UCONN back to Big East?

[quote="Mike Zaun" post=352746]Don't see how anyone can dislike this move unless it's strictly based on their emotion. We all hate UConn...but again this is a business. Why are we assuming it will be "harder" to make the tourney now? If UConn is ranked on the reg again, that's 2 more chances we can beat a ranked team. The chances have decreased considerably in conference post realignment. I see it as, they will have a target on their back, not vice versa. We beat them the last game we played them in 2013...they are beatable. This guarantees sellouts at UConn and at MSG for our games. It also guarantees a TON more BET tickets sold and much more exposure. I can see Dan Hurley flipping out already on the sidelines after a big fast break dunk by one of our future players ;).[/quote]



Totally agree Mike. UCONN would add a lot to the Conference. We have been competitive with them in the past and can be again. All St. Johns needs to do is recruit and play well. I have confidence that Coach Anderson can return our program to the top of the Big East..

As far as football, it has been proven that their program is a mess. I don't see that changing anytime soon. I agree with those who say a large buyout should be a part of their returning to the Big East.

To be the best, you have to play and beat the best. I agree with all the negative feelings about UCONN, but there comes a time when you have to do what is best for the conference. Their Women's basketball team may help other Big East Women's programs, because a lot of players want to face the best.

When we remove emotion from the equation, hopefully we can agree that adding UCONN will raise the profile of the Big East.

The best way to say Pluck UCONN is to let them come back and then kick their ASS on the court.
 
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[quote="Moose" post=352785]I thought Val said everything was fine and there was no need for expansion............[/quote]

Val also said Mike Stephens blew his whistle due to a clock malfunction.
 
can't see UCONN becoming more attractive to a Power conference, as their football program will continue to decline, especially with a tenuous conference affiliation. Good players want to compete in good conferences. If their football program remains in AA as their only sport, it will be difficult to establish any meaningful rivalries.
 
I waited and waited to post. I wanted to make certain my words were not pressured by my prejudiced sports hate for uconn. After all, I do not want to be seen as a bombastic fool (insert wisecrack here) on the internet, a place where reasoned thought always prevails.

But, nothing changed. This idea stinks. And it has absolutely zero to do with uconn basketball, and a little to do with football.

The big white huskie in the room, is that they are a state school. They have a built in financial advantage. They are not required to rely solely on wealthy alumni, because they have access to tax dollars.

And even if the state of CT is broke, and its residents already, taxed through the nose, a state university's basketball or football program does not suffer significant cuts in funding.

The state spent money on a football stadium, with a return investment of consistently losing seasons, in a crap conference. How can SJU compete with that? We were worried about paying for Anderson's assistant coaches because of paying Mullin's remaining contract.

If this happens, and I sure hope for a last second Mike Jarvis - Michael Jordan negtiation implosion, SJU will rue the day. We are doing them a favor, because uconn needs the BE, much more than the other way around. Their attendance, record, and ratings are suffering.

They left for greener pastures, their fans laughed at our private, basketball schools conference that the BE scrambled to put together. And guess what, it has surpassed the AAC.

I would rather add schools like St. Louis or Dayton added, who share our ideals.

As said numerous times, this is just Ackerman's ego taking center stage. She wants this on her resume' so she can sit back and watch ESPN fawn over her management and negotiation skills. Heck, she could even parlay that into a bigger gig.

So hell no to uconn. And yes, if you managed to read this far, I apologize for my bombastic post.
 
some main reasons mentioned why bringing in UCANT is great for BE.
1. garden attendance will skyrocket
2. the women's basketball programs for BE schools will improve
3. the buyout money is there & guaranteed.
4 UCANT has found God & will never bolt.
5. UCANT basketball will improve the quality of all BE mens basketball programs.
1. the 2018 BET average attendance - 18790 - beat the average attendance of all power 5 conference tourneys.
so this will get the BE another few hundred tickets sold.
2. I have never attended an SJU women's game nor can I name a player on their roster.
so for those hundreds of fans, lets get UCANT girls.
I can name a few others on other SJU sports teams.
3. if SJU's contract writing lawyers handle the byeout terms, then the BE will never see a penny when UCANT bolts.
4. based on their fans civility and past UCANT actions. storrs seems Godless.
5. would not many other schools admittance to the BE improve the BE? Gonzaga, St. louis, Dayton, etc..,
 
[quote="section10" post=352839]some main reasons mentioned why bringing in UCANT is great for BE.
1. garden attendance will skyrocket
2. the women's basketball programs for BE schools will improve
3. the buyout money is there & guaranteed.
4 UCANT has found God & will never bolt.
5. UCANT basketball will improve the quality of all BE mens basketball programs.

1. the 2018 BET average attendance - 18790 - beat the average attendance of all power 5 conference tourneys.
so this will get the BE another few hundred tickets sold.
2. I have never attended an SJU women's game nor can I name a player on their roster.
so for those hundreds of fans, lets get UCANT girls.
I can name a few others on other SJU sports teams.
3. if SJU's contract writing lawyers handle the byeout terms, then the BE will never see a penny when UCANT bolts.
4. based on their fans civility and past UCANT actions. storrs seems Godless.
5. would not many other schools admittance to the BE improve the BE? Gonzaga, St. louis, Dayton, etc..,[/quote]

1. Why do we care if Garden attendance skyrockets?
2. The woman's programs won't improve...that's a stretch. It's more beatdowns instead.
3. Buyout? If that's an option, it's a joke.
4. They've found God and won't bolt. No one can guarantee they won't bolt...thus the "buyout".
5. If UCONN improves the quality of the league it's because they play with unlimited state money whereas the private schools have much less.
 
My prediction. Being back in the BE, UCONN will return to elite status. The level of competition, playing at the Garden, increased local media coverage; will all contribute to better recruitment. And then, once back in elite status, they will try to bolt from the BE and get into the ACC or Big 10. Probably for the 25-26 season.

I also hope Val has them paying an enormous entry fee and signed up for a huge exit fee.
 
The problem admitting Conn to the big east is that leaves Conn with millions of dollars invested in its football program with nothing to show for it. They will benefit much more than SJU and the other big east teams because their schedule gets much better.
Right now it seems very unlikely that a major football conference would want them but at some point there will be changes in the college football world and with their stadium and northeast location that could change.
I would hope Ackerman would demand payment up front because. Conn will never pay a penalty for leaving the big east but she is adamant about admitting them because they will benefit the big east initially and increase her chances of getting a better job that she will settle for the leaving penalty provision.
 
[quote="Enright" post=352844]The problem admitting Conn to the big east is that leaves Conn with millions of dollars invested in its football program with nothing to show for it. They will benefit much more than SJU and the other big east teams because their schedule gets much better.
Right now it seems very unlikely that a major football conference would want them but at some point there will be changes in the college football world and with their stadium and northeast location that could change.
I would hope Ackerman would demand payment up front because. Conn will never pay a penalty for leaving the big east but she is adamant about admitting them because they will benefit the big east initially and increase her chances of getting a better job that she will settle for the leaving penalty provision.[/quote]

I doubt Ackerman will be a fierce negotiator on this one. Wonder if Cragg is in accord with her position. Gut says yes. You don’t get this far, considering specificity of info leaked, without achieving consensus. I would guess this topic was front & center at recent BE AD meeting.
 
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UConn was a state school in the 80s and they stunk mightily.
Then they hired the greatest coach the conference would ever know and they became the best program the conference would ever know.
 
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I have mixed feelings about the UCONN situation. I understand everyone’s anger at UCONN and I get that there fans are not the most civil. I am really not that concerned that they join the conference and bolt though. If they do then we are in the same place as we were before. I am not sure what they plan to do with their football program but I can’t imagine there are a lot of boosters for it. If they have to go Independent then they will be like UMASS which is not getting them into a power five conference. We shall see.
 
IMO it's as close to a win-win situation as you can get.

Issue #1: "What if they bolt?"

Then they bolt and we are in the same position as before. Not worse. It's not like anyone else would be poached.

Issue #2: "But they will take it to court and won't pay full exit fee"

So, they bolt and even in this scenario, they just give us a lot of cash even if most not all and we are in same place we were before.

Issue #3: "They will hurt our recruiting"

They have and will continue to get guys we targeted. That never changed and won't now. They will get guys from our area in the AAC or BE so it's going to happen either way.

Issue #4: "Now our home games will feel like away games"

Last year we had great attendance...it's all on us...if we show up as we did last year it will be at worst 50/50 but probably more SJ fans. Attendance is not up to them, it's up to us.

Issue #5: "They have a financial advantage"

Did that help them in the AAC? Tulsa didn't have any trouble with them. They were just better.



Bottom line, if they somehow by some miracle make it into the ACC, we get a ton of money and their football continues to rot. There is zero recruiting and zero interest in college football in CT and the rest of the tri-state. The much more likely scenario IMO is they stay with us, keep trying to get football to be top notch, and keep falling flat on their face. We kept hearing how "crazy" it was to even consider them returning because of football, well lookie here...they're back. They are bleeding money and their football is atrocious. Highly doubt they ever get into ACC with their football, but even if they did, they'd be completely irrelevant as a bottom feeder. UConn will be good in the BE but I don't expect them to be top 10...maybe top 15-25 or so. They won't be unbeatable like they were with Calhoun. Hurley is a good coach, but doubt he gets them back to that point. They will be beatable even in good years IMO. We beat Nova the past few years including when they were #1. Are they going to be better than Nova? This isn't 2011...it's 2019. Calhoun's gone.
 
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This is a terrible idea, but it's happening.
It's the equivalent of bringing the Trojan Horse inside the Gates.
Zagoria reports that Area HS coaches are predicting this will be a 'game changer' for UCONN recruiting, enhanced further by the Hurley label in the NY - Jersey Metro area.
Zagoria opines this will enhance Hurley's shot to get Jabri Abdur-Rahim away from the likes of Virginia, Michigan and Louisville.
It changes the conversation in UCONN's favor for top Northeast recruits according to these pundits.
The best that'll happen is that UCONN will dominate the league and leave in 5 years, not stay and dominate NY Metro recruiting for 20+ years.
But it is happening.
At least this time, we have an AD and an HC who will battle for relevance and compete.
At least this time, we have that.
Here we go...
 
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UConn basketball being good again doesn't make their football any better. Their football is FCS level playing in the FBS which is why they are routinely run out of the building of other teams. Stony Brook almost beat them. Moving to the BE doesn't put their football in any better position...only worse IMO. They aren't going anywhere. Houston, Cincy, Memphis, etc. would go before them anyway IF anything opened up. But it hasn't.

By the way, some rumblings on the Boneyard board that Gonzaga may be next and we'd have 6 West teams and 6 East. Would be amazing if true.
 
Andy Katz

[attachment=965]66DF4B0A-B6A3-4C95-9F90-2470A714526F.jpeg[/attachment]
 
Putting aside the basketball of it all, this means more money for us and league:

One more game at the garden with close to if not sold out games...

Another perennial Tourney team, which means money for league/teams...

Better ratings for FOX which translate to more money for league...

If UCONN bolts in a few years, sure BE has a big exit fee, which means more money for league...

Overall This is good. Puts more pressure on SJU to make us consistently good. We need to take a big leap rather quickly. Think CMA and Cragg can get us there.
 
I see very little upside for SJU. All the positives fall to Yukon with exposure and MSG access. They want in the BE, let them fork over some bucks so we can improve CA and facilities.
 
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Our 10 team Big East proved we can have the #1 attended conference tournament at MSG, win 2 national titles, send 7 teams to the Dance, set up conference rivalries with the B1G/Big XII, etc... all in a very short time period WITHOUT UConn. If UConn bolts (doubtful since their football will tank even further), then we go back to present day where we're already elite.

We will earn more money with UConn's addition, through a new TV deal, our annual MSG game, and even stuff like more Tournament credits. Also, they will bring a lot more respect to the conference.

Anybody who dislikes this can't complain about how Nova is the only team to advance to the Final Four in the new Big East. We just added a team that won the National Championship during year 1 of the new Big East. Can't do any better than that.
 
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[quote="Adam" post=352864]Our 10 team Big East proved we can have the #1 attended conference tournament at MSG, win 2 national titles, send 7 teams to the Dance, set up conference rivalries with the B1G/Big XII, etc... all in a very short time period WITHOUT UConn. If UConn bolts (doubtful since their football will tank even further), then we go back to present day where we're already elite.

We will earn more money with UConn's addition, through a new TV deal, our annual MSG game, and even stuff like more Tournament credits. Also, they will bring a lot more respect to the conference.

Anybody who dislikes this can't complain about how Nova is the only team to advance to the Final Four in the new Big East. We just added a team that won the National Championship during year 1 of the new Big East. Can't do any better than that.[/quote]

C’mon dude. We’ve been a one team league.

Take Nova away and we’re a step above mid-major.

First decade of original BE there was success across the board: St. John’s, Gtown, Nova, Syracuse, Providence and Seton Hall all made the FF.

Haven’t come anywhere
close to that parity.
 
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