UConn Baseball and Conference Realignment

[mets1090]

Disclaimer: I realize that UConn to this conference or that conference is nothing more than a rumor and is far from a sure thing, but that's being discussed to death on the other boards. This is meant to be nothing more than a discussion on how we would like to be in the ACC (or any other situation others may see).

So far the home for UConn that I like (assuming the Big East falls apart and we find a new home) is an expanded ACC. It has been posted on the other boards but I'll repost here for reference.

North​

Connecticut​

Rutgers​

Pitt​

Syracuse​

BC​

Maryland​

Virginia​

Virginia Tech​

South​

UNC​

Duke​

NC State​

Georgia Tech​

Clemson​

FSU​

Miami​

Wake Forest​

As it stands now, each team plays 30 conference games (a series with 10 opponents). If they stayed with that model, it would simply be 21 games in your division and a rotating schedule of 3 series per year in the other division.​

Looking at what our division could be, I see us being on par with or better than Rutgers, Pitt, BC, Maryland, and Virginia Tech. Virginia is a national power so that would be a fun 3 games every year.​

Cuse doesn't have a baseball team as it stands so I am not sure how that would shake out.​

Do you go with unbalanced divisions or not go with divisions at all?​

 

[Yonick]

This possible move to the ACC would benefit baseball, in recruiting, far more than a move to the B-10

 

[mets1090]

Absolutely. I would be pretty pumped to see our boys play Virginia at J.O. or Dodd.

 

[uconnbaseball]

All of those schools play baseball, except Syracuse. All of them are good, except Wake Forest and Boston College. VT, NCSU, and Pitt are solid. The rest are terrific. Hopefully UConn would be terrific too.

 

[Dann]

acc baseball would be sick! Big wouldn't be baseball wise...one interesting thing, our baseballl facilities would be way below par for acc baseball. just like teams rag on bc about baseball and there field, uconn would get the same chat. pitt just built themselves one heck of a place considering how average they are at baseball. hopefully if we goto the acc, we step up to the plate for the baseball team.

 

[Yonick]

Going to the ACC will greatly speed up the upgrade for hoops, baseball & soccer

 

[mets1090]

The current process of upgrading the hoops facilities includes upgrading facilities for minor sports. Agree with Yonick that this will force our hand and make it happen faster.

 

[rw005]

Going to the ACC will greatly speed up the upgrade for hoops, baseball & soccer

+1

Here's to a soccer rivalry with Maryland or Virginia! 2 very solid soccer teams.

 

[IMind]

I was thinking just from a scheduling point of view, having more Southern conference mates let alone the strength of the programs, would be a huge plus to the baseball team.

 

[rw005]

I was thinking just from a scheduling point of view, having more Southern conference mates let alone the strength of the programs, would be a huge plus to the baseball team.

Penders actually scheduled a series with Mississippi State (in Mississippi)for the upcoming season. which is really good

 

[Glastonhusky]

+1

Here's to a soccer rivalry with Maryland or Virginia! 2 very solid soccer teams.

It would be great for soccer, and I'm guessing the ACC soccer coaches would love to add our programs.

 

[1999.2004.2011]

ACC would be a huge upgrade for baseball, playing in a big time baseball conference against some of the better teams in the country (virginia, fsu, clemson, etc) would help recruiting, status for the ncaa tourney, etc. Joining the ACC for baseball almost on par with joining the SEC for football, thats just how good baseball is in the ACC.

Joining the ACC would almost certainly prompt two other situations. The first would be locking up Penders for a very long time. I know he is a Connecticut man but being in the premier baseball conference would almost prevent Penders from moving elsewhere because he wants to build a winner in Storrs, and would have the tools to do so by being associated with the ACC. Second, being in this conference would expedite the need for some serious upgrades when it comes to J.O. Christian. Our current facility looks like a middle school field compared to some of the stadiums that the traditional powers of the ACC have. The need for a stadium with lights, actual seating, updated bullpens and dugouts, and a better training facility would all be lined up for the baseball team. For Eastern, a D-III school has a beautiful baseball complex that can sit a couple thousand people, so why can't UConn???? The added bonus of having a servicable baseball field is the fact that we could host regional tournaments and such that could attract recruits to play for Penders program.

I know this is a total afterthought with regards to this conference realignment, but the baseball team is the best kept secret on campus, and could really blossom if UConn joined the ACC

 

[HuskyFan16]

This possible move to the ACC would benefit baseball, in recruiting, far more than a move to the B-10

Of course on the other hand in the B-10 the Hockey league would be awesome

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Of course on the other hand in the B-10 the Hockey league would be awesome

no it wouldn't uconn wouldn't win more than 2 or 3 games in the b1g hockey league, probably only against penn state. the other five would destroy us regularly. uconn hockey is in a different hemisphere program wise from michigan, minny, wiscy, and state in terms of hockey. assuming nd came with us, they'd kill us too. uconn's facilities are miles behind even quinnipiac. there's a reason hockey east hasn't and won't touch them with a 30 foot pole.

 

[sportsart]

Breaking News

A new forum dedicated to the effects of realignment on baseball is in the works. Trying to confirm with my sources.

 

[Yonick]

Of course on the other hand in the B-10 the Hockey league would be awesome

Unfortunately, for hockey, with the additional 20 D-1 scolies, UConn has to be title 9 compliant. That meant adding womens sports, including womens hockey. All at the expense of many smaller mens sports. That includes mens hockey.
Syracuse doesn't have a baseball team. But, that was to protect it's championship Lacrosse program.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Unfortunately, for hockey, with the additional 20 D-1 scolies, UConn has to be title 9 compliant. That meant adding womens sports, including womens hockey. All at the expense of many smaller mens sports. That includes mens hockey.
Syracuse doesn't have a baseball team. But, that was to protect it's championship Lacrosse program.

We already have a women's ice hockey team.

In reality, shy of funding (which is the entire issue), men's Ice Hockey would not be difficult upgrade in terms of Title IX. We are not close to using full scholarship allotments in a few women's sports. Between volleyball, rowing and track and field (we could add ten easily to the last, another eight to ten for the first two) we would solve the problem with making men's ice hockey a scholarship sport. Lacrosse on the the other hand is a different issue.

 

[HuskyFan16]

no it wouldn't uconn wouldn't win more than 2 or 3 games in the b1g hockey league, probably only against penn state. the other five would destroy us regularly. uconn hockey is in a different hemisphere program wise from michigan, minny, wiscy, and state in terms of hockey. assuming nd came with us, they'd kill us too. uconn's facilities are miles behind even quinnipiac. there's a reason hockey east hasn't and won't touch them with a 30 foot pole.

My point was that we would be able to play great teams. And as far as the rest of that crap.. UConn has been able to be successful in every sport it has really tried to be successful in. B1g money would afford the AD the luxury of shoring up what has let slip to mediocrity (if not down right garbage as in the instance of hockey).

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

There actually would be a minor Title IX problem with upgrading hockey to B1G or any non AHA conference. The AHA caps the number of scholarships you're allowed to give out at 12 (I think), far less than the NCAA max that every other conference allows, which is something like 18 or 20, not sure if that 12 includes goalie scholarships or not. But if they were to move anywhere, they'd have to make the scholarship upgrade, and would have to offset it somewhere else.