Should a UConn/Big 12 marriage be considered if they expand to 14

[mike012]

Those schools were invited for one reason and one reason alone. And that one reason we have no clue at all how to do. I highly doubt the Big 12 evens knows we exist.

 

[storrsroars]

You realize the NBE has travel to Nebraska, WI, IL and OH, etc. Other than being in the PAC12, travel expense is not an intelligent driver, it’s really more of a smokescreen. All conferences today, have geographic diversity,

In 2019, UConn was in the top quartile of most travel miles among FBS teams, with approx 7888 miles traveled for football. That was more than any team in the B1G, ACC, or SEC.

For context, the most miles traveled by any SEC team was 5256. Outliers Minnesota and Rutgers had the highest B1G miles, still less than what UConn traveled. Outliers Syracuse, BC, FSU and Miami all traveled fewer miles than UConn.

WVU was the highest of any P5 team at 11196 - which means that UConn in the B12 would be even more miles. And none of it by bus.

Whether you like it or not, it's a thing.

 

[Adios]

I suppose it's relative. I don't think Oklahoma State considers the big 12 an end goal anymore. The AAC is an end goal for some programs. The big 12 told Cincy, Houston and UCF 5 years ago it wasn't interested and suddenly they are members. Unless you believe that CR is finally finished, I think the big 12 is unstable.

Well, look at where Oklahoma State is at right now. Going to be a tough battle for those Pac-12 expansion slots and they've been refused as of recently. Had their shot back when the 4 Big 12 teams were talking to the Pac-12.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I think we need to see what the 2025 TV deal looks like, and also whether UConn can become respectable in football. Too early to make a decision like this. Basketball would be very good. Football would certainly be much better.

 

[Chief00]

In 2019, UConn was in the top quartile of most travel miles among FBS teams, with approx 7888 miles traveled for football. That was more than any team in the B1G, ACC, or SEC.

For context, the most miles traveled by any SEC team was 5256. Outliers Minnesota and Rutgers had the highest B1G miles, still less than what UConn traveled. Outliers Syracuse, BC, FSU and Miami all traveled fewer miles than UConn.

WVU was the highest of any P5 team at 11196 - which means that UConn in the B12 would be even more miles. And none of it by bus.

Whether you like it or not, it's a thing.

Travel is a fact of life if a New Endland school wants to play a D1A football schedule. Our longest 2019 football road trips were Indiana UCF, Tulane and Cincy. This season as an independent we have Fresno CA, UCF, Clemson (SC) and Vandy (TN). Therefore, if our objective was lower football travel miles, we clearly failed.

 

[shizzle787]

We are not apart of AAU, which is a BigTen requirement to get an invite. We fit more with the ACC, will they expand eventually? Who knows but if they do we’re going to be a high choice.

When UVA and UNC go to the B1G and Clemson and FSU go to the SEC in a decade, UConn and WVU will backfill the ACC.

 

[storrsroars]

Travel is a fact of life if a New Endland school wants to play a D1A football schedule. Our longest 2019 football road trips were Indiana UCF, Tulane and Cincy. This season as an independent we have Fresno CA, UCF, Clemson (SC) and Vandy (TN). Therefore, if our objective was lower football travel miles, we clearly failed.

I noted football because that's the sport most easily searched. Extend that to other sports (except hockey). Going indy does add miles to football, but reduces miles and expenses for other sports. Lots of bus trips in BE, one in American, none in B12.

 

[Chief00]

I noted football because that's the sport most easily searched. Extend that to other sports (except hockey). Going indy does add miles to football, but reduces miles and expenses for other sports. Lots of bus trips in BE, one in American, none in B12.

If a school’s goal is to have the most road bus trips, you are definitely the guy for AD.

 

[HeGotGame]

I like the new you. No UConn to FCS talk!

You have not had a correct opinion on UConn football once.

 

[Fairfield 1st]

I love this place. What in God’s green earth would make anyone think the Big 12 would want anything to do with us? Since BC left in what 2004, CR has had many rounds. And in each one the ACC, Big 12 or Big 10 ( the only viable landing spots) have made it quite clear we have no place there. The current situation is the ONLY situation we will ever have. Certainly for the foreseeable future. Get over it. Support the players.... slam the administration when necessary and move on. Go Dogs!

 

[CONN78SEJ]

I think some informal/formal Big12/Big East arrangement is more likely.

Or they join the Big 12 in football only and they agree to play home and homes with Kansas, Iowa State, Baylor, and West Virginia in men’s and women’s basketball.

 

[Griggs]

In 5 years, we will have more Northeast playmates in Temple and Navy. If we can get Army to buy in, add in UMass, a BC or Syracuse, etc and soon we will have a Northeast centric schedule without having to join a league. Get some bowl tie ins and voila- we can have everything but a conference championship without having to share revenue and lose the Big East conference tie in.

How about we get a real football coach first.

I like your train of thought about Northeast regional schedule. Possibly AD Rutgers and Maryland also. Maybe a game or two with Sun Belt, like Costal.

I have always thought that lower tier P5 schools would like Uconn on their schedule because they would need non-conference wins to become bowl eligible.

As for yesterday, sitting in section 140, it was just painful. No other way to put it.

I am still a fan of being independent in football, but this situation needs to change quickly, or will start losing recruits.

 

[freescooter]

I'm hoping for an FB-only AAC invite. That would prevent the destruction of the basketball programs that you and your ilk crave.

Sadly staying in the NEWBIE will lead to a long slow decline of all our athletic programs. You and your ilk are just too blind to see it. Georgetown is not returning to national prominence. Flukey runs through conference tournaments are not unheard of and that is what they had last year when the only really good team lost its leader and was learning to adjust. Baseball had a 25 RPI. The next NEWBIE was Villanova at 98. Take away our 21-15 non conference record and the league, already a game under .500 is awful. How long do you think we remain relevant when our league is on a par with the NEC?
Take out Villanova basketball and the basketball side is about as average as it gets. Just watch our performance against Maryland again. A 10 seed utterly dominated the #3 team from the mighty NEWBIE.

 

[Griggs]

The best bet is getting an invite to the Big 10. We fit with them in a lot of ways and all sports would benefit. Now all we need is for them to realize that we are worth the risk.

Does men's hockey help?

 

[Hskies4Ever]

Before any of this happens, we need to be better in football. I don’t care if you think we fit in the B1G, Big 12, or the ACC. Our football team makes all that a non-starter.

Honestly, the best shot is probably the ACC if we can get our act together because it’s only a matter of time before Clemson and FSU head to the SEC.

As much as I like being a big fish in the NBE, it feels like a temporary stay of execution and lacks the national name recognition and profile of the OBE. I know some of you are fired up about playing Providence, but what have they done lately?

The NBE is to basketball as the Big 12 is to football. It’s too top heavy with a lot of mediocrity behind that. I’m not sure that’s ideal, and there’s not much financial incentive to stay there.

 

[shizzle787]

Before any of this happens, we need to be better in football. I don’t care if you think we fit in the B1G, Big 12, or the ACC. Our football team makes all that a non-starter.

Honestly, the best shot is probably the ACC if we can get our act together because it’s only a matter of time before Clemson and FSU head to the SEC.

As much as I like being a big fish in the NBE, it feels like a temporary stay of execution and lacks the national name recognition and profile of the OBE. I know some of you are fired up about playing Providence, but what have they done lately?

The NBE is to basketball as the Big 12 is to football. It’s too top heavy with a lot of mediocrity behind that. I’m not sure that’s ideal, and there’s not much financial incentive to stay there.

The Big 12 football conference is not top heavy. If BYU and WVU are your best brands, you're in trouble.

 

[Hskies4Ever]

The Big 12 football conference is not top heavy. If BYU and WVU are your best brands, you're in trouble.

They’re top heavy as presently constructed with Texas and OU. Should have been clearer. I agree with your thoughts completely.

 

[Chief00]

I am still a fan of being independent in football, but this situation needs to change quickly, or will start losing recruits.

It’s already in the process of happening - we need to quickly come up with a narrative for committed kids to hang their hat on. It’s tough when we don’t even have a “permanent” head coach to develop some kind of vision.
I think we need to move quickly and not let things play out at normal search process speed. Dave should have a short list unless he actually 100% bought into Randy’s BS. At a minimum, he should have known this was a likely scenario at the end of this season. The honest truth is Randy retired when he did not welcome Lashlee’s offensive innovation. You need to know your weaknesses and after Dunn left it was clear no current modern day OC could coach under Randy, even if Randy offered more money to save face from a strike two bad look.

 

[Waquoit]

Sadly staying in the NEWBIE will lead to a long slow decline of all our athletic programs.

But being in the AAC led to a short, steep decline of our athletic programs that you and your ilk still refuse to acknowledge. It was even killing WBB, only COVID kept their FF record in tact. Leaving the AAC stopped the decline before it became irreversible.

 

[Jbirdp5]

Sadly staying in the NEWBIE will lead to a long slow decline of all our athletic programs. You and your ilk are just too blind to see it. Georgetown is not returning to national prominence. Flukey runs through conference tournaments are not unheard of and that is what they had last year when the only really good team lost its leader and was learning to adjust. Baseball had a 25 RPI. The next NEWBIE was Villanova at 98. Take away our 21-15 non conference record and the league, already a game under .500 is awful. How long do you think we remain relevant when our league is on a par with the NEC?
Take out Villanova basketball and the basketball side is about as average as it gets. Just watch our performance against Maryland again. A 10 seed utterly dominated the #3 team from the mighty NEWBIE.

You write this exact same statement in every single topic that discusses the big East. Does it get tiring to just keep spitting out the same nonsense over and over again?

 

[Kolumbo]

I love this place. What in God’s green earth would make anyone think the Big 12 would want anything to do with us? Since BC left in what 2004, CR has had many rounds. And in each one the ACC, Big 12 or Big 10 ( the only viable landing spots) have made it quite clear we have no place there. The current situation is the ONLY situation we will ever have. Certainly for the foreseeable future. Get over it. Support the players.... slam the administration when necessary and move on. Go Dogs!

The only conference which was a good fit during CR was the ACC and it made it quite clear that UCONN was an option and that it chose someone else over UCONN. The current situation is temporary, no question. I do agree, support the players, support the team.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Sadly staying in the NEWBIE will lead to a long slow decline of all our athletic programs. You and your ilk are just too blind to see it. Georgetown is not returning to national prominence. Flukey runs through conference tournaments are not unheard of and that is what they had last year when the only really good team lost its leader and was learning to adjust. Baseball had a 25 RPI. The next NEWBIE was Villanova at 98. Take away our 21-15 non conference record and the league, already a game under .500 is awful. How long do you think we remain relevant when our league is on a par with the NEC?
Take out Villanova basketball and the basketball side is about as average as it gets. Just watch our performance against Maryland again. A 10 seed utterly dominated the #3 team from the mighty NEWBIE.

Good post, you’re 100% correct. I always thought joining the NBE and going Indy in football was a temporary band aid. Depending on the hire for the new coach, UConn will be on the move again for a new conference, and success in the football program hinges son that. We will see in 2 or 3 years how that plays out.

 

[Kolumbo]

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

I think some informal/formal Big12/Big East arrangement is more likely.

Lots of scheduling between sec/Big12/Big East coming hoops

 

[Slasher]

https://www.kansas.com/sports/college/big-12/article254217573.html