UC's Whit Babcock: 'We're going to make it through all this'
Bearcats' AD adds 'there's still some miles to go' before Catholic 7 departure is done deal
Mar 2, 2013
Whit Babcock said Saturday: "It’s disappointing when you lose rivalries and things like that.” / Enquirer file photo
Written by
Bill Koch
As events continue to chip away at what’s left of the Big East Conference, University of Cincinnati athletic director Whit Babcock would love to be able to tell fans which conference the Bearcats will end up in and exactly when that will happen.
He’d like to wave a magic wand and relieve all the angst that has enveloped the Bearcats’ fan base in recent months.
But all he can do is offer a personal belief that the UC athletic program will survive the current uncertainty surrounding it and remain affiliated with a major conference when the smoke finally clears.
“We’re going to make it through all this,” Babcock said before UC’s victory over Connecticut on Saturday at Fifth Third Arena. “I just wish I knew when, but we’re going to make it through.”
The latest blow to the Big East – and to UC – is the likelihood that the seven Catholic schools who have agreed to form their own league will begin play in the new conference next school year instead of waiting until 2014-15, when Louisville and Rutgers are expected to leave for the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big Ten respectively.
Babcock attended a meeting of the Big East presidents and athletic directors in Atlanta on Friday.
“There’s still some miles to go before all this Catholic seven stuff is all the way finished up,” Babcock said. “I just think there’s some legal wrangling and other things left to go. I think it’s more than likely (that they’ll be gone next year) but I wouldn’t say it’s a foregone conclusion either. There’s two sides to a settlement.
“It’s a little surprising. I thought for the most part that everything was gearing toward June of 2014 and I guess in the latest round of negotiations, ‘13’ came back to the table pretty fast. It’s disappointing when you lose rivalries and things like that.”
Babcock insists that UC is in a good position for the future.
“We’re in a good spot in the way that I think we’re the prettiest one at the dance that’s out there,” he said. “Our football program over the last six or seven seasons, our average BCS finish is 16th. That’s higher than any ACC or Big East school other than Virginia Tech. We’ve won or shared four of five Big East titles in football. Our basketball team has been in the NCAA tournament in 15 of the last 21 years. We’re in a good spot potentially. This is a stock on the rise.”
The UC athletic director said the Bearcats are being as pro-active as possible but declined to say which measures officials are taking to ensure that the school ends up in one of the five remaining premier conferences.
“That’s probably not in our best interest for me to answer that question,” Babcock said. “It’s on the top of my list every day. You can get too concerned to where you worry about a lot of things you can’t control. We try to focus every day on what we can control and that’s getting better competitively, facility-wise and all that.”
Babcock acknowledged that if the Catholic schools leave the Big East this June, it will affect the Bearcats’ scheduling.
“Basketball is easier than football,” Babcock said, “but we’re going to have to sit down and look at our RPI and strength of schedule and how we supplement it and how we do it. Butler seems to do it. Gonzaga seems to do it and those are great programs, but I think our program is at a higher level than those guys.”
Asked if he was confident that UC would eventually land in the ACC, Babcock declined to answer.
“I will say that I do have a high degree of confidence that realignment is not over,” Babcock said. “But if you say, when it is going to happen? I can’t answer that question for you. That’s why we stay the course and I truly believe that UC is going to be OK. It causes some anxiety for all of us in the meantime. It’s confident that conference realignment is not over so we’re going to be ready.
“Whatever league we’re in, we can sit around and worry about it or we can try to win it.”
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130...rough-all-