An insightful column from Jeff Jacobs of the Hartford Courant, exploring many of the issues we have discussed here. Mr. Jacobs has the Uconn AD and President on speed dial. He is without peer when it comes to Uconn shaping opinion when it concerns About Uconn athletics. Just an incredible writer. This piece is almost written in a cathartic style.

Some snippets:



Sitting here in Connecticut, witnessing all that glitz and glamour, didn't we feel waaaaay closer to the Yankee Conference than a Power Five Conference?
...
And for the first time — yes, the first time — since the state's flagship university decided to play the big boys game of Division I-A football in the late 1990s, I'm wondering if it is worth it.
...
Yet as we all know, the rules changed. In 1997, we couldn't have foreseen the seismic conference shifts. So I'm in the gray area now. More than a few emails have come my way the past two years advocating that UConn either go independent or drop football so the school can get back to Big East basketball. My response has always been the same: Pshaw!

I saw the talk as either overly basketball-centric or destructive to a necessary blueprint to fuel the athletic program. Now I see it as healthy discourse, something to be debated over months and years, not weeks and days, but something no longer to be dismissed in toto.

...
It strikes me that Boston College, so set against UConn joining the ACC, is getting what it wants. UConn is slowly being bled dry.


http://www.courant.com/hartnews-jeff-jac...staff.html

(01-13-2015 11:14 PM)BE4evah Wrote:  An insightful column from Jeff Jacobs of the Hartford Courant, exploring many of the issues we have discussed here. Mr. Jacobs has the Uconn AD and President on speed dial. He is without peer when it comes to Uconn shaping opinion when it concerns About Uconn athletics. Just an incredible writer. This piece is almost written in a cathartic style.

Some snippets:



Sitting here in Connecticut, witnessing all that glitz and glamour, didn't we feel waaaaay closer to the Yankee Conference than a Power Five Conference?
...
And for the first time — yes, the first time — since the state's flagship university decided to play the big boys game of Division I-A football in the late 1990s, I'm wondering if it is worth it.
...
Yet as we all know, the rules changed. In 1997, we couldn't have foreseen the seismic conference shifts. So I'm in the gray area now. More than a few emails have come my way the past two years advocating that UConn either go independent or drop football so the school can get back to Big East basketball. My response has always been the same: Pshaw!

I saw the talk as either overly basketball-centric or destructive to a necessary blueprint to fuel the athletic program. Now I see it as healthy discourse, something to be debated over months and years, not weeks and days, but something no longer to be dismissed in toto.

...
It strikes me that Boston College, so set against UConn joining the ACC, is getting what it wants. UConn is slowly being bled dry.


http://www.courant.com/hartnews-jeff-jac...staff.html

This thread is so going to end well. I can hardly wait.

Another UCONN-centric thread by BE4evah: the gift that keeps on giving...

UConn is in the AAC. Competitively the AAC is a decent conference. Its not a power conference but its a decent conference to host a national program.

The most important factor is money and UConn has it. Even if its not receiving 20 million dollars in TV money it has a larger budget than about half of the AAC schools. Unlike schools like BC which have to run a gauntlet in the ACC, UConn could reasonably on budget alone expect to be in the Top 3 of the AAC in FB/BB every year.

The AAC needs to pick up the pace a bit in FB because if it doesn't the autobid becomes a Boise State invitational. If it does then UConn will be in a great spot.

Everyone not in a "power" conference is being "bled dry." It is what it is.

Great thread.

Wondering if BE4evah works for Hartford Courant??

I was getting worried for a minute there. With all the talk about the CFP, there wasn't even a UConn thread on the first page here.

(01-14-2015 05:08 AM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  Everyone not in a "power" conference is being "bled dry." It is what it is.

That is the point of the P5 and autonomy. Make FBS football so expensive that only the chosen few can survive.

I also think that a school like Cincy, investing in Nipprt, 5th third, the relentless pursuit of "greener pastures (Bohn/Ono) know something about Cindy's future.

I wonder if Jacobs is planting a seed purposefully that the Uconn administration wants to be planted? He is that close and connected to them.

As to the point about Uconn being able to compete in the top third of the AAC in football and basketball, I don't see that as being in dispute. Any school in the AAC can compete with one another. It's a different matter, though, to compete with the power 5.

I know that Uconn fans are going crazy about playing in front of fewer than 6,000 fans in Tulsa on a Tuesday night at 9:30 on CBS SportsNetwork (a game they lost). Jacobs article is just an amplification of this sentiment.

And I agree, the alternative of returning to the Big East isn't going to change things long term. The gulf between the major conferences/schools and the minor ones is only going to get wider. There really is no easy answer.

(01-14-2015 07:49 AM)BE4evah Wrote:  

(01-14-2015 05:08 AM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  Everyone not in a "power" conference is being "bled dry." It is what it is.

That is the point of the P5 and autonomy. Make FBS football so expensive that only the chosen few can survive.

I also think that a school like Cincy, investing in Nipprt, 5th third, the relentless pursuit of "greener pastures (Bohn/Ono) know something about Cindy's future.

I wonder if Jacobs is planting a seed purposefully that the Uconn administration wants to be planted? He is that close and connected to them.

As to the point about Uconn being able to compete in the top third of the AAC in football and basketball, I don't see that as being in dispute. Any school in the AAC can compete with one another. It's a different matter, though, to compete with the power 5.

I know that Uconn fans are going crazy about playing in front of fewer than 6,000 fans in Tulsa on a Tuesday night at 9:30 on CBS SportsNetwork (a game they lost). Jacobs article is just an amplification of this sentiment.

And I agree, the alternative of returning to the Big East isn't going to change things long term. The gulf between the major conferences/schools and the minor ones is only going to get wider. There really is no easy answer.

Stop wasting bandwidth.

Are we supposed to feel sorry for UConn? If the writer is looking for someone to pin the "blame" on he needs to look no further than the genius that instigated the lawsuit.

(01-14-2015 12:41 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  UConn is in the AAC. Competitively the AAC is a decent conference. Its not a power conference but its a decent conference to host a national program.

The most important factor is money and UConn has it. Even if its not receiving 20 million dollars in TV money it has a larger budget than about half of the AAC schools. Unlike schools like BC which have to run a gauntlet in the ACC, UConn could reasonably on budget alone expect to be in the Top 3 of the AAC in FB/BB every year.

The AAC needs to pick up the pace a bit in FB because if it doesn't the autobid becomes a Boise State invitational. If it does then UConn will be in a great spot.

BC and UConn's athletic budget are about the same.

(01-14-2015 08:39 AM)XLance Wrote:  Are we supposed to feel sorry for UConn? If the writer is looking for someone to pin the "blame" on he needs to look no further than the genius that instigated the lawsuit.

LOL Mark Nordenberg would be the one who was by and large the leader of the lawsuit. He just couldn't find a lackey in the government dumb enough to take it on until Blumenthal eagerly raised his hand in Connecticut.

It never ceases to amaze me how you can turn a blind eye to the actions of an actual employee within the University of Pitt throughout the first raid, yet pinpoint the lawsuit being filed in Connecticut for the reason UConn is not in the conference. It's almost too stupid to be true, but you have been doing it for so long I don't even doubt you believe it.

BE4evah, you didn't take your meds today again. I see that your unhealthy UConn obsession is once again making your brain go haywire.

(01-14-2015 06:55 AM)Wolfman Wrote:  Wondering if BE4evah works for Hartford Courant??

I'm wondering if he is Jeff Jacobs.

(01-14-2015 10:53 AM)ken d Wrote:  

(01-14-2015 06:55 AM)Wolfman Wrote:  Wondering if BE4evah works for Hartford Courant??

I'm wondering if he is Jeff Jacobs.

For months, I thought he was a Providence fan. However, I have very solid reasons for thinking that this is a Louisville poster who also uses another screen name as his main user name.

(01-14-2015 09:05 AM)Hank Schrader Wrote:  

(01-14-2015 08:39 AM)XLance Wrote:  Are we supposed to feel sorry for UConn? If the writer is looking for someone to pin the "blame" on he needs to look no further than the genius that instigated the lawsuit.

LOL Mark Nordenberg would be the one who was by and large the leader of the lawsuit. He just couldn't find a lackey in the government dumb enough to take it on until Blumenthal eagerly raised his hand in Connecticut.

It never ceases to amaze me how you can turn a blind eye to the actions of an actual employee within the University of Pitt throughout the first raid, yet pinpoint the lawsuit being filed in Connecticut for the reason UConn is not in the conference. It's almost too stupid to be true, but you have been doing it for so long I don't even doubt you believe it.

The BC president did. Like it or not, UConn was the face of the lawsuit and they elected Blumenthal to higher office.

I needed a refresher on the whole lawsuit conversation.

Flashback fun for those that need a refresher too

(2003.07.01) Lawsuit against ACC, Miami moves forward
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/co...suit_x.htm

(2003.10.14) Four Big East schools file lawsuit against Boston College, ACC
http://www.michigandaily.com/content/fou...ollege-acc

(2011.09.21) UConn may not get an ACC invite, but it won't be because of the 2003 lawsuit
http://www.theuconnblog.com/2011/9/19/24...nt-lawsuit

(01-14-2015 11:51 AM)Danger in Carolina Wrote:  I needed a refresher on the whole lawsuit conversation.

Flashback fun for those that need a refresher too

(2003.07.01) Lawsuit against ACC, Miami moves forward
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/co...suit_x.htm

(2003.10.14) Four Big East schools file lawsuit against Boston College, ACC
http://www.michigandaily.com/content/fou...ollege-acc

(2011.09.21) UConn may not get an ACC invite, but it won't be because of the 2003 lawsuit
http://www.theuconnblog.com/2011/9/19/24...nt-lawsuit

what was the result of that suit?

(01-14-2015 11:59 AM)blunderbuss Wrote:  

(01-14-2015 11:51 AM)Danger in Carolina Wrote:  I needed a refresher on the whole lawsuit conversation.

Flashback fun for those that need a refresher too

(2003.07.01) Lawsuit against ACC, Miami moves forward
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/co...suit_x.htm

(2003.10.14) Four Big East schools file lawsuit against Boston College, ACC
http://www.michigandaily.com/content/fou...ollege-acc

(2011.09.21) UConn may not get an ACC invite, but it won't be because of the 2003 lawsuit
http://www.theuconnblog.com/2011/9/19/24...nt-lawsuit

what was the result of that suit?

Continuing bad news for UConn