It's the University of Connecticut

highwayman

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Just announced on "The Herd" on ESPN radio KSTP. ESPN based in Connecticut.

Seemed 100% lock, according to Colin Cowherd

http://1500espn.com/shows/theherd

Not posted, but he's talking now...

New York/New England markets, media centers. New football stadium. Basketball and womens sports are nice fit. They even have D1 hockey...
 

Just announced on "The Herd" on ESPN radio KSTP. ESPN based in Connecticut.

Seemed 100% lock, according to Colin Cowherd

http://1500espn.com/shows/theherd

Not posted, but he's talking now...

New York/New England markets, media centers. New football stadium. Basketball and womens sports are nice fit. They even have D1 hockey...

Really? are you serious... because that would be awesome...
 


The University of Connecticut is not part of the AAU which I thought was a priority for the Big 10.
 

Would love to hear from anyone listening to the show what he had to say, specifically.
 


Is it just me, or does this seem like a crappy pick. Nowhere near any other school. Poor football tradition, if any. Basketball is the only thing they have going for them. And yes, they have a new stadium, but isnt it nowhere near their campus? Not liking this if true.
 

Sounds like it would be UConn, Rutgers, and Pitt all together. Gap bridged.
 

Is it just me, or does this seem like a crappy pick. Nowhere near any other school. Poor football tradition, if any. Basketball is the only thing they have going for them. And yes, they have a new stadium, but isnt it nowhere near their campus? Not liking this if true.

Their stadium is 19 miles West of campus. Their football team is starting to turn things around and could be a lot better than people think in the Big East this year.
 




Cowherd said that iit's all but a done deal, and that Jim Delany has "gone into hiding". However, I thought he was in D.C.

The BigTen coaches meet in four weeks, the presidents in June.

I think UConn is a better fit market-wise than even Rutgers (Syracuse and Pitt are long-shots), as Connecticut is really part of two distinct TV markets (NY and Boston), and is the home of ESPN.

Behind the scenes, I think that Notre Dumb said no again and the B10 said "see you later".
 

But they would sure do a lot to line the conference coffers ... which, in the end, is what this is all about.
 

Their stadium is 19 miles West of campus. Their football team is starting to turn things around and could be a lot better than people think in the Big East this year.

They only had 2500 fans at their spring game this year so I question the level of fan support there especially considering they are only about 30 miles from Hartford.
 

If spring game attendance is the criteria, we better watch out, especially considering we're in the middle of Minneapolis.
 



But they would sure do a lot to line the conference coffers ... which, in the end, is what this is all about.

I get it, but as a fan, these three do nothing for me.

A pitt/PSU revived rivalry could be interesting, however.
 

They add nothing to TV (Uconn adds less to the NY market than Syracuse and does not add the Boston market)
They add nothing to football

Which happen to be the two things the Big Ten is looking for.
Isn't going to happen

Their stadium is 10k smaller than the smallest in the big ten
Also, they don't fit in academically.



Another thing. People need to shut up about the Big Ten expanding to 14 or 16....is not going to happen. Took them 10+ years to look into adding a 12th, and now they are going to go from 11 to 14 in a two year period? illogical and dumb
 

Whatever.

Guess I'm the idiot who think conferences should reflect a shared cultural background.
 

Does anyone recall that about 2 months ago the rumor was Rutgers the choice? This is just gossip. They add nothing to football which is what this whole thing is about. Even with Rutgers and Pitt it makes no sense at all.
 

Also UConn is not nearly a good enough school academically to join.
 

If you use the US News rankings (which is just one source and methodology, of course) they're just behind Minnesota, and above Indiana, Michigan State, and Iowa.
 

They only had 2500 fans at their spring game this year so I question the level of fan support there especially considering they are only about 30 miles from Hartford.

and the spring game here is a sell out ;)
 

They add nothing to TV (Uconn adds less to the NY market than Syracuse and does not add the Boston market)
They add nothing to football

Which happen to be the two things the Big Ten is looking for.
Isn't going to happen

Their stadium is 10k smaller than the smallest in the big ten
Also, they don't fit in academically.



Another thing. People need to shut up about the Big Ten expanding to 14 or 16....is not going to happen. Took them 10+ years to look into adding a 12th, and now they are going to go from 11 to 14 in a two year period? illogical and dumb

Not true at all! I'm from Boston, MA area and UConn is followed heavily there and also followed quite a bit in NYC, too.

According to U.S. News and World Report's National University rankings, Minnesota's #61, UConn's #66, and Indiana University is #71. Please elaborate on how they don't fit in academically...

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/national-universities-rankings/page+3
 

Tonight... on the Big 10 Network... Northwestern at Connecticut! Click.
 

What a horrible decision, if true. Delaney needs to be defenestrated.
 

Remember the saying "where there's smoke there's fire?" Well, there sure is a lot of smoke out there right now. Fan forums all over the internet are talking about it.

Apparently, in addition to Cowherd indicating that UConn is more-or-less a done deal, he is also saying that Utah and Colorado are headed to the PAC-Ten.

Broadcaster Kevin Harlan has apparently thrown out there that the Big Ten has made serious overtures to UConn, Pitt and Notre Dame (with an offer that would be hard to refuse).
 


So, if the Big 14 does add UConn, Pitt, and Rutgers I'm assuming there'd be a Big 14-East and Big 14-West. How would that shake out? I'm breaking this down based strictly on which teams are actually further east and west.
East:
UConn, Pitt, Rutgers, Penn St., Ohio St., Michigan, Michigan St.
West:
Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Northwestern, Indiana, Purdue

I suppose you could do some swapping of the Michigan and Indiana-based teams if you had to since they're in the middle.
 

Couple of things...

I listened to Herd this morning and I guess I never heard him say anything near that it was a virtual "done deal" for UConn. Just that they have emerged as a front runner if the league expands to 12 teams. The feasibility of expanding to 14 is still being considered.

Secondly, the people who are making the decision on which school(s) could be added are infinitely more intelligent, educated, and well-informed than the people on message boards who say UConn would be a horrible addition. The Big Ten first commissioned a firm from Chicago to evaluate the benefits of expansion and they did their homework, came back with a resounding YES to expansion.

When a decision is finally rendered, it will be done after reviewing market analysis in all the major sports, television revenue possibilities, and a boatload of other criteria. Whoever they decide to swallow up, I'm not concerned it will be the right decision, unlike the guy on the computer in his parents basement who thinks he knows better.

Expansion is a no-brainer, particularly for football. The benefits of having a conference championship game are too numerous to list here. Great move, long time coming...
 



Fully agree with CRG.

This all feels wrong. Shouldn't Big Ten expansion be an exciting thing.

Most would disagree, but I would prefer Missouri if we go to 12.

Nebraska and Kansas if we go to 14.
 




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