UConn president Susan Herbst reaches out to BC about ACC

by Andrew Porter on Sep 22, 2011 12:32 PM EDT in UConn Huskies Football

As anyone following the never-ending flame-war that DerbyGuy has been waging in the comments against Boston College fans knows, BC does not want UConn in the Big East. In fact, they're actively trying to block the Huskies. However, UConn president Susan Herbst isn't taking the news lying down. Instead, she's reached out to BC president Fr. William Leahy, S.J., according to a report from Ed Diagneault.

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No one knows how much, if at all, this will help UConn's attempt to get an ACC invite, but it can't hurt. As BC fans never tire of pointing out, UConn was part of a lawsuit against them, and as I've pointed out, the players have changed. Hopefully they get along better this time.

Sidenote: Daigneault joined twitter today. Give him a follow.

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Comments

As anyone following the never-ending flame-war that DerbyGuy has been waging in the comments against Boston College fans knows

I wouldn’t characterize the internet squabble as necessarily a “flame war” for that would entail a degree of unrestrained vulgarity and absence of proper decorum.

However, I think this is a step in the right direction on the part of UConn.

by epperson on Sep 22, 2011 1:22 PM EDT reply actions

I’ll give the UConn leadership credit, they are working the media over hard to massage their candidacy.

by Eagle in Brighton on Sep 22, 2011 2:26 PM EDT reply actions

UConn to the ACC

As a GT fan and ACC follower I think UCONN would’ve made a great addition to the ACC. My problem right now is that Syracuse is not a very good Football school and Pitt is not traditionally a good football school. I don’t want anymore traditionally bad football schools. Uconn is not a very good football school and I’d rather stay at 14 than bring on more bad football. Sure the basketball in the ACC would be great but the football would not benefit at all. I think they will stay at 14 and wait as long as they can for Notre Dame and Penn. Lets face it no other conferences are going to go after UCONN and Rutgers so the ACC has all the time they can handle to insure they get the very best schools for our league. I wish we could go back 10 years and trade BC for UCONN oh well!!

by CraZYTraDeMaN on Sep 22, 2011 2:27 PM EDT reply actions

In fairness

We’re not traditionally anything in football. We’ve been D-I for 10 years, most of them at least above .500.

Agree on everything else you said.

TheUConnBlog.com

Thoroughly enjoying life atop whatever conference UConn is in today.

by Kevin Meacham on Sep 22, 2011 2:36 PM EDT up reply actions

i’d like to see GT bounced too.

by waterwater on Sep 22, 2011 4:38 PM EDT up reply actions

GT bounced

For always being near the top of the ACC in Football???

by CraZYTraDeMaN on Sep 23, 2011 10:10 AM EDT up reply actions

"I don't want anymore traditionally bad football schools"

I do not see how this applies to ‘Cuse. You’re right that they’re not very good right now, but they have an excellent football tradition and are on the upswing. Whether or not they can get back to their pinnacle is of course an open question but I trust in Marrone.

by WRT on Sep 22, 2011 6:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Cuse being in the ACC

I’m good with Cuse in the ACC, but I’d like to see a few solid football programs added if we go for a 15th and 16th team.

by CraZYTraDeMaN on Sep 23, 2011 10:12 AM EDT up reply actions

Fr Leahy

It will be so so sweet to deny UConn entry into the acc! can’t wait

by Eagles on the warpath on Sep 22, 2011 4:02 PM EDT reply actions

yeah

Those Jesuit priests, always out for revenge and punishment. It’s not like them to forgive the actions of others, especially when those actions were the legal acts of an institution that was contractually associated with BC. I’m sure he also can’t wait to bring the hammer down on Pitt since they were also involved in the suit.

by Fergy on Sep 22, 2011 4:15 PM EDT via iPhone app up reply actions

Pitt is hypocritical and should be called out for it.

As for as “contractual obligations” are concerned, it was very clear from the Minutes of the Meeting with Big East Presidents that Fr. Leahy was willing to pay the financial penalty of membership withdrawal. So not only were BE Schools notified and aware of BC’s intentions, they actually tried to increase the monetary punishment (ND). Even worse, a few schools even distorted the Fr. Leahy’s comments into a betrayal story.

Not once did Fr. Leahy or GDF or Swofford or Miami respond in kind.

by epperson on Sep 22, 2011 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions

Notre. Dame. Light.

All these years of UConn not kicking BC’s ass has made them soft and weak.

by fcmonk on Sep 22, 2011 4:37 PM EDT reply actions

The moves are driven by Football.

Are you aware that UConn has never beaten BC?

by epperson on Sep 22, 2011 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions

now, let’s be fair here…….do you honestly believe that would still be the case if Uconn and BC had played in the last four or five years?

by huskymania on Sep 22, 2011 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions

The last two years, BC stunk.

For the last 12 years, we were good enough to secure a streak of Bowl invites and wining a majority of them.

I can’t speculate on hypothetical match-ups because to be honest, I don’t really follow BE Football. I plugged in briefly during the Fiesta Bowl and I wasn’t impressed.

by epperson on Sep 22, 2011 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Well, Uconn has also gone to bowl games the last six or so years and faired very well in those games……and just because Uconn lost to Oklahoma means nothing. I saw BC play a few times last year and I would venture a guess they would have done as poorly in that game as Uconn. When BC was “dominating” Uconn in football it’s because they essentially played two different games. Uconn was playing low-level football putting no emphasis on the sport while BC was living and dying with football. Since Uconn has begun to take it seriously, I doubt there is much separation between the two programs. Neither one are elite level.

by huskymania on Sep 22, 2011 7:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Not sure why we care so much about BC

If the majority of schools in the ACC want UConn, you think BC won’t be “convinced” to change their mind, if they are actually blocking anything? At this point, wouldn’t half the ACC members have to be reminded BC is still in their conference? Is there any hard evidence BC even plays college sports any longer?

by huskymania on Sep 22, 2011 4:42 PM EDT reply actions

4 votes from member schools is all it takes to reject any prospective school.

If you don’t think BC has any clout within the ACC, why would Herbst bother with reaching out to Fr. Leahy?

by epperson on Sep 22, 2011 4:58 PM EDT up reply actions

She made the call, I’m sure, because as any good executive you cover all your bases and if someone has an issue with you, why would it hurt to call? But, like I said, if Uconn is deemed a good fit for the ACC, BC isn’t going to stand in the way in the end.

by huskymania on Sep 22, 2011 7:11 PM EDT up reply actions

BC still has a sports program? I haven’t seen them in the news during the last decade. Who knew!?

by UConn07 on Sep 22, 2011 6:44 PM EDT reply actions

Guess it’s sort of like the tree ithe forrest……if BC plays a game and no one cares, did it actually happen?

by huskymania on Sep 22, 2011 7:26 PM EDT up reply actions

God I hope you guys get in

I’ve been rooting for UConn entirely too much this past year. First in the NCAA tourney after ‘Cuse got dropped, now in conference realignment… it’s too much to bear!

by WRT on Sep 22, 2011 6:55 PM EDT reply actions

Southern view of BC

Exactly how does BC get any right to make fun of UCONN?? Do they even have any sports that they’re good at?? BC is the worst program the ACC has allowed in… I wish the ACC could go back and rethink that move!! You lost to DUKE… really…really…. DUKE????

by CraZYTraDeMaN on Sep 23, 2011 10:18 AM EDT reply actions