Report: Uconn leaving for Big East

[Friscobull]

59 minutes ago, Grateful Dad said:

That feeling when you make a stand, believe in your idea, fight, threaten, cajole, make the bold move and finally forge it into a reality and then, in a very public way, it craps the bed.

It is devastating when it happens to you however many times pleasurable seeing the misery in others and their bed is full of shat.  The timing is unique, they knew it was coming down and jumped ship to their new/old conference in attempt to save the BB team, jettisoned their football team in the process, I hope they continue to take on water.

[Basketball Jones]

1 hour ago, Grateful Dad said:

UCONN's troubles never end

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/ncaa-hits-former-uconn-coach-kevin-ollie-with-three-year-show-cause-penalty-huskies-avoid-major-sanctions/

Meh, Ollie got the strongest sanctions.

Connecticut is penalized one less official visit this year and one less official visit next year. My goodness. How WILL they ever recover?  Very few basketball programs use all of their allotted officials.

Two years probation is nothing as long as they don't violate rules during the probationary period. Since they hired outside of the Jim Calhoun coaching tree that probably will not be an issue. 

[Guest Jonesy Bull]

14 hours ago, Basketball Jones said:

Meh, Ollie got the strongest sanctions.

Connecticut is penalized one less official visit this year and one less official visit next year. My goodness. How WILL they ever recover?  Very few basketball programs use all of their allotted officials.

Two years probation is nothing as long as they don't violate rules during the probationary period. Since they hired outside of the Jim Calhoun coaching tree that probably will not be an issue. 

Who really cares....Bye Bye UConn, nice knowing you.  Now get out!

[cophbulls]

On 6/23/2019 at 10:23 AM, Triple B said:

Taking the time to go thru all that and no mention of UConn's having actually played in a NY6 bowl?? ...... Weak.

It was all sarcasm my friend, all in jest. It seems to me we spend alot of time talking about USF deserving this and that, like we are owed something. I'm not buying that. We havent won in CUSA, BE or AAC, we are just as much "trash" as FAU or App St . That was me point. 

[granger87]

On 6/22/2019 at 4:09 PM, NewEnglandBull said:

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this idea...unfortunately our  commissioner  does not have the skills to pull this off.  

In the interviews the commissioner has clarified that his role is as a broker, negotiator and adviser when it comes to adding schools.  He is in the upper chain of command, but he reports to the conference members and ESPN.  So it seems he is not the Commander in Chief or a member of the cabinet, but something more like the 5 star general or head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or a theater commander like Eisenhower was in WW2.  The point being:  He takes his orders from higher authorities, and represents the AAC in its dealings with ESPN, as Ike did with Churchill.

It's doubtful that Tulane and Tulsa would be jettisoned, at least until the 10 year media contract expires.  Those two schools could sue for breach of contract and financial damages to their future bottom lines, and it would piss a lot of people off.

More importantly, even if 9 AAC members were to bail on the current arrangement and pay their $90 million to those two schools, they wouldn't be operating independently, because ESPN has invested a billion dollars in the conference, and they might not agree to losing two sizable media markets in NOLA and Oklahoma (biggest cities Tulsa and OK City only 2-3 hours apart).

Denver, Salt Lake City, and San Diego have similar market sizes, which would help, but Denver's market would be split in half by AFA and CO State.  Boise doesn't, and it's not clear if ESPN would be willing to pay $7+ million/year to add those 4 schools.  More likely, San Diego, BYU and AF or CO State would be worth it to them, and adding 3 of those while retaining T & T would give the AAC a 14 school conference.  ESPN might go for that, or might find it more in their interest to add only 1 of those schools.

So the 9, 10, or 11 AAC schools wouldn't be flying the plane alone.  They would be co-pilots in such a deal, and couldn't make it happen without ESPN's consent and direct involvement.  ESPN would have veto power and negotiating power, and they've got all the cash.  So, in the final analysis, it will be mostly up to them, in consultation with the various universities.