UCONN fans are starting to get real nervous.....

[KipsBayEagle]

http://the-boneyard.com/threads/8-183.101699/

This is not the only thread on Uconn boards expressing these sentiments.  Uconn alum are getting real nervous.  Attendance is down drastically.  The team's play is poor.  The conference is failing.  Not only is there no invite from a power conference coming, their athletic program is deteriorating at a rate that would not make them a viable candidate.

Add this to the school's athletic financial meltdown.  On the books, Uconn breaks even with a athletics program that both generated and expended 72 million dollars.  However, athletics is subsidized by student fee's of 28 million dollars.  (3,000 of fees per student)

I think after this basketball season uconn might start lobbying for membership in the big east.  There have been a million threads about this, but uconn alumni have reached their breaking point and are starting to notice an impending disaster for their athletic program.

[MUBigDance]

They need to get rid of football...I really think the Basketball Identity of the Big East is a key attribute. Would be nice to revive old rivalries before we all forget them but they have to do it the new Big East way.

and even if they do...do they get a shot over Dayton and the others who already fit our format better?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

UConn is the only school we would currently expand for. Only thing stopping them is football but the tide is slowly turning there.

I would love to add UConn, keep the double round robin, play twenty conference games and get rid of Houston Baptist and Western Carolina on the schedule.

[KipsBayEagle]

UConn is the only school we would currently expand for. Only thing stopping them is football but the tide is slowly turning there.

I would love to add UConn, keep the double round robin, play twenty conference games and get rid of Houston Baptist and Western Carolina on the schedule.

It's just mathematics and knowledge at this point.  The simple math is that at this rate the current athletic expenditure at Uconn can't continue.  A 28 million subsidy in the AAC will turn into a 30 million next year, 31 the next and so on.  It will eventually get to a level that just can't be ignored.

The knowledge is increasing too.  Real Sports on HBO and USA Today did a story on the budget deficits of all but a handful of BCS schools that received a lot of national press.  The fees being paid are also becoming so high (3,000 for a Uconn student going to a STATE school) that people can't just turn a blind eye to it.

When those two hit the right level, Uconn will be ready to drop football and lobby for membership in the big east.

[Marcus92]

Right now UConn looks like the 5th best team in a 1- or 2-bid conference.

It's possible that the Huskies men's basketball program isn't what it once was under Calhoun — and never will be again. UConn had a grand total of 1 NCAA appearance between 1967 and 1990. They've missed the tournament 2 out of the past 4 seasons since Ollie took over. What's UNLV been since Tarkanian? A nothing program in a nowhere conference.

Too bad, so sad. I honestly don't think we need them.

[Jay Bee]

S U P E R

[KipsBayEagle]

S U P E R

I disagree, this is relevant to Marquette basketball and the future of the Big East.  The plain language of the description of the SuperBar states "All things non-bball related." 

[naginiF]

Right now UConn looks like the 5th best team in a 1- or 2-bid conference.

It's possible that the Huskies men's basketball program isn't what it once was under Calhoun — and never will be again. UConn had a grand total of 1 NCAA appearance between 1967 and 1990. They've missed the tournament 2 out of the past 4 seasons since Ollie took over. What's UNLV been since Tarkanian? A nothing program in a nowhere conference.

Too bad, so sad. I honestly don't think we need them.

Let's not start judging a programs worth off the last 4 seasons.  I'm not a big fan of their institution or their own inflated sense of worth, but their program is bigger than the last 4 years and will definitely be back at some point.

Also agree - SuperBar

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Right now UConn looks like the 5th best team in a 1- or 2-bid conference.

It's possible that the Huskies men's basketball program isn't what it once was under Calhoun — and never will be again. UConn had a grand total of 1 NCAA appearance between 1967 and 1990. They've missed the tournament 2 out of the past 4 seasons since Ollie took over. What's UNLV been since Tarkanian? A nothing program in a nowhere conference.

Too bad, so sad. I honestly don't think we need them.

X, Butler, and Creighton's programs were all elevated once they got the Big East tag. I think the Big East tag would help revitalize UConn. Their sports across the board have declined since moving the AAC. Even UConn women's basketball looks beatable these days.

[Benny B]

I would love to add UConn, keep the double round robin, play twenty conference games and get rid of Houston Baptist and Western Carolina on the schedule.

I am not sure that this is in line with FS1's goals, which is programming.  By adding one member and going to 20 conference games, you'd be taking away two home OOC contests from each school.

Assuming current format of 10 teams, an 18-game conference season and a 10-game OOC schedule, with teams playing an average of 2 games away from home (exclusive of exempt tourney).

10 teams x 18 games / 2 (because it takes two conference teams to play 1 conference game) = 90 Conference Games
2 + 4 + 2 + 1 = 9 Conference tournament games
10 teams x 8 OOC games = 80 OOC games
Total = 174 games (i.e., to which Fox has the rights... even if they sell them off)

Now, let's go to 11, 20, and 8.
11 x 20 / 2 = 110 Conference
3 + 4 + 2 + 1 = 10 Conference tournament
11 x 6 = 60 OOC
Total = 180 games

So going to an 11-20 schedule would earn the conference 6 more games (with TV rights)

But if we kept the conference schedule at 18 with 11 teams...
11 x 18 / 2 =  99
3 + 4 + 2 + 1 = 10
11 x 8 = 88
Total = 197 games

Someone else check my math here.  Nevertheless... far be it for me to surmise what might be in the Fox contract, but I would suspect that any automatic increase in annual revenue from adding a member (or members) would be pegged to the prospect of 23 more programming opportunities, not 6.

[forgetful]

The $30M a year budget losses each year are not unique to UCONN, but most of the AAC, and often excludes the cost of scholarships.  If they would be willing to drop football, UCONN would be a very logical choice and adding them would still allow a double round robin with a 20 game schedule.  Would it be worthwhile though to consider going to 12 and having two divisions if others would drop football.  Choices from the AAC would include:

Memphis
Cincinnati
SMU

(excluding Houston who will never give up football and Temple who would likely be vetoed by Nova')

Choices from the A10 would include:

Dayton
VCU
St. Louis

One would have to assume that adding Memphis, Cincinnati, SMU or UCONN would bring in more $$$'s, not so sure about the A10 schools.  Would it be worth it if they dropped football.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

A good point Benny. I honestly don't know Fox' opinion on the matter. I would hope that Fox would value the quality of the added conference games over the quantity of the subtracted games against cupcakes. I honestly don't know what would be more valuable for them. I gotta think that they could replace those buy games against cupcakes with something that would draw more eyeballs than Depaul vs. Drake.

[Babybluejeans]

I wonder how much UConn has invested in things like stadium leases, programming, contracts, etc. that would prevent them from scrapping football. I can't imagine that program is ever going to be competitive in FBS.

[GGGG]

My guess is that part of the bonds to pay for the stadium are dependent on football attendance.  If that is the case, they can't just simply drop football because they have bills to pay - unless the operating loss is THAT big.

[Golden Avalanche]

Right now UConn looks like the 5th best team in a 1- or 2-bid conference.

It's possible that the Huskies men's basketball program isn't what it once was under Calhoun — and never will be again. UConn had a grand total of 1 NCAA appearance between 1967 and 1990. They've missed the tournament 2 out of the past 4 seasons since Ollie took over. What's UNLV been since Tarkanian? A nothing program in a nowhere conference.

Too bad, so sad. I honestly don't think we need them.

I'd love to miss the Tournament two of Wojo's first four seasons if we won a National Title in that time span.

[77ncaachamps]

As the flagship state school, I do not see them dropping FB.

Hell, the least populated states Wyoming, Vermont and North Dakota have flagship state school D-1 FB teams!

[Dawson Rental]

I'd love to miss the Tournament two of Wojo's first four seasons if we won a National Title in that time span.

Especially the way that UConn won that title, not at all unlike 1977 at MU.  Unexpected titles are the most fun titles.

[#UnleashSean]

Right now UConn looks like the 5th best team in a 1- or 2-bid conference.

It's possible that the Huskies men's basketball program isn't what it once was under Calhoun — and never will be again. UConn had a grand total of 1 NCAA appearance between 1967 and 1990. They've missed the tournament 2 out of the past 4 seasons since Ollie took over. What's UNLV been since Tarkanian? A nothing program in a nowhere conference.

Too bad, so sad. I honestly don't think we need them.

So your saying that the big East doesnt need Marquette. Because Uconns pedigree in the last 4 years is better then ours.

[We R Final Four]

Right now UConn looks like the 5th best team in a 1- or 2-bid conference.

It's possible that the Huskies men's basketball program isn't what it once was under Calhoun — and never will be again. UConn had a grand total of 1 NCAA appearance between 1967 and 1990. They've missed the tournament 2 out of the past 4 seasons since Ollie took over. What's UNLV been since Tarkanian? A nothing program in a nowhere conference.

Too bad, so sad. I honestly don't think we need them.

National Champs '99 '04 '11 and '14. National Champs. They cut down the nets.

So they have won the National Title 2 out of the last 6 years. That hardly equates to a nobody.
So they have been down the last few years, so what? Have they slipped into oblivion never to be seen or heard from again?
A nothing program in a nowhere conference is a limited view. Not where they want to be I agree, but not the death penalty.
If we miss the tourney 4 years in a row, just think what Husky fan will be thinking of us over at UConnscoop. Unlike that nothing program, we haven't won NCs in the last 40 years.

[Herman Cain]

1.U Conn will not drop football
2. U  Conn waiting for ACC invite
3. U Conn will be admitted in Next ACC expansion
4. Contract renewal for current AAC will be materially better

Source: Top Brass at ESPN and ACC network

[GGGG]

1.U Conn will not drop football
2. U  Conn waiting for ACC invite
3. U Conn will be admitted in Next ACC expansion
4. Contract renewal for current AAC will be materially better

Source: Top Brass at ESPN and ACC network

Why would the ACC expand again and why hasn't it done so already?

[Dr. Blackheart]

1.U Conn will not drop football
2. U  Conn waiting for ACC invite
3. U Conn will be admitted in Next ACC expansion
4. Contract renewal for current AAC will be materially better

Source: Top Brass at ESPN and ACC network

That renewal happens in 2020.  So with five years at a $28 million loss per year, that ESPN deal must be really sweet for UCONN.  Much better than the bountiful $2 million per school today per year.  So, that is  $10 mil in TV revenue balanced against $140 million is subsidized losses over five years.  Sounds like a good plan for CT taxpayers and UCONN students.

https://ucf.rivals.com/news/aresco-american-deserves-more-tv-revenue

[SaveOD238]

I have a personal bias here, since I grew up a Huskie fan in Connecticut (my first MU game was the 41 pointer from Novak)

That said, I think that the short term value of UConn for even 2 or 3 seasons would be worth it for the Big East.  If they got an ACC invite later, so be it.  We could go back to 10 and be happy as we are now.

[wadesworld]

I have a personal bias here, since I grew up a Huskie fan in Connecticut (my first MU game was the 41 pointer from Novak)

That said, I think that the short term value of UConn for even 2 or 3 seasons would be worth it for the Big East.  If they got an ACC invite later, so be it.  We could go back to 10 and be happy as we are now.

That is the worst thing that could happen to the BE.

[Herman Cain]

That renewal happens in 2020.  So with five years at a $28 million loss per year, that ESPN deal must be really sweet for UCONN.  Much better than the bountiful $2 million per school today per year.  So, that is  $10 mil in TV revenue balanced against $140 million is subsidized losses over five years.  Sounds like a good plan for CT taxpayers and UCONN students.

https://ucf.rivals.com/news/aresco-american-deserves-more-tv-revenue

College revenue and accounting is arbitrary and political in nature. 3000 per student fee at U Conn could just as easily be part of tuition.  Look at MU they mark up the dorms big time the first two years but show a lower tuition cost than some other schools.

[Herman Cain]

Why would the ACC expand again and why hasn't it done so already?

They will explore expanding when next media contract comes up. ACC could also be raided by the  Big Ten at that point.

[wadesworld]

They will explore expanding when next media contract comes up. ACC could also be raided by the  Big Ten at that point.

Oh.

[JD]

Oh.

Lmao.

[forgetful]

College revenue and accounting is arbitrary and political in nature. 3000 per student fee at U Conn could just as easily be part of tuition.  Look at MU they mark up the dorms big time the first two years but show a lower tuition cost than some other schools.

You need to avoid commenting on the business of academia.  Also, the ACC is not taking UCONN, it is a money loser for them. 

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

UConn is not ready to drop football yet...but they are getting there. I think Warde Manuel's departure changed the atmosphere a little bit.

I'm not convinced that UConn is the shoe in it thinks it is for the ACC. I used to think so but now the ACC seems to be stabilizing while the B12 seems to be coming apart at the seams. I've long thought that one of those two conferences will implode and it looks like it will be the B12. If B12 schools are available, why would the ACC settle for UConn?

It is very telling the B12 would rather have one lump sum of $10 Million rather than add any new schools. UConn is not an attractive expansion candidate for a football conference. A basketball conference on the other hand....

[GGGG]

College revenue and accounting is arbitrary and political in nature. 3000 per student fee at U Conn could just as easily be part of tuition.  Look at MU they mark up the dorms big time the first two years but show a lower tuition cost than some other schools.

You can't compare publics and privates.  Public universities are oftentimes under mandates to only use tuition revenue for instruction.  So the student fees to athletics could go away entirely and not effect the core function of the University - at least in the short term.

[GGGG]

I have a personal bias here, since I grew up a Huskie fan in Connecticut (my first MU game was the 41 pointer from Novak)

That said, I think that the short term value of UConn for even 2 or 3 seasons would be worth it for the Big East.  If they got an ACC invite later, so be it.  We could go back to 10 and be happy as we are now.

2 or 3 seasons would not be good.

But UConn for a decade?  I'm good with that.

[DienerTime34]

UConn dropping football seems like wishful thinking by MU fans eager to get them in our conference. Why, because they've had a couple of down years? Even the worst bowl games outdraw college basketball ... the Pinstripe Bowl gets better TV ratings than UNC vs. Duke. All it will take is the football team going 6-6 and an invite to the Papa Johns Speedy Deliver Service Bowl and everything will be good over there again.

[GGGG]

UConn dropping football seems like wishful thinking by MU fans eager to get them in our conference. Why, because they've had a couple of down years? Even the worst bowl games outdraw college basketball ... the Pinstripe Bowl gets better TV ratings than UNC vs. Duke. All it will take is the football team going 6-6 and an invite to the Papa Johns Speedy Deliver Service Bowl and everything will be good over there again.

That's not entirely accurate.  UConn will get the AAC bowl payouts regardless if they make one or not.  The issue is that the AAC television contract, and the conference's bowl tie-ins, are bad.  Therefore UConn is losing money.

However the AAC has a better contract than CUSA, the MAC and the Sun Belt.  And better bowl tie-ins too.  So perhaps considering *those* schools aren't dropping football, we shouldn't make assumptions that UConn will.

[GoldenWarrior11]

This can't be true.  I was told repeatedly that football drives the bus in realignment and that small, no-time, little Catholic schools couldn't compete with the big boys of college athletics.  I was also told that any conference not on ESPN would be a death-sentence for that league.  I was also told that media markets matter and that football growth and potential were key factors in realignment. 

It's almost four years since the BE/AAC split, and one conference is trending upwards while the other is trending downwards.  With UConn deciding to continue pursuing P5 membership, and as a result - aligning with Tulane, East Carolina, UCF, SMU, Houston, Tulsa and the other misfit toys - they made their bed.  They decided to gamble their athletic future on football, believing basketball was safe no matter the conference it was housed in.  Well, guess what?  UConn fans, even the die hards, have zero interest in spending money on those schools, and it is even worse that UConn has never won a regular season title in the AAC.

UConn was supposed to be the power program in the American when it was created.  However, in football alone, they have been surpassed by each and every school - including Tulane who just spanked them last weekend.  In basketball, Houston and SMU have invested heavily in facilities and coaching upgrades.  Memphis hired Tubby Smith.  Temple and Cincinnati have remained strong.  They, too, are losing their ground in basketball - because of their amended focus to football. 

UConn needed the Big East brand in order to be successful in basketball.  Calhoun preached that for years, as he said the only way he originally started getting quality players for the program was that he sold recruits on playing in big cities on the east coast in front of packed gyms and on TV.  No one in Connecticut gives a hoot about Tulane, East Carolina, Tulsa, Houston, SMU, UCF, or USF.  Temple, Cincinnati and Memphis, maybe, but it ain't Syracuse, Villanova, Pittsburgh, Georgetown, Louisville, Notre Dame, West Virginia or St. Johns. 

I actually don't want UConn in the Big East - I love our 10-team structure and all of the like-minded schools in it - but let's be real: UConn is coming back to the Big East because they will need to and it will make the Big East more money.  The ACC does not and will not ever invite them, period (Boston College will make sure of this, and the football powers, FSU, Clemson and Louisville, will be against this also).  My prediction is, by 2020, UConn will rejoin the Big East for all sports (de-emphasizing football again).

[🏀]

The $30M a year budget losses each year are not unique to UCONN, but most of the AAC, and often excludes the cost of scholarships.  If they would be willing to drop football, UCONN would be a very logical choice and adding them would still allow a double round robin with a 20 game schedule.  Would it be worthwhile though to consider going to 12 and having two divisions if others would drop football.  Choices from the AAC would include:

Memphis
Cincinnati
SMU

(excluding Houston who will never give up football and Temple who would likely be vetoed by Nova')

Choices from the A10 would include:

Dayton
VCU
St. Louis

One would have to assume that adding Memphis, Cincinnati, SMU or UCONN would bring in more $$$'s, not so sure about the A10 schools.  Would it be worth it if they dropped football.

ABD.

[🏀]

Oh.

+1

Just to reiterate, ABD.

[fjm]

I get UCONN's recent past.
But I'd rather have Cincy and Memphis.

[Benny B]

For some reason, Benny believes that a UCONN-to-Big East offer has already been made/discussed... both parties probably expressed an interest in talking preliminary and sat down around the end of the first year following the Big East's renovation; however, for many of the same reasons posted here, the Big East still favors stability more than anything and therefore "the board" was quite concerned that UCONN, if invited, would simply use the Big East as a stepping stone.  Nevertheless, the board's consensus was that having UCONN would be of great value to the conference if they were committed to the conference, so preliminary terms for membership were floated to UCONN, which, incidentally, didn't say anything about football but did have a media rights pledge front and center.  It didn't take long for UCONN to completely balk at the terms and walk away which was interpreted by the board as a clear indicator that UCONN was indeed looking at the Big East strictly as a stop-gap.

Now... are UCONN's goals and perspectives evolving?  Perhaps, but not likely.  Is there anything that would ever mitigate the board's skepticism regarding UCONN's intentions in the Big East?  Perhaps, but not likely.  Could the Big East and UCONN therefore ever sit down at the table again?  Perhaps, but not likely.

[LAZER]

I get UCONN's recent past.
But I'd rather have Cincy and Memphis.

Why?

[Marcus92]

I get UCONN's recent past. But I'd rather have Cincy and Memphis.

Never going to happen.

Unlike UConn, Cincy and Memphis actually have legitimate (although second-tier) football programs going back more than a century. The Bearcats averaged 37,000 fans a game last season and have been to 7 straight bowl games. The Tigers are a pretty mediocre program, but have appeared in bowl games the past 2 seasons.

Like UConn, the only conferences Cincy and Memphis are interested in are the Power 5 football conferences. From their perspective, the Big East has nothing to offer.

[MU82]

I've been on the record many times as saying I'd love to have UConn in the conference.

But I sure would hate to lose our heated rivalries with HBU and Howard!

[Benny B]

I've been on the record many times as saying I'd love to have UConn in the conference.

But I sure would hate to lose our heated rivalries with HBU and Howard!

Listen... let's just put this 20-game schedule nonsense to bed.  There's no way UCONN is going to play an 8-marble schedule.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Listen... let's just put this 20-game schedule nonsense to bed.  There's no way UCONN is going to play an 8-marble schedule.

Yeah that post still makes no sense to me. I don't understand how Houston Baptist and Western Carolina is better for RPI than UConn and @UConn. Playing teams like those take marbles away from the conference, it doesn't add them.

[fjm]

Why?

I get what Marcus92 is saying about their football teams etc. But for me, it's more of a "you screwed us, we screw you" thing. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blah blah... but UCONN thought they were high and mighty and spurned us... they can get their buckets and bail out their own sinking ship. I'd rather have teams that see the quality of being in the BE.

but having said that, I get that it would never happen. It's just like... my opinion... man.

[Benny B]

Yeah that post still makes no sense to me. I don't understand how Houston Baptist and Western Carolina is better for RPI than UConn and @UConn. Playing teams like those take marbles away from the conference, it doesn't add them.

Ask yourself this... why hasn't any other high-major conference gone to a 20-game schedule?

For an individual team, sure, replacing HBU and HU with UCONNx2 seems great for RPI... but there's nothing that precludes MU - or any Big East team - from playing a stronger OOC schedule as it is.  Nevertheless, we're not talking about maximizing Marquette's RPI here... we're talking about the Big East's RPI, and the Big East isn't going to prioritize maximizing MU's RPI.

Even if the potential boost for MU's RPI seems like a great thing, it's not so great if you lose to UCONN.  In most cases, a loss to a top 100 team at home is typically going to be more detrimental to your RPI than a home win against a cupcake.  And if said top 100 team happens to be a conference foe, the result is a net-zero for the conference.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

I get what Marcus92 is saying about their football teams etc. But for me, it's more of a "you screwed us, we screw you" thing. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blah blah... but UCONN thought they were high and mighty and spurned us... they can get their buckets and bail out their own sinking ship. I'd rather have teams that see the quality of being in the BE.

but having said that, I get that it would never happen. It's just like... my opinion... man.

I see why you can come to that conclusion but UCONN, just like every other institution is making the best decision for them - it's not personal.  If their objectives change as an institution and it aligns better to what our conference has to offer, we would be silly to turn them away because we felt some slight from the demise of the Big East.

[fjm]

I see why you can come to that conclusion but UCONN, just like every other institution is making the best decision for them - it's not personal.  If their objectives change as an institution and it aligns better to what our conference has to offer, we would be silly to turn them away because we felt some slight from the demise of the Big East.

Yeah that's a good point I suppose.

[Marcus92]

I certainly enjoyed playing the likes of Louisville, UConn, Syracuse, Notre Dame and Pitt on a regular basis. But those days are gone. Fortunately, the current Big East conference schedule will serve up 8 games against Top 25-level teams. Even DePaul isn't a complete gimme — they're rated higher than all but 6 of our non-conference opponents.


The Big East is a great conference exactly as it is. We don't need to expand. And if we decide to, it can be on our terms.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

Yeah that post still makes no sense to me. I don't understand how Houston Baptist and Western Carolina is better for RPI than UConn and @UConn. Playing teams like those take marbles away from the conference, it doesn't add them.

Except MU needs a certain number of home games to meet revenues needed for the budget.  So one cupcake gets replaced but the game @UConn replaces either Vanderbilt or @Georgia.

As much as I love the double round robin, I'd favor staying at 18 games.  Play 8 teams twice, 2 teams.  Not that unbalanced.

If the BE expands, I say UConn or bust.  Don't go to 12.  The A-10 schools don't excite me and neither Cincy nor Memphis are going to drop football.  But first UConn needs to at least drop down to FCS.

[brewcity77]

Ask yourself this... why hasn't any other high-major conference gone to a 20-game schedule?

Except the ACC is going to 20 games in 2019.

[Benny B]

Except the ACC is going to 20 games in 2019.

Let's revisit two years from now. 

Nevertheless, I will suffix my previous statement with "yet" in its adverbial state.

[brewcity77]

Let's revisit two years from now. 

Nevertheless, I will suffix my previous statement with "yet" in its adverbial state.

I think the key to it all would be that if the Big East added UConn and went to 20, they would have to push member schools to not adjust their NCSOS at the bottom. If you add two games against UConn and take away two home games against Houston Baptist and Western Carolina (and Central Connecticut & Delaware for Seton Hall, and Longwood and Loyola MD for Creighton, etc) then you will improve RPI and benefit as a league. Attendance will likely increase because one game against UConn will result in more sold seats (excluding STHs that have paid a set fee already) than two cupcakes.

However, if Marquette instead dropped the neutral site game with Vandy and the H&H with Georgia, it wouldn't benefit the league because while you are adding commensurate games with UConn on the schedule, there's no actual RPI gain. You would really need everyone on board to continue scheduling tough non-con tournaments and continue scheduling neutral site and H&H games with high-majors.

How would the league do this? I suppose saying you can have no more than 6 buy games on your schedule. That would allow for four an exempt tournament (with the possibility that two would be buy quality, but you take what you get) and require teams to use their other three slots on H&H or neutral site games (with Gavitt Games possibly taking up one). That way, everyone is playing in what should be at least 5 HM games if they want to fill their schedule. I don't know how you'd deal with teams that didn't meet the requirement, or how you'd enforce it with schools like DePaul that might struggle to get H&H series, but that's why the powers that be in the league make more money than I do.

Adding UConn and going to 20 is perfectly viable and doesn't have to be a losing gambit, however it does need to be well-thought out ahead of time. That said, I don't think UConn would be willing to play by the rules our league would require.

[MU82]

Except the ACC is going to 20 games in 2019.

Yep, brew, you beat me to this.

http://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/acc-adding-two-conference-games-to-basketball-schedule-for-incoming-network/

[Herman Cain]

You need to avoid commenting on the business of academia.  Also, the ACC is not taking UCONN, it is a money loser for them.

I have set tuition policies. Have you?

If you took the time to read my prior post I did not say ACC was taking U Conn, I said they would do so when they expand again.

[auburnmarquette]

Longwood is charging 7000 student fee. Ridiculous. I would always support UConn expansion - but was convinced during my post last year that just going to 11 teams is better and if we drop back to 10 again if they leave fine.

Most of the time their pages show no interest though.

[auburnmarquette]

Admit I did not realize they lost their last four games 130-16. That's tough to watch.

[Dawson Rental]

Why are we, the nation as a whole, subsidizing UConn football?  How much of those $3,000.00 a year student fees are being paid by federal grants or federal loans?  How much of the federal loans will be forgiven?

[Benny B]

Why are we, the nation as a whole, subsidizing UConn football?  How much of those $3,000.00 a year student fees are being paid by federal grants or federal loans?  How much of the federal loans will be forgiven?

Back in my day, a Pell Grant was something like $500.  Not sure what it is today, but I'd be willing to bet student fees would continue in their current form even if the Feds ended grants to undergrads.

In 2015, $800B was outstanding and $4.7B in federal student loans were cancelled (0.6%); however, the total dollar amount on the US DOE's financial report of loans forgiven was a big, fat, round $0.00.  I assume this is because federal loans aren't actually "forgiven" (i.e. cancelled by the lender) but rather, they're paid off by separate public, private and NGO programs on the borrower's behalf (loan cancellations are write-offs only for death, disability or bankruptcy).  In other words, when a federal student loan is forgiven, you actually have one government program writing a check to the DOE to pay off the balance... much in the same way that Marquette doesn't simply charge zero for scholarship athlete tuition; a receivable is still generated at the full rate, but instead of the invoice going to the student, it goes to B&G Fund and BGF writes the check.

The point is well-taken, but I think the bottom line is that these student fees would either exist regardless and/or the amount of subsidy going into these student fees is de minimis since the majority of these loans are paid back.

That being said, the projection is student loans will cost the government $17B/year on average over the next ten years.  If you want to do the math, allocating the percentage of student fees compared to the total cost of tuition, room, board, etc. to that $17B, you could come up with a sh|tty estimate, because even if student fees went away, there are still going to be costs associated with the program (administrative) regardless of amount borrowed, and as undergrads, you can't borrow the full cost of attendance from the government, so the argument there is that every $1 increase in student fees, students will have to come out-of-pocket (or seek from alternate sources) an additional $1.

[forgetful]

Back in my day, a Pell Grant was something like $500.  Not sure what it is today, but I'd be willing to bet student fees would continue in their current form even if the Feds ended grants to undergrads.

In 2015, $800B was outstanding and $4.7B in federal student loans were cancelled (0.6%); however, the total dollar amount on the US DOE's financial report of loans forgiven was a big, fat, round $0.00.  I assume this is because federal loans aren't actually "forgiven" (i.e. cancelled by the lender) but rather, they're paid off by separate public, private and NGO programs on the borrower's behalf (loan cancellations are write-offs only for death, disability or bankruptcy).  In other words, when a federal student loan is forgiven, you actually have one government program writing a check to the DOE to pay off the balance... much in the same way that Marquette doesn't simply charge zero for scholarship athlete tuition; a receivable is still generated at the full rate, but instead of the invoice going to the student, it goes to B&G Fund and BGF writes the check.

The point is well-taken, but I think the bottom line is that these student fees would either exist regardless and/or the amount of subsidy going into these student fees is de minimis since the majority of these loans are paid back.

That being said, the projection is student loans will cost the government $17B/year on average over the next ten years.  If you want to do the math, allocating the percentage of student fees compared to the total cost of tuition, room, board, etc. to that $17B, you could come up with a sh|tty estimate, because even if student fees went away, there are still going to be costs associated with the program (administrative) regardless of amount borrowed, and as undergrads, you can't borrow the full cost of attendance from the government, so the argument there is that every $1 increase in student fees, students will have to come out-of-pocket (or seek from alternate sources) an additional $1.

One clarification.  Student loans are never cancelled due to bankruptcy.  They persist through bankruptcy.  You can only get out of them by dying or disability (and the latter is damn near impossible).  For disability, you can be on disability insurance, be designated as permanently disabled by the government and still ineligible for loan forgiveness for student loans.  The burden of proof for student loans is that your disability leaves you unable to EVER work.  If there is any chance of improvement in your entire life that would allow you to work in some form, you are ineligible for loan forgiveness.  There are examples of people who has a stroke and can't speak, but since there is a remote chance they will improve, the loans forgiveness is denied.  Insanity.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

And UConn manages to somehow beat Syracuse last night.

[GoldenWarrior11]

And UConn manages to somehow beat Syracuse last night.

One of the ugliest basketball games I have seen in quite some time.  The game just lacked the usual intrigue and excitement that these two programs brought to the table in the old Big East.  Boeheim clearly didn't care, and Ollie was his usual cry-baby self throughout the game.

[brewcity77]

...And yet Jon Rothstein praised it as evidence that college basketball never fails to deliver.

[bradley center bat]

Crowd was alive. Great finish!