Rutgers fans won't be able to give this jerk a piece of their mind next season....

The Big East Conference today announced the women's basketball 2009-2010 home/away opponent schedule, and there is one glaring problem:  Rutgers and Connecticut will only play once next season.

Rutgers and UConn have played twice in the regular season for the last five years, and the rivalry is about as good as it gets in women's college basketball (besides UConn/Tennessee).  The games traditionally get national exposure on ESPN or ESPN2, and draw advanced sell-outs at both sites (an important footnote in this economy).  Rutgers will travel to Storrs next season, and will replace the Huskies with a home-and-home with Syracuse.  Connecticut will now play Notre Dame twice in 2009-2010.  As for the change, here's a statement from the Big East Conference regarding the selection of repeat opponents:

The rationale in determining the repeat opponents are as followed: providing additional television inventory; competitive issues/RPI implications and geographic rivalries/minimizing travel costs.

Hmmm...interesting.  I understand that the Big East is trying to further the causes of other teams in the league but getting rid of the one game that draws national interest is plain dumb.  Let's go down the checklist real quick:

1.  Providing additional television inventory:  Both RU/UConn games would most likely be nationally televised on ESPN or ESPN2, and would showcase 2 Top 10 teams with Hall-of-fame bound coaches C. Vivian Stringer and Geno Auriemma.  Do you think Syracuse-RU is going to draw any additional viewership to the worldwide leader?

2.  Competitive Issues/RPI Implications:  I'd say that matching up 2 teams that are traditionally in the Top 5 in the RPI standings would not be an issue.

3.  Geographic Rivalries/Minimizing Travel Costs:  UConn is no further than Syracuse, and there is no bigger rivalry in Big East women's basketball than Rutgers-UConn.

On a more positive note, early power rankings from both ESPN and Sports Illustrated have Rutgers ranked in the top 10 (as well as the defending champion Huskies) going into next season.  Maybe we'll get lucky and see an RU-UConn Big East Championship Game , followed by RU-UConn for the National Title.