U Conn joining Big East

[Redbird222]

There are rumors that UConn will be rejoining the Big East. What will be interesting is to see the ripple effect

Does the Big East add another team
What Does UConn ultimately do with their football program
How does the AAC respond ... if they add a football only they could go after a basketball program like VCU, A10 schools or perhaps even Loyola.
Maybe there will be more defects from AAC ... especially if Big 12 ever expands.

Sources: UConn expected to rejoin Big East https://es.pn/2L8ukrn
via @ESPN App http://espn.com/app

 

[Redbird222]

Not sure how to edit topic title ... obviously meant "joining"

 

[REALBird]

Football would have to go Independent or drop to FCS. I doubt they go FCS, so Indy with ND, BYU, NMSU, Liberty, UMass, Army maybe the way to go until the dust settles.

 

[Birdswin]

The AAC - the conference everyone is looking to leave for "greener" pastures. All of a sudden, Creighton and Wichita may rethink their situation - possible, but not likely.

 

[TheTruth]

“Greener pastures” what are those? This is Illinois State athletics, we’re all about the path of least resistance not what’s right for the university.

 

[isuquinndog]

Fixed the title

 

[RedbirdSoxFan]

The AAC - the conference everyone is looking to leave for "greener" pastures. All of a sudden, Creighton and Wichita may rethink their situation - possible, but not likely.

Creighton is not in the AAC, and the Big East is a bit above the MVC! We would love our Redbirds to be in the Big East.

 

[Jon99]

“Greener pastures” what are those? This is Illinois State athletics, we’re all about the path of least resistance not what’s right for the university.

Count me in as one those guys that has rolled his eyes in the past when people talked about ISU moving out of the MVC into a better conference.. but after spending time on the campus the last few weeks, it is crazy that we are not in a better spot.. While they are beyond a longshot, how in the hell can goofball NIU be mentioned as an AAC back filler and we aren't even in the conversation????

 

[ChiRedbirdfan]

“Greener pastures” what are those? This is Illinois State athletics, we’re all about the path of least resistance not what’s right for the university.

Count me in as one those guys that has rolled his eyes in the past when people talked about ISU moving out of the MVC into a better conference.. but after spending time on the campus the last few weeks, it is crazy that we are not in a better spot.. While they are beyond a longshot, how in the hell can goofball NIU be mentioned as an AAC back filler and we aren't even in the conversation????

Good example of how ISU having FCS football is a killer for even being considered as a potential candidate at a better conference. ISU would be better off without football when it comes to improving conference affiliation Ala Creighton, Wichita state As it stands ISU has to be in two different conferences to make FCS football combined with mid-major basketball work . Hard to find many universities of ISU’s size and standing that are in the athletic conundrum ISU resides when looking at the future of their athletic programs Unless ISU makes a change the current Conf alignment is as good as it gets for ISU as there just is no other place to go.

 

[TheTruth]

ISU would be better off without football when it comes to improving conference affiliation Ala Creighton, Wichita state
[/quote]

Actually, no... that's not the case at all. Illinois State needs FBS football to improve their conference affiliation. Dropping football wouldn't do anything but doom them to remain where they're at. I've heard it said that only ISU football can get ISU basketball where we want it to go, and that still remains true.

 

[ChiRedbirdfan]

ISU would be better off without football when it comes to improving conference affiliation Ala Creighton, Wichita state

Actually, no... that's not the case at all. Illinois State needs FBS football to improve their conference affiliation. Dropping football wouldn't do anything but doom them to remain where they're at. I've heard it said that only ISU football can get ISU basketball where we want it to go, and that still remains true.
[/quote]

"No" IF ISU had FBS football but ISU definitely worse off, as respects to improving conference affiliation, having FCS football than not having football at all, IMO. ISU has already climbed the FCS football mountain and there are no greener pastures.

 

[Seven]

ISU would be better off without football when it comes to improving conference affiliation Ala Creighton, Wichita state

Illinois State needs FBS football to improve their conference affiliation.

We're not sniffing the AAC with or without FBS football. AAC targets urban schools with appropriate budgets: Philadelphia, Tampa, Orlando, Cincinnati, Memphis, New Orleans, Wichita, Tulsa, Dallas, Houston. The one exception is East Carolina who was averaging 48k attendance upon admission.

Every school in the AAC offers up valuable recruiting grounds for the rest of the conference. The one exception is Wichita, whose budget is so high they pay a top 10 MBB HC salary.

 

[Jon99]

ISU would be better off without football when it comes to improving conference affiliation Ala Creighton, Wichita state

Illinois State needs FBS football to improve their conference affiliation.

We're not sniffing the AAC with or without FBS football. AAC targets urban schools with appropriate budgets: Philadelphia, Tampa, Orlando, Cincinnati, Memphis, New Orleans, Wichita, Tulsa, Dallas, Houston. The one exception is East Carolina who was averaging 48k attendance upon admission.

Every school in the AAC offers up valuable recruiting grounds for the rest of the conference. The one exception is Wichita, whose budget is so high they pay a top 10 MBB HC salary.

So if Kansas St or Okie St said they wanted in the AAC, they would be shot down??? ha

We really need to have a 10 year plan to get football into FBS and move on from there, this school deserves it as we continue to make it better each year.. So much to be excited about, lets get the athletics there too..

 

[Seven]

Kansas St and Okie St have budgets significantly higher than the AAC and have been in the power structure for 100 years. Total apples to oranges.

 

[TheTruth]

We really need to have a 10 year plan to get football into FBS and move on from there, this school deserves it as we continue to make it better each year.. So much to be excited about, lets get the athletics there too..

Illinois State definitely needs to formulate a plan to finally start competing with its peer institutions. The mindset of "when the time is right , it will happen" is not and has never been, enough. Step one of this plan needs to be a near total purge of athletic administration to flush out the defeatist, small time mentality that has been allowed to permeate the department and its fan base for far too long.

 

[Redbird222]

https://www.foxnews.com/sports/welcome-home-uconn-huskies-rejoin-big-east

https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/status/1144709488362086400?s=19