I like you Carl, but not every post requires a history lesson. You're so busy assuming nobody else knows the history of what happened that you often miss the point.
Since you want to argue I'll give you UConn's invite to a dying conference over 10 years ago.
However, Rutgers, Louisville, and TCU all upgraded BEFORE they got invites.
One last time:
A) We were already part of the conference (apples to oranges).
B) It's another example of the failure of the Big East. Trying to survive football realignment by asking two 1AA programs to upgrade.
C) The Big East kicked Temple out, then added them back, and has basically turned itself into Conference USA. Does anyone really think the B1G will operate in the same manner as the Big East? Because that has to be your conclusion if you want to argue this stuff and agree with Rich that we shouldn't upgrade unless and until we get an invite.
You're wrong for disagreeing with Duncan, and the only real thing to argue there is the semantics of it. That's what I pointed out. UCONN is actually the example you asked for when you wrote the statement including: "name one......" in a post above. We are actually the ONLY one to ever make the move(s) that we did.
I write my history lessons repeatedly most for the continuing stream of new readers this website generates to spread the word about what UCONN really is.
I have been a vocal proponent of expanding the stadium for many years. The stadium was initially designed for a 50k capacity, and I was against the two stage building project that was eventually arrived it, I wanted it built all at once - for exactly the reasons we have not yet expanded. As a tenant and not an owner, UCONN doesn't actually make the call on such a matter. The ideal circumstances to expand and build out to the originally designed specs, and complete the project - was in 2008-2009 fiscally, with momentum of the program and ticket sales. By then, Lew Perkins was 4 years removed, and Hathaway/Austin et.al. were sitting around with their thumbs in the bunghole.
As it is now, Rentschler field in 2014, remains an uncompleted state construction project that is over a decade old now. It's not a matter of expansion yet - semantics really, and truthfully as well - as it is completing the originally designed structure.
And you are completely mistaken if you think, that UCONN does not need to have a proper 'alignment' of success, ticket sales, revenue generation through hard cash means, to get the momentum going necessary for the actual decision makers involved - to get the stadium completed.
IF UCONN owned the facility, I believe it would have been completed and finished out to 50,000 at least before the 2013 season and the Michigan game. It would definitely be in the process of completion under the current president/AD leadership of the school. But we don't own it. So we have to sell completing the project to the state, and the management contractors of the facility.
