With unexpected losses in tournament play for both men's and women's BB teams, UConn may have made a foolish choice in leaving the AAC. So far, dashing to the New Big East has not paid off for BB. And football has yet to start as an independent. It is likely to be a bumpy road.

UCONN will review and confirm it was the correct move.

It was definitely the right move, from the NBE they made the NCAA Tournament in Men's BB, as members of the AAC they would have ben in the NIT with Memphis and SMU, the BIAS against the AAC is too great because of the G5 label.

(04-02-2021 11:25 PM)GoOwls111 Wrote:  It was definitely the right move, from the NBE they made the NCAA Tournament in Men's BB, as members of the AAC they would have ben in the NIT with Memphis and SMU, the BIAS against the AAC is too great because of the G5 label.

Which is why we were absolutely foolish to get rid of the Big East name. Worst decision this conference has ever made.

(04-02-2021 11:56 PM)PirateJP Wrote:  

(04-02-2021 11:25 PM)GoOwls111 Wrote:  It was definitely the right move, from the NBE they made the NCAA Tournament in Men's BB, as members of the AAC they would have ben in the NIT with Memphis and SMU, the BIAS against the AAC is too great because of the G5 label.

Which is why we were absolutely foolish to get rid of the Big East name. Worst decision this conference has ever made.

I was one of the few that thought that was a mistake. Furthermore, if your were going to sell a brand name for 100 million---at least use some of that money to build your new brand. We should have used at least 25 million of that windfall to create a high end bowl for our champion. Twenty five million would have guaranteed the financial stability of a high payout bowl capable of attracting a high end P5 opponent. No reason such a bowl would not have quickly begun to break even financially---freeing up most of the $25 million dollar reserve to be released to the AAC schools.

Using every single dollar of the sale of the Big East name to pump up the payout over the short run was massive strategic mistake. If we now had a major bowl that was well established with a strong P5 tie---the conference would look far more like a P6 that it currently does. It was like a 21 year old blowing his inheritance on a fast car and a month of bottle service at the hottest local night club.

The Big East name was toxic to football. If we wanted to be a basketball conference, fine. But the money was, and still is in football.

Woulda coulda shoulda...

(04-03-2021 12:20 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(04-02-2021 11:56 PM)PirateJP Wrote:  

(04-02-2021 11:25 PM)GoOwls111 Wrote:  It was definitely the right move, from the NBE they made the NCAA Tournament in Men's BB, as members of the AAC they would have ben in the NIT with Memphis and SMU, the BIAS against the AAC is too great because of the G5 label.

Which is why we were absolutely foolish to get rid of the Big East name. Worst decision this conference has ever made.

I was one of the few that thought that was a mistake. Furthermore, if your were going to sell a brand name for 100 million---at least use some of that money to build your new brand. We should have used at least 25 million of that windfall to create a high end bowl for our champion. Twenty five million would have guaranteed the financial stability of a high payout bowl capable of attracting a high end P5 opponent. No reason such a bowl would not have quickly begun to break even financially---freeing up most of the $25 million dollar reserve to be released to the AAC schools.

Using every single dollar of the sale of the Big East name to pump up the payout over the short run was massive strategic mistake. If we now had a major bowl that was well established with a strong P5 tie---the conference would look far more like a P6 that it currently does.

.

Very insightful strategic analysis - - but perhaps it isn't too late!

Thanks to their enhanced ESPN package, the AAC schools would be able to pull $25 milion together without a great deal of difficulty, especially if they would be certain to receive a sufficient amount in compensation from the proceeds.

$25,000,000 / 11 schools = $2.27 million per school

Each AAC school would have the wherewithal to invest that amount - - or to pledge $1 million now and $1.27M ($254K/yr) over the next five years) for a bowl game with a P5 opponent that would start to reap rewards when the first bowl game is played.*

.

Question: How many years would it take for the AAC schools to recoup their $2.72 investment in the $25 million fund that would be required to "...(guarantee) the financial stability of a high payout bowl capable of attracting a high end P5 opponent." ?

If it would only take a few years to recoup their investment, and if their P5 bowl game would then become a reliable "cash cow" for the AAC schools, wouldn't this proposal be a "no-brainer?"

p.s. One hopes that an AAC board member will get wind of the notion.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*The AAC representative would have to be the #2 ranked conference team if the #1 AAC team is invited to play in a NY6 bowl.

.

I believe it was a big mistake. Houston proving you can be a great basketball team from this league and do very well on the national level. Uconn in my opinion was lead by older alum who wanted to leave AAC for a chance at reliving the glory of the old Big East.

Football drives the train and now Uconn Football will struggle for years to come. Uconn could have stayed in AAC had great basketball and compete in a very good football league. Now imo they will be wondering the sports desert without a clear way out if it. Am sure there is buyers remorse right now and would not be surprised if they asked back into the AAC.

(04-03-2021 04:37 AM)baruna falls Wrote:  I believe it was a big mistake. Houston proving you can be a great basketball team from this league and do very well on the national level. Uconn in my opinion was lead by older alum who wanted to leave AAC for a chance at reliving the glory of the old Big East.

Football drives the train and now Uconn Football will struggle for years to come. Uconn could have stayed in AAC had great basketball and compete in a very good football league. Now imo they will be wondering the sports desert without a clear way out if it. Am sure there is buyers remorse right now and would not be surprised if they asked back into the AAC.

Interesting. I haven't read many other posts along these lines.

Their MBB prospects seem bright; they certainly improved this year.

What I'd read was that a big part of their decision was that they were losing so much money on football that they thought they had to do something drastic, such as schedule a completely different set of opponents.

Also that they wouldn't fall far behind financially because the Big East doesn't pay a whole lot less than the AAC, and because the travel expenses are a lot lower - - so they thought they'd come out ahead, especially if they could boost their FB attendance with innovative scheduling.

There has been a fair amount of speculation about the possibility of a new G5 FB conference being a possibility if a few more eastern U.S. FCS schools (e.g., James Madison, Jacksonville St., N. Carolina A&T, and Youngstown St.) make the transition to FBS.

If 5 or 6 FCS teams make the jump in the next 5-10 years maybe UConn will eventually consider joining for FB-only, along with UMass, Liberty, and possibly Army or NMSU.

The MAC isn't an option because they won't take any more FB-only schools, and that's why UMass left the MAC.

The Sun Belt only has 10 teams, and they've had northern schools before (Idaho), so perhaps UConn will want to consider joining the SBC if they would take a FB-only school - - it's a great G5 conference.

.

Did UConn actually improve this year???? Or were they just in an easier conference?

UConn wasn't crap in the AAC. They switch to the Big Least and now BOOM, suddenly their good???

... which we saw how good they were when they were routinely dispatched by the 9th place B1G team in the first round.

If anyone cares to remember back to normal world, ALL the decisions were made for football. And yes, the name "Big East" was a joke in the football world. And that's when we still had Louisville, WV, Pitt and Syracuse. With the removal of those, the BE was going to be even more discounted.

So no, giving up the name was not as big of a deal as some make of it now. It's revisionist history.

I'll bet most casual fans don't even know UConn has a football team anymore. They made a huge mistake.

There are money difficulties at almost all Universities everywhere after the pandemic. Whether intercollegiate athletics comes back as strong as before at most universities, may be the Million Dollar question. Things may totally change with many economies being negatively affected by Covid.

(04-03-2021 02:20 AM)jedclampett Wrote:  

(04-03-2021 12:20 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(04-02-2021 11:56 PM)PirateJP Wrote:  

(04-02-2021 11:25 PM)GoOwls111 Wrote:  It was definitely the right move, from the NBE they made the NCAA Tournament in Men's BB, as members of the AAC they would have ben in the NIT with Memphis and SMU, the BIAS against the AAC is too great because of the G5 label.

Which is why we were absolutely foolish to get rid of the Big East name. Worst decision this conference has ever made.

I was one of the few that thought that was a mistake. Furthermore, if your were going to sell a brand name for 100 million---at least use some of that money to build your new brand. We should have used at least 25 million of that windfall to create a high end bowl for our champion. Twenty five million would have guaranteed the financial stability of a high payout bowl capable of attracting a high end P5 opponent. No reason such a bowl would not have quickly begun to break even financially---freeing up most of the $25 million dollar reserve to be released to the AAC schools.

Using every single dollar of the sale of the Big East name to pump up the payout over the short run was massive strategic mistake. If we now had a major bowl that was well established with a strong P5 tie---the conference would look far more like a P6 that it currently does.

.

Very insightful strategic analysis - - but perhaps it isn't too late!

Thanks to their enhanced ESPN package, the AAC schools would be able to pull $25 milion together without a great deal of difficulty, especially if they would be certain to receive a sufficient amount in compensation from the proceeds.

$25,000,000 / 11 schools = $2.27 million per school

Each AAC school would have the wherewithal to invest that amount - - or to pledge $1 million now and $1.27M ($254K/yr) over the next five years) for a bowl game with a P5 opponent that would start to reap rewards when the first bowl game is played.*

.

Question: How many years would it take for the AAC schools to recoup their $2.72 investment in the $25 million fund that would be required to "...(guarantee) the financial stability of a high payout bowl capable of attracting a high end P5 opponent." ?

If it would only take a few years to recoup their investment, and if their P5 bowl game would then become a reliable "cash cow" for the AAC schools, wouldn't this proposal be a "no-brainer?"

p.s. One hopes that an AAC board member will get wind of the notion.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*The AAC representative would have to be the #2 ranked conference team if the #1 AAC team is invited to play in a NY6 bowl.

.

The AAC schools aren't in the investment business though. They are in the play for pay business. Keep winning the CFP playoff spot and win the game when an AAC team is in an at large game and the money will come. Play with and for someone else's money not your own.

(04-03-2021 07:54 AM)panite Wrote:  

(04-03-2021 02:20 AM)jedclampett Wrote:  

(04-03-2021 12:20 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(04-02-2021 11:56 PM)PirateJP Wrote:  

(04-02-2021 11:25 PM)GoOwls111 Wrote:  It was definitely the right move, from the NBE they made the NCAA Tournament in Men's BB, as members of the AAC they would have ben in the NIT with Memphis and SMU, the BIAS against the AAC is too great because of the G5 label.

Which is why we were absolutely foolish to get rid of the Big East name. Worst decision this conference has ever made.

I was one of the few that thought that was a mistake. Furthermore, if your were going to sell a brand name for 100 million---at least use some of that money to build your new brand. We should have used at least 25 million of that windfall to create a high end bowl for our champion. Twenty five million would have guaranteed the financial stability of a high payout bowl capable of attracting a high end P5 opponent. No reason such a bowl would not have quickly begun to break even financially---freeing up most of the $25 million dollar reserve to be released to the AAC schools.

Using every single dollar of the sale of the Big East name to pump up the payout over the short run was massive strategic mistake. If we now had a major bowl that was well established with a strong P5 tie---the conference would look far more like a P6 that it currently does.

.

Very insightful strategic analysis - - but perhaps it isn't too late!

Thanks to their enhanced ESPN package, the AAC schools would be able to pull $25 milion together without a great deal of difficulty, especially if they would be certain to receive a sufficient amount in compensation from the proceeds.

$25,000,000 / 11 schools = $2.27 million per school

Each AAC school would have the wherewithal to invest that amount - - or to pledge $1 million now and $1.27M ($254K/yr) over the next five years) for a bowl game with a P5 opponent that would start to reap rewards when the first bowl game is played.*

.

Question: How many years would it take for the AAC schools to recoup their $2.72 investment in the $25 million fund that would be required to "...(guarantee) the financial stability of a high payout bowl capable of attracting a high end P5 opponent." ?

If it would only take a few years to recoup their investment, and if their P5 bowl game would then become a reliable "cash cow" for the AAC schools, wouldn't this proposal be a "no-brainer?"

p.s. One hopes that an AAC board member will get wind of the notion.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*The AAC representative would have to be the #2 ranked conference team if the #1 AAC team is invited to play in a NY6 bowl.

.

Keep winning the CFP playoff spot and win the game when an AAC team is in an at large game and the money will come. Play with and for someone else's money not your own.

I'm not convinced by that response and will look forward to AC's response.

.

I do miss UCONN baseball. Solid NCAA tourney team year in and year out.

the obsession with the big east name is so odd to me.... that name would have been toxic to us.. and a never ending comparison to the old big east

look at this year, we were at risk of being a 1 bid league for most of the year, if no one could beat Houston...most of the media talk actually defended us, and said we were underrated should get atleast 2, even though it was considered a weaker year

now imagine the media talking point if the big east with only 2 team in the east at risk of being a 1 bid league...the media would have none stop just talked about the descent of the big east, the media would have been harsh

upcoming league > a fallen from grace league

it was a move the fans and old-timers wanted.
they were strapped for cash and had to cut their losses (football) to save the ship.
the prospect of going to a P5 league was far removed because of their poor football program.
they wanted to save face and looked for a reason for their poor performance on the court.

in the big east, they will always get the "eye test" bump as shown in their making the tourney this year even though they always were a middle-of-the-pack AAC team.
they were on the upswing in basketball and in honesty, it seemed like a good move for them.

their fans are for the most part happy and they remedied all of the negatives posted earlier. in the long haul, i think it was a bad decision move. they essentially killed their football program and have forgone any changes of going to a P5. the AAC conference is actually a good conference in both basketball and football and it will only be a matter of time before we get the respect we deserve. in the next agreement our contract will dwarf the big east one and we would have pulled away.

to me it was a short term gain financially.

as for uconn as long as you dont care about football its the right move.. which has been the case so its fine

i disagree with the narrative they wouldnt have gotten a bid in the aac... uconn won quality games in the nonconference, which is what hurt memphis, wichita and smu...they probably win more games when bouknight was out in the aac.. they not only make the tourney in the aac they would have likely gotten a higher seed

but their fans are happy and dont blame the conference for their struggles, so i think its the right move..
uconn failed to reach the title this year again and there were no hot take articles that the big east didnt prepare them, like with the aac...thy just accepted that they lost

Because UConn decided to bury its comatose football program, the BE move made sense.

(04-03-2021 08:48 AM)pesik Wrote:  as for uconn as long as you dont care about football its the right move.. which has been the case so its fine

i disagree with the narrative they wouldnt have gotten a bid in the aac... uconn won quality games in the nonconference, which is what hurt memphis, wichita and smu...they probably win more games when bouknight was out in the aac.. they not only make the tourney in the aac they would have likely gotten a higher seed

but their fans are happy and dont blame the conference for their struggles, so i think its the right move..
uconn failed to reach the title this year again and there were no hot take articles that the big east didnt prepare them, like with the aac...thy just accepted that they lost

Completely agree. As a basketball move it makes sense for them and still does. They will be fine in basketball and their fans seem fine with that. Now football that’s a different story, basically they are a glorified FCS team and they haven’t felt the consequences of that yet since they haven’t played yet. I can see them eventually dropping back to FCS in football.

I agree with pesik. Good riddance to the Big East name. It has plenty of value to the Catholic 7 which includes several original members (Connecticut, Georgetown, Providence, Seton Hall, and St. John's) an almost original member in Villanova and two others who played under that name in DePaul and Marquette. For us only Cincinnati and USF played using the Big East name for basketball and there is only one remaining original Big East Football member in Temple. We were never going to live up to the Big East basketball brand and would have been routinely laughed at since we don't have the strength or geography of the Big East peak years.

Our slogan is American Rising which is a much more accurate depiction of the conference. I doubt SMU, Tulane, and UCF would be attracting better recruits on the sole basis of the Big East name. Now if the Catholic 7 had not decided to break away we absolutely would be able to land better recruits with the prospect of playing the name brands of UConn, Georgetown, Villanovea, etc. That was never an option so no reason to lament.

As for UConn, they gave up on the prospects of a much better future (P5 or P6) for the reality of a better present playing teams like Villanova, Georgetown, St. John's, etc. I think it's fair to say there are benefits to both conferences. As long as they and their fans are happy that's what really matters. I wish they were still in our conference but wish them well.