(10-17-2017 02:18 PM)GoldenWarrior11 Wrote: UConn is not returning to the Big East - at least not until the next AAC contract is decided. Jumping ship now would just be foolish. If UConn really wants to come back to the Big East, that door will still be open down the road, IMO. There's no urgency right now to get back together.
From the Big East's perspective, if the goal is really go to 20 conference games AND keep the round-robin sooner, it makes too much sense to invite Saint Louis after this year (with SLU much improved and no longer being at the bottom of the A-10). Ford has been recruiting very well since he was hired, and he has taken the Fred Hoiberg-route towards building a contender (acquiring lots of transfers). SLU is not only a like-minded institution with Marquette, Xavier and Creighton, but they would also bring a strong media market, and bring added value in terms of additional games during conference play, another conference tournament game in MSG, and add a good travel partner for Creighton in Olympic sports. They also have a fantastic arena that seats 10k, that would be on par with almost all of the other BE facilities.
Wrong. If the drive is for 20 then it has to be TV ratings driven, and that means a UConn over SLU by a very large margin. FOX would be the driver.
The problem however is on the UConn side, and has three parts
1. Football needs a home, and by that I mean Bowl access and quality scheduling.
2. Revenue for football must be at least revenue neutral compared to today.
3. The hefty exit fees from the AAC must be covered
- this means $10m, even if spread out over 10 years via a loan (from the University to knock the price below $1m per year)
- this means 2+ years notice
Could the home be as an Indy? Possibly, but it would require FOX or CBS (can't see ESPN wanting to help FS1 Big East Basketball, so it wont be them) to partner with UConn and provide a contract in the BYU ball park (say $4-5m per year) to help cover the loan to pay the exit fee and remain at least revenue neutral. The other item they need is Bowl access, and that could be an issue with ESPN controlling almost all the games. Scheduling after September is an issue, and would require their network sponsor to help (unless you like a November schedule of Liberty or UMass and some FCS school like Wagner).
It's sort of a catch-22 for FOX. While they would benefit greatly from adding UConn to the Big East, gaining a week or two in December of quality programming and 20 more Big East games (from 90 to 110), they would likely have to expend some of that gain to support UConn football. And UConn's powers that be, especially in Football, have to be convinced it's worth it.
The addition of SLU is not so great an add. Yes FOX gains 20 games, but the SLU TV audience does not help improve advertising the legions of UConn fans would. It's just a minor brand.
So it's UConn or nobody. And UConn has a high threshold of cost.