If UNH or Maine were playing for an FCS National championship against a school from an other area.
90% of hardcore Conn football fans would be routing for them.
There is a natural regional pride.
If UConn is in the B1G it will be a source of regional pride for all New England football fans.Remember the bar is set pretty low ,all were asking is for them to tune in to watch a game. For instance you have Texas Tech playing Baylor or UConn vs Mich State. I would guess the rating for the later game will be 5 times the former.
Do you remember rooting for UMass a few years back when they were in it? Were you all over Victor Cruz when he was at Umass?
How about Nova in the championship when both schools were part of the BE?
I do not care for anything below Div 1 BCS quality football. You can not tell me that watching an FCS championship or Div II or III championship is must see TV or check your phone for the score kind of event. Given the choice, I watch a replay of the Beef O'Brady Bowl over any regional school in a lower level championship game.
As stated above, if a major school in the region is winning, they get eyeballs and support. No school in NE has enough die hard alumni to make a difference in the ratings so they need to grab the casual fan. And that only happens with winning against major competition.
Your example of competing games is interesting because that is what BC does in Boston and most of NE when they play major opponents (FSU, Clemson, USC, ND). Those games are the regional telecast in New England on the Disney networks. Their ratings outdraw other less compelling regional games at the same time. Uconn against any major B1g, ACC, SEC, Big 12 or Pac12 school outdraws Tech-Baylor in New England. A better example would be does Uconn-Ind or Uconn-Ill outdraw Tech-Baylor? Or does that kind of match up outdraw BC-Wake Forest or BC-Duke? That is the kind of matchup of competing games that you need to win big in New England to be considered the regions team. I'm not sure if Uconn has that much FB interest to end up better than a draw in the ratings across New England today.
Uconn needs the big name opponents on the schedule to start building that regional draw and support and have ratings reflect any build up in support. Actual evidence is better than hope. The AAC schedule is not going to do it. Time to play any one in the country in their stadium or venue of choice. Or just accept being lost in the nether world of the G5.