AAC Upside Delusion Syndrome

[whaler11]

American Athletic Conference announced new, 12-year media rights extension with ESPN

The American Athletic Conference has officially announced that it has agreed to a 12-year...

www.nhregister.com

In 2032 it’s 7 million gross and produce hundreds of events for ESPN.

Twenty Thirty Two.

The market told the AAC to go themselves - for a decade +.

But yeah other than that, the joke schools and the terrible geography it’s awesome.

UConn should totally be in a basketball league where 10 schools don’t own snow plows.

 

[B12]

Dude,

You really need to come back to reality on this one. AAC is not C-USA. They have a good thing going, and honestly this will make the conference stronger moving forward, and likely UConn.

If UConn baseball can make it in the AAC, the FB and BB could have as well. This makes some sense, but also has a bit of taking my ball and leaving tone.

I do think recruiting will be easier as there is talent in your neck of the woods and this may help. And now UConn has some advantages against the conference versus many disadvantages against the AAC schools.

Good coach, new conference. BB better be winning in short order or this could backfire. Sitting as a bottom of the AAC was rough, life at the bottom of a regional religious conference would be much worse. But I do see why they did this. But don't for a minute think that being in the NBE somehow makes you superior to Cinci, Memphis, Houston, SMU, UCF, etc... UConn did this because they were not a good fit, not because a school can't be successful in the AAC or because Houston was a terrible conference mate.

 

[superjohn]

American Athletic Conference announced new, 12-year media rights extension with ESPN

The American Athletic Conference has officially announced that it has agreed to a 12-year...

www.nhregister.com

In 2032 it’s 7 million gross and produce hundreds of events for ESPN.

Twenty Thirty Two.

The market told the AAC to go themselves - for a decade +.

But yeah other than that, the joke schools and the terrible geography it’s awesome.

UConn should totally be in a basketball league where 10 schools don’t own snow plows.

The AAC contract was negotiated by Bobby Bonilla's agent.

This is the best news UConn has had in a really long time and we have people freaking out about UConn baseball and the lost opportunity at possibly playing home and always against Wake Forest 15 years from now.

 

[zls44]

The only reason they went 10 years was because Aresco was fixated on this pointless ego move of being able to say $1,000,000,000. Locking in the basic structure of your media rate for 10 years as a mid-major is categorically insane.

Go see if you can go to 12 years now, Mike.

 

[Purple Stein]

UConn was always in the AAC to get out of the AAC. It’s the same for everybody else, and that’s a big chunk of the “upside” problem.

 

[shizzle787]

Dude,

You really need to come back to reality on this one. AAC is not C-USA. They have a good thing going, and honestly this will make the conference stronger moving forward, and likely UConn.

If UConn baseball can make it in the AAC, the FB and BB could have as well. This makes some sense, but also has a bit of taking my ball and leaving tone.

I do think recruiting will be easier as there is talent in your neck of the woods and this may help. And now UConn has some advantages against the conference versus many disadvantages against the AAC schools.

Good coach, new conference. BB better be winning in short order or this could backfire. Sitting as a bottom of the AAC was rough, life at the bottom of a regional religious conference would be much worse. But I do see why they did this. But don't for a minute think that being in the NBE somehow makes you superior to Cinci, Memphis, Houston, SMU, UCF, etc... UConn did this because they were not a good fit, not because a school can't be successful in the AAC or because Houston was a terrible conference mate.

Eeeeerrrr...no. If we finish last in the Big East, the stands are still full because we are playing Nova, Georgetown, Providence, and a Big 12 or Big 10 school every year.

 

[B12]

Eeeeerrrr...no. If we finish last in the Big East, the stands are still full because we are playing Nova, Georgetown, Providence, and a Big 12 or Big 10 school every year.

If you say to. Joining a regional bible conference certainly had some downside for a state flagship IMO.

Point is AAC is a solid conference who has teams who are successful in FB and BB. Just because UConn was not able to find success does not mean it was the AAC's fault. It was a UConn issue, not an AAC issue. Schools like Houston, Cinci, UCF, Memphis, are doing quite well in the AAC.

The team that struggled this year in the AAC would have had about the same record in the NBE.

 

[Kenny11]

I’m happy with the move. Some people are making good points about baseball, football etc but the bottom line is most of us here are basketball fans and the Big East is more exciting and a better fit for UConn basketball.

^^^^^^ I realize the above can be torn apart but screw it. I love uconn basketball because I grew up in the CT basketball culture. Also, basketball is more entertaining to me than football or any other sport. I’m ok with uconn basketball fans being selfish for once and the university doing something to excite their best fans and supporters. Most of us were tired of pretending to care about football.

 

[Point6]

I think we should be thinking FB independence in terms of peers like Notre Dame and BYU. It can work. We are a national brand and being in the NBE for hoops helps us stay one. I am hoping we hear that FB will be on TV in NYC regularly on SNY with our own deal. That will help scheduling and recruiting, no? It could be better for us than the AAC because it would take advantage of our advantages, i.e., NYC and national brand.

 

[AdamaNation]

Dude,

You really need to come back to reality on this one. AAC is not C-USA. They have a good thing going, and honestly this will make the conference stronger moving forward, and likely UConn.

If UConn baseball can make it in the AAC, the FB and BB could have as well. This makes some sense, but also has a bit of taking my ball and leaving tone.

I do think recruiting will be easier as there is talent in your neck of the woods and this may help. And now UConn has some advantages against the conference versus many disadvantages against the AAC schools.

Good coach, new conference. BB better be winning in short order or this could backfire. Sitting as a bottom of the AAC was rough, life at the bottom of a regional religious conference would be much worse. But I do see why they did this. But don't for a minute think that being in the NBE somehow makes you superior to Cinci, Memphis, Houston, SMU, UCF, etc... UConn did this because they were not a good fit, not because a school can't be successful in the AAC or because Houston was a terrible conference mate.

Could the aac consider keeping football if our touted baseball team stayed as well?

 

[WrenchFan69]

Could the aac consider keeping football if our touted baseball team stayed as well?

NCAA rules don't allow splitting like that

 

[HuskyBoi]

genuinely shocked at all the people wanting to stay in the aac. says alot about the fans who want uconn basketball to be at its best. how can it be at its best when you are playing tulane and east carolina? id much rather play depaul as a bottom team. big east is far superior. BE HAPPY

 

[tzznandrew]

genuinely shocked at all the people wanting to stay in the aac. says alot about the fans who want uconn basketball to be at its best. how can it be at its best when you are playing tulane and east carolina? id much rather play depaul as a bottom team. big east is far superior. BE HAPPY

Last year was a down year for the BE and an up year for the AAC and the BE was still much better. And DePaul, the worst team in the BE, was a .500 team roughly as good as USF, UConn, and Tulsa, and much better than ECU/Tulane.

 

[BugsyCT]

genuinely shocked at all the people wanting to stay in the aac. says alot about the fans who want uconn basketball to be at its best. how can it be at its best when you are playing tulane and east carolina? id much rather play depaul as a bottom team. big east is far superior. BE HAPPY

Some of us are BOTH basketball and football fans (go figure) and wanted both programs to thrive. The University made a decision to protect the source of its brand (hoops) and throw what's left of football under the bus. Yeah it's a great day for the basketball programs - going back to the Big East is a great deal for them, even if it isn't the BE of the 80s, 90s or 2000s, but to see so many UConn fans gloating over the demise of the football program is pretty disheartening and says a lot about how fickle & spoiled the Connecticut sports fan is. FFS, we're waging war against our own athletic programs when most fans & alum of other universities would be concerned about the best interests of both.

I was a UConn hoops fan long before I was a UConn football fan, and I'm still pissed about this. Do they even have a backup plan for the football program? Gonna wait to hear what they say this week but the options look bleak.

 

[nomar]

The only reason they went 10 years was because Aresco was fixated on this pointless ego move of being able to say $1,000,000,000. Locking in the basic structure of your media rate for 10 years as a mid-major is categorically insane.

Go see if you can go to 12 years now, Mike.

Can’t blame Mike for wanting to be in the tres commas club.

 

[Chief00]

If you say to. Joining a regional bible conference certainly had some downside for a state flagship IMO.

Point is AAC is a solid conference who has teams who are successful in FB and BB. Just because UConn was not able to find success does not mean it was the AAC's fault. It was a UConn issue, not an AAC issue. Schools like Houston, Cinci, UCF, Memphis, are doing quite well in the AAC.

The team that struggled this year in the AAC would have had about the same record in the NBE.

I agree, UConn’s lack of success in the AAC is 100% on UConn. Because we were unsuccessful, except for MBB and WBB National Championships that no one else in the conference has even come close to winning winning LOL, we got abused by our conference in the recent media deal. Because no one else in the conference had a deal like UConn has with SNY - the conference took that revenue stream away and basically gave it to ESPN.
The AAC is going to regret this move, it was short sighted, but of course there’s no recognition of that at the moment. Next time P5 conferences come along and pick off a couple schools, which definitely will happen, the conference turns into a dumpster fire.

 

[Chief00]

NCAA rules don't allow splitting like that

That’s not correct.

 

[browndog319]

NCAA rules don't allow splitting like that

Then why is Hockey in Hockey East?
They do if your conference doesn’t have one of your sports.

 

[HuskyBoi]

Last year was a down year for the BE and an up year for the AAC and the BE was still much better. And DePaul, the worst team in the BE, was a .500 team roughly as good as USF, UConn, and Tulsa, and much better than ECU/Tulane.

there will be more 'down' years than 'up' years for the AAC.

 

[WrenchFan69]

That’s not correct.

Then why is Hockey in Hockey East?
They do if your conference doesn’t have one of your sports.

Yes, the Big East sponsors baseball. If we can get them to stop doing so, we can play in the AAC.

 

[tzznandrew]

there will be more 'down' years than 'up' years for the AAC.

I think if Cincy stays up, they'll actually have a nice stable of teams in Cincy-Temple-Memphis-Wichita-Houston. They'll be a step below mid-stage CUSA in terms of top level teams (mid-2000s had a lot of great teams), but a step above them in terms of depth (not nearly as many dregs). They have some good brands and they have good coaches. I think they're a pretty good conference. But the BE has been better for the entire run, and I think having UConn in the BE ensure we stay better.

 

[HuskyBoi]

Some of us are BOTH basketball and football fans (go figure) and wanted both programs to thrive. The University made a decision to protect the source of its brand (hoops) and throw what's left of football under the bus. Yeah it's a great day for the basketball programs - going back to the Big East is a great deal for them, even if it isn't the BE of the 80s, 90s or 2000s, but to see so many UConn fans gloating over the demise of the football program is pretty disheartening and says a lot about how fickle & spoiled the Connecticut sports fan is. FFS, we're waging war against our own athletic programs when most fans & alum of universities would be concerned about the best interests of both.

I was a UConn hoops fan long before I was a UConn football fan, and I'm still pissed about this. Do they even have a backup plan for the football program? Gonna wait to hear what they say this week but the options look bleak.

i understand where you're coming from. sometimes you have to prioritize what worked and what can work. the football team is so hopeless at this point and won't work. we aren't really spoiled though, are we? we don't have a pro football or basketball team in the state of connecticut and we have to make sure UCONN basketball continues its success to represent the state.

 

[BugsyCT]

i understand where you're coming from. sometimes you have to prioritize what worked and what can work. the football team is so hopeless at this point and won't work. we aren't really spoiled though, are we? we don't have a pro football or basketball team in the state of connecticut and we have to make sure UCONN basketball continues its success to represent the state.

We're pretty spoiled, Boi. We had it so great during the Calhoun years and nobody in this state knew women's hoops existed until Geno built his dynasty. Even football was thriving in the 2000s (the Rent used to be packed) until Edsall left and CR destroyed everything, so once they started losing the fan base bailed. A couple down years in hoops and we started calling for heads as it signaled the demise of the programs. Did we make bad hires? Yes. But we set the bar very high. We got used to success and don't handle adversity well.

 

[JB75]

I do feel bad for football a bit but we had to protect our better program. And that was hoops. If we stayed in the aac, both programs were at risk of burning and dying. Now it’s only football that will crash and burn(they were on that path anyways sorry to say) Im psyched for big east tourney semis Friday night in the garden like it used to be. Let’s go!!!

 

[B12]

I agree, UConn’s lack of success in the AAC is 100% on UConn. Because we were unsuccessful, except for MBB and WBB National Championships that no one else in the conference has even come close to winning winning LOL, we got abused by our conference in the recent media deal. Because no one else in the conference had a deal like UConn has with SNY - the conference took that revenue stream away and basically gave it to ESPN.
The AAC is going to regret this move, it was short sighted, but of course there’s no recognition of that at the moment. Next time P5 conferences come along and pick off a couple schools, which definitely will happen, the conference turns into a dumpster fire.

How much money do you think UConn was making on the t-3 deal with SNY?

No p-5 is going to be adding AAC schools. For a school like OU who is making 15 million less than Nebraska on TV adding Houston or Cinic makes the gap even wider, which is why that will never happen now. There simply are no spots in the p-5 for any AAC schools at this point, not Houston, Cinci, or UCF. I think UConn came to the same conclusion, and realized that even if it did happen they were not at the front of the line anyway.

I actually think UConn made a smart move here more of less abandoning FBS football. Most of the g-5 are wasting so much money on FB that it makes no sense. Hopefully this will save UConn a bundle and reduce the 40 million $ subsidy to a manageable number that is sustainable long term. Most schools are not sustainable at the current levels of spending for athletics.