since we're going to be in the AAC for a while

[NickyNewark]

Yeah dogs I agree consistancy and committment are are big ? marks regarding TU but its been admirable watching the fight in the "dog"(Temple) and losing to them last yr shouldnt happen here and RU had to have a great last seconds play last yr to slip past them or they wouldve had another W....I expect them to sneak up on a few this yr though but I agree even with geography TU to a P5 would be crazy right now though I was thinking 7-10 yrs down the line. Bstimp though once(6 months ago?) pointed out IHO Temple would now be a decent add for the ACC!?! From that point on I had no respect for anything he posts regarding CR in the NE !!

 

[Sea Goat]

BC and Syracuse have been explicit about blackballing UConn. This isn't sentiment. It's fact.

Especially Syracuse. UConn has soared past Syra.... in a way that exposes Syra.... for what it is - an over priced, second tier school that just doesn't want to be mentioned in the same breath as UConn. Best way to accomplish that is to try to keep us out of the ACC. Many CT. HS kids and parents were sitting by the mailbox hoping for a "YES" from UConn this spring when they already had a Syra.... acceptance in the bag. Why? Because they know they can go to better school at less than 40% of the cost, if they can just get into Storrs. Syra.... hates the comparison because they don't match up and people know it. The last thing you want if you're Syra.... is to again be in the same conference with UConn.

This ain't sentiment either...

 

[Gampeltiles]

There is so much misperception here it's hard to no where to begin. At the time of the formation of the Big East UCONN was as deserving as most of the founding members. Certainly the likes of Syracuse and St. Johns had more hoops success, but outside of them, UCONN played fairly competitively on a regional basis. Recruiting had just taken a major uptick as well.

There were many, many folks within the UCONN community who did not want UCONN in the Big East. The general consensus was that UCONN could never compete in a major athletic conference. Calhoun and then Geno proved beyond a doubt how wrong that thinking was. UCONN was a tremendous asset to the Big East and became immediately competitive on the football side of the equation with a wonderful trajectory until Hathaway hired an idiot to replace Edsall.

Nobody and I mean nobody handed UCONN anything. UCONN built its success with excellent management and hires (save a couple).

Syracuse was not a "founding member". They joined the Conference in year 2. I didn't say we were "handed" anything. MSG wasn't always in love with UCONN. Trust me, I was one of the 200 people who used to go to the BE Tournament every year for the Wed. night 8-9 play-in game.

I am simply saying UCONN caught a break. Frankly, there were no decent Catholic schools in Connecticut. Gavitt desperately wanted a team in Connecticut so we caught a break.

Breaks are hard to come by, support the damn football program and we will get our shot.

 

[coachcap]

Syracuse was not a "founding member". They joined the Conference in year 2. I didn't say we were "handed" anything. MSG wasn't always in love with UCONN. Trust me, I was one of the 200 people who used to go to the BE Tournament every year for the Wed. night 8-9 play-in game.

I am simply saying UCONN caught a break. Frankly, there were no decent Catholic schools in Connecticut. Gavitt desperately wanted a team in Connecticut so we caught a break.

Breaks are hard to come by, support the damn football program and we will get our shot.

Not to nitpick, but Syracuse WAS a founding member of the Big East. The first official Big East basketball game played was Syracuse vs. UConn at the New Haven Colliseum. It was Villanova that joined in Year 2.

 

[buddy]

Especially Syracuse. UConn has soared past Syra.... in a way that exposes Syra.... for what it is - an over priced, second tier school that just doesn't want to be mentioned in the same breath as UConn. Best way to accomplish that is to try to keep us out of the ACC. Many CT. HS kids and parents were sitting by the mailbox hoping for a "YES" from UConn this spring when they already had a Syra.... acceptance in the bag. Why? Because they know they can go to better school at less than 40% of the cost, if they can just get into Storrs. Syra.... hates the comparison because they don't match up and people know it. The last thing you want if you're Syra.... is to again be in the same conference with UConn.

This ain't sentiment either...

This is actually true. It happened to the son of a friend. He ended up at Syracuse because he couldn't get into UConn.

 

[Fishy]

I am simply saying UCONN caught a break. Frankly, there were no decent Catholic schools in Connecticut. Gavitt desperately wanted a team in Connecticut so we caught a break.

Your contention about Syracuse not being a founding member blows your credibility up on the launch pad, but anywho....Gavitt didn't give a s--- about having a member in the state. He championed UConn in particular - if UConn 'caught a break' it was simply that Gavitt recognized the potential.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

BC and Syracuse have been explicit about blackballing UConn. This isn't sentiment. It's fact.

I don't get the posit that BC and Syracuse don't want UConn in the ACC because we can hurt them on the recruiting trail. If they think we can do damage operating from the ACC, can't they also imagine the hell we'll bring operating from the B1G? Friends close, enemies closer would have been a better gambit.

 

[TRest]

I don't get the posit that BC and Syracuse don't want UConn in the ACC because we can hurt them on the recruiting trail. If they think we can do damage operating from the ACC, can't they also imagine the hell we'll bring operating from the B1G? Friends close, enemies closer would have been a better gambit.

No one outside of this board thinks it's probable that we get invited to the B1g. UL may have had a B12 option, we don't have any.

 

[BoatShow]

Syracuse was not a "founding member". They joined the Conference in year 2. I didn't say we were "handed" anything. MSG wasn't always in love with UCONN. Trust me, I was one of the 200 people who used to go to the BE Tournament every year for the Wed. night 8-9 play-in game.

I am simply saying UCONN caught a break. Frankly, there were no decent Catholic schools in Connecticut. Gavitt desperately wanted a team in Connecticut so we caught a break.

Breaks are hard to come by, support the damn football program and we will get our shot.

I'm not old enough to remember this (as it was 20 years before I was born) but I'm pretty sure UFairfield had a nice run of success in the 60s and 70s. Certaintly no worse than UConn was doing.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The only break UConn got was not in getting in to the Big East, that was deserved. It was that when the Big East football conference was formed, we were given an easy upgrade path that allowed UConn to move straight from what was 1-AA to 1-A/BCS and directly into a BCS conference. Nobody has ever done it before and I doubt that anybody ever will again. To some extent that inflated our internal perception of our football team as having "arrived" and belonging in a BCS conference (and they were competitive), while others were less happy. I think that leap is part of our problem today. There is a perception that we haven't paid our dues by playing in a lesser league for many years before making the jump. I am sure that is why many feel we belong in the AAC.

 

[Sea Goat]

This is actually true. It happened to the son of a friend. He ended up at Syracuse because he couldn't get into UConn.

This is something our brethren from UNC, UVA, Mich etc. understand. In the past, especially in the northeast, second (or third tier) private schools thrived because of a bias against public higher education in this region. Schools like UConn have upset that "apple cart" because people know they can get a superior education and not have to hold up a bank to do it. UConn is not going to compete with the Ivies or top D-III schools, but the Syracuses' of the world are worried and don't want to be compared to us anymore. So don't look for a lick of help from Syracuse. They will lead a "fifth column" campaign against us.

 

[NickyNewark]

I don't get the posit that BC and Syracuse don't want UConn in the ACC because we can hurt them on the recruiting trail. If they think we can do damage operating from the ACC, can't they also imagine the hell we'll bring operating from the B1G? Friends close, enemies closer would have been a better gambit.

Registered Uconn, I dont think they(SU/BC) even even considered we'd be a B1G target at that time in their arrogance(after all they weren't)!?! I think like many there mistake was being arrogant to a fault and only recently did they realize the stupidity of trying to lock you guys(and RU) out of the P5 conferences hoping we'd die on the vine!! I think their gonna live to regret the shortsightedness of the "ACC vision" they helped promote by not endorsing UConn!!

 

[RegisteredUconn]

No one outside of this board thinks it's probable that we get invited to the B1G. UL may have had a B12 option, we don't have any.

Exactly, Louisville MAY have had a B12 option, just like we MAY have a B1G option. At the time, there was plenty of speculation the Louisville went ahead of us to remove the B12's option first because we had no place to go and could be picked up anytime.

 

[amory]

Exactly, Louisville MAY have had a B12 option, just like we MAY have a B1G option. At the time, there was plenty of speculation the Louisville went ahead of us to remove the B12's option first because we had no place to go and could be picked up anytime.

The chances that the Big 12 would've offered Louisville a spot were way higher than our current prospects with the B1G.

Plus this was back when realignment was "happening", so there was a larger perceived threat that a school might get taken before you send them an invite. I don't understand the thinking that any conference is going to jump out and take UConn because they're afraid someone else will get us first. We're just sitting here. If anyone was that concerned about us going elsewhere, they'd have offered by now.

 

[Dooley]

The ACC is in direct competition with the B12 to position themselves inside the Power Conference structure. The problem with making the "UCONN had no other options but UL had B12" argument is that the B12 is only stable if Texas is stable. The B12 could have added UCONN, UL, Cincinnati, BYU, UCF and Boise and the conference would still implode if Texas decides to bolt. Granted, an imploded B12 is still a better conference than what we are currently playing in but the point is that the ACC very seriously compromised their academic integrity when they decided to invite LCC over UCONN. But that might just be the point: the ACC has opted to shift towards the "SEC model" where academics do not matter as much as they do to the B1G or PAC. If that's the case, then that's definitely not a good fit for UCONN. UCONN is pouring BILLIONS of dollars to expand faculty/student enrollment, research, and campuses. Academics matter.

The smarter long-term play for the ACC would have been to pass on LCC, invite UCONN, then make Texas their top priority...even if it meant offering a sweeter sweetheart deal to Texas (i.e. - they can keep 100% of LHN revenue in addition to shared ACC money) than what they gave Notre Dame. If Texas left the B12, the ACC could have gone after whomever they wanted, including Louisville. Now, they have run the risk of UCONN expediting their B1G profile and losing vital TV market battleground regions in the northeast and for what? Because Louisville won more football games in 2012 than UCONN??

If Duke fans chanted "Safety School" at Maryland players during warmups, I can't imagine what they will chant at Louisville players as they warm up.

 

[Dooley]

I don't see the B12 running out to add anyone either. Why? Texas doesn't want to add anyone. Cincinnati, UCF, USF, BYU, UCONN...all there for the picking. The B12 is only as strong as Texas' commitment to the league. They will do everything and anything to keep them happy, including not adding any other members. Including Louisville.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

The chances that the Big 12 would've offered Louisville a spot were way higher than our current prospects with the B1G.

Plus this was back when realignment was "happening", so there was a larger perceived threat that a school might get taken before you send them an invite. I don't understand the thinking that any conference is going to jump out and take UConn because they're afraid someone else will get us first. We're just sitting here. If anyone was that concerned about us going elsewhere, they'd have offered by now.

I don't understand the thinking that any conference is going to jump out and take UConn because they're afraid someone else will get us first.
Seriously? We're a fairly serious presence in New York and New England. Know of any conferences that might be looking that way? I can think of a couple.

We're just sitting here. If anyone was that concerned about us going elsewhere, they'd have offered by now.
Why would an offer have been made already? Does every player Ollie is interested in have a UConn offer the moment KO considers him? Say some other team expresses interest (a good bet), does KO immediately offer the scholly? Everything doesn't happen in a New York minute.

 

[Huskybite]

Especially Syracuse. UConn has soared past Syra.... in a way that exposes Syra.... for what it is - an over priced, second tier school that just doesn't want to be mentioned in the same breath as UConn. Best way to accomplish that is to try to keep us out of the ACC. Many CT. HS kids and parents were sitting by the mailbox hoping for a "YES" from UConn this spring when they already had a Syra.... acceptance in the bag. Why? Because they know they can go to better school at less than 40% of the cost, if they can just get into Storrs. Syra.... hates the comparison because they don't match up and people know it. The last thing you want if you're Syra.... is to again be in the same conference with UConn.

This ain't sentiment either...

This is a fact, having experienced this recently with my children. Whether or not it has affected their position vis a vis UConn in realignment is debatable. The admissions competition has always helped Duke versus Chapel Hill. Syracuse should move passed any insecurities--a high tide raises all boats.

 

[Sea Goat]

This is a fact, having experienced this recently with my children. Whether or not it has affected their position vis a vis UConn in realignment is debatable. The admissions competition has always helped Duke versus Chapel Hill. Syracuse should move passed any insecurities--a high tide raises all boats.

I know many folks who have experienced the same thing. The simple fact is that, given the cost of private education, it better be worth it. The Ivies, MIT, Duke etc. enjoy great reputations. Schools like Syracuse - not so much. Don't get me wrong, it is a decent school. It has slipped behind UConn, however. Syracuse and the like, historically enjoyed an advantage over public higher education institutions in the northeast. Those days are over.

Schools like Syracuse now have figure out new ways to justify charging 2 1/2 times what UConn charges, when UConn is a superior school. Being in the same conference makes that difficult. Don't kid yourself, Syracuse would vote for 3 more Louisvilles' before they let UConn get a sniff of the ACC.

 

[BoatShow]

The only break UConn got was not in getting in to the Big East, that was deserved. It was that when the Big East football conference was formed, we were given an easy upgrade path that allowed UConn to move straight from what was 1-AA to 1-A/BCS and directly into a BCS conference. Nobody has ever done it before and I doubt that anybody ever will again. To some extent that inflated our internal perception of our football team as having "arrived" and belonging in a BCS conference (and they were competitive), while others were less happy. I think that leap is part of our problem today. There is a perception that we haven't paid our dues by playing in a lesser league for many years before making the jump. I am sure that is why many feel we belong in the AAC.

Stony Brook to the B1G bro, it's happening

 

[Gampeltiles]

Your contention about Syracuse not being a founding member blows your credibility up on the launch pad, but anywho....Gavitt didn't give a s--- about having a member in the state. He championed UConn in particular - if UConn 'caught a break' it was simply that Gavitt recognized the potential.

I flip/flopped Syracuse and Villanova.

In fact for those not old enough to remember, Syracuse and Hartford both hosted the BET in the early years.

Gavitt did want UCONN. It was really Trangeese (sp) who didn't give a crap. They gave Fairfield ( a Catholic school) a cursory look, but Fairfield U didn't have a decent place to play, on or off-campus.

31 years ago and back, Fairfield & UCONN played each other once a year in New Haven in front of a half/empty building and Fairfield more often than not won that game. I grew up in Fairfield and went to that game every year and Fairfield dominated. Look it up.

When I got to UCONN, in my Junior and Senior I did some work for WHUS. I am not posting out of my butt here.

So I agree w/your last sentence. However, I'm sick of the word "break", Gavitt gave UCONN an opportunity.

3 years into the Big East--- Corny, Chuck and Mike McKay left (1982--same year I graduated). Then things got ugly. When your prize recruit is Sgt. Eddie Williams at 26 years of age you are in trouble. Then a couple years later we had Earl Kelley walking around campus with a loaded gun. Perno sucked but he was limited in recruiting efforts because John Toner was AD and President of the NCAA. Perno absolutely had ZERO wiggle room as a recruiter.

I did an interview with Walt Nadzak, the then football coach. He basically bitched and whined about how the legislature in Hartford was penny-pinching and he and Perno were always pushing for more money. Nadzak fired/quit a year later.

Anyway, if and when the football program becomes relevant we will get a P5 invite. Period. "Blackballing" is not the reason we are not in a P5 conference.