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Was remaining in the Big East an option for UConn?
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Hokie4Skins Offline
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Was remaining in the Big East an option for UConn?
Listening to the Sirius/XM college channel of late and whenever UConn comes up the hosts usually end up lamenting that UConn didn't stay with the Catholic schools. Was keeping all sports in the Big East save football ever seriously considered by the UConn administration? John Feinstein suggested this is what should have happened.
03-07-2016 09:10 AM
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TheBasketBallOpinion Offline
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RE: Was remaining in the Big East an option for UConn?
Big East would have loved to have UCONN if they dropped to FCS. Was never going to happen and will not happen in the future.
03-07-2016 09:26 AM
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Hank Schrader Offline
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RE: Was remaining in the Big East an option for UConn?
Technically UConn, Cincy and USF are the only teams that remained in the Big East. Even the Big East left the Big East. It's confusing.

UConn, due to having FBS football, will not be welcomed in the New Big East. I think the New Big East appreciates the stability they have found. Plus, the success they seem to be having on the court since the split suggest there is no need to invite the instability that a program with FBS football would create.
03-07-2016 09:38 AM
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mlb Offline
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RE: Was remaining in the Big East an option for UConn?
The rumors have it UC and UConn were both invited to stay in the Catholic Big East. Neither were interested because of the football side of things. Xavier was invited after UC declined.
03-07-2016 09:58 AM
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Hank Schrader Offline
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RE: Was remaining in the Big East an option for UConn?
(03-07-2016 09:58 AM)mlb Wrote:  The rumors have it UC and UConn were both invited to stay in the Catholic Big East. Neither were interested because of the football side of things. Xavier was invited after UC declined.

I never heard that. Can you elaborate on that rumor?
03-07-2016 10:08 AM
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johnbragg Online
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RE: Was remaining in the Big East an option for UConn?
(03-07-2016 10:08 AM)Hank Schrader Wrote:  
(03-07-2016 09:58 AM)mlb Wrote:  The rumors have it UC and UConn were both invited to stay in the Catholic Big East. Neither were interested because of the football side of things. Xavier was invited after UC declined.

I never heard that. Can you elaborate on that rumor?

There was nothing solidly sourced to any of it. But given the way things work, I can't believe that in Nov 2012-Jan 2013 *nobody* with any 'juice' at any of the 5 original Big East CAtholic schools spoke to *anybody* with any juice at UConn, to explore the hypothetical possibility of maybe joining with the C7 if UConn wanted to, not that the C7 is asking, but if they did ask would UConn say yes?

Practically speaking, somebody at a semi-high level from a C7 school talked about UConn joining with the C7 to someone at a semi-high level at UConn. If UConn wanted to go/stay with the C7, it would have been next-to-impossible to say "No" to an original Big East member with a National Championship banner barely out of the wrapper.

Not that we asked, because we weren't interested in FBS schools like UConn anyway.
03-07-2016 10:22 AM
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GoldenWarrior11 Offline
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RE: Was remaining in the Big East an option for UConn?
http://ajerseyguy.com/?p=4719

Article from Blauds in January of 2013.

The possibility of UConn/UC staying with the C7 was put on the table after the rumor of SMU/Houston leaving the Big East before ever playing a game, similar to Boise State and San Diego State. For UConn/UC, it would have meant either joining the MWC/MAC/C-USA for football-only, while continuing to play in the New Big East with the C7 for basketball and olympic sports. Blauds painted it as a win-win, since it allowed both schools the opportunity to continuing to have FBS football, while still remaining in a power basketball conference.

Barring some unique arrangement and/or circumstance, I believe any possibility of UConn/UC re-joining the Big East is slim to none.

As a Marquette fan, I really miss both the Cincinnati (from both the BE, C-USA and Great Midwest) as well as the UConn match-ups. Both have great fans and travel well. However, they both deserve to be in a power conference for football - and being in the Big East doesn't help them attain that goal.
03-07-2016 10:26 AM
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Rabbit_in_Red Offline
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RE: Was remaining in the Big East an option for UConn?
I don't think that was ever an option UConn gave serious consideration to, nor should they have honestly. The American may not be where they want to be, but it's still a step up from the other options on the table and is a platform upon which they can continue to build themselves into a program worthy of a P5 invite. Face it, nobody's going to go from C-USA to P5. Nor will they go from Big East to P5. Since the MWC isn't an option for UConn, the American is about the best they're able to do at the moment and thankfully for them, the American is this sort of "tweener" conference. Had UConn taken a step back, it would've been as stupid as it was devastating to their athletics.
03-07-2016 10:33 AM
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RE: Was remaining in the Big East an option for UConn?
(03-07-2016 10:33 AM)Rabbit_in_Red Wrote:  I don't think that was ever an option UConn gave serious consideration to, nor should they have honestly. The American may not be where they want to be, but it's still a step up from the other options on the table and is a platform upon which they can continue to build themselves into a program worthy of a P5 invite. Face it, nobody's going to go from C-USA to P5. Nor will they go from Big East to P5. Since the MWC isn't an option for UConn, the American is about the best they're able to do at the moment and thankfully for them, the American is this sort of "tweener" conference. Had UConn taken a step back, it would've been as stupid as it was devastating to their athletics.

Thinking it through
1. If UConn started moving towards a Big East/MAC arrangement, which was kicked around on these boards
2. MWC is going to react, offering UConn, Cincinnati, Houston and SMU to crush the AAC and claim the "tweener" claim for themselves.
MWC West: Hawaii, SDSU, SJSU, Fresno, UNLV, UNR, Boise State, USU
MWC East: Wyo, AFA, CSU, UMN, Houston, SMU, Cincy, UConn
3. That leaves Aresco with Temple, USF in the league, UCF on the way for 2013, Tulane and ECU (FB) on the way for 2014, and NAvy (FB) on the way for 2015. That's 4 full members, 2 football-onlies and maybe Tulsa on deck. I'm not sure where things go from here--does the Aresco League pluck USM, MArshall, Rice, Charlotte and ODU from CUSA, or does CUSA go to 20 with TEmple, USF and reclaim the defectors.

But the point is that UConn would have been in the best G5 league by a lot, and in a power (BCS) basketball conference.

Of course, they already burned bridges and bad blood with BC and the ACC, and this would have not endeared UConn to the rest of the AResco LEague schools, whether they ended up in the MWC or CUSA or the Aresco LEague.
03-07-2016 11:09 AM
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Post: #10
RE: Was remaining in the Big East an option for UConn?
(03-07-2016 10:26 AM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote:  http://ajerseyguy.com/?p=4719

Article from Blauds in January of 2013.

The possibility of UConn/UC staying with the C7 was put on the table after the rumor of SMU/Houston leaving the Big East before ever playing a game, similar to Boise State and San Diego State. For UConn/UC, it would have meant either joining the MWC/MAC/C-USA for football-only, while continuing to play in the New Big East with the C7 for basketball and olympic sports. Blauds painted it as a win-win, since it allowed both schools the opportunity to continuing to have FBS football, while still remaining in a power basketball conference.

Barring some unique arrangement and/or circumstance, I believe any possibility of UConn/UC re-joining the Big East is slim to none.

As a Marquette fan, I really miss both the Cincinnati (from both the BE, C-USA and Great Midwest) as well as the UConn match-ups. Both have great fans and travel well. However, they both deserve to be in a power conference for football - and being in the Big East doesn't help them attain that goal.

I didn't know MWC fb-only was a realistic option. If it was, UConn and UC dropped the ball - big time. It would have been a lateral move for FB and a big step up for everything else. Lots more media $$$ too.
03-07-2016 11:09 AM
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Post: #11
RE: Was remaining in the Big East an option for UConn?
(03-07-2016 11:09 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  
(03-07-2016 10:26 AM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote:  http://ajerseyguy.com/?p=4719

Article from Blauds in January of 2013.

The possibility of UConn/UC staying with the C7 was put on the table after the rumor of SMU/Houston leaving the Big East before ever playing a game, similar to Boise State and San Diego State. For UConn/UC, it would have meant either joining the MWC/MAC/C-USA for football-only, while continuing to play in the New Big East with the C7 for basketball and olympic sports. Blauds painted it as a win-win, since it allowed both schools the opportunity to continuing to have FBS football, while still remaining in a power basketball conference.

Barring some unique arrangement and/or circumstance, I believe any possibility of UConn/UC re-joining the Big East is slim to none.

As a Marquette fan, I really miss both the Cincinnati (from both the BE, C-USA and Great Midwest) as well as the UConn match-ups. Both have great fans and travel well. However, they both deserve to be in a power conference for football - and being in the Big East doesn't help them attain that goal.

I didn't know MWC fb-only was a realistic option. If it was, UConn and UC dropped the ball - big time. It would have been a lateral move for FB and a big step up for everything else. Lots more media $$$ too.

Depends what you mean by "realistic option." Did MWC ever consider, even privately, UConn as a fb-only? I doubt it. BUT, if UConn were known to be considering a FB-only, that would have opened the Aresco League to a death blow, mounting the Big East Football Conference's severed head next to that of the WAC in HAir Thompson's evil secret lair.
03-07-2016 11:11 AM
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Post: #12
RE: Was remaining in the Big East an option for UConn?
(03-07-2016 11:11 AM)johnbragg Wrote:  
(03-07-2016 11:09 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  
(03-07-2016 10:26 AM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote:  http://ajerseyguy.com/?p=4719

Article from Blauds in January of 2013.

The possibility of UConn/UC staying with the C7 was put on the table after the rumor of SMU/Houston leaving the Big East before ever playing a game, similar to Boise State and San Diego State. For UConn/UC, it would have meant either joining the MWC/MAC/C-USA for football-only, while continuing to play in the New Big East with the C7 for basketball and olympic sports. Blauds painted it as a win-win, since it allowed both schools the opportunity to continuing to have FBS football, while still remaining in a power basketball conference.

Barring some unique arrangement and/or circumstance, I believe any possibility of UConn/UC re-joining the Big East is slim to none.

As a Marquette fan, I really miss both the Cincinnati (from both the BE, C-USA and Great Midwest) as well as the UConn match-ups. Both have great fans and travel well. However, they both deserve to be in a power conference for football - and being in the Big East doesn't help them attain that goal.

I didn't know MWC fb-only was a realistic option. If it was, UConn and UC dropped the ball - big time. It would have been a lateral move for FB and a big step up for everything else. Lots more media $$$ too.

Depends what you mean by "realistic option." Did MWC ever consider, even privately, UConn as a fb-only? I doubt it. BUT, if UConn were known to be considering a FB-only, that would have opened the Aresco League to a death blow, mounting the Big East Football Conference's severed head next to that of the WAC in HAir Thompson's evil secret lair.

If this would have played out the AAC would never had existed. The Big East football conference would have closed shop at the end of 2012 and UC, UConn, USF, (and for one year) Rutgers and Louisville would have transitioned somehow to their new homes.

All this being said I don't think this would have ever happened. The relationship would have never worked because both sides knew the three left behinds would actively continue to seek membership in a P5 conference. The Big East basketball schools want stability and that is what they now have.
03-07-2016 11:29 AM
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RE: Was remaining in the Big East an option for UConn?
The Big East hybrid was dead and I don't think the C7 were interested in keeping it up. Thats kind of the reason they broke off in the first place. I think they would have taken (and still would take) UConn if they dropped FB down to FCS.
03-07-2016 11:49 AM
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RE: Was remaining in the Big East an option for UConn?
(03-07-2016 09:38 AM)Hank Schrader Wrote:  Technically UConn, Cincy and USF are the only teams that remained in the Big East. Even the Big East left the Big East. It's confusing.

UConn, due to having FBS football, will not be welcomed in the New Big East. I think the New Big East appreciates the stability they have found. Plus, the success they seem to be having on the court since the split suggest there is no need to invite the instability that a program with FBS football would create.

From a Georgetown fan's perspective, even though I like that the new Big East is focused strictly on basketball and we no longer have to deal with football issues, had UConn been willing to put your basketball only in the new Big East, that would have been A-OK with me, and I bet it would have been with the new Big East as well. Whether your team is having an up year or down, we miss not having UConn in the NBE and always will.

I think the desire not to be in the NBE was more on UConn's side, as you guys wanted your football and basketball in the same place, an understandable position to have. It's a pain in the ass to be in different conferences with different rules, different goals and agendas, etc.
(This post was last modified: 03-07-2016 12:24 PM by quo vadis.)
03-07-2016 12:22 PM
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RE: Was remaining in the Big East an option for UConn?
(03-07-2016 11:11 AM)johnbragg Wrote:  
(03-07-2016 11:09 AM)Captain Bearcat Wrote:  
(03-07-2016 10:26 AM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote:  http://ajerseyguy.com/?p=4719

Article from Blauds in January of 2013.

The possibility of UConn/UC staying with the C7 was put on the table after the rumor of SMU/Houston leaving the Big East before ever playing a game, similar to Boise State and San Diego State. For UConn/UC, it would have meant either joining the MWC/MAC/C-USA for football-only, while continuing to play in the New Big East with the C7 for basketball and olympic sports. Blauds painted it as a win-win, since it allowed both schools the opportunity to continuing to have FBS football, while still remaining in a power basketball conference.

Barring some unique arrangement and/or circumstance, I believe any possibility of UConn/UC re-joining the Big East is slim to none.

As a Marquette fan, I really miss both the Cincinnati (from both the BE, C-USA and Great Midwest) as well as the UConn match-ups. Both have great fans and travel well. However, they both deserve to be in a power conference for football - and being in the Big East doesn't help them attain that goal.

I didn't know MWC fb-only was a realistic option. If it was, UConn and UC dropped the ball - big time. It would have been a lateral move for FB and a big step up for everything else. Lots more media $$$ too.

Depends what you mean by "realistic option." Did MWC ever consider, even privately, UConn as a fb-only? I doubt it. BUT, if UConn were known to be considering a FB-only, that would have opened the Aresco League to a death blow, mounting the Big East Football Conference's severed head next to that of the WAC in HAir Thompson's evil secret lair.

It wouldn't have been just UConn. It would have been UConn and Cincinnati. I think the C7 was determined to get rid of USF, ECU, Tulane, etc. But if they were going to keep UConn there's no reason they wouldn't have also kept UC.

And UConn needed UC as a partner to entice the MWC. That would have been a very attractive package to the MWC at the time - it would have gutted the AAC and set the MWC up as the clear #1 among the G5.
03-07-2016 02:02 PM
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GoldenWarrior11 Offline
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RE: Was remaining in the Big East an option for UConn?
It would have been interesting to see what the TV contract difference would have been had UConn and/or Cincinnati not stayed with the football schools and pursued remaining with the C7 for all sports but football in the Big East. The Big East, a non-football conference, got a 12-year $500 million deal from FOX, where as the AAC, a football conference, got a 7-year $126 million deal from ESPN. If UConn/UC stayed with the Big East, would that tv deal have been increased? Would the AAC's be even lower - without two of the final three remaining old Big East schools?

Money doesn't matter now to those two schools, as they are still collecting the war chest that was established when the split occurred, but it that potential change would have been interesting to analyze and discuss.
03-07-2016 02:38 PM
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RE: Was remaining in the Big East an option for UConn?
No because UCONN would have always had a different agenda then the others schools in the Big East. The schools in the Big East want to be the best basketball conference and stay together with private catholic schools throughout the northern us. UConn could have gone there and put their football in a G5 conference or Independent but the whole time they would be thinking in the back of their heads how do they get an all sports invite to a P5. When everyone at the Big East meetings are talking about the future, UConn made of not paid as much attention since they thought they might have a shot at a P5 invite.
03-07-2016 02:50 PM
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RE: Was remaining in the Big East an option for UConn?
(03-07-2016 02:38 PM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote:  It would have been interesting to see what the TV contract difference would have been had UConn and/or Cincinnati not stayed with the football schools and pursued remaining with the C7 for all sports but football in the Big East. The Big East, a non-football conference, got a 12-year $500 million deal from FOX, where as the AAC, a football conference, got a 7-year $126 million deal from ESPN. If UConn/UC stayed with the Big East, would that tv deal have been increased? Would the AAC's be even lower - without two of the final three remaining old Big East schools?

Money doesn't matter now to those two schools, as they are still collecting the war chest that was established when the split occurred, but it that potential change would have been interesting to analyze and discuss.

As I indicated it my prior post, if UC and UConn stayed in the Big East the AAC would never had existed. All that would have had to be settled after WVU, Syracuse and Pitt left the Big East would be what happened to USF. Does USF stay with UC, UConn and C7 or do they go all sports in C-USA or some other conference? Not having a conference to go, the schools that moved up from C-USA would have remained in their prior homes as would have Temple. Navy would have remained an indy.

From there the TV possibilities would be interesting. The Big East may not have gone to Fox. Not having to pay the AAC, maybe ESPN would have offered more money to keep the Big East with the C7, UConn and UC.
03-07-2016 03:07 PM
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Rabbit_in_Red Offline
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RE: Was remaining in the Big East an option for UConn?
UConn in the Mountain West...Jesus this board has gone full retard...
03-07-2016 05:52 PM
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gosports1 Offline
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RE: Was remaining in the Big East an option for UConn?
I find it hard to believe that UConn and Cincy were asked or even considered. Not as long as they continued with the FBS FB. It doesn't make sense, why would the c7 plus these 2, "leave" the BE to form a "new" conference? They already were a conference. Why would 9 of the remaining 10 old BE schools leave and end up giving USF all the $$? the other new schools were on their way. CUSA already had replacements planned. Tulane etc weren't going back.
UConn and Cincy were actively campaigning to get out of the BE, why would that change if they ended up being the only 2 FB schools in a new conference? They both would be out the door at the first chance they got
03-07-2016 07:43 PM
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