1977 BearCat
10-30-2011, 10:18 AM
As you are aware, this site has been full of comments over the last month related to Conference Realignment. The comments have reflected angst, disillusionment, and anger to name just a few of the emotions conveyed in the many posts. Now that this realignment has almost completely played out for the moment, it would be nice if the members of this site (and UC fans and contributors in general) got some answers from the UC administration. Do you guys have the connections to make that happen or to have a sit down with the new AD and provide us with a synopsis of the answers? If so,here are my contributions to the questions (after one more vent).
From the time UC was accepted into the Big East until the present, it has appeared to me that two UC Administrations have adopted a policy of benign neglect towards athletics (Thomas alluded to as much on his way to Illinois). While other schools continued to upgrade their resumes, we cut athletic scholarships to programs, moved a valuable home game to DC for money (Va Tech), held the athletic department responsible for previous facility upgrades (which were critical to getting in the Big East to begin with and necessary for a major university given the 1950's quality of almost all the previous facilities), and blew up the b-ball program costing the athletics department untold millions (this is not an attempt to reopen the Huggins debate. The fact is that decision has cost the athletic department significant money). If we are not very careful, UC will be back to Conference USA 2.0 when the final realignment occurs (the refigured Big East without Boise is probably already there). I gave a couple thousand dollars more to the Jefferson Ave complex a couple of weeks ago and am currently having donor’s remorse. I have never felt this way when giving money to UC athletics but am beginning to feel like I’m throwing good money after bad and I'm probably not the only one.
Questions:
1. Was a serious effort made to get UC into the Big 12?
2. If not, why not?
3. If so, what appears to have been the major impediment to UC acceptance and what is the plan to correct it?
4. What was the famous "back up" plan?
5. If we are indeed intent on helping make the Big East highly relevant on the national stage, what is the plan to improve UC athletics from top to bottom (e.g facilities)?
6. What is going to be done about the Big East members (UConn and UL to name two) that have publicly expressed the desire to leave the conference (a further increase in exist fees, assignment of TV rights, etc)? These expressions have damaged the conference's ability to improve going forward.
7. Are all schools (e.g. Seton Hall) going to be required to upgrade their athletic programs or will there continue to be free riders.
8. What is ND doing to help the conference (no one I knows can figure out what the've done since UC got in the conference)?
Thanks
From the time UC was accepted into the Big East until the present, it has appeared to me that two UC Administrations have adopted a policy of benign neglect towards athletics (Thomas alluded to as much on his way to Illinois). While other schools continued to upgrade their resumes, we cut athletic scholarships to programs, moved a valuable home game to DC for money (Va Tech), held the athletic department responsible for previous facility upgrades (which were critical to getting in the Big East to begin with and necessary for a major university given the 1950's quality of almost all the previous facilities), and blew up the b-ball program costing the athletics department untold millions (this is not an attempt to reopen the Huggins debate. The fact is that decision has cost the athletic department significant money). If we are not very careful, UC will be back to Conference USA 2.0 when the final realignment occurs (the refigured Big East without Boise is probably already there). I gave a couple thousand dollars more to the Jefferson Ave complex a couple of weeks ago and am currently having donor’s remorse. I have never felt this way when giving money to UC athletics but am beginning to feel like I’m throwing good money after bad and I'm probably not the only one.
Questions:
1. Was a serious effort made to get UC into the Big 12?
2. If not, why not?
3. If so, what appears to have been the major impediment to UC acceptance and what is the plan to correct it?
4. What was the famous "back up" plan?
5. If we are indeed intent on helping make the Big East highly relevant on the national stage, what is the plan to improve UC athletics from top to bottom (e.g facilities)?
6. What is going to be done about the Big East members (UConn and UL to name two) that have publicly expressed the desire to leave the conference (a further increase in exist fees, assignment of TV rights, etc)? These expressions have damaged the conference's ability to improve going forward.
7. Are all schools (e.g. Seton Hall) going to be required to upgrade their athletic programs or will there continue to be free riders.
8. What is ND doing to help the conference (no one I knows can figure out what the've done since UC got in the conference)?
Thanks