In all these alignment rumors, why is the Big East not mentioned?

[Johnny]

Hey guys, St. John's fan coming in peace. Really not here to troll or start anything and have always respected UConn. I've been reading the realignment board for a few days and I'm really surprised there is no mention of a possible Big East reunion for UConn. It makes so much sense it hurts. The monkey wrench is your football program. Obviously you guys must realize this. Why not become independent in football and join the Big East for all other sports? Why not call the MAC? Why not consider downgrading to FCS? I think a few years ago another school (UMass?) considered downgrading. Georgetown is a great sports school and they have their football in FCS. Same with Nova. I understand you guys wanted to become an east coast FBS powerhouse bringing college football to the northeast. It just won't happen.

UConn has to realize it's a basketball school. Not only men's hoops, but women's as well. 10 rings in basketball between the two hoops teams. That is your sport. That is what you are and will always be known for. Your flirtation with becoming the next Ohio State in the northeast has cost you a precious spot in a great conference. Dreams and reality are two different things.

Coming back to the Big East you would get:

-MSG games every year again and likely sold out or nearly sold out
-Old rivalries rekindled i.e. SJ, G'Town, Nova
-Fox Sports 1 with every game nationally televised and some nice cash
-Assurance that your basketball will not fall off and your RPI will be strong
-More to brag about to recruits
-Geographic fit (duh)

Why not come with us? We can all laugh as the power 5 conferences neurotically try to raid other schools and be in our nice cozy, powerful, respected Big East. What do you say?

 

[Johnny]

Also, let's look at the painfully obvious:

Where did basketball get UConn? The Big East, fame, fortune, and the best conference ever.

Where did football get UConn? The AAC, Tulane, Tulsa, and a conference that will hold you back many years, killing your RPI, seeding, and can threaten UConn's basketball program as a whole in the post-Calhoun era.

Clearly we see that thinking with basketball first leads you to success and thinking with football first results in your failure.

 

[FDNY99]

How about this...go away!

 

[zls44]

Lol the fans of the irrelevant basketball schools now realizing they are completely off the radar without the football schools who carried them for thirty years. You got a national championship from UConn last year. Again. Field hockey. You're welcome. Maybe you guys try doing something for yourselves for the first time in your entire irrelevant existences? Basically, don't call us...we'll call you.

 

[zls44]

Where did football get UConn? The AAC, Tulane, Tulsa, and a conference that will hold you back many years, killing your RPI, seeding, and can threaten UConn's basketball program as a whole in the post-Calhoun era.

Yeah, it really held UConn back last year.


Run along now, Johnny. I hear there's a documentary on MSG+ about the NIT in the fifties. It's grainy footage in black and white, but that's never stopped the C7 from reminiscing.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Johnny]

It would be nice to get UConn back, but we won't cry if we don't. In fact it's very strange that you can have a "we'll call you" attitude to all of this. UConn is the desperate one, not a conference with G'Town, Nova, Marquette, Creighton, Xavier, etc. We are all locked up in a conference we know will be consistently good and some years great. UConn is going to be content playing Tulane, Houston, East Carolina, Tulsa, etc. in basketball? I don't believe that.

The more the P5 moves on away from you guys the more it's basically Big East or bust for you guys. Choosing football first was an amazingly stupid move that you are just starting to pay the price for. I'm not begging UConn to come to the Big East, I'm simply saying it's mutually very beneficial for both sides. Right now, DePaul is making double what UConn makes from the Big East-Fox TV deal. Did you ever think you'd see the day? It's here.

UConn is not in any position to put down other conferences or say they are too good for anyone. Look to your left…there's Tulane. Look to your right…there's Tulsa. The Big East sent 4 teams to the tournament in a year when G'Town, Marquette, and SJ underperformed severely. We don't NEED you, but if you want to get some security and get your lives back on track where you belong, it would make sense to join again.

Football is the death of UConn basketball. Plenty of people are enjoying seeing UConn rot in a useless conference, but I actually respect UConn and would like to see you guys back to benefit us both. UConn is left behind by the P5 and now you are too good for us? Okay then, enjoy Tulane, Tulsa, ECU, UCF, SMU, and those other hoops juggernauts. No skin off our nose.

 

[Johnny]

You won the national championship with Calhoun's players from the old Big East. Imagine 5 years from now, distanced from the championship being Ollie on a recruiting trip. "Hey there! We can give you a great chance to play in a conference nobody knows about against teams nobody cares about except for 1 or 2! Our games against Tulsa and Tulane are must see TV and no doubt they will pose a great challenge!".

 

[noeynox]

10 rings combined? Lmao, you're a few short, but in fairness who could keep count.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Why not join the 'new' Big East?

From 1980 through 2014, 14 teams that do not have a D1 football program have made the final four. That is roughly 10% of all Final 4 programs during that time period. I did not include UConn's '99 title as UConn had already agreed to upgrade to I-A football and I did include UMass's abdicated Final 4 appearance in 1996 as they upgraded to I-A (MAC) well after.

In comparison, that rate is just above the PAC during the same time period (9 appearances, 7%), just behind the XII (13 appearances, 10%), and well behind the SEC (21 appearances, 15%), the B1G (24 appearances, 18%) and the ACC (31 appetences, 23%). Combined the P5 represents 73% of all Final 4 teams since 1980, and it is actually higher as I did not include schools like Syracuse and Louisville who escaped the Big E after.

The total Big E appearances between 1980 and 2014 are 18 (13%), which is split 9 (6.5%) appearances a piece between football I-A teams and non-football I-A teams. Since the height of the original Big E In 1985 when 3 teams (all catholic) went to the Final 4, the non-football Big E teams went to the Final 4 on just 4 occasions (Providence '87, Hall '89, G-Town '07, 'Nova '09), which is less than 4% of all appearances between 1986 and 2014.

Taking the next step up, during the same time period, only 2 men's NCAA basketball titles have been won by a non D1-A football school - G-Town in 1984 and 'Nova in 1985. That is less than 6% of the titles won in that time period. Only 4 titles have been won by non major conferences - the two '84 and '85 titles as noted plus UNLV in '90 and UConn in '14 (Syracuse has 1 and Louisville has 3 while playing for the Big E and Metro). Those two titles in '84 and '85 also represent the only NCAA basketball titles that the Catholics within the Big E won it all. The other 4 NCAA men's titles are owned by the Big E are by the football playing member Syracuse ('03) and UConn ('99, '04, '11).

Thus the answer is obvious. To be a major basketball power, UConn must play the big boys in basketball AND football.

 

[businesslawyer]

Yeah, it really held UConn back last year.


Run along now, Johnny. I hear there's a documentary on MSG+ about the NIT in the fifties. It's grainy footage in black and white, but that's never stopped the C7 from reminiscing.

It was a disaster. We only won three national championships. Question for visitor -- how many championships combined did your conference win?

 

[Dooley]

The Big East Tourney is on borrowed time. Last year's Final didn't come close to selling out MSG. Compare that to people taking out second mortgages for NCAA Regional Final tickets (thanks in large part to UCONN being on the ticket), and it's obvious to anyone that the "new" Big East doesn't move the needle. At some point, even a fool like James Dolan will take a look at his empty seats during BET games and begin to look around.

 

[DFW HOYA]

The Big East Tourney is on borrowed time. Last year's Final didn't come close to selling out MSG.

Actually it almost did. About 14K for the Thursday sessions, 16K on Friday, and 18K for the finals. Only empty seats were way up in where the 400s used to be.

 

[Dooley]

Actually it almost did. About 14K for the Thursday sessions, 16K on Friday, and 18K for the finals. Only empty seats were way up in where the 400s used to be.

Why does the Big East site (and every other website) say that there were 15,290 at the Final?

http://www.bigeast.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/031514aab.html

"The crowd of 15,290 at Madison Square Garden was charged from the start and a strong contingent of Creighton fans made the building shake as the Bluejays closed in on the Friars."

 

[huskymedic]

Coincidence? trolls.

HolyLandofHoops9:20pm via Twitter for iPhone
Some interesting discussion onHolyLandofHoops.com about whether the#BIGEAST should consider adding UConn. Their football is a mess...

 

[Dooley]

Coincidence? trolls.

HolyLandofHoops9:20pm via Twitter for iPhone
Some interesting discussion onHolyLandofHoops.com about whether the#BIGEAST should consider adding UConn. Their football is a mess...

Love the "consider" part. What a bunch of d-bags. Gotta love trolls.

 

[huskiesnyc]

The New C7 Big East is absolute garbage and it's burried on a channel no one watches. I think that was made very evident by getting ZERO teams in the Sweet 16.

 

[Fishy]

Good lord, the guy asked a reasonable question from the perspective of an outsider and you chuckleheads are instantly defensive. Lighten --- up.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The rumor I heard was that UConn already asked and was turned down. That is why I have not pushed this alternative for a while.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Lol the fans of the irrelevant basketball schools now realizing they are completely off the radar without the football schools who carried them for thirty years. You got a national championship from UConn last year. Again. Field hockey. You're welcome. Maybe you guys try doing something for yourselves for the first time in your entire irrelevant existences? Basically, don't call us...we'll call you.

Bitter ex-girlfriend syndrome.

 

[Fishy]

The rumor I heard was that UConn already asked and was turned down. That is why I have not pushed this alternative for a while.

Not even remotely true.

 

[Clockshop]

Not even remotely true.

Just nelson being the clown that he is.

 

[BlueMAB]

So you guys are saying the voices in Nelson's head don't count as sources?

 

[Fishy]

It could be a sign that he's hearing voices again.

You would have to be deranged to think that UConn decided to see if they could pay a $10,000,000 exit fee for the privilege of taking their athletic program off of ESPN, putting their football program under ground and their basketball programs onto a network no one knows exists.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

So you guys are saying the voices in Nelson's head don't count as sources?

My source was in the room with someone relatively senior at UConn, but not from the very top, and this UConn person said it was very unlikely uconn would ever join the Big East. It didn't sound like UConn was making a big secret about the fact that the catholic schools are not interested in an affiliation with UConn. I wouldn't be surprised if you had theorized something similar, but now I say it so you act like a dick. SOP for you.

I don't know if there is anything uconn could do to turn this around, or not. From what I have heard, the Big East is not an area of focus for uconn. My guess is, if any of you want to give $5 to $10k to UConn, you can have someone from the school tell you this too.

All you guys that wanted the AAC, you got it. There is no plan b as far as I know.