Big East is UConn's Plan B if Big 12 bid fails

Harry · August 18, 2016

Should UConn abandon its aspirations to join a "Power 5" conference? If the Huskies are jilted by the Big 12, should they leave the American Athletic Conference, rejoin their former Catholic school foes in the reconstituted Big East for basketball and accept second-class FBS football status in another league?

Boston-based sportswriter Mark Blaudschun reported Monday on his fledgling pay-to-view website, "it seems more and more likely that UConn WILL NOT be part of the American Athletic Conference" after the Big 12 expansion process shakes out. Blaudschun used the capital letters for emphasis.

Citing "people familiar with the situation", Blaudschun reported UConn "does not want to return to the status quo" if the Big 12 doesn't invite the Huskies and suggested the Big East as a home for UConn's "non-football varsity sports".

Blaudschun followed with a Tuesday commentary advocating UConn's return to the Big East and that the school should pursue football-only membership in the Mid-American Conference, Mountain West, Conference USA or the Sun Belt, which along with the AAC comprise the so-called "Group of 5", the little brothers to the "Power 5" of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and Pac-12.

Blaudschun's posts are noteworthy given his history of being first to report breaking UConn athletics news, the most recent examples being the departure of former athletic director Warde Manuel to Michigan and the hiring of AD David Benedict.

read more: http://www.journalinquirer.com/sports/report-big-east-is-uconn-s-plan-b-if-big/article_d08fadf4-6555-11e6-8f46-2f59dd35e64d.html

Ben Gooding · August 18, 2016

I'd glady debunk one of the f_u's or Charlotte favor of UCONN. In a heartbeat.

golfingomez · August 18, 2016

7 minutes ago, Ben Gooding said:

I'd glady debunk one of the f_u's or Charlotte favor of UCONN. In a heartbeat.

yeah... NO conference is going to give anybody the boot ever again... the game is all about retention nowadays

Greendylan · August 18, 2016

I wonder what North Texas's plan B is if our Big 12 bid doesn't work out? Oh wait . . .

Ben Gooding · August 18, 2016

1 hour ago, golfingomez said:

yeah... NO conference is going to give anybody the boot ever again... the game is all about retention nowadays

You're mistaken. $ talks and if it tells a conference to rid a university that's exactly what they will do.

VideoEagle · August 18, 2016

30 minutes ago, Ben Gooding said:

You're mistaken. $ talks and if it tells a conference to rid a university that's exactly what they will do.

No, not really. There have been very, very, VERY few schools ever tossed out of a conference once they were members. Lots are refused entry memberships, but once you are in you are in unless you do something really bad. Temple tried to bluff the Big East into allowing an massively underfunded football program and they were tossed for that. But, now they are back in what was the Big East football conference - the American.

I think UT Pan American, now UT RGV, got kicked out of the Sun Belt in 98 but I don't remember the circumstances. @Arkstfan probably knows the details.

But it is very rare to get kicked out of a conference. No one wants to set the president since almost every school has down years.

UTSA Fan · August 18, 2016

2 hours ago, Greendylan said:

I wonder what North Texas's plan B is if our Big 12 bid doesn't work out? Oh wait . . .

Big 10

ntmeangreen11 · August 18, 2016

Funny how we always talk about kicking out the Florida schools when the reality is we have by far performed the worst out of all the additions.

untjim1995 · August 18, 2016

3 minutes ago, ntmeangreen11 said:

Funny how we always talk about kicking out the Florida schools when the reality is we have by far performed the worst out of all the additions.

Yeah, don't bring that part up...

UConn going to the Big East in basketball would be brilliant for all parties--and they can just do like UMass and be an independent out of the NE. At UConn, both basketball programs make the money for the school. The Big East is really the only non-football power conference. UConn would be very wise to do this. The current Big East looks like this: Creighton, Marquette, DePaul, Xavier, Villanova, Georgetown, St. John's, Seton Hall, Providence, and Butler. UConn and one more program, probably UMass, St. Louis, Dayton, or Richmond would be nice fits...

Ben Gooding · August 18, 2016

22 minutes ago, ntmeangreen11 said:

Funny how we always talk about kicking out the Florida schools when the reality is we have by far performed the worst out of all the additions.

You're absolutely right.

TreeFiddy · August 19, 2016

It has been mentioned many times before, but it was the eastern schools who actively supported their inclusion due to recruiting. Being able to tell a recruit that you will play in your home state every year is easier than not being able to make this statement.

The eastern teams absolutely have the same opinion of UNT in regards to kicking us out of the league and replacing us with someone like Georgia Southern/State. They don't care about us just like we don't care about them. It is basically 2 different leagues.

VideoEagle · August 19, 2016

1 hour ago, TreeFiddy said:

IIt is basically 2 different leagues.

And that was the whole idea of going to 16 schools in CUSA. With 8 in a division, you only play one cross division game and then the league championship. Each division would be region based to build rivalries between fans from schools that were close enough to travel and have significant numbers of co-workers from rival schools. Rivalries make rivalry games and the winners of rivalry games get more donations for their alumni. For G5 schools, alumni donations are far bigger than any TV dollars and a LOT more predictable. And if there comes a disagreement between the two division, each just need to add one school to be a full conference.

I still think it was avoid concept.

Rudy · August 19, 2016

So UCON would rather go to the Suck Belt than stay in the AAC?

VideoEagle · August 19, 2016

4 hours ago, Rudy said:

So UCON would rather go to the Suck Belt than stay in the AAC?

For football only and ONLY if their basketball gets (back) into the Big East. AAC doesn't allow you to place one sport in another conference. I don't think CUSA does either. The Sun Belt does. I don't think the Sun Belt is their first choice, but it's better than leaving their basketball in the AAC without Memphis, Cincy, et al.

jupitergolf · August 20, 2016

There is little reason for any current Big East Program to be in favor of bringing back Uconn. Fox will not be able to make it financially viable to add 2 more teams for scheduling purposes and the value that Uconn may have has a basketball team is not going to make the league much better. Its doing well on its own. Why would any league add a program that will be looking to leave at the first sniff of an offer. Now if Uconn wants to buy its way back in with the 25MM it has recieved from old BE revenues and agrees to a 75mm -100mm buyout fee if they ever get an offer from a P4-P5 league then it might be worth considering. Otherwise its not worth the aggravation for all involved.

GrayEagle · August 20, 2016

I don't get it. Even if they were successful in being able to return all-sports to the Big East (which I don't believe that they can) they could possibly keep their football membership in the AAC. Navy is a football-only member and UConn would keep it 12 members for football and 10 for basketball and other sports.

CUSA is the only G5 conference that requires all members to field football teams. Hawaii is a football-only member of the MWC; the MAC had UMass (and had accepted others in times past); the SBC has UALR and UT-Arlington; and the aforementioned Navy is in the AAC. So, they don't meet CUSA's requirements, the MWC is too far, the MAC isn't keen on football-only members as they are full with 12 members and ditto for the SBC. It may be time to rethink Plan B.