Why football might actually be the biggest winner.

[UConnJim]

BYU can and has scheduled many P5 opponents. I noted this in another thread, but here are BYU's P5 opponents over the next 5 years.

BYU's P5 opponents:

2019: 4 (Utah, @Tennessee, USC, Washington)
2020: 6 (@Utah, Michigan St., @Arizona St, @ Minnesota, Missouri, @Stanford)
2021: 7 (Arizona in Las Vegas, Utah, Arizona St., @Baylor, @Washington St., Virginia, @USC)
2022: 5 (@Utah, Baylor, @Oregon, Arkansas, @Stanford)
2023: 6 (Tennessee, @Virginia, Utah, @arkansas, @USC, Stanford)

As you can see, most of the opponents are from the Midwest and West Coast plus Utah, which makes sense given BYU's location.

This is what I think UConn's independent schedule could look like:

Annual home and homes with UMass and Army
One FCS home game
4 G5 home and homes
1 upper level P5 buy game
4 home and homes with mid to lower level P5's

Look at the stadium capacities of the FBS Independents:

BYU: 63.7k
UConn: 42.7k (Michigan capacity)
Army: 40k
New Mexico St.: 30.3k
Liberty: 25k
UMass: 17k

UConn has played 25 current P5 opponents and slightly less than half of the P5 are located within a 2.5 hour flight to Hartford. So, it is possible that UConn can scratch together the hypothetical schedule that I listed above.

One other thought. We have been focused on SNY for football and tier 3 sports, but I think the real opportunity is the Big 10 network (51% owned by Fox). Why? If UConn got a football scheduling arrangement with the Big 10 for 4 games per year (2 home and 2 away) and say women's basketball, maybe the BTN can get an in-market rate for Connecticut and bring in $12 to $14 million per year from Connecticut. Maybe UConn can get $5 to $6 million per year from the BTN for rights to UConn football and women's Tier 3 basketball.

 

[Pudge]

Great job Jim

We aren't NM State or Liberty; we are a class Plus above UMASS. We just are; somewhere not in the same gasp as BYU - which is a notable Program in the western states for decades. I think Benedict has to work really really hard. But ... I like the niche thinking in that post.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Have any of these schools agreed to play an independent UConn FB team. NO. They agreed to play an AAC member. It not would surprise me with BB fans destroying the FB team, Duke will cancel their UConn series unless UConn does something special -- like becoming a respected football program in NYC region.

Far less likely with mid to lower level ACC programs, and smu is of minimal interest in the northeast. Good luck naively believing CT’s legislators wouldn’t go even more bird shiite crazy proposing games in the City particularly a baseball stadium unless it’s an extremely high ranked program, massive draw, etc.

 

[weyuo]

I think an average schedule would look more like this:

• @ any higher level B1G, ACC, PAC12 or SEC payday game
• lower level B1G or ACC team H/H or FCS team
• @ any AAC team. They have us pegged as a easy W so we can probably expect a game a year
• @ any MAC team H/H
• any CUSA team H/H
• @ any Mountain West team H/H)
• any Sun Belt team H/H) or FCS
• @ any Independent(H/H)
• any independent(H/H)
• any independent(H/H)
• @UMass(H/H during Thanksgiving week yearly rivalry)
• @Notre Dame or SEC late season cupcake game(payday game)

 

[Portico]

Here's the thing. Because we played in the AAC, the max number of P5 schools we could play on a yearly basis was 4. Some of you think we will have a hard time scheduling big good programs but I don't think so.

Almost every year, we will play UMass and Army H/H and one FCS school at home, which means that leaves 9 games (3 or 4 home games) to make a great schedule. I fully believe we will continue to be able to schedule low-level P5 schools on a H/H basis, mid-level P5 schools on a 2 for 1 basis, and juggernauts as pay games.

I can legitimately see this being a schedule once we get going as an independent:

1. Indiana (A) H/H
2. Rutgers (H) H/H
3. Purdue (A) H/H
4. Illinois (H) H/H
5. Maryland (A) H/H
6. Florida State (A) 2 for 1
7. Notre Dame (A) pay game
8. BYU (H) H/H
9. Army (A) H/H
10. Holy Cross (H) FCS
11. Auburn (A) pay game
12. UMass (H) H/H


This is realistic. The first six weeks of the season are fairly easy to schedule. I truly believe the Big 10 will continue to consider us a P5 "opponent" and we can get home and homes with 5 teams I mentioned. Florida State would be a 2 for 1. You would take a bye most years in Week 7. It wouldn't have to be Notre Dame but in any given year, a few big schools have an open date about half way through the year (enter Notre Dame in my example) for a body bag game. BYU and Army both admit they have issues scheduling so that is pretty realistic. Auburn being a pay game makes sense because SEC schools take the 2nd to last week of the season as a tune up game, and UMass would be our "rivalry" game at the end of the year. We won't be able to get this the first year, but it meets all of the requirements: 5 home games (some years 6 in our case). Oh, and by the way, we'll play 8 P5 in this scenario.

I'm just pissed we didn't do this 5 years ago.

These schools have thier schedules done 5-6 years in advance. There have no room for Uconn for many years. Why would they schedule uconn when they do have an opening, what do they gain?

 

[Ldandy]

Just ask yourself how many ooc games UConn will have in men's and women's basketball, Field Hockey (which has three NC's in recent years), and men's and women's soccer, once they join the BE? All those sports can be used as leverage in helping to schedule a football game with a P5. Yes, an easier sell than UMass but not UCONN when you add the leverage of other sports and the difficulty and expense at getting to and playing in Provo versus Storrs.

Nobody cares about field hockey or women's basketball as it relates to scheduling football games. FH is a total non starter. Women's Basketball probably makes money for 3-4 schools only including Uconn. I do believe that you can leverage Men's Basketball Games in negotiations with schools that also value the sport at a higher level than football such as KU, IU, Duke etc. A football home game in exchange for a basketball 2-1 or even 3-1 seems fair.

 

[huskyrob1]

Nobody cares about field hockey or women's basketball as it relates to scheduling football games. FH is a total non starter. Women's Basketball probably makes money for 3-4 schools only including Uconn. I do believe that you can leverage Men's Basketball Games in negotiations with schools that also value the sport at a higher level than football such as KU, IU, Duke etc. A football home game in exchange for a basketball 2-1 or even 3-1 seems fair.

How do you know that? A lot of women's athletes and women AD's do care.

 

[Kolumbo]

UConn Football will chart its own course because it has been forced to. The program isn't nearly as bad as the haters say it is. In fact, as bad as recent seasons have been, the program is still about on par with the likes of Kansas and L-ville, better than Rutgers, and better than many other FBS G5 programs.

UConn Basketball rose to incredible success because of Jim Calhoun and the Big East Conference. UConn Football will not see that type of success, but it can find FBS success on its own terms. The current Independents are independents for their own individual reasons. There are pluses and minuses to being independent and as some have pointed out, I think many P5 programs will find it beneficial to schedule UConn. Independence could very well be a much better short term opportunity than the forced membership in the AAC.

 

[UConnJim]

These schools have thier schedules done 5-6 years in advance. There have no room for Uconn for many years. Why would they schedule uconn when they do have an opening, what do they gain?

Well, here are the facts.

Right now, UConn has 2 P5 for 2020, 2 P5 for 2021, 2 P5 for 2022, and 3 P5 for 2023.

If you look at future football schedules, here are the current P5 (plus BYU) minus Pac 12 (too far) opportunities:

2020: 6 schools looking for games. UConn has played 3 before.
2021: 16 schools looking for games. UConn has played 8 before.
2022: 25 schools looking for games. UConn has played 11 before.
2023: 31 schools looking for games. UConn has played 12 before.

In addition, UConn men's and women's basketball have played every P5 school listed above with the exception of 1 or 2. Thus, we do have some good relationships with P5 schools.

I think UConn needs 2 P5 for 2020, 2021, and 2022, and 1 for 2023 to get to 4 per year. I think that is doable, although 2020 would probably be difficult which is why I think UConn football stays in the AAC in 2020.

 

[Ldandy]

How do you know that? A lot of women's athletes and women AD's do care.

For the majority of P5 Schools hosting 6-7 home games is an absolute necessity if they have any hope of their athletic department not running a major deficit. If you believe that an AD is going to trade a home football game in exchange for women's basketball or field hockey games I'm not even sure what to say.

What I can tell you is that we do have a female AD. We maintain a high number of successful women's programs including soccer and field hockey that we spend a lot of money on. We also have a brand new women's basketball coach who would love the buzz of playing Uconn at home. That said... have Benedict call our AD up and see if she'll schedule a road game at The Rent in exchange for any or all of these sports. If Benedict is smart he needs to leverage all of these non revenue sports to get an away game on the books.

 

[Dooooooomed]

For the majority of P5 Schools hosting 6-7 home games is an absolute necessity if they have any hope of their athletic department not running a major deficit. If you believe that an AD is going to trade a home football game in exchange for women's basketball or field hockey games I'm not even sure what to say.

What I can tell you is that we do have a female AD. We maintain a high number of successful women's programs including soccer and field hockey that we spend a lot of money on. We also have a brand new women's basketball coach who would love the buzz of playing Uconn at home. That said... have Benedict call our AD up and see if she'll schedule a road game at The Rent in exchange for any or all of these sports. If Benedict is smart he needs to leverage all of these non revenue sports to get an away game on the books.

What is your school?

 

[06029]

Benedict just said that several AD's called him saying they would support Uconns move to independent status, and they would come and play us. Are you calling him a liar?

He has an irate fan base and he did not name any school. Until deals are signed like CCSU and Lafayette, I think it may be less than a 100% done deal and I think most will be 2 for 1 at best. It is an opinion based on how other below 500 record independents schedule.

 

[huskyrob1]

For the majority of P5 Schools hosting 6-7 home games is an absolute necessity if they have any hope of their athletic department not running a major deficit. If you believe that an AD is going to trade a home football game in exchange for women's basketball or field hockey games I'm not even sure what to say.

What I can tell you is that we do have a female AD. We maintain a high number of successful women's programs including soccer and field hockey that we spend a lot of money on. We also have a brand new women's basketball coach who would love the buzz of playing Uconn at home. That said... have Benedict call our AD up and see if she'll schedule a road game at The Rent in exchange for any or all of these sports. If Benedict is smart he needs to leverage all of these non revenue sports to get an away game on the books.

No one, including me ever said trade a women's basketball game or Field Hockey game one for one for a football game. They could however sweeten the deal, whatever that might be. I believe it's called cooperation between schools.

 

[noeynox]

How does that benefit Iowa? Why would they give an away game to independent Uconn? If they would not do it when Uconn was in a conference, they will not do it now.

You should ask that about every possible home and home idea out there against a P5 team. How does that away game benefit them? Who can they schedule at home that does not want that return game? Is a game against independent Uconn in a recruiting dead zone for most programs worth more than a game against other G5 or independent programs that have no desire for a return game or even a 2 for 1 scenario?

If they scheduled us when we were in the AAC, what is difference now?

 

[freescooter]

I think it will be difficult but it could work. He is what I would do.
Long term deal with UMass.
Call the Fenway folks and make arrangements to play UMass there on the weekend before Thanksgiving every year.
Make deals with 2-3 bowls to be the next in line if a league doesn’t fill its slot
Get a scheduling deal w the ACC or B12 or someone for 2 games a year. One home one away. Sort of ND lite. Then get deals with mid to lower P5s MACs AAC teams as possible

 

[UConnJim]

I think it will be difficult but it could work. He is what I would do.
Long term deal with UMass.
Call the Fenway folks and make arrangements to play UMass there on the weekend before Thanksgiving every year.
Make deals with 2-3 bowls to be the next in line if a league doesn’t fill its slot
Get a scheduling deal w the ACC or B12 or someone for 2 games a year. One home one away. Sort of ND lite. Then get deals with mid to lower P5s MACs AAC teams as possible

No to Fenway Park. UMass and UConn would draw better at the Rent as it is closer to both schools. Home and home is better than Fenway Park.

 

[noeynox]

No to Fenway Park. UMass and UConn would draw better at the Rent as it is closer to both schools. Home and home is better than Fenway Park.

I'd rather it be on their on campus stadium as well.

 

[06029]

If they scheduled us when we were in the AAC, what is difference now?

Uconn counted as a P5 team as part of the AAC for those leagues. As an independent, no one knows if those leagues will consider a team that has won 4 games the past two years the same way going forward. I wrote this before, what benefit does a P5 get scheduling an away game with Uconn? It is not great for recruiting, it is not a destination game for fans, it is not a tv ratings bonanza. I hope it happens but I am not optimistic that it will on a 1 for 1 basis at all.

 

[Steve1981]

IDK, UMass fan and see you are very caught up in scheduling P5 teams, but what about bowl access. We have not been P5 or had the brief success that youhad, but feel to some extent winning games bring fans out. Could be wrong but P5 teams could bring 1-3k and for the most part MAC teams bring 1-3 hundred, with exceptions like Ohio.

Would 3 regional P5 games and a FCS game be enough to join UMass in a bid for FB only MAC membership, for championship game and bowl access.

MAC East Division:
Ohio
UMass
UConn
Buffalo
Miami
Akron
Kent St.

Have started this thread with more details, that were formed by writing on a few boards and refining a bit.
Would the MAC accept a UConn and UMass package with minimum TV or CFP Money

 

[FroginCT]

The MAC and Big Ten play a bunch.

Ohio State has played 26 games
Michigan....24
Mich. St.37
Penn St.28
Purdue..50
Wisc......34
NWestern...29

Ohio State plays so many MAC games because there are 4 MAC schools in Ohio, so they want to keep the money in state. Yes, there is the occasional Buffalo, but not the norm for the MAC.

However, Ohio State usually has one other early body bag game (this year it is FIU), so there may be a chance, but it won't be 2:1.

 

[billybud]

Ohio State plays so many MAC games because there are 4 MAC schools in Ohio, so they want to keep the money in state. Yes, there is the occasional Buffalo, but not the norm for the MAC.

However, Ohio State usually has one other early body bag game (this year it is FIU), so there may be a chance, but it won't be 2:1.

Ohio State played fewer MAC teams than Wisconsin, Pudue, Michigan State, Northwestern, etc. Even Minnesota has played 36 games vs the MAC.

The MAC appears to be a Big Ten hunting preserve.

 

[DefCONNOne]

LOL at people thinking all of our P5s on the schedule are gonna back out and one else is gonna call because we went Independent. AAC vs Indy is at the very least a wash, if not Indy being more attractive.

You must be smoking some really potent bubonic chronic, if you truly believe the bolded.

 

[DefCONNOne]

Benedict just said that several AD's called him saying they would support Uconns move to independent status, and they would come and play us. Are you calling him a liar?

He also said we had a plan for football, when it turned out we didn't. So forgive me for not believing a syllable that comes out of his mouth.

 

[noeynox]

Uconn counted as a P5 team as part of the AAC for those leagues. As an independent, no one knows if those leagues will consider a team that has won 4 games the past two years the same way going forward. I wrote this before, what benefit does a P5 get scheduling an away game with Uconn? It is not great for recruiting, it is not a destination game for fans, it is not a tv ratings bonanza. I hope it happens but I am not optimistic that it will on a 1 for 1 basis at all.

The same benefit as when we were in the AAC? Not every school in the league received that designation.

 

[bmayuc]

I'd love to read other Shizzle hot takes such as:

"Why Austria-Hungary might actually be the biggest winner of WW1"
"Why Poland might actually be the biggest winner of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Agreement"
"Why Britain might actually be the biggest winner of the American Revolution"
"Why Napoleon might actually be the biggest winner of the Louisiana Purchase"


Etc, Etc.