As usual in coverage of college sports, the default emphasis is on the men's team, even in cases (such as at UCONN) when the far more elite team is the women's. In this article, the women receive only token mention at the end of the article even though the topic applies equally to both the men's and women' teams.
Too bad the spirit of Title IX does not apply to how journalism covers women's athletics.
5
"The university is paying $17 million for its move — a $10 million exit fee and an additional $7 million to leave earlier than generally permissible under American Athletic rules."
These fines to a state university are outrageous. UConn is funded by taxpayers in CT and students paying tuition. This is going to cause, yet another, increase in tuition.
UConn should legally challenge the ACC's excessive fining. UConn is not a fortune 500 company. NCAA has become a machine that has lost sight of the fact they are dealing with college sports.
I never understood the charges against Ollie. The article states, "Ollie allowed improper pickup games, used a video coordinator as a coach and gave free training sessions to three players."
Why is any of the above illegal for a coach to do?
Ollie is a former UConn and NBA player, he knows the game and skills required to win.
There was also an issue with former UConn player, Ray Allen, Facetiming, with a potential recruit. Why? It is standard for alums to meet with and talk to potential students/players. Again, we are talking about college ball.
Ollie's actions are effective coaching and recruiting, to me.
It seems like the NCAA was gunning for Ollie and UConn with these trumped- up charges.
Good riddins to the ACC.
UConn belongs in the Big East.
Go Huskies!
4
Coming back from the wilderness. Thank god.
4
UConn is going down the tubes. Moving to the Big East will do nothing to help their athletics woes. Villanova is clearly the flagbearer of the conference and if they falter, so does the league. UConn football is now in its death throes and is only a matter of time the program slips to FCS or a footnote in college athletics history. I've not seen a more poorly managed university athletics program, ever.
2
When the Big East lost UCONN, Rutgers, and Syracuse a while back it basically became the Catholic College League. UCONN's return means the other programs will now be able to have a bit of fun talking up having to the play the heathens from Storrs. UCONN also has a unique opportunity to drop football and walk away from the disaster. There's precedent: This past week alone, five or six players have announced they're transferring off the stinking ship, pun intended.
2
As a Villanova Alum and fan who grew up in Connecticut, I can't be happier about UConn returning to the Big East fold. Sure, Hurley and the Huskies will lay some losses on my Wildcats but their presence in the Conference will only help the overall brand. Hurley is a great coach whom I predict will have the Huskies relevant and chasing championships again at the national level quite soon. I really don't know what the UConn trustees were thinking when they followed the football pipe-dream to the AAC. Sacrificing a marquee hoops program for a gridiron white elephant that anyone with a pulse knew was a non-starter...?
We now have a legitimate "Power 6" configuration in College hoops, as the "new" Big East is easily equal to the likes of the ACC, Big10, SEC, etc.
Welcome back to the Big East, UConn...!
13
The spotty UConn football experience shows just how hard it is to recruit the most talented pigskin players from the East when its high schools in the South, Midwest and West that are increasing the best source of such players. Only Penn State has been successful over the years in doing top recruitment.
2