We need to start playing in Boston. Football and Basketball.

[Palatine]

That doesn't mean playing at BCU. They are irrelevant.

I mean we need to play a game in Boston Garden. And I wouldn't mind playing UMass at Foxboro. There are any number for teams, Northeastern, Boston University, we could play in the Boston Garden. Just a 90 minute drive from campus. Do they have a December Classic in the city?

We just need to invade the market. Get the Boston press talking about us. Or in the words of the great Kevin Ollie "planting seeds."

 

[Vowelguy]

Boston does not care about college sports. Except maybe hockey.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Boston does not care about college sports. Except maybe hockey.

Partly true, but NY isn't any different. It's just so big that there are enough people for any kind of event. Both are pro sports towns. UConn being in Hockey East will help. CT sometimes cozies up to NY and distances itself from New England. Hockey East is thoroughly New England, and joining in with BC, BU, UMass, UVM, UNH, Maine, PC, etc. will improve our perception.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Partly true, but NY isn't any different. It's just so big that there are enough people for any kind of event. Both are pro sports towns. UConn being in Hockey East will help. CT sometimes cozies up to NY and distances itself from New England. Hockey East is thoroughly New England, and joining in with BC, BU, UMass, UVM, UNH, Maine, PC, etc. will improve our perception.

No, it is different. This city really doesn't care about college basketball very much, it's an afterthought. There are a lot of college basketball fans in NYC. Playing a football game in the Boston area would be far more advantageous and successful than trying to schedule a basketball game.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Boston does not care about college sports. Except maybe hockey.

UCONN hockey - in Hockey East - playing games in Providence, and Boston, and Hartford.....that will be good....and then eventually in MSG..........

UCONN in the frozen four - hosted at MSG? Pipe dream? maybe..........we'll see where we are in 10 years.

 

[HuskyHawk]

No, it is different. This city really doesn't care about college basketball very much, it's an afterthought. There are a lot of college basketball fans in NYC. Playing a football game in the Boston area would be far more advantageous and successful than trying to schedule a basketball game.

I live in the Boston area and partly agree. There are a lot of college football fans, and other fans of college sports. Harvard - Yale football sells out every time. The city loved Calhoun's Northeastern teams, and the good BC teams with Bagley, Adams, Curley etc. But Boston hasn't had much in the way of quality local teams, except for the recent Harvard teams. The city tends to discount any sport they aren't good at. But local sports bars are talking about March Madness, which is a nice change. I think Boston is just waiting to adopt a winner (it essentially has adopted the UConn women already, and Globe treats them that way). UConn could become Boston's team and change the perception of the sport locally.

 

[Palatine]

No, it is different. This city really doesn't care about college basketball very much, it's an afterthought. There are a lot of college basketball fans in NYC. Playing a football game in the Boston area would be far more advantageous and successful than trying to schedule a basketball game.

While that is basically true, it shouldn't preclude efforts to get on the radar in Boston. No question hockey will help. I would also love to have UConn play a baseball game or two in Fenway.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

UCONN hockey - in Hockey East - playing games in Providence, and Boston, and Hartford.....that will be good....and then eventually in MSG.....

UCONN in the frozen four - hosted at MSG? Pipe dream? maybe.....we'll see where we are in 10 years.

Unlikely MSG hosts a FF, while it'd be great, I have difficulty seeing it happen. But no doubt a great move for the program and school to be playing in the top conference in the nation.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

While that is basically true, it shouldn't preclude efforts to get on the radar in Boston. No question hockey will help. I would also love to have UConn play a baseball game or two in Fenway.

I suppose, but if the choice is bball in NYC or Boston, NYC is the obvious choice. I think we have more to gain by playing football up here.

Hawk - you're right there hasn't been a good team up here in a while, but the sport itself is not very much engrained in the fabric of the city at the collegiate level. So, it'd be a nice thing to do every so often, what's ultimately going to be our ticket to a better conference, from a basketball perspective, is continuing our presence in NYC.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Unlikely MSG hosts a FF, while it'd be great, I have difficulty seeing it happen. But no doubt a great move for the program and school to be playing in the top conference in the nation.

Programs like Union, and Providence, and North Dakota, etc...aren't going to be big city draws so there is no pull to put the money it would take into hosting the event in a venue like MSG.

But hockey is a sport that even the NHL disasters couldn't wipe out of the northeast. I've maintained since day 1 of this conference affiliation crap that a single intercollegiate program cannot penetrate the NYC market. Any single school claiming to be NYC's team - is foolish - and that includes UCONN.

But a full conference? A conference can get a major foothold in the NYC demographic - and the Big East has left a wide open hole. The most natural fit is the Big 10. The Big 10 schools have more alumni in the NYC metro area - to my knowledge - than any other schools. Big 10, also plays hockey. Hockey programs like Michigan for example, could draw vs. a program like UCONN - at MSG.

Ok - enough. It's nice pipe dream.

Back to reality. UCONN starts play in Hockey East next season. We did play Union to a 2-2 tie this year, and we're recruiting well from what I understand. The sport that would need to be played in the boston area - is hockey, and with Hockey East - we will be playing regularly in Boston.

 

[Husky25]

There was a college basketball festival of sorts at the Boston Garden in late 2007. UConn played Gonzaga and BC played PC. I remember it because I was just about to propose to my wife and I told my friends of my plan at that game. Also Ray Allen was courtside and got a standing ovation.

BC was getting spanked in the ACC Championship game as well.

 

[Carl Spackler]

There was a college basketball festival of sorts at the Boston Garden in late 2007. UConn played Gonzaga and BC played PC. I remember it because I was just about to propose to my wife and I told my friends of my plan at that game. Also Ray Allen was courtside and got a standing ovation.

BC was getting spanked in the ACC Championship game as well.

College basketball, just isn't going to be in Boston, ever, what it is in NYC - and the Big East conference is, and will always be, to thank for that. I believe that. Maybe I'm wrong, but it's what I think. There can be periods of time where there might be sparks of interest - but Boston is a very dedicated pro-sports town and there aren't enough dedicated alumni to regional schools in major intercollegiate athletics to offset it. There are plenty of college alumni in the region, but not the kind that live and breath big time college athletics. That is different than the NYC region.

We are smack dab in the middle.

College sports are secondary and always will be in Boston, just as they are in NYC. But the NYC region - as noted - is totally different than the Boston region when it comes to intercollegiate athletics.

In the Boston area - the only college sport that holds up on it's own, and draws regularly independantly - is hockey. It's not a national draw, but it's significant for the sport and the northern states. College hockey up there in Beantown is bigger than anywhere else - I think - and guess what - starting this coming winter - we're in it.

 

[Husky25]

College basketball, just isn't going to be in Boston, ever, what it is in NYC - and the Big East conference is, and will always be, to thank for that. I believe that. Maybe I'm wrong, but it's what I think. There can be periods of time where there might be sparks of interest - but Boston is a very dedicated pro-sports town and there aren't enough dedicated alumni to regional schools in major intercollegiate athletics to offset it. There are plenty of college alumni in the region, but not the kind that live and breath big time college athletics. That is different than the NYC region.

We are smack dab in the middle.

College sports are secondary and always will be in Boston, just as they are in NYC. But the NYC region - as noted - is totally different than the Boston region when it comes to intercollegiate athletics.

In the Boston area - the only college sport that holds up on it's own, and draws regularly independantly - is hockey. It's not a national draw, but it's significant for the sport and the northern states. College hockey up there in Beantown is bigger than anywhere else - I think - and guess what - starting this coming winter - we're in it.

Agree with just about every word you wrote (except "Independantly" ). I do not dispute it. However, that does not take away from the fact that the Garden has recently (sort of) hosted high level Div. 1 college athletics in basketball).

 

[Carl Spackler]

FWIW: The only football program I'd be interested playing in the Boston area would be Boston College University, and I wouldn't mind if it were a regular thing. I'm pretty sure that our program would be happy to schedule them, but there hasn't been any reciprocity from their end for many years - to their own detriment, I think. Odd.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Agree with just about every word you wrote (except "Independantly" ). I do not dispute it. However, that does not take away from the fact that the Garden has recently (sort of) hosted high level Div. 1 college athletics in basketball).

Yes. It isn't an either-or scenario here folks. We certainly need to maintain our NY presence. But Shabazz is from Boston, the sport isn't nothing in Boston, it's just dormant and in need of revival. NCAA tournament games in Boston and Worcester are big events and have been well attended. A basketball beanpot of BC, UMASS and Harvard in Boston would be great. Do it every other year. None of those teams will hurt your RPI, and we played two of them this year anyway. Make an event out of it. Boston is a much easier drive from Storrs than NYC, and if UConn kids can come up here in droves for rowing, they can do it for basketball.

 

[Husky25]

Yes. It isn't an either-or scenario here folks. We certainly need to maintain our NY presence. But Shabazz is from Boston, the sport isn't nothing in Boston, it's just dormant and in need of revival. NCAA tournament games in Boston and Worcester are big events and have been well attended. A basketball beanpot of BC, UMASS and Harvard in Boston would be great. Do it every other year. None of those teams will hurt your RPI, and we played two of them this year anyway. Make an event out of it. Boston is a much easier drive from Storrs than NYC, and if UConn kids can come up here in droves for rowing, they can do it for basketball.

If three schools are MA based, I would venture a guess that Holy Cross would be the preferred invite over UConn.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Yes. It isn't an either-or scenario here folks. We certainly need to maintain our NY presence. But Shabazz is from Boston, the sport isn't nothing in Boston, it's just dormant and in need of revival. NCAA tournament games in Boston and Worcester are big events and have been well attended. A basketball beanpot of BC, UMASS and Harvard in Boston would be great. Do it every other year. None of those teams will hurt your RPI, and we played two of them this year anyway. Make an event out of it. Boston is a much easier drive from Storrs than NYC, and if UConn kids can come up here in droves for rowing, they can do it for basketball.

Good points. It's pretty simple for me - given the choice of seeing UCONN play basketball in NYC, or Boston, I choose NYC every day of the week and twice on Sundays. If we could manage to schedule such that we have away games/neutral site games in NYC and Boston - there is certainly no down side to that and it's desireable for sure if you can manage both each year - but NYC comes first for me in hoops.

 

[HuskyHawk]

If three schools are MA based, I would venture a guess that Holy Cross would be the preferred invite over UConn.

Maybe, but that's small time, which is why it wouldn't get off the ground. Only UConn makes it worth holding. HC isn't that much closer to Boston anyway.

As to Carl's preference for NYC, that's the long-time duality of CT. I was at UConn during the 1986 World Series and it was remarkable how strongly the Boston and NY contingents associated with their city/team of choice. I was always a Boston side guy, and hate anything and everything about NYC (except the BET). UConn can't abandon either contingent.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Maybe, but that's small time, which is why it wouldn't get off the ground. Only UConn makes it worth holding. HC isn't that much closer to Boston anyway.

As to Carl's preference for NYC, that's the long-time duality of CT. I was at UConn during the 1986 World Series and it was remarkable how strongly the Boston and NY contingents associated with their city/team of choice. I was always a Boston side guy, and hate anything and everything about NYC (except the BET). UConn can't abandon either contingent.

Exactly. THe only reason that UCONN gets involved with something like that, is if we're in control of the scheduling. UMass, Harvard, UConn, Holy Cross, Boston College, any other southern new England program - plays an invitational type tournament at the location that UCONN determines, and the civic center or Webster arena - or Gampel is where it should get played. We are not in a position of scheduling weakness in new England.

As for the rest. Yes - I'm a New York leaner, and it's not smart to alienate the NY or the Boston leaners, but it is smart to divvy up the priorities appropriately.

 

[Husky25]

Maybe, but that's small time, which is why it wouldn't get off the ground. Only UConn makes it worth holding. HC isn't that much closer to Boston anyway.

As to Carl's preference for NYC, that's the long-time duality of CT. I was at UConn during the 1986 World Series and it was remarkable how strongly the Boston and NY contingents associated with their city/team of choice. I was always a Boston side guy, and hate anything and everything about NYC (except the BET). UConn can't abandon either contingent.

I think UConn should be involved and I agree that a Tourney with those 4 teams would not generate much buzz, but if the set up includes UMass, BC, and HU, then C of the HC is the choice for #4, in my view. They would promote it as a Basketball Beanpot of sorts.

BTW, Worcester is pretty much exactly 1/2 way from Storrs to Boston.

 

[pj]

Yes. It isn't an either-or scenario here folks. We certainly need to maintain our NY presence. But Shabazz is from Boston, the sport isn't nothing in Boston, it's just dormant and in need of revival. NCAA tournament games in Boston and Worcester are big events and have been well attended. A basketball beanpot of BC, UMASS and Harvard in Boston would be great. Do it every other year. None of those teams will hurt your RPI, and we played two of them this year anyway. Make an event out of it. Boston is a much easier drive from Storrs than NYC, and if UConn kids can come up here in droves for rowing, they can do it for basketball.

If we're going to have a "basketball beanpot" of NE basketball, it should alternate between Hartford and Boston. No reason to give anyone the impression that Boston is more significant than Connecticut for New England; or that UConn has to go to Boston to find an audience. Let the Massachusetts schools be seen as coming to us as much as we are going to them.

 

[Kevin Caliendo]

NYC cares deeply about basketball. college and pro. the Big East tourney mattered to the city and its fans, because its a city game and there are a ton of local players.

Boston is a Celtics town, but hockey matters there like basketball matters in NYC. That being said, the Beanpot doesn't sell out anymore, largely because harvard and BU programs have sucked badly the last few years. A basketball tourney at the Garden between BC, BU, Northeastern and Harvard might draw 5,000, maybe more. Put Uconn in it and you get close to a sellout

 

[Husky25]

Do you mean Northeastern has sucked badly?

 

[ASweet3781]

It's a shame the ND-UConn game in Fenway never materialized.

 

[Matrim55]

Basketball Beanpot of UConn, UMass, BC and PC rotating between Boston, Providence and Hartford. People would eat it up.

And fwiw: I don't care how much this helps the other three schools. They are so far beneath us that they will never catch us. This is our barnstorming tour where we remind all of New England who's got the biggest .