Big 10 Fever Has Struck Maryland

[mavterp]

Cutting on MD's attendance for a cupcake game is a joke. Basketball attendance at MD is historically top 25 each year. Here's a link showing an ACC game attendance. Not many schools have this type of atmosphere for conference games. Does the Rent rock like this?

 

[uconnell]

Comparing basketball games to football games is like comparing apples to oranges.

 

[whaler11]

Actually the joke is a bunch of Big Ten fans who reply to every slight against their teams. How do you not have anything better to do?

 

[Fishy]

All of a sudden, it's basketball season and it's not as much fun to peer into UConn's pit of misery here, is it?

Ain't our fault you're boring.

 

[Dooley]

Cutting on MD's attendance for a cupcake game is a joke. Basketball attendance at MD is historically top 25 each year. Here's a link showing an ACC game attendance. Not many schools have this type of atmosphere for conference games. Does the Rent rock like this?

Oh please. You do realize you're on a UCONN board? This is what our arena, aka "The Capitol" looked like during last year's Championship Game. Does Byrd rock like this?...

 

[Ldandy]

Basketball was obviously not part of the discussion - one could argue that athletics were barely part of the discussion given who the Big Ten invited.

Nebraska was a no-brainer, AAU or not - if you can get an iconic football program like that, you do it.

My only point was that the Big Ten has always trailed the better conferences in attention and interest and the last two additions make that muddle muddier.

Nationwide, which Big Ten teams are going to make people turn on their TV sets?

Michigan State? Ohio State if they're really bored and Duck Dynasty is in reruns?

Past that....crickets.

The only conference that The B1G trails in terms of interest is the ACC and that was after swallowing The Big East whole.

The SEC? It's UK and nothing. No one cares about Florida Basketball regardless of how competitive they have been.

The Big 12? It's KU and nothing. No one cares about ISU or UT anywhere beyond those schools' campuses.

The PAC 12? LOL. They haven't been relevant nationally since Lute Olsen was in Zona, and The Obannon Bros were in LA.

Basketball is a different animal than football, as it is viewed mostly by teams not by conferences. No one cares that SEC Basketball is garbage, just that The Wildcats are loaded. Most Americans couldn't name 4 schools in The AAC, but they know UCONN.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Pudge, saying Rutgers is down as a hoops program is inaccurate as it implies that (a) Rutgers hoops was at one time up, and (b) that Rutgers hoops is a program.

Well, Rutgers is happy that 4,100 tickets were sold for their annual game againts Farleigh Dickenson this year, which is better than the 400 they had last year at the RAC.

http://bigtennetwork.stats.com/cbk/boxscore.asp?gamecode=201411190492&home=492&vis=200

 

[Pudge]

Here's the relevant line:


IF ... you have a B1G tournament in the Verizon in DC, Maryland in the quarters adds quite a bit of buzz of local flavor. With Turgeon, they are not going to advance to the last night Semi's. And I think that is far less of a 2 game set if it was in DC than in Chicago.

IF ... you have a B1G tournament in NYC at MSG or Barclays, neither Maryland or Rutgers does you a bit of good. NY media would not send a stringer. No back page buzz. A Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Michigan State semis ... would not draw that great; certainly less than Indy or Chicago. Rutgers brings NO NYC interest.

UConn changes both dynamics. We just do. Maryland's AD far outclasses Rutgers. But, I don't think they are quite as good broadly as UConn's ... with the Football curve that we should be better. IF ... the ACC or the B1G cared about excellence, they would not have made the choices they did. We have been shut because, IMHO primarily, the lack of years/tradition of Football success at the higher level.

 

[Fishy]

Basketball is a different animal than football, as it is viewed mostly by teams not by conferences. No one cares that SEC Basketball is garbage, just that The Wildcats are loaded. Most Americans couldn't name 4 schools in The AAC, but they know UCONN.

If you say so, but the point stands either way.

The Big Ten has 14 schools and maybe one of them is what you'd consider a national draw. I'm not sure who you root for, but if it's not Michigan State, no one else cares.

It is what it is.

 

[Ldandy]

Here's the relevant line:


IF ... you have a B1G tournament in the Verizon in DC, Maryland in the quarters adds quite a bit of buzz of local flavor. With Turgeon, they are not going to advance to the last night Semi's. And I think that is far less of a 2 game set if it was in DC than in Chicago.

IF ... you have a B1G tournament in NYC at MSG or Barclays, neither Maryland or Rutgers does you a bit of good. NY media would not send a stringer. No back page buzz. A Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Michigan State semis ... would not draw that great; certainly less than Indy or Chicago. Rutgers brings NO NYC interest.

UConn changes both dynamics. We just do. Maryland's AD far outclasses Rutgers. But, I don't think they are quite as good broadly as UConn's ... with the Football curve that we should be better. IF ... the ACC or the B1G cared about excellence, they would not have made the choices they did. We have been shut because, IMHO primarily, the lack of years/tradition of Football success at the higher level.

I'm not sure anyone is arguing the fact that UCONN would be a bigger draw in NYC than any of the current B1G members. No different than if IU was in the title game in Indy. Both are big basketball programs with passionate fan bases local to the venues. That said Delany isn't making membership decisions based on attendance for a 3 day event.

Playing in MSG is a novelty. A fun trip for traveling fans. It will never be The Big East Tournament, and it won't be portrayed as such. To date you have been shut out for one reason. $$$. The B1G makes much more leveraging carriage fees in NJ and MD than they could ever make in CT. Everything else like AAU or contiguous state is window dressing. The ACC is far more complicated and has probably been hashed out here many times. I still think your opportunity lays with The B1G and their next contract. I for one would love to have UCONN Sports in the fold.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I think Indiana is definitely still a national draw, and Michigan is usually on the national radar. It falls off pretty quickly after that, and the two new members aren't even a blip at this point. Sweaty's prime was a long time ago.

 

[Pudge]

You do realize NYCs significance in CBB versus Indy?

It's almost as stark a contrast as in banking.

 

[Ldandy]

If you say so, but the point stands either way.

The Big Ten has 14 schools and maybe one of them is what you'd consider a national draw. I'm not sure who you root for, but if it's not Michigan State, no one else cares.

It is what it is.

Obviously someone is watching, as the conference is on TV regularly across cable and on CBS. You don't like B1G Basketball, that's fine. I don't either. Then again I don't really watch any basketball outside of the tournament, as the one and done phenomena has ruined the game IMO.

 

[Ldandy]

You do realize NYCs significance in CBB versus Indy?

It's almost as stark a contrast as in banking.

No I have no idea can you explain it to me?

My point still stands. Having local teams with strong followings will always be good for events played in those areas. NYC and UCONN is no different.

Unlike The B1G, The Big East Tournament was the singular focus of the conference brass. To their detriment it superseded everything including focusing on protecting football.

Playing a basketball tournament in NYC is just another feather in Delany's Cap. It will never be an end all be all. If attendance is mediocre, he'll shrug it off and take it back to Chicago. He won't make conference decisions based on attendance at an out of market event. To fans Its something fun, like playing a conference game overseas, or a hockey game in a football stadium.

 

[Pudge]

No I have no idea can you explain it to me?

My point still stands. Having local teams with strong followings will always be good for events played in those areas. NYC and UCONN is no different.

Unlike The B1G, The Big East Tournament was the singular focus of the conference brass. To their detriment it superseded everything including focusing on protecting football.

Playing a basketball tournament in NYC is just another feather in Delany's Cap. It will never be an end all be all. If attendance is mediocre, he'll shrug it off and take it back to Chicago. He won't make conference decisions based on attendance at an out of market event. To fans Its something fun, like playing a conference game overseas, or a hockey game in a football stadium.

I see ... you don't understant

 

[DarthGrumpy]

I think Indiana is definitely still a national draw, and Michigan is usually on the national radar. It falls off pretty quickly after that, and the two new members aren't even a blip at this point. Sweaty's prime was a long time ago.

If Michigan is usually a national draw in basketball, what is Michigan St? Wisconsin draws well from what I have heard, too, and Ohio St. fans follow Buckeyes everywhere. Heck, Maryland had a strong showing at Barclays for last year's game with UConn (6040 split in their favor). Remember, the B1G consists over very large, state flagships schools that average over 30K undergraduates while the New Big E is a collection of catholic, primarily smaller schools, mostly under 10K and several such as PC under 5k. That's were the B1G's advantage comes from.

 

[Ldandy]

I see ... you don't understant

What's to understand? Obviously you place more value on having a large presence in NYC for basketball than anyone making decisions in conference realignment does. It is what it is. Quite frankly as good as your program is, and as close in proximity as you are to MSG, it would be embarassing if you didn't show up in force.

 

[WestHartHusk]

What's to understand? Obviously you place more value on having a large presence in NYC for basketball than anyone making decisions in conference realignment does. It is what it is. Quite frankly as good as your program is, and as close in proximity as you are to MSG, it would be embarassing if you didn't show up in force.

Well the ACC cared when they went after Cuse and UCONN before BC black-balled us.

 

[Ldandy]

Well the ACC cared when they went after Cuse and UCONN before BC black-balled us.

Fair enough. I should have stated it as those in The B1G making decisions on realignment. The ACC acts on a totally different set of bizarre motivations. Probably explains why they are such a cluster.

Edit- Not stating that selecting UCONN was bizarre, but allowing one school to blackball it. Typical ACC head scratching decision making.