BYU is still open to joining another conference

[junglehusky]

What a load of nonsense in that article. Missouri isn't academically prestigious in any way, nor is Nebraska. They were both average within the Big 12. Colorado was probably slightly above average, mostly because it is a hip/cool/trendy destination (like UVM in New England, but magnified). A&M was a major loss. They can add Rice anytime they want, but I don't see it happening. Hell, even Tulsa is a good school, if not on the research end of things. No, football will be the key, although I really think there will be some pressure to upgrade basketball and provide a legit rival to Kansas. That is our best hope.

In regards to academics, everything is relative. But your point about football being primary is supported by the B12 going after TCU (where geography was also a plus) and WVU (where it wasn't).

 

[HuskyHawk]

When you look at markets, if UConn were to move to the Big 12, it would be the 2nd or 3th largest media market on the day it joined the league behind Dallas-Fort Worth, but ahead of Kansas City, Austin, DeMoine-Ames, Wichita, Oklahoma City. And that doesn't even consider its reach into at least the Fairfield County portion of the New York market and the southern portion of Springfield Mass. Though I recognize that Texas reach extends beyond Austin, too, though not as far as they thought. As for Temple, they really don't have any attraction in Philly. Their inroads into the Pennsylvania recruiting market are closer to a cartpath than I-90, that's for sure. Folks have talked for decades about Temple's access to the Philadelphia market, but it simply isn't there. For what its worth, I also agree with Tranghese (and I can't believe I wrote that) that most people misunderstand the New York market, which is really a series of sub-markets. The Big East with multiple points of entrance, UConn, Syracuse, Rutgers and to a lesser extent St Johns and Seton Hall managed to get a significant piece of that market by bundling a number of those sub-markets. So Rutgers fans would watch and root for or against UConn and Syracuse, UConn fans would watch Syracuse & the Ruts and Syracuse fans would watch UConn & Rutgers. But just taking Rutgers is going to be incredibly disappointing for the Big 10 and would be even if Rutgers wasn't a complete clusterf68k. Same with the ACC and Syracuse. And if the B12 were to take UConn, they'd be disappointed in our share of the NY market, too. Kind of like the Army-Navy game if they weren't military academies. Or that tv commercial about a bed or breakfast. That is what people who think they're getting entre into the NY market by taking Syracuse OR Rutgers OR UConn will end up with. A bunch of folks sleeping in their pancakes.

This is the mistake people make with the Big 12. For one, Houston is also one of their "markets" if such a thing exists. The Big 12 has no network and never will, aside from the Longhorn Network. So what matters to the Big 12 are branded universities. The best two they have now are Texas and Kansas, in terms of national appeal, with KU being all basketball and Texas in everything. After that, OU and WVU have solid football and basketball brands. K-State is developing one (and has damned good football, basketball and baseball teams this year), and Baylor is pretty well known in general. OK State is next and TCU, TT and Iowa State bring up the rear. The Big 12 is all about national appeal. Losing A&M and Nebraska really hurt. Missouri not so much, as their national brand is pretty non-existent. Colorado was a bigger loss in that regard.

That's why UCF and USF are non-starters, they bring nothing. Nationally they don't turn on any TV sets, and they barely register in Florida. UConn and BYU are logical because they have strong national brands, that turn on TV sets outside of their market. I think UNLV might be in that category as well, to a lesser degree. Cinci, while a good fit on football and geography basis, is a zilch from a branding perspective. Outside of southern Ohio and northern KY they don't even register.

The B1G cares about the NY market, the Big 12 really does not. But our brand name helps us anyway. Winning on the hardwood is critical. A final four would do wonders for UConn, post JC. A college world series would help. A major bowl game would be hugely helpful. It's one of the reasons they went through the branding exercise and came up with the unique football helmets. UConn cannot rely on the conference or region anymore. We have to become a national name to an even greater extent. The "just win" aspect is critical. You turn on a bowl game, and hey, it's UConn. NCAA tournament, men's and women's...there's UConn. Soccer tournament...hmmm, UConn. Hockey tournament, hopefully soon you'll see UConn. Baseball, there's UConn again. If there is a freaking college sport televised anywhere, we have to win at it.

 

[freescooter]

This is the mistake people make with the Big 12. For one, Houston is also one of their "markets" if such a thing exists. The Big 12 has no network and never will, aside from the Longhorn Network. So what matters to the Big 12 are branded universities. The best two they have now are Texas and Kansas, in terms of national appeal, with KU being all basketball and Texas in everything. After that, OU and WVU have solid football and basketball brands. K-State is developing one (and has damned good football, basketball and baseball teams this year), and Baylor is pretty well known in general. OK State is next and TCU, TT and Iowa State bring up the rear. The Big 12 is all about national appeal. Losing A&M and Nebraska really hurt. Missouri not so much, as their national brand is pretty non-existent. Colorado was a bigger loss in that regard.

That's why UCF and USF are non-starters, they bring nothing. Nationally they don't turn on any TV sets, and they barely register in Florida. UConn and BYU are logical because they have strong national brands, that turn on TV sets outside of their market. I think UNLV might be in that category as well, to a lesser degree. Cinci, while a good fit on football and geography basis, is a zilch from a branding perspective. Outside of southern Ohio and northern KY they don't even register.

The B1G cares about the NY market, the Big 12 really does not. But our brand name helps us anyway. Winning on the hardwood is critical. A final four would do wonders for UConn, post JC. A college world series would help. A major bowl game would be hugely helpful. It's one of the reasons they went through the branding exercise and came up with the unique football helmets. UConn cannot rely on the conference or region anymore. We have to become a national name to an even greater extent. The "just win" aspect is critical. You turn on a bowl game, and hey, it's UConn. NCAA tournament, men's and women's...there's UConn. Soccer tournament...hmmm, UConn. Hockey tournament, hopefully soon you'll see UConn. Baseball, there's UConn again. If there is a freaking college sport televised anywhere, we have to win at it.

I actually agree with most of this. I think they made a mistake with the rebranding, replacing a nationally known logo with a generic one, Penn State is the only one who can do that, but the rest of it is accurate and states well UConn's mission. If it is on ESPN, and we have a team in the sport, UConn needs to be on the screen. In AAC basketball, for instance, we can't just win the conference. We need to DOMINATE it. In football we need to win our division every year, go bowling every year and win those. We need to have the type of record where UConn shows up in the various pre-season polls because we're UConn. We actually achieved that in mens basketball as has been demonstrated in the recent past (2007 and 2010 and 2012 come to mind.) Even when we know it will be an off year, we need voters to give UConn the benefit of the doubt.

 

[upstater]

I actually agree with most of this. I think they made a mistake with the rebranding, replacing a nationally known logo with a generic one, Penn State is the only one who can do that, but the rest of it is accurate and states well UConn's mission. If it is on ESPN, and we have a team in the sport, UConn needs to be on the screen. In AAC basketball, for instance, we can't just win the conference. We need to DOMINATE it. In football we need to win our division every year, go bowling every year and win those. We need to have the type of record where UConn shows up in the various pre-season polls because we're UConn. We actually achieved that in mens basketball as has been demonstrated in the recent past (2007 and 2010 and 2012 come to mind.) Even when we know it will be an off year, we need voters to give UConn the benefit of the doubt.

At the lower levels (former BE and now the ACC), those so-called midmajors from CUSA and even the Sun Belt are often just as good and can easily go toe-to-toe with those teams not named Florida St.

Put Pitt, Louisville and Cuse up against Houston, East Carolina and UCF. Do you really have confidence? Tulane and Memphis are clearly problematic, and Temple is no great shakes either--but I do not see a huge downgrade in the competition level from the BE.

I do agree that UConn needs to shine in football, but it has its work cut out for it, because this league will be tough. We might thank our stars that we're not in the Sun Belt, because there are a lot of athletes in that conference, and it would look horrible to lose a good number of games there. Of all the conferences, only the WAC and MAC are truly substandard.

 

[freescooter]

At the lower levels (former BE and now the ACC), those so-called midmajors from CUSA and even the Sun Belt are often just as good and can easily go toe-to-toe with those teams not named Florida St.

Put Pitt, Louisville and Cuse up against Houston, East Carolina and UCF. Do you really have confidence? Tulane and Memphis are clearly problematic, and Temple is no great shakes either--but I do not see a huge downgrade in the competition level from the BE.

I do agree that UConn needs to shine in football, but it has its work cut out for it, because this league will be tough. We might thank our stars that we're not in the Sun Belt, because there are a lot of athletes in that conference, and it would look horrible to lose a good number of games there. Of all the conferences, only the WAC and MAC are truly substandard.

I pretty much agree with this too. In an AAC-ACC Challenge, the AAC probably goes 5-7, maybe 7-5. I'm not saying it will be automatic. I'm saying we need to do it regardless of the difficulty.

 

[Marty Jackson]

If this happened one would think Cinci would be their partner to big 12 right?

From ESPN insider rumors:
BYU is still open to joining a conference

May, 29, 2013
May 29
4:26
PM ET
By Brent Sobleski | ESPN.com
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College football realignment has finally slowed, but its unlikely to be completely finished. BYU is the most attractive and available program on the market. The school continues to weigh its options.

"We pretty much watch it year by year. ... It is wise to follow that course," BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe told Jay Drew of the Salt Lake Tribune.

BYU is an attractive option to the Big 12 Conference if the league eventually decides to expand to 12 teams. The Pac-12 Conference is also an option if its pushed to expand. Both cases are only likely to occur if either the Big Ten Conference or the SEC decides to push the envelope to 16 teams. If five "super-conferences" emerge, BYU will be ready to make the move and become a member of one of them.

i think uconn is also open to moving conferences.
what school not in a power 5 isn't?

 

[Vowelguy]

Temple?! Tulane?!
You folks are funny.

Cincinnati, Boise, Nevada, Air Force, Houston would be the ones to watch.