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

[businesslawyer]

Tulsa went to the big dance last year Johnny. You know that lofty goal that SHU might obtain for the first time since '06 if their recruiting class pans out. Depaul hasn't been to the dance since '04. SHU hasnt been relevant since PJ carlisimo but you want to throw out their historical numbers in your first point and then say in point 3 that the past doesn't matter? Bottom line here though is who cares? Dregs of the league are dregs of the league.



Thanks your opinion. Irregardless of your biased and superficial assessment of UConn football, the investment is a sunk cost. The money is on the table. The surest way to close up shop on that investment is to join the B1g East. You don't take insurance just because the dealer is showing an ace. Nobody is saying UConn has to be Penn State, we just have to be good enough to allow our market and basketball content to carry the day for a Power 5 invite.



The new Big East is not the Old Big East either. You are on the outside looking in too. This is clearly the biggest gap in your understanding. The NBE like the American is a mid major conference by any definition. The mystique for the nBE is on the clock too. What makes you think you aren't the A10?



Speculation and conjecture.



We judge the network BECAUSE it just started last year and the ratings support the opinion that nobody is watching. Its better for UConn to maintain our exposure on ESPN even for the whopping difference of a couple million a year in TV revenue (which, again, we more than subsidize with your exit fee money).



You do play in a mid major conference. You just have no chance of getting out.

What makes him think the Big East isn't the A-Ten? What should make him think the Big East was the A-Ten? The A-Ten was a better basketball conference last year, and its teams are more often on TV channels that an average person can actually find. Yes, the Big East gets far, far more TV money than the A-Ten. That means people in the Athletic Departmentg get paid better. It doesn't make the conference better.

Now that you've proven this was all just a farce to denigrate UConn football (which, by the way, with wins in '09 and '10 versus Notre Dame, South Carolina and West Virginia, and a Fiesta Bowl trip, has accomplished a heck of a lot more more recently than St Johns in basketball), please go away.

 

[businesslawyer]

^^^This. We don't have to tear the Big East down to say we are better off in the AAC, with a chance at a P5 slot, then joining it. It's a good basketball league, and a better on than the AAC I'll wager, most years. But that isn't enough.

Neither the Big East nor the AAC know that they will be playing in the same post-season basketball tournament as Duke, UNC, Kentucky and Kansas when conference realignment is all done. The difference is that by staying with football and seeing what happens, we have a chance to be on the right side of the line if the greater split comes. If we give up football to join the Big EAst, then when the split comes we will be playing in the JV tournament with catholic and directional schools.

The world is not static

 

[HoopsFan21]

You are trying to say that the only way you are considered "major" anymore is if you play FBS football. I call BS. The new Big East is clearly major hoops, it's just that no one cares about football. That doesn't change the quality of the programs. See, we have this crazy notion that we don't need to prioritize a sport that we suck in. We made the logical choice of banding our basketball programs together and putting basketball first. And once UConn does the same, the door will be left open for them. The new Big East is unique…it's the only major conference that specializes in basketball. It's a trailblazing conference. That's probably why you don't consider it major, because you aren't used to this setup yet. Yes we lost a lot of blue blood schools, but we still have some left. That's a testament to how good the old Big East was.

The new Big East allows us to securely focus on basketball. We don't have to worry about raids or defections. And if the AAC/ACC get raided and some decent programs like Purdue, Memphis, Temple, etc. get left behind by the P5 we can always scoop them up. Yes they play football, but after the P5 leaves you behind you don't have a choice. At that point it's Big East or bust if their athletic programs want to remain relevant.

Have you not been paying attention for the last decade or so? Of course it's true. If you don't play FBS football you're not major. Why do you think schools are trying to make the jump from FCS to FBS? And what do you think all the conference realignments are about? It sure as hell isn't about any sport that involves a round orange ball. None of the conferences want to be seen as a basketball conference. Not even the ACC with their rich tradition in basketball. Everyone is clamoring to be considered a football conference. Ask the P5 if they consider any of the Big East teams "major." Football dwarfs basketball in every way shape and form.

 

[CL82]

Well, first of all thanks for the honest answers and not personal attacks. It's an interesting discussion for sure. So far I've gathered:

1. That Seton Hall with a 5 star PG and the #9 recruiting class in 2014 and DePaul (31 NCAA appearances between both and 3 Final Fours) are the same as Tulane and Tulsa which have 18 NCAA appearances between both and 0 Final Fours and certainly terrible recruiting). That's quite the stance to take. It's no contest that SHU and DePaul are much better. SHU has been picked by some experts to make the tourney this year because they really lit up the recruiting trails lately. SHU was also ranked just a few years ago…when's the last time Tulsa/Tulane were ranked?

2. There is a total commitment to football, because UConn believes another lifeboat will come. This is just wishful thinking IMO. Maybe it does come, but there's every reason to believe it won't. UConn football can barely compete with the likes of SUNY Buffalo and Villanova. And that is not a slap, that is true. Plus, major college football will never catch on in the northeast. This is an NFL region and if anyone around here cares about college football they are Michigan, Notre Dame, or Penn State fans. I just can't see UConn ever making money on essentially a FCS level football program playing in the FBS. Eventually if they keep losing money I think they will be forced to pull the plug. UConn is taking a MAJOR risk by gambling on football. I don't think UConn fans realize how big it really is. If the P5 continues to leave you behind, those rings earned in your Big East era will fade away. UConn is in a major transition from Big East era (where literally all your success came) to the AAC era (where there is a lot of unknown and lots of potential for trouble).

3. The assumption that hoops will be fine…because…the past? UConn was sitting pretty in the old Big East. Last year, the first year in the AAC, you do realize that you still had one last gasp from the old Big East right? You had a HOF coach's recruits still (Calhoun) and had that battle tested team from the old Big East. But it's over now. UConn won a championship with old Big East recruits and no doubt the championship will help their recruiting for a few years alone. But I'm talking about LONG term. Are you really going to convince major recruits to play in a conference that plays a few major schools and mostly mid major to low major schools? That will definitely hurt at some point when the Big East mystique wears off and the AAC becomes more the norm. The Big East is recruiting extremely well despite losing the football schools. It seems many people just blindly believe that because UConn has rings, it will always be successful which is not true. Your current conference affiliation has you on the outside looking in and your hoops will suffer because of it. UConn downgraded in basketball to a mid major conference (save for 2 other schools) to go all in for football. No way around it.

4. Football schools make the tournament the most and go deep the most. Well, where does it all start? Recruiting. As long as the recruiting is there, it doesn't matter if you have football. And the new Big East has not skipped a beat recruiting. Once you make the tourney, anything can happen. UConn themselves were major underdogs in the past two championship runs. They got hot at the right time. So I'm not worried about how far Big East teams can go. Nova is primed to always make runs, G'Town is bouncing back after a down year, Marquette is reloading after Buzz, Butler is reloading after Stevens, and Creighton is reloading after McDermott. Give it some time. The Big East was nowhere close to its potential last year and we had 4 teams in. By the way, there are always cinderella runs and major upsets. That's why it's called March Madness. All you need is some good recruits, a ticket, and a little luck.

5. The Big East is on a bad network (FS1). Really? First of all, how can you judge a network that literally just started last year? It has had almost no time to get its name out there. They have been picking up big time college football and other events building their brand. It's still FOX SPORTS at the end of the day…it's not like some obscure name. People will find the games if they are good enough. The fan bases of the teams playing on the channel will always find it. At least we have every game nationally televised which is another big recruiting ploy. By the way, St. John's will be on CBS and ESPN this season when facing Duke and Cuse. So it's not like we are only on FS1. The schools here also make double what the AAC schools make in their TV deal. It's not a bad gig at all.

It really just pains me to see UConn putting its life on the line for a sport they are terrible in. You can blame the C-7 schools for your position but at the end of the day UConn shot itself in the foot by making an awful decision to prioritize football instead of the 1 sport they are known nationally for and excel greatly in. What will really be interesting is if the P5 takes Cincy, UCF, ECU and leaves out Memphis and UConn. What would happen then? The pressure for UConn to leave the AAC is only going to mount, and the Big East would be the only chance for them to stay in a good conference that isn't P5. I'm so glad we don't play football…I wouldn't want to be a part of this mess constantly losing sleep at night wondering if we will play in a mid major or major conference. All can be solved by waving the white flag on the football program.

LOL - Best...troll...post....ever. I love this guy. He's the RutgersAl of the conference that bought the name of the greast hoops conference of all time.

 

[zls44]

Edited for accuracy:

So everything that happened in the past is now moot, because you are in a totally new era in the Big East with far worse competition.

UConn's future is in such peril, that you are over here BEGGING them to join your conference.

Like I have repeatedly said, the C7 is a group of small-time, weren't-things-great-in-1955 thinkers. They have no creative plans for the future. They are an accumulation of small, private, exclusionary universities in an increasingly secular and cost-oriented world. They are the past.

USF and UCF have two of the largest enrollments in the country. They have new facilities (UNLIKE most of the Big East, unless you want to count putting new plastic benches in a rec gym a new facility, which St. John's is trying to do). I went to the UConn @ UCF game last year, a game that was on national TV. It was outstanding- cheap tickets, exceptional weather (shorts in mid-Feb) and UConn won by a lot. I've already mapped out going down for the USF game this season.

I've been to games at St. John's. It's bitterly cold, in a trash neighborhood, for which you have the privilege of paying top-dollar to watch an equally-bad home program. After 35 years, I'd rather watch UConn knock around some new schools that have actual hope for long-term growth in the future given the trends of America.

But, thanks for the opportunity to let this crumbling empire get promoted by a fat guy who falls asleep on air five hours a day, as opposed to, you know, the NBA & NFL.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Edited for accuracy:




UConn's future is in such peril, that you are over here BEGGING them to join your conference.

Like I have repeatedly said, the C7 is a group of small-time, weren't-things-great-in-1955 thinkers. They have no creative plans for the future. They are an accumulation of small, private, exclusionary universities in an increasingly secular and cost-oriented world. They are the past.

USF and UCF have two of the largest enrollments in the country. They have new facilities (UNLIKE most of the Big East, unless you want to count putting new plastic benches in a rec gym a new facility, which St. John's is trying to do). I went to the UConn @ UCF game last year, a game that was on national TV. It was outstanding- cheap tickets, exceptional weather (shorts in mid-Feb) and UConn won by a lot. I've already mapped out going down for the USF game this season.

I've been to games at St. John's. It's bitterly cold, in a trash neighborhood, for which you have the privilege of paying top-dollar to watch an equally-bad home program. After 35 years, I'd rather watch UConn knock around some new schools that have actual hope for long-term growth in the future given the trends of America.

But, thanks for the opportunity to let this crumbling empire get promoted by a fat guy who falls asleep on air five hours a day, as opposed to, you know, the NBA & NFL.

I really don't get how some people don't see this. The C7 are not big time schools. They know it, and everyone in the P5, or wanting in to the P5, knows it. No matter how great some want to believe the Big East is, it will NEVER be on par with schools like Ohio State, Alabama, Texas, USC, Florida State, Penn State, Michigan, etc. Those are major schools athletically and academically.

 

[zls44]

I consider it a fantastic accomplishment that the C7 has gotten to where they have, when you consider how small and isolated they are in many ways. I just don't think they have a perfect future.

Something about Johnny's approach rubs of unearned elitism. Hence my hostility. As you all know, I normally fart rainbows.

 

[metsfan2323]

The C7 league is buried alive on Fox. I'm pretty sure the UCONN women had better ratings than most C7 games. Buzz Williams saw the writing on the wall and bolted.

 

[Johnny]

What makes him think the Big East isn't the A-Ten? What should make him think the Big East was the A-Ten? The A-Ten was a better basketball conference last year, and its teams are more often on TV channels that an average person can actually find. Yes, the Big East gets far, far more TV money than the A-Ten. That means people in the Athletic Departmentg get paid better. It doesn't make the conference better.

Now that you've proven this was all just a farce to denigrate UConn football (which, by the way, with wins in '09 and '10 versus Notre Dame, South Carolina and West Virginia, and a Fiesta Bowl trip, has accomplished a heck of a lot more more recently than St Johns in basketball), please go away.

The A-10 played absolutely out of its mind last year while the Big East had one of the down years with G'Town and Marquette performing way worse than normal. So that's an outlier. Give it 10 years and then you will see that the A-10 looks more like the A-10 compared to the Big East. The Big East is a clear step up. A-10 has zero blue bloods nationally known.

I did not start this to denigrate UConn football. I came to honestly ask why the Big East reunion (not that unreasonable) was not being discussed. You guys are not a major college football school. You likely never will be. College football in the tri-state area is like lacrosse in the south…not popular. Oh you beat a few good schools? Cool story bro. Better than St. John's? Uh…actually since 2011 SJ has demolished some top 10 teams including Duke and UConn in their prime. SJ has also knocked off ranked foes such as #20 Notre Dame, #16 Cincy (twice), #12 Creighton, and scared the living hell out of Cuse last year when they were #2…we took it right down to the wire and same with Nova when they were #6. SJ is not nearly as bad as you make them out to be. By UConn standards? Of course they will look bad up against 4 championships and an NCAA run every year. 99% of teams will. But objectively SJ is one of the better programs in the country and can play with anyone. SJ also beat UConn again when you guys were unranked a few years ago. So this apparently pathetic team handled UConn at times.

My point is that UConn fans seem to think they are pretty legit in football while objective outsiders see them as more SUNY Buffalo esque. UConn would not even dominate a conference of SUNY Buffalo, Cuse, Nova, UMASS, and SUNY Stony Brook. Those are more UConn's level. Not Florida State, Clemson, or Michigan. You are being delusional if you think your football is anything other than a failure for the money invested. Can things change? Sure. Would it be interesting to see UConn become a football powerhouse? Yeah, probably. But the odds are way against you. That's not being a troll, that's being real and the rest of the nation knows it outside of Storrs.

 

[businesslawyer]

You think St. John's is one of the best basketball programs in the country and you think other people are delusional? LMAO.

 

[Fishy]

The Big East had a down year because all of the good teams left.

That's what's called your new normal. You can call it the Big East and pretend it's the Big East, but it's not. I could name a donkey "Secretariat", but I'm not winning the Derby on it.

Sorry, not being a troll, that's being real and the rest of the nation knows it.

 

[Johnny]

Neither the Big East nor the AAC know that they will be playing in the same post-season basketball tournament as Duke, UNC, Kentucky and Kansas when conference realignment is all done. The difference is that by staying with football and seeing what happens, we have a chance to be on the right side of the line if the greater split comes. If we give up football to join the Big EAst, then when the split comes we will be playing in the JV tournament with catholic and directional schools.

The world is not static

No way in hell that happens. You don't blow up a wildly successful thing like March Madness that rakes in cash and has become a pop culture phenomenon even with non basketball fans. You see regular Joe's filling out brackets, entering pools, watching the games, etc. If the P5 had their own tourney, it would permanently kill the idea of cinderellas, one that is central to the success of the tourney as it is right now. You can't tell me schools like Gonzaga, UConn, Memphis, Cincy, Villanova, Georgetown, Marquette, etc. are all of a sudden locked out and become irrelevant. And yes I said UConn, because you will be locked out with us in the extremely rare event that they have their own tourney.

By the way, someone said jumping to FBS football correlated with basketball success. To that I reply, correlation does not imply causation. One of the oldest sayings in stats. There are tons of things that are correlated but not actually directly caused by something.

 

[metsfan2323]

The A-10 played absolutely out of its mind last year while the Big East had one of the down years with G'Town and Marquette performing way worse than normal. So that's an outlier. Give it 10 years and then you will see that the A-10 looks more like the A-10 compared to the Big East. The Big East is a clear step up. A-10 has zero blue bloods nationally known.

I did not start this to denigrate UConn football. I came to honestly ask why the Big East reunion (not that unreasonable) was not being discussed. You guys are not a major college football school. You likely never will be. College football in the tri-state area is like lacrosse in the south…not popular. Oh you beat a few good schools? Cool story bro. Better than St. John's? Uh…actually since 2011 SJ has demolished some top 10 teams including Duke and UConn in their prime. SJ has also knocked off ranked foes such as #20 Notre Dame, #16 Cincy (twice), #12 Creighton, and scared the living hell out of Cuse last year when they were #2…we took it right down to the wire and same with Nova when they were #6. SJ is not nearly as bad as you make them out to be. By UConn standards? Of course they will look bad up against 4 championships and an NCAA run every year. 99% of teams will. But objectively SJ is one of the better programs in the country and can play with anyone. SJ also beat UConn again when you guys were unranked a few years ago. So this apparently pathetic team handled UConn at times.

My point is that UConn fans seem to think they are pretty legit in football while objective outsiders see them as more SUNY Buffalo esque. UConn would not even dominate a conference of SUNY Buffalo, Cuse, Nova, UMASS, and SUNY Stony Brook. Those are more UConn's level. Not Florida State, Clemson, or Michigan. You are being delusional if you think your football is anything other than a failure for the money invested. Can things change? Sure. Would it be interesting to see UConn become a football powerhouse? Yeah, probably. But the odds are way against you. That's not being a troll, that's being real and the rest of the nation knows it outside of Storrs.

You are clueless, UCONN football could overnight be where Rutgers is right now, they just need the invite and the school and state are pushing very hard for that invite.


Run along now.

 

[OkaForPrez]

@Johnny Executive Summary: The Big East is not more desirable than the American out side of sentimentality for the past. UConn Basketball is not in jeopardy in the American. Moving to the Big East means never joining the P5. We are competitive for a P5 bid despite your perspective.

Thanks for your interest in Uconn athletics.

 

[Johnny]

Have you not been paying attention for the last decade or so? Of course it's true. If you don't play FBS football you're not major. Why do you think schools are trying to make the jump from FCS to FBS? And what do you think all the conference realignments are about? It sure as hell isn't about any sport that involves a round orange ball. None of the conferences want to be seen as a basketball conference. Not even the ACC with their rich tradition in basketball. Everyone is clamoring to be considered a football conference. Ask the P5 if they consider any of the Big East teams "major." Football dwarfs basketball in every way shape and form.

Basketball schools will not be judged on football terms. Being major is determined by conference affiliation, not if you play FBS football. Georgetown, Nova, Marquette, etc. are in our conference. This is major hoops. These are top notch programs. If you imply the Big East is mid major now, that should mean there is a noticeable drop off between say SEC/Pac-12 schools and Big East schools in basketball. There is not. Sure they may have more teams, but when Big East teams play other major teams, we belong. As I said, St. John's kept it close with Cuse and Nova both top 5 teams, beat Duke by 20 points a few years back and only lost by 7 against Duke recently with all freshmen. If this league was mid major you would expect to see mid major scores indicative of a different level of competition i.e. 80-58 Duke vs. G'Town. You won't see that. You will see lots of closely matched games that can go either way which means you are equals in terms of competition.

 

[businesslawyer]

No way in hell that happens. You don't blow up a wildly successful thing like March Madness that rakes in cash and has become a pop culture phenomenon even with non basketball fans. You see regular Joe's filling out brackets, entering pools, watching the games, etc. If the P5 had their own tourney, it would permanently kill the idea of cinderellas, one that is central to the success of the tourney as it is right now. You can't tell me schools like Gonzaga, UConn, Memphis, Cincy, Villanova, Georgetown, Marquette, etc. are all of a sudden locked out and become irrelevant. And yes I said UConn, because you will be locked out with us in the extremely rare event that they have their own tourney.

By the way, someone said jumping to FBS football correlated with basketball success. To that I reply, correlation does not imply causation. One of the oldest sayings in stats. There are tons of things that are correlated but not actually directly caused by something.

I get it. The reason you have all the answers is that, unlike the rest of us, you knows the future. My bad then.

 

[Johnny]

You think St. John's is one of the best basketball programs in the country and you think other people are delusional? LMAO.

Not compared to UConn standards. But compared to all D1 programs? Hell yes. Most schools don't even have a Final Four appearance. SJ has 2. Most schools don't even have 20+ NCAA berths. SJ has 28. Most schools haven't produced big time HOFer's and NBA players like Mullin, Artest, Jackson, etc. SJ is in the top 10 most winningest programs ever in D1. There are what 350 D1 programs? SJ has to be top 50 all time if you look in terms of wholesome results and that's being conservative.

I'm not trying to compare us to UConn obviously that's a waste of time. But just because SJ doesn't have 4 rings doesn't mean SJ is a bad program by any means. Downtrodden? Perhaps, but you can't just discount all the great seasons because of some bad ones.

 

[Johnny]

The Big East had a down year because all of the good teams left.

That's what's called your new normal. You can call it the Big East and pretend it's the Big East, but it's not. I could name a donkey "Secretariat", but I'm not winning the Derby on it.

Sorry, not being a troll, that's being real and the rest of the nation knows it.

How exactly would UConn and Cuse leaving cause them to be worse? Nova, G'Town, and Marquette are great programs…shouldn't they be better by your logic if the amazing teams all left?

 

[Johnny]

The C7 league is buried alive on Fox. I'm pretty sure the UCONN women had better ratings than most C7 games. Buzz Williams saw the writing on the wall and bolted.

It's 2014. People don't just click up 1 at a time anymore on their remotes. They have guides that show what games are on. If you go to the sports section it will be right in there with everything else. So I'd agree with you 10 years ago, but not now. People search specifically for what they want, not search 1 channel at a time.

 

[OkaForPrez]

Dude. It's been a long time since Louie C's sweaters.

 

[Johnny]

With that said, I will get out of your hair. Really not trying to be a troll, just wanted to get some UConn perspective (and boy did I get it). As much as it pains me to say this I hope you guys get what you want ultimately as a former Big East brother. I think UConn is good enough to be P5 although the football may never be very good. But hey, all you need to do is get in and cash out.

I honestly wish you guys luck and like I said, the door will be left open for ya. Good luck on your upcoming season (by the way looks like Briscoe is down to you guys and UK…I'd much rather see him at UConn).

Hopefully SJ can get a little series going with UConn at some point.

 

[zls44]

It's 2014. People don't just click up 1 at a time anymore on their remotes. They have guides that show what games are on. If you go to the sports section it will be right in there with everything else. So I'd agree with you 10 years ago, but not now. People search specifically for what they want, not search 1 channel at a time.

If that's true- by and large it isnt, just because you and I can search around doesn't mean 90% of people do- then boy, is that EVER an indictment of the Big East. Those ratings were a steaming turd.

You are being delusional if you think your football is anything other than a failure for the money invested.

Over a 7-year period after entering the Big East, UConn went 50-37, including two Big East championships, five bowl games (winning 3) and a BCS bowl. Yep, total failure.

Really not trying to be a troll

Pro tip: next time you go on a school's message board "not trying to be a troll", you probably shouldn't compare an entire program to SUNY-Buffalo (even though, this season, UB would be -13.5)

 

[amory]

Someday if it becomes evident that we're locked out of the P5 for good, I could see UConn being back in the big east. But that's an absolute last resort and we can pull that trigger whenever we want.

In the meantime I'd love to see UConn start up home and homes with some of the big east teams (nova, gtown, Creighton, maybe providence or sju). Unlike a lot of posters here I have no problem with the C7 schools. They simply did what was best for them.

 

[CL82]

He running plays right out the troll handbook. Begin nicely and complement your host. Feign interest in the program and it's well being. Start throwing out back handed complements and move on to veiled insult and then outright insults. Act indignant when you get called on it. What makes him entertaining is disconnect with reality with the conference that bought the name Big East. It's great stuff.

 

[HoopsFan21]

No way in hell that happens. You don't blow up a wildly successful thing like March Madness that rakes in cash and has become a pop culture phenomenon even with non basketball fans. You see regular Joe's filling out brackets, entering pools, watching the games, etc. If the P5 had their own tourney, it would permanently kill the idea of cinderellas, one that is central to the success of the tourney as it is right now. You can't tell me schools like Gonzaga, UConn, Memphis, Cincy, Villanova, Georgetown, Marquette, etc. are all of a sudden locked out and become irrelevant. And yes I said UConn, because you will be locked out with us in the extremely rare event that they have their own tourney.

By the way, someone said jumping to FBS football correlated with basketball success. To that I reply, correlation does not imply causation. One of the oldest sayings in stats. There are tons of things that are correlated but not actually directly caused by something.

The NCAA basketball tournament is where the NCAA gets most of its revenue. Football is where the schools get most of their revenue. Which do you think the schools care more about? Their revenue, or the NCAA's? The P5 couldn't give a crap about non-P5 schools. The vote this past summer is the writing on the wall that the P5 plans to fully break away from the NCAA at some point in the near future. They will then hold their own basketball tournament with all the big schools and take the revenue from that and split it instead of handing it over to the inept and practically defunct NCAA. It's all about money and power and the P in P5 stands for power - and don't kid yourself, they hold all the cards. They don't have to care about regular Joe's filling out brackets. That's a small school problem. Why do you continue to assume that UConn will forever be in the AAC with zero chance of getting an invite to a P5 conference? UConn =/= St. John's.