Why hasn't U.Conn made the jump?

[Onion Man]

Re: Why hasn't U.Conn made the jump?

Northeastern.

Or, more realistically, Providence.

Throw out BC, add Brown. Everybody wins. What I mean is everyone will get wins vs. Brown.

 

[mcfarljd]

Re: Why hasn't U.Conn made the jump?

UConn with a football program? Come on... They couldn't even win the MAC, and that's saying somethin.

 

[SteveF]

Re: Why hasn't U.Conn made the jump?

who does uconn need to sue to get into hockey east? i'm disgusted by all this talk of uconn betraying the atlantic hockey association. where is the loyalty???

as for why uconn hockey blows, it probably has a lot to do with north dakota having the lock on recruiting all the criminals.

 

[FireKnight]

Re: Why hasn't U.Conn made the jump?

It all comes down to money. If I'm the athletic director at UConn and I had money to spend thanks to an extremely successful roundball program, where would I choose to spend that money:

A) On a program that has little history of success but already plays in a big money conference that is a little ripe for the picking?

or

B) On a program that has little history of success, plays in a small conference that produces little to no revenue?

I think I'd follow the Rutgers plan in an effort to make millions rather than the RIT plan that might make a few thousand.

 

[Rover]

Re: Why hasn't U.Conn made the jump?

It all comes down to money. If I'm the athletic director at UConn and I had money to spend thanks to an extremely successful roundball program, where would I choose to spend that money:

A) On a program that has little history of success but already plays in a big money conference that is a little ripe for the picking?

or

B) On a program that has little history of success, plays in a small conference that produces little to no revenue?

I think I'd follow the Rutgers plan in an effort to make millions rather than the RIT plan that might make a few thousand.

I'm not sure they're mutually exclusive. Furthermore, I'd be real careful about a mid level football school upgrading right now in an era of Super Conferences. Once the SEC get through taking FSU, Miami, Clemson and Georgia Tech, that's going to leave only 4 conferences (SEC, former Big 10, former Big 12, and maybe Pac-10 if USC recovers) that anybody gives a rat's arse about in football. I can easily see a major realignment in TV dollars and major bowl eligibility going along with that, essentually leaving the ACC, Big East, etc with the short end of the stick.

Having said that, clearly dedicating the school to the sport of hockey won't be done for the promise of a big payday down the road. However, with some improvements they could get to the point where the team is profitable, and if so that's a worthwhile investment. I'll use both UMass and BC as examples of schools that clearly favor their hoops teams, but have most likely realized that money spent by fans to see a hockey game has the same monetary value as money spent by hoops fans to visit the arena and eat the same food, so why not do both?

 

[Tom Naeger]

Re: Why hasn't U.Conn made the jump?

Didn't U Conn already make the jump to division one?

Well UCONN did make it to the second round of its Conference Tourament losing to losing to eventual champion and Frozen Four participate RIT, what more could be expected of them