Having sold extra BET tickets for 10+ years now, once we lost Syracuse and UConn the scalping prices have gone down by 50-75%. You used to be able to get $500+ for good seats downstairs for the finals and Friday night...nothing close to that anymore. Also as others have said the Garden was more full during the early rounds which was good money for MSG from concessions. If UConn is good it definitely brings a spark back to the tournament.
UConn and the Big East
- Thread starter Halldan1
- Start date
The major difference is that Rutgers is actually in the NYC media market, while UConn is in the Hartford-New Haven market. Yeah, there's not much geographic difference, but is a huge revenue difference.
This could all change rapidly if streaming advances to the point of breaking the cable/satellite stronghold on preventing a la carte service.
This could all change rapidly if streaming advances to the point of breaking the cable/satellite stronghold on preventing a la carte service.
@Halldan1 UConn might be losing more on football than other non P5 FBS programs (I have no idea), but I have a hard time believing that they would ever downgrade from FBS to the FCS level.
Assuming their financial situation is similar to the other 63 non P5 FBS schools than we would see a heck of a lot more teams dropping to the FCS level.
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Rutgers got one of the last brass rings left for P5 inclusion. The timing was right for them. UCONN has been waiting for 3+ years. How much longer can they wait is now the question.
Could they wait indefinitely - the same as the other 63 non P5 teams competing in the FBS?
I have no idea what the financials are but I would assume if it were that hard to maintain a non P5 FBS program you would see teams downgrading constantly, but the reality is that never happens. If it the situation was that dire why are FCS teams fighting like hell to upgrade to FBS status? Football schools are allocating more and more into football upgrades even at the expense of their other programs.
I have no idea what the financials are but I would assume if it were that hard to maintain a non P5 FBS program you would see teams downgrading constantly, but the reality is that never happens. If it the situation was that dire why are FCS teams fighting like hell to upgrade to FBS status? Football schools are allocating more and more into football upgrades even at the expense of their other programs.
The difference is aspirations and money spent on trying to stay power 5 eligible.
UConn wants to be big time in sports and that's understandable. But eventually their flagship program, men's BB is going to suffer while they wait on a dream that might never materialize.
Women's BB, their ridiculously successful program is seeming never going to drop out of the spotlight but they cannot support UConn sports as men's BB can.
UConn wants to be big time in sports and that's understandable. But eventually their flagship program, men's BB is going to suffer while they wait on a dream that might never materialize.
Women's BB, their ridiculously successful program is seeming never going to drop out of the spotlight but they cannot support UConn sports as men's BB can.
And they are all having to face the same reality. There are extremely few P5 spots left. That's why everyone wants the Big 12. The question is, how many will be able to maintain a football program indefinitely on a few million dollars per year? Obviously some can: the service academies, Boise, BYU, Cincy etc have their financial situation in place and have been doing it for years and can sustain their programs. But they can't sustain at the P5 level. That's why Houston, a relative newby like UCONN and with way more resources, is saying if they don't get into the Big 12 they will have trouble maintaining their program at its current lofty level.
That has to be it. It must be exponentially more expensive to run your football program at the P5 eligibility level, and without that P5 $35M annual check it's not sustainable long term.
This!! Having a FB team in Storrs doesn't help much with the NYC market. We relate to UConn BB because of the BE and connection to basketball here. The B10 wanted the NYC market bad and RU was the only viable option or else they would have gone after UConn at the time.
posted on UConn bnoard qnd asked for thoughts of UConn fan base re possible move to big East.
Got two responses, one of which was very reasoned and I'm posting it below:
I think the consensus of UConn fans is that while moving back to the Big East would be a step up for basketball, it would be a tacit admission that the football program, which UConn has worked so hard for years to upgrade, sucks and is not worthy of much more than second tier status. A possible compromise is to stay in the AAC for football but the AAC would never agree to that and the AAC is no great football conference anyway. UConn fans are hoping for a P5 invite, which seems dubious at best and I am skeptical of it. I wouldn't mind going back to the Big East, which is a good fit for UConn basketball, if something that makes sense can be figured out for the football team. There is no question the Big East is better than the AAC in basketball and will upgrade our teams's RPI. We are not happy with RPI deflating games against awful teams like Tulane, which plays in a high school gym
Got two responses, one of which was very reasoned and I'm posting it below:
I think the consensus of UConn fans is that while moving back to the Big East would be a step up for basketball, it would be a tacit admission that the football program, which UConn has worked so hard for years to upgrade, sucks and is not worthy of much more than second tier status. A possible compromise is to stay in the AAC for football but the AAC would never agree to that and the AAC is no great football conference anyway. UConn fans are hoping for a P5 invite, which seems dubious at best and I am skeptical of it. I wouldn't mind going back to the Big East, which is a good fit for UConn basketball, if something that makes sense can be figured out for the football team. There is no question the Big East is better than the AAC in basketball and will upgrade our teams's RPI. We are not happy with RPI deflating games against awful teams like Tulane, which plays in a high school gym
UConn football's budget is not over the top and the latest number available shows that it's $14,225,000 while the combined budget for men's and women's basketball is about a million dollars more. While I'm sure that the FB program is losing money I can see them not joining the BE if there is any indication that a Power Five conference invite is realistic even if it may not be for several years .
If UConn wants to hold out and wait for football how much are they willing to risk? Once the Big 12 tells them thanks but no thanks but maybe takes Cinncy and Houston what does that leave UConn to sell recruits? Not much! Right now they can sell the dream of going to a Football 5 conference but once that dream turns into a nightmare their basketball, which pays UConn's bills, will suffer big-time. How much time and money are they willing to risk? They already made one bad bet, if they make another on the AAC will become the best they can do because they won't be worth anything to any of the Power 6 conferences.
If you asked your question on the UConn basketball board, you're almost certain to get different responses than you would if you asked on the UConn football board.
Message boards generally draw only the most rabid of fans, and most of the state schools have totally different message board fan bases. Just look the Rutgers board as an example.
Message boards generally draw only the most rabid of fans, and most of the state schools have totally different message board fan bases. Just look the Rutgers board as an example.
This is what i think is going to happen...long story short Notre Dame is going to become a full member of the ACC by 2020 and the ACC is then going to want to expand to 16 teams (2 divisions of 8 teams) so they will need to invite someone else. UConn is going to stay put in the AAC for now and pray to God that they get an invite to the ACC.
ACC has already announced that they are forming their own network in 2019. Once the ACC network is up and running the revenue share is going to be about $35M per school. This means that Notre Dame would make more money by being a full ACC member than they will make off the exclusive contract with NBC.
Is Notre Dame going to be ok making $28M a year as an independent knowing if they become a full member they will make about $35M+? Eventually the numbers are just too great to ignore.
ACC has already announced that they are forming their own network in 2019. Once the ACC network is up and running the revenue share is going to be about $35M per school. This means that Notre Dame would make more money by being a full ACC member than they will make off the exclusive contract with NBC.
Is Notre Dame going to be ok making $28M a year as an independent knowing if they become a full member they will make about $35M+? Eventually the numbers are just too great to ignore.
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Also remember that UConn football only loses about $6 million a year , a number that they can probably live with for a while if that pot of gold from getting an invite to a Power Five Conference is viable.
That's not a number that those close to the program are noting.
Contacts have told Jerry Carino it's closer to 20M.
That's the number UConn is reporting in its annual report to the Department of Education under the " Equity in Athletics Act" .
even if Uconn has to wait until 2025 it make sense to wait. The writing is on the wall, Notre Dame is missing out on about $6M a year by not being in a conference. 10 years ago, even 5 years ago the financials made sense for them to remain independent. That is no longer the case with these super conferences' tv deals.
The ACC wants 16 teams and they are going to get it. Whether or not it will be Uconn remains to be seen, but for Uconn it's worth the risk.
The ACC wants 16 teams and they are going to get it. Whether or not it will be Uconn remains to be seen, but for Uconn it's worth the risk.
Among the ACC’s 14 schools other than Notre Dame, which remains an independent in football, the conference distributions ranged from $27.6 million for Florida State to just under $24 million for Syracuse. Notre Dame received $6.2 million.
So simple math says...
ND NBC contract = $15M
ND ACC Share = $6M
Total = $21M
Every other ACC member total = ~$26M - $27M
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...total-revenue-increases-100-million/85035766/
So simple math says...
ND NBC contract = $15M
ND ACC Share = $6M
Total = $21M
Every other ACC member total = ~$26M - $27M
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...total-revenue-increases-100-million/85035766/
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I'm very interested in what the BIG12 does today with their 6:30 news conference. UConn is screwed if the Big 12 doesn't add them, but what is really the best result for them is if the big12 doesn't add anyone. The worse thing for them would be to lose AAC teams like Cinci or Houston. For UConn to ask their fans, as a large state university, to drop football down would be a huge kick in the teeth for everyone.
I really don't think UConn will leave the current AAC if it is left intact, because they still have decent BB programs like Memphis, Cinci and Temple. They also have a good football teams. But the biggest reason is they would at least save face.
I really don't think UConn will leave the current AAC if it is left intact, because they still have decent BB programs like Memphis, Cinci and Temple. They also have a good football teams. But the biggest reason is they would at least save face.
Even if the Big XII expands - and I almost guarantee it will not - they are not interested in UConn, which brings nothing in terms of a media market or football, which are the only two things the league cares about. They were set a few years back to more forward without Kansas. That told me all I needed to know about how much they value basketball heritage.
Great analysis. The"best" outcome for the BE is for the Big 12 to take Houston and Cincy. That would diminish the AAC in both football and hoops and would put UCONN in a tough spot. I expect the Big 12 to add no one leaving UCONN to hang out even longer in the AAC.
I agree with most that Uconn doesn't have a shot in hell getting an invite to the big 12.
Their most realistic options for an invite are:
1) ACC going to 16 teams and extending invite to Uconn
Or
2) big 12 dissolving and the formation of 4 16 team mega conferences (sec, ACC, big ten, PAC 12).
Their most realistic options for an invite are:
1) ACC going to 16 teams and extending invite to Uconn
Or
2) big 12 dissolving and the formation of 4 16 team mega conferences (sec, ACC, big ten, PAC 12).
With BC in the ACC, do they really need another New England team? If UConn doesn't deliver anything to the Big 12 as far as TV demographics go, why would the ACC want them?
ACC would make a hard push for Notre Dame and maybe even try to lure another power conference school like Vanderbilt or Northwestern that can deliver on both academic and demographic attributes.
ACC would make a hard push for Notre Dame and maybe even try to lure another power conference school like Vanderbilt or Northwestern that can deliver on both academic and demographic attributes.
I agree that ACC wants Notre Dame to be the 15th school. That will happen in a couple years due to the economics already discussed in this thread. The question is who is going to be the 16th? I don't think Vanderbilt or anyone from the SEC would downgrade to the ACC (the sec is by far the most lucrative conference). I also don't think anyone would leave the BigTen for the same reasons (I.e. See Maryland leaving ACC for BigTen).
I think Uconn will have as good a chance as anyone else for it, and they better pray to God they get it.
Anything can happen but holding out for the Big12 collapse in hopes of joining a mega conference would also be risky for UConn. If the Big 12 goes belly up and the four sixteen team mega conferences is really what the plan is, you're going to see a mad scramble a la end of Big East.
1 ACC spot, 2 SEC, 2 Big ten, 2 Pac-12
Can't ever imagine they'd have a spot in the Pac-12 or SEC. For the 3 spots between the ACC and Big ten they'd have some fierce competition much closer to football country.
WVU, Texas, Kansas, OU, BYU (the other lessers from the Big 12 for a B1G spot if all the above didn't get it). Those in addition to Cincy and Houston.
The ACC extended their TV deal 20 years with ESPN. The ACC exclusive channel starts in 2019. This deal automatically extends ND deal with them also. While it has been said that ND has an open invitation from the B1G for all sports only, if they do give up FB independence they are now contractually bound to the ACC. With being 2-5 now and off the last couple of seasons it will be interesting to see if they give up FB independence sooner than later.
http://www.espn.com/college-sports/...year-rights-deal-lead-2019-launch-acc-network
The money is just growing too rapidly for Notre Dame to remain independent for the sake of being able to have a national schedule.
Literally every single team in the BigTen, ACC and SEC makes millions and milllions more than Notre Dame. (Not sure about PAC12 but wouldn't be surprised if that were the case too)
5 years ago this was not the case. Simply put, there isn't a valid reason anymore for Notre Dame to remain independent.
Literally every single team in the BigTen, ACC and SEC makes millions and milllions more than Notre Dame. (Not sure about PAC12 but wouldn't be surprised if that were the case too)
5 years ago this was not the case. Simply put, there isn't a valid reason anymore for Notre Dame to remain independent.
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The longer they hang out there the worse it gets for UConn basketball. Before they could sell recruits the dream of leaving the AAC. Now they need to sell recruits the dream of remaining in the AAC for the foreseeable future with no hope of escaping anytime soon.
