Hopefully BIG administators take note of Rutgers v Virginia today @ Barclays

[Gfunk]

Rutgers basketball had a nice upset win over Vanderbilt yesterday @ Barclays.

Today Rutgers plays Virginia.

I highly doubt Rutgers fans will come close to even filling half the place with their fans. There was hardly any of their faithful at yesterday's game against Vandy. Their fans have no excuse to get to today's game, 930p start time.

I suspect there will be far more Va fans, though I don't expect too many from their side either. Both these schools are hungover from average football seasons & Rutgers' fans will be concentrated in College Park today.

If this was UConn, different story. So yes, BIG administrators, take note - damn it!

When Michigan and Villanova played earlier this week, I was shocked at the turnout by Michigan fans. Nova brought some noise as well, but Michigan fans were absolutely in the house. I actually realized the indirect justification for adding Rutgers at this point, which plenty of critics argued during the last expansion, there are in fact plenty of Mi alum in NYC, other BIG schools as well.

Nonetheless, people tend to forget that the BTN also viewed getting Jersey households - pretty large state, population wise. Rutgers, my opinion, will remain a long-term project as their upside will require a lot of missing pieces to come to fruition - it will take time.

Regardless, I continue to scratch my head at UConn sitting in the AAC when the BIG could absolutely use a basketball super power unmatched in terms of both sexes - no one comes close to your success the past 20 years.

 

[pj]

The B1G has been very deliberate in their moves. As a UConn fan I wish they would willingly go to 15 schools and take the obviously valuable property immediately, trusting that a #16 would be available in time. But waiting fits with their cautious modus operandi. And with their professed desire for consensus. I doubt most B1G presidents are familiar with UConn yet.

 

[CL82]

GFunk said: "When Michigan and Villanova played earlier this week, I was shocked at the turnout by Michigan fans. Nova brought some noise as well, but Michigan fans were absolutely in the house. I actually realized the indirect justification for adding Rutgers at this point, which plenty of critics argued during the last expansion, there are in fact plenty of Mi alum in NYC, other BIG schools as well."

I was thinking about this as well. Even if UConn didn't bring it's NCAA multiple championship winning programs (men's basketball, woman's basketball, men's soccer, field hockey), it's emerging hockey program, it's football program (which has hopefully reached it 's rebuilding nadir); it's outstanding (#58 USWR and consistently rising), it's state backed research in biotech (who's got funding...we've got funding), it's strong NYC fan base and fan ownership of the world's most famous arena (yes, Mr. Delaney we saw you at the Mich. St. game in MSG) in a land grant college with absolutely rabid fans; it still would give the B1G power schools more opportunities to connect with the their northeast fans.

It seems like a no brainer, but I may be biased.

 

[Ha Who]

GFunk said: "When Michigan and Villanova played earlier this week, I was shocked at the turnout by Michigan fans. Nova brought some noise as well, but Michigan fans were absolutely in the house. I actually realized the indirect justification for adding Rutgers at this point, which plenty of critics argued during the last expansion, there are in fact plenty of Mi alum in NYC, other BIG schools as well."

I was thinking about this as well. Even if UConn didn't bring it's NCAA multiple championship winning programs (men's basketball, woman's basketball, men's soccer, field hockey), it's emerging hockey program, it's football program (which has hopefully reached it 's rebuilding nadir); it's outstanding (#58 USWR and consistently rising), it's state backed research in biotech (who's got funding...we've got funding), it's strong NYC fan base and fan ownership of the world's most famous arena (yes, Mr. Delaney we saw you at the Mich. St. game in MSG) in a land grant college with absolutely rabid fans; it still would give the B1G power schools more opportunities to connect with the their northeast fans.

It seems like a no brainer, but I may be biased.

I stopped trying to figure it out. It is like trying to figure out why government pays $20 for a screw. I now just watch the games, get frustrated with hoops recruiting and hope the athletic department doesn't fall apart over the next three years.

 

[Ldandy]

You guys are beating yourselves up over the one thing that is mostly out of your control, population. I've been on this board for awhile, and I have long believed in the value that UCONN could bring to the conference as a top basketball program, burgeoning hockey program, and additional east coast presence.

If CT was MA ,VA or some larger state, you would probably be viewed even more favorably than a school like Rutgers because of all the good things you have going both athletically and academically. While I don't ever see a scenario where UCONN is tapped as a 15th member, I could definitely imagine a situation where you could be 16 or 20. Ultimately the combo of additions will need to add incremental value to the overall pot for all members in order to make expansion worthwhile.

 

[SubbaBub]

You guys are beating yourselves up over the one thing that is mostly out of your control, population. I've been on this board for awhile, and I have long believed in the value that UCONN could bring to the conference as a top basketball program, burgeoning hockey program, and additional east coast presence.

If CT was MA ,VA or some larger state, you would probably be viewed even more favorably than a school like Rutgers because of all the good things you have going both athletically and academically. While I don't ever see a scenario where UCONN is tapped as a 15th member, I could definitely imagine a situation where you could be 16 or 20. Ultimately the combo of additions will need to add incremental value to the overall pot for all members in order to make expansion worthwhile.

Tell Jim, if we need to invade MA, RI, NH, and VT, we'll do it.

 

[BoatShow]

We can annex RI but the BiG will probably just take PC instead

 

[BoatShow]

How is Myles Mack still around? Didn't he play vs Dyson??

 

[UConn9604]

I'm just hoping they weren't watching ESPNNews this afternoon...

 

[Gfunk]

Score update. Virginia 15 Rutgers 13, less than min left in the first half Attendance, who knows. I can't find the game and I'd rather watch the Iron Bowl.

I've often wondered about many BIG folks obsession over UVa. Sure they have decent Olympic sports outside basketball and football, but in these big 2, they've never been remotely relevant with any sort of consistency. It's one of those population and economics arguments for these BIG types, academic facade as well. But in terms of proven quality, not much for UVa to brag about. Maryland owned Virginia in the big two sports during their ACC tenure.

 

[TRest]

I'm just hoping they weren't watching ESPNNews this afternoon...

No one was watching. Good thing, with Sideshow Bob on the sidelines.

 

[Fishy]

That there was Rutgers in New York City.

They score 26 points in a game played in front of absolutely nobody.

From the AP: CROWDSOURCING: The entire upper bowl of Barclays Center was tarped off, and wide swaths of the lower levels were empty.

 

[BoatShow]

We didn't exactly set Barclays on fire when we played UMD there but hey we're not the school with 600k fans in NYC!

Edit: Just looked at the ESPN.com gallery of the game and there was legit 2000 people there. 1950 wearing orange.

 

[Fishy]

Neither school brought fans.

There was about 1,600 friends, family, locals and sponsors there.

 

[dayooper]

Neither school brought fans.

There was about 1,600 friends, family, locals and sponsors there.

Free tickets galore, I assume.

 

[pj]

The B1G wants UVa in order to triple its NYC presence.

 

[buddy]

We didn't exactly set Barclays on fire when we played UMD there but hey we're not the school with 600k fans in NYC!

Edit: Just looked at the ESPN.com gallery of the game and there was legit 2000 people there. 1950 wearing orange.

UCONN-Maryland filled Barclays last year. Maryland home game remember, so mostly MD fans. I was there and UCONN fans were loud and proud and many of them, but unfortunately were spread around instead of in adjoining sections.

 

[SubbaBub]

Attendance: 4,105

 

[Ha Who]

Attendance: 4,105

Doesn't change our conference affiliation where an early season OOC loss to Texas in what should be a fun game, seriously damages our post season aspirations. We can make fun of Rutgers, they are driving the BMW while we are in the Buick with 150,000 miles and no money to replace it

 

[pj]

Doesn't change our conference affiliation where an early season OOC loss to Texas in what should be a fun game, seriously damages our post season aspirations. We can make fun of Rutgers, they are driving the BMW while we are in the Buick with 150,000 miles and no money to replace it

The only thing that put our postseason aspirations at risk was the injury to Ryan Boatright. A loss to Texas is a good loss. You can win a national championship from a 7 seed, as we proved last year.

 

[Ha Who]

The only thing that put our postseason aspirations at risk was the injury to Ryan Boatright. A loss to Texas is a good loss. You can win a national championship from a 7 seed, as we proved last year.

Yes, you can. Just like our 2011 run. However, these don't happen all the time and the cartel is out to destroy UCONN.

 

[btstimpy]

Score update. Virginia 15 Rutgers 13, less than min left in the first half Attendance, who knows. I can't find the game and I'd rather watch the Iron Bowl.

I've often wondered about many BIG folks obsession over UVa. Sure they have decent Olympic sports outside basketball and football, but in these big 2, they've never been remotely relevant with any sort of consistency. It's one of those population and economics arguments for these BIG types, academic facade as well. But in terms of proven quality, not much for UVa to brag about. Maryland owned Virginia in the big two sports during their ACC tenure.

Just to give you some supporting numbers, since 1990 UVA is 15-8 against Maryland in football and 23-25 against Maryland in basketball. Note that this includes the entire tenure of the Gary Williams glory years in basketball. If you want to call that owning, go ahead. Prior to 1980 Maryland did own Virginia, but they had a well run athletics department then. I missed it all as it was before my time of paying attention.

As for that Barclays tournament, UVA basketball fans are hard pressed to get excited over Vanderbilt, La Salle, and Rutgers. The team probably was too as they played poorly in Brooklyn, especially on offense. I don't understand the B1G folks obession either. I wish it would go away. UVA isn't interested at this point.

 

[BoatShow]

The B1G wants UVa in order to triple its NYC presence.

UVA has legitimate pull in the magical B1G fairy tale gumdrops and TV set lands of DC and NY. I think they are definitely on Big Jim's wishlist. RU was just a bridge to us and MD a bridge to UVa. I think they can throw out contiguous when the area separating the two states is the area they covet.

This is a legit question...do people in NYC even have TVs? Everyone I know who lives in NYC doesn't even have a TV.

 

[dayooper]

Just to give you some supporting numbers, since 1990 UVA is 15-8 against Maryland in football and 23-25 against Maryland in basketball. Note that this includes the entire tenure of the Gary Williams glory years in basketball. If you want to call that owning, go ahead. Prior to 1980 Maryland did own Virginia, but they had a well run athletics department then. I missed it all as it was before my time of paying attention.

As for that Barclays tournament, UVA basketball fans are hard pressed to get excited over Vanderbilt, La Salle, and Rutgers. The team probably was too as they played poorly in Brooklyn, especially on offense. I don't understand the B1G folks obession either. I wish it would go away. UVA isn't interested at this point.

The obsession is that during the last big movement period, there were "insiders" that we're saying it was a done deal and how perfect a fit UVA was to the Big10. The case was laid out very well and UVA does fit like a glove except for one thing, they want to stay in The ACC. That's fine by me.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

The obsession is that during the last big movement period, there were "insiders" that we're saying it was a done deal and how perfect a fit UVA was to the Big10. The case was laid out very well and UVA does fit like a glove except for one thing, they want to stay in The ACC. That's fine by me.

Agree that UVA wants to stay in the ACC and the politicians want the UVA to stay in the ACC after spending so much capital to force the ACC to take V tech years ago during the first Big E raid instead of Syracuse (reportedly). If UVA was to leave, then they have to dive in again to find a safe spot for V Tech, which I doubt would be too hard as I suspect that the SEC would jump at a chance to get a proven football program in the DC market.

The question is if the leadership at UVA, who clearly have their own issues to deal with right now, are less committed to the ACC due to the on-going fiasco at their partner, UNC, and the circus that FSU has turned into.