Pete Thamel's article hits the nail on the head

[scdono]

Pete Thamel has the most thorough complete article regarding the current situation. I actually believe UConn will have some options because of our powerful brand.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-basketball/news/20121213/big-east-basketball/

I rarely comment and am quite devastated but you have to believe UConn athletics will be ok.

 

[UCFBfan]

The thing that drives me crazy is that this is the best thing for fans to want. There are teams in close proximity and long standing rivalreies. While UConn now faces meaningless games against schools no one cares about.

 

[zls44]

The thing that drives me crazy is that this is the best thing for fans to want. There are teams in close proximity and long standing rivalreies. While UConn now faces meaningless games against schools no one cares about.

Exactly. It's why I hate the "form a big conference with as many schools as possible" idea. You know why CUSA stinks? Because nobody cares. Know what's a small part of why nobody cares? Because the schools have nothing in common other than their own bad fortune.

 

[ctchamps]

Pete Thamel has the most thorough complete article regarding the current situation. I actually believe UConn will have some options because of our powerful brand.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-basketball/news/20121213/big-east-basketball/

I rarely comment and am quite devastated but you have to believe UConn athletics will be ok.

A lot of money could head to the three remaining BE football schools. Could end up being more significant than the monies they could get from all but the two best conferences. Could buy these three schools lots of time before they get an invite somewhere.

 

[gars44]

Exactly. It's why I hate the "form a big conference with as many schools as possible" idea. You know why CUSA stinks? Because nobody cares. Know what's a small part of why nobody cares? Because the schools have nothing in common other than their own bad fortune.

And? How are these schools different than Uconn? Does anyone care about Uconn but us here? I get you would rather be in a major conference. Let's not disparage the only "big conference" that will take us. There is a reason for that, after all.

 

[HuskyFan16]

Hahaha i love the part of the article that acknowledges rutgers has never been to the NCAA tournament.

 

[Vuce]

And? How are these schools different than Uconn? Does anyone care about Uconn but us here? I get you would rather be in a major conference. Let's not disparage the only "big conference" that will take us. There is a reason for that, after all.

You have to know what he is saying gars. If Uconn was playing NC State, Clemson, FSU, UNC, Pitt, Cuse, bcu, etc on a regular basis there would be genuine enthusiasm for those games. Even casual fans will show up because they are schools we have heard of. This new league I can guaran-freaking-tee you there will be thousands of empty seats. The die hards will be there but the casual fans (the ones you NEED for a sell out) will not show up. They just won't. Does it do any good to bitch about it? Maybe not, but today and probably for another week or so that is what feels right. This really really sucks and it is a humongous blow to Uconn athletics - potentially devastating until and if we are ever invited to something better. It is back to Yankee Conference days in terms of how far off the radar we will be be compared to all the other schools/conferences on TV.

 

[RS9999X]

The Tulane Fordham SMU mini plan sounds like a winner

 

[RS9999X]

Maybe the Buffalo UCF SDSU plan will be the new hotness

 

[Pudge]

The thing that drives me crazy is that this is the best thing for fans to want. There are teams in close proximity and long standing rivalreies. While UConn now faces meaningless games against schools no one cares about.

I think this is BS.

We have lost our way. UConn fans grew in their absolute LOVE of UConn teams. Blue. And, we went to all kinds of game in force. We could be playing Purdue or we could be playing BU, we were there. We went and would have more fans in NJ than Seton Hall ... because we LOVED our Team.

Long standing rivaries? I think we have lost our way because we lack true leadership & purpose. We lost to Louisville in this latest beauty contest BECAUSE they have what we would like. And, it's not because we lack fans or that passion. Time to get it back. Yes ... I mean we should go to games against New Hampshire. This hoohah about ticket prices being too high & 100 other things is just below us. And I also think this is a generational thing. We 50 year olds that saw the dust fall in the field house are not as into it as our lives change ... but the youth are complacent. Maybe winning spoiled them.

We could put together a dynamic OOC & home schedule. I think we have other issues.

Would we go harder against the ACC? I think we might ... for a minute. Watch SU - who has had some serious football attendance issues IMHO. I bet they go back to their 15% vacant.

 

[ZooCougar]

Later to Pudge people. He is dead on.

Mourn the Big East. The basketball conference was pretty cool.

 

[UCFBfan]

I think this is BS.

We have lost our way. UConn fans grew in their absolute LOVE of UConn teams. Blue. And, we went to all kinds of game in force. We could be playing Purdue or we could be playing BU, we were there. We went and would have more fans in NJ than Seton Hall ... because we LOVED our Team.

Long standing rivaries? I think we have lost our way because we lack true leadership & purpose. We lost to Louisville in this latest beauty contest BECAUSE they have what we would like. And, it's not because we lack fans or that passion. Time to get it back. Yes ... I mean we should go to games against New Hampshire. This hoohah about ticket prices being too high & 100 other things is just below us. And I also think this is a generational thing. We 50 year olds that saw the dust fall in the field house are not as into it as our lives change ... but the youth are complacent. Maybe winning spoiled them.

We could put together a dynamic OOC & home schedule. I think we have other issues.

Would we go harder against the ACC? I think we might ... for a minute. Watch SU - who has had some serious football attendance issues IMHO. I bet they go back to their 15% vacant.

While I agree that there are bigger issues at play here, will say that playing a bunch of misfits is a major issue and one that will not create a fan base that would be willing to travel to UNH or BU or Purdue, or East Bumblef**k. People got excited for UConn when they were playing teams who we had history with. In football who did people push the rivalries with? Syracuse, BC, and Rutgers. Schools we've had history with in basketball. Well, all those schools are gone.

You talk about a generational thing. Well if that's the case then UConn is royally screwed. This generation (I'm 31), grew up with the Big East and UConn's rise in it. They grew up with their parents talking about the games between G-Town, Syracuse, etc. My daughter will grow up with the same stories from my wife and I yet she, right now, faces the possibility of seeing UConn play SMU, Houston, and Tulane every season. I can promise you, that isn't going to build a fanbase that will travel across the country.

You can build whatever OOC schedule you want but I am a firm believer that without close rivalries and hatred (in a sports form), college sports are no different than minor league sports. People will go to a game or two, but the passion will be lost.

So yeah, I firmly believe that without having teams that we have a history with in our conference, no matter the sport, UConn is in for a world of hurt at the ticket office. Like many have said, people who are die hard fans will still turn out but for how long? The casual fans won't find much interest and eventually neither will the fans who will still go to games in the next few years.

So call it BS or whatever you'd like. I guess only time will tell which scenario is the more likely to play out if UConn doesn't get the duck* out.

 

[ZooCougar]

Trying to understand where you are going with this. Are you saying that if things stand, that our programs will devolve as the box office gross shrinks? We'll downgrade football, and head back to to basketball pure conference? Is this the progression?

Or is there any other way to keep the lights burning bright outside of a ACC/B1G invite?

Even if we were in the ACC now, we would still have the rows of empty seats at the XL Center. And the empty chairbacks.

That uphill climb gets steeper every week.

While I agree that there are bigger issues at play here, will say that playing a bunch of misfits is a major issue and one that will not create a fan base that would be willing to travel to UNH or BU or Purdue, or East Bumblef**k. People got excited for UConn when they were playing teams who we had history with. In football who did people push the rivalries with? Syracuse, BC, and Rutgers. Schools we've had history with in basketball. Well, all those schools are gone.

You talk about a generational thing. Well if that's the case then UConn is royally screwed. This generation (I'm 31), grew up with the Big East and UConn's rise in it. They grew up with their parents talking about the games between G-Town, Syracuse, etc. My daughter will grow up with the same stories from my wife and I yet she, right now, faces the possibility of seeing UConn play SMU, Houston, and Tulane every season. I can promise you, that isn't going to build a fanbase that will travel across the country.

You can build whatever OOC schedule you want but I am a firm believer that without close rivalries and hatred (in a sports form), college sports are no different than minor league sports. People will go to a game or two, but the passion will be lost.

So yeah, I firmly believe that without having teams that we have a history with in our conference, no matter the sport, UConn is in for a world of hurt at the ticket office. Like many have said, people who are die hard fans will still turn out but for how long? The casual fans won't find much interest and eventually neither will the fans who will still go to games in the next few years.

So call it BS or whatever you'd like. I guess only time will tell which scenario is the more likely to play out if UConn doesn't get the duck* out.

 

[UCFBfan]

Trying to understand where you are going with this. Are you saying that if things stand, that our programs will devolve as the box office gross shrinks? We'll downgrade football, and head back to to basketball pure conference? Is this the progression?

Or is there any other way to keep the lights burning bright outside of a ACC/B1G invite?

Even if we were in the ACC now, we would still have the rows of empty seats at the XL Center. And the empty chairbacks.

That uphill climb gets steeper every week.

No I would never think that UConn should go back to FCS. I'm a football fan first. I know that post sounded bball centric. My point is that I can't see a fan base growing with our current grouping of teams. There's no common bond or history between any of them. There's nothing to get someone to be excited for Football or basketball. What game is this fanbase going to be pumped up for? Our annual game against Memphis, Temple, USF, UCF, ECU? Look, Boise isn't going to be in our division and we'll probably see them once every 6-8 years. So I truly can't see what is going to get this fan base excited. I was holding onto the small hope that basketball would still draw me and others in. Now that the remaining Big East schools are gone, I've lost hope in that as well.

I'll be honest, it took me a few months to come to terms with the NNBE before Louisville left. However, I accepted it and was ready to move forward. I'll probably feel the same about this new setup but I'm truly having a hard time seeing it. I'm sure tons of other fans feel the same way.

To me college sports are about rivalries and wanting to destroy your opponents and rub it in their faces. I can't see myself getting amped up to tell some Tulane fan to suck it because we beat their crappy fb team. Could others feel the same way about playing UConn? Sure. But I don't give a flying duckk about them because I'm a UConn fan and right now, I'm worried about us.

 

[ZooCougar]

To me college sports are about rivalries and wanting to destroy your opponents and rub it in their faces. I can't see myself getting amped up to tell some Tulane fan to suck it because we beat their crappy fb team. Could others feel the same way about playing UConn? Sure. But I don't give a flying duckk about them because I'm a UConn fan and right now, I'm worried about us.

Forget Boise. I like the team but it's naive to count on them.

I think ECU is more appealing than you realize. Most of the rest is dreck. USF, Cincy, ECU, Temple, Buffalo, UMass, Memphis, UCF? Maybe you bring in the two Texas schools if that gives us a foot in the door for the small Texas bowls.

We could do worse than that. We have no interest in Tulane. It's bad idea Jeans. Sun Belt? Nope, we already have two Florida schools.

If we still angle for the 14 team monstrosity after Navy, SDSU, and Boise get other ideas, then we will be adding Sun Belt caliber schools. Mark my words.

 

[UCFBfan]

Forget Boise. I like the team but it's naive to count on them.

I think ECU is more appealing than you realize. Most of the rest is dreck. USF, Cincy, ECU, Temple, Buffalo, UMass, Memphis, UCF? Maybe you bring in the two Texas schools if that gives us a foot in the door for the small Texas bowls.

We could do worse than that. We have no interest in Tulane. It's bad idea Jeans. Sun Belt? Nope, we already have two Florida schools.

If we still angle for the 14 team monstrosity after Navy, SDSU, and Boise get other ideas, then we will be adding Sun Belt caliber schools. Mark my words.

I agree with you on ECU. I think they have potential because their fb fans are solid

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[UCFBfan]

What do rivalries have to do with any of this? It is all about the money. UConn's biggest rival pre-Big East was URI. They are still far and away the most played hoops opponent for the Huskies. Since UConn moved on to the Big East some 30 years ago, they have rarely played and I don't think this was because of Rhody's refusal.

I'm talking about fan interest not the driving factor behind all this mess. Clearly no one cares what the fans want

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[tzznandrew]

I'm not sure why we should forget Boise. They're the best non-BCS team out there. We should be adding whoever Boise wants to keep them in this league. And I think you can construct a decent west coast all-sports division with them, SDSU, SMU, and Houston as its backbone. Throw Tulane in there and add any three schools Boise wants. Then tell them that for their non-football, there will be minimal crossover aside from the conference tournaments.

Boise already travels to New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado, etc. Just add some of those schools, and Texas schools aren't unreasonable additional travel.

 

[tzznandrew]

I'm talking about fan interest not the driving factor behind all this mess. Clearly no one cares what the fans want

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The fans want to be in a real league, and to do that you need to be in a reasonably decent football conference. Go 16, kill all other competing conferences (other than the MAC, I suppose), and have a conference title game on the best team's field.

I can get excited for watching UConn-Temple and UConn-Cincy. There's some history with USF. Everyone else sucks with football, but, if we look at it as "Win and you're in (a real conference)," I'd still watch games.

 

[mattp]

When all is said and done I think this NNBE mess would work much better as a football only conference. Our other sports playing Tulane, SDState and SMU is just nonsensical. For football it would make sense to cobble together this mess for scheduling and a TV contract, but not for anything else. This might be the next evolution in collegiate sports realignment, having big TV market oriented football conferences and local regional conferences for other sports.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

When all is said and done I think this NNBE mess would work much better as a football only conference. Our other sports playing Tulane, SDState and SMU is just nonsensical. For football it would make sense to cobble together this mess for scheduling and a TV contract, but not for anything else. This might be the next evolution in collegiate sports realignment, having big TV market oriented football conferences and local regional conferences for other sports.

What league would UConn be in for its other sports? The Catholics don't want us.

 

[mattp]

What league would UConn be in for its other sports? The Catholics don't want us.

Hell, the A10 would make more sense than the NNBE for other sports. As far as sports other than football, the NNBE is probably about the worst place we could be. Diverse TV markets across the country are great for making TV contracts, but lousy for scheduling field hockey. It wouldn't really be much more travel than if we were in the MWC.

 

[FDNY99]

This is the first article or tweet I have seen Thamel author where he doesn't slam UConn. Since he wrote the article for Yahoo sports about the Darius Miles issues he is one of the main national media writers who have basically buried the UConn brand!

 

[mavblues]

Darius Miles

Nate???

 

[tzznandrew]

Hell, the A10 would make more sense than the NNBE for other sports. As far as sports other than football, the NNBE is probably about the worst place we could be. Diverse TV markets across the country are great for making TV contracts, but lousy for scheduling field hockey. It wouldn't really be much more travel than if we were in the MWC.

Nope. Cincy-Memphis-Temple is a better core than the A10. Our bottom feeders would be better than the A10s as well.