Sure there are some possible short term benefits and nostalgia incentives but this seems like a ludicrous move long term. They will get less money, less exposure, give up on the p5 dream all for a lateral move in basketball. They still have to travel to Wisconsin, Nebraska, etc. It's like they just got tired of having awful football and mediocre basketball and had this knee jerk reaction just to do something that really doesn't address the root cause or is in their longterm best interest. Just doesn't make sense to me. They're not joining their father's Big East conference.

It's not just you. I just said essentially the same thing in another thread.

And you didn't even mention that they just permanently threw football under the bus.

UConn will still be in a financial mess in the Big East...they just aren't the same without Calhoun and rehiring Edsall was a mistake IMHO.

It's definitely not just you. This reminds me of Brexit. People seemed to clamor for the way things used to be, not recognizing that the world has changed nor the ramifications of actually doing it.

USFFan

Someone at UConn needs to explain how the move to the BE makes financial sense when keeping FBS football at a lower conference or independent. I guess travel costs will decline, but Wisconsin, Nebraska, Cincy, Indiana, and Chicago are hundreds of miles away from Storrs.

Andy Katz has mentioned they had to make a decision before the new contract started with ESPN. So there must be something going on.

I believe that they think this will help them bring back fan interest to basketball. I bet there was also a feel that their declined football program took them out of the P5 realignment sweepstakes -- which may happen in 2024 and 25. Not wanting to be left behind again this was their only reasonable opportunity and they took it.

(06-22-2019 02:17 PM)usffan Wrote:  It's definitely not just you. This reminds me of Brexit. People seemed to clamor for the way things used to be, not recognizing that the world has changed nor the ramifications of actually doing it.

USFFan

At least with Brexit, there were good reasons for choosing the option (national sovereignty being the most important one). The only good that I can see from this is possible increased attendance for their basketball programs. That increased revenue may help them out in the short term but the lost revenue from future TV deals will offset those gains.

There was likely a bunch of influential, older boosters pushing for this... and as an ECU fan I can tell you that such pushes rarely lead to good results.

I feel legit bad for their football fanbase, because that program is now officially dead, buried and never coming back. It also means that any fleeting hopes of a P5 invite are permanantly over as well. Sucks for them.

I've never seen a school slit their own throat for an olympic sport. It's fascinating to watch.

(06-22-2019 02:24 PM)EvilLore Wrote:  I feel legit bad for their football fanbase, because that program is now officially dead, buried and never coming back. It also means that any fleeting hopes of a P5 invite are permanantly over as well. Sucks for them.

I've never seen a school slit their own throat for an olympic sport. It's fascinating to watch.

Yep. As I said before, if you're only a UConn basketball fan, this is okay. Otherwise, awful.

(06-22-2019 02:24 PM)EvilLore Wrote:  I feel legit bad for their football fanbase, because that program is now officially dead, buried and never coming back. It also means that any fleeting hopes of a P5 invite are permanantly over as well. Sucks for them.

I've never seen a school slit their own throat for an olympic sport. It's fascinating to watch.

Let’s be honest, they were probably 5th on the list in terms of expansion into a P5, maybe 6th.

UH, Cincy, Memphis, UCF, USF (because of UCF), and then UCONN. If the AAC gets raided, which it probably will, then UCONN would be screwed. I still think they could have gone back to the Big East whenever they wanted, however.

I think both the American and UConn will be better off if UConn stays. I understand that UConn's men's basketball is struggling right now, but good grief, it's only been 5 years since their last national title! Any other program that the American could realistically add from the G5 right now (some school from C-USA, I suppose) would not have UConn's men's basketball history. I'm also doubting how much interest the Big East has in UConn; if there was really enough interest, and if they knew UConn was going to say "yes," and if both UConn and the Big East could make a lot more money from it, wouldn't the Big East have already extended an invitation?

Let's get real. Connecticut's decision was made a long time ago when schools like James Madison, William & Mary, Massachusets, and Connecticut choose to compete Division 1-AA rather than join Miami, South Carolina, Penn State, East Carolina and Louisville competing Division 1-A.

Connecticut's football program didn't grow enough to be eligible for The Big East football conference.

-Decisions many years ago.

I don’t think it’s a mistake. Cutting down on football expenses may be a wise thing.

(06-22-2019 02:17 PM)usffan Wrote:  It's definitely not just you. This reminds me of Brexit. People seemed to clamor for the way things used to be, not recognizing that the world has changed nor the ramifications of actually doing it.

USFFan

Well, they need to remember that "the way it used to be" was that UConn fielded an FCS level (I-AA) football team.

Let's be honest here... The overwhelming majority of BE schools do NOT sponsor football as a varsity sport. Period. Villanova plays at the FCS level, Georgetown has a non-scholarship FCS level program. That's it. The other BE programs don't have any formal football programs.

Given the UConn financial mess, the only real option here is for UConn to follow the majority of the BE programs and totally discontinue their FB program. Not "drop to" FCS...unless it's to go to FCS-non scholarship level...but completely drop football. Bite the bullet.

"As things used to be" means that UConn football is not "a thing."

It's dumb move and Calhoun is living in the past. The Big East has been solid but the AAC has been as well and a put to make a massive leap. Honestly some of the AACs hoops issues have been due to uconns slide.

For the life of me this makes no sense. Btw uconn baseball is also very solid and likely just stuck a pistol in its mouth and pulled the trigger.

I think it can only be taken as UConn plans to abandon football in a few years.

(06-22-2019 02:32 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(06-22-2019 02:24 PM)EvilLore Wrote:  I feel legit bad for their football fanbase, because that program is now officially dead, buried and never coming back. It also means that any fleeting hopes of a P5 invite are permanantly over as well. Sucks for them.

I've never seen a school slit their own throat for an olympic sport. It's fascinating to watch.

Yep. As I said before, if you're only a UConn basketball fan, this is okay. Otherwise, awful.

Stupid, stupid, stupid move, UConn would be the only public institution along with 10 private institutions.

(06-22-2019 02:47 PM)Golden Jedi Knight Wrote:  I think both the American and UConn will be better off if UConn stays. I understand that UConn's men's basketball is struggling right now, but good grief, it's only been 5 years since their last national title! Any other program that the American could realistically add from the G5 right now (some school from C-USA, I suppose) would not have UConn's men's basketball history. I'm also doubting how much interest the Big East has in UConn; if there was really enough interest, and if they knew UConn was going to say "yes," and if both UConn and the Big East could make a lot more money from it, wouldn't the Big East have already extended an invitation?

Multiple major news outlets have confirmed it's a done deal, likely to be announced next Thursday.

Beyond that, I would say it's bad for the AAC in basketball, but good for the AAC in football.

For UConn, it's probably good for basketball, and bad for football.

Excellent decision.