UCONN take

[Warrior of Law]

Since UCONN has made the decision to keep football, they need to maximize their ROI. This means taking the Big 12 offer; The money is too much to pass. As much as we'd love (and UCONN fans, too) would love to stay together, money is next to oxygen in importance. So, we thank them for our time together, wish them the best, take the $3M per team, and see if another option works. This is the business of college sports.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

They haven't left yet...and may not.

[wadesworld]

Their basketball would not suffer like it did going to a mid major conference. They'd be leaving and joining the best basketball conference in the country, even with the realignment changes.

[The Lens]

Any time you have a chance to join a conference with South Florida & Cincinnati, you have to do it.

[avid1010]

Their basketball would not suffer like it did going to a mid major conference. They'd be leaving and joining the best basketball conference in the country, even with the realignment changes.

I bet Hurley prefers to stay in the BEAST...

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I bet Hurley prefers to stay in the BEAST...

And their fans as well. Really the only reason for them to jump the B12 is because of the money. They'd be an outlier in every other way.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Their basketball would not suffer like it did going to a mid major conference. They'd be leaving and joining the best basketball conference in the country, even with the realignment changes.

I question whether or not joining the best basketball conference in the country, when all of the other good schools are 1,000 miles away, is really going to be helpful to their basketball program.

[The Lens]

I'm taking the under of Big 12. 

If you join a non Big Ten / SEC power conference  right now you better be coming from the Sun Belt bc everyone else is just rearranging deck chairs.  The ship is due to sink. 

[WhiteTrash]

Any time you have a chance to join a conference with South Florida & Cincinnati, you have to do it.

South Florida?

[The Lens]

South Florida?

My bad Central Florida.  lol. 

I get Kansas is in this conference and I get Houston is amazing under Sampson but people realize Oklahoma is leaving, right?  And Texas?

It's sh!tshow of mismatched schools.  Take the under. 

[FartyEightHours]

I still can't believe UCONN won the national championship.  Not too much football talent in the New England states.  They'd just be another team in football in a better conference.

[wadesworld]

My bad Central Florida.  lol. 

I get Kansas is in this conference and I get Houston is amazing under Sampson but people realize Oklahoma is leaving, right?  And Texas?

It's sh!tshow of mismatched schools.  Take the under.

Texas hurts, but Houston replaces them and there's no drop off at all.  Oklahoma?  Oh no, what will the Big Twelve do without Porter!?

It's the best basketball conference in the country, and it's not even close.  If it adds UCONN the gap just gets that much wider.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I'm taking the under of Big 12. 

If you join a non Big Ten / SEC power conference  right now you better be coming from the Sun Belt bc everyone else is just rearranging deck chairs.  The ship is due to sink.

I don't think so. I think the B12 survives. They will clearly be a second tier behind SEC/B1G but they will be the third power conference. I don't think they will lose anymore schools, I think all the poaching will be from the ACC/P12. What properties does the B12 still have that either the B1G or SEC would want? They are all in either non-existent media markets or are bad at football or both.

[The Lens]

Texas hurts, but Houston replaces them and there's no drop off at all.  Oklahoma?  Oh no, what will the Big Twelve do without Porter!?

It's the best basketball conference in the country, and it's not even close.  If it adds UCONN the gap just gets that much wider.

The new Big 12 is if you put Kansas in the American.  It looks good on paper but it won't last.  Houston could be irrelevant as soon as Kelvin retires.  Texas / Oklahoma will always be relevant.  It's like saying UWM during the Pearl years could fill in for Wisconsin.  Cinci, Hou & UCF have almost zero national appeal. 

The Big 12 has lost Mizzou, A&M, Colorado, Nebraska, Texas & Oklahoma.  Those are 6 of the 7 most important schools in their footprint.  It's not sustainable.

[wadesworld]

The new Big 12 is if you put Kansas in the American.  It looks good on paper but it won't last.  Houston could be irrelevant as soon as Kelvin retires.  Texas / Oklahoma will always be relevant.  It's like saying UWM during the Pearl years could fill in for Wisconsin.  Cinci, Hou & UCF have almost zero national appeal. 

The Big 12 has lost Mizzou, Colorado, Nebraska, Texas & Oklahoma.  Those are 5 of the 6 most important schools in their footprint.  It's not sustainable.

I think Colorado, Mizzou, and Nebraska miss the Big 12 much more than the Big 12 misses them.

[lawdog77]

The new Big 12 is if you put Kansas in the American.  It looks good on paper but it won't last.  Houston could be irrelevant as soon as Kelvin retires.  Texas / Oklahoma will always be relevant.  It's like saying UWM during the Pearl years could fill in for Wisconsin.  Cinci, Hou & UCF have almost zero national appeal. 

The Big 12 has lost Mizzou, A&M, Colorado, Nebraska, Texas & Oklahoma.  Those are 6 of the 7 most important schools in their footprint.  It's not sustainable.

Or takes the Bucks job.

[WhiteTrash]

I think Colorado, Mizzou, and Nebraska miss the Big 12 much more than the Big 12 misses them.

I think you are right.

Plus do Scoopers follow college hoops? Baylor is two years removed from a National Title. I see no mention of Baylor in this thread. A great argument can be made the Big12 will be better in hoops.

[The Lens]

I 100% agree that the Big 12 is the best conference in basketball. I also happen to know that basketball means very little in college sports. 

Baylor is the 4th most important scholol in Texas (UT, A&M & Oklahoma all have more fans / alums).

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

The new Big 12 is if you put Kansas in the American.

I 100% agree that the Big 12 is the best conference in basketball.

These two statements don't seem to match up unless you think Kansas is that good.

I think the B12 survives. I also wouldn't be surprised to see them accept their role as the weakest football power conference while maximizing their basketball product. Their commissioner has made some comments about investment in basketball that are interesting and I think worth paying attention too. I think the B12 is the biggest threat to the stability of the BEast.

[Aughnanure]

I 100% agree that the Big 12 is the best conference in basketball. I also happen to know that basketball means very little in college sports. 

Baylor is the 4th most important scholol in Texas (UT, A&M & Oklahoma all have more fans / alums).

I don't think it means very little, but how important the Big 12 being THE BEST COLLEGE BASKETBALL CONFERENCE is definitely overstated in these discussions.

It's very good, it's been the best clearly lately. I doubt it will stay the best. No conference will. It has really only 2 (arguably) brand name programs (and I'm only counting Baylor cause of their title, does the casual cbb fan think of them like that?). Cincy and Houston will help though (Louisville and Memphis really do belong in this conference now).

Basically it'd be very dumb for UCONN to move because it's the best conference RIGHT NOW. I think it's a good reason to not decide too quickly against moving, at least knowing your basketball program will be better supported by the conference this time around than the AAC. But some of those great programs right now that will be on their schedule will be very meh at some point soon (Tech, Iowa St, Kansas St and I grew up a KSU fan, Central freaking Florida, TCU).

[4everwarriors]

Or takes the Bucks job.

Knot happenin'. Just used dat ta get more bread outta Houston, aina?

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I don't think it means very little, but how important the Big 12 being THE BEST COLLEGE BASKETBALL CONFERENCE is definitely overstated in these discussions.

It's very good, it's been the best clearly lately. I doubt it will stay the best. No conference will. It has really only 2 (arguably) brand name programs (and I'm only counting Baylor cause of their title, does the casual cbb fan think of them like that?). Cincy and Houston will help though (Louisville and Memphis really do belong in this conference now).

Basically it'd be very dumb for UCONN to move because it's the best conference RIGHT NOW. I think it's a good reason to not decide too quickly against moving, at least knowing your basketball program will be better supported by the conference this time around than the AAC. But some of those great programs right now that will be on their schedule will be very meh at some point soon (Tech, Iowa St, Kansas St and I grew up a KSU fan, Central freaking Florida, TCU).

It's been a pretty long run at this point. This is only one measure, but they have been KenPom's top rated conference 8/10 of the last ten years. The two times they weren't, they were second. I also have a feeling that their basketball success is a little more sustainable than you might think. Could definitely be wrong on that point.

You are right that being the basketball conference by itself is not a good reason for UConn to move. But it is also obviously a huge football upgrade for them. If the money is what you would expect, UConn would be foolish to turn down that opportunity. Fortunately, I don't think the B12 is interested in UConn at this point. Maybe that will change in the future.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I was under the impression The Big East is the best basketball conference.

There is a lot of blasphemy today.

[connie]

I think Colorado, Mizzou, and Nebraska miss the Big 12 much more than the Big 12 misses them.

I've got to ask what you think Nebraska misses?  They get about 20m more revenue a year and far more broadcast access from the B10 Network than anything the Big 12 has. 

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I think they miss their football success, which was oftentimes driven by recruits out of Texas in their B12 days.