What New York market? It's a long drive between Storrs and whatever football stadium is in NYC? There's zero interest from New Yorkers in UCONN football. Zero. Maybe Boston market...but not here.
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- Thread starter fordham96
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Johnnies317
Well-known member
UConn will eventually leave so if it’s 2026 then so be it. I just hope the conference is really looking closely at what the BE needs to do to stay competitive in the mid and long term. It’s fascinating to see how this all plays out but for now I’ll enjoy these next few years and hope we can maintain relevance on the national stage in the long term even with the growing financial disparity.
Situations like UConn consistently lobbying to get into a power conference is just an example of how broken college sports currently is. Money literally drives everything. And especially with NIL, revenue sharing, free transfers and of course constant realignment, college sports has little resemblance to what once existed.
Several of you are not getting the concept of what the Big 12 and the New York Market means. It has nothing to do with football and the NY Market, it has everything to do with basketball and potential eyeballs of the NY Market. The fact that UConn has a football program fits in with the Big 12 and all members would continue to have that in common.
The eyeballs come from as Fan Since 65 days the huge market share of the metropolitan area. It is the main reason Rutgers is in the Big Ten (it made the Big Ten Network much more valuable). The eyeballs will be on the basketball programs and makes their media rights more attractive and whatever little the other programs bring is a bonus.
With revenue sharing and scholarships in most (not all) going up (combined with roster size) it might be more beneficial for UCONN to go elsewhere. That is what they have to figure out. It is all about the Benjamin’s and what they need to do to sustain.
Some will say the Storrs Connecticut is not in the Metropolitan area and I would agree however the fan base extends from Storrs and includes areas in Connecticut that are considered within the greater Metropolitan area.
The eyeballs come from as Fan Since 65 days the huge market share of the metropolitan area. It is the main reason Rutgers is in the Big Ten (it made the Big Ten Network much more valuable). The eyeballs will be on the basketball programs and makes their media rights more attractive and whatever little the other programs bring is a bonus.
With revenue sharing and scholarships in most (not all) going up (combined with roster size) it might be more beneficial for UCONN to go elsewhere. That is what they have to figure out. It is all about the Benjamin’s and what they need to do to sustain.
Some will say the Storrs Connecticut is not in the Metropolitan area and I would agree however the fan base extends from Storrs and includes areas in Connecticut that are considered within the greater Metropolitan area.
tom in salem
Well-known member
The Boston market interest, the little there is, goes to BC.
Again the football aspect is a small portion of the equation as it fits in terms of UConn have a football program like the other schools. It is the two very marketable (especially Men’s) basketball programs and the media market (metropolitan area) that they would bring. Yormak wants to have the best football and basketball conferences and while UConn will not help the former, it will definitely help the later.
While playing a Big 12 football schedule, Arizona does have the potential to play in Provo, Utah; Salt Lake City, Utah; Cincinnati, Ohio; Boulder, Colorado; Ames, Iowa, Morgantown, West Virginia; Manhattan, Kansas; Lawrence, Kansas and; Stillwater, Oklahoma, all locales where snow has been known to fall to various degrees. I am not sure how much snow those locales get during a typical Big 12 season (late August till the end of November with a championship game in December).
tom in salem
Well-known member
It's at most 1 trip every other year. They can handle it.
UConn is relevant in NYC? Right now, off of two NCs they are relevant everywhere, sure. But when they were in the AAC who in NY even knew, or cared, when they were playing a basketball game? And if any conference thinks that UConn is going to move the needle for football? Please.
They have had enough success in basketball to be a national program, and if that intrigues the B12 good for them. But the idea of anyone in NY caring about any UConn B12 game other than Kansas (another national name) is very hard for me to envision. Let them go (fingers crossed!) and we can see.
They have had enough success in basketball to be a national program, and if that intrigues the B12 good for them. But the idea of anyone in NY caring about any UConn B12 game other than Kansas (another national name) is very hard for me to envision. Let them go (fingers crossed!) and we can see.
I am not in the room when any contracts are negotiated so I will not attempt to guess how much UConn being back in the Big East helped member schools financially. I do know that it is a complete myth that it helped the schools in regard to basketball success. There are facts and they show that only one basketball program prospered by the move, and that school is located in Storrs.
In their six years in the AAC UConn won an NCAA tournament (year one) and then only made one more tournament. They had two losing seasons, two with Hurley, and think about the schedule. Mike Anderson had more success. Since the move back there was the covid year and then they made the tournament all four years with two National Championships.
On the other hand, when UConn was not in the BE the league sent 53 percent of the ten members to the NCAA tournament. Since UConn returned that percentage has plummeted to 35 percent for those ten.
I get why they are leaving, if they do, and have already opined that the deck keeps getting stacked against non-State schools. They were brought in for short term money and money drives this all. Other than cash (big deal, get it) they made things worse for everyone else.
In their six years in the AAC UConn won an NCAA tournament (year one) and then only made one more tournament. They had two losing seasons, two with Hurley, and think about the schedule. Mike Anderson had more success. Since the move back there was the covid year and then they made the tournament all four years with two National Championships.
On the other hand, when UConn was not in the BE the league sent 53 percent of the ten members to the NCAA tournament. Since UConn returned that percentage has plummeted to 35 percent for those ten.
I get why they are leaving, if they do, and have already opined that the deck keeps getting stacked against non-State schools. They were brought in for short term money and money drives this all. Other than cash (big deal, get it) they made things worse for everyone else.
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Analysis: Big 12 must ask not only why UConn, but why now as Yormark remains open for business
As Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark steps up discussions in the conference about adding UConn, the question isn’t so much why add the Huskies as why add them now
abcnews.go.com
"Still, Yormark is convinced college basketball is undervalued. Supercharging already excellent Big 12 basketball with UConn is part of a strategy to unlock that value in the next round of media rights deals."
If Yormark does try to split the basketball and football TV contracts, UConn can definitely really help the basketball contract as a blue blood. Who knows where some of their top tier schools will be in seven years (Baylor, Iowa State) but Kansas and UConn is a solid one-two blue blood punch for a great deal.
I was hoping for a Fox / ESPN Big East TV package for this exact reason. ESPN is willing to pay to bring the Big East's biggest brand to the Big 12, but I doubt they'd be pushing for it if they owned partial rights to the Big East.
I don't like anything about this, but can't fault UConn for making the move if they're offered. Their fans will likely suffer, I expect their basketball to take a step backwards and football to remain irrelevant, but this is a business and it'd be a no-brainer move.
If it happens the Big East will be fine, but in the era of mega conferences I think we'd need to seriously consider adding several teams (including Gonzaga). If the other 4 Power conferences have far more inventory/bids AND bigger brands, the Big East may start to fade some.
I don't like anything about this, but can't fault UConn for making the move if they're offered. Their fans will likely suffer, I expect their basketball to take a step backwards and football to remain irrelevant, but this is a business and it'd be a no-brainer move.
If it happens the Big East will be fine, but in the era of mega conferences I think we'd need to seriously consider adding several teams (including Gonzaga). If the other 4 Power conferences have far more inventory/bids AND bigger brands, the Big East may start to fade some.
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RedStormRising
Well-known member
Big 12 presidents pitched on potential UConn addition, but lack of consensus likely to prolong decision
CBS Sports verified that six Big 12 schools are in favor of adding the Huskies if a vote were taken today
www.cbssports.com
this is a good article that points out while UConn would love to go to the Big 12, the Big 12 might not see any financial benefit from adding UConn even if they agree to no football income for 7 years+. Also an interesting 2 lines about revenue sharing, which deserves its own article.
Spocky Ramone
Well-known member
I have a feeling that in a few years there will be 3 conferences… B10, SEC, and the B12 playing the role of Conference USA or the AAC, clearly 2nd division in football. I am not convinced Yuckon football will ever rise up high enough for second tier consideration.
Here's the thing about Uconn basketball. They are not guaranteed to be good forever. Especially if Hurley bolts for the NBA soon. They had a Hall of Fame coach in Calhoun, and now seemingly another coaching great in Hurley. But remember when Ollie was coach? Aside from the title in the first year with Calhoun's players, they were not good. And I don't blame it solely on being in the AAC.
Making a good coaching hire matters, and their luck will run out eventually. Sort of like how St John's has made terrible coaching hires for decades before luck finally turned with Pitino.
Making a good coaching hire matters, and their luck will run out eventually. Sort of like how St John's has made terrible coaching hires for decades before luck finally turned with Pitino.
Fox being against this (at this time) is hugeBig 12 presidents pitched on potential UConn addition, but lack of consensus likely to prolong decision
CBS Sports verified that six Big 12 schools are in favor of adding the Huskies if a vote were taken today
this is a good article that points out while UConn would love to go to the Big 12, the Big 12 might not see any financial benefit from adding UConn even if they agree to no football income for 7 years+. Also an interesting 2 lines about revenue sharing, which deserves its own article.
Mike Zaun Returns
Well-known member
Saw tweet saying if UConn leaves the TV deal will be less. Not sure if true.
Mullins Revenge
Well-known member
Uconn isnt going anywhere. They belong in the big east. Hurley is the face of the big east.
They are going to continuing winning nattys and it will be Hurley and Wooden at the top when its all said and done.
They are going to continuing winning nattys and it will be Hurley and Wooden at the top when its all said and done.
That all may turn out to be true. But if it happens, it will be in part because thru we're not wanted by B12.