Auriemma blasts Notre Dame for Big East football snub

**cigaretteman** · 10-20-2011, 12:09 PM

Notre Dame has a vested interest in seeing the Big East survive but has no desire to surrender its independence to join as a football-playing member.
This does not please Connecticut women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma , who brought out the heavy lumber at Big East media day Thursday in calling out the Irish for failing to help save the league through all-sports membership.
"The only thing you're sure of is they don't play in our league and never want to play in our league," Auriemma said Thursday, per the Hartford Courant . "For a lot of us, it's a huge problem.

"They've been in our league something like [17] years. How long are we going to date before we just decide this ain't working? I'm not happy about it. That's not the opinion of UConn , the Big East Conference, my president, my AD. That's just Geno Auriemma's opinion. I'm ****** about it."
Auriemma's apparent central beef: Had Notre Dame joined in all sports in 1995, as opposed to entering on the everything-but-football plan, the Big East would not have suffered through what is now two sets of potentially disastrous defections.
"If Notre Dame had come in as a football and basketball school, all-in, we wouldn't have a problem," said Auriemma, who has led Connecticut to seven national titles. "Miami wouldn't have left. Virginia Tech wouldn't have left. Boston College wouldn't have left. We probably wouldn't have any of these issues, would we?

"We have one school that holds the future of our league in the palm of their hand and they're not really that concerned about it. That's my opinion now. You asked me a question. I'm telling you an answer."
Earlier this week, Big East commissioner John Marinatto lauded Notre Dame for the work it has done to ensure the league continues to exist.
"I think Notre Dame is as committed, if not more committed, in this conference than any other member because they view it as a very positive place," Marinatto said.
Auriemma said he understood Notre Dame looking out for its best interest. But that didn't stop him, either.

Auriemma blasts Notre Dame for Big East football snub - chicagotribune.com

**bosco** · 10-20-2011, 12:19 PM

Geno may be out of his league on this one.

**AlleyAddict** · 10-20-2011, 12:26 PM

I wish Geno would just keep his mouth shut. You're a women's basketball coach, nobody cares what you have to say about this. He just think's he's way more important than he actually is.

**MNCyGuy** · 10-20-2011, 12:26 PM

So did the WBB coaches all get together before their media days and agree that they'd all just say whatever the hell they wanted about realignment? If so, I approve!

**helechopper** · 10-20-2011, 12:31 PM

It's all true. Kudos to their coach.

**Wesley** · 10-20-2011, 12:31 PM

You go, GeNO. We could use more ND Olympic sports in our league.

**aeroclone** · 10-20-2011, 12:31 PM

I think it is a great point. Notre Dame joining up with a conference could really stabilize things for everyone and put an end to this super conference nonsense. If they would have come on board as the 12th team in the B1G, I don't think they would have much reason to go beyond 12 in the future, thus they wouldn't be trying to lure teams away from the Big 12 or the Big East. If they would join up with the Big 12 we would likely stabilize as a league too. Most scenarios that I can think of that end up with ND in a league seems to create more stability for everyone. It would also seem to stabilize the BE or the Big 12, and without those two ready to pull apart nobody else has any great expansion options whether they want it or not.

The irony in all of this for me is that ND refuses to get on board with this in order to cling to some tradition of independence that has lead them to be largely irrelevant in college football over the last 15 years. It seems to me like a move by ND would be beneficial to both ND and to college football in general.

**ca4cy** · 10-20-2011, 12:31 PM

I guess I've never researched it, but a buddy on the golf course told me a few weeks back that he had heard a Jim Boeheim (sp?) quote along those same lines, basically saying that letting ND in the league in an "all but football" capacity had bred a lot of the instability that the Big East faced. Of course that rings a little hollow when Syracuse jumps ship.

**twistedredbird** · 10-20-2011, 12:41 PM

I don't "like" Geno, but I respect him. Got to give a coach credit for having the balls to say something like that.

And, for the record, who is UConn's football coach? More people know Geno nationally, than their football coach, I'm sure. So, why does it matter that he is just a "WBB" coach? It doesn't, and that's the problem. So many other people/sports/and fans are effected by these "football" decisions, and they should be able to voice their frustrations, even if they don't have a say at the table.

**jbhtexas** · 10-20-2011, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by twistedredbird

I don't "like" Geno, but I respect him. Got to give a coach credit for having the balls to say something like that.

And, for the record, who is UConn's football coach? More people know Geno nationally, than their football coach, I'm sure. So, why does it matter that he is just a "WBB" coach? It doesn't, and that's the problem. So many other people/sports/and fans are effected by these "football" decisions, and they should be able to voice their frustrations, even if they don't have a say at the table.

Well said!

**kberyldial** · 10-20-2011, 01:36 PM

He may have had a point 10 years ago. Plus, he's sending the message to the wrong school. He should be calling out Syracuse and Pitt. Plus, all this while everyone else at his university are packing their bags for the ACC. He didn't need to say anything really.

**JP4CY** · 10-20-2011, 01:43 PM

Um, didn't UCONN wan't to bail on the Big East a few months ago too?

**Die4Cy** · 10-20-2011, 01:45 PM

Those comments are going to sound really stupid if/when UConn leaves the BE for greener pastures elsewhere.

**intrepid27** · 10-20-2011, 01:47 PM

I agree 100%. If you want to be in a conference then be IN it. Big East is bailing ND out on most of their non revenue sports by allowing them in the conference.

**CycloneBob** · 10-20-2011, 02:39 PM

Originally Posted by twistedredbird

I don't "like" Geno, but I respect him. Got to give a coach credit for having the balls to say something like that.

And, for the record, who is UConn's football coach? More people know Geno nationally, than their football coach, I'm sure. So, why does it matter that he is just a "WBB" coach? It doesn't, and that's the problem. So many other people/sports/and fans are effected by these "football" decisions, and they should be able to voice their frustrations, even if they don't have a say at the table.

Totally agree!