**Latest news on UConn / Big 12 rumors....**

[the Blades]

One other thing on this current round of CR, just like we've seen with the Old Big East it' seems like all the PAC 12 schools are now in panic mode because they are down to 9 with no clear media rights deal. All scrambling around like rats ready to jump from a ship.

For Uconn, as I've been saying the last few months Big East/ Indy FB is perfect until it isn't ( money excluded because it's not mine). The only side cache is I think Uconn has to push for it's FB team to have access to the new expanded College FB playoff, just like Notre Dame does as an Indy ( Army / Umass should too, if they're good enough). But our present situation is way better than when the original BE imploded in 2012.

Other than that screw all these poser P-5 programs who'll never win a thing in FB and haven't ( minus a handful of schools, from the SEC, Ohio St and Clemson who've been in the running. (TCU made it last year)

While 75% of the P-5 have never sniffed crap in winning anything in hoops, the other high profile NCAA sport. I think that is where alot of Uconn hate comes from since posting 5 NC's and being so dominate in a sport the others think they have a chance in. So the shit talking on Uconn FB gives them at least something to push back on vs. their own mediocre FB programs over the last 20 years in the BCS/P-5 and even worse than that, overall in their AD's.

We've seen this way to many times.....so if the P-5 happen$ I guess that's a plus for Jim Mora's recruiting, Jim Penders, probably Geno, and will certainly help the MBB NET Ranking . If not we still have the MSG tourney and our 5 beloved small NE Catholic schools, which is fine too.

 

[the Blades]

Also regarding INDY FB, Uconn with a linear TV contract with CBS Sports seems better than what alot of the PAC schools are scrambling for with streaming on the table in their new PAC 9 negotiations.... and as Matt has tweeted( when some media clowns were thinking Uconn to C-USA) , Dave Benedict's INDY FB scheduling has been better than expected too.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Other than that screw all these poser P-5 programs who'll never win a thing in FB and haven't ( minus a handful of schools, from the SEC, Ohio St and Clemson who've been in the running. (TCU made it last year)

The only Power 5 conference that has been legitimately competitive in football from top to bottom for many years has been the SEC, and it's also true in baseball. The other conferences have all been top heavy, particularly the ACC which may soon lose Florida State, one of its 2 flagship football schools, the other being Clemson.

Unlike all of these Twitter Swamis, I am not pretending to know how it's all going to shake out. But the developments that have occurred make me believe that the gap between high division 1 and lower division 1 football teams is going to increase so dramatically that it will be a comedy show for some of these teams and leagues to continue to claim that they play DIVISION 1 football, when in reality they are not. And I don't feel like it's good for college sports. I do not enjoy seeing the same teams in the College Football playoff any more than I want to see the same teams in the Final 4 every year. It was refreshing that Florida Atlantic made the Final 4 last year and they have a shot to do it again this year. They are a legit team. But in football teams like this have no shot. It was great when Boise State beat Oklahoma in a bowl game one year, but I feel like we will see less and less of that as money and power conferences are used to squeeze these smaller but good programs out of the national spotlight. And the media/social media is heavily to blame for promoting this divide with monikers about power and making judgments about which schools belong and which do not.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Pac 12 looking at SDSU, SMU:

Pac-12 expansion candidates: San Diego State, SMU among targets to stabilize league after Colorado exit

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Arkansas Blog Calls UConn the "hottest girl at the college athletics dance", LOL:

Loading…

www.si.com

If that analogy holds, the hottest girl at the dance does usually get asked out on dates, so we will see what happens....

 

[the Blades]

If that analogy holds, the hottest girl at the dance does usually get asked out on dates, so we will see what happens....

Well both ESPN and CBS pretty much sum it up today, Uconn's one of the hottest but not THE hottest.....since the Big 12 knows Uconn won't be leaving until the end of the dance and they'd rather take a shot at one of the others first. Quotes from both stories-

CBS- "Arizona remains the favorite to fill that 14th spot with Arizona State, Utah and UConn considered other top Big 12 expansion candidates." ...."Gonzaga, Memphis, San Diego State and UNLV are not considered serious candidates at this point for the Big 12. The league prefers to add a current Power Five school but sees UConn as a top Group of Five option due to its stellar basketball program."

"Fourteen seems to be our best number," a source told ESPN. "Now that we're at 13, who's going to be the first to make a move to start having a conversation with us was the general discussion today. We talked about a lot of different schools, but it's more about, 'Hey, we've got room for one more and who wants to be the first to really want to be a part of the Big 12 now and join us?'"

As uncertainty continues to loom over the Pac-12, which will dwindle to nine members, sources have indicated that Arizona has sparked interest within the Big 12. Arizona president Bobby Robbins, however, has previously said publicly that he wanted to see the Pac-12's new media deal before making any monumental decisions.
"Once we have that," he said on June 7, "we have degrees of freedom to make informed decisions."

CBS- The key date remains July 1, 2024, when the current Pac-12 media rights deal with ESPN and Fox runs out.

SO as I opened the latest CR twist with a few days ago:

Wow this stuff never ends, but if Colorado does leave the PAC....is Arizona leaving with them ???

Big 12 expansion: Conference prefers to add one more school after Colorado with Arizona seen as favorite

The Big 12 would ideally be a 14-team league once this round of conference realignment comes to a close

www.cbssports.com

 

[the Blades]

but if Colorado does leave the PAC....is Arizona leaving with them ???

these Twitter Swamis, Here's one of them telling us yes !

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

I think the P-5 is now officially down to a P-4 with the dissolution of the PAC 12. Now the ball is in the ACC's basketball court to try and hold on to Florida State or add UConn. The ACC is going to be perceived as the weakest power conference if they were not already, so they need to enhance football and basketball. I think the only think that has kept Florida State out of the SEC is the U of Florida, which wants the SEC all to itself in that State. UConn brings the New England and NYC market better than Syracuse or BC does. Those schools have never been anything special in football and are below UConn in hoops.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

By the way and hate to say this about BC because it's a school I came close to attending (my FP guidance counselor pushed me hard to go there, but my father pushed harder in UConn's direction), but they have been nothing but a bad case of body odor since joining the ACC. All of that pretentious litigation when they left the Big East, as if they were some precious commodity, but they are nothing but a big turd circling the toilet bowl that will not flush. Sorry to hate on them because they are a good school academically and when I visited their campus in high school I was impressed, but in athletics they are mid major level and the only thing that keeps them in the ACC is the Boston market. And you would think Boston fans who are demanding of their Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics and Patriots would expect more out of their college team, even if they get good performance in hockey. All they have ever been is a punching bag in the ACC, with very occasional decent seasons.

 

[the Blades]

And you would think Boston fans who are demanding of their Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics and Patriots would expect more out of their college team, even if they get good performance in hockey. All they have ever been is a punching bag in the ACC, with very occasional decent seasons.

Yep, that was the biggest miscalculation by the ACC. They thought bringing in the Boston market would matter, but BC might as well be Northeastern or BU who don't even play FB anymore, because it's a pro market and no one cares about the Eagles. And remember when Uconn beat them something like 25 times in a row in hoops ? You think that would have been a clue on who to choose.

 

[the Blades]

Guess who's #12 IN THE COUNTRY BUT THERE NOT A P-5... these poser schools/AD's and national fake news media need to GTFO of here !

 

[the Blades]

 

[the Blades]

Unlike all of these Twitter Swamis, I am not pretending to know how it's all going to shake out.

Funny comment from Mora regarding this ( as Aman posted above) ... and you would think he would know alot about some of the PAC-12 schools since he's had two 10 win and a 9 & 8 win season in that conference. He's also said in the past that Uconn's facilties are every bit if not better than the UCLA facilties that he helped design. Despite the national media crap that Uconn doesn't invest in FB.

 

[the Blades]

Mora says it again right here...." These are top flight facilities, I've been around the country "

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Blades, what's been annoying me about many of the articles that are being put out on this topic of conference realignment is that the writers suffer from TSS, Twitter Swami Syndrome, which I will define as making an assumption that one CR scenario is more desirable than another. Just for example, many articles you have posted contain the unexplained assumption that the Big 12- LONG TERM- is a more desirable situation for UConn than Big East/Indy, or another Big 12 wannabe school than its current situation. But that assumption can be destroyed at any time when the next domino falls. For example, what if in another year the 3 perceived top Big 12 schools are invited to join the BIG or the SEC? I also think Congressional regulation is coming at some point. College Athletics are not in a good place right now, and they are not in a good place because the richest inmates are being allowed to run the asylum. This situation cannot be tolerated. At some point the CR playing field is getting leveled by the feds. I also think the small schools could even bring a class action lawsuit seeking a leveling of the playing field. None of these possibilities should be discounted. But as far as TSS goes the only treatment for it is a splash of cold water in the face, repeated as necessary.

 

[the Blades]

let's be honest: their football program was dogshit before Deion got there (and we will see what he does with it), and hasn't been great since a brief period late 1980s early 1990s under Bill McCartney. Their basketball team is nothing special- have they ever won the Big 12 or Pac 12, much less been to a Final 4? Colorado has absolutely nothing on UConn except having been a former member of this conference, which was not a powerhouse in either sport.

Wow, in the don't let the door hit you in the ass dept...the Oregon FB coach echoed your thoughts today...

Oregon coach Dan Lanning slams Colorado after move to Big 12: ‘I don’t remember them winning anything’

Colorado voted last week to return to the Big 12 in 2024, leaving the Pac-12 conference with just nine teams.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Interestingly, Oregon is probably the school hurt the most by the disintegration of the PAC 12. Unlike Colorado, they have had formidable football and basketball teams (whose programs are helped by Nike money/Phil Knight) in recent years. Oregon is certainly a more accomplished college athletics school than Colorado in the last 25 years. But they don't work as well geographically as Colorado. And Colorado does have Deion, which is maybe something, until it isn't. Also, though a very distant memory, Colorado was the AP National Champion in football in 1990, under Bill McCartney. But since McCartney retired at age 54 in 1994 after an 11-1 season, Colorado has been a big nothing in the Big 12 and later the PAC 12.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Wow, in the don't let the door hit you in the ass dept...the Oregon FB coach echoed your thoughts today...

Unfortunately this type of childish sniping between schools, and the "our conference dick is bigger than yours" mentalities, is permeating press conferences with increasing frequency. In addition to our own posts on this same subject of "worthy" vs "unworthy" schools. It's another reason why Congress will eventually have to step in, if not the Courts, to regulate this mess......

 

[the Blades]

Unfortunately this type of childish sniping between schools, and the "our conference dick is bigger than yours" mentalities, is permeating press conferences with increasing frequency. In addition to our own posts on this same subject of "worthy" vs "unworthy" schools. It's another reason why Congress will eventually have to step in, if not the Courts, to regulate this mess......

We agree on alot of this stuff. Mostly on the childish BS but for me it's just alot of anti- Uconn stuff I've been reading for years anytime CR comes up. Uconn blows away both these schools across the board in sports. Colorado has sucked in FB and they don't even have a baseball team while Penders has been a top 20 type program for a decade. And hoops, LOL!

Arizona ? when's the last time they won in hoops ? In the 90's, in which Uconn's won 5 NC's since. UA Football ? how come no one from Big 12 land talks about how much they suck with PAC 12 money and recruiting ? ...5-7 last year with 1-11 before that and didn't win a game in the Covid year while being on their 3rd coach in 6 years. After firing Rich Rodriguez who was supposed to be their savior. I guess these fans and internet trolls give way to much credit for having P-5 attached to their name.

IMHO, I don't know the solution, but the last thing sports needs is more politicians and lawyers involved, with all their biases and corruption. That's just throwing more gas on the fire, of a system thats been screwing the Uconn AD, off the courts and fields for year$.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Interesting article in the Sporting News on rumors of UConn to Big 12, featuring quotes from Donny Marshall and Rob Dauster:

UConn to the Big 12? Huskies may need to decide whether winning big is worth more than money

The last time Connecticut was involved in a decision to depart the Big East Conference, its men's basketball program -- the best in the land in the past quarter-century -- collapsed. Fresh off an NCAA title, is it worth risking a repeat because the Big 12 might offer millions to join?

www.sportingnews.com

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Pac 12 Grasping at Short-Term Deal With Apple Streaming:

Sources: Apple emerges as likely play for Pac-12

Although several options were presented to Pac-12 presidents and chancellors, the primarily subscription-based Apple streaming deal emerged as the likely leader when commissioner George Kliavkoff presented it to the group Tuesday.

www.espn.com

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Pac 12 Disintegrating:

Big Ten eyes expansion amid Pac-12 instability

The Big Ten officially acknowledged it has started exploring the possibility of expanding to add schools from the Pac-12.

www.espn.com

 

[the Blades]

What a bunch of greedy frucking pigs these people are, SMH !

Florida State president 'not satisfied' with how much money school currently gets from ACC media deal

Richard McCullough's comments on the ACC's TV deal come as the Pac-12 may be on the brink of collapse.

sports.yahoo.com

 

[the Blades]

Pac 12 Disintegrating:

Big Ten eyes expansion amid Pac-12 instability

The Big Ten officially acknowledged it has started exploring the possibility of expanding to add schools from the Pac-12.

www.espn.com

Well one thing I don't see in many reports is Wash St. and Oregon St.... I guess they're gonna get to know what it feels like to be Uconn, despite those 2 having all these years with a free ride as a P-5. But without a blue blood hoops program and the Big East.

And where will SMU and San Siego St's ( who with Wash St., all have much smaller FB stadiums than Uconn) rumored bid to a P-5 go, when there isn't one ? This pretty much seems like a west coast version of Big East FB ten years later.

I guess for the PAC -12 two it could be WCC ( w/ Gonzaga) and INDY Football here we come ! ( or a demotion to the MWC, while SMU and SD St. can dream again ) Like I said rats jumping off a sinking ship ! And I guess Orin Hatch (RIP) who thought he saved Utah with the Pac 12 can think again. ( they'll could end up in the Big 12, though I see no reason for Yormark to double up (BYU) in a TV market that's smaller than Uconn's, when you count the NYC/ Fairfield County crossover )

Double click image to enlarge-

 

[the Blades]

Elsewhere, long time CT writer Mike Anthony continues to write articles with a Big 12 lean.......
It seems as though Mike is the one reporter who's getting Uconn quotes and writing regarding softening the blow if/when a Uconn move does come ........Almost as though he's Uconn's go to guy for this narrative. This is his 4th story in the last month or so that covers a Big 12 move with the same take.

And right on cue Mike comes out with another Uconn to the Big 12 story ......

"sources familiar with his thinking and planning say, Yormark sees UConn as a massive national brand that would pull the Big 12 into another major market and best position the conference to negotiate another TV contract six or seven years down the road."

"He sees UConn’s presence as a muscle flex in doubling down on basketball, even as a catalyst for future expansion. He sees a conference with a national footprint, with strongholds not only in concentric rings around Texas but in the Northeast and Southeast, and believes adding the Huskies to recent addition Colorado would give the Big 12 what it needs, geographically and otherwise, in a college athletics world certain to keep evolving.....Yormark has been all-in on UConn for months, sources say, after the Huskies showed a football pulse last season under Jim Mora and before they won their latest men’s basketball national championship under Dan Hurley."

"It's a no-brainer on the books in Storrs and, many would argue, in a responsibility to keep spending and competing the way the state expects the Huskies to spend and compete – from folks at the Capitol right through a fan base that has been historically strong and is even more engaged now due to recent success........."UConn is taking football seriously. Yormark is said to be convinced the university will continue to do so. The Huskies are investing properly. As a member of the Big 12 they might have the ability to catch and surpass programs like Syracuse and Boston College (both of the ACC) and Rutgers (of the Big Ten) in stature in the Northeast."

 

[the Blades]

College Athletics are not in a good place right now, and they are not in a good place because the richest inmates are being allowed to run the asylum. This situation cannot be tolerated. At some point the CR playing field is getting leveled by the feds. I also think the small schools could even bring a class action lawsuit seeking a leveling of the playing field. None of these possibilities should be discounted.

Well you called it, or maybe for even larger schools too, but nothing we haven't seem before. Maybe Washington needs to give Blumenthal a call and ask how that litigation thing worked out, LOL!

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Blades the litigation I am talking about is a total different animal than the disappointed bitch-slap litigation Blumenthal was involved with. I am talking a Class Action potentially involving 100 or more schools trying to level the playing field. What Washington is talking about is more along the lines of "we didn't get invited to the party and don't like it" disappointed bitch-slap litigation Blumenthal was involved in.

BTW I litigate for a living. I actually saw Blumenthal in Court, as AG, in Milford back in the 1990s on the Indian land claims litigation. I thought he did a very good job on that case. He did get his ass beat up by Eliot Spitzer on that tax case though, when both were AGs. Spitzer was an animal as an AG (a buddy of mine worked with him). He had a zero tolerance policy on lack of professionalism and sexual innuendo in his office, despite not being so discreet with paying money to escorts.

 

[the Blades]

Blades the litigation I am talking about is a total different animal than the disappointed bitch-slap litigation Blumenthal was involved with. I am talking a Class Action potentially involving 100 or more schools trying to level the playing field. What Washington is talking about is more along the lines of "we didn't get invited to the party and don't like it" disappointed bitch-slap litigation Blumenthal was involved in.

LOL, well it was a SMH joke, but that's my point.....you can't get 9 schools to currently agree on a thing, but now you want 100 or more to work on something together.... What's more likely before any of these lawyers get involved at that level... is that 60 or so P-5 schools break away entirely from the NCAA all together. Why ? Because it's already been done in CFB with complete autonomy. And there are to many politicians and lawyers (of schools with more money) that are in the club who could give 2 shits about schools that aren't in.

That is exactly what politicians and lawyers always get ya and sell...just more division and greed, SMH!

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

That is exactly what politicians and lawyers always get ya and sell...just more division and greed, SMH!

Speaking of which.....UNC AD Bubba was critical of FSU's divisive, greedy "barking":

FSU's 'barking' no good for ACC, says UNC AD

Bubba Cunningham told 99.9 The Fan that he'd rather see FSU be a "good member" of the ACC than publicize thoughts on its potential exit from the conference. "I don't think it's good for our league for them to be out there barking like that."

www.espn.com

CR has become a fantastic comedy show, the likes of which has not been seen since Abbott and Costello in their heyday.

 

[the Blades]

Speaking of which.....UNC AD Bubba was critical of FSU's divisive, greedy "barking":
CR has become a fantastic comedy show, the likes of which has not been seen since Abbott and Costello in their heyday.

LOL! yeah glad you caught that one with Bubba. I was thinking of posting it too. But it's funny that suddenly they're all concerned with the good of the game, blah, blah, blah and all the greed because it might effect them. When none of these schools blinked as Uconn's been dealing with this crap for like 20 years and alot these schools caused it.

But somehow the AD up in Storrs just keeps on pushing on after getting lied to over an over again by it's Big East FB partners........ Can't get a TV contract and go INDY unless your Notre Dame national media guy ? Tell em' Jared ...what about Uconn Football on CBS sports....Ha !

 

[the Blades]

Here's another new found moralist, now that his schools P-5 paycheck might be going away..
(Welcome to Uconn's world coach !)

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Oregon and Washington being scouted by Big 10:

Sources: Big Ten OK'd to scout Oregon, UW adds

Commissioner Tony Petitti was tasked with bringing Big Ten presidents back more information on the potential additions of Oregon and Washington. Sources cautioned to ESPN that there are many directions on how everything could play out in the big picture.

www.espn.com

 

[the Blades]

AD Dave has been pretty active on twitter today and also retweeted a message for us....

 

[the Blades]

Wow this stuff never ends, I guess San Diego St could get that opening in the PAC 12 after all..... but if Colorado does leave the PAC....is Arizona leaving with them ???

Well it took about a week since I asked this question but I guess we have the answer.....

 

[the Blades]

What's more likely before any of these lawyers get involved at that level... is that 60 or so P-5 schools break away entirely from the NCAA all together. Why ? Because it's already been done in CFB with complete autonomy. And there are to many politicians and lawyers (as Alums of schools with more money) that are in the club who could give 2 shits about schools that aren't in.

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

The PAC 12 is cooked as previously posted. Stanford is going to get hosed big time, ditto Oregon State, Arizona State, and California. Washington State too. All good schools. But they got left out of the party. Anyway, Bobby Hurley has job security as if he has to quit in disgust, Danny will figure out a way to get him on the coaching staff once someone gets hired away, which I believe will happen after next season.

 

[the Blades]

Welcome to the PAC 6, AKA the conference formerly known as the Pac 12. Who wants to join these guys ?
This is the Big East (w/ FB) all over again, where's Mike Aresco when you need him ?

PS, Wash St and Oregon St, never deserved to be in a P-5 anyway, though I'm sure they're all scrambling. But we know how that feels and we deserved to be in a P-5 !

 

[KhalidShockedTheWorld]

Bobby Hurley may not have to quit his job after all. Utah, ASU Apply for membership in the Country Club known as the Big 12:

Sources: Utah, ASU apply for Big 12 membership

Read more on ESPN

www.espn.com

 

[the Blades]

Caught this on TOS-
The four additions to the B12 have a combined winning percentage below .500 in the past 5 seasons and last year they were below .400. But yeah, it is football that drives the conference expansion bus

 

[the Blades]

Welcome to the PAC 6, AKA the conference formerly known as the Pac 12. This is the Big East (w/ FB) all over again

And then there were 4 ........