UConn to BE Rumors

[#UnleashSean]

Is there any chatter about the big east adding a 12th team?

11 is the only way to keep round Robin, so doubtful

[#UnleashSean]

Well...not the best, 2nd best. The Zags would have been the best, but obviously that wasn't workable.

would have been a logistical nightmare for everyone.

[The Sultan]

Well...not the best, 2nd best. The Zags would have been the best, but obviously that wasn't workable.

Yeah I was taking the geography into consideration. If the Zags were in a place like Denver, they would be by far the best candidate.

Kudos to the leadership for holding out for a solid option and not doing the easy thing and taking SLU or Dayton. (Of course Fox had a say in that.)

[Mr. Nielsen]

https://mobile.twitter.com/Brett_McMurphy/status/1142449363941253122

[The Lens]

I just hope their history of squirmy behavior has been righted.  We shall see.

Who cares?  We've been on the right side of rivalries for a long time and held our own.

My God we play in a conference with Creighton right now.

[Cheeks]

Well...not the best, 2nd best. The Zags would have been the best, but obviously that wasn't workable.

Except Zags have little in common with the Big East, we don't know when Few retires if they slip away, UCOnn has history with Big East, natural fit geographically, better academics, several national titles, etc, etc.

Not sure how the Zags are a better fit, especially long term now that UConn has decided football is going to fight on their own probably as an independent or MAC team.

[Cheeks]

Who cares?  We've been on the right side of rivalries for a long time and held our own.

My God we play in a conference with Creighton right now.

Some of us do, some don't.  We are entitled to our opinions and our hope people are playing the right way, within the rules.  You must be a Buzz fan, eh? 

[The Sultan]

I wonder if these conversations were happening when the BE extended its deal with MSG? 

[Silkk the Shaka]

Excellent news!

[forgetful]

Much of this stems from the recent AAC TV deal. The conference ignored almost all of UCONN's interests, despite the fact that UCONN being a part of the league makes it enticing to networks.

The Big East will give UCONN the exposure it needs, and wants, for Men's and Women's basketball.

I wonder what UCONN leaving will mean/do in regards to the AAC's recent TV deal.

Also, the AAC likely misplayed their hand. They thought football was king, and that there was no way that UCONN would possibly orphan their football program because of the loss in basketball exposure.

[brewcity77]

I like this for women's basketball. Otherwise, they do little for me. Worthwhile add, better than most alternatives. I wonder how MU's women's seeds may have been impacted the last 3 years with the Huskies in the league. Even had they just gone 2-4 or 1-5 in that time.

[The Sultan]

Brew UConn is a big college basketball name with a hot young coach. Why don't they do much for you?

[Cheeks]

Much of this stems from the recent AAC TV deal. The conference ignored almost all of UCONN's interests, despite the fact that UCONN being a part of the league makes it enticing to networks.

The Big East will give UCONN the exposure it needs, and wants, for Men's and Women's basketball.

I wonder what UCONN leaving will mean/do in regards to the AAC's recent TV deal.

Also, the AAC likely misplayed their hand. They thought football was king, and that there was no way that UCONN would possibly orphan their football program because of the loss in basketball exposure.

The UConn AD thinks he has a bigger wanker then he really does, so they were frustrated.  They also do not get the concept of incremental exposure on ESPN+ and Aresco had to publicly set UConn and others straight on this at a press conference.  I'm sure that didn't sit well with them.

The latest AAC deal was for $1 billion, which wasn't a bad deal for the schools they have. 

[muguru]

Brew UConn is a big college basketball name with a hot young coach. Why don't they do much for you?

I mean, I'm kind of with Brew on this one...if the Big East was going to add, UCONN was by far the best fit, I mean I wanted NO part of SLU or Dayton. That being said, when these things(like expansion occur), the #1 thing I look at is does it improve the quality of the basketball ON the floor. Not concerned about TV contracts or anything else like that. That being said, UCONN hasn't exactly set the world on fire as far as their BB program goes for awhile now. From a PURE quality of basketball addition(obviously more goes into it), the Zags were by far the best choice. Uconn, to me, with the current state of their program is adding a team more on the Butler, Creighton realm, then on the Nova realm. Decent, but nothing that makes you want to rush out and buy tickets for just that game. Now, can/will they get better?? That remains to be seen, you'd like to think so, but as far as right now...and their men's BB product, it's...meh.

Now, if you add Uconn, and boot DePaul..then you improve the conference more IMO.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Wow it actually happened

[brewcity77]

Brew UConn is a big college basketball name with a hot young coach. Why don't they do much for you?

It seems a bit odd, especially as I'm not religious, but I feel the goals of the current teams in the league align very well. Mostly Catholic, all religious in nature, smaller schools, adding a big state school that has always had their eyes on the Big 10 or ACC feels like such an outlier.

I don't know, this Big East feels like a family, and UConn's not part of that. Hell, their ambitions were as instrumental in the divorce 6 years ago as anyone. I don't trust them and feel like they're largely just a surplus name that gets people excited because of an era that is over.

We will never be THAT Big East again. The monster that was is gone. And from a stability point, I have concerns about chasing it. Sure, today it's just UConn, but maybe in a year it's UConn and Cincy, then more AAC programs, then the league that we deliberately left in the first place.

UConn isn't here because UConn isn't like us. UConn isn't here because UConn thought they didn't need us. I don't get why people are so anxious to get back into bed with them.

[tower912]

I understand it from UConn's perspective.  I understand it from Fox Sports perspective.  I don't have to like it.    Hope it doesn't blow everything up.   


Welcome, UConn.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Despite recent struggles, UConn is still a top 10-15 program all time. I'm confident than they will be back to their winning ways in a few years once they have the Big East brand supporting them. I'm not sure what they do with football, but I think this will be a win for everyone....except the AAC.

[Cheeks]

I mean, I'm kind of with Brew on this one...if the Big East was going to add, UCONN was by far the best fit, I mean I wanted NO part of SLU or Dayton. That being said, when these things(like expansion occur), the #1 thing I look at is does it improve the quality of the basketball ON the floor. Not concerned about TV contracts or anything else like that. That being said, UCONN hasn't exactly set the world on fire as far as their BB program goes for awhile now. From a PURE quality of basketball addition(obviously more goes into it), the Zags were by far the best choice. Uconn, to me, with the current state of their program is adding a team more on the Butler, Creighton realm, then on the Nova realm. Decent, but nothing that makes you want to rush out and buy tickets for just that game. Now, can/will they get better?? That remains to be seen, you'd like to think so, but as far as right now...and their men's BB product, it's...meh.

Now, if you add Uconn, and boot DePaul..then you improve the conference more IMO.

Well you should be concerned about the TV contracts as that is meaningful.  Teams come and go unless you are elite, being an MU fan you should know this better than most.  Xavier wasn't that good 20 years ago, nor was Wisconsin or Gonzaga.  UCLA has been in a rut, as has UCONN.  Exposure means a lot, and money buys it.  That has killed the PAC 12.  They are all intertwined.

[Cheeks]

Despite recent struggles, UConn is still a top 10-15 program all time. I'm confident than they will be back to their winning ways in a few years once they have the Big East brand supporting them. I'm not sure what they do with football, but I think this will be a win for everyone....except the AAC.

The AAC might, I say might, see this an addition by subtraction.

[79Warrior]

Well you should be concerned about the TV contracts as that is meaningful.  Teams come and go unless you are elite, being an MU fan you should know this better than most.  Xavier wasn't that good 20 years ago, nor was Wisconsin or Gonzaga.  UCLA has been in a rut, as has UCONN.  Exposure means a lot, and money buys it.  That has killed the PAC 12.  They are all intertwined.

I agree. UCONN is a solid addition. Great fan base and broadens our NYC Metro market reach for TV.  Zags were never gong to happen. Good move by the BE and strengthens the brand.

[GooooMarquette]

I think it's a good move, as long as we stop here with FB schools.

[Herman Cain]

It seems a bit odd, especially as I'm not religious, but I feel the goals of the current teams in the league align very well. Mostly Catholic, all religious in nature, smaller schools, adding a big state school that has always had their eyes on the Big 10 or ACC feels like such an outlier.

I don't know, this Big East feels like a family, and UConn's not part of that. Hell, their ambitions were as instrumental in the divorce 6 years ago as anyone. I don't trust them and feel like they're largely just a surplus name that gets people excited because of an era that is over.

We will never be THAT Big East again. The monster that was is gone. And from a stability point, I have concerns about chasing it. Sure, today it's just UConn, but maybe in a year it's UConn and Cincy, then more AAC programs, then the league that we deliberately left in the first place.

UConn isn't here because UConn isn't like us. UConn isn't here because UConn thought they didn't need us. I don't get why people are so anxious to get back into bed with them.

Generally I am with you on not wanting to get back together with these people.

The issue here is that the other major leagues are going to 20 game conference schedules. Which means fewer good non con opportunities over time.  Big East needs to maintain its position relative to other leagues. Right now we can dictate the terms of the deal and that may not be the case a few years from now.

AAC has been picking up momentum and it's not the worst place for U Conn. Their league has a bumbling commissioner who essentially threw U Conn under the bus to get a TV deal that disproportionately benefitted  teams like East Carolina , Tulane etc. and most importantly keeps UCF Football in the fold.  Big East gets a nice benefit from the AAC lack of competence and inherent instability.


Part of any  deal has to be a penalty and other restrictions to minimize the disruption of U Conn football . Those strictures  are very much a possibility at this point.

[dad's couch]

I like it. It's been pretty well accepted that the league is going to 11 teams (and let's keep it there). UConn hasn't been great lately but that can be attributed to the quality of recruits. It's got to be hard to recruit kids when your trying to sell games versus ECU, Tulane and the rest of the league. Houston has been good for two years. Cincy and Temple been OK. Memphis is on its way back but not much there. Hurley now has a lot more to sell and should be able to turn things around with being in the BE.

[Warrior1969]

What is the benefit to MU and other BE teams?  Seems like this is a better thing for UCONN then the other BE teams.  If might help the league as a whole a bit but so what?  The league has done just fine on it own so far.  Does MU get more money or what out of this?