UConn fans should stop pretending we have a shot at the Big 12

[junglehusky]

We don't fit in the Big 12 athletically, we don't fit in the Big 12 academically, we are probably the worst fit for the B12 geographically of any candidate, and they are not interested in what UConn has to offer. That does not mean UConn isn't a great school with a successful athletic department, nor does it mean that the path to a P5 berth is closed forever. It just means we have to stop lying to ourselves that we need to get in the Big 12, and continue to support UConn's teams with the knowledge that it will be a long haul to the ACC or Big Ten.

 

[FDNY99]

We don't fit in the Big 12 athletically, we don't fit in the Big 12 academically, they are not interested in what UConn has to offer. That does not mean UConn isn't a great school with a successful athletic department, nor does it mean that the path to a P5 berth is closed forever. It just means we have to stop lying to ourselves that we need to get in the Big 12, and continue to support UConn's teams with the knowledge that it will be a long haul to the ACC or Big Ten.

TOTALLY agree Jungle...UCONN fits in the B-12 like oil mixes with water. The obvious matches for the B-12 are BYU, Houston and Cincy.

 

[NYUConn]

Actually I would prefer to panic and be unreasonable.

 

[CTMike]

It's Warde's job to mix oil and water or, ya know, he should be fired.

 

[junglehusky]

Actually I would prefer to panic and be unreasonable.

 

[NYUConn]

Replace that crown with a Husky and I think you got the new logo for the Conference Realignment Board.

 

[Stinger92860]

Yea, I have my sights set on the PAC 12

 

[specialisthusky]

I really hope our administration isn't taking this approach.

 

[jostar1]

It's still going to be a kick in the gut.

 

[NYUConn]

It's Warde's job to mix oil and water or, ya know, he should be fired.

I mean it works for salad dressing right?

 

[CTMike]

I mean it works for salad dressing right?

So we need to make an emulsion with the B12?

 

[noeynox]

You can't take this attitude. If you want to do this because you don't want to be disappointed fine. But West Virginia was NOT an ideal fit for the Big 12 and neither was Louisville for the ACC. What those schools have in common is they took an all hands on deck approach and MADE themselves a good enough of fit. Monitoring the. CR realignment landscape CANNOT be the approach taken as two or more schools are about to be rescued out of the G5 purgatory. Pretty soon we will not be able to afford the the type of money Kevin Ollie is going to have thrown at him, with our conference payouts and TV money. The situation is really desperate.

 

[Husky92]

Honestly, pretending is all I have right now. Please don't try to take that away from me....

 

[AZHuskiePop]

The cases made for the B12 here are actually very rational in a specific way.
The more we're linked to them the better are chances are of getting accepted to another conference. So keep up the talk you patriots. We could do without OP
alleged pragmatism.
In reality if the B12 were interested in survival a NE strategy doubles their eyeball potential. That's the part line if your a True Huskie commit it to memory

 

[CTMike]

I agree with you Noey...I hope that UConn has folks dedicated to presenting our case in the best possible light to B1G, ACC, B12, ESPN, Fox, you name it.

To Jungles point, B12 is still a long shot... but UConn better be doing all they can to make ANY of those work - whomever we can make it work with first. Understand every negative reason they can come up with not to add us, and have an effective counter argument for it

 

[jostar1]

Carlton: What we learned at Big 12 media days and what it really means

Most overblown story: The polling of coaches and even players on conference expansion. The issue was dead or at least very much back burner before Oklahoma president David Boren raised it. At the presidential level, the support isn’t there – chiefly because the must-have candidates are all gone to other conferences. Right now, the two best just might be BYU and UConn. Imagine that geography.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/co...ig-12-media-days-and-what-it-really-means.ece


Chuck CarltonVerified account
@ChuckCarltonDMN
Reporting on all things Big 12 for the Dallas Morning News.

 

[junglehusky]

You can't take this attitude. If you want to do this because you don't want to be disappointed fine. But West Virginia was NOT an ideal fit for the Big 12 and neither was Louisville for the ACC. What those schools have in common is they took an all hands on deck approach and MADE themselves a good enough of fit. Monitoring the. CR realignment landscape CANNOT be the approach taken as two or more schools are about to be rescued out of the G5 purgatory. Pretty soon we will not be able to afford the the type of money Kevin Ollie is going to have thrown at him, with our conference payouts and TV money. The situation is really desperate.

This is not quite true. Neither WVU or UL were ideal fits for their conferences (UL is actually a better fit for the B12 than the ACC), but both are much closer to the footprint and both have football traditions that UConn doesn't. It is just not true that all it takes is a "hands on approach" or being "proactive" or "salesmanship" to persuade the B12 presidents to change their priorities (football, football, football) in favor of things UConn is good at (bball, olympic sports, research and academics). In fact it is delusional and probably harmful to the fanbase over the long term.

I do agree with one thing - making yourself a good fit. What that actually entails is keeping the various teams successful, from basketball on through to rowing, and turning the football program around. In the long term that, and only that, will outweigh the "hands on deck" approach which folks here sometimes associate with press clippings or internet rumors. Yes, we will go into the red and have to subsidize atheltics for years. Maybe Ollie will head to the NBA eventually. Those realities should not distract the department from focusing on the long term which is what it will take to get to the P5 promised land.

 

[junglehusky]

Carlton: What we learned at Big 12 media days and what it really means

Most overblown story: The polling of coaches and even players on conference expansion. The issue was dead or at least very much back burner before Oklahoma president David Boren raised it. At the presidential level, the support isn’t there – chiefly because the must-have candidates are all gone to other conferences. Right now, the two best just might be BYU and UConn. Imagine that geography.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/co...ig-12-media-days-and-what-it-really-means.ece


Chuck CarltonVerified account
@ChuckCarltonDMN
Reporting on all things Big 12 for the Dallas Morning News.

In other words, they're not going to take the two best candidates because they are too far away.

 

[junglehusky]

I agree with you Noey...I hope that UConn has folks dedicated to presenting our case in the best possible light to B1G, ACC, B12, ESPN, Fox, you name it.

To Jungles point, B12 is still a long shot... but UConn better be doing all they can to make ANY of those work - whomever we can make it work with first. Understand every negative reason they can come up with not to add us, and have an effective counter argument for it

The best counter argument for us would be to invent a Star trek teleporter.

 

[djct1999]

In other words, they're not going to take the two best candidates because they are too far away.

Translation: The only reason the Big 12 should expand is for long term sustainability. The only two schools that may provide that is BYU and UConn. The lone problem: geography.

Again, I just don't see how/why the Big12 would add from Cincy, Memphis, Houston, UCF, USF. Before that happens, Oklahoma will bolt.

 

[NYUConn]

Translation: The only reason the Big 12 should expand is for long term sustainability. The only two schools that may provide that is BYU and UConn. The lone problem: geography.

Again, I just don't see how/why the Big12 would add from Cincy, Memphis, Houston, UCF, USF. Before that happens, Oklahoma will bolt.

I feel like that's really getting lost in the Big 12 expansion convo: in all the expansion moves that have been made since 2004, all of them have involved large state flagship and/or public universities or private institutions with a huge endowment (Colorado, WVU, Utah, V-Tech, Louisville, A&M, Mizzou are all strong public universities if not state flagship schools, while BC, TCU, Miami and Cuse are large private schools with a huge endowment - Pitt is a hybrid with a large endowment).

If there is further expansion, ask yourselves if a conference is really willing to take a risk on a public directional school like UCF and USF in a state that truly doesn't value and fund public education? Or a non-flagship, regional public university?

If you are going to expand you need to expand for the long-term health and stability of your conference and honestly the only two chips left on the table that do that for you are BYU and UConn.

EDIT: I accidentally lumped Miami in with the publics, they are with BC and Cuse. Just changed.

 

[MemphisBlues]

Two tweets re a local radio interview today.
John Martin @JohnMartin929 ESPN’s Brett McMurphy: "The good news for Memphis is … the Big 12 is gonna have to look to the American Athletic Conference for two teams."

　
John Martin @JohnMartin929 McMurphy: "The Big 12 is not expanding west."

 

[noeynox]

This is not quite true. Neither WVU or UL were ideal fits for their conferences (UL is actually a better fit for the B12 than the ACC), but both are much closer to the footprint and both have football traditions that UConn doesn't. It is just not true that all it takes is a "hands on approach" or being "proactive" or "salesmanship" to persuade the B12 presidents to change their priorities (football, football, football) in favor of things UConn is good at (bball, olympic sports, research and academics). In fact it is delusional and probably harmful to the fanbase over the long term.

I do agree with one thing - making yourself a good fit. What that actually entails is keeping the various teams successful, from basketball on through to rowing, and turning the football program around. In the long term that, and only that, will outweigh the "hands on deck" approach which folks here sometimes associate with press clippings or internet rumors. Yes, we will go into the red and have to subsidize atheltics for years. Maybe Ollie will head to the NBA eventually. Those realities should not distract the department from focusing on the long term which is what it will take to get to the P5 promised land.

I respect your point of view I just disgrace with parts of it. WVU was a total geographic outlier for the big 12, and if they went outside of it once, perhaps that overcomes that onstacle. Louisville was a total outlier in terms of academics but the conference needed a football perception jolt and Louisville could provide that.

The Big 12 doesn't need a FB brand, per se and let's face it, there isn't one in the G5 that moves the needle in CFB anyways except BYU. Schools like Boise and UCF are new money, and it wasn't all that long ago that UCF was 0-12, under Oleary.

 

[junglehusky]

I feel like that's really getting lost in the Big 12 expansion convo: in all the expansion moves that have been made since 2004, all of them have involved large state flagship and/or public universities or private institutions with a huge endowment (Colorado, WVU, Utah, V-Tech, Louisville, A&M, Mizzou are all strong public universities if not state flagship schools, while BC, TCU, Miami and Cuse are large private schools with a huge endowment - Pitt is a hybrid with a large endowment).

If there is further expansion, ask yourselves if a conference is really willing to take a risk on a public directional school like UCF and USF in a state that truly doesn't value and fund public education? Or a non-flagship, regional public university?

If you are going to expand you need to expand for the long-term health and stability of your conference and honestly the only two chips left on the table that do that for you are BYU and UConn.

EDIT: I accidentally lumped Miami in with the publics, they are with BC and Cuse. Just changed.

I respect your point of view I just disgrace with parts of it. WVU was a total geographic outlier for the big 12, and if they went outside of it once, perhaps that overcomes that onstacle. Louisville was a total outlier in terms of academics but the conference needed a football perception jolt and Louisville could provide that.

The Big 12 doesn't need a FB brand, per se and let's face it, there isn't one in the G5 that moves the needle in CFB anyways except BYU. Schools like Boise and UCF are new money, and it wasn't all that long ago that UCF was 0-12, under Oleary.

The B12 needs a football brand more above all else. The impetus for B12 expansion is football and access to the CFP. Maybe UCF, Cincy and Memphis are not ideal fits but they have had football programs for a longer time, have had more recent success while UConn's been down (thanks to PP), and are closer geographically. Oh and I forgot to mention football recruiting territory - which is what the B12 football coaches will care about. UConn has strengths in other areas but these are not the strengths the B12 schools are interested in. If you think anyone can convince the B12 they should care less about those football-centric factors, especially recruiting territory, and care more about UConn being a public, or being a research school, or a good basketball school, well, you're much more optimistic than me.

 

[businesslawyer]

As I've said before, the Big XII has no need for UConn whatsoever. That is reality. The only hope for the Big XII calling us is that it realizes that we add so much value to either the Big Ten or the ACC in the Northeast, that they take us to keep the NY market competitive for everyone, and they get their toe in it (as they did in DC with WVU).

Whether anyone in the Big XII is farsighted enough to see that beats me. Boren may be smart enough to see that.