Key tweets, and it's all gone to Hell.

[Mora4Prez]

Speak for yourself. More like the miracle worker of college sports. We're the small market team that kicks but and we'll keep working until we are dead, and we are far from the only team the operates at a deficit every year. You should find another team to root for if you think what UConn is doing is "sad".

That’s a fine story to tell yourself but doesn’t really mean much when all the other big flagships are pulling in $30-50M a year to our $7.

And for what it’s worth, I don’t think there’s a single team out there besides maybe Cal that runs an athletic deficit like ours.

Also I’ve been a jets fan for decades. It’s perfectly acceptable to find your team sad during tough times. It doesn’t mean you stop rooting for them. You should know that as a Mets fan.

 

[CL82]

And for what it’s worth, I don’t think there’s a single team out there besides maybe Cal that runs an athletic deficit like ours.

You might want to look into that a bit further. I don't believe our deficit is even the highest.

 

[August_West]

If you are truly a fan of the school. if you legitimately want to see things improve for us, invest a little time and a little money (it doesn't require a whole lot of either)

Been there done that. Family members too. Big hoops donors I know, and am related to, fell for that spiel. Went to some games when we could. It was fine. When we couldn’t we/they Tried to GIVE great seats
away. No takers. It didn’t help anything then ( and we are talking recently). It won’t help now. You know what you need? College Football fans! They will go to games and buy tickets.

 

[noeynox]

Been there done that. Family members too. Big hoops donors I know, and am related to, fell for that spiel. Went to some games when we could. It was fine. When we couldn’t we/they Tried to GIVE great seats
away. No takers. It didn’t help anything then ( and we are talking recently). It won’t help now. You know what you need? College Football fans! They will go to games and buy tickets.

All this is true, but you have to give them a worthwhile product. Attendance was tanking under Ollie as well because they were getting curb stomped by Arkansas and Auburn types while Bruce Pearl is telling Ollie he loves what he's doing with the program.

 

[BullDawg]

You might want to look into that a bit further. I don't believe our deficit is even the highest.

College athletics finances often lack transparency

College Athletic Debt Soars as Power 5 Programs Resist Scrutiny

As the costs of doing business at Power Five school soar, athletic department debt is ballooning, writes Illinois professor Michael LeRoy.

www.sportico.com

Sportico’s Intercollegiate Finance Database

Sportico is maintaining an interactive, real-time database that tracks the official balance sheets of public FBS university athletic departments.

www.sportico.com

 

[August_West]

All this is true, but you have to give them a worthwhile product. Attendance was tanking under Ollie as well because they were getting curb stomped by Arkansas and Auburn types while Bruce Pearl is telling Ollie he loves what he's doing with the program.

Don’t disagree. I like Mora ( obviously) and I’m rooting for that ( not so obvious for the role I cultivate here on CR ;-) , but some of that is foisted on me)

I am still skeptical about the minimum ceiling we ever get to that actually makes us an attractive major conf candidate instead of a whipping boy, but I’ll watch and hope with interest. Jim Calhoun’s quote about hoops being “ doable” when he took the job in mid 80’s is thrown around here a lot as evidence that big time football is “doable”. It sounds nice on an idealistic level. It just is so different. Calhoun built that program on the back of the best conference in the sport in the country. We unfortunately aren’t afforded that same opportunity on the grid iron. . And it has been getting less likely by the day since 2011

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Hmmm…. So I assume from prior posts you’ll be cutting a nice check to the program.

Apparently when I mentioned buying tickets and bringing people your response was somewhat underwhelmed. And admittedly a bit douchey.

I said that? In response to a post of yours saying that you were buying tickets and bringing people? Normally I applaud those efforts.

I've purchased extra tickets (season tickets, not stray individual games) from the minute we started talking an attendance hit (roughly a decade ago) and have been soliciting people on the Boneyard and basically every walk of life to go to games. I've often offered to cover everything other than the time one would need to invest in attending.

Please show me the post if yours and my response. I will not only apologize in advance for posting something that you took offense to, if you show the post where you truly did write about your buying tickets and bringing people and show my response as anything derogatory, I'll provide pregame and postgame drinks and food for the entire home slate. I'll even throw in a couple in game beers per game.

 

[superjohn]

Don’t disagree. I like Mora ( obviously) and I’m rooting for that ( not so obvious for the role I cultivate here on CR ;-) , but some of that is foisted on me)

I am still skeptical about the minimum ceiling we ever get to that actually makes us an attractive major conf candidate instead of a whipping boy, but I’ll watch and hope with interest. Jim Calhoun’s quote about hoops being “ doable” when he took the job in mid 80’s is thrown around here a lot as evidence that big time football is “doable”. It sounds nice on an idealistic level. It just is so different. Calhoun built that program on the back of the best conference in the sport in the country. We unfortunately aren’t afforded that same opportunity on the grid iron. . And it has been getting less likely by the day since 2011

If they got a chance in a P5 conference being a football program who occasionally sneaks into the top 25 and is pretty similar to a bunch of these mediocre/bad teams in the P5 is absolutely doable, I would say it's almost a certainty. There's like 2-5 programs who are miles ahead of everyone else.

Not being a part of it certainly makes the job harder but I think Mora is up to it.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Don’t disagree. I like Mora ( obviously) and I’m rooting for that ( not so obvious for the role I cultivate here on CR ;-) , but some of that is foisted on me)

I am still skeptical about the minimum ceiling we ever get to that actually makes us an attractive major conf candidate instead of a whipping boy, but I’ll watch and hope with interest. Jim Calhoun’s quote about hoops being “ doable” when he took the job in mid 80’s is thrown around here a lot as evidence that big time football is “doable”. It sounds nice on an idealistic level. It just is so different. Calhoun built that program on the back of the best conference in the sport in the country. We unfortunately aren’t afforded that same opportunity on the grid iron. . And it has been getting less likely by the day since 2011

Anyone who paid any attention to the program from the opening of the Rent through the Fiesta bowl would realize that it is doable. Even with the nitwit fans who for whatever idiotic reasons believe supporting a program other than men's basketball is disloyal to mens basketball.

 

[kobe]

Don’t disagree. I like Mora ( obviously) and I’m rooting for that ( not so obvious for the role I cultivate here on CR ;-) , but some of that is foisted on me)

I am still skeptical about the minimum ceiling we ever get to that actually makes us an attractive major conf candidate instead of a whipping boy, but I’ll watch and hope with interest. Jim Calhoun’s quote about hoops being “ doable” when he took the job in mid 80’s is thrown around here a lot as evidence that big time football is “doable”. It sounds nice on an idealistic level. It just is so different. Calhoun built that program on the back of the best conference in the sport in the country. We unfortunately aren’t afforded that same opportunity on the grid iron. . And it has been getting less likely by the day since 2011

don’t worry. the incredible match ups on cbssn+ against umass in november while real conferences are playing big time games will build up brand and have major recruits tuned in!!

here’s to 50 more years of uconn independence!!

 

[Rufus]

Greg Flugaur said yesterday that all the most influential people/alumni of Stanford have a coordinated effort to try and get the Cardinal into the B1G. Stanford is willing to come in at a very low payout. One option Stanford is presenting to the B1G is to take the Cardinal in Olympic Sports only and go independent in football if the B1G does not want Stanford football. Lots of big names are involved in these talks, including Condi Rice. It will be interesting to see if Stanford's connections can get it into the B1G in some capacity.

 

[JMick]

Don’t disagree. I like Mora ( obviously) and I’m rooting for that ( not so obvious for the role I cultivate here on CR ;-) , but some of that is foisted on me)

I am still skeptical about the minimum ceiling we ever get to that actually makes us an attractive major conf candidate instead of a whipping boy, but I’ll watch and hope with interest. Jim Calhoun’s quote about hoops being “ doable” when he took the job in mid 80’s is thrown around here a lot as evidence that big time football is “doable”. It sounds nice on an idealistic level. It just is so different. Calhoun built that program on the back of the best conference in the sport in the country. We unfortunately aren’t afforded that same opportunity on the grid iron. . And it has been getting less likely by the day since 2011

We'll never have the hoops success in football. For some, that's what they expect and if we can't achieve that then we might as well not try. It's truly part of the attitude for why many are anti-football. "If we're never going to win the whole thing then why try?"

I sort of see why people think that but college football is a weird sport.

I do think that we could get to the point where we pump out a 9 or 10 win season once a decade and bowl more years than not. If Mora gets us to the foundation I think he's capable of getting us to, and we have a homerun hire after him, it's doable.

We really just need a decade of not having terrible teams and winning a big game here and there.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

Basically that realignment isn't done in the next round will be dramatically more dramatic than anything that happened up to this point. Tough to know whether we should be encouraged or terrified by that.

Terrified for sure. There's a tiny possibility we could get left out.

 

[noeynox]

We'll never have the hoops success in football. For some, that's what they expect and if we can't achieve that then we might as well not try. It's truly part of the attitude for why many are anti-football. "If we're never going to win the whole thing then why try?"

I sort of see why people think that but college football is a weird sport.

I do think that we could get to the point where we pump out a 9 or 10 win season once a decade and bowl more years than not. If Mora gets us to the foundation I think he's capable of getting us to, and we have a homerun hire after him, it's doable.

We really just need a decade of not having terrible teams and winning a big game here and there.

All of it is achievable with finding the resources or donors to fund FB close to BB levels. Easier said than done, i know.

By all of it, i mean competing for a top 25 spot and playing in NY6 type bowls.

 

[metsfan2323]

Greg Flugaur said yesterday that all the most influential people/alumni of Stanford have a coordinated effort to try and get the Cardinal into the B1G. Stanford is willing to come in at a very low payout. One option Stanford is presenting to the B1G is to take the Cardinal in Olympic Sports only and go independent in football if the B1G does not want Stanford football. Lots of big names are involved in these talks, including Condi Rice. It will be interesting to see if Stanford's connections can get it into the B1G in some capacity.

Hopefully Stanford gets into the B1G and Cal gets left behind. That might create an opportunity for us in the B12 if they decide to add Cal. I know it's a long shot. It would also be interesting to see who the B1G would pair up with Stanford, Cal certainly does not deserve a B1G bid but maybe they have enough clout to get in anyway.

 

[August_West]

We'll never have the hoops success in football. For some, that's what they expect and if we can't achieve that then we might as well not try. It's truly part of the attitude for why many are anti-football. "If we're never going to win the whole thing then why try?"

So here’s the thing. I agree with that. But you can’t put that on strictly UConn hoops fans. The reality is that it is born overall of the “ New England sports fan” temperament. I mean I’m the guy who calls our hoops fans “ Pats” fans at times and we are the most successful program in the last 1/4 century . What do you think I mean by that? Because it’s a real thing. What do you think is going to happen in this region with a historically bad football program? And furthermore how do you combat the culture of the oldest part of the country? All of us discussing this on a messageboard are already massive converts to whatever degree you want to ascribe for any given sport. That’s not enough. Obviously.

I simply believe that the appetite of our region to have a big time College Football program is lacking. Even by your modest definition of big time.

 

[Khal Drogo]

So here’s the thing. I agree with that. But you can’t put that on strictly UConn hoops fans. The reality is that it is born overall of the “ New England sports fan” temperament. I mean I’m the guy who calls our hoops fans “ Pats” fans at times and we are the most successful program in the last 1/4 century . What do you think I mean by that? Because it’s a real thing. What do you think is going to happen in this region with a historically bad football program? And furthermore how do you combat the culture of the oldest part of the country? All of us discussing this on a messageboard are already massive converts to whatever degree you want to ascribe for any given sport. That’s not enough. Obviously.

We need hotter cheerleaders. No need for student cheerleaders. Get some professionals.

 

[August_West]

Even with the nitwit fans who for whatever idiotic reasons believe supporting a program other than men's basketball is disloyal to mens basketball.

You know there are people who do exist who find CFB boring, right?

 

[CL82]

You know there are people who do exist who find CFB boring, right?

Yes, they seem to manage to stop by and tell us about it.

 

[Patrick79]

So here’s the thing. I agree with that. But you can’t put that on strictly UConn hoops fans. The reality is that it is born overall of the “ New England sports fan” temperament. I mean I’m the guy who calls our hoops fans “ Pats” fans at times and we are the most successful program in the last 1/4 century . What do you think I mean by that? Because it’s a real thing. What do you think is going to happen in this region with a historically bad football program? And furthermore how do you combat the culture of the oldest part of the country? All of us discussing this on a messageboard are already massive converts to whatever degree you want to ascribe for any given sport. That’s not enough. Obviously.

I simply believe that the appetite of our region to have a big time College Football program is lacking. Even by your modest definition of big time.

TBH, I’ve never understood this narrative that is so widely accepted. Without professional sports teams, I’d bet that UConn football gets a prominent place in media, attention, etc if it starts winning on the regular. Things take time. However you have to at least be competitive.

I was born in CT, am an alum, and had Football tix for years- I’m sorry I just couldn’t keep watching them get wiped out every game. I bought seasons tickets again this year and am
Guessing the fans start coming back.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

We need hotter cheerleaders. No need for student cheerleaders. Get some professionals.

I heard that Ricky down at St. John's has brought in new 'cheerleaders' by the hour to help with recruiting, again

 

[Khal Drogo]

TBH, I’ve never understood this narrative that is so widely accepted. Without professional sports teams, I’d bet that UConn football gets a prominent place in media, attention, etc if it starts winning on the regular. Things take time. However you have to at least be competitive.

I was born in CT, am an alum, and had Football tix for years- I’m sorry I just couldn’t keep watching them get wiped out every game. I bought seasons tickets again this year and am
Guessing the fans start coming back.

I haven’t seen them play live since BE football. I’ll watch them on TV. Bought tickets for NC state game. Taking next day off to recover and make it a long weekend.

 

[Khal Drogo]

I heard that Ricky down at St. John's has brought in new 'cheerleaders' by the hour to help with recruiting, again

Cant hurt

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Dana O’Neil’s thoughts on UConn and Gonzaga not moving forward with the Big 12….

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

Why this isn’t surprising​

The Big 12 was very transparent over the past year about its interest in expanding, and it was clear throughout that it hoped to add Power 5 programs. Gonzaga and UConn were schools that Yormark looked at and liked — remember, he believes that basketball is under-valued in general — but they were always Plan B, behind Power 5 additions. Plus, these two schools were never universally popular among Big 12 leaders and would have been an uphill climb to get the necessary support to approve them as additions. But it never came to that point, because Plan A worked. — Auerbach

What it means for Gonzaga, UConn basketball​

This is probably a split decision — good for one, not so much for the other.

UConn tried to follow its football team before, and it wound up in a men’s and women’s basketball abyss in the American Athletic Conference. Losing both their Northeast footing and traditional rivalries did not go well for the Huskies’ hoops team. Attendance sagged, especially for the men. Granted, the Big 12 is a better basketball option, but remaining in the Big East is best for both programs. It is no coincidence that UConn won another national title this year, after returning to its conference roots. Its strength lies in its foundation, and that foundation is in the Big East. All of that said, this doesn’t mean that university higher-ups won’t pack up the basketball teams and shuffle them off somewhere else should another conference come calling down the road.

As for Gonzaga, there is no arguing that the Zags were very much interested in moving. And the school still would love to find a landing spot for its premiere basketball team. The West Coast Conference has done what it can to recognize the disparity between Mark Few’s program and everyone else. Four years ago the league reworked its NCAA Tournament share payout to reward teams that win games beyond the first round a larger slice of the pie — an obvious nod to Gonzaga’s success. And the league also announced a recent streaming deal with ESPN.

But losing BYU is another blow to the conference’s overall competitiveness, and the Zags would love to move. Without football, they just aren’t easy to move. The Big East, ironically, would be the most logical spot. As a Catholic, basketball-first school, Gonzaga is an ideal match … except for location. While joining as a basketball-only member might be doable if not ideal, there’s not a great appetite from the league side — at least not right now — to stretch its borders from New York to Spokane. — O’Neil

I think Gonzaga and maybe even St. Marys will be in the Big 12 within a few years. I do think Yormark has a vision for streaming, but his school Presidents are not there yet. I think they will realize in a year or two that they are on their last big linear contract, and they will be scrambling for content to justify becoming part of a streaming package.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Don’t disagree. I like Mora ( obviously) and I’m rooting for that ( not so obvious for the role I cultivate here on CR ;-) , but some of that is foisted on me)

I am still skeptical about the minimum ceiling we ever get to that actually makes us an attractive major conf candidate instead of a whipping boy, but I’ll watch and hope with interest. Jim Calhoun’s quote about hoops being “ doable” when he took the job in mid 80’s is thrown around here a lot as evidence that big time football is “doable”. It sounds nice on an idealistic level. It just is so different. Calhoun built that program on the back of the best conference in the sport in the country. We unfortunately aren’t afforded that same opportunity on the grid iron. . And it has been getting less likely by the day since 2011

It depends on how we define doable. Can UConn crack the small group of schools that actually compete for championships in football? No. Just like most of the P5 can't either, even if every now and then one of them lucks into a brilliant season. Can UConn become a K-State level program? Yeah, that's about the ceiling, I think. Regular bowl participation, challenge for league title once in a while. Even that is hard. Harder still as an independent. If it was easy, everyone would do it. Somebody has to lose every game.

Basketball is easier to do, but still not easy. The number of schools with multiple championships since the tournament went to 64 in 1985 is 7 by my count. UNC, Duke, KU, UK, UConn, Nova, Florida. Louisville if you include 2013, and I suppose if you don't, Michigan would be on the list. So in almost 40 years, 8 teams have done it.