UCONN

[bradley center bat]

I just found out last week that Butler has a football program, had no idea.

Non-schlolarship

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

Wow, based on the responses at their site (another terrible format site, btw), I'm more inclined to tell them off or that they have to eliminate football.

[MUMonster03]

Cheap answer - they're enough that it doesn't matter.  Is it worth staying at 11 for a year or two to better evaluate the best team 12?  

Cincy comes to mind as the other re-join, except we chose X and are good with that decision, and unlike UConn they care about football.  So the same list pops up - with a little more openness to 1) publics (VCU, Wichita State) and 2) possibly those with football.  

Cincinnati will not come for two reasons

1. Xavier, they do not want to be in the same conference, their cross town shoot out game, is a huge rivalry game in the city during conference season and usually a nice boost to the winner's RPI. Also adding Cincinnati does very little for FS1 and the all important TV markets.

2. Cincy has just poured a ton of money into renovating Nippert Stadium. They want to get back into a Power 5 conference and would bolt the moment anyone offered. I still think they are in consideration if the Big 12 decides to expand, another year of no Big 12 schools in the Playoff will probably force their hand to expand.

As for UConn they would have to find a conference, as UMass has, that would allow them to park their football team there. Again too much money spent by UConn to go FBS barely a decade ago to call it quits already. D-II is not an option for any D-I school. D-I schools have to play either FCS or FBS if they offer football.

[GGGG]

As for UConn they would have to find a conference, as UMass has, that would allow them to park their football team there. Again too much money spent by UConn to go FBS barely a decade ago to call it quits already. D-II is not an option for any D-I school. D-I schools have to play either FCS or FBS if they offer football.

UMass does not have a conference affiliation after the 2015 year for football.  The MAC booted them.  There really is no motivation for a conference to take a middling football program like UMass or UConn.

[MUMonster03]

UMass does not have a conference affiliation after the 2015 year for football.  The MAC booted them.  There really is no motivation for a conference to take a middling football program like UMass or UConn.

I did not know that. It will be interesting to see what they do then. The biggest draw back to being independent is unless you are really good you have no bowl tie ins and don't benefit from bowl money being given out to every school in the conference.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Nebraska isn't either....

But they were when they were voted on to be accepted into the Big Ten

[GooooMarquette]

Football always makes more than basketball. Their TV deal is $2 million per year and they got all the C-7 credits from the old Big East.

More gross revenue.  But what about the net?  I hear football expenses can be pretty high....

[GooooMarquette]

But they were when they were voted on to be accepted into the Big Ten

So when is the vote to oust them?  It's been four years since they were booted from the AAU.

Or is the criterion simply that the school once belonged to the AAU?

[ChicosBailBonds]

So when is the vote to oust them?  It's been four years since they were booted from the AAU.

Or is the criterion simply that the school once belonged to the AAU?

I have no idea.  What I do know is in the history of the Big Ten, no school has been admitted that wasn't part of the AAU at the time of it's approval to come in. Furthermore, all existing Big Ten schools were also members of the AAU.  The only conference in the USA to be able to claim this, that includes the Ivy League.  It's important to the Big Ten presidents.

[ChicosBailBonds]

How much they making in the AAC?  Gotta believe most of UConn's revenues are from hoops.

Gotta believe this is wrong

[chapman]

So a conference call with Big East presidents to vote in UCONN for Men's lacrosse in 2018?  That could be done on Survey Monkey, a'nia?

That was my impression.  If I'm Lovell and UConn calls me to petition to join the Big East for men's lacrosse, I ask them why they're wasting my time on something that is the AD's job, and probably far down on his list of things he gives a damn about.

[GGGG]

That was my impression.  If I'm Lovell and UConn calls me to petition to join the Big East for men's lacrosse, I ask them why they're wasting my time on something that is the AD's job, and probably far down on his list of things he gives a damn about.

Because it is probably in the conference bylaws the conference presidents have to approve. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

UCONN football took in more revenue than UCONN men's and women's basketball combined


http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/20140428/PRINTEDITION/304249936/despite-basketball-glory-uconn-must-look-to-football-to-boost-athletics-business

[GGGG]

More gross revenue.  But what about the net?  I hear football expenses can be pretty high....

College athletics, especially football, are public relations expenses.  Think about it that way.

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

College athletics, especially football, are public relations expenses.  Think about it that way.

Bingo. Hence the reason the entire establishment happily goes along with it.

[GoldenWarrior11]

UConn is going D-1 in lacrosse in a couple of years.  I wouldn't be shocked if UConn was indeed in talks with the Big East about an affiliate membership for lacrosse.  It's a win/win for both parties.  UConn gets to park it's lacrosse in a respected conference until, hopefully in their eyes, they get an invite from the B1G or ACC.  The Big East gets to have ongoing dialogue with a top basketball power and becomes a fallback option if UConn never gets the golden ticket out of the American Conference. 

In either scenario, UConn is not planning on being in the American Athletic Conference long term.  They don't want to be stuck with Tulane, East Carolina, Tulsa, UCF, SMU, Houston and USF long term. 

[GooooMarquette]

UCONN football took in more revenue than UCONN men's and women's basketball combined


http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/20140428/PRINTEDITION/304249936/despite-basketball-glory-uconn-must-look-to-football-to-boost-athletics-business

The article also notes that football's expenses were higher, with no mention of how the net revenues compare.

[ChicosBailBonds]

The article also notes that football's expenses were higher, with no mention of how the net revenues compare.

I answered you original revenue question.  I'll try to dig up net revenue.  Please hold....

[GooooMarquette]

I answered you original revenue question.  I'll try to dig up net revenue.  Please hold....

You interpreted the word "revenues" in my original statement to mean gross revenues.  That interpretation was incorrect.

[bilsu]

We could go to a 20 game conference schedule and still play every team twice, if we added only one team. There is one conference that now has a 20 game schedule.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Rutgers is a member of the AAU, that's big stuff to the Big Ten.  UCONN is not.  Rutgers also grabs a TV market, even if they aren't a big draw, that UCONN does not.  That helps with subscriber rates that the Big Ten could force on cable and satellite providers.

UConn is trying to get into the AAU.  The state changed some things around and created additional research capacity at the UConn Health Center, so the university meets all the requirements for AAU membership (not sure if everything is in fully in place yet?).  But I also understand, you can't apply to be a member of AAU, you have to be invited.

[GGGG]

There are really three ways for schools to get into a "Power 5" conference these days:

1. Be good at football.  (eg, Nebraska, TCU)
2. Be reasonably close to a large television market  (eg, Rutgers, Colorado)
3. Pray for conference turmoil that leaves an opening somewhere (eg, WVU, Missouri)

#1 is really the only thing that UConn can reasonably control.  (Though it hasn't worked for Boise.)  But lacrosse or basketball success isn't going to get them the bid.  Only football success would work from an on field performance point of view.

#2 is probably out the window with the ACC taking BC and the B10 taking Rutgers.  

#3 is not likely unless the B10 looks to expand shortly with its television contract due.  The B12 isn't going to be looking to UConn if they want 12 members.

[brewcity77]

We could go to a 20 game conference schedule and still play every team twice, if we added only one team. There is one conference that now has a 20 game schedule.

Seems like three basic options if we were to expand:

1) 11 teams, 20 game schedule. Seems viable, but would have to be for the right team. UConn might be that team. Personally I still like even numbers though.

2) 12 teams, 18 game schedule. Unbalanced schedule, as we always did. Play 7 teams home-and-home, play the other 4 once.

3) 12 teams, 2 divisions, 16 game schedule. Play everyone in division twice (10 games), play everyone in the other division once (6 games). Would take away having everyone come visit every year, but would still guarantee you get everyone in the league at least once every two years. Would provide better balance than the 18 game option despite 2 less games.

[ChicosBailBonds]

You interpreted the word "revenues" in my original statement to mean gross revenues.  That interpretation was incorrect.

Sounds like the original statement should have been more clear, or simply stated what was the profit generated to eliminate any ambiguity. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

UConn is trying to get into the AAU.  The state changed some things around and created additional research capacity at the UConn Health Center, so the university meets all the requirements for AAU membership (not sure if everything is in fully in place yet?).  But I also understand, you can't apply to be a member of AAU, you have to be invited.

Yup, I know they are trying like the dickens.  We'll see if they get it.