[yvonne]

We know they aren't, but assuming all things were equal, who would The Big Ten rather have, UConn or Rutgers? I'm pretty sure it would be UConn.  Their football teams are basically about equal in accomplishment, and UConn hoops is vastly superior to Rutgers.

The UConn football team would get a giant boost from joining a "Power 4" conference."  It doesn't have an on-campus stadium, and never will, but UConn football has potential to be pretty good.  And with the money they would have as a result of being in a "real football conference," they'd probably be able to keep a guy like Diaco (who shows signs of being one of the top head coaches in the making in his generation), too.

I just know UConn sports are far more valuable than Iowa State or even Washington State for that matter.  If media companies are driving the decisions as the author of the blog post suggests, it's just a matter of time before UConn is in probably the Big Ten.

Remember, the objective is to kill the Big 12.
http://www.landgrantholyland.com/2016/1/...onn-big-12

Um, Rutgers is part of the Big Ten.

[yvonne]

We know they aren't, but assuming all things were equal, who would The Big Ten rather have, UConn or Rutgers? I'm pretty sure it would be UConn.  Their football teams are basically about equal in accomplishment, and UConn hoops is vastly superior to Rutgers.

The UConn football team would get a giant boost from joining a "Power 4" conference."  It doesn't have an on-campus stadium, and never will, but UConn football has potential to be pretty good.  And with the money they would have as a result of being in a "real football conference," they'd probably be able to keep a guy like Diaco (who shows signs of being one of the top head coaches in the making in his generation), too.

I just know UConn sports are far more valuable than Iowa State or even Washington State for that matter.  If media companies are driving the decisions as the author of the blog post suggests, it's just a matter of time before UConn is in probably the Big Ten.

Remember, the objective is to kill the Big 12.
http://www.landgrantholyland.com/2016/1/...onn-big-12

Um, Rutgers is part of the Big Ten.

[CornFed]

Um, Rutgers is part of the Big Ten.
[/quote]

I suppose that doesn't make the question invalid, though.

[CornFed]

Um, Rutgers is part of the Big Ten.
[/quote]

I suppose that doesn't make the question invalid, though.

[CTcard]

[quote author=OutsiderFan link=topic=14779.msg159219#msg159219 date=1458822406]
We know they aren't, but assuming all things were equal, who would The Big Ten rather have, UConn or Rutgers? I'm pretty sure it would be UConn.  Their football teams are basically about equal in accomplishment, and UConn hoops is vastly superior to Rutgers.

The UConn football team would get a giant boost from joining a "Power 4" conference."  It doesn't have an on-campus stadium, and never will, but UConn football has potential to be pretty good.  And with the money they would have as a result of being in a "real football conference," they'd probably be able to keep a guy like Diaco (who shows signs of being one of the top head coaches in the making in his generation), too.

I just know UConn sports are far more valuable than Iowa State or even Washington State for that matter.  If media companies are driving the decisions as the author of the blog post suggests, it's just a matter of time before UConn is in probably the Big Ten.

Remember, the objective is to kill the Big 12.
http://www.landgrantholyland.com/2016/1/...onn-big-12

Um, Rutgers is part of the Big Ten.
[/quote]

And were chosen over UConn, though it seems clear that UConn was never remotely close. UConn was at least close to getting into the ACC as the Maryland replacement after Maryland and Rutgers went to the Big Ten together.

... and full disclosure, I work at UConn.

[CTcard]

[quote author=OutsiderFan link=topic=14779.msg159219#msg159219 date=1458822406]
We know they aren't, but assuming all things were equal, who would The Big Ten rather have, UConn or Rutgers? I'm pretty sure it would be UConn.  Their football teams are basically about equal in accomplishment, and UConn hoops is vastly superior to Rutgers.

The UConn football team would get a giant boost from joining a "Power 4" conference."  It doesn't have an on-campus stadium, and never will, but UConn football has potential to be pretty good.  And with the money they would have as a result of being in a "real football conference," they'd probably be able to keep a guy like Diaco (who shows signs of being one of the top head coaches in the making in his generation), too.

I just know UConn sports are far more valuable than Iowa State or even Washington State for that matter.  If media companies are driving the decisions as the author of the blog post suggests, it's just a matter of time before UConn is in probably the Big Ten.

Remember, the objective is to kill the Big 12.
http://www.landgrantholyland.com/2016/1/...onn-big-12

Um, Rutgers is part of the Big Ten.
[/quote]

And were chosen over UConn, though it seems clear that UConn was never remotely close. UConn was at least close to getting into the ACC as the Maryland replacement after Maryland and Rutgers went to the Big Ten together.

... and full disclosure, I work at UConn.

[yvonne]

[quote author=Yvonne link=topic=14779.msg159262#msg159262 date=1458854900]

Um, Rutgers is part of the Big Ten.
[/quote]

I suppose that doesn't make the question invalid, though.
[/quote]

If the Big Ten wanted UConn over Rutgers, it would have selected them.  Whether that was the best choice is debatable. Whether it preferred UConn to Rutgers is clearly not.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/08/sports....html?_r=0

[yvonne]

[quote author=Yvonne link=topic=14779.msg159262#msg159262 date=1458854900]

Um, Rutgers is part of the Big Ten.
[/quote]

I suppose that doesn't make the question invalid, though.
[/quote]

If the Big Ten wanted UConn over Rutgers, it would have selected them.  Whether that was the best choice is debatable. Whether it preferred UConn to Rutgers is clearly not.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/08/sports....html?_r=0

[CornFed]

[quote author=CornFed link=topic=14779.msg159266#msg159266 date=1458855937]
[quote author=Yvonne link=topic=14779.msg159262#msg159262 date=1458854900]

Um, Rutgers is part of the Big Ten.
[/quote]

I suppose that doesn't make the question invalid, though.
[/quote]

If the Big Ten wanted UConn over Rutgers, it would have selected them.  Whether that was the best choice is debatable. Whether it preferred UConn to Rutgers is clearly not.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/08/sports....html?_r=0
[/quote]

Ah.  I was not aware that it came down to those two teams when Rutgers was added.

[CornFed]

[quote author=CornFed link=topic=14779.msg159266#msg159266 date=1458855937]
[quote author=Yvonne link=topic=14779.msg159262#msg159262 date=1458854900]

Um, Rutgers is part of the Big Ten.
[/quote]

I suppose that doesn't make the question invalid, though.
[/quote]

If the Big Ten wanted UConn over Rutgers, it would have selected them.  Whether that was the best choice is debatable. Whether it preferred UConn to Rutgers is clearly not.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/08/sports....html?_r=0
[/quote]

Ah.  I was not aware that it came down to those two teams when Rutgers was added.

[CTcard]

Ah.  I was not aware that it came down to those two teams when Rutgers was added.

From what I have heard on campus, it didn't - or at least not really.
Maryland and Rutgers joined the Big Ten together in 2014 to bring the Big Ten to 14 members.
UConn at that time was lobbying furiously to get into some Power 5 conference and escape the collapsing Big East. There is no doubt that at some level UConn was "considered" by the Big Ten, but I have not heard anything to indicate that they were considered very seriously.

The NY Times article is not well on point. Basketball has been essentially irrelevant to the conference musical chairs. Football, football TV contracts, wild guesses about football TV contracts, and egos have been the drivers. Rutgers may be the most poorly managed AD in the country, but they have a substantially stronger football history than UConn and average about 15,000 more fans per game (at least back in 2013 when the Big Ten expansion was being devloped).

Perhaps more importantly, Rutgers is a member of the Association of American Universities while UConn is not. All Big Ten universities either are or were members. Nebraska was booted out in 2011 - almost immediately after they joined the Big Ten if I remember correctly.

-------
UConn did apparently think that it had the inside track to replace Maryland in the ACC after the bolt to the Big Ten. The previous year they fought furiously to do the same but lost out to Syracuse and Pitt. Just before Louisville was tabbed to replace Maryland, it seemed pretty clear to me that the UConn President and AD thought they were going to get the invitation.

Rumor has it that the top basketball schools (UNC, Duke) wanted UConn but the football schools (VaTech and Miami) wanted Louisville. The ACC is the one conference where basketball might have some weight. Supposedly the death blow was Boston College loudly protesting against UConn. That seems to be motivated mainly by BC's desire to lock up a monopoly on big time college sports in New England. In addition, it may or may not have involved personal grudges remaining from when the State of Connecticut (on behalf of UConn, and backed by the other spurned Big East schools) sued Boston College and Miami for scurrying off to the ACC. Rumor has it that the other principles have resolved their issues, but bad blood remains between UConn and BC officials. [One reason to question this is that most of the top officials at UConn have changed since then - but who knows.]

[CTcard]

Ah.  I was not aware that it came down to those two teams when Rutgers was added.

From what I have heard on campus, it didn't - or at least not really.
Maryland and Rutgers joined the Big Ten together in 2014 to bring the Big Ten to 14 members.
UConn at that time was lobbying furiously to get into some Power 5 conference and escape the collapsing Big East. There is no doubt that at some level UConn was "considered" by the Big Ten, but I have not heard anything to indicate that they were considered very seriously.

The NY Times article is not well on point. Basketball has been essentially irrelevant to the conference musical chairs. Football, football TV contracts, wild guesses about football TV contracts, and egos have been the drivers. Rutgers may be the most poorly managed AD in the country, but they have a substantially stronger football history than UConn and average about 15,000 more fans per game (at least back in 2013 when the Big Ten expansion was being devloped).

Perhaps more importantly, Rutgers is a member of the Association of American Universities while UConn is not. All Big Ten universities either are or were members. Nebraska was booted out in 2011 - almost immediately after they joined the Big Ten if I remember correctly.

-------
UConn did apparently think that it had the inside track to replace Maryland in the ACC after the bolt to the Big Ten. The previous year they fought furiously to do the same but lost out to Syracuse and Pitt. Just before Louisville was tabbed to replace Maryland, it seemed pretty clear to me that the UConn President and AD thought they were going to get the invitation.

Rumor has it that the top basketball schools (UNC, Duke) wanted UConn but the football schools (VaTech and Miami) wanted Louisville. The ACC is the one conference where basketball might have some weight. Supposedly the death blow was Boston College loudly protesting against UConn. That seems to be motivated mainly by BC's desire to lock up a monopoly on big time college sports in New England. In addition, it may or may not have involved personal grudges remaining from when the State of Connecticut (on behalf of UConn, and backed by the other spurned Big East schools) sued Boston College and Miami for scurrying off to the ACC. Rumor has it that the other principles have resolved their issues, but bad blood remains between UConn and BC officials. [One reason to question this is that most of the top officials at UConn have changed since then - but who knows.]