Louisville trying to force UConn's and Rutger's hands at upcoming meeting

[Rumrunner]

Mike DeCourcy
Sporting News
TSNMike

"Meanwhile, a source close to the Big East said that league is expected to vote on offering Temple full membership in the league at its secretive presidents’ meeting Sunday in Washington, along with demanding a more firm commitment from restless members Connecticut and Rutgers.

The Big East lost longtime members Syracuse and Pitt to the ACC in mid-September. UConn and Rutgers openly have discussed their eagerness to be invited to the ACC, as well, but no offer appears to be forthcoming for either, and schools that are committed to Big East membership—most notably Louisville—would like to see the current members provide the league with a clearer future.


________________

First Pitino runs his mouth, now this. I'm not sure if the one minute man is the source for this, but obviously UofL and UConn are on a collision course.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The thing about this is, making a firm commitment is in everyone's interest. Lockup. If another round of expansion hits and the Big East is going to be carved up, the league schools can always vote to dissolve the league and go their separate ways. All a commitment prevents is a majority of teams getting screwed while one escapes. Since the odds that Louisville, WVU, Cincinnati and TCU escape are better than the odds that UConn escapes, this seems like an easy decision.

 

[CTMike]

Hehe... if she's honest about her intentions, then you get folks pointing the finger that she's causing the demise of the BE (which is just ridiculous - the demise has happened, multiple times since 03, despite prior support)... if she commits, then the ACC offers, all of a sudden she'll be a hypocrite.

Whatever it takes for UConn to be in the best position moving forward. If that's committing to the BE this Sunday, so be it. If/when another offer comes... then away we go.

 

[metsfan2323]

I don't see what the conflict is. The ACC has not offered us so we should be committed to improving the league. Hopefully they can agree to offer Temple, that would be much needed good news.

 

[coachcap]

I would like to know the agenda for Sunday before I cast any aspersions. Is Louisville honestly trying to keep the conference together (it seems to be broken beyond repair)? Or, are the Big East football schools planning on seceding & merging with the Big-12 minus whatever? If it's the former, adding just Temple won't cut it.

 

[Rumrunner]

Nelson, Herbst thinks differently. Is it possible that she posseses superior information and is acting accordingly? If she thought what would happen is as you say, wouldn't she be singing a different tune?

The thing about this is, making a firm commitment is in everyone's interest. Lockup. If another round of expansion hits and the Big East is going to be carved up, the league schools can always vote to dissolve the league and go their separate ways. All a commitment prevents is a majority of teams getting screwed while one escapes. Since the odds that Louisville, WVU, Cincinnati and TCU escape are better than the odds that UConn escapes, this seems like an easy decision.

 

[HartbeatHusky]

I'm starting to think the Big East may not be about to die. I don't know why but I get the feeling that it might be able to pull of a miracle. Adding Temple, Navy, and Air Force gives us 10 teams if nobody else leaves. If Cuse and Pitt have to stay another 2 years that means we could have 12 and in theory could have a Big East Championship game for the next two seasons. I just really wonder what would happen if somehow the Big East was still able to scrounge up that mega TV deal that we all wanted so badly over the summer.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Adding a Philadelphia team instead of Houston or UCF could be a sign that Comcast has put another number on the table.

 

[UCHuskies08]

I agree that it's time to "commit" to the BE, whatever that means.

Sitting around waiting for ND is ASKING for trouble.

 

[Rumrunner]

Or that Navy has said "not yet", and Temple would sign up for the BE even if only USF and Cincy were left.

Adding a Philadelphia team instead of Houston or UCF could be a sign that Comcast has put another number on the table.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Adding a Philadelphia team instead of Houston or UCF could be a sign that Comcast has put another number on the table.

How does that matter at all? Just because Comcast is based out of Philly?

ESPN is in CT. I don't see ESPN/ACC rushing to add us.

 

[UConniki]

If the acc wants Uconn any time soon, all they have to do is call on sat. to stop us from commiting. If they dont call, then u have your answer to should we commit to the B east. If its for 2, 3, 4 years or whatever , all schools will be in the same boat. when the other conferences want to expand again they will have to wait. There is a limited number of schools to pick from. Acc > sec , big 12 > sec , big 12> big 10 . the b east schools will still be needed at some point ( most ) to fill those leagues up if they all go to 16. It buys everyone some time and creates some stability, and we can all get back to our day jobs and and spend a little less time reading tweets and rumors ( have u guys seen wvu, site. ) . I would like to get back to looking forward to what we all were doing the day befire the pitt cuse story broke, Uconn defending NC w/ AD and DD ect.

 

[uconNYC]

Is Temple really the best choice the Big East has? I know Philly is a great market - but do we really want to bring in a team that will have 40,000 empty seats at each home game and probably will not travel well to bowl games? What's wrong with UCF?

 

[CTMike]

Adding a Philadelphia team instead of Houston or UCF could be a sign that Comcast has put another number on the table.

Or it might have nothing to do with that.

Temple is getting its football house in order and makes a lot of regional sense.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

If the acc wants Uconn any time soon, all they have to do is call on sat. to stop us from commiting. If they dont call, then u have your answer to should we commit to the B east. If its for 2, 3, 4 years or whatever , all schools will be in the same boat. when the other conferences want to expand again they will have to wait. There is a limited number of schools to pick from. Acc > sec , big 12 > sec , big 12> big 10 . the b east schools will still be needed at some point ( most ) to fill those leagues up if they all go to 16. It buys everyone some time and creates some stability, and we can all get back to our day jobs and and spend a little less time reading tweets and rumors ( have u guys seen wvu, site. ) . I would like to get back to looking forward to what we all were doing the day befire the pitt cuse story broke, Uconn defending NC w/ AD and DD ect.

Good post, but you are in a minority on this board. Most people on this board think that if UConn begs hard enough, then UConn will get into the ACC.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Or it might have nothing to do with that.

Temple is getting its football house in order and makes a lot of regional sense.

Maybe. Odd choice over Houston or UCF though.

 

[CTMike]

Maybe. Odd choice over Houston or UCF though.

Why?

 

[businesslawyer]

Good post, but you are in a minority on this board. Most people on this board think that if UConn begs hard enough, then UConn will get into the ACC.

Seriously -- are you o.k.?

 

[huskeynut]

A couple of thoughts/ questions to add to the discussion.

Are all the school presidents going to be at the meeting or just the football presidents? This makes a difference in terms of any voting/ commitment to the BE. I don't think the BB schools care too much about the entire football issues. It's the football schools that have the most concerns about their future right now. The bb only schools can survive as a conference by themselves. The conference would not be as powerful as before but there are still some very good bb teams left.

Why not give ND an ultimatum? Put it to ND that they are either in the BE with all sports, including football, or they are out completely. If the BE is going to survive, and that is questionable at this point, there can no longer be a school that is not totally committed in all sports. ND likes its football independence, read NBC $'s, but there is no other conference that is going to let them have the deal that the BE has allowed. It might put ND in the hot seat to make a serious decision about their independence. ND has to have a place for their non-football sports, many of which are very good. They can't be independent in everything.

As to committing to the BE, President Herbst has made it very clear that she will to what is in the best interests of Uconn. People will take that statement anyway they want. If it means staying the course in the BE, her statement is accurate. If it means accepting an offer to another conference should it come, her statement is still accurate. Every football school in the BE is looking out for themselves and this is no surprise to anybody, or it shouldn't be. Anyone who thinks otherwise is foolish.

Could be a very interesting weekend to say the least!

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Why?

Temple is about 90 miles from Rutgers and in the same metro area with Villanova. It is still a MAC team that did get booted from the league once, and while attendance is better, they are not exactly packing it in at the Linc. Houston is in the low 30's too though. UCF is drawing very well.

I am fine with the decision. It also makes it crystal clear that Villanova is off the table for an upgrade.

 

[06029]

Hehe... if she's honest about her intentions, then you get folks pointing the finger that she's causing the demise of the BE (which is just ridiculous - the demise has happened, multiple times since 03, despite prior support)... if she commits, then the ACC offers, all of a sudden she'll be a hypocrite.

Whatever it takes for UConn to be in the best position moving forward. If that's comitting to the BE this Sunday, so be it. If/when another offer comes... then away we go.

So you are a fan of the BC strategy. Commit now, move as fast as you can when the call comes?

Uconn is in a real bad position right now in the BE. You have almost 2 weeks of solid news stories about how much you want to join the (fill in the conference dujour), your best friend in all of this is Rutgers (who no one wants for their athletic success but for their theoretical eyeballs for TV; does anyon know what their ratings actually are?) and you have ceded the appearance of leadership in the conference to Louisville. I thought Uconn would have taken leadership at some point. Put together a plan that not only protects its interests but that can also lead the conference thru its inevitable break-up and rebuilding. Instead, Uconn is at a meeting where people are demanding its pledge of support/loyalty and dragging it along feeling that whatever they get, they will give up as soon as someone calls. Hope is a lousy business plan.

 

[uconNYC]

With Pitt and SU gone - what footprint are we talking about? RU and UConn are the only Northeast schools left - we have more schools in the Ohio river valley region (UC, UL, WVU). UCF, Houston are massive markets, decent fanbase (Houston not so much) and fertile recruiting. If this happens, I truly believe this a decision made based on a single result (Temple vs. Maryland). We hardly heard a peep about Temple until this week.

 

[RS9999X]

The Temple Board isn't impressed

Big East Sunday Dinner
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm156467968/tt0427152

 

[uconNYC]

Anyone have a link to the Temple cheerleaders thread from last year? HAHAHAHA!

 

[TRest]

So you are a fan of the BC strategy. Commit now, move as fast as you can when the call comes?

Uconn is in a real bad position right now in the BE. You have almost 2 weeks of solid news stories about how much you want to join the (fill in the conference dujour), your best friend in all of this is Rutgers (who no one wants for their athletic success but for their theoretical eyeballs for TV; does anyon know what their ratings actually are?) and you have ceded the appearance of leadership in the conference to Louisville. I thought Uconn would have taken leadership at some point. Put together a plan that not only protects its interests but that can also lead the conference thru its inevitable break-up and rebuilding. Instead, Uconn is at a meeting where people are demanding its pledge of support/loyalty and dragging it along feeling that whatever they get, they will give up as soon as someone calls. Hope is a lousy business plan.

You practically can't find a B12 expansion story that doesn't mention Louisville as a candidate, so perception of UConn looking around shouldn't be an issue. UConn committed tons of money for a football upgrade to allow it entry to a BE conference made up of Miami, BC, SU, Pitt and VT. Not whatever the future holds with CUSA schools.