UConn to the Big East? Rumors and Discussion Thread...

[Xudash]

Institutional fit out the window...VCu is a no brainier. Big fan base, money to spend, and dedicated to basketball

This has been debated for years on this board, but ask yourself this question - which of the 10 current Big East schools would vote to add VCU?

Nova? no
Hoyas? no
PC? no
new schools - CU, XU, BU - no, no, no

If the schools don't want VCU, it's not going to happen.

Which of the 9 current fellow Big East schools would side against Xavier were Dayton's name placed on the table for consideration?

Beyond that, why all the panic all of a sudden because of a move that a highly unstable conference may make? The AAC isn't going to receive a media agreement that even comes remotely close to that of the Big East. And while the AAC as a basketball conference will improve, such a move would send the A10 into the wasteland. The A10 is damn close to being in there now, even with VD and VCU in it, but it sinks completely should those two schools exit it.

Edrick is right. Nothing has changed or would change should these moves be made. The Big East remains the ultimate destination for serious basketball schools - that are collectively wanted by the Big East.

[Bill Marsh]

Institutional fit out the window...VCu is a no brainier. Big fan base, money to spend, and dedicated to basketball

This has been debated for years on this board, but ask yourself this question - which of the 10 current Big East schools would vote to add VCU?

Nova? no
Hoyas? no
PC? no
new schools - CU, XU, BU - no, no, no

If the schools don't want VCU, it's not going to happen.

Which of the 9 current fellow Big East schools would side against Xavier were Dayton's name placed on the table for consideration?

Beyond that, why all the panic all of a sudden because of a move that a highly unstable conference may make? The AAC isn't going to receive a media agreement that even comes remotely close to that of the Big East.

The Big East isn't going to receive a media agreement that even comes remotely close to the current agreement if ratings don't improve. Money is the life blood of college sports in the 21st century. Without the Fox deal, the Big East pretty quickly becomes the A10.

The only thing that is inevitable is change. The Big East has to stay out in front of the next wave. Fox took a chance on us, but they won't do it again if we don't justify what they're paying us. We're now into our 4th year, so the wait & see posture with regard to ratings now has some mileage on it. When the biggest draw on Fox is NASCAR, there aren't a lot of crossover fans coming to watch our games from their other big feature.

I'm not as confident as you that VCU, Dayton, and Wichita State added to UConn, Temple, Cincy, Memphis, SMU, and Houston wouldn't create some buzz. The BE will need to do something to counter that. Even if it doesn't happen, the ratings need a boost. Where does it come from?

[Bill Marsh]

Institutional fit out the window...VCu is a no brainier. Big fan base, money to spend, and dedicated to basketball

This has been debated for years on this board, but ask yourself this question - which of the 10 current Big East schools would vote to add VCU?

Nova? no
Hoyas? no
PC? no
new schools - CU, XU, BU - no, no, no

If the schools don't want VCU, it's not going to happen.

Which of the 9 current fellow Big East schools would side against Xavier were Dayton's name placed on the table for consideration?

Beyond that, why all the panic all of a sudden because of a move that a highly unstable conference may make? The AAC isn't going to receive a media agreement that even comes remotely close to that of the Big East.

The Big East isn't going to receive a media agreement that even comes remotely close to the current agreement if ratings don't improve. Money is the life blood of college sports in the 21st century. Without the Fox deal, the Big East pretty quickly becomes the A10.

The only thing that is inevitable is change. The Big East has to stay out in front of the next wave. Fox took a chance on us, but they won't do it again if we don't justify what they're paying us. We're now into our 4th year, so the wait & see posture with regard to ratings now has some mileage on it. When the biggest draw on Fox is NASCAR, there aren't a lot of crossover fans coming to watch our games from their other big feature.

I'm not as confident as you that VCU, Dayton, and Wichita State added to UConn, Temple, Cincy, Memphis, SMU, and Houston wouldn't create some buzz. The BE will need to do something to counter that. Even if it doesn't happen, the ratings need a boost. Where does it come from?

[GoldenWarrior11]

I agree, Bill. I think that the Big East has definitely had the on-court success needed in order to be considered a power basketball conference, but the ratings haven't followed over to Fox as expected. While Fox is most certainly a start-up, and it takes time to gain a steady audience, I don't think we will get more money based purely on success nor entitlement. We need to have the audience to help drive that. Now, having said that, if we were on ESPN, we would absolutely have higher ratings. We took that risk in order to get more money and more flexibility and control of our league (and get away from the conference killer, ESPN).

In the end, I do think we will actually get a bump in pay because I feel that ESPN actually does want us back - and will make a competitive offer for us to return. That will end up allowing Fox to give us a slight bump to keep us. Maybe it is in the vein of adding a Dayton and SLU in order to get that to happen, especially since the Saint Louis market now does not have NFL football. You need to have competitors for your service, and the Big East will have that. That's why I think we will end up having a bump in pay.

[Bluejay]

No doubt from UConn's discussions (or unofficial talks), the American is looking at adding Dayton, Wichita State and VCU, according to Blauds.

I'm not buying this initial premise any more than I believed the Rothstein stories abut the Big East potentially adding UConn. I believe that, at most, the American will add one school simply to fill in for Navy in all sports other than football (Navy is a FB only member). If they only add one school, and it is someone like WSU, it doesn't change much at all for that conference. It certainly isn't going to get them a better TV deal, especially in the current climate.

I think it is even more likely that the AAC, like the Big 12, will end up doing nothing.

(Also, I agree with Edrick on one aspect about WSU. The administrations and presidents of Big East schools are not going to consider admitting any school with a 95% admission rate, unless a TV network puts a gun to their head. These eggheads have big egos and rightfully value the academic reputations of their institutions. Schools like Dayton or SLU will be added before a gentrified community college like WSU is added. As far as a TV network goes, they are not going to demand a conference add a school from little bitty Wichita, Kansas. Sure, a TV network might support such an addition, but they are never going to demand it because that addition will have a negligible impact on ratings.)

[Xudash]

The Big East isn't going to receive a media agreement that even comes remotely close to the current agreement if ratings don't improve. Money is the life blood of college sports in the 21st century. Without the Fox deal, the Big East pretty quickly becomes the A10.

The only thing that is inevitable is change. The Big East has to stay out in front of the next wave. Fox took a chance on us, but they won't do it again if we don't justify what they're paying us. We're now into our 4th year, so the wait & see posture with regard to ratings now has some mileage on it. When the biggest draw on Fox is NASCAR, there aren't a lot of crossover fans coming to watch our games from their other big feature.

I'm not as confident as you that VCU, Dayton, and Wichita State added to UConn, Temple, Cincy, Memphis, SMU, and Houston wouldn't create some buzz. The BE will need to do something to counter that. Even if it doesn't happen, the ratings need a boost. Where does it come from?

You made fair points and asked a fair question.

I wasn't focused on the buzz such a move may create. I was more focused on what they would be able to do in terms of securing money from a broadcaster. That line-up doesn't strike me as something that is going to attract close to the probably once-in-a-lifetime money we did.

The media model probably is going to change materially anyway for everyone in the near future. Nonetheless, assuming we continue the discussion with respect to the way things are now, the only way the ratings will receive a material boost is if we add big schools. I can't see it working out any other way. Big schools in markets we presently aren't in and that are reasonably attractive would be the goal for securing that ratings boost.

When it comes to the Big East and securing a ratings boost, then it specifically becomes about UCONN, first and foremost, notwithstanding all the stated reasons for why UCONN isn't coming to the BE.

Big schools invariably take us back to that private / public thing. That's its own problem isn't it: can we stay all-private over time if the ratings thing doesn't work itself out with the 10 of us?

[EMT]

In the current reality of cord cutting, no one is going to get a bigger contract the next time as these companies can't lose money on these rights deals. I wonder if all these coaches will take less when the $$$ dries up.

ESPN is going to sink Disney over the next 5 years unless they have great movie years.

[gosports1]

UConn will be fine. one bad season does not a program make (or destroy)

You are a wise man with rare insight.

can I quote you on that?

[gosports1]

would a move to the AAC really be beneficial to Dayton? Their needs seem to be met in the A10. The program is doing well, did well before VCU got there and IMO would continue to do well in a VCU-less A10.
As far as TV ratings for the BE. I think FOX needs to put more games on regular FOX. Offer an alternative o whatever CBS may be showing or for die hard sports fans another game to watch on the "other" tv at the local bar

[Bill Marsh]

The Big East isn't going to receive a media agreement that even comes remotely close to the current agreement if ratings don't improve. Money is the life blood of college sports in the 21st century. Without the Fox deal, the Big East pretty quickly becomes the A10.

The only thing that is inevitable is change. The Big East has to stay out in front of the next wave. Fox took a chance on us, but they won't do it again if we don't justify what they're paying us. We're now into our 4th year, so the wait & see posture with regard to ratings now has some mileage on it. When the biggest draw on Fox is NASCAR, there aren't a lot of crossover fans coming to watch our games from their other big feature.

I'm not as confident as you that VCU, Dayton, and Wichita State added to UConn, Temple, Cincy, Memphis, SMU, and Houston wouldn't create some buzz. The BE will need to do something to counter that. Even if it doesn't happen, the ratings need a boost. Where does it come from?

You made fair points and asked a fair question.

I wasn't focused on the buzz such a move may create. I was more focused on what they would be able to do in terms of securing money from a broadcaster. That line-up doesn't strike me as something that is going to attract close to the probably once-in-a-lifetime money we did.

The media model probably is going to change materially anyway for everyone in the near future. Nonetheless, assuming we continue the discussion with respect to the way things are now, the only way the ratings will receive a material boost is if we add big schools. I can't see it working out any other way. Big schools in markets we presently aren't in and that are reasonably attractive would be the goal for securing that ratings boost.

When it comes to the Big East and securing a ratings boost, then it specifically becomes about UCONN, first and foremost, notwithstanding all the stated reasons for why UCONN isn't coming to the BE.

Big schools invariably take us back to that private / public thing. That's its own problem isn't it: can we stay all-private over time if the ratings thing doesn't work itself out with the 10 of us?

Very good point about the media model changing.

VCU is a big school.