Can’t really compare Big12 basketball to AAC basketball. They are as different as California and Texas. I think Cinncinati and Memphis were the only teams UConn fans took serious in the AAC. Women’s team never lost a game and was never even close to losing a game, average victory in the conference had to be 40-50+ over 130 games or whatever it was.

At the end it’s money versus quality on the court/field.

Outlier schools struggle, it’s just fact at this point. We’ve seen it in pretty much every scenario.

I have no doubt ucla and usc will see the same thing.

From student travel, to low local support to, to lost or rivals. It all matters.

I travel a bit for work and the whole eastern time to pacific time back and forths are brutal. Imagine doing it for almost every away game.

But if there’s a football invite the money is just too great to ignore. Basketball only then it’s an easy pass.

I understanding it’s not ideal. But does UConn really need to play Seton Hall and St. John’s to be good in basketball?

I get wanting to play regional teams. But the situations with the AAC and the Big 12 are completely different. Travel is the same but you are traveling to play Kansas, Baylor, Kansas St, West Virginia, Oklahoma St, etc. instead of Tulsa, Tulane, and SMU.

(05-21-2023 11:48 AM)BcatMatt13 Wrote:  I understanding it’s not ideal. But does UConn really need to play Seton Hall and St. John’s to be good in basketball?

I get wanting to play regional teams. But the situations with the AAC and the Big 12 are completely different. Travel is the same but you are traveling to play Kansas, Baylor, Kansas St, West Virginia, Oklahoma St, etc. instead of Tulsa, Tulane, and SMU.

I don’t think we’ve seen a school far away from the hub of the conference be very successful. WVU is maybe the closest, but has been meh in football and solid in basketball—with a Hall of Fame coach.

I think part of it with basketball is it really does help recruiting more than football. Exposure in your metros; BC and Syracuse fell off, Missouri has not been impressive, etc.

(05-21-2023 12:19 PM)esayem Wrote:  

(05-21-2023 11:48 AM)BcatMatt13 Wrote:  I understanding it’s not ideal. But does UConn really need to play Seton Hall and St. John’s to be good in basketball?

I get wanting to play regional teams. But the situations with the AAC and the Big 12 are completely different. Travel is the same but you are traveling to play Kansas, Baylor, Kansas St, West Virginia, Oklahoma St, etc. instead of Tulsa, Tulane, and SMU.

I don’t think we’ve seen a school far away from the hub of the conference be very successful. WVU is maybe the closest, but has been meh in football and solid in basketball—with a Hall of Fame coach.

I think part of it with basketball is it really does help recruiting more than football. Exposure in your metros; BC and Syracuse fell off, Missouri has not been impressive, etc.

Cincinnati isn’t exactly close to anyone in the AAC. Obviously not a complete outlier like UConn but the closest school is Memphis 7 hours away and then Temple 9 hours away. Football has been more than fine.

(05-19-2023 07:58 PM)BcatMatt13 Wrote:  

(05-19-2023 07:50 PM)gosports1 Wrote:  I don't think UConn and the B12 are a match. They are better off going to the ACC once whatever will happen to that league happens. I also get it would be difficult giving up the $ a B12 all sport invite might mean waiting for the ACC.
I don't understand how any fan of a BE school would be ok with taking UConn back again if the B12 didn't work out. IMO one of the things UConn would need to consider in a move would be, there is no going back

“Fits” in conferences went out the window a long time ago. It’s now about survival. If UConn is still serious about competing in FBS football and a Big 12 invite comes, they have to take it.

If something happens down the line that jeopardizes whatever the Big 12 turns out to be, then you figure that problem out then.

I agree. Personally, I think the Big East is great, but if you have FBS football, then you need to take a P5 invite because you never know if/when another one is ever coming.

(05-21-2023 12:59 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(05-19-2023 07:58 PM)BcatMatt13 Wrote:  

(05-19-2023 07:50 PM)gosports1 Wrote:  I don't think UConn and the B12 are a match. They are better off going to the ACC once whatever will happen to that league happens. I also get it would be difficult giving up the $ a B12 all sport invite might mean waiting for the ACC.
I don't understand how any fan of a BE school would be ok with taking UConn back again if the B12 didn't work out. IMO one of the things UConn would need to consider in a move would be, there is no going back

“Fits” in conferences went out the window a long time ago. It’s now about survival. If UConn is still serious about competing in FBS football and a Big 12 invite comes, they have to take it.

If something happens down the line that jeopardizes whatever the Big 12 turns out to be, then you figure that problem out then.

I agree. Personally, I think the Big East is great, but if you have FBS football, then you need to take a P5 invite because you never know if/when another one is ever coming.

To me, it's not even about the money as higher coaching salaries, possibly bringing back sports, and more travel could eat into the extra revenue significantly. It's about moving up a rung on the football ladder (from level 3 to level 2) to help position the school to make a run at the last spot in the Big 10 if the conference goes to 24 schools and breaks away from the NCAA with the SEC.

(05-21-2023 11:48 AM)BcatMatt13 Wrote:  I understanding it’s not ideal. But does UConn really need to play Seton Hall and St. John’s to be good in basketball?

I get wanting to play regional teams. But the situations with the AAC and the Big 12 are completely different. Travel is the same but you are traveling to play Kansas, Baylor, Kansas St, West Virginia, Oklahoma St, etc. instead of Tulsa, Tulane, and SMU.

Yes UConn basketball needs St Johns and Seton Hall - those are the 2 biggest teams actually in NYC metro - UConn must have a large presence in NYC to thrive. Playing Balyor, Kansas St, Okla St to the recruits & fans is little different than playing Tulsa, Tulane and SMU - far away schools no one cares about. Kansas is a great game but that can just be scheduled non-conference.

I find the position of the bball first UConn fans to be fascinating. WVU was in the big East for a long time so and I feel like I know that league pretty well. Syracuse is gone. BC is gone. You can schedule non conference games in NYC. Certainly we’re not talking about missing games with tiny Providence College, are we? One trip to Baylor and their fans and media will realize they’re not playing Tulane. If the move happen, UConn can play their home game against wvu at MSG. Very confident WVU would bring as many/more fans to the game there then St Johns would

Jackson

(05-21-2023 12:25 PM)BcatMatt13 Wrote:  

(05-21-2023 12:19 PM)esayem Wrote:  

(05-21-2023 11:48 AM)BcatMatt13 Wrote:  I understanding it’s not ideal. But does UConn really need to play Seton Hall and St. John’s to be good in basketball?

I get wanting to play regional teams. But the situations with the AAC and the Big 12 are completely different. Travel is the same but you are traveling to play Kansas, Baylor, Kansas St, West Virginia, Oklahoma St, etc. instead of Tulsa, Tulane, and SMU.

I don’t think we’ve seen a school far away from the hub of the conference be very successful. WVU is maybe the closest, but has been meh in football and solid in basketball—with a Hall of Fame coach.

I think part of it with basketball is it really does help recruiting more than football. Exposure in your metros; BC and Syracuse fell off, Missouri has not been impressive, etc.

Cincinnati isn’t exactly close to anyone in the AAC. Obviously not a complete outlier like UConn but the closest school is Memphis 7 hours away and then Temple 9 hours away. Football has been more than fine.

Should have included P5 conference.

(05-19-2023 07:40 PM)uconnwhaler Wrote:  

(05-19-2023 05:26 PM)maybeimhere Wrote:  

(05-19-2023 03:47 PM)Jackson1011 Wrote:  

We all remember the last commissioner campus visit, don't we?

I don’t. Care to enlighten (serious).

I could be wrong, but I'm guessing it was Kliavkoff to SMU.

(05-21-2023 02:58 PM)Jackson1011 Wrote:  I find the position of the bball first UConn fans to be fascinating. WVU was in the big East for a long time so and I feel like I know that league pretty well. Syracuse is gone. BC is gone. You can schedule non conference games in NYC. Certainly we’re not talking about missing games with tiny Providence College, are we? One trip to Baylor and their fans and media will realize they’re not playing Tulane. If the move happen, UConn can play their home game against wvu at MSG. Very confident WVU would bring as many/more fans to the game there then St Johns would

Jackson

And to add to that, at this point we could see a Big 12 division that is a mini-revival of the old Big East with UConn, Syracuse, BC, Pitt, and WVU.

I'd personally like a division that looks like this:

BC
Cincinnati
UConn
Louisville
Memphis (Wake Forest might get the nod though)
Pitt
Syracuse
WVU

I think that would a fun division for both football and basketball.

(05-21-2023 04:23 PM)Alanda Wrote:  And to add to that, at this point we could see a Big 12 division that is a mini-revival of the old Big East with UConn, Syracuse, BC, Pitt, and WVU.

I'd personally like a division that looks like this:

BC
Cincinnati
UConn
Louisville
Memphis (Wake Forest might get the nod though)
Pitt
Syracuse
WVU

I think that would a fun division for both football and basketball.

BC will be out for UCF.

Honestly UCONN to the Big 12 makes a lot more sense than Gonzaga. UCONN has been relevant for a long time with multiple coaches and is the flagship university of their state.

It does not seem like the league presidents are in favor or adding UConn even if Yormark is. This would be pretty embarrassing TBH-hasn’t the Big 12 added enough G5 teams?


https://www.heartlandcollegesports.com/2...st-report/

(05-21-2023 05:36 PM)RUScarlets Wrote:  

(05-21-2023 04:23 PM)Alanda Wrote:  And to add to that, at this point we could see a Big 12 division that is a mini-revival of the old Big East with UConn, Syracuse, BC, Pitt, and WVU.

I'd personally like a division that looks like this:

BC
Cincinnati
UConn
Louisville
Memphis (Wake Forest might get the nod though)
Pitt
Syracuse
WVU

I think that would a fun division for both football and basketball.

BC will be out for UCF.

Maybe so. To me it doesn't feel like schools that are currently in A5 conferences will be squeezed out like some of the former SWC schools had to deal with. And while that was a selfish look at a division. It will probably look more like this if Kansas is gone to one of the P2:

East
BC
Cincinnati*
UConn
Pitt
Syracuse
UCF
Wake Forest
WVU

Central
Baylor
Iowa State
Kansas State
Houston
Louisville
Memphis*
Oklahoma State
TCU

West
Arizona
ASU
BYU
Colorado
Texas Tech (could be the biggest travel loser in this format)
Oregon State
Washington State/SDSU
Utah

*If USF got in instead of Memphis then USF goes into the East and Cincinnati to Central.

Six four-team pods or two 12-team divisions might be better options for a 24-team Big 12.

(05-21-2023 07:29 PM)Poster Wrote:  It does not seem like the league presidents are in favor or adding UConn even if Yormark is. This would be pretty embarrassing TBH-hasn’t the Big 12 added enough G5 teams?


https://www.heartlandcollegesports.com/2...st-report/

The G5 moniker is so lazy. UConn would be at or near the top of the Big12 in nearly every measurable category. This idea that Iowa State or Kansas State or Texas Tech or Cinci are in some other stratosphere is ridiculous.

(05-21-2023 02:58 PM)Jackson1011 Wrote:  I find the position of the bball first UConn fans to be fascinating. WVU was in the big East for a long time so and I feel like I know that league pretty well. Syracuse is gone. BC is gone. You can schedule non conference games in NYC. Certainly we’re not talking about missing games with tiny Providence College, are we? One trip to Baylor and their fans and media will realize they’re not playing Tulane. If the move happen, UConn can play their home game against wvu at MSG. Very confident WVU would bring as many/more fans to the game there then St Johns would

Jackson

I think the vast majority of UConn fans that I've come across are quite realistic that they need to take a Big 12 invite if it ever comes.

It's mostly the fans of other schools that don't want UConn to accept a Big 12 invite, whether it's believing the Big 12 shouldn't take anyone other than other P5 schools at this point, not believing that the UConn football program should exist at all at the FBS level (much less get a P5 invite), not wanting UConn to take a spot away from their school in the Big 12, etc.

The water that I am going to splash on UConn, football, and the Big XII is that I think UConn will drop football. I don't see the school leadership and state supporting these kinds of deficits.

Quote:UConn athletics deficit climbed to $53 million in 2022.

STORRS, Conn. -- The University of Connecticut's athletic department deficit rose to $53 million during the 2022 fiscal year, an increase the school attributed to $13.4 million it was forced to pay former head men's basketball coach Kevin Ollie.

The deficit, reported in the school's annual financial statement to the NCAA and released publicly on Tuesday, compares to a $47.2 million deficit reported for the 2021 fiscal year.

It was covered by $46.5 million in direct support from the school and another $6.5 million in student fees, according to the report.

...Discounting those payments, the actual operational institutional support to athletics decreased by $7.3 million to $33.2 million in fiscal 2022. The school also said it saw philanthropic donations rise to $23.6 million, which was the third-highest total in the athletic department's history, up 12% from the previous year.

(05-22-2023 09:54 AM)chess Wrote:  The water that I am going to splash onUConn, football, and the Big XII is that I think UConn will drop football. I don't see the school leadership and state supporting these kinds of deficits.

Quote:UConn athletics deficit climbed to $53 million in 2022.

STORRS, Conn. -- The University of Connecticut's athletic department deficit rose to $53 million during the 2022 fiscal year, an increase the school attributed to $13.4 million it was forced to pay former head men's basketball coach Kevin Ollie.

The deficit, reported in the school's annual financial statement to the NCAA and released publicly on Tuesday, compares to a $47.2 million deficit reported for the 2021 fiscal year.

It was covered by $46.5 million in direct support from the school and another $6.5 million in student fees, according to the report.

...Discounting those payments, the actual operational institutional support to athletics decreased by $7.3 million to $33.2 million in fiscal 2022. The school also said it saw philanthropic donations rise to $23.6 million, which was the third-highest total in the athletic department's history, up 12% from the previous year.

Such. Garbage. And it is getting really obnoxious hearing half-wits throw this around all the time.

The school couldn’t be more committed to football, from the top down. Nobody said BYU was de-prioritizing by going/staying independent, and we have similar reasons as they did for where we are. You obviously have done no research into our state or school leadership or the investments the school has made into sports, including football.

(05-22-2023 09:54 AM)chess Wrote:  The water that I am going to splash onUConn, football, and the Big XII is that I think UConn will drop football. I don't see the school leadership and state supporting these kinds of deficits.

Quote:UConn athletics deficit climbed to $53 million in 2022.

STORRS, Conn. -- The University of Connecticut's athletic department deficit rose to $53 million during the 2022 fiscal year, an increase the school attributed to $13.4 million it was forced to pay former head men's basketball coach Kevin Ollie.

The deficit, reported in the school's annual financial statement to the NCAA and released publicly on Tuesday, compares to a $47.2 million deficit reported for the 2021 fiscal year.

It was covered by $46.5 million in direct support from the school and another $6.5 million in student fees, according to the report.

...Discounting those payments, the actual operational institutional support to athletics decreased by $7.3 million to $33.2 million in fiscal 2022. The school also said it saw philanthropic donations rise to $23.6 million, which was the third-highest total in the athletic department's history, up 12% from the previous year.

I don't see it. No advantage for UConn even if the BBall merits a significant pay raise in the Big 12 versus the Big East (it would be marginal, and completely negated by overhead costs).