I want UMass in the league

[noeynox]

Andrew, both good points though I disagree and say that BC was a hoop rival just one that we owned. We loved owning their stupid asses.

 

[Marty Jackson]

We desperately need a rival in this league. When we had Rutgers and Syracuse as anchors for the fans, it was possible to generate interest in the rest of the schools even though there was less history or geographic proximity. Pitt and WVU helped because any college football fan in Connecticut had watched those two playing BC, Syracuse, Rutgers, Miami, Penn State and each other over the years.

Now? There is nothing. There is no link to any of these schools in the league. Fans need some reason to care about this random assortment of schools. This league is like picking friends out of the phone book, it isn't going to work. The irony is that the new schools have more history together than the old ones. Cincinnati and Memphis are rivals on day 1. SMU, Houston, Tulane and Tulsa have played each other for years. UCF and USF have a decent amount of history, and both were in the league with ECU. Fans care about who we play.

UConn and Temple have a little history with each other, and none with anyone else.

by your theory, we should add CCSU...

 

[nelsonmuntz]

ESPN has paid for a 12 team league, otherwise we wouldn't be adding Tulsa. When Navy bails, we will have to replace them.

Pick a school.

 

[UC990411]

Tulsa

 

[Fairfield 1st]

McGill on Toronto. We can play on a 120 yard field and score rouges

 

[ASweet3781]

I don't think UConn should want any school to join the league and benefit from it. Look at all the good inviting Louisville did for us in 2003. They were eventually invited OVER us to a BCS league. Now we are not even in one.

Invite the biggest bunch of scrubs out there. Don't invite anyone near a desired market. Or a state university without a directional location in front of it. I can just see it. UMass goes 6-6 2 years in a row in football and BC and Syracuse push for their inclusion over us.

Keep UMass and any school that could have potential where they belong. In the witness protection program.

 

[Fairfield 1st]

I don't think UConn should want any school to join the league and benefit from it. Look at all the good inviting Louisville did for us in 2003. They were eventually invited OVER us to a BCS league. Now we are not even in one.

Invite the biggest bunch of scrubs out there. Don't invite anyone near a desired market. Or a state university without a directional location in front of it. I can just see it. UMass goes 6-6 2 years in a row in football and BC and Syracuse push for their inclusion over us.

Keep UMass and any school that could have potential where they belong. In the witness protection program.

You have a point there. Why enhance anyone else's profile.

 

[HuskyDogArt]

But UConn-Temple has more of a meaningful football rivalry than UConn-UMass. And Philly is drivable.

I'm more than okay keeping it where it is, and saying Temple is our "rivals" until we get into a real conference.

If Temple is our rival, we sank to a new low!! Lets go back to the CAA and play URI every year!! (we need to get into the B1G, or the SEC, but not the ACC... they'll be begging us, soon!!

 

[MattMang23]

To everyone wanting UMess in the league, why??

I am at the A10 tourney in Brooklyn and VCU has out-traveled UMess 15-1 or so. I consider that embarrassing for them.

 

[Durks07]

If Temple is our rival, we sank to a new low!! Lets go back to the CAA and play URI every year!! (we need to get into the B1G, or the SEC, but not the ACC... they'll be begging us, soon!!

While were at it, we can rekindle our football rivalry with the Waterbury YMCA and Yale. Somewhere Butchy is nodding in agreement.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

To everyone wanting UMess in the league, why??

I am at the A10 tourney in Brooklyn and VCU has out-traveled UMess 15-1 or so. I consider that embarrassing for them.

Explain to me why playing SMU or Tulane or ECU or UCF is better for UConn than playing UMass? We are the remote outlier in what is essentially a southern conference. 10 years from now, our athletic department is dead unless we find some teams that fans care about.

The argument seems to be "we will be in another league soon so who cares?". Really? Where is the invitation to the new league? Why will it come when it hasn't come yet? Is counting on something that hasn't happened and may not happen a good idea?

If Cincinnati left this league before UConn, UConn would be better off taking Temple and joining the MAC.

 

[Vuce]

Explain to me why playing SMU or Tulane or ECU or UCF is better for UConn than playing UMass? We are the remote outlier in what is essentially a southern conference. 10 years from now, our athletic department is dead unless we find some teams that fans care about.

If we are in this league 10 years from now we are dead whether Umass in this clusterfck or not. Having them in this thing won't "save us" from anything.

SMU, UCF, etc are already in. No reason to add Umass too. We can play them every season if we want to out of conference.

 

[UConn Esq]

"I want Umass in the league" - No one ever.

 

[WestHartHusk]

Nelson -

Every time I see this thread towards the top of the first page I want to punch you in the head.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Nelson -

Every time I see this thread towards the top of the first page I want to punch you in the head.

It's my fault UConn is in this situation.

 

[HuskyHawk]

"I want Umass in the league" - No one ever.

His point is valid. Navy will probably bail. Who do you want to replace them? Don't say Tulsa, since they are already penciled in for #11. Since every conceivable addition stinks...I would pick the one I could drive to for away games. Hell, if they play the game in Gillette, it would be much, much closer for me than East Hartford. Yell at Nelson all you want...but I haven't heard you guys come up with a better idea. In the absence of "good", I'll take "close".

 

[WestHartHusk]

His point is valid. Navy will probably bail. Who do you want to replace them? Don't say Tulsa, since they are already penciled in for #11. Since every conceivable addition stinks...I would pick the one I could drive to for away games. Hell, if they play the game in Gillette, it would be much, much closer for me than East Hartford. Yell at Nelson all you want...but I haven't heard you guys come up with a better idea. In the absence of "good", I'll take "close".

Cut Tulane, have 10.

 

[Durks07]

Cut Tulane, have 10.

If that isn't a better idea, I don't know what is.

 

[metsfan2323]

I don't think UConn should want any school to join the league and benefit from it. Look at all the good inviting Louisville did for us in 2003. They were eventually invited OVER us to a BCS league. Now we are not even in one.

Invite the biggest bunch of scrubs out there. Don't invite anyone near a desired market. Or a state university without a directional location in front of it. I can just see it. UMass goes 6-6 2 years in a row in football and BC and Syracuse push for their inclusion over us.

Keep UMass and any school that could have potential where they belong. In the witness protection program.

This is the only valid reason for wanting to keep UMASS out of the league (fear that they will turn into Rutgers and eat our lunch). Everyone claiming to hate the UMASS idea because UCONN is too good for them are just ashamed to admit the real reason for wanting to keep our thumb on them. "ASweet" gets credit for being honest about it.

 

[whaler11]

Why can't they stay at 10 exactly?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Why can't they stay at 10 exactly?

1) because it appears ESPN wants a 12 school league.

2) UConn needs a local rival.

3) the travel for the A12 is a death sentence for the Olympic sports, even with UMass.

 

[WestHartHusk]

1) because it appears ESPN wants a 12 school league. There is no way cutting out Tulane and not adding UMass cuts the 'per team' revenue. Even if it, did who cares at this point. What would we lose, $50,000??

2) UConn needs a local rival. That is not, will not be, UMass. I don't understand how your hard-on over this has lasted so long.

3) the travel for the A12 is a death sentence for the Olympic sports, even with UMass. Since its a death sentence either way let's die on our feet and not on our knees.

 

[whaler11]

1) because it appears ESPN wants a 12 school league.

2) UConn needs a local rival.

3) the travel for the A12 is a death sentence for the Olympic sports, even with UMass.

It appears they want a 12 team league why?

Adding UMass doesn't fix number 3. I'm probably ok with UMass but I don't see the connection here.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

It appears they want a 12 team league why?

Adding UMass doesn't fix number 3. I'm probably ok with UMass but I don't see the connection here.

Why add Tulsa if ESPN does not want 12? Why add Tulane in the first place?

UConn needs to completely reset the athletic department budget, which I imagine they have already done. There is no revenue, and the travel expenses are skyrocketing. It is like no one on this board even balances their checkbook much less work in the business world. UConn needs to cut costs just to keep the lights on.

Putting a field hockey or a lacrosse team on a plane to Florida, Texas or anywhere in that latitude 4 times a year is cost prohibitive. They need a drivable road game every year. I can GUARANTEE that if it was up to UConn, they would add UMass, keep Navy and add Buffalo.

There is this theme in this thread that fans feel it is beneath their dignity to play UMass. There are plenty of former independent mortgage brokers that were making $200k+ 8 years ago that are bank loan officers today making $50k. Or at least the smart ones are. The stupid ones kept living the $200k+ lifestyle long after the revenue dried up because they were worried about what people would think and drove their life off a cliff.

90% of this board is recommending that UConn athletic program do exactly that.

 

[whaler11]

Why add Tulsa if ESPN does not want 12? Why add Tulane in the first place?

UConn needs to completely reset the athletic department budget, which I imagine they have already done. There is no revenue, and the travel expenses are skyrocketing. It is like no one on this board even balances their checkbook much less work in the business world. UConn needs to cut costs just to keep the lights on.

Putting a field hockey or a lacrosse team on a plane to Florida, Texas or anywhere in that latitude 4 times a year is cost prohibitive. They need a drivable road game every year. I can GUARANTEE that if it was up to UConn, they would add UMass, keep Navy and add Buffalo.

There is this theme in this thread that fans feel it is beneath their dignity to play UMass. There are plenty of former independent mortgage brokers that were making $200k+ 8 years ago that are bank loan officers today making $50k. Or at least the smart ones are. The stupid ones kept living the $200k+ lifestyle long after the revenue dried up because they were worried about what people would think and drove their life off a cliff.

90% of this board is recommending that UConn athletic program do exactly that.

They haven't added Tulsa. Tulane makes no sense if the league is 8, 9, 12, 16 or 30. So trying to make sense of Tulane will only drive you further insane.