Auriemma says it's time for UConn fans to embrace football (Elsberry)

[Carl Spackler]

Women's basketball isn't for me but, man, the things he says about football and conference realignment is spot on. Can somebody make sure that this is posted on the Women's board? Football needs support from ALL UCONN fans and their support is equally important in the coming years. Need the Rent to be packed.

Also - and I'm just quoting you dooley, because I'm similar.....it would be good for UCONN football people to do their best to follow and appreciate the women's hoops program too. Over the years, I simply haven't put much effort into following the program. If the women's hoops army is to get behind the football program, it's only fair that us football people get in the game to back them up a hell of a lot more than we have - and stop making comments like this - and I'm guilty of it in the past too.

I do not have season tickets for women's basketball, never have had them. I have never been to a women's hoops game since I was student, and I can count on one hand the number of games I went to then. But I will get tickets to at least one game next season, and will make a habit of it from here on out.

 

[Dooley]

Also - and I'm just quoting you dooley, because I'm similar.....it would be good for UCONN football people to do their best to follow and appreciate the women's hoops program too. Over the years, I simply haven't put much effort into following the program. If the women's hoops army is to get behind the football program, it's only fair that us football people get in the game to back them up a hell of a lot more than we have - and stop making comments like this - and I'm guilty of it in the past too.

I do not have season tickets for women's basketball, never have had them. I have never been to a women's hoops game since I was student, and I can count on one hand the number of games I went to then. But I will get tickets to at least one game next season, and will make a habit of it from here on out.

Agreed. I have never followed women's basketball for the same reason why I don't follow golf or NASCAR. It just doesn't appeal to me. But you are right - UCONN fans need to support UCONN...not specific programs. To be clear, I have never rooted against our women's team and I do enjoy watching the success that they have. And I really do like Geno and agree with most everything he says about conference realignment, whether it is about Notre Dame's roll, the Big East's structure, or football support. In women's basketball, it's really UCONN vs. The Field and I like that. But you are right, saying things like "women's basketball isn't for me" is an unnecessary added statement to the central point that I was trying to make: Geno is right about embracing football and UCONN fans need to unite to support the school and not specific programs. That goes for me too.

 

[DoctorWho85]

As I just noted on the women's b-ball board : The football parents/families/friends got organized years ago and have their regular tailgates and area close up to the stadium. The football alumni in recent years are getting a bit organized, and have their camps set up - across the street. (Would be nice to get them closer to the stadium too)

It just makes sense that the Boneyard should get organized and plant a flag somewhere around the stadium too. Odd that it hasn't happened yet, really. I remember lots of talk around here before about making some kinds of flags to fly or something to signify boneyard. What really should happen is that somebody step up and claim - like say the front rows of the grey lot - for the boneyard.

Somebody just needs to step up and make it happen. Plant a flag somewhere around the stadium for boneyarders. I'm pretty sure that Geno basically made that kind of challenge, without saying so directly. We've got thousands of people around here that are registered and read and write.

I'm going to guess, and predict, that if there was an organized place - where men's and women's b-ball boneyarders knew that they could go - prior to games, and be with other boneyarders - that they may be much more inclined to buy tickets and go.

I really like the idea of have a BY tailgate at the stadium. If I can find the time with my schedule, I would definitely attend/help plan if needed.

 

[Third and one]

A Boneyard tailgate crew is a great idea. I started a parents tailgate in my son's second year, with help from Nostical (also known as
The Guvnah), and Big Tim Willman, it grew from twenty people to over 250 members today, and still growing. I attended the spring game to check in on them, and it was nice to see old friends, Alumni, and fans hanging out together in a common love for UConn football. The leaders of the University are aware of Husky HQ now, and have opened their minds to hear many good suggestions from our group on how to form some traditions, and to get people out of the lot for kickoffs. This Boneyard is filled with diehard and casual fans, which when mixed together can grow exponentially. A Boneyard flag is a necessity, but also fly something unique from the pole, to distinguish the site from all others. Perhaps an inflatable bone?
Do this guys, it makes too much sense. The websites to help coordinate are free, you just need someone to be lead dog on it, and it runs itself. Try the one we use: www.rtailgate.com
See you in the lot.

 

[noeynox]

There are alot of UConn BBall fans who are fans of ND, Penn State, Michigan, etc in football. I've brought more than one to a big game at The Rent and they love it. Really need to conver those guys over to the light.

 

[Jax Husky]

We are the North Pole of the AAC and while this would not be the case in the BIG or ACC (BC taking the pole) the thing about being a football fan is being able to take on the elements and not turn tail and leave an empty seat for our home games. Being out in the cold for 4 hours is a real test. I hope we can fill the Rent for the first 5 games but getting fans to show up in early December is always a challenge. Welcome aboard uconnsouth.

A good football team in Bowl contention solves a lot of this. No one is sitting in the cold to watch a 2-9 team against Memphis though.

 

[epark88]

A good football team in Bowl contention solves a lot of this. No one is sitting in the cold to watch a 2-9 team against Memphis though.

Tell that to the good folks in charge of Scheduling. Seems like an easy thing to fix, right?

And btw, who in the AD is actually in charge of scheduling UConn football games? I've always wondered this...

 

[Waquoit]

Nothing kills interest in anything faster than desperation. You are not going to sell one ticket by making it an obligation. Sell the fun of going to games, not some vague threats of what is going to happen if you don't go.

 

[rich1122]

Need 28K this year. We better have 20K by now or we won't make it.

 

[Dooley]

Nothing kills interest in anything faster than desperation. You are not going to sell one ticket by making it an obligation. Sell the fun of going to games, not some vague threats of what is going to happen if you don't go.

What about the Whalers' season ticket campaign? Every time Karmanos upped the ante on his fictional season ticket base that he needed to be shown that Hartford would support hockey, Whaler fans matched it. Probably would have even matched it if he just told the truth and said that he was going to move the team after the season no matter what and if you want a final chance to support the Whalers, buy tickets.

You are right though - UCONN needs to sell fun. It needs to bottle up the atmosphere from last year's Michigan game and other fun games from years past (Baylor, Pitt, WVU win, etc) and remind people that it's fun to go to games. And when the fans are there and engaged, the players have fun and play better too.

 

[Waquoit]

Need 28K this year. We better have 20K by now or we won't make it.

rich, you've made several posts like this saying the same thing. But you never have anything else to add, never getting past the "Belling The Cat" stage. What else do you got?

 

[SubbaBub]

I think we are forgetting something. FB games are fun, assuming PP/GDL aren't involved. Those non-FB season ticket holders who may be reading this should know that.

It's up to the AD to make them as fun as possible (this includes things like winning games and playing exciting opponents at home), the rest will take care of itself.

Win or lose, I can't recall an occasion when an OOC P5 opponent coming to the Rent that wasn't a good time. Most of the conference games (I remember some dogs against Cuse) were good times, too.

Nothing kills interest in anything faster than desperation. You are not going to sell one ticket by making it an obligation. Sell the fun of going to games, not some vague threats of what is going to happen if you don't go.

Ha, didn't see this one.

 

[rich1122]

A good football team in Bowl contention solves a lot of this. No one is sitting in the cold to watch a 2-9 team against Memphis though.

I did. You are either a fan or you are not.

 

[HuskyNan]

I did. You are either a fan or you are not.

It's the die hard fan that will sit through dreadful games. What UConn football wants to do is draw in new fans or casual fans and make them into die hard fans. There's got to be some way to create the same passion for football that there is for basketball.

 

[Jarhead_1775]

A good football team in Bowl contention solves a lot of this. No one is sitting in the cold to watch a 2-9 team against Memphis though.

I did!

 

[jdb50]

I did!

We did too. At the end of the Towson game last year I stood up and was ready to go with about 3 minutes to go, the wife refused and said we always stay to the end and that's what we would do. I had season tx the first 3 years at the Rent then had to go to selected games due to high school sports for our kids until 2007 season when we got season tx again. One thing really stuck out to me in Edsall's last season when we got on that great run beating WVU,Pitt, Cuse away, Cinci, and USF away. At the end of the Cinci game which was very entertaining, had Reyes's return where he got robbed of the TD, plenty of offense etc., when the team was at the tunnel to sing the fight song, there were 10% of the students left and the same for the rest of the crowd. Maybe 20% of the regular fans. I was watching Edsall and thinking about how we could get to a BCS Bowl with a win in Tampa and it had to bother him that with the possibility of that great accomplishment most fans could not find a way to stay and really send the team off from their last home game with a big thank you and standing ovation. I know we won't get everyone but we need to get more fans to support the team to the degree that fan bases do at the big time programs. That is part of what Geno is talking about. Butts in the seats matter, butts in the seats for kickoff and people in the stadium until the team goes in the tunnel at the end of the game. It's a process, we can do it and it starts with the BYU game. A sellout would be a great start!

 

[uconndogs]

Yup, me too for Memphis.

Folks can sit around and ponder CR all they want. The only real impact we have is buying tickets and going to the games.

 

[FAIRTIDES]

Nothing kills interest in anything faster than desperation. You are not going to sell one ticket by making it an obligation. Sell the fun of going to games, not some vague threats of what is going to happen if you don't go.

The formula is simple. Good product = Customers and, more importantly, repeat Customers.

 

[Carl Spackler]

It's the die hard fan that will sit through dreadful games. What UConn football wants to do is draw in new fans or casual fans and make them into die hard fans. There's got to be some way to create the same passion for football that there is for basketball.

it comes from an enjoyable game day experience and winning. Mostly though, it comes from sharing an enjoyable game day experience and winning with thousands of other people, that enjoy the same things.

The issue Nan, is that there are only at most 8, and that's rare, usually only 7 home games a year, and for most of our division 1A existence we played only 6 home games a year, in which to share those events. Think for a second about the entire term: "homecoming".

The value of home football games to a university is very hard to put into numbers adequately. The fact that our stadium was built off campus, has been an obstacle in many ways - because it's difficult for the student on-campus body to develop that game day experience, but in other ways, given the uniqueness of what UCONN athletics is - the location of the stadium centrally in the state, with easy motor vehicle access can be a huge positive over time - but the ball was fumbled badly by the Hathaway/Austin administration - when we where building to our success under Edsall.

The Pasqualoni 3 years were miserable for the fan base. From November 2012 to Novebmer 2013 - I - like thousands of other UCONN football fans - experienced for the first time since 2003 - having to drive home from a full tailgate/football day - without having won a game - for a full calendar year.

Even with that - we still got 17,000 and change to come back in December. It can build, and build quickly.

Winning helps a lot.

 

[Nostical]

The ball was fumbled badly by the Hathaway/Austin administration

How true that is. Would Susan Herbst have ever hired Hathaway? In case you're wondering, that was a rhetorical question.
A football-centric AD like WM and a committed to excellence Prez like SH would have put us in a very different place and yes there would have been a bigger stadium. Bottom line, Herbst is a chess player. Austin played checkers.