Need a Conference, ASAP

[SubbaBub]

My gut reaction is that it affects individual schools more that conferences. It will hurt schools not willing to pad their AD budget and schools diverting TV money away from athletics. Because UConn's TV contract sucks, it's going to be of some concern, at least.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I disagree....the basketball only programs of the NBE and A-10 will be fine, just like our beloved UConn Bball

Calm down chicken little

A p5, BB tourney would be a drag
They need a minimum of 32 teams to have a viable tourney ,after the top 20 you are including some dregs. It would pretty much be the ACC,B1G,and the group of ten.

The P5 loves the status quo in BB and the huge dollars of March madness.
This is all about one sport ,that that doesn't use a round ball.

 

[Gringo]

The P5 are not talking about it. It was a poll by ESPN that they had the coaches complete. It had nothing to do with the conferences or NCAA. I wouldn't worry about this at all until someone real talks about it.

What are you talking about? This isn't something ESPN made up. It's a real thing that very well could happen. Honestly, I hope you're right about all this and there is no reason for UConn to be concerned but in the end I think you are just being naive.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:11320892

 

[DSquiz]

What are you talking about? This isn't something ESPN made up. It's a real thing that very well could happen. Honestly, I hope you're right about all this and there is no reason for UConn to be concerned but in the end I think you are just being naive.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:11320892

It was a poll by ESPN when the coaches were in Bristol this past month, so it was something ESPN made up. This is not being talked about by the NCAA. It's like ESPN polling all coaches asking them if they think Obama should be president. The answer is irrelevant.

 

[David 76]

No. Passed today by the NCAA. Yes, it could badly hurt us. It may hurt us less if the AAC passes similar rules to the P-5, but it will hurt, more or less, until (if) we are in a P-5 Conference

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

I'm sorry but if you think this won't eventually impact basketball, you're crazy. Because the writing is on the wall of what is coming next: a separate basketball tourney. And guess which one will get the HUGE TV deal and which one will eventually become another NIT.

Time for everyone to HuskyUp. Starts with buying football tickets. Support the SCHOOL, not specific programs. And as always bleed blue.

There's no way. The NCAA tournament's charm comes from its inclusion of all kinds of schools. Without Mercers beating Dukes, the whole thing loses all of the fun. Never gonna happen.

 

[DSquiz]

No. Passed today by the NCAA. Yes, it could badly hurt us. It may hurt us less if the AAC passes similar rules to the P-5, but it will hurt, more or less, until (if) we are in a P-5 Conference

Are we talking about different things? I am talking about your original post about the P5 only playing other P5 teams. That was the question ESPN asked the P5 coaches. It was just a questions asking them their opinions on if they would want such a hypothetical thing. This isn’t something that is actually moving forward, they still play FCS schools after all.


If you are talking about P5 autonomy then yes that just passed and UConn can adopt any of that legislation.

 

[Gringo]

1. It was a poll by ESPN when the coaches were in Bristol this past month, so it was something ESPN made up. This is not being talked about by the NCAA. It's like ESPN polling all coaches asking them if they think Obama should be president. The answer is irrelevant.

Yes, ESPN did make the poll and yes the NCAA isn't talking about it.

However, the P5 conferences are talking about it. Of course they are. They want to maximize revenue streams and the best way to do that is to have football games between the major conferences all season. If you think this is irrelevant than I disagree. Like I said, I hope you are right.

 

[David 76]

No Squiz, UCONN is in a coference. The AAC could follow those rules (or not)
So if you are a HS basketball player and you can get a free ride to UCONN or a free ride, $5,000 stipend and long-term medical insurance at MD, where you going?
Every vote that is taken from now until eternity, their votes count more than ours.

The powerful just changed the constitution to make what they want more important.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Yes, ESPN did make the poll and yes the NCAA isn't talking about it.

However, the P5 conferences are talking about it. Of course they are. They want to maximize revenue streams and the best way to do that is to have football games between the major conferences all season. If you think this is irrelevant than I disagree. Like I said, I hope you are right.

There's nothing stopping these teams from playing legit competition all season now, and they don't do it. Lots of teams play FCS teams. Why would this suddenly mean that they're only going to play each other?

 

[Gringo]

There's nothing stopping these teams from playing legit competition all season now, and they don't do it. Lots of teams play FCS teams. Why would this suddenly mean that they're only going to play each other?

2 reasons

1. Big name teams playing each other all season long leads to higher tv ratings. Higher tv ratings leads to more money.

Nick Saban said the following,

Alabama coach Nick Saban said "fans want" Power Five teams playing exclusively Power Five opponents.

"We need to be more concerned about the people who support the programs and the university and come and see the games," Saban said. "Those are the most important. But we never think about that."

2. The Pac-12 plays one more in-conference game than the other conferences. They said the Pac-12 is arguing that since they have the playoff system they want to set up a more balanced schedule which means playing against only other power conference teams.

 

[Dooley]

There's no way. The NCAA tournament's charm comes from its inclusion of all kinds of schools. Without Mercers beating Dukes, the whole thing loses all of the fun. Never gonna happen.

I agree with you about the tourney. But look how much influence the "charm" of regional rivalries of college football have had in this. If you think charm is going to stop rich greedy dudes from wanting to get richer, then I don't know what to tell you. Look at all of the regional rivalries being sacrificed for the lure of a richer payday.

 

[Dooley]

I disagree....the basketball only programs of the NBE and A-10 will be fine, just like our beloved UConn Bball

Calm down chicken little

If UCONN can get into a P5, sure. It will be awfully difficult for a G5 hoops tourney to compete with a P5 hoops tourney. Mammoth programs in mammoth markets with huge appeal are in the P5 tourney. The G5 tourney will be UCONN vs the Field in most years.

HuskyUp time.

 

[dsturdy5]

If UConn and say Memphis start paying stipends to basketball players, where is the money coming from? Is the AAC going to kick it in? Will it be up to the institutions? Where would UConn get the cash beyond donations?

 

[Dooley]

If UConn and say Memphis start paying stipends to basketball players, where is the money coming from? Is the AAC going to kick it in? Will it be up to the institutions? Where would UConn get the cash beyond donations?

Ticket sales, merchandise sales, licensing. In other words, UCONN needs it's alumni and fanbase now more than ever.

And even then, without a level playing field from a TV contract, that won't be enough.

 

[Durks07]

There's no way. The NCAA tournament's charm comes from its inclusion of all kinds of schools. Without Mercers beating Dukes, the whole thing loses all of the fun. Never gonna happen.

I can do without George Mason being barred from ever participating in the NCAAs ever again. However, they can come back as long as I get to bet against Kansas playing 9 and above seeds.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

I agree with you about the tourney. But look how much influence the "charm" of regional rivalries of college football have had in this. If you think charm is going to stop rich greedy dudes from wanting to get richer, then I don't know what to tell you. Look at all of the regional rivalries being sacrificed for the lure of a richer payday.

I don't think there was ever any illusion that the little guys were contributing much to college football. It's always been about the big universities. The NCAA tournament, however, relies on the thrills of the underdogs. I just don't see that changing.

 

[Dooley]

I don't think there was ever any illusion that the little guys were contributing much to college football. It's always been about the big universities. The NCAA tournament, however, relies on the thrills of the underdogs. I just don't see that changing.

Think about it. In a P5 only tourney, the "underdogs" will have big (bigger than 90% of the G5) fanbases. That means ratings and money. If you take out the P5, then you're left with a field of cinderellas with smaller student bodies and fanbases. Then the cinderellas aren't as much of a story if there is no UK, KU, Cuse, B1G team to beat.

 

[BoatShow]

If the AAC allows each member to decide if they want to adopt this, then UCONN is fine. They can and will adopt whatever. If the AAC requires all members to play by the same rules (and not adopt), then it's time for UCONN to align with the "best of the rest" to form their own conference. Of course, if there is any threat of a P 6, then that would spring the P5 conferences to action to gut it. That will be a good thing for UCONN.

Folks, the time is here. WE ALL NEED TO #HUSKYUP. Selling out the Rent and Yankee Stadium are now a MUST. We can't "wait and see" how Diaco does or wait until next year. Next year might be too late.

www.uconnhuskies.com

This is really a strong option. A conference where UConn UCF Memphis Cincy USF Houston team up with SDSU BYU BSU and maybe a Fresno or UNLV which fully adopts P5 policies is hopefully a viable threat to those conferences and would force either an acceptance of a 6th power conference or a gutting of that conference. Which is actually stupid because schools that conference would just be hoping to be gutted anyways. Stupid. Just go to 16 teams all around 80 schools is a nicer pool for a 32 game bball tourney.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

Think about it. In a P5 only tourney, the "underdogs" will have big (bigger than 90% of the G5) fanbases. That means ratings and money. If you take out the P5, then you're left with a field of cinderellas with smaller student bodies and fanbases. Then the cinderellas aren't as much of a story if there is no UK, KU, Cuse, B1G team to beat.

Disagree. The NCAA tournament brings a lot of interest from casual fans who don't give a hoot about Ohio State or Michigan. They want to see upsets. They want to see Cinderellas. I just don't see it happening.

 

[Fishy]

This is really a strong option.

No, it's not.

There is no combination of schools outside the P5 that would be able to pressure that structure.

When Aresco talks about becoming the sixth power conference, he's talking to his base, but no one else is giving him any mind.

 

[Danzz]

If UConn and say Memphis start paying stipends to basketball players, where is the money coming from? Is the AAC going to kick it in? Will it be up to the institutions? Where would UConn get the cash beyond donations?

I don't know where the money is going to come from but it better be available if we want to recruit on the same level as the Power 5. We are talking about recruits who come relatively poor families in many cases and the stipend will be a huge factor. We have to either step up or get left behind.

 

[dsturdy5]

Cinderellas are a big part of the tourney but I got the sense from listening to a lot of mediots that they want 1's vs 1's in the final. All I heard on BSPN and Sirius College sports stations Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday of the Final Four was how UConn vs UK didn't give us the two best teams and it would have been a better final had it been, say Arizona vs UF and that the unpredictability of the tournament can be it's own worst enemy because it eliminates top teams who "we want to see."

To me, that sounded like a strong core group of media who were preparing for the next step, for the argument in favor a p5 tournament where you get the Kansas' vs the Carolina's nearly guaranteed in the "final four." And why wouldn't they? BSPN could grab the media rights since they already have the rights to the majority of those conference games and make huge dollars off of it. This spin is coming.

 

[Bezzz]

The NCAA tournament, however, relies on the thrills of the underdogs.

You mean like a 7 seed winning the whole shabang?

 

[freescooter]

No Squiz, UCONN is in a coference. The AAC could follow those rules (or not)
So if you are a HS basketball player and you can get a free ride to UCONN or a free ride, $5,000 stipend and long-term medical insurance at MD, where you going?
Every vote that is taken from now until eternity, their votes count more than ours.

The powerful just changed the constitution to make what they want more important.

I don't know why some folks don't seem to get this. And the new conferences can make other rules for themselves too.

Oh, and just because we won it all from a 7 seed once, doesn't mean it is easy. In fact it is incredibly hard, never been done before as a matter of fact. Of the NCAA Champions crowned since the Tournament began seeding in 1979, there have been exactly 5 champions seeded higher than 3. The 2 highest were us (7) and 1985 Villanova(8). So if you think seed doesn't matter, you are just wrong.