Now UCONN writers are calling for leaving AAC and downgrading football
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Author is not a "UCONN Writer". He has a bachelor's degree from Yale and a master's in public policy from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.
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"...instead contemplate alternatives that should include abandoning the
university's major football ambitions and returning to the Big East."
Agreed. Get back into the Big East before you become forgotten. Move back to the Yankee Conference in football. UMASS would be joining them soon. Their FBall program won't make it in the big time.
university's major football ambitions and returning to the Big East."
Agreed. Get back into the Big East before you become forgotten. Move back to the Yankee Conference in football. UMASS would be joining them soon. Their FBall program won't make it in the big time.
It looks like their State reps are more clueless about big time athletics than NJ state reps. There must be a large group of UCONN1000 wandering the steps of the state capital. Not only are these RU10/UCONN1000 proponents ignorant to the benefits of big time athletics they are poor business-people. No bank should loan them money to start a business.
And they should. They would be better off either going back to the MAC for FB and the Big East for BB. Or going independentin FB. They will get dominated by the Florida/Texas contingent of the AAC in FB, and that conference brings no more in BB than the Big East, except more travel (the Big East is now bigger - but its score is still the DC to Providence corridor, which has five teams, to the AACs 1).
what's their upside in the AAC? Not much IMO. they could have a few good years but it will be real hard for UConn to be dominant in a league with UC, Florida schools and Memphis. They've really never been better than mediocre.
We've seen their downside - empty stadium - really empty and losing to the worst teams in the country.
Shut it down Uconn, it was a mistake in the 1st place and your empty stadium sucks.
We've seen their downside - empty stadium - really empty and losing to the worst teams in the country.
Shut it down Uconn, it was a mistake in the 1st place and your empty stadium sucks.
Right. When they upgraded, I assume they thought the Big East would stick together, and if it split, it would be along FB/BB lines, but still together. One happened, but not the other. So now they are the worst team in a CUSA level conference with no recruiting base, and no basketball rivalries to at least keep up the interest in that sport in years when its not championship level.
The u conn obsession makes us look so petty. We are lucky to be where we are. We have not done the best job preparing ourselves for this step. I can pretty much guarantee that uconn would be in a better spot to compete had they been in our shoes. We're here. They're not. Why throw stones
UCONN was a member of Big East Football for 9 seasons and won 2 Co-Championships and played in one BCS Bowl Game.
Rutgers was a member of Big East Football for 22 seasons and had just 1 co-championship to show for it in their last season, in which half the conf tied at the top (4 teams0.
UCONN made one really bad hire (PP) and that really set them back a few years...but just like Temple, who has improved their program over the last few years, UCONN could do the same.
Who is throwing stones? We are discussing a football topic. UCONN is in a very difficult situation.
1. BBall is in a VERY weak conference with NO rivalries - How long will fans show up for SMU, USF, Tulane and the like? All the while St John, Gtown, Nova and Seton Hall will stay relevant.
2. Football. They are not good - fans are not coming. Would they come year after year for SMU, USF and Tulane? No recruiting base. Call it what you will, but they practically have a new Div I 40,000 seat stadium they will never fill. They should tarp the tarp upper seats like the U and Jacksonville and move down the Yankee conference.
What say you?
Der: I alway enjoy and seek out your posts and perspective.
UConn had no reasonable way of knowing that they'd be the biggest losers in the conference realignment game when they built that crappy stadium at a time when they were to be in a conference with Miami, BC, WVU, Va. Tech, Pitt, etc.
But, did they ponder how many schools in the country consistently win and fill a stadium when there is no local talent?
I think they're screwed. Sucks for them that they got sold out by Tranghese and his progeny, raped by that crappy hoop conference full of unapologetic cheaters, manipulated by the monster they house - ESPN and shut out by BC.
tough pill to swallow considering their remarkable hoops success.
UConn had no reasonable way of knowing that they'd be the biggest losers in the conference realignment game when they built that crappy stadium at a time when they were to be in a conference with Miami, BC, WVU, Va. Tech, Pitt, etc.
But, did they ponder how many schools in the country consistently win and fill a stadium when there is no local talent?
I think they're screwed. Sucks for them that they got sold out by Tranghese and his progeny, raped by that crappy hoop conference full of unapologetic cheaters, manipulated by the monster they house - ESPN and shut out by BC.
tough pill to swallow considering their remarkable hoops success.
Knight Light, you forgot one key point- UConn did all that and no one really cared. Our crash-and-burn 2013 season that somehow landed us in the Pinstripe Bowl drew more fans, money and attention than UConn's Fiesta Bowl year. Temple played Memphis last year on national TV with major postseason implications and drew 20k (and that may be generous).
Joe P.
Joe P.
Slight correct. UCONN did not build that stadium in East Hartford.
The State of CT, since they did not win the rights to get the Patriots to move to Hartford, still built a smaller scale on the same stadium site that was previously selected.
UCONN got a great deal on a "free" 40,000 seat stadium with HUGE parking lots, (many grass fields, perfect for tailgating), all around the stadium.
UCONN spent some $$$ on a very nice on-campus football facility instead, which was obviously desperately needed.
Hit the nail on the head. These Ivy pseudo-intellectuals like the author and Dowling have no grasp of public universities in 2015. They just long for their days on campus and think every school should be modeled after a small New England private college.
Yes - and never had a season as good as our 2006. They never finished in the top 25. T Heir BCS bowl season ended in a blowout to a legitimate BCS bowl team, and their other co-championship they got blown out by the other co-champion at the end of the season I think. Its pretty fair to say that their best seasons barely got above mediocre, even if Rutgers really only was any better than that one season (alas, it was a year in which two other teams where top 10 level).
But you are more or less proving the point. UConn can have flashes of goodness. But their recruiting territory, even when they were in a BCS conference, meant they needed a great coach to succeed. Even if they were still in a BCS conference it would be hard for them to get a good one, and even harder to retain one (I mean they lost Edsall to MD and that was when they were still in a BCS conference)
Temple at least has leftovers from EPa and NJ to count on. And its not like Temple has been that great either.
UConn is a basketball school. They are undoutedly great at it. Both mens and womens. If you took pride out of it (we really want to be seen a big boy, which requires us attempting to be good at FB), then I think it would be hard to say that their best bet isnt to do whats best for BB, and let that guide what they should do about FB.
I think tat that is going back to the BIg East (if the BE would have them) and then trying for the MAC in FB (again if they would have them). The Big East I think actually gets more per team than the AAC from TV (although they dont get in on the playoff pie).
The uconn't dilemma is no one goes to FB games so it is a downward spiral and it will only get worse as the power 5 separate, and the AAC is Conference-USA with a new name. On football it is a no win for the dogs. They will drop $50 million/ years on a sport that even in a good year gets 25-35k in the stadium. Their game is BB, it their strong point and it will not change over then next 5-10 years (the time before the ACC will add any teams even if they ever do). That is $500million dollars over a ten year span. That is a lot to spend on a losing department. The writer is correct. They are on the opposite end of the spectrum of Rutgers. they had a 9% growth by having National champ teams in BB they will not see anything close in FB they have few good players in conn to get a good team. Look at how may Jersey kids they are recruiting. As we Power 5 away from them they will get less and less talent in FB. It is a losing battle Logic says go back to the Big East and be a BB power Know who you are and what you are, not try to be something you are not.
No, that didn't kill them. After the upgrade, and when they won, they filled the stadium.
However, as derleider posted above, their BE co-championships were smoke and mirror championships; in 2010 they lost to us when we were in freefall and lucked out that it was a down year for the conference, and snuck in to a BCS game.
Their BCS appearance could have been a factor to killing the conference and making everyone run for the hills -- it added fuel to the fire that the Big East wasn't as good as the other AQ conferences (like Pitt's 2004 Fiesta Bowl loss did). So their success, as modest as it was, could have been their downfall.
VKJ says keep football. With TV it will continue to make some money and if they play a bunch of 2 for 1 and bought games they'll easily be profitable. Running a 1AA program also costs money and you get not TV revenue. Going independent in football isn't a horrible idea. Teams would play them for east coast exposure.
I dont think they should downgrade football. I think its been pretty well established that its better to be a losing D1A FB team than even a winning D1AA financially at least.
MAC or independent in FB, Big East in BB. They wont do it because of pride, but they should.
I loved these two comments:
"Only a small number of schools - outside the northeast, unless you count BC and Rutgers - can boast both superior football teams and academic reputations."
"a second-rate team in a second-rate conference"
Outside of the concussion discussion, I thought the article made a lot of interesting points. If there is little chance of their obtaining an invite to a Power 5 conference, it may be in their best interests to reduce the emphasis on football and just concentrate on bball. Based on the current conference affiliation and location for recruiting, I don't see them growing into a year in year out football power.
"Only a small number of schools - outside the northeast, unless you count BC and Rutgers - can boast both superior football teams and academic reputations."
"a second-rate team in a second-rate conference"
Outside of the concussion discussion, I thought the article made a lot of interesting points. If there is little chance of their obtaining an invite to a Power 5 conference, it may be in their best interests to reduce the emphasis on football and just concentrate on bball. Based on the current conference affiliation and location for recruiting, I don't see them growing into a year in year out football power.
Well since I explicitly said they shouldnt move there FB down to D1AA, no I am not.
But my point still stands - the good years UConn had (2003, 2007, 2010) are the best it could hope for. Things won't get better going forward as they continue to labor in a non-P5 conference, in an area with almost no recruits.
RU didnt actually slowly improve over 10 years. Like UConn when it joined D1AA, it started out poorly then quickly accelerated to a kind of middling status and more or less stayed there. UConn has since slid into complete irrelevance with the twin nails in their coffin of losing a decent coach and going to a non-BCS conference, while RU has maintained that middling status.
And like I said - I suggested the same thing for RU back when it looked like we might be locked into the AAC. Big East for BB, independent for FB (with a side deal with MSG/SNY/YES for out FB programming and a Navy/Army/BYU style low level bowl deal.) Its just a better deal than trying to stay relevant in a BB conference with teams that no one cares about in the area, and in FB going up against teams in much stronger recruiting states.
Its nothing against the AAC. In both BB and FB it can be a strong non-P5 conference. It just isnt a good home for a BB-centric northeastern school in a dead recruiting FB recruiting zone.
Totally unfair to UConn.
UConn can do plenty fine in the AAC. They sell out so many men's and women's basketball games and the AAC give them enough competition to do fine. They will never be great in football but they need to be better than what they are. They need the ability to at least win some of their national games. There is absolutely no reason why they can't be the Boise of the east in football.
UConn can do plenty fine in the AAC. They sell out so many men's and women's basketball games and the AAC give them enough competition to do fine. They will never be great in football but they need to be better than what they are. They need the ability to at least win some of their national games. There is absolutely no reason why they can't be the Boise of the east in football.
And there is no reason every other non-P5 school can't be Boise either. But in all likelihood none of them will. And the deck is more stacked against UConn that just about every other one of those schools. Basing your business decision on winning the lottery is a bad plan.
Some fair points all-around. When it comes to D1A football it's not just about the product on the field; it's about fans in the seats, fans watching on TV and fans willing to do both when the team is in the postseason. Its not quite fair but it's the reality we live in. I agree that we saw UConn's 'ceiling' so to say in their BE championship years; the Fiesta Bowl being upset at the lack of ticket sales and little interest in the NYC or Boston markets that they claim as being to their advantage. Compare those two years for UConn to Rutgers' 2006 and 2012 seasons and you'll see a distinct difference...a d that very difference is a significant reason why we're now in the B1G.
Joe P.
This post was edited on 4/7 1:52 PM by JoeRU0304
Joe P.
This post was edited on 4/7 1:52 PM by JoeRU0304
UConn would be nuts to downgrade football. There is zero advantage to it from a financial or perception perspective.
But I don't think that there is an advantage to UConn going to the BE either. Right now the BE is still basking in the glow of the old BE. But it is on its way to being a mid-major conference, which may or may not be a better basketball conference than the AAC.
Sure, this year the BE got a bunch of teams in the NCAA tournament, including 1 seed Villanova. But all but one of their teams lost in the first weekend, including Villanova's loss to 8-seed NC State. Needless to say, the BE was overrated this year. Soon enough, you'll be seeing the BE getting 3-4 teams in the NCAA tournament, max. Not much of a difference from the 3 that the AAC can expect.
Add to that, the disappointing attendance for the BET at MSG and the low ratings for BE games on Fox Sports, and you have a recipe for a conference which is currently overpaid for its performance and draw. Long term, the compensation for the BE will decline to the appropriate level ... which will be closer to the AAC.
So while the Big East might look better than the AAC this year, in 5-7 years, there would be no advantage to UConn being the BE vs the AAC.
So for basketball its at best a wash, except UConn would be playing teams that are closer on average, and against whom they have a 30 year history, in the sports they really care about. If there is no on court advantage than thats advantage Big East for UConn.
The question is - would they lose anything being a non-bowl team in the AAC vs probably a bowl team in the MAC? I doubt it.
The question is - would they lose anything being a non-bowl team in the AAC vs probably a bowl team in the MAC? I doubt it.
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