and move elsewhere. I'd expect the announcement of the AAC headquarters moving to Dallas would follow shortly after such a shakeup.

Who are these other candidates that are so much more attractive than UMASS? The first option will be Army who will decline. BYU, Boise or any other Moutain West team will not happen (no matter how many threads try to make this possible).

(01-08-2016 10:12 AM)RUScarlets Wrote:  AAC would look at an Old Dominion or a southern school. Maybe even NIU, although you'd probably want an East team. Otherwise you can always swing Navy back east.

If the AAC expanded, it would likely go after Air Force and Colorado State (who are vulnerable due to the unfair revenue distribution of the MWC). I think CSU made 80 grand in bonus money this year in contrast to the millions Boise made.

(01-08-2016 10:05 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 09:31 AM)malenko2 Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 09:11 AM)oliveandblue Wrote:  If UConn leaves, then I think the AAC may abandon the Northeast. The northernmost member would be Temple at that point.

If UCONN leaves, expect UMASS to replace them.

There is no way UMass will be the replacement. They regularly have games with less than 10K in attendance, thus, the thought that they "deliver" the Boston market is laughable. Can't draw in Boston, a joke of an on campus stadium, weak on field performance, and a flagship basketball program that has been a tornament team once since the 1990's--that's just not a an attractive package.

The reality? If UConn is taken by the Big-12, then that means the last New England program of any value will be gone (other than Army, who has shown no interest in an AAC invite). The AAC would have zero incentive to rebuild in the area as the available peices are all low end Sunbelt level programs at best.

No, the loss of UConn would cause the AAC to exit the northeast and move elsewhere. I'd expect the announcement of the AAC headquarters moving to Dallas would follow shortly after such a shakeup.

UMASS attendance will most likely increase dramatically in the next couple of years.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=ch...sachusetts

2016 Home games against Boston College, Mississippi State and Tulane
2017 Home games against Old Dominion and Ohio
2018 Home games Charlotte, South Florida, Coastal Carolina, Troy and BYU
2019 Home games against, Maine, Connecticut and BYU
2020 Home game against Army
2021 Home game against Boston College
2022 Home game against Army

Air Force would be solid but a tough get. I don't think they take the plunge just to be in a division opposite Navy. Not really feeling CSU either.

Either way, this is about UConn. I would be shocked to be honest. Does UT/OU really want to travel there? I understand Bball, but that is a far... far... trip for a Bball game. Everything that is wrong with realignment.

(01-08-2016 10:41 AM)FloridaJag Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 10:05 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 09:31 AM)malenko2 Wrote:  

(01-08-2016 09:11 AM)oliveandblue Wrote:  If UConn leaves, then I think the AAC may abandon the Northeast. The northernmost member would be Temple at that point.

If UCONN leaves, expect UMASS to replace them.

There is no way UMass will be the replacement. They regularly have games with less than 10K in attendance, thus, the thought that they "deliver" the Boston market is laughable. Can't draw in Boston, a joke of an on campus stadium, weak on field performance, and a flagship basketball program that has been a tornament team once since the 1990's--that's just not a an attractive package.

The reality? If UConn is taken by the Big-12, then that means the last New England program of any value will be gone (other than Army, who has shown no interest in an AAC invite). The AAC would have zero incentive to rebuild in the area as the available peices are all low end Sunbelt level programs at best.

No, the loss of UConn would cause the AAC to exit the northeast and move elsewhere. I'd expect the announcement of the AAC headquarters moving to Dallas would follow shortly after such a shakeup.

UMASS attendance will most likely increase dramatically in the next couple of years.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=ch...sachusetts

2016 Home games against Boston College, Mississippi State and Tulane
2017 Home games against Old Dominion and Ohio
2018 Home games Charlotte, South Florida, Coastal Carolina, Troy and BYU
2019 Home games against, Maine, Connecticut and BYU
2020 Home game against Army
2021 Home game against Boston College
2022 Home game against Army

I could see the league investing in UMASS... but if UMASS goes to the AAC, it would be to unite with UCONN. I think the combination of those 2 programs would make UMASS a viable option. However, if UCONN were not part of the AAC, then UMASS becomes a less enticing investment because you're lacking that natural combo. You could make an argument that Temple would assume that role, but there wouldn't be the same investment, IMO, by the UMASS base if they didn't have UCONN to play off of.

That being said, I don't see UCONN leaving so I do think UMASS may make sense under certain circumstances; one of which being a large investment in their athletic infrastructure. We all know what they need to do.

UMASS in the AAC makes more sense if Uconn stays rather than leaves, not sure uconn likes that concept. Don't really see UMASS working for the aac if uconn leaves since they would be an island and don't really spend much on athletics to want to be an island. UCONN to the big 12 is a huge upgrade for Uconn right now assuming nobody leaves the big 12. Sure they would like the big 10 or ACC better but that is not the issue.