If we don't get close to a full house we got a problem

[blue93]

I understand you're upset but we deserve to be in a P5 conference ahead of many current P5 schools.

Maybe, but our fanbase has done nothing (outside of a couple trips to MSG) to improve our situation since s*** started hitting the fan in the world of CR

 

[Devland]

I don't think they're concerned for the fans, the concern is for the program, we don't have the luxury of sitting around and waiting for a better conference/opponent to show that we support the football team, we have to show up now, and continue regardless of our current situation or who and how we are playing.

Football is football. I enjoyed the d1aa days at Memorial as much as the d1a games at the Rent. I root for the Huskies no matter what. A good game is a good game and a bad game is a bad game no matter what the level and venue.

 

[RedStickHusky]

Assume you're in the US military by your post so hope you get your leave and thank you for your service. Maybe some spicy breakfast burritos, and cold brews to wash them down, are in order?

Well, no longer 'in' but still 'with' the military as a civilian employee; retired from USAF way back in '97.

 

[Bonehead]

Be interested in seeing student turnout. First week of classes so students are getting rowdy, would be interested to see how many make the trek to PAWS ARF.

If they, the students, are a no-show, maybe that can be the social misfit BY members section...

 

[noeynox]

I'm an East Hartford fireman. To answer your question specifically, the assistant chief in charge of hiring for stadium events.

Now this is real inside info. As sad as it makes me to hear that number, it really puts into perspective how much difficult climbing out of this hole we are in is. The wins and losses have to start turning around this year, at least a competitive product needs to show itelf out there.

 

[pepband99]

We've never drawn that well on Labor Day weekend. Combine that with a I-AA opponent, our last game out being one of the worst in our history, general uncertainty around the program, etc...

I'd be willing to estimate 30k for the Army game with a W on Saturday. Call me insane, but even a little positivity, a W, and a "name" opponent will help.

 

[noeynox]

I was just teasing. I guess I can see dropping some of our season tickets when some of the kids in our group head off to college. Right now we just get a bunch of tickets and if someone knows they aren't coming, someone else brings a friend, often a kid's friend.

I'll say this, I was real close to not renewing this year. First time ever I did not renew by the deadline. As the season grew closer, I started to feel a sense of guilt, like I was bailing on the program at its weakest moment. Almost got a buddy of mine from work to re up, but he decided to coach his son's eight grade team, at the last minute as he was on the fence about it (In the next few years keep your ears open for a kid from Brookfield with a German last name).

It hurts to see where we are at today in terms of fan interest.

 

[noeynox]

The bigger underlying problem (imo) is that a good majority of UConn Basketball fans are just that. They're not UCONN fans, simply UConn BBall fans and fail to crossover. That type of cherry picking which teams you root for needs to end. We need to support ALL sports.

my favorite are uconn bball fans/nd or penn state fb fans. But i do get it, most have been fans of those programs while UConn was D2 and FCS. Problem we have today is that the P hire killed all momentum of fanbase building. Hopefully we are on the brink of a turnaround.

 

[IronTriangle]

My tailgate crew is basically the same from 2005. We'll be there on Thursday. We go partly for the football but mostly for the connections with one another. Plus, it is a great excuse to sit outside and drink a lot of beer.

 

[Waquoit]

The bigger underlying problem (imo) is that a good majority of UConn Basketball fans are just that. They're not UCONN fans, simply UConn BBall fans and fail to crossover. That type of cherry picking which teams you root for needs to end. We need to support ALL sports.

Couldn't disagree more. UConn sports are a pastime, not an obligation. UConn football was sold as being part of the bigtime, not this joke of a home schedule. UConn screwed the pooch for football from Day 1. They did nothing to engender loyalty so the fans have responded in kind. The fannies in the are the core. Its up to UConn to build from there.

 

[pepband99]

Couldn't disagree more. UConn sports are a pastime, not an obligation. UConn football was sold as being part of the bigtime, not this joke of a home schedule. UConn screwed the pooch for football from Day 1. They did nothing to engender loyalty so the fans have responded in kind. The fannies in the are the core. Its up to UConn to build from there.

...then you're the problem. You can join nelson with the "drop the football" brigade, and watch UConn basketball turn into PC. Support in all sports will benefit basketball. It's really not that hard.

 

[NYUConn]

Couldn't disagree more. UConn sports are a pastime, not an obligation. UConn football was sold as being part of the bigtime, not this joke of a home schedule. UConn screwed the pooch for football from Day 1. They did nothing to engender loyalty so the fans have responded in kind. The fannies in the are the core. Its up to UConn to build from there.

That is such an absolutely absurd statement.

You're right we should have sold UConn football with expectations that we have today:

"UConn Football: come for the 3-win seasons, stay for ECU during homecoming."

 

[Duncan Idaho]

...then you're the problem. You can join nelson with the "drop the football" brigade, and watch UConn basketball turn into PC. Support in all sports will benefit basketball. It's really not that hard.

Nelson goes.

 

[Excalibur]

...then you're the problem. You can join nelson with the "drop the football" brigade, and watch UConn basketball turn into PC. Support in all sports will benefit basketball. It's really not that hard.

I think he's referring more to the pricing structure at the beginning and failure to modify it with the times as attendance started to dwindle. They didn't make it easy to stick around once the product started to deteriorate.

 

[Waquoit]

...then you're the problem.

No one on Earth has been to more UConn games in The Rent than I have. I'm responsible for the sale of about 300 or so tickets over years. And I'm the problem?

 

[pepband99]

I think he's referring more to the pricing structure at the beginning and failure to modify it with the times as attendance started to dwindle. They didn't make it easy to stick around once the product started to deteriorate.

...and yet worse ticket pricing schemes in basketball, which have been similarly impactful, go by the wayside (because it's a "pastime?").

I get it - our AD has sucked. However, our fanbase has sucked more. Blaming the AD is a copout.

 

[noeynox]

...then you're the problem. You can join nelson with the "drop the football" brigade, and watch UConn basketball turn into PC. Support in all sports will benefit basketball. It's really not that hard.

But he's not wrong that uconn football has effed up football at every turn. I've discussed here how they screwed my seats that I was in from day 1 of the rent, 3 years ago. That more than anything caused the last 2 guys with me to stop renewing. They have to stop screwing the pooch if they really want to build this,thing right.

 

[pepband99]

But he's not wrong that uconn football has effed up football at every turn. I've discussed here how they screwed my seats that I was in from day 1 of the rent, 3 years ago. That more than anything caused the last 2 guys with me to stop renewing. They have to stop screwing the pooch if they really want to build this,thing right.

No argument from me. We're certainly not helping ourselves.

 

[NYUConn]

But he's not wrong that uconn football has effed up football at every turn. I've discussed here how they screwed my seats that I was in from day 1 of the rent, 3 years ago. That more than anything caused the last 2 guys with me to stop renewing. They have to stop screwing the pooch if they really want to build this,thing right.

I agree you need to make adjustments as situations change, but to knock the program for selling it as top rate and competitive is ridiculous. That's what the situation was when we jumped to FBS. We were heading into a BCS conference with Miami, Virginia Tech and BC. I mean don't forget, Miami was coming off a run of success that was absurd including a National title and a 34-game winning streak. They were on the schedule.

The program was right to sell UConn football as big time from a factual standpoint, but also from a practical standpoint you don't ever market something as being "second best" it would have been insane to sell the program as making the jump to FBS and playing "pretty good" football.

A lot of awful decisions have been made since 2010, but it's unfair to claim that we were misled as to what we were getting from the beginning.

 

[Waquoit]

I've discussed here how they screwed my seats that I was in from day 1 of the rent, 3 years ago. That more than anything caused the last 2 guys with me to stop renewing. They have to stop screwing the pooch if they really want to build this,thing right.

You are far from alone. They've done that in hoops as well going back to Perkins. They've alienated great core fans, while courting shiny new ones. That works in good times, not so much in lean times when the bandwagon jumpers find new toys and the fans you pissed off are done with you.

 

[UMass]

My wife and I renewed our 2 ST's. We tailgate with 5 couples from her office at UConn and albeit a very small sample size, there is a ton of excitement and anticipation for this season from our group. I honestly believe UConn turns a corner this year and gets back on the right track. I can't guess a number of wins, but I am willing to bet they wins the games they are supposed to win and stay competitive in the others. Steal a couple of those and I don't think a 6 or 7 win season is out of the question.
Besides, we also have ST's to UMass and they have a bye in the first week and start out at Colorado. I can't make it until Sept. 19th without football...so I can't wait!!

 

[Jerry27]

Football is football. I enjoyed the d1aa days at Memorial as much as the d1a games at the Rent. I root for the Huskies no matter what. A good game is a good game and a bad game is a bad game no matter what the level and venue.

I'm with you, (bring back the fries in the dog bowl!!!) I not a fan because of who we play or how convenient it is for me or how drunk I can get (Fiesta Bowl is my peak in that regard, called Ole JR from WWE JB he corrected me and I said whatever let's take picture).

I very rarely miss a game, there is nothing better to do in the fall on a Saturday and I don't cave to others schedules, ask my wife and kids, they have dance or soccer, OK fine let me know how it went, I'll see if I can get a couple of people to go with me! And I also don't understand how people that only follow one team can't see it's to the detriment of the entire athletic department to not support the football program, mind numbingly stupid IMO.

 

[noeynox]

@NYUConn read @Waquoit reply to me. It gets to the heart of the matter. They effed me out of my seats, probably by human error, but effed me non the less. Sold my tickets to someone else and by the time the tickets arrived late that summer, it was too late to do anything other give me other seats. It wouldn't have killed them to comp me a few chair backs on the house to a game or two. They offered nothing but other seats and as a result lost two guys and 5 total season tickets. Screwed the pooch.

 

[NYUConn]

@noeynox Not defending that at all and you're far from alone when it comes to that. They have made any number of abysmal decisions that have ruined the game day experience for fans. Remember DJ Joey?

What I am taking issue with is this part of what @Waquoit 's initial post said:

UConn football was sold as being part of the bigtime, not this joke of a home schedule. UConn screwed the pooch for football from Day 1.

This is just not only factually incorrect, but it would have been an even bigger mistake by the school to not sell fans on the program being bigtime. I mean who wants to see "second rate" football?

The issue is that things changed and the school and program did nothing to adjust. That is where the real crime is IMO.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The bigger underlying problem (imo) is that a good majority of UConn Basketball fans are just that. They're not UCONN fans, simply UConn BBall fans and fail to crossover. That type of cherry picking which teams you root for needs to end. We need to support ALL sports.

Most UConn basketball fans know full well that the future of UConn hoops is linked to the football team. I confess that I didn't go to every football game from 84-88 while a student, although I missed close to zero home basketball games. It's not a majority. There are a few UConn basketball fans, a minority, that don't support the football team. But most fans of both types have lives that lead them toward watching on TV. Remember, even if every fan who goes to the XL goes to the Rent, you are less than 50% capacity.