Path Forward for UConn

[FfldCntyFan]

It's the alumni that don't want it to join; obviously the president, AD and administrators do want it to join a conference.

Very true, but they were pretty close to joining the B1G a quarter century ago and as the old guard alumni continue to age out the resistance to giving up football independence will continue to drop.

 

[upstater]

Who will want to join and who will pay up for a sinking ship? If the ACC loses those top schools, the Big 12 is far more competetive and appealing. I don't think either survive but to me, the Big 12 has a better chance than a diluted ACC. The Big 12 added state schools. No one will care for Wake Forest, BC, Syracuse and Duke football.

Really?

Far more?

I'm scratching my head here. Texas Tech, TCU, Baylor, Okie St, Kansas St, Cincy, WV, Kansas, Iowa St, Utah, AZ St, Arizona, UCF, Houston, etc.? You really find this far more appealing? I mean, that is a decidedly underwhelming conference in football. I actually like them much much better in bball.

The ACC will have VT, Pitt, NC State, GT, Miami, Louisville along with the 4 privates you mention. These are all population heavy states. And if for some reason Clemson is held out of the P2 additions (i.e. ND + Va to B1G, FSU + UNC to SEC), they stay even stronger.

I see TCU, Texas Tech and Kansas as 3 prime additions.

 

[CL82]

I don't see any way Notre Dame ever joins the Big 10.

At some point I think the economic reality of their choices will force their hand, but yeah there is a strong institutional bias against it. Still, they be now if it weren't for the NBC deal.

 

[baggerbob]

I don't see any way Notre Dame ever joins the Big 10.

As long as Notre Dame has a way into the playoffs they will be Independent.

 

[upstater]

You have to ask if the ACC would be all that interested in having two royally pissed off schools in their conference that would cost them and awful lot to defend against. The answer is no, which is why the exit price is always lower.

Who cares if they are royally pissed?

They are leaving regardless in 13 yrs.

The lesser ACC schools are insuring themselves 13 years of money and relevance, which is a lot, rather than risk falling into the same abyss that Oregon St and Washington St are currently in.

Put it this way, if UConn joined the B12, then in my mind, that insured them until 2031. But no more than that. Joining the B12 would not have made them golden. It would've been a respite.

 

[djct1999]

Really?

Far more?

I'm scratching my head here. Texas Tech, TCU, Baylor, Okie St, Kansas St, Cincy, WV, Kansas, Iowa St, Utah, AZ St, Arizona, UCF, Houston, etc.? You really find this far more appealing? I mean, that is a decidedly underwhelming conference in football. I actually like them much much better in bball.

The ACC will have VT, Pitt, NC State, GT, Miami, Louisville along with the 4 privates you mention. These are all population heavy states. And if for some reason Clemson is held out of the P2 additions (i.e. ND + Va to B1G, FSU + UNC to SEC), they stay even stronger.

I see TCU, Texas Tech and Kansas as 3 prime additions.

I don’t have the energy to go back and forth. I will just reiterate that I am far less optimistic about the acc’s future than you. A lot less.

 

[upstater]

+1, yea. That is an interesting take. It will be what is left of the ACC that will be evaluated. I think this consolidation in the B12, B10 and SEC does not bode well for the renewal of the Big East tv deal. Fox/Espn have tons of content now, and the original Fox deal was widely thought of as overpriced to get into the market. A shared bball streaming deal is not likely to benefit the schools in the Big East with the larger fan bases if it is shared. Not a good development with anyone with football. Best case scenario the current ACC adds some teams and Uconn gets a bid, but for how long that holds together if the big guys are looking who knows. Also, wonder if the expansion would be approved by the same group looking to maximize. However, it would likely be better than the Big East alternative. Bottom line is a football deal is a must, unless the program goes by the wayside. However, I will be surprised if the next tv deal is as much as the current one the way things are trending. The new B12 commish was savy. He has a group of similar type schools that are both competitive and likely to stay together. He seized on the same weakness that the broke up the Big east back in 2012/13 turning down a tv deal. Not a good move.

I can't see how some of the schools mentioned above have $100m in value to the B1G and SEC. VT, Miami, and NC State are limited in value by not being the marquee properties in their states or region.

But you never know. I just don't see any network specifically paying for these 3.

 

[djct1999]

I can't see how some of the schools mentioned above have $100m in value to the B1G and SEC. VT, Miami, and NC State are limited in value by not being the marquee properties in their states or region.

But you never know. I just don't see any network specifically paying for these 3.

Yet Kansas will bring value to the acc?

 

[huskidork]

I can't see how some of the schools mentioned above have $100m in value to the B1G and SEC. VT, Miami, and NC State are limited in value by not being the marquee properties in their states or region.

But you never know. I just don't see any network specifically paying for these 3.

Miami is the exception to that rule, I don't like them but networks would absolutely pay imo

 

[upstater]

When that P2 consolidation happens, the best basketball left-behinds might consider a bball centric conference that has a few bbonly members.

Duke, UConn, Kansas, Syracuse, Pitt, Louisville, Miami, NC State, Wake Forest, VT, GT, Villanova, Georgetown would make for one hell of a basketball conference. It would be the best of them all.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

If the SEC gets wind of UNC to the B1G, they grab UNC.

On one of the threads in this forum I posted earlier that, excluding ND, the ACC schools are a number of schools that know they wont get an offer from either of the big two, a handful of schools that hope they'll get an offer from one of the two and UVA & UNC, who will be offered by both.

The SEC has wanted a presence in the two southern states that it doesn't have membership for a while. I can see a scenario where, if NC St continues as a ranked football program and Va Tech returns to where they were under Beemer that the SEC would take them for the Virginia & North Carolina presence. The fan bases of those schools are more culturally aligned to their SEC counterparts than UVA and UNC and their football prowess (it its there) and game attendance could make them more attractive to the SEC.

 

[superjohn]

Very true, but they were pretty close to joining the B1G a quarter century ago and as the old guard alumni continue to age out the resistance to giving up football independence will continue to drop.

Being the national independent brand is their thing, they join the Big 10 and they lose all that. Plus they hate the Big 10, Irish Catholics can hold a grudge like no other. They also don't need the money.

Just don't see it happening.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Miami is the exception to that rule, I don't like them but networks would absolutely pay imo

Why would they?

 

[upstater]

Yet Kansas will bring value to the acc?

It would make the ACC the best bball conference. Kansas transcends its demographics the way Duke does.

Also, $50m is very different than $100 mill (SEC) so it's an apples to oranges comparison. Joining the P2 is a very high bar (we dont even talk about it for UConn).

My automatic assumption is that the football schools are taking over the NCAAT.

When that happens, bball is going to be revalued, since success in the NCAAT is going to translate into a lot more money.

I also believe that the B12 has larded themselves with market losers, and this is going to be reflected in their deal in 2031. Kansas will be looking at the ACC the way P12 schools just looked at the B12.

 

[djct1999]

It would make the ACC the best bball conference. Kansas transcends its demographics the way Duke does.

My automatic assumption is that the football schools are taking over the NCAAT.

When that happens, bball is going to be revalued, since success in the NCAAT is going to translate into a lot more money.

I also believe that the B12 has larded themselves with market losers, and this is going to be reflected in their deal in 2031. Kansas will be looking at the ACC the way P12 schools just looked at the B12.

That’s a lot of assumptions. But time will tell.

 

[superjohn]

It would make the ACC the best bball conference. Kansas transcends its demographics the way Duke does.

My automatic assumption is that the football schools are taking over the NCAAT.

When that happens, bball is going to be revalued, since success in the NCAAT is going to translate into a lot more money.

I also believe that the B12 has larded themselves with market losers, and this is going to be reflected in their deal in 2031. Kansas will be looking at the ACC the way P12 schools just looked at the B12.

Agreed, it makes absolutely no sense what the Pac 12 did yesterday.

 

[upstater]

On one of the threads in this forum I posted earlier that, excluding ND, the ACC schools are a number of schools that know they wont get an offer from either of the big two, a handful of schools that hope they'll get an offer from one of the two and UVA & UNC, who will be offered by both.

The SEC has wanted a presence in the two southern states that it doesn't have membership for a while. I can see a scenario where, if NC St continues as a ranked football program and Va Tech returns to where they were under Beemer that the SEC would take them for the Virginia & North Carolina presence. The fan bases of those schools are more culturally aligned to their SEC counterparts than UVA and UNC and their football prowess (it its there) and game attendance could make them more attractive to the SEC.

I can see this, I dont think it's likely, but the one thing standing in the way of it is that UNC will choose the SEC, and if it does, I don't see the B1G taking NC State.

 

[huskidork]

Why would they?

they're a great brand in a massive state, have had success in football while it's been pretty rocky since they joined the ACC they are still a great brand, basketball just made the final four, women's was really good too, like it's not hard to see why

 

[WestCoastHusky]

I will add that if the ACC somehow get their act together and added UConn and others, it will be a winning move for their survival especially for schools that might not end up in the Big 2.

If the B12 doesn't add UConn soon, I feel they they will truly regret the day if the ACC added us first. We are B12's best opportunity to plant a flag in the Northeast, and they just added a couple redundant schools in markets they already own.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Being the national independent brand is their thing, they join the Big 10 and they lose all that. Plus they hate the Big 10, Irish Catholics can hold a grudge like no other. They also don't need the money.

Just don't see it happening.

They haven't hated the Big 10 in my lifetime (more than 60 years) and those who cherish independence start a decade younger than me and age up.

They were very close (either 1998 or 1999, I don't remember exactly which year it was) to joining the B1G a quarter century ago and the more time passes, the less those involved will be firm on remaining independent.

One of us obviously will be wrong and I believe we are at least a dozen years from finding out, but hopefully I'll be around to discuss this with you when the time comes.

By the way, I'd be far more concerned with a Sicilian holding a grudge than an Irishman.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I can see this, I dont think it's likely, but the one thing standing in the way of it is that UNC will choose the SEC, and if it does, I don't see the B1G taking NC State.

I also don't see NC St (or Va Tech) being of any interest to the B1G. I'm not sure however that UNC wouldn't prefer the B1G. Time will tell.

 

[NH Husky]

I don’t have the energy to go back and forth. I will just reiterate that I am far less optimistic about the acc’s future than you. A lot less.

In our situation, it’s not a matter of which conference is better - it’s close enough to be a tie. It’s what conference is better for us. If people can put aside hurt feelings from 10-15 years ago, the obvious answer is ACC

 

[superjohn]

They haven't hated the Big 10 in my lifetime (more than 60 years) and those who cherish independence start a decade younger than me and age up.

They were very close (either 1998 or 1999, I don't remember exactly which year it was) to joining the B1G a quarter century ago and the more time passes, the less those involved will be firm on remaining independent.

One of us obviously will be wrong and I believe we are at least a dozen years from finding out, but hopefully I'll be around to discuss this with you when the time comes.

By the way, I'd be far more concerned with a Sicilian holding a grudge than an Irishman.

I don't think you have a great read on this, Notre Dame loves their independence and hates the Big 10 and that won't end when the old timers die off. We're all our fathers sons.

If the Big 10 keeps consuming everything and has enough power to cripple Notre Dame by keeping them out of everything then they would have to go eventually but I don't see a way they would ever go willingly.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

Article said Yormark are ACC's lunch.

https://www.si.com/college/byu/football/brett-yormark-reportedly-beat-out-the-acc-to-land-more-pac-12-schools

 

[Revrat]

In our situation, it’s not a matter of which conference is better - it’s close enough to be a tie. It’s what conference is better for us. If people can put aside hurt feelings from 10-15 years ago, the obvious answer is ACC

I don't believe the ACC survives. I think half goes SEC then half goes big 10. Then a couple are stuck. But at the end if all this East Coast basketball, football or not, also needs to be carved up or there's no viewership. At the end of the day I think the Big10 is smart enough to be looking that far into the future. If I'm Vandy or Northweatern or any other number of schools im getting scared they no longer have enough originals to protect them.