Some Comments from Swofford

[Pudge]

I suspect the question has already been asked by Herbst, but i wonder if the ACC would accept a non-football membership for UConn.

Do you have a rock you can bang your head on nearby?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Do you have a rock you can bang your head on nearby?

Why do you say that? Because we shouldn't ask the question or because I should have known that UConn already tried this and was turned down?

 

[pj]

I suspect the question has already been asked by Herbst, but i wonder if the ACC would accept a non-football membership for UConn.

That would only work for UConn if (a) we could do a football-only deal with the AAC, (b) we could exit at will with no exit fee or GoR once we got an invitation from another conference, (c) we were confident that an all-sports invitation from the ACC would not be forthcoming, so that we weren't giving away the milk without the cow, and (d) the payment from the ACC was adequate.

For the ACC, Georgetown or Villanova might be available for similar type deals. It's not clear why they'd favor UConn (likely to depart) over G'town or Villanova. I doubt they'd go there.

 

[bobbyinaz]

That would only work for UConn if (a) we could do a football-only deal with the AAC, (b) we could exit at will with no exit fee or GoR once we got an invitation from another conference, (c) we were confident that an all-sports invitation from the ACC would not be forthcoming, so that we weren't giving away the milk without the cow, and (d) the payment from the ACC was adequate.

For the ACC, Georgetown or Villanova might be available for similar type deals. It's not clear why they'd favor UConn (likely to depart) over G'town or Villanova. I doubt they'd go there.

You've answered why it's not going to happen with reply (a). The AAC is not going to let us stay as football only members. There is no value to them in doing that. The conference already has a shi**y ESPN contract. There is no increased value to the AAC in keeping UConn for football only. They would just as soon tell UConn to take a hike & add UMass as a replacement for all sports. It wouldn't cost them anything

Then we are forced to go the independent route for football which has been discussed too many times on the BY to think it could work

 

[SubbaBub]

“For the next 12 to 15 years, I don’t think you’ll see movement in the Power Five conferences,” Swofford said. “Unless someone grows and adds a team not currently in the Power Five, but I don’t think you’ll see any teams moving within it.”

Talking about UCONN?

We'd have to shrink to match a number of ACC schools.

 

[Adios]

A master's degree from FSU in political science and international relations gets you working the phones for customer service. True story. I was shocked.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

That would only work for UConn if (a) we could do a football-only deal with the AAC, (b) we could exit at will with no exit fee or GoR once we got an invitation from another conference, (c) we were confident that an all-sports invitation from the ACC would not be forthcoming, so that we weren't giving away the milk without the cow, and (d) the payment from the ACC was adequate.

For the ACC, Georgetown or Villanova might be available for similar type deals. It's not clear why they'd favor UConn (likely to depart) over G'town or Villanova. I doubt they'd go there.

Georgetown and Nova would never do a deal like that because they make too much money in the Big East already with like-schools and neither school has any plans to upgrade football.

I disagree on the cow/milk analogy. If UConn is selling out Tobacco Road basketball arenas in addition to Pitt and the Carrier Dome, it might overcome our chief obstacle to an all sports membership which is BCU. I think an independent football schedule would be possible if we could get 3 football games a year from the ACC (not exactly moving heaven and earth). Throw in regular games against BYU, UMass and Army, who would probably all schedule us for November games, and we would have half a schedule filled coming out of the gate every year. I also think it is possible that Navy would bail on a AAC membership if the league loses another school.

The value to the ACC is to get one of the Top basketball programs in the country and a guaranteed draw, and balance out an imbalanced conference and tournament schedule. As importantly, the last thing the ACC wants to do is hold a tournament in NYC and have empty seats. Syracuse and Duke probably can't fill the place by themselves. It would also provide a commutable addition for the northern schools for olympic sports. UConn would definitely pay its own way in a TV contract.

I agree on the GOR, but Uconn would probably agree to a reasonable exit fee from the ACC if one was required to get the deal done.

That said, I suspect that like with the Big East, UConn has already tried this.

 

[pj]

You've answered why it's not going to happen with reply (a). The AAC is not going to let us stay as football only members. There is no value to them in doing that. The conference already has a shi**y ESPN contract. There is no increased value to the AAC in keeping UConn for football only. They would just as soon tell UConn to take a hike & add UMass as a replacement for all sports. It wouldn't cost them anything

Then we are forced to go the independent route for football which has been discussed too many times on the BY to think it could work

The AAC has given a football only membership to Navy, so they are not opposed in principle. If the choice is between having us as football-only members or not having us at all, they would probably want us. If they didn't, football would have to go to the MAC.

 

[pj]

Georgetown and Nova would never do a deal like that because they make too much money in the Big East already with like-schools and neither school has any plans to upgrade football.

Don't be silly, the ACC would pay more than the Big East for basketball and Olympic sports. ESPN reportedly told the ACC that basketball provided 20-30% of the value of their contract, football 70-80%. At $19 mn each, that's $3.8-5.7 mn per school for basketball and Olympic sports, more than the Big East is getting. G'town and Nova might move for equal money to get greater exposure.

I disagree on the cow/milk analogy. If UConn is selling out Tobacco Road basketball arenas in addition to Pitt and the Carrier Dome, it might overcome our chief obstacle to an all sports membership which is BCU. I think an independent football schedule would be possible if we could get 3 football games a year from the ACC (not exactly moving heaven and earth). Throw in regular games against BYU, UMass and Army, who would probably all schedule us for November games, and we would have half a schedule filled coming out of the gate every year. I also think it is possible that Navy would bail on a AAC membership if the league loses another school.

The value to the ACC is to get one of the Top basketball programs in the country and a guaranteed draw, and balance out an imbalanced conference and tournament schedule. As importantly, the last thing the ACC wants to do is hold a tournament in NYC and have empty seats. Syracuse and Duke probably can't fill the place by themselves. It would also provide a commutable addition for the northern schools for olympic sports. UConn would definitely pay its own way in a TV contract.

I agree on the GOR, but Uconn would probably agree to a reasonable exit fee from the ACC if one was required to get the deal done.

That said, I suspect that like with the Big East, UConn has already tried this.

With a Notre Dame type football scheduling deal, it becomes possible to consider an exit fee.

 

[amory]

“For the next 12 to 15 years, I don’t think you’ll see movement in the Power Five conferences,” Swofford said. “Unless someone grows and adds a team not currently in the Power Five, but I don’t think you’ll see any teams moving within it.”

Talking about UCONN?

Going based on historical data...no. He's not talking about UConn.

 

[specialisthusky]

The AAC has given a football only membership to Navy, so they are not opposed in principle. If the choice is between having us as football-only members or not having us at all, they would probably want us. If they didn't, football would have to go to the MAC.

I'm not sure the Mac would give football only membership. They just gave UMass the boot for not going all in.

I don't think a non football membership to any conference would be feasible for UConn to maintain football.

Scheduling would be a serious issue even with 3 acc games a year.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I'm not sure the Mac would give football only membership. They just gave UMass the boot for not going all in.

I don't think a non football membership to any conference would be feasible for UConn to maintain football.

Scheduling would be a serious issue even with 3 acc games a year.

The current league is a death sentence, so we have to do something.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Don't be silly, the ACC would pay more than the Big East for basketball and Olympic sports. ESPN reportedly told the ACC that basketball provided 20-30% of the value of their contract, football 70-80%. At $19 mn each, that's $3.8-5.7 mn per school for basketball and Olympic sports, more than the Big East is getting. G'town and Nova might move for equal money to get greater exposure.



With a Notre Dame type football scheduling deal, it becomes possible to consider an exit fee.

The Big East gets about $4.5MM per school, and virtually every game is nationally televised. I don't see Villanova and Georgetown leaving that for equivalent money in a league with a bunch of southern state schools.

UConn will take what UConn can get right now. The AAC is a death sentence, and I have heard that the Big East was not interested when UConn approached them about a basketball only membership. The status quo is guaranteed failure. Something needs to be done.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

I don't know, I think Swofford is a buffoon, and his proclamation probably actually means that realignment is about to start soon. Who's with me?

You're absolutely right! It wasn't over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor and it's not over now! This situation requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on someone's part. Wormer dead! Marmalard dead! Niedermeyer dead! Swofford dead! Let's Goooooooo!!!!

 

[DarthGrumpy]

The Big East gets about $4.5MM per school, and virtually every game is nationally televised. I don't see Villanova and Georgetown leaving that for equivalent money in a league with a bunch of southern state schools.

UConn will take what UConn can get right now. The AAC is a death sentence, and I have heard that the Big East was not interested when UConn approached them about a basketball only membership. The status quo is guaranteed failure. Something needs to be done.

On just the capital projects alone - UConn has spent $91 million on the Rent and another $48 million on the Burton/Shenkman training complex for a total of $139 million and that does not include coaches' salaries, scholarships, travel, gear, etc. No way is UConn walking away from that investment. Plus, as I have stated before, recent history points to that the football/basketball power teams will continue to dominate in basketball, too. Since 2000, there have been 60 Final Four slots (15 years) and only 8, or 13% of those slots were taken by programs that did not also play D1 football (Marquette '03, George Mason '06, Georgetown '07, Villanova '09, Bulter '10, Butler '11, VCU '11, Witchita St '13). None of those won the title. The last basketball team to win the title that did not also play D1 football was in 1985 with Villanova, nearly 30 years ago. UConn has to survive in football in order to succeed in basketball.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

... Something needs to be done.

Absolutely right. I again call for that futile and stupid gesture. Bolting to the MAC is the sort of out-of-the-box thinking we need right now...as is petitioning the NFC East for membership. But I know we can do better. Anybody know if bombing Pearl Harbor is still on the table?

 

[Dooley]

Has anyone proposed moving hockey out of Hockey East to Independent yet? That way, we play 5 games a year against the Bruins and Rangers and get on NBC Sports Network. Maybe basketball can get a similar arrangement to play against the Knicks and Celtics 10 times per year if we went independent. They're talking about Kentucky beating the Sixers so maybe we can develop an Independent basketball market on our own.

 

[uconnell]

I just can't imagine UConn approaching the Big East for membership, I just can't.

 

[Fishy]

Anybody catch last week's Big East Fox ratings? No?

0.0

This conference sucks, but at least it exists on television.

The Big East doesn't.

 

[CTMike]

Any possibility that one of the grandfathered P5 drecks drop out and decide they don't want to pay to keep up? (more just me wishful thinking)

 

[metsfan2323]

I suspect the question has already been asked by Herbst, but i wonder if the ACC would accept a non-football membership for UConn.

Oh God, not this again.

 

[Fishy]

Any possibility that one of the grandfathered P5 drecks drop out and decide they don't want to pay to keep up? (more just me wishful thinking)

No. Never bring it up again.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Anybody catch last week's Big East Fox ratings? No?

0.0

This conference sucks, but at least it exists on television.

The Big East doesn't.

If we could only pay coaches salaries with ratings points.

 

[TRest]

If we could only pay coaches salaries with ratings points.

What percentage of our athletic budget is 4.5 million? It's not enough to drop football and ask the nBE for an invite. Has anyone even confirmed what their contract actually pays? All I have seen is speculation.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

What percentage of our athletic budget is 4.5 million? It's not enough to drop football and ask the nBE for an invite. Has anyone even confirmed what their contract actually pays? All I have seen is speculation.

The NBE is not one of our choices, but it is ridiculous to make fun of that leagues ratings on foxsports when they are making so much more than us and our conference sucks so badly in both major sports.