Another angry voice: UConn is Leaning Hard Into Not Caring About Football

[hardcorehusky]

Is this true? So the other games would all be on ESPN + ??

Yes.

 

[CL82]

I think that the scheduling won't matter much if UConn does not recruit...playing a good schedule and having losing season after losing season would be a football killer.

Have to, must.....recruit better.

Chicken and the egg kind of a thing. Better schedules bring better recruits. We need to do both. Using one to leverage the other.

 

[Husky25]

Personally, I am embracing everyone one of these doom predicting articles. Look this thing will go one of two ways. It will either the beginning of the end for our FBS football hopes or it won't be. If we can make it work, and it is looking increasingly possible, then this will become and great narrative of how we beat the odds, shifted the paradigm, etc.

Wouldn't it be ironic if going Independent was the way to a P5 invite.

 

[CL82]

Wouldn't it be ironic if the going Independent was the way to a P5 invite.

... or a least a route to monetizing our media rights at a competitive level.

 

[Guapo]

I don't buy into hints and whispers. We've been fooled too many times by hints and whispers only to end up with kick after kick to the nuts.

This board has an over-inflated view of UConn Football's value/brand. We are not the draw people think we are. We never were. Yes we enjoyed success in the big east accomplishing more in a decade than Rutgers ever did. But nobody cares because the big east got no respect anyway. UConn effectively killed the BCS system by winning that 3 team tie-breaker.

tl;dr - because on a national level, our football program is far closer to UMass' than it is to BYU's.

Yeah I mean, nothing you say here is wrong. I would quibble with the idea that we are viewed closer to UMass as UConn is a far far FAR more recognizable “brand” nationally amongst sports fans.

Nonetheless, I guess it just comes down to trust. There’ll be a lot of reputable people with eggs on their face if these schedules chalk full of brand name teams don’t come to fruition.

 

[kemba]

I don't buy into hints and whispers. We've been fooled too many times by hints and whispers only to end up with kick after kick to the nuts.

Yea and to me, even if you buy into the hints and whispers, hearing from a bunch of teams is one thing but you still need to figure everything out logistically for 12 games, year after year. I'm hoping for the best but need to see it to believe it that this move will be good for football.

 

[BlueMAB]

Yeah I mean, nothing you say here is wrong. I would quibble with the idea that we are viewed closer to UMass as UConn is a far far FAR more recognizable “brand” nationally amongst sports fans.

Basketball, yes.

Not football. We are a laughingstock in football. Left at the alter of conference realignment several times. The losing on the field, the losing in realignment, the Civil ConFLiCT, coach Vineyard Vines fired, Pasqualoni fired, attendance nearing Hartford City FC levels, loss of SNY....

UConn football, as much as I've loved it the past 15+ years, has gone from a meteoric rise to a national laughingstock only made marginally less embarrassing by the "they have pretty good basketball though" comments.

 

[Husky25]

Yeah. Those of us who bought season tix and attended not just basketball games but soccer, hockey, baseball as well as football and wanted UConn to compete at a high level in all sports , not maybe just one. Yeah it’s people like that who are more football fans than UConn fans. Honestly I have the opposite view. This was pushed by basketball only fans who have from day 1 undercut the football program and resented its success because it competed for resources and attention in their minds with their basketball team. They have this nostalgia for the old Big East that won’t even recognize that the remainder plus Butler and Xavier and some Catholic school from Nebraska is the Big East in name only.

This how I felt for the week after the new broke. I don't feel this way at the moment. For as much lobbying they did on Twitter, I don't think basketball-onlys had as much influence. I think it's been years in the making. At least as long as Benedict has been here. They were going to see how the second contract negotiations were going to play out. Once the deal was announced (paywall, loss of Tier 3, pay for non-football media production), the decision made itself.

The Big East is that in name only though. You are not wrong about that. Five of UConn's seven best former Big East rivals are in the ACC.

 

[huskyrob1]

If UConn can schedule as successfully as BYU...there is a chance that a good Husky program could become relevant.

This season, BYU plays Southern Cal, Utah, Tennessee, Washington, USF, & Boise State.

2020...Michigan State, Arizona St., Minnesota, Missouri, Houston, Stanford, Boise State.

2021...Southern Cal, Washington St, Boise State, Arizon St., Utah, Baylor, Virginia

If UConn can schedule similar programs but with a more eastern orientation, they will have opportunities.

BYU has no problem filling late season slots?

 

[Guapo]

Basketball, yes.

Not football. We are a laughingstock in football. Left at the alter of conference realignment several times. The losing on the field, the losing in realignment, the Civil ConFLiCT, coach Vineyard Vines fired, Pasqualoni fired, attendance nearing Hartford City FC levels, loss of SNY....

UConn football, as much as I've loved it the past 15+ years, has gone from a meteoric rise to a national laughingstock only made marginally less embarrassing by the "they have pretty good basketball though" comments.

They not not connected, though.

The school as an entirety is a brand.

Plus arranging football schedules by offering basketball games is still on the table.

 

[huskyrob1]

Basketball, yes.

Not football. We are a laughingstock in football. Left at the alter of conference realignment several times. The losing on the field, the losing in realignment, the Civil ConFLiCT, coach Vineyard Vines fired, Pasqualoni fired, attendance nearing Hartford City FC levels, loss of SNY....

UConn football, as much as I've loved it the past 15+ years, has gone from a meteoric rise to a national laughingstock only made marginally less embarrassing by the "they have pretty good basketball though" comments.

Was UCF a laughing stock when they went 0-10? Is Rob Ambrose a laughing stock, or Todd Orlando, or Joe Morehead? All former UConn assistants. Was UConn a laughing stock when they won the Big East title in football just a few years ago, or when got invited to the Fiesta Bowl?

 

[huskymedic]

Was UConn a laughing stock when they won the Big East title in football just a few years ago, or when got invited to the Fiesta Bowl?

Yes... we singlehandedly (@ 8-4) killed the BCS system (Google away).

 

[BlueMAB]

Was UCF a laughing stock when they went 0-10? Is Rob Ambrose a laughing stock, or Todd Orlando, or Joe Morehead? All former UConn assistants. Was UConn a laughing stock when they won the Big East title in football just a few years ago, or when got invited to the Fiesta Bowl?

1) Yes UCF was a laughingstock at 0-10. Never seen a winless team NOT be a laughingstock. And they have nothing to do with us. Literally nothing. We're discussing UConn football's national appeal, and you bring up another school. Do you need more evidence that when it comes to over-inflating UConn football's national appeal you are exhibit A? Okay..
2) nobody thinks about UConn when they think about Ambrose, Orlando or Morehead. They haven't elevated UConn football's brand. Unless you're argument is.."UConn, great stepping stone for coaches!"
3) Yes. UConn was still pretty much a laughingstock both times we won a share of the "Big Least". Our winning it, was used as evidence that the conference was trash, rather than merely a success story.
4) UConn's Fiesta Bowl appearance was the death of the BCS system. Sending an 8 win team at a basketball school from what (fairly or not) was widely considered the weakest of the BCS conferences literally was the nail in the coffin. We changed the system with that appearance, and it's done nothing but harm to us since.
5) The fact you have to bring up coaches who have made their name AT OTHER SCHOOLS shows how out of touch you are with UConn's perception on a national level.

Please don't bother responding, you're out of touch with reality here.

 

[BlueMAB]

Yes... we singlehandedly killed the BCS system (google away).

Oh yeah! Well were we a laughingstock when we beat (FCS school) Towson by two touchdowns!!??

Oh wait...

 

[huskyrob1]

Yes... we singlehandedly (@ 8-4) killed the BCS system (Google away).

1) Yes UCF was a laughingstock at 0-10. Never seen a winless team NOT be a laughingstock. And they have nothing to do with us. Literally nothing. We're discussing UConn football's national appeal, and you bring up another school. Do you need more evidence that when it comes to over-inflating UConn football's national appeal you are exhibit A? Okay..
2) nobody thinks about UConn when they think about Ambrose, Orlando or Morehead. They haven't elevated UConn football's brand.
3) Yes. UConn was still pretty much a laughingstock both times we won a share of the "Big Least". Our winning it, was used as evidence that the conference was trash, rather than merely a success story.
4) UConn's Fiesta Bowl appearance was the death of the BCS system. Sending an 8 win team at a basketball school from what (fairly or not) was widely considered the weakest of the BCS conferences literally was the nail in the coffin. We changed the system with that appearance, and it's done nothing but harm to us since.
5) The fact you have to bring up coaches who have made their name AT OTHER SCHOOLS shows how out of touch you are with UConn's perception on a national level.

Please don't bother responding, you're out of touch with reality here.

Then why do you waste your time posting on a UConn football fan board, if it's a laughing stock. So your job on the Boneyard football board is to "educate" fans and bring them back to reality. It no wonder they can't sell season tickets with fans like you rooting the team on. Sounds to me like someone has an axe to grind.

 

[Husky25]

... or a least a route to monetizing our media rights at a competitive level.

This is what I've come to realize. Without considering ticket sales, UConn will probably be able to net more media revenue with all sports in the Big East and Indy Football. Will it be the $10M some considered the target for the AAC deal? I think it will be closer to that than had UConn remained in the AAC.

 

[BlueMAB]

They not not connected, though.

The school as an entirety is a brand.

Plus arranging football schedules by offering basketball games is still on the table.

They really aren't though.

Does anyone view Duke Football through a better lens due to the basketball team?
Does anyone think of basketball when you say the name Alabama?
Kansas Jayhawks. One of the best environments for CBB and one of the biggest names. Kansas football? Not remotely the same.

Thank God we can offer basketball games....that's more evidence that the brands are not the same. We have to use basketball to sell football, because people aren't buying football until we get back to winning...no amount of national titles in other sports will change that. We need to leverage basketball because the football brand is so poor.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

My ignore list is getting pretty long these days

 

[Guapo]

They really aren't though.

Does anyone view Duke Football through a better lens due to the basketball team?
Does anyone think of basketball when you say the name Alabama?
Kansas Jayhawks. One of the best environments for CBB and one of the biggest names. Kansas football? Not remotely the same.

Thank God we can offer basketball games....that's more evidence that the brands are not the same. We have to use basketball to sell football, because people aren't buying football until we get back to winning...no amount of national titles in other sports will change that. We need to leverage basketball because the football brand is so poor.

Your last paragraph directly contradicts your opening argument.

I agree with the last paragraph. We are a basketball power, we are not a football power.

Let’s see if we can leverage the basketball power to help schedule better football games.

No need to chicken little quite yet.

 

[BlueMAB]

Then why do you waste your time posting on a UConn football fan board, if it's a laughing stock. So your job on the Boneyard football board is to "educate" fans and bring them back to reality. It no wonder they can't sell season tickets with fans like you rooting the team on. Sounds to me like someone has an axe to grind.

Why do you worry about how I spend my time? Where did I say my job was to educate people like you? I'd never accept that job. The pay is crap, the hours are long, and at the end of the day, you end up with people like you thinking that fans are the problem. Rather than the fact that UConn football has not had a winning season since the iPad was invented.

You know you lost this disagreement right? Because you're focusing on me, rather than trying to back up the ridiculous post you made.

 

[Husky25]

Plus arranging football schedules by offering basketball games is still on the table.

Does this happen? I hear it constantly here, but I don't recall a particular instance where one party or another (or even the evidence born out of the scheduling agreement) indicates that offering to play basketball nets a football game.

 

[whaler11]

Then why do you waste your time posting on a UConn football fan board, if it's a laughing stock. So your job on the Boneyard football board is to "educate" fans and bring them back to reality. It no wonder they can't sell season tickets with fans like you rooting the team on. Sounds to me like someone has an axe to grind.

yep uconn football’s problem is the fans who can recognize garbage football when they see it.

not the fact they play garbage football.

makes sense.

 

[Guapo]

Does this happen? I hear it constantly here, but I don't recall a particular instance where one party or another (or even the evidence born out of the scheduling agreement) indicates that offering to play basketball nets a football game.

Yes it does happen.

For instance, UMass did a football buy game at UGA in exchange for a home and home basketball series.

 

[Husky25]

Yes it does happen.

For instance, UMass did a football buy game at UGA in exchange for a home and home basketball series.

Thanks for that. I will take this idea with more than a grain of salt...not much more, but still.

 

[BlueMAB]

Your last paragraph directly contradicts your opening argument.

I agree with the last paragraph. We are a basketball power, we are not a football power.

Let’s see if we can leverage the basketball power to help schedule better football games.

No need to chicken little quite yet.

It doesn't though. If the football brand was even average, we wouldn't have to trade basketball games for football games.

I'm not chicken littling. I didn't say we're screwed. But I'm not going to pretend like this is nothing but good news. It's not. It's an incredible challenge for an athletic department that has not done much to show they are capable of overcoming incredible challenges.

I think we had to leave the AAC. I think it present an opportunity to be more financially stable. One we had to jump at.

That doesn't mean it's without risk. And the morons who ask stupid questions like "were we a laughingstock when we went to the Fiesta Bowl?" have very little context of UConn football's place in the national landscape.

Basketball has elevated the school, but not to the point where people won't call UConn football the dumpster fire that it is.

I sure hope Edsall turns it around. If not him, someone. I want my kids to grow up going to games, enjoying the tailgating, the football, the atmosphere. Right now, taking them to games is more like a punishment. It's boring and we suck.

My ignore list is getting pretty long these days

Me or the guy blaming fans for not wanting to go watch bad football for 8 consecutive seasons?

 

[Guapo]

Thanks for that. I will take this idea with more than a grain of salt...not much more, but still.

Yeah, I don’t think it’ll make up the bulk of our scheduling strategy but it’ll come into play.

 

[Guapo]

It doesn't though. If the football brand was even average, we wouldn't have to trade basketball games for football games.

I'm not chicken littling. I didn't say we're screwed. But I'm not going to pretend like this is nothing but good news. It's not. It's an incredible challenge for an athletic department that has not done much to show they are capable of overcoming incredible challenges.

I think we had to leave the AAC. I think it present an opportunity to be more financially stable. One we had to jump at.

That doesn't mean it's without risk. And the morons who ask stupid questions like "were we a laughingstock when we went to the Fiesta Bowl?" have very little context of UConn football's place in the national landscape.

Basketball has elevated the school, but not to the point where people won't call UConn football the dumpster fire that it is.

I sure hope Edsall turns it around. If not him, someone. I want my kids to grow up going to games, enjoying the tailgating, the football, the atmosphere. Right now, taking them to games is more like a punishment. It's boring and we suck. They

Me or the guy blaming fans for not wanting to go watch bad football for 8 consecutive seasons?

Yeah I mean, again, nothing you say here is wrong. I acknowledge the risks and potential pitfalls, but I’m hoping for the best rather than expecting the worst regarding the football program.

I would ask that you not freak out when the first couple of schedules are released; there is a distinct possibility that they will be bad those first two years.

If, after the first two years, we’re still playing Southwest Delaware State and the Willimantic YMCA every week, then we can freak out lol

 

[BlueMAB]

Yeah I mean, again, nothing you say here is wrong. I acknowledge the risks and potential pitfalls, but I’m hoping for the best rather than expecting the worst regarding the football program.

I would ask that you not freak out when the first couple of schedules are released; there is a distinct possibility that they will be bad those first two years.

If, after the first two years, we’re still playing Southwest Delaware State and the Willimantic YMCA every week, then we can freak out lol

I expect growing pains, I know schedules are made years in advance. and won't freak out. I still hope for the best, just mentally preparing for the worst.

For the record I have no problem with positivity, and excitement over the potential here. But I refuse to suspend reality, and pretend like UConn is a strong enough brand to get a schedule comparable to BYU. Our schedule will be worse for the foreseeable future. Obviously winning would help...

 

[ConnHuskBask]

The Big East is that in name only though. You are not wrong about that. Five of UConn's seven best former Big East rivals are in the ACC.

To me, I feel like the former Big East rivals are slightly stronger in the ACC than the current Big East, but past the top two in each, PC, StJ, Hall and BC, Ville, ND are all pretty much the same to me.

Big East - Georgetown, Villanova, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall
ACC - Syracuse, Pitt, BC, Louisville, ND

 

[kemba]

They really aren't though.

Does anyone view Duke Football through a better lens due to the basketball team?
Does anyone think of basketball when you say the name Alabama?
Kansas Jayhawks. One of the best environments for CBB and one of the biggest names. Kansas football? Not remotely the same.

It has a little impact imo. Not a huge impact, but I do think schools would favor playing us than UMass partially because of our brand name as a school