The Kansas BOR can't really "expect" or dictate anything during all of this. They have to say that, or KSU alumni will freak out on them. It is becoming increasingly clear that there are not multiple seats at the table for a state as small as Kansas. They won't block one if one is all they can get.
I think it's as much a question of leadership: Apparently Herbst was so concerned with the lack of compliance in the UConn basketball program that she let the basketball coach force the AD out. Or so it seems from the published reports, when comparing Calhoun's decision to return with Hathaway's "decision" to retire. Or maybe it was the booster who couldn't hire the new football coach and wanted his $3MM back? Or the outsourced witch hunt? I had a hard time keeping it straight. But I did especially appreciate his terms, whereby Hathaway won't make "derogatory or defamatory" statements about his employment at UConn, about the school, or its employees and trustees "unless compelled by legal process or an NCAA investigation." Nice touch after that wringer.
The guy had been there for 20 years. He deserved some respect and more courteous - and discreet - handling of his release (by whatever name).
Of course, the ACC will probably run the numbers and accept the application...
-jk
I agree that he deserved a little bit more courtesy. He must have known that he was going to come up on the short end of the stick, and from a political perspective, probably should have fostered a warmer relationship with calhoun. It is hard, though, to keep anything "discreet" in big time college sports these days, especially when ESPN is right down the road.
The ACC will probably accept the application because they are a school with strong academics, the best women's basketball program in the country (and one that can actually generate revenue for the league...they sell out cameron/carmichael every time they play there), one of the top mens basketball programs in the country, a football team just off a BCS bowl, and a handful of other very strong sports. They have pretty much the entire state of connecticut as their TV market, without any competition, and national recognition. The only detractor, as some have pointed out, are the mens basketball violations, and with half the ACC with teams on probation, this is hardly out of place. Not to mention the calhoun era will likely be over by the time they can join.
Of course, this whole realignment thing is about the money, but its not like when Uconn gets here they will be the black sheep of the conference. Like it or not (and most people here don't), Uconn has a lot to offer to the ACC.
April 1
i am gonna hurl if uconn becomes and acc member..
http://espn.go.com/college-sports/st...ve-source-says
"One POSSIBLE future. From your point of view... I don't know tech stuff.".... Kyle Reese
Assuming we watch the big 12 and big east implode, I think we have a modest but decent chance of getting one of notre dame and Penn state. their long-term academic and possibly financial pictures would be improved, and their presidents might go for it. if we get one of them but not the other, I can see going for rutgers--who'd lust for the chance--or vandy, which should also be considering whether it wants to be a good regional university or a duke, northwestern, or Stanford. I'd be a little sick to my stomach if we stoop to uconn.
Why are people still mentioning Penn State as a possible ACC member? They're not leaving the B1G, period. Do you think the people running Penn State are in the habit of selling $20 for $10? Because even a 16 team ACC won't pay out more per school than the Big 10 does. No school is leaving the Big 10, SEC, or Pac-12.
Ahh, The University of New Jersey at Newark (and New Brunswick and Camden). Has that certain "air" about it.
25 Cities With The Worst Air Pollution: Ozone (Smog)
Los Angeles/Long Beach/Rierside, Calif.
Bakersfield, Calif.
Visalia-Porterville, Calif.
Fresno/Madera, Calif.
Houston/Baytown/Huntsville, Texas
Sacramento, Calif./Arden-Arcade/Yuba City, Nevada
Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas.
Charlotte/Gastonia/Salisbury, N.C.
Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale, Ariz.
El Centro, Calif.
Hanford/Corcoran, Calif.
Las Vegas/Paradise/Pahrump, Nevada
Sand Diego/Carslbad/San Marcos, Calif.
Washington, D.C./Baltimore, Md./No. Virginia
Cincinnati, Ohio/Middletown, Ky./Wilmington, In.
Philadelphia, Pa./ Camden, N.J./ Vineland, De.
St. Louis, Mo. / St. Charles / Farmington, Il.
New York, N.Y. / Newark, N.J. / Bridgeport, Conn.
Knoxville/Sevierville/ La Follette, Tenn.
Birmingham/Hoover/Cullman, Ala.
Baton Rouge/ Pierre Part, La.
Kansas City, Mo./ Overland Park, Ks.
Atlanta, Ga. / Sandy Springs / Gainesville, Ala.
Merced, Calif.
Memphis, Tenn.
(Kinda kidding. I think. I grew up in NJ.)
Agreed; I follow Penn State pretty closely and see any speculation of a move to the ACC as being a total non-starter.
First, they're just not going to make a hasty decision about jumping conferences. This is a school that has a football coach who has worked there for 60 years. It's not a "flavor of the day" type of school.
Second, they fit in quite well with the B1G.
A couple of random thoughts in response to some posts on this thread...
1) I don't think that the ACC need Rutgers in order to solidify a NYC market. Syracuse has all but done that by scheduling several home games over the next few years at the Meadowlands.
http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-foo...wlands-stadium
2) If the Big East falls or no longer has the clout of old, would the ACC ever consider including Madison Square Garden as a rotating site for the BBall Tourney? That would be awesome, especially for Duke.
Syracuse doesn't "control" the new york market in any real sense. No school does. THe best the ACC can do is put several schools in the area to sort of have control-by-committee, hence the interest in uconn and rutgers.
Swofford has already said he'd be interested in hosting the ACC tournament there, or at least in new york, but since its unlikely the big east will cease to exist, even if its the 8 non football schools, its likely that since they would still have st johns and several other big time bball schools (gtown, ND, marquette, villanova...along with providence, depaul, and seton hall) they would still be able to swing the garden. It's also unlikely that the football conference will cease to exist, in my opinion, since even if they lose 2 more teams to the ACC, I doubt the SEC is interested in the remainder, and the b1g seems happy with 12, and also wouldn't want the remainder. That leaves 5 football teams in the leauge, 6 when you add villanova, and the last 2 big 12 teams (assuming 4 go to the pac and 4 to the SEC, and they might take 2. but either way, that leaves the big east at a viable 8, and the possibility of adding more schools from down south (perhaps rice? SMU?) So even in a worst case scenario, the big east likely won't dissolve, it will just be unrecognizable.
April 1
Can you provide some of the numbers, please? The financial piece of this is obviously a huge part. What are the numbers that equate your "selling $20 for $10" comment. Please understand, not digging at you, just trying to understand the issues and financial context that Penn State is facing. Thanks for your post.
And there have been tweets from NY area writers that said Swofford's comments about possibly going to MSG with the ACC tournament made some BE members irate; and I get why they would be mad. Also, there have been some negative critiicms by writers at espn.com about the ACC pilfering teams from the Big East. As I said before, you're darned if you do, darned if you don't; and while I do feel bad for the BE, I am equally proud of the ACC leadership being proactive. Sadly, the reality of the current landscape is that it is truly survival of the fittest. I just hope we can still keep our original 12 in the fold. There are still writers that SEC could try to poach teams from the ACC and believe Fla State could go to the SEC if the SEC asked them. Yet, I have feeling Swofford is prepared that scenario if there are any defections from the ACC.