2024 Scheduling opportunities??????

[shizzle787]

Have faith. If you can't trust AD David Benedict by now, you never will.

I do. I'm just patiently waiting for the announcement.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

I'm going to make a prediction: we will be joining the ACC on July 1, 2036. I think the SEC will raid the ACC leaving us a spot. This means that we can and should be an independent until then. 2023 to 2035 is 13 seasons. This is what Benedict needs to schedule for.

2023 is already complete.
24-25 both need two games.
26 needs one game.
27 needs three games.
28 needs five.
29 needs nine.

We can do this. It is imperative that we get aggressive and schedule in advance and we will be fine.

For the next three years, we need five games.
In 24, we still get to schedule a home FCS game.
The other game that year could be part of a H/H with a P5 school on the road with the return game in 25.
Speaking of 25, we could get another H/H with the home game that year and the road game in 27.
In 26, a H/H with the home game, and the road game in 27.
The final game in 27 could be a home FCS game (7 home games that year).

That's a safe prediction....and makes sense...but I think Mora is shooting for a much earlier entry. He has openly spoken about his goal to be in the ACC...I doubt he was talking about getting there when he is 75....lol.

 

[CL82]

Before. But there was a reason why building Gampel didn't move all the games out of Hartford.

There were a lot of reasons why building Gamble didn’t move all the games out of Hartford. One was additional capacity at a time when we were selling out routinely. A second was the fact that the Hartford Civic Center was still a relatively new facility and an attractive place to play.

In the past, you’ve suggested that the University of Connecticut would pay some kind of legislative penalty in the event that it no longer played any games in Hartford. My thought as to that is that it would be political suicide for any politician who decided to do that.

In any event, it doesn’t need to be an all or nothing venture. The university can gradually reduce the amount of games played in Hartford annually while pointing out the fact that it loses money every time it plays in Hartford. Currently the CRDA charges the University of Connecticut well above the fair market lease value of the facility. This results in the state of Connecticut paying the university of Connecticut so that it can pay the CDRA above market lease fees so that the CDRA’s multi million dollar deficit is smaller. This makes no sense, whatsoever, and in results in the universities athletic department having less apparent value.

For what it’s worth, I’m seeing signs that the University is looking to redefine its relationship with the XL Center. I think the establishment of the Toscano ice rink on campus may be the last puzzle piece that allows it to do this.

 

[CL82]

I think if you go back and read the report, it isn’t exactly saying you need to spend $63 million all at once. What it says is over the next five plus years you need to spend money replacing stuff that is either worn out, (think the roof) or no longer the meeting today’s standards (communication and technology). It is basically normal maintenance on a twenty year old building. In the private sector, you likely would have a replacement reserve to address it, or some of it at least. Or you would recapitalize the property. In the public sector, that rarely works, because legislators, tax payers and officials would scream bloody murder. They would want that money turned over to the General Fund with the idea that the state will come up with the money when required. Indeed, for a while you weren’t allowed by state law to have such funds for publicly owned entities. Not sure if they are permitted now. So the end result is that the State Legislature needs to appropriate money for that purpose. But it isn’t like you need to do $63 million on Tuesday. You basically put together a capital plan and maybe it is $10 million/year over 6 years, and you fund that and in an ideal world, it becomes a regular thing so you avoid these big numbers in the future.

Agree. If I were the state legislature, I would make a requirement that the CDRA stop deferring maintenance, essentially converting annual maintenance expense to periodic capital expenditure, as a condition for this agreement.

 

[businesslawyer]

There were a lot of reasons why building Gamble didn’t move all the games out of Hartford. One was additional capacity at a time when we were selling out routinely. A second was the fact that the Hartford Civic Center was still a relatively new facility and an attractive place to play.

In the past, you’ve suggested that the University of Connecticut would pay some kind of legislative penalty in the event that it no longer played any games in Hartford. My thought as to that is that it would be political suicide for any politician who decided to do that.

In any event, it doesn’t need to be an all or nothing venture. The university can gradually reduce the amount of games played in Hartford annually while pointing out the fact that it loses money every time it plays in Hartford. Currently the CRDA charges the University of Connecticut well above the fair market lease value of the facility. This results in the state of Connecticut paying the university of Connecticut so that it can pay the CDRA above market lease fees so that the CDRA’s multi million dollar deficit is smaller. This makes no sense, whatsoever, and in results in the universities athletic department having less apparent value.

For what it’s worth, I’m seeing signs that the University is looking to redefine its relationship with the XL Center. I think the establishment of the Toscano ice rink on campus may be the last puzzle piece that allows it to do this.

That's all well reasoned, and I fully acknowledge that things change over time. However, I always find it funny when people who weren't in the room when decisions were made are confident telling people who were in the room when decisions were made how the decisions were really made. I know what I saw, and I know what people said. You know what makes sense. In politics, sense and $16 gets you over the GW Bridge.

 

[CL82]

That's all well reasoned, and I fully acknowledge that things change over time. However, I always find it funny when people who weren't in the room when decisions were made are confident telling people who were in the room when decisions were made how the decisions were really made. I know what I saw, and I know what people said. You know what makes sense. In politics, sense and $16 gets you over the GW Bridge.

So, did anyone actually say “if the university of Connecticut doesn’t play in the civic center we will cut their budget?” while you were “in the room.” I’m actually curious about this, because this notion is part of the mythology of the state and certainly didn’t originate with you. If you want, feel free to take it to PM.

(And for what it’s worth, in politics, and pretty much everywhere else, sense and understanding where pressure could be applied and how to apply it will get you a very long way.)

 

[Husky25]

Right. In fact visiting teams like Rentschler precisely because it is 20 minutes to the airport. And for visiting fans it is the same thing. Of course there are fewer direct flights than say Boston or New York, but the airport is easy to get to, no traffic issues most of the time. If you want to fly to Boston or NY it is a doable trip too

Do football programs fly commercial to away games? They may fly on a Delta jet, but aren't they chartered?

As far as visiting fans, it's as much a function of where that school is located, as it is where Bradley connects. As it is, Bradley services direct flights to/from a good number of major cities.

 

[Brochacho]

Do football programs fly commercial to away games? They may fly on a Delta jet, but aren't they chartered?

As far as visiting fans, it's as much a function of where that school is located, as it is where Bradley connects. As it is, Bradley services direct flights to/from a good number of major cities.

UConn flies charter. Virtually every program does - not aware of one that doesn’t.

 

[Husky25]

UConn flies charter. Virtually every program does - not aware of one that doesn’t.

So ADs are not really concerned with from which cities airports service direct flights.

 

[Kolumbo]

I'm going to make a prediction: we will be joining the ACC on July 1, 2036. I think the SEC will raid the ACC leaving us a spot. This means that we can and should be an independent until then. 2023 to 2035 is 13 seasons. This is what Benedict needs to schedule for.

2023 is already complete.
24-25 both need two games.
26 needs one game.
27 needs three games.
28 needs five.
29 needs nine.

We can do this. It is imperative that we get aggressive and schedule in advance and we will be fine.

For the next three years, we need five games.
In 24, we still get to schedule a home FCS game.
The other game that year could be part of a H/H with a P5 school on the road with the return game in 25.
Speaking of 25, we could get another H/H with the home game that year and the road game in 27.
In 26, a H/H with the home game, and the road game in 27.
The final game in 27 could be a home FCS game (7 home games that year).

That timeline is unacceptable. We spent 7 seasons in the gulag, 2 as Independent, and 1 sitting on our thumbs. I have no interest in what happens 13 years from now.

 

[shizzle787]

With Syracuse as a neutral site game, I assume our other remaining game in 2024 will be a home game against an FCS opponent.

 

[Jimdish255]

That timeline is unacceptable. We spent 7 seasons in the gulag, 2 as Independent, and 1 sitting on our thumbs. I have no interest in what happens 13 years from now.

The team(s) that want out of the ACC don't like that timeline either. They can't go today but that GOR will have to be broken well before 2036 or however long they foolishly agreed to.

 

[HuskyV]

Based on current ACC contracts and grant of rights, management will be required to find properties/teams which will open opportunity to renegotiate TV deals.

Not many opportunities around, but sitting around and waiting for expiration of Grant of Rights and SEC/B10 invasion is not an option.

 

[UConnJim]

There will be a lot of teams looking for games in 2024 and 2025 when the SEC goes to a 9 game schedule. I calculate that there will be 12 teams dumped from the 2024 SEC schedules and 9 teams dumped from the 2025 SEC schedules as many SEC teams have scheduled 4 OOC games and they will only be able to play 3.