AAC and UConn Denial

[gtmoBlue]

The footballers ran, no sprinted towards perceived greener pastures in other conferences. The C7 broke ranks with the remainder (and newcomers) in order to save BE basketball. Why all the interest in helping those who left.

We are entering year 3...already seen S'cuse and others scheduling "old rivalry week" in order to keep a toe in NE recruiting grounds. Now we want to assist UConn? Why? BE teams can get profile H&H's without resorting to "helping" teams that abandoned the BE, as well as teams (UConn) who would have abandoned the conference - but nobody called them.

UConn has interest in keeping a recruiting presence in the area, so games against BE teams help that mission. UConn has no interest in returning to the BE - and the Sentiment should be mutual from the league office. As stated above by others they are trending down in the post Calhoun-cheat era. Those hoping for their return should transfer that hope to a middling ND, as given their situation, it is about the same as UConn returning.

It seems many here want to aid and abet those who left for football monies. Seems like misplaced affections?
As a new guy - I just don't get it.

[ChelseaFriar]

PC UConn should have a series home and home. After BC of all the temas that were once in the BE UConn makes the most sense for PC to play. I think it also makes sense for UConn to play PC as well. UConn should be scheduling STJ and PC at minimum/
Im not going to speculate on UConn thinking they are above PC. We do share a conference in more than one sport currently. i think once things settle UConn PC will be back on table

Pretty sure it's not speculation. Cooley has an open invitation to them for a series, and he went public saying UConn didn't want it if it was a home/away series (i.e. UConn thought they could command just a visit to Storrs on a given year). Cooley said he will only do it with a true home/away series or perhaps a neutral site like Mohegan Sun. He will not simply visit UConn for a game with nothing in return.

They currently have series with Texas, Ohio State, Georgetown, etc. They are working on a series with Villanova. Sound like speculation to you?

Go read the boneyard. Most UConn fans feel the same way: we are not a national program so don't deserve a home/away with them. They were also pissed when Cooley went public to let people know that UConn turned him down.

Edit: Perhaps "thinking they are above PC" is strong, but the bottom line is that they see many better options for series.

[stever20]

lol at fools who think the Big East can keep teams from getting games in the NE area. Just isn't going to happen.... St John's can not keep UConn out of the NYC area.....
UConn played this year @ MSG vs Maryland.
Last year they played @ East Rutherford vs Duke
2 years ago they played 2 @ MSG and a game @ Barclay's Center

Pitt, Syracuse, WVU all played games @ MSG this year outside Big East games.

Sorry- but like for Georgetown, a game with Syracuse draws better than any OOC game we could get. It would be called spiting the face by cutting off the nose.

[gosports1]

PC UConn should have a series home and home. After BC of all the temas that were once in the BE UConn makes the most sense for PC to play. I think it also makes sense for UConn to play PC as well. UConn should be scheduling STJ and PC at minimum/
Im not going to speculate on UConn thinking they are above PC. We do share a conference in more than one sport currently. i think once things settle UConn PC will be back on table

Pretty sure it's not speculation. Cooley has an open invitation to them for a series, and he went public saying UConn didn't want it if it was a home/away series (i.e. UConn thought they could command just a visit to Storrs on a given year). Cooley said he will only do it with a true home/away series or perhaps a neutral site like Mohegan Sun. He will not simply visit UConn for a game with nothing in return.

They currently have series with Texas, Ohio State, Georgetown, etc. They are working on a series with Villanova. Sound like speculation to you?

Go read the boneyard. Most UConn fans feel the same way: we are not a national program so don't deserve a home/away with them. They were also pissed when Cooley went public to let people know that UConn turned him down.

Edit: Perhaps "thinking they are above PC" is strong, but the bottom line is that they see many better options for series.

I didnt know Cooley went public. I get the desire to play schools like Texas and Ohio St. they need to do something to make up for most of their conference schedule. We dont really need them i just think it makes sense to play them given their location
If Cooley keeps doing what hes been doing we can tell UConn thanks but no thanks. Unless of course its a one way visit to the Dunk!

[redmen9194]

UConn is already looking for a series with St. John's. UConn does not fill the Garden like it once did. Maryland had more fans at the Garden than UConn. I would not mind a home and home with them for the Johnnies.

[stever20]

UConn is already looking for a series with St. John's. UConn does not fill the Garden like it once did. Maryland had more fans at the Garden than UConn. I would not mind a home and home with them for the Johnnies.

It makes sense for St John's. Not keeping them out of MSG anyways, so why not benefit yourself from them?

[GoldenWarrior11]

I guess having home games against the like of Tulane, East Carolina, UCF, Tulsa, USF, Houston and SMU isn't quite packing the same punch as Georgetown, Villanova, Providence, St. Johns and Marquette (not to mention Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Notre Dame and West Virginia).

Put me down for the "shocked" column.

[ecasadoSBU]

I'm a Connecticut fan and while the UConn fans at the-boneyard are out of touch with reality I think Big East fans and Friar fans especially need to realize that it's easy to get pissed off when fans from other boards come to your in-house board to talk about another league or another team. I always defend Big East when there is a need at the-Boneyard but FriarJ and a few P.C are to pushy to get recognition.

Just let time run its course. Success will be the one to speak for itself.

[GoldenWarrior11]

UConn fans aren't upset that people come to their board(s) - they are upset that those visitors who negatively speak about UConn's P5 chances may, in fact, be right - and that scares a lot fans/alumni. UConn was the biggest loser in realignment, that's an undeniable fact. They were a founding member of the Big East, and, while all of their conference mates found newer/better homes in the B1G, Big 12, and ACC, they were regulated to a 2013 version of Conference USA.

If another wave of realignment hits, and UConn is left out yet again, I'm not sure what the future holds for UConn athletics. No way is it sustainable to be in a conference long-term with the likes of East Carolina, UCF, USF, Memphis, Tulane, Tulsa, Houston, SMU, Temple and Cincinnati. For each year they remain in a conference with those schools, the recognition and prestige goes down for them (and closer to those weaker basketball programs). There is only so much a school like UConn can do to elevate those other programs in basketball. Tulane, East Carolina, UCF and USF will never be competitive in basketball. Once Larry Brown retires/leaves SMU, they, too, will go back down to being a weak program. That's nearly 50% of a conference that could care less about basketball. Couple that with fact that the AAC is now fighting for superiority over the A-10 over regular tournament bids, the AAC is looking like a mid-major in not just football, but basketball as well.

If UConn was playing poker in realignment, they would be going all in with a two-pair - not exactly the type of gamble that brings heavy rewards.

[SJHooper]

UConn is like a penthouse that used to be on Central Park West next to all the other multimillionaires (for those of you not in NYC area, that's a rich street in Manhattan). Now, they are like a penthouse in a ghetto neighborhood. And cracks are starting to form. The Big East is differentiated between OBE and NBE so much, but what about UConn? UConn pre breakup with Calhoun players is Old UConn and after they won the last championship with Calhoun's players, they have been New UConn. This is what's so difficult for their fans to admit. You are playing with freaking TULANE, EAST CAROLINA, HOUSTON, TULSA, SMU (totally irrelevant after Brown leaves), USF, etc. These teams are afterthoughts in terms of basketball brand. Complete afterthoughts.

UConn helped make the Big East. Yes. A lot. But guess what? It goes both ways. The Big East MADE UConn. Ever since they left and ever since Calhoun left and his players left, UConn has never been the same. Same with Syracuse and Boeheim retires soon. These programs got so big and puffed their chests out so much that they thought they were bigger than the Big East. Funny how 95% of the time teams that were good in the BE fall flat on their face after leaving. UConn's presence has slowly been fading in the national basketball scene and will continue to as long as they remain in the AAC.

This is what happens when you try to be something you're not: a national football power. UConn and football just do not mix. For those who don't live in the Northeast, college football is totally irrelevant except for maybe the college playoff. If anyone follows teams, they are front runners who root for teams like Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame, etc. You have a better chance of hitting the powerball than finding a UConn football fan. So UConn deserved everything they got. They wanted to be something they weren't and they are being exposed before our eyes. If UConn stuck to what they excelled in and had a huge reputation for (basketball), they would be in the Big East probably as a top 10 team right now. Their RPI is getting demolished every year they are in the AAC. That's what happens in mid major conferences. Seeing how hostile the UConn fans are, I'm so glad St. John's smacked them around the last 2 times we played them (at MSG and in Storrs by the way).

I used to want UConn to join us again, but you know what? They are self-entitled and they reaped what they sow. No need to rescue them. Keep them away from NYC. And Stever...you act like them not being in the Big East has not had any negative impact on their NYC hype. It has had a huge negative impact. They go from regularly playing at MSG to rarely playing at MSG. No one cares about the Barclays. MSG is what moves the needle. Let UConn rot and we can eat our popcorn watching it. Every year they are further removed from the Calhoun/Big East era, potential recruits will care less about the rings and more about the terrible AAC and not having every game nationally televised. UConn may very well end up being in a documentary as the biggest collapse for a basketball program ever. I can see it now "UConn went from being among the elite basketball brands in America winning several championships in a few years to relative irrelevance the next 15 years". And by the way, the tournament is a crap shoot and UConn hit the lotto what 4x? The only reason UConn can still recruit well is because that era was just a few years ago. But once time goes by and they see the clear difference between Big East UConn and AAC UConn, they will have second thoughts.