Big 12 expansion and Uconn

[WVU-FAN]

Assuming that no remaining Big 12 schools receive invitations from P5 Conferences, do you think Uconn might be interested in a Big 12 expansion? I highly respect the Uconn brand, especially in Basketball. Now the Big 12 scenario i envision has basketball members Kansas, Baylor, WVU, Cincinnati, Memphis Kansas State, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech. I think that's a good league in Basketball, but of course the Big East is an exceptional league as well......but I believe the Big 12 could provide a pretty good football vehicle....certainly not an SEC or ACC but good.....ISU, oSu, KSU, TCU, WVU, Cincinnati, Memphis and UCF.....I suspect this league might get a revenue agreement that might get each member between 15-25 million annually, and I believe Uconn gets about 8 million a year in the Big East, is that correct? So do you think this 14 school Big 12 would appeal to Uconn? Just curious.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

Assuming that no remaining Big 12 schools receive invitations from P5 Conferences, do you think Uconn might be interested in a Big 12 expansion? I highly respect the Uconn brand, especially in Basketball. Now the Big 12 scenario i envision has basketball members Kansas, Baylor, WVU, Cincinnati, Memphis Kansas State, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech. I think that's a good league in Basketball, but of course the Big East is an exceptional league as well......but I believe the Big 12 could provide a pretty good football vehicle....certainly not an SEC or ACC but good.....ISU, oSu, KSU, TCU, WVU, Cincinnati, Memphis and UCF.....I suspect this league might get a revenue agreement that might get each member between 15-25 million annually, and I believe Uconn gets about 8 million a year in the Big East, is that correct? So do you think this 14 school Big 12 would appeal to Uconn? Just curious.

Nope. We are staying in the Big East unless/until we get a B1G or ACC invite.

I know its not going to happen, but even if the zombie B12 adds a few AAC schools to survive (Cincy, UCF, Houston) and invited UConn as a football only member with a 50% payout of revenue (so $5-$10MM / yr), I still think UConn would probably decline. Independence seems to be working OK for us at this point (since we haven't actually played any games yet, I am talking more scheduling, recruiting, and all games on real TV--not some digital paywall).

Now...how about scheduling some 1-for-1 football games as OOC matchups between WVU and UConn. Interested? I still have painful flashbacks of Pat White scrambling on 3rd down against UConn and gaining 25 yards about 8 times in that one game--I think that pain took about 5 years off of my life expectancy!

 

[CL82]

I think we would strongly consider football only. It helps with revenue, scheduling and bowl (and playoff) access. I can’t see the B12 offering though.

 

[Stinger92860]

If we can cover all football expenses and make a few bucks on a partial payout with a football only b12 invite, we should take it. The small b was intentional. We can include a OOC scheduling agreement for MBB, WBB, and Baseball.

 

[Chin Diesel]

1. Big12 had their chance to add UConn a few years ago and passed. Now that the conference is dead they want to reach out? F Off.

2. See #1.

3. A better proposal is what I mentioned earlier this week. WVU join BE and go Indy in FB.

4. See #1.

 

[WVU-FAN]

Haha "f off?" no need to be testy, but I get the sentiment though, and can't say I blame you. Hell I don't even know if the Big 12 would entertain expanding east.....right now I think most Big 12 remaining schools are dreaming a P5 prince charming is coming.....heck, I'm hoping ACC, but expecting that no Big 12 schools find a P5 solution. I think that being in a Midwest conference made sense for WVU when we were making 38 million in revenue.....if that drops to 10-15 the crazy travel costs will be stupid. We might try to stay Big 12 till 2025 to get a share of the OU-TEXIT MONEY, but eventually if the ACC doesn't happen we are back to the AAC

 

[WVU-FAN]

BTW I wish we had Pat White right now.....our current QB is a great kid but we clock his 40 time with a calender.

 

[mikeinmanila]

An outside of the box solution.... Big 12 adds all 3 service academies plus BYU for football only. Add a long term out of conference deal with UConn, which annual games with Kansas, WVU, Baylor + one other in basketball and WVU, Army, Navy + one other in football. Note: If can't get the service academies, or maybe in addition, add Cincy and UCF. (UConn would then get WVU, Cincy, UCF + one other, every year in football).

 

[SubbaBub]

The B12 had it's chance to add UConn and it is highly unlikely that the weakened B12 can offer enough financially to make such an awkward partnership work.

The most likely outcome would be if the remnants went the independent route, assuming a few more teams bolt. Then I can see a scheduling alliance between UConn for FB and other BE teams for BB, though any BB team would not have trouble filling a schedule.

 

[CL82]

1. Big12 had their chance to add UConn a few years ago and passed. Now that the conference is dead they want to reach out? F Off.

2. See #1.

3. A better proposal is what I mentioned earlier this week. WVU join BE and go Indy in FB.

4. See #1.

Except that WVU would be foolish to join the biggest since they would make less money there than they would by staying in the little 12.

Regarding the rest of your points you had the opportunity to give me $1 million last year, but didn’t. I just want you to know I’m not gonna get all butt hurt and refuse it if you want to do it this year.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

The biggest problem going forward facing the B12 is the same problem that are facing AAC members now. It is that no one is committed to each other, and any of the teams will jump at first offer from any of the power conferences. This was what killed the old Big East.

What is the incentive for Uconn to jump into this conference just for a few dollars knowing the house of cards could blow up anytime? Indy football scheduling is going well. Uconn football recruiting is also getting much better as an indy. What Uconn is doing is the future for many teams. Teams just WVU just doesn't realize it yet, but they will once they see the reality.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

For anyone curious what kind of media deal can the left behind 8 get vs. having Texas and OU in the conference, this tweet might be a good start.

 

[phillionaire]

Why would we join another conference of teams that are all looking for the first life raft where we would still be a huge geographic outlier

 

[gioff2323]

Welcome to life outside the P conferences. I’m guessing it’s a matter of weeks before ESPN starts spinning the P4 narrative.

If I were you, I’d be taking that raccoon hat and rifle to ACC hq and camping out until they take you.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

AAC TV viewership is greater than the left behind 8. Honestly believe getting $15M to $25M per team per year with the left behind 8 will be mostly a pipe dream. They will be lucky to get $9M per year in a media deal without GOR since no one will sign it. They might be a slightly better version of the AAC, but the numbers don't show it.

A Big 12 without Texas and Oklahoma Is Worth The Same as - or Less Than - The American

The TV viewership numbers prove it

www.blackandgoldbanneret.com

 

[Hogoff]

AAC TV viewership is greater than the left behind 8. Honestly believe getting $15M to $25M per team per year with the left behind 8 will be mostly a pipe dream. They will be lucky to get $9M per year in a media deal without GOR since no one will sign it. They might be a slightly better version of the AAC, but the numbers don't show it.

A Big 12 without Texas and Oklahoma Is Worth The Same as - or Less Than - The American

The TV viewership numbers prove it

www.blackandgoldbanneret.com

What I took away from this article…In 2020 when UConn left the AAC ratings took a bit of a dive, and the little8 is a better television draw than the AAC.

 

[phillionaire]

What I took away from this article…In 2020 when UConn left the AAC ratings took a bit of a dive, and the little8 is a better television draw than the AAC.

I think the 2020 ratings drop and UConn leaving the league is a “correlation is not causation” sort of thing

 

[Hogoff]

I think the 2020 ratings drop and UConn leaving the league is a “correlation is not causation” sort of thing

The “causation” being COVID? Maybe, but the little8 also had to deal with COVID. I’m not saying your wrong. But, do we really know at this point?

 

[djct1999]

For anyone curious what kind of media deal can the left behind 8 get vs. having Texas and OU in the conference, this tweet might be a good start.

The one glairng ommission in that chart is the number of fans wearing WVU shirts in Downtwon Nashville as one poster previously reported. That number is 1. Should show the reach of WVU though.

 

[phillionaire]

The “causation” being COVID? Maybe, but the little8 also had to deal with COVID. I’m not saying your wrong. But, do we really know at this point?

I mean for UConn leaving to drive down the ratings that much we’d have to be averaging well over 1.1 million viewers a game since that’s what the average was with us and as much as I love our program I doubt we were bringing that many viewers.

 

[CL82]

I mean for UConn leaving to drive down the ratings that much we’d have to be averaging well over 1.1 million viewers a game since that’s what the average was with us and as much as I love our program I doubt we were bringing that many viewers.

 

[ZooCougar]

Hell no.

 

[UConnJim]

The Big 12 eight and most of the AAC teams are all looking for an out from their situation. There is no way a newly constituted Big 12 (or AAC) is viewed as a destination for the most valuable teams. Thus, it will be a conference of schools with wondering eyes who would leave in an instance. And, there is no way if a New Big 12 or New AAC is formed that the schools would go for a Grant of Rights which would negatively impact a new media deal.

I hope nobody at UConn is even thinking about getting involved with this mess as I view independent football and Big East basketball a better option.

 

[djct1999]

The Big 12 eight and most of the AAC teams are all looking for an out from their situation. There is no way a newly constituted Big 12 (or AAC) is viewed as a destination for the most valuable teams. Thus, it will be a conference of schools with wondering eyes who would leave in an instance. And, there is no way if a New Big 12 or New AAC is formed that the schools would go for a Grant of Rights which would negatively impact a new media deal.

I hope nobody at UConn is even thinking about getting involved with this mess as I view independent football and Big East basketball a better option.

I honestly believe ad db saw the writing on the wall. This is about contraction not expansion. The aac and remaining big 12 schools are as dead as UConn was back then.

 

[huskypantz]

Haha "f off?" no need to be testy, but I get the sentiment though, and can't say I blame you. Hell I don't even know if the Big 12 would entertain expanding east.....right now I think most Big 12 remaining schools are dreaming a P5 prince charming is coming.....heck, I'm hoping ACC, but expecting that no Big 12 schools find a P5 solution. I think that being in a Midwest conference made sense for WVU when we were making 38 million in revenue.....if that drops to 10-15 the crazy travel costs will be stupid. We might try to stay Big 12 till 2025 to get a share of the OU-TEXIT MONEY, but eventually if the ACC doesn't happen we are back to the AAC

Imagine being in our shoes. You guys probably felt the same way before the B12 lifeline. We get stuck in a crap conference playing schools that noone cares about (even when they're ranked) that was geographically horrible for us. A putrid rights contract was negotiated where each team's take was much less than what we could have gotten for our tier 3 media rights alone. Then B12 starts a public audition for open spots in their conference where the entire AAC applies, admitting that noone wants to be there. And then everyone gets left at the altar. We've lost 10's if not 100's of millions if not more in potential revenue and suffered in performance as well. We basically were dealt the worst hand in all of conference realignment and that was coming off a BCS bowl, multiple national championships across the board etc. We were 100 miles north of NYC from hitting the lotto. It's sucked, hence bombs to the conference(s).