Big 12

[CONN78SEJ]

Nonsense. We were turned down in the early 2010s coming off a Fiesta Bowl appearance and playing before over 35k fans every week, with Jim Calhoun presiding over a Kemba team that won a natty for our 3rd in a dozen years, with a women's basketball team that was dominating like few have ever dominated an NCAA sport and a baseball team that had just made a superregional. And we still got passed over while Louisville and Rutgers escaped.

We were your high school girl then and now. LIttle has changed. Which is why I'll believe we're going to be invited to the Big XII when I see it.

Being “turned down” or “passed over” are quite different than getting a hard veto from two backstabbing programs. It’s no coincidence that both backstabbing programs were very close by geographically speaking. In this case, I don’t think any team in the Big 12 is vetoing us when the league commissioner asks for a visit.

 

[Kolumbo]

No I didn't, why would a visiting team care? The Rent is closer to the airport than Storrs so advantage East Hartford as far as opposing teams are concerned. Doubtful the opposing players nor their fans will want to sit in on a class while visiting.

I was curious where visiting football teams stayed and where visiting basketball teams stayed when they were playing in Hartford or Storrs. The fact that college football programs travel to CT to play UConn and all they ever see are Bradley and East Hartford is really disheartening. That really is a buzz kill.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Ok so why does every single other FBS team besides Miami and UCLA play on campus? Sometimes it’s worth looking at other programs and seeing what they’ve done to advance their athletic standing.

When did the LA Coliseum move onto USC's campus?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I was curious where visiting football teams stayed and where visiting basketball teams stayed when they were playing in Hartford or Storrs. The fact that college football programs travel to CT to play UConn and all they ever see are Bradley and East Hartford is really disheartening. That really is a buzz kill.

I would love it if they built a sufficient hotel infrastructure around Storrs/Mansfield to accommodate large visitor contingents. Unfortunately this is a few spots down on the wish list of things to improve.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

I was curious where visiting football teams stayed and where visiting basketball teams stayed when they were playing in Hartford or Storrs. The fact that college football programs travel to CT to play UConn and all they ever see are Bradley and East Hartford is really disheartening. That really is a buzz kill.

The NCAA has had a relationship with Marriott and in the past visiting football teams have stayed at the Marriott Diwntown/Convention Center. I think on campus visiting (non-football) teams stay in the Graduate Hotel.

 

[Slasher]

Pitt doesn't play on campus either.

 

[metsfan2323]

Ok so why does every single other FBS team besides Miami and UCLA play on campus? Sometimes it’s worth looking at other programs and seeing what they’ve done to advance their athletic standing.

Most FBS campuses are in sizable cities, CT chose not to do that, regardless it's doubtful our stadium location would damage our appeal to a conference looking to add teams.

CT built the stadium close to our capital city, what's wrong with that?

If we could all go back in time the capital of CT should have been New Haven and UCONN should also be in New Haven. With all that extra money and development along with Yale, New Haven could have been a major northeastern city with at minimum a pro hockey team.

 

[metsfan2323]

I forgot to mention that one of UCONN sports selling points is that CT does not have any major league sports franchises, therefore UCONN sports fills that void for CT citizens. With that in mind it does makes sense that the football stadium was built in the capital city to make it easier to access for all of our state citizens while also keeping it close to the UCONN campus.

 

[NEforceUConn]

Most FBS campuses are in sizable cities, CT chose not to do that, regardless it's doubtful our stadium location would damage our appeal to a conference looking to add teams.

CT built the stadium close to our capital city, what's wrong with that?

If we could all go back in time the capital of CT should have been New Haven and UCONN should also be in New Haven. With all that extra money and development along with Yale, New Haven could have been a major northeastern city with at minimum a pro hockey team.

Umm..,,,,

 

[Urcea]

The campus stadium thing is such a distraction. If UConn plays winning football, it will pack the Rent. There is no mystical force or odd circumstance of history that packed the Rent in the 2000s when this program had some vitality and cachet - they were just winning football games and were competitive on a national stage. That’s the formula

 

[UConnJim]

Most FBS campuses are in sizable cities, CT chose not to do that, regardless it's doubtful our stadium location would damage our appeal to a conference looking to add teams.

Not really true. The state put UConn in Storrs and the area around the university was not really allowed to grow to become a college town. If you look at many of the other land grant universities, the university became one of the drivers of growth for the area.

Some people seem to think UConn is in the middle of nowhere. It is 7 miles off a major interstate, 25 miles from Hartford, 45 miles from Worcester and Springfield. 50 miles to Providence, 60 miles to New Haven, 90 miles to Boston, and about 140 miles to NYC. Penn State is 140 miles to Pittsburgh and 190 miles to Philly.

 

[NE Football]

The question is how much money would we bring into the B12? I think the B12 is more interested in the four corner schools. They will also wait to see what happens with the ACC.

ESPN should offer ND 75 million per year to join the ACC. ESPN might be interested in building the ACC brand by getting O, Washington, Cal, Stanford & Colorado to join the ACC to get to 20 members.

 

[metsfan2323]

Some people seem to think UConn is in the middle of nowhere.

UCONN's campus is not in the middle of anything, it's in the right hand corner of the state, tucked far away as possible from the state's coastal money. But to the point at hand, moving the football stadium to the campus would do nothing to increase ticket sales, it might actually reduce ticket sales and Storrs is not even close to anything resembling a tourist attraction for visitors, Sorry.

To say we become more attractive to a P5 conference with an on-campus stadium is nonsense.

 

[metsfan2323]

Hopefully something we are using in our pitch to any P5 conference is Yankee Stadium. Pitch 5 conference games a decade in NYC. That's your tourist attraction. Also its great for our coastal fans as Metro North goes directly to the stadium. Win. Win.

 

[huskymedic]

->As SI reported in a story published May 15, the Big 12 is also targeting another basketball power out East: five-time national champion UConn. A pairing of the two would give the league dominant hoops programs on either coast.<-

 

[CL82]

Not really true. The state put UConn in Storrs and the area around the university was not really allowed to grow to become a college town. If you look at many of the other land grant universities, the university became one of the drivers of growth for the area.

Some people seem to think UConn is in the middle of nowhere. It is 7 miles off a major interstate, 25 miles from Hartford, 45 miles from Worcester and Springfield. 50 miles to Providence, 60 miles to New Haven, 90 miles to Boston, and about 140 miles to NYC. Penn State is 140 miles to Pittsburgh and 190 miles to Philly.

 

[UConnJim]

UCONN's campus is not in the middle of anything, it's in the right hand corner of the state, tucked far away as possible from the state's coastal money. But to the point at hand, moving the football stadium to the campus would do nothing to increase ticket sales, it might actually reduce ticket sales and Storrs is not even close to anything resembling a tourist attraction for visitors, Sorry.

To say we become more attractive to a P5 conference with an on-campus stadium is nonsense.

The UConn/Mansfield area is the biggest growth opportunity in Connecticut. Large state universities offer tremendous activities for residents: concerts, plays, sports, classes,... And, you have a large number of educated young people that businesses would love to hire. This is why the towns and cities surrounding land grant universities have grown and are attractive places to live.

I would focus on developing the area around UConn first. In 20 years, reevaluate an on-campus stadium.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Some people seem to think UConn is in the middle of nowhere. It is 7 miles off a major interstate, 25 miles from Hartford, 45 miles from Worcester and Springfield.

Or in other words, the middle of nowhere lol.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

The UConn/Mansfield area is the biggest growth opportunity in Connecticut. Large state universities offer tremendous activities for residents: concerts, plays, sports, classes,... And, you have a large number of educated young people that businesses would love to hire. This is why the towns and cities surrounding land grant universities have grown and are attractive places to live.

I would focus on developing the area around UConn first. In 20 years, reevaluate an on-campus stadium.

Great idea. Let's see if you can get it off the ground

 

[hoopsfan22]

The UConn/Mansfield area is the biggest growth opportunity in Connecticut. Large state universities offer tremendous activities for residents: concerts, plays, sports, classes,... And, you have a large number of educated young people that businesses would love to hire. This is why the towns and cities surrounding land grant universities have grown and are attractive places to live.

I would focus on developing the area around UConn first. In 20 years, reevaluate an on-campus stadium.

The people and towns around UConn don't want it.

 

[metsfan2323]

Penn State is 140 miles to Pittsburgh and 190 miles to Philly.

PA probably intentionally built their flag ship right in the middle of the state, it would have been great for UCONN ticket sales if CT did the same. No doubt the football stadium would be on campus. Unfortunately that ship passed long ago.

 

[huskymedic]

Assisted access <-

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Interesting data and viewpoints. The only thing I am wondering about is the connection between academics and sports/football specifically performance. Not sure if there is data to support that premise, but my gut tells me that football is so deeply rooted in SEC culture that even if their universities decline there shouldn't be a decline. You might even argue that the SEC schools will double-down/triple-down on sports/football if their academics slide.

One odd thing about most articles on this topic is that many writers think that students will stay close to home rather than pursue attendance at better universities. That has never happened. Most students will attend the best school they can get into, even if they have to go a few states over to attend it, UNLESS, it is a lot cheaper to attend a lower rated school. Basically, lower ranked colleges have to buy students. Those schools will look into every bucket of cash, including the athletic department, to fund this.

I bring this up because the SEC schools' long-term financial situation is not as rosey as sports writers indicate.

 

[Kolumbo]

One odd thing about most articles on this topic is that many writers think that students will stay close to home rather than pursue attendance at better universities. That has never happened. Most students will attend the best school they can get into, even if they have to go a few states over to attend it, UNLESS, it is a lot cheaper to attend a lower rated school. Basically, lower ranked colleges have to buy students. Those schools will look into every bucket of cash, including the athletic department, to fund this.

I bring this up because the SEC schools' long-term financial situation is not as rosey as sports writers indicate.

I have also seen kids go to schools in NC, SC, FL and not necessarily the big name schools. They mostly wanted to go to school further south where the weather is nicer. Granted, many kids aren't getting into UConn these days so that might factor into it too and perhaps this is not a trend. But for many undergrads I think the south has more of a lure today than it did in the past. With communications technology and ease of travel, distance isn't much of a factor.

 

[Ha Who]

The people and towns around UConn don't want it.

What is hilarious about that mindset is thinking about the opposition to a highway to Providence. They fought that one for years and their payback was two of the larger casinos in the world.