Re: Re: Tranghese

[Myles Berling]

MessageOf course the Big East was interested in the potential of UC football.  IF they though it would be on the crap heep they would not be interested in us.  

However, what has made Varsity Village possible?  One thing.  The success of UC bball!  Without bball driving the $ engine this athletic deparment would be fighting the battle with rocks and sticks.  Now with Varsity Village the football team has a fighting chance to improve.  The ladies bball team will now compete in an elite league.  We have already seen the result on this with a #10 rated recruiting class coming in.  

What kick started this whole imporvement in the athletic department is attributable to one person and one person only; Bob Huggins.  

I would even go so far as to say what got the rest of the improvements on campus rolling was the success of men's bball.  
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: richard l. kandell 
  To: address@hidden 
  Sent: Saturday, July 02, 2005 7:45 PM
  Subject: Re: [UC Basketball] Re: Tranghese


  Just to keep the facts straight Marquette and DePaul were asked at the insistence of the non-football playing schools - to even the numbers.  There was no big secret about it at the time, and it was the "price" the football schools had to pay to get their numbers back up to 8.

  As to Memphis - Memphis was told fairly early on in the negotiations that they were not going to be considered - and the "public" reason given was that they were too far south - in other words they were a southern school, but without the Florida association.  USF got in "on the come" with respect to where their football program might go, and thinking by the remaining BEast AD's that since Florida is a fertile football recruiting ground the needed to keep a presence there, and USF was the best that was available - no one was excited about the need to have a presence in Tennessee.

  Finally, the stories about "selling" UC as more than just its athletic programs to the Presidents of the rest of the BEast schools was made known right after the negotiations were completed.  Goin made it clear that UC was "sold" as a whole package, its athletics yes, but its academics, etc., as well.  Zimpher's role in that was noted at the time.

  On the opinion side, I have never argued that the success of the basketball program didn't count for anything, but I did believe Goin then, and Tranghese now, saying that it was a great deal more than that which carried the day.  After waiting 5 decades for this, I couldn't be more thrilled, whatever the reasons!

  Richard K.
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Bob Fancher 
    To: address@hidden 
    Sent: Saturday, July 02, 2005 12:47 PM
    Subject: Re: [UC Basketball] Re: Tranghese


    Yeah, Richard, and if you believe the commissioner about the potential of U.C.'s football program being one of the key reasons for entrance, then maybe you can also explain the potential of Marquette and DePaul football programs.
      ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: richard l. kandell 
      To: address@hidden 
      Sent: Saturday, July 02, 2005 12:37 PM
      Subject: [UC Basketball] Re: Tranghese


      Holy Crumpets Batman - the Commissioner of the new league says what?  That it was the rest of the BEast Presidents being comfortable with Zimpher, her vision for the school and why UC wanted to move to their conference, as well as the potential of the football team ("where we were hurt" in the loss of 3 schools) and the overall improvement in athletic facilities spearheaded by Varsity Village (made possible primarily by Bob Goin), plus the market,  that were the key factors in evaluating UC and offering them admittance to the BEast.  Oh, and yes, by the way, the successful basketball program was a plus, but we really didn't need any help there, thank you.

      I'm not arguing that Huggins and the basketball program weren't also a key, but to say, as some seem to be, that he was the only reason, or even the lopsided most important reason, for UC being invited to the BEast, does not appear to be correct.

      Richard K.