ACC Expansion: UConn Keeps Fighting The Good Fight
by Brian Favat on Sep 22, 2011 1:46 PM EDT
in Conference Expansion
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PrintIt's no secret that UConn wants out of the Big East and into the ACC, as University officials have made repeatedly clear that they won't be wearing a John Marinatto promise ring any time soon. Doesn't matter if Rutgers or West Virginia come along, the Huskies want out.
The New York Times Pete Thamel says what I've been saying all week ... don't expect the conference to expand straight away.
"Don't expect the Atlantic Coast Conference to make any sudden moves. It was out of character for the league to grow to 14 colleges to become the largest major conference in football in the country. Unless a university of tangible financial value surfaces (Notre Dame or Texas), the A.C.C. will stay at 14 for the near future. There is little chance it will add UConn or Rutgers anytime soon, unless it is to complement a college of significant football value."
But what if the ACC is successful in luring said college of signficant value -- for our purposes, let's say Notre Dame -- into the fold? One Connecticut station is claiming that the Huskies may get that coveted ACC invite ... only if they bring Notre Dame along with them.
"What happens with the Huskies hinges on what the Fighting Irish do.
A source close to the ACC told Kevin Nathan that the ACC wants UConn and Notre Dame and likely won't make a move on the Huskies until the Irish commit either way."
Read into this local report what you will, though I would say you should probably take this with a grain of salt. With this latest round of conference musical chairs dying down a bit, there's no reason to think that Notre Dame will get trigger-happy and join one of the six BCS AQ conferences any time soon.
Meanwhile, UConn officials continue to pound the pavement in an attempt to find any member of the media sympathetic enough to listen to the Huskies plight. In fact, according to a report from Ed Diagneault, UConn president Susan Herbst has reached out to Boston College president Fr. William Leahy S.J. about any possible BC block of UConn to the ACC. I can only imagine how that conversation will go.
It's worth noting that if any block is in place, it has very little to do with the 2003-4 lawsuit and everything to do with territorial exclusivity. Any block by Boston College is no different than USF's block of UCF to the Big East, Kentucky's block of Louisville or Florida, Georgia and South Carolina's supposed "Gentlemen's Agreement" that would prevent Florida State, Georgia Tech and Clemson, respectively, from joining the SEC.
Storrs is located less than 80 miles from Chestnut Hill, while it's over 150 miles to New York City. BC has no incentive to see a local school join the conference and steal a share of the media and viewership. It's simply not in the long-term interests of the athletics department, just as it's in USF, Kentucky, Florida, Georgia or South Carolina's best interests to keep UCF, Louisville, Florida State, Georgia Tech and Clemson out of each's conference. Clearly, the UConn brass know a little something about "looking out for their own best interests."
UConn will continue to play the victim here, relying on the pro-UConn media to spin this as:
"BC won't get over the lawsuit" ...
"The actors on the UConn side have all changed" ...
"Pittsburgh was also involved in the lawsuit and they got in!" ...
But again, any block in place has little to do with the lawsuit and is no different than any of the above examples of school's blocking the entrance of other members. Do keep this in mind as you continue to read UConn's best attempts at leaking stories about their discontent with the Big East and with Boston College, the heartless villain.
Finally, enjoyed Pete Thamel taking UConn to task in his latest realignment piece.
"University presidents do not mind leaving leagues so bludgeoned that they need tourniquets, but killing one would be frowned upon. The only people who do not realize this are UConn officials, who are tripping over themselves to leak stories about their unhappiness with the Big East, which hurts that league's efforts to look stable and expand. But UConn, which has no athletic director and a new president, may have nowhere to go. Because most realignment decisions are driven by football, joining Massachusetts in the Mid-American Conference could be UConn's best available option at this point."
Acceptance is the first step in the road to recovery, or the MAC.
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NYT: UConn best option is MAC
Wow.
the New York Times says:
joining Massachusetts in the Mid-American Conference could be UConn’s best available option at this point.
That is sweet!!!
by waterwater on Sep 22, 2011 2:40 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Add Villanova and UConn to swell to 16 members and prompty rebrand as the Big MAC.
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Sep 22, 2011 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
in fact,
like the new ACC, the new MAc can also have a pseudo BE division – Temple, Nova, UConn, Cincy?
B1G MAC Pods
Pod 1: Northern Illinois, Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, Western Michigan
Pod 2: Ball State, Bowling Green, Miami, Toledo
Pod 3: Akron, Ohio, Kent State, Buffalo
Pod 4: Temple, UMass, UConn, Villanova
The B1G MAC will OWN the Philadelphia TV market!
Editor, BC Interruption
“BC won’t get over the lawsuit” …
“The actors on the UConn side have all changed” …
“Pittsburgh was also involved in the lawsuit and they got in!” …
I’ve been sparring with the UConn members over on their blog and I’ve refuted these precise responses citing faulty logic and poor understanding of their opponent’s arguments.
Also, I think Susan Herbst reaching out to Fr. Leahy is revealing. For one, it demonstrates BC’s clout within the ACC. Herbst needs to address and reconcile UConn’s behavior in the past and offer an apology at the very least.
Secondly, I’ve read from the Providence Boards from a Booster that Duke’s higher-ups are actually opposed to UConn despite Coach K’s endorsement.
It would be interesting how this all plays out and what Swofford’s views are. After all, he was also personally named in Blumenthal’s law suit.
Agree, and would add ...
GDF is a member of Swofford’s 444 committee on expansion, 4 ADs, 4 presidents and 4 faculty members from the member institutions that studied expansion for over a year. Clearly he has been a big player in this whole round of realignment.
Despite the public endorsements from people like Coach K, I’d imagine there isn’t much support for this move right now. The conference would have to add a school that provides significant football value to make it worthwhile, and UConn and Rutgers are frankly not those schools.
Also, Edsall can’t be happy about this.
Editor, BC Interruption
GDF is a member of Swofford’s 444 committee on expansion
I don’t want to get all conspiratorial here but there’s a lot that goes on behind closed doors and nothing happens without groups consensus. You don’t get to that position in life without secret handshakes.
I don’t think GDF has an “enemies list” but if he did, UConn and a few members here would probably be on it.
Despite the public endorsements from people like Coach K, I’d imagine there isn’t much support for this move right now.
This is what the UConn peeps just can’t seem to grapple with. It’s not just the law suit, their criminal behavior and glaring hypocrisy, it’s also their lack of a Football tradition.
Unclear, but they did play in the BCS bowl game with the second lowest TV ratings of the BCS era.
Editor, BC Interruption
What...
exactly were you sparring about since two of the items above are undeniably factual? And the third, the lawsuit, maybe the University has gotten over it…but, clearly the fans haven’t.
I can’t imagine BC has that much more clout in the ACC than any other ACC team. Rightfully so, I think they are being shown respect by co ACC members …and their views are being taken seriously, because of their proximity to Uconn.
I wouldn’t apologize if I were Herbst. If BC has already gotten over the lawsuit, and you and others claim to agree, why would she even bring it up?
How about BC and Uconn suit up on a neutral field…if Uconn wins, they get in? I’m kidding.
I can’t imagine BC has that much more clout in the ACC than any other ACC team.
It’s more than just X’s and O’s on the Football Field. BC boast an impressive graduation rate for Student Athletes and must rigidly maintain Academic Standards—a huge PR point for the ACC when compared with the thugs in the SEC.
Boston may be a Professional Sports Town but it’s also an epicenter for various industries such as Health Care, Medical Devices, VCs, Buy Side shops, etc. The potential for cross-marketing with existing landmarks and institutions are countless—Fenway. BC’s CEO Club is highly regarded in the business sector and this remains an untapped potential for increasing revenue in the ACC if they approach it the right way.
GDF was selected for Swofford’s 444 Committee so he certainly has street cred with ACC Administrators.
And despite recent futility, BC performed very well in the first few years in the Conference.
...
I don’t think Uconn looks silly by not committing. Their publicly stated preference is to leave…so what is there to gain by committing? Who in their right mind would believe them if they made such a statement? I wouldn’t. And if you were one of the other conferences…why would you even consider them if they make a commitment to the Big East. Having said that…I think they should stay for now.
There are obvious advantages with being a member in certain conferences…even if they don’t have the clout of an ACC. If you’re going to struggle, and Uconn will, with getting good teams to play, then at least an “automatic” bowl invitation might afford them to beat better teams from other conferences.
Whatever they do, I suggest they get it done and not prolong this. I don’t see a concerted effort on the part of either school to systematically carry on a campaign in the media for the purpose of hurting the other. Maybe there is an article or two, with sources that can’t reveal themselves and who are supposedly close to an “inner circle”, but for the most part I believe this contention is being overhyped…even at the fan level. I hope and pray that BC fans are not collectively represented by some of these attitudes I see in blogs.
I’ve been to a lot of BC games, spoken to a lot of people and I have never felt some of the vibes displayed in these blogs. The same goes for the Uconn crowd.
I have no issue with sound business and concerns for academic standards, but sorry, a few “thugs” ,and all conferences have them, aren’t lowering any of the institutions academic standards. In reality, they are few and far in between, but as always garner the most press attention. Lately, that’s the business, but I’m not concerned or buying it. It’s not difficult to violate NCAA rules. There are many. Too many if you ask me.
My recommendation to Uconn would be to stay, work with the state on getting its own stadium and work with the Big East to find some quality football/BBall schools.
In the end, I’m still going to go to Uconn games, BC and of course, Syracuse events.
Disagree
UConn looks silly in all this. I understand not wanting to commit to the Big East, but not committing without having a soft landing spot is probably not the best business decision. It’s clear that UConn’s current lack of leadership (no AD, new prez) is hurting the school’s chances in the process.
UConn SHOULD have taken a cue from West Virginia, who at first tried to get out of town but having nowhere to go, has decided to stay and make a go of it in the Big East.
Football is clearly driving the ACC’s decision on any 15 and 16 and UConn should see the writing on the wall when a program with infinitely more success on the gridiron is turned away. Stay. Make it work, because it’s looking less and less likely that the coveted ACC invite is not coming anytime soon.
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Sep 22, 2011 7:02 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Not committing to making a go of it in the Big East also further destabilizes the conference, and signals to other Big East football schools (Louisville to SEC? Rutgers to Big Ten?) that they need to get out now.
If UConn isn’t careful, they may be left in a Big East football conference with even fewer members than it has right now, with only CUSA and the MAC as landing spots.
If the UConn leadership isn’t damn sure that they are getting an ACC invite, all this public positioning is probably not the best way to go about this all.
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Sep 22, 2011 7:07 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
...
What can the Big East possibly do to Uconn in its present state? Get rid of it? Of course we can only speculate what is going on behind the scenes, but I would almost be certain that staying in the Big East is definitely an option that is on the Uconn table. In fact, I would bet that they clearly understand that the chances of landing in the ACC are slim. Perhaps all that we see publicly is not so much a message to the ACC, but to what remains of the Big East. Maybe in this new or revised version that is to come they are vying for more “power”. It’s hard to tell. Arguably, the Big East needs Uconn as much if not more, than Uconn needs the Big East…or what’s left of it. I think this Uconn President is more crafty than people think. She has a pretty impressive resume. I don’t think she is going to hit a homerun, but I would be absolutely surprised if she hasn’t developed a realistic plan to soften this blow.
No
There are three scenarios here.
1. UConn somehow gets an ACC invite along with Rutgers (because Notre Dame isn’t happening), in the process killing Big East football. This is not likely at present.
2. UConn continues to publicly leak its frustrations with the Big East and continues to drag BC down in the process, smearing BC as the villain. Meanwhile, West Virginia, which has much more football power than UConn, grows tired of UConn’s whining and finagles an SEC invite along with Louisville. The SEC becomes 16 with Texas A&M and Missouri. Big East football dies, and UConn loses BCS access and is left with CUSA, MAC or independence as its options. With the way things are going, this is not as far fetched as it sounds.
3. UConn swallows its pride, makes a go of it in the Big East, and shows the ACC it’s willing to work with its current lot in life. The Big East stabilizes, and should a suitable 16 team come ACC calling, Swofford invites and adds UConn.
UConn has no more leverage in this thing than any other current Big East football member.
Editor, BC Interruption
I disagree
Within the Big East, if Uconn decides to stay, they have more power than the other football schools for these reasons. The Big East is more of a basketball conference, but they also can’t afford to lose football. So all the football schools remaining are more powerful, but Uconn is even more powerful because they ALSO have elite men and women’s bball programs. The last thing the Big East needs on top of all this is lose those basketball programs, especially since they just lost at the very least 2 top 25 bball progams in SU and Pitt.. If this happens…then I really don’t see them closing the flood gate and the conference is finito! I can’t believe that any of the remaining football schools have any intention, despite what we might hear, of leaving. Why? because there is no where to go…right now anyway. I have to believe that the unspoken play in all of this is to influence the conference going forward. Jim Boheim leaving created a power vacuum.
I think you said it all when you said that the school was “publicly” leaking. If their disdain for the Big East is public, then there is no reason to leak anything. I haven’t read any criticism in the media from anyone within the Big East that I haven’t heard before.
And I do agree that currently this destabilizes the BE conference, but on the flip-side it puts pressure on the BE commissioner to listen to the ransom demands..so to speak and deal quickly.
This would be risky business, but that is often the case. In any case, I think Uconn is staying. So I pick scenario 3.
West Virginia and Louisville > leverage than UConn. Period.
Sorry, but …
The Big East already has a zillion basketball programs, and some very high quality ones at that … Louisville, West Virginia, Cincinnati (football members) and Villanova, Marquette, Georgetown, Notre Dame and St. John’s (non-football members). UConn holds no more leverage over the conference, and I would argue even less leverage, than if West Virginia or Louisville walked.
Why? Because football is clearly the value driver in conference expansion and if WVU walked, Big East football dies. West Virginia generated nearly 30m on football alone last year, more than UConn generated on football and basketball combined ($14m + 7m).
West Virginia fans travel and has a rabid fan base. UConn can’t get 4k to show up to a BCS bowl game. West Virginia has an on-campus stadium while UConn plays in East Hartford in a stadium they don’t own.
The Big East would be able to replace a 12-year old UConn football program in a heartbeat and wouldn’t particularly miss the hoops in a conference that already has plenty of marquee programs.
For Louisville, its basketball program also generated more revenue last year (almost $26m) than both of UConn’s revenue sports. A profitable, solid hoops program is attractive to the SEC, which struggles with hoops, or the Big 12 if they are looking to back to 12 teams.
West Virginia and Louisville both have better other options (SEC or Big 12) than UConn, simply because a program of significant worth isn’t joining the ACC as #15 right now (paving the way for UConn at #16).
I fail to see how UConn has all this leverage in the present situation. The public begging signals the exact opposite.
Editor, BC Interruption
I'd agree if...
the current goal of the BE was indeed expansion, but it’s not. It’s goal is to preserve what they have and replacing the 2 schools they lost. If we take the BE President at his word…then none of those other football schools are going anywhere…right now. I think as soon as they (the football schools) sat down in NY and kissed the BE President ring they lost the leverage you allude to. Surely not all of it, but enough where the Bozo came out and said…he’s not in a rush. Granted that can’t be the complete truth it definitely got his asz off the immediate hot seat. I see the Big 12 guy just resigned…all because of instability like this. And this is after the PAC 12 announced they weren’t expanding anyway.
From a long time Big East fan…I don’t care how many teams the BE has, it takes a big hit when you lose certain teams. Big East basketball is…traditionally, Georgetown, Cuse, St Johns (even though they have issues) , Villanova and CT. It’s would be like the ACC losing it’s best football teams OR Duke and NC basketball. It matters. You may as well rename the conference something else because these teams make up your brand name. I’m almost certain that I wouldn’t intentionally look to watch big east basketball games, but instead watch those teams wherever they went.
And yes…football brings in more revenue, and is attractive during expansion, but the BE isn’t there. Far from it. Unlike the ACC who goes hunting for a football program first… the BE does just the opposite..they look for bball programs that have football teams. Sure…the BE will take the money, but it’s exactly this philosophy and attitude towards football that has irritated the football schools…Uconn being one of them. Why did BC leave? Why did W. Virg try and leave? Their second class citizens….despite what they bring in as far as dollars. I think the BE gets it now. I think.
In any case, I don’t think CT is leaving. And in all fairness…it was the school itself (CT) that sat around debating up until very late in the game whether they would even accept the invitation to the BCS bowl game because it wasn’t financially feasible. The money they would have spent in travel, etc was more than they were being paid to appear in the bowl game. Too many bowl games is the problem….but that’s another story. In any case…enjoyed picking your brain, but I better do some chores…maybe.
If Marinatto takes these schools for their word, then there is going to be no Big East football and he will find himself the commissioner of the east coast version of the WCC.
If he is going to focus all his energy on appeasing UConn for its superior and squeaky clean hoops programs, then he is going to watch as the Big 12 picks off two of TCU, West Virginia and Louisville (paired with Air Force) to get back to 12 members.
He’ll be left with UConn, Rutgers, Cincinnati and South Florida and will be staring down a possible football-only merger with Conference USA, the conference it pillaged in 2004 to replace Miami, Virginia Tech and BC.
Editor, BC Interruption
More to my point ...
It doesn’t matter whether or not BC has gotten over the lawsuit. A possible block of UConn by BC is consistent with:
- USF’s block of UCF to the Big East, which has been known forever ago and was confirmed by Blauds
- Kentucky’s desire to keep Louisville out of the SEC
- Florida-Georgia-South Carolina’s “Gentlemen’s Agreement” to keep Florida State, Georgia Tech and Clemson out of the SEC
This situation is no different.
UConn can continue to play the victim, drumming up all the animosity and hurt feelings stemming from BC’s 2004 divorce from the Big East, but that is all spin from the pro-UConn camp. Of course they want to (again) drag BC through the mud – they can’t get over the lawsuit, Pitt got in, this is just BC being vindictive! – paint the school as a villain so that they win sympathy points with the conference and the general populace.
Doesn’t change the fact that BC has every incentive to block this. It is a sound business decision.
In the USF-UCF situation, the rumor is that UCF is off the table as a Big East expansion candidate simply because one member in good standing (USF) protests. Miami will likely go along with BC on this, but even if UConn has the support of the 10 other presidents, the conference isn’t going to take any action that is not unanimous.
Editor, BC Interruption
The only play UConn has here is to play the hapless victim and (once again) paint BC as the bad guy. They can’t do too much finger pointing and blame Pitt and Syracuse here, nor can they take legal action (again) against Pitt, Syracuse or the ACC. Either would jeopardize any chance they have of gaining admission.
Read Thamel’s last quote again. UConn is throwing a Hail Mary by not committing to the Big East, and looks rather silly in the process.
Editor, BC Interruption
Clown shoes
If this keeps up, I wonder when a prominent UConn alum is going to demand the school take his name off the campus football complex and return his multi-million dollar donation …
Oh, wait.
Editor, BC Interruption
Interloper Here
Herbst IS a very bright lady and she gets it. UConn knows the chances of getting into the ACC anytime soon are slim. With 14 teams and a 20m break-up fee you guys can and should keep a spot open for Notre Dame until they are good and ready to make a decision. The loss of Pitt and Cuse is a significant blow to the BE and shows just how dysfunctional conference leadership is. This is a power play, UConn knows it is stuck in a diminished Big East and Herbst intends to have a significant role in rebuilding the league. Oh, and save a couple of knuckleheads on the Internet UConn fans really don’t have a problem with BC, we get it. We know we are a Basketball school and it took us a while to figure out that football was driving the bus. We just mourn the loss of our conference which had some pretty great rivalries and tradition. Tough to get excited about playing Iowa State or East Carolina.
BC needs UConn
I enjoyed this article, but as a big UConn fan, need to point out several reasons why BC DOES need UConn in the ACC. Clearly this post takes the disposition that BC doesn’t need Connecticut in its conference. Unfortunately, I believe that spin is wrong, and here’s why:
- First, BC has no geographic rival in the ACC. They need a big rival to close out each football season. Schools that are 10 or more hours drives away aren’t rivals. Don’t you want a rival?
- Second, while UConn basketball keeps racking up national titles, BC hasn’t done anything in 30 years. Don’t you guys want to be relevant? Well if so, you need to play the best, not run from them. Pitt and Syracuse are nice teams, but they’re not a Top 5 program like UConn. If you ever want BC’s struggling basketball program to become relevant, you need games against UConn. They are the kings, and you are invisible. If you want to get signature wins, and get marquee northeast recruits, you need to beat UConn. They will always remain dominant, regardless if they stay in the Big East or end up elsewhere. Right now, BC is terrible.
- Third, BC has too much travel. Let’s face it, since BC has joined the ACC, they have been forced to travel extensively to league games and it has taken its toll. The school has done nothing in any sports, and it has hurt its student-athletes because they take these long-distance flights all the time to get whipped by ACC schools. To alleviate some of the strain of travel, UConn and Rutgers make sense. Your players will welcome the shorter road trips. Just ask them.
So go ahead UConn haters, pretend you don’t need UConn. But you know you’re just lying to yourselves. Connecticut is the national champ in hoops and played in a BCS football bowl game last year. You guys have done nothing of note since joining the ACC in either basketball or football.
BC needs to welcome an accomplished rival to its league, not run from it. But then again if you do, UConn fans will understand. Nobody likes losing 22 basketball games in a row to a nearby school. or was the streak 25? I can’t remember, it was so long.
Anyway, the point is simple: UConn is a dominant sports school and BC is a laughing stock. You can man up and play them, or run away likes scared mice. Which is it going to be?
First, BC has no geographic rival in the ACC.
Syracuse. We’ve played them more than any other school in our history beside Holy Cross. Once they join, ’Cuse will be our last game of the regular season on an annual basis.
Outside of New England, we have the Holy War with ND. Within the ACC, we’ve unintentionally developed a friendly rivalry with Clemson—great fans by the way.
Second, while UConn basketball keeps racking up national titles, BC hasn’t done anything in 30 years.
1. Football is king in the ACC.
2. Skinner had a few decent seasons prior to his termination.
Third, BC has too much travel.
I can understand the argument for this on non-revenue sports but the new reality in college sports will be the emergence of mega conferences. With the recent additions of ’Cuse and Pitt, the inevitable shifting of schools will alleviate travel concerns.
So go ahead UConn haters, pretend you don’t need UConn.
We don’t need UConn. We want ND, Penn State or Texas.
Whenever this topic is broached by someone from UConn, the talk of “rivalry” is included with unfailing regularity. Truth be told, we don’t really see UConn as a rival. You have to care about the other school or have an interest in them to stake any emotional investments for true rivalries to develop. Ask 10 random BC people about their thoughts on UConn and chances are, your question will be met with indifference.
Correct
There is no rivalry. Just a lopsided basketball series (admittedly in UConn’s favor) and a dozen football games played between the two schools, of which UConn has won zero.
Further, how does adding UConn coax Notre Dame to join the ACC as #16? Notre Dame recently got out of its football contract with UConn. The only ACC adds that may entice Notre Dame are Texas, Penn State and possibly Navy. Not UConn.
You guys are really barking up the wrong tree. If you want to decrease travel costs and strike a rivalry with a local school that is more similar to UConn, UMass says hello.
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Sep 23, 2011 8:29 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
You are right
There is no rivalry when one school beats another 23 times in a row in basketball like UConn did to BC before it left for the ACC. The schools aren’t even in the same galaxy.
UConn does need the ACC for football, but frankly, playing the other ACC schools is of much more importance than BC. Miami, Va Tech, Florida State and Clemson are all of high appeal. Granted BC owns the very brief football history with UConn, but things have changed. UConn went to a Fiesta Bowl last year and you guys are the whipping boys of the ACC. Heck, BC just lost to Central Florida, Duke and Northwestern, and could end up going 0-12 this year if they don’t beat UMass.
But your geography argument doesn’t hold water. The best rivalry in the ACC is UNC and Duke. The two schools are 7 miles apart. Again, there is some gain for BC to get UConn and Rutgers in the league to shorten travel for its athletes. You can’t deny that, and act like the student-athletes are robots who don’t get tired from all the long flights.
But again, are you going to run away like scared mice, or man up and meet UConn on the basketball court? In terms of football, you obviously have nothing to lose either, because it doesn’t get much worse than 0-12 or 1-11.
Anyway, nice blog and I’m not here to tear it apart. Rather, I hopped in to point that your spin is ignoring obvious reasons where BC does have much to gain by having UConn join the ACC. Be honest, can BC sports be any worse than they are now?
In the meantime, it’s a long ways until 2014. By then, the Big Ten could be looking to jump to 16 teams, the ACC could get raided by the SEC, and more realignment is bound to happen. The Big East has 3 full years in front of it with Pitt and Syracuse, so no sense getting too worked up about this, regardless of which side of the BC / UConn fence you are on.
The schools aren’t even in the same galaxy.
That’s correct. The ACC is a Conference with regional representation along the East. Each member school boast impressive Academic profiles.
Conversely, the Big East is a hodgepodge of this and that glued up by desperate Executives in Providence.
UConn does need the ACC for football,
But the ACC doesn’t need UConn for anything. At all.
Granted BC owns the very brief football history with UConn, but things have changed.
The internet is filled with arm-chair experts with highly-subjective “analysis” on hypothetical scenarios. It’s sort of like who deciding who would win in a cat fight—Emma Watson or Carey Mulligan. Fun to think about but not grounded in reality.
People accustomed to clear-thinking rely on historical analysis for evaluation. UConn has never beaten BC.
So there you go.
UConn went to a Fiesta Bowl last year
There are people who call themselves scholars because they delivered and defended a thesis through an unaccredited on-line school based out of Nepal. They may dupe a few morons along the way but for the most part, I like to believe most people are savvy enough to know a fraudulent CV when they see one.
By the way, how much did money did your school lose in this BCS Game?
The best rivalry in the ACC is UNC and Duke.
Football trumps Basketball. The best rivalry on the Football Field is FSU vs. Miami within the ACC.
man up and meet UConn on the basketball court
BC competes against other programs with players who are Student-Athletes. I’m not convinced Calhoun uses Student-Athletes.
man up and meet UConn on the basketball court
Need to check your facts. It’s not BC that vowed to never play UConn in basketball. That would be Calhoun.
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Sep 23, 2011 11:21 AM EDT up reply actions
Haha
This post is absurdly misguided.
But what do you expect from a UConn fan?
by Eagle in Brighton on Sep 23, 2011 1:26 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Bottom line: if the ACC (or BC) needed UConn, you would have received an invite to join the conference before SU and Pitt.
End of story.
by Eagle in Brighton on Sep 23, 2011 1:28 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
From the ACC's perspective ...
… it is best to add Notre Dame and Rutgers and to ignore UConn.
Yes, UConn is an elite basketball team. But the ACC already has plenty of elite basketball teams. Since 2000, North Carolina, Duke, Maryland, Georgia Tech, and Syracuse have all made the final four (and all but GT won a championship).
Looking at history, Virginia, Wake Forest, and Florida State have all made trips to the final four (although FSU was pre-ACC). NC State stopped UCLA’s run with its 1974 national championship. With due respect to Syracuse-UConn in 2009, or even Duke-Kentucky in 1992, the “greatest game ever played” was the 1974 ACC Championship between NC State and Maryland. It is the major reason that the NCAA expanded the basketball tournament, as it featured the two best teams in the country, but only one could go to the NCAA tournament.
If the ACC wants to dominate the northeast, it has to have pull in New York City. It appears to me that Rutgers and Notre Dame are better capable of pull in NYC than UConn. In 2006, when Rutgers was very good, the Empire State Building was lit up in Rutgers scarlet. Would they ever do that for UConn?
I would absolutely love for the ACC to add Penn State, but because of the Big Ten’s “grant of rights” it’s virtually impossible. Notre Dame is not an impossibility for the ACC. It is a strong academic and athletic conference, and competes in nearly every sport that ND has (except for fencing and ice hockey).
The Big East may survive as some convoluted mess of a conference. If it does, Notre Dame has to ask itself whether it values its football independence over having all of its other sports teams in a lousy conference.
The ACC should either get ND and Rutgers or stop at 14 schools. A 14-team ACC works fine without adding UConn and Rutgers. Moving to a 16-team ACC with UConn and Rutgers just doesn’t help enough to make it worth it.
Uconn would dominate the ACC
All you BC fans better pray Uconn doesnt get into the ACC the best basketball program in the history of the best current basketball conference would very quickly make their presence known…..3 national championships in the last 13 years….has BC ever even sniffed a final four? I dont think BC has ever really been relevant since going to the ACC in any sport…..For that matter has BC ever had the same success as Uconn on a national stage???
P.S well never join the MAC we have a bunch of great non football schools to stay affiliated with (G-town, ND, Villanova) you may remember playing against them until your money hungry greed forced you out of the Big East
you may remember playing against them until your money hungry greed forced you out of the Big East
Yet UConn can’t chase those same dollars fast enough to get into the ACC … keep begging, friends.
Editor, BC Interruption
by Brian Favat on Sep 26, 2011 11:17 PM EDT up reply actions
greg1999 has explained why this Maryland fan...
…wants nothing to do with Connecticut in the ACC (their nouveau riche fan base’s bloated tone of self-entitlement). The ACC invited Pittsburgh and Syracuse because both have been legitimate big-time programs since before World War II. In contrast, 40 years ago Rutgers was an ersatz Ivy League program and Connecticut was playing Vermont (back when it fielded a football team), New Hampshire and Maine in the Yankee Conference.
Oh, and the answer to your question, “For that matter has BC ever had the same success as Uconn on a national stage?” Think of Frank Leahy. Think of Doug Flutie. If Connecticut had a similar football heritage, Randy Edsall wouldn’t currently be in College Park.
As a Terrapin fan, the only time I want UConn in the ACC is when Maryland is already in the Big Ten, not having to deal with their Huskies and their insufferable fans.
by vp19 on Sep 27, 2011 8:50 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
stop living in the past
That bloated tone of self entitilement comes from having one of the most dominate basketball teams of the last 15 years and being defending Big East champs in Football, Basketball, and Baseball. Doug Flutie!!!! that was almost 30 years ago hes been retired from the NFL for years now…..and even then BC never won a national championship. Good luck adding Syracuse to your football conference they have been bottom dwellers in the Big East for years (I think New Hampshire would be better competition at this point) and Pitt always underachieves…..knock Uconn’s football tradition all you want but we did win the conference last year and played in a BCS bowl game whens the last time Maryland won the ACC????
P.S. Good riddens to Randy Edsall he did a good job with our program but Paul Pasqualoni is a superior coach with more Big East championships than any coach in the history of the league (which I guess hell have that record all-time since your greedy conference basically destroyed our league)
P.S. Good riddens to Randy Edsall he did a good job with our program but Paul Pasqualoni is a superior coach with more Big East championships than any coach in the history of the league (which I guess hell have that record all-time since your greedy conference basically destroyed our league)
Now who’s living in the past?
Editor, BC Interruption
Its not about chasing money for Uconn fans its about playing great competition throughout the year. All Uconn fans would take back the old Big East conference that was dominant in basketball and decent in football over joining the ACC but thats never going to happen. Its not like the ACC is a huge cash cow either the PAC-12, SEC, and BIG 10 pay out much more than the ACC. Its just about unfortunately having to follow our old rivals into the ACC which will inevitably happen sooner or later. At least if Uconn were in the ACC we would represent Northern schools a bitter better than BC has over the last 8 years.
“At least if Uconn were in the ACC we would represent Northern schools a bitter better than BC has over the last 8 years.”
Let’s see …
- Embarrassing trip to program’s first-ever BCS bowl game that resulted in less than 4k fans showing up and a financial loss of $3+ million
- Hired a Big East football coaching re-tread that forced one of your program’s largest benefactors to publicly state that he wanted a refund and his name removed from the team’s practice facility
- A basketball coach that repeatedly throws assistant coaches under the bus for his own self-preservation, who has
- Had more run-ins with the NCAA’s committee on infractions that I can count … including admitting to major recruiting violations, probation, loss of scholarships and an upcoming Calhoun suspension, which
- Forced your AD to resign
Keep on doing all that great work in Storrs / East Hartford, will ya?
Editor, BC Interruption
•Embarrassing trip to program’s first-ever BCS bowl game that resulted in less than 4k fans showing up and a financial loss of $3+ million
Well we have yet to find out what kind of a following BC has to these games because they have to play in one.
•Hired a Big East football coaching re-tread that forced one of your program’s largest benefactors to publicly state that he wanted a refund and his name removed from the team’s practice facility
That benefactor was upset that Pasqualoni wouldn’t play his son at Syracuse who probably wasn’t talented enough. We don’t let boosters run our program at Uconn.
•A basketball coach that repeatedly throws assistant coaches under the bus for his own self-preservation, who has
•Had more run-ins with the NCAA’s committee on infractions that I can count … including admitting to major recruiting violations, probation, loss of scholarships and an upcoming Calhoun suspension, which
•Forced your AD to resign
You must not be able to count that high i guess we have only had one major infraction in the last 15 years on a player who never set foot on campus. Calhoun never had knowledge of an agent being involved with Nate Miles (lots of NCAA players are involved with agents) and yes there was a discrepancy between Calhoun and Jeff Hathaway, Hall of Fame 3 time National Champion coaches will always win out in that conflict.
If by keeping up all the great work you mean winning national championships in multiple sports as well as recruiting top tier talent right from under your nose (Jeff Adrien, Alex Oriakhi, Shabazz Napier etc.) we plan on doing that we are returning 4 starters from a national title winner while adding a prize recruiting class including the top recruit in the country. Has BC even won a NCAA tournament game since joining the ACC???
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