[terry]

I think UConn does have a structural advantage, which I consider an unfair advantage: they are the home team of that TV network down the road in Bristol. I suspect that if there were some way to measure it, we would find that ESPN gives the UConn women's team more coverage, and more favorable coverage, than anybody else. ESPN sets the agenda for all of sports broadcasting these days, so the advantage is multiplied. I don't know how to judge the impact of that advantage. Perhaps UConn would dominate even if the program were in, say, Michigan, and didn't get the home team treatment from ESPN. That's entirely possible. And you could argue that UConn deserves to get more coverage than anyone else because they're so good (though other programs such as Tennessee wouldn't agree). But in my own subjective, unscientific, probably biased opinion, I think UConn does have an unfair advantage.

[terry]

I think UConn does have a structural advantage, which I consider an unfair advantage: they are the home team of that TV network down the road in Bristol. I suspect that if there were some way to measure it, we would find that ESPN gives the UConn women's team more coverage, and more favorable coverage, than anybody else. ESPN sets the agenda for all of sports broadcasting these days, so the advantage is multiplied. I don't know how to judge the impact of that advantage. Perhaps UConn would dominate even if the program were in, say, Michigan, and didn't get the home team treatment from ESPN. That's entirely possible. And you could argue that UConn deserves to get more coverage than anyone else because they're so good (though other programs such as Tennessee wouldn't agree). But in my own subjective, unscientific, probably biased opinion, I think UConn does have an unfair advantage.