Conf USA in Talks with UConn, Liberty, NMSU

[CONN78SEJ]

Except for the fact that Perno had good players but the team would get worse instead of better.

I’d disagree strongly with that, when Perno recruited Corny, Mike McKay, and Bruce Kuzencski. Year before Corny’s freshman year, UConn was 11-15, they were really bad. When Corny and McKay came on board the next year Uconn went 20-8, made the NCAA tournament losing a very close and winnable game to 10th ranked Syracuse in the first round. IIRC Corny’s last two years Uconn joined the Big East and finished 4th and 5th in one of the top basketball conferences in the nation. After Corny, McKay, and Kuzencski graduated they unfortunately reverted to their losing ways. Corny’s junior year Uconn added Norman Bailey to the team, which gave Perno even more options, at least until Bailey unfortunately flunked out. Perno wasn’t the best game coach or teaching coach, but he could recruit good local kids with Toner’s help, what’s really unfortunate is Calhoun never got the chance to coach these kids. What might have been.

 

[Bubba1957]

I’d disagree strongly with that, when Perno recruited Corny, Mike McKay, and Bruce Kuzencski. Year before Corny’s freshman year, UConn was 11-15, they were really bad. When Corny and McKay came on board the next year Uconn went 20-8, made the NCAA tournament losing a very close and winnable game to 10th ranked Syracuse in the first round. IIRC Corny’s last two years Uconn joined the Big East and finished 4th and 5th in one of the top basketball conferences in the nation. After Corny, McKay, and Kuzencski graduated they unfortunately reverted to their losing ways. Corny’s junior year Uconn added Norman Bailey to the team, which gave Perno even more options, at least until Bailey unfortunately flunked out.

Thank you for posting this. Brings back a lot of great memories. It was right around the time of Bobby Dulan, Carl Hobbs and Vern Giscome too. All good players. I have distinct memories of Kuzencski going up against Pat Ewing on a Saturday noon game in Hartford. He played him tough and could get shot off but couldn't get it to drop that day.

 

[coachcap]

It seems that in Every generation, there are factions within the fanbase who want to push their own agenda & not look at the athletic department as a whole. When I was an undergrad in the '70s, & Joe Marrone had the men's soccer team on the upswing toward their 1st National Championship in the '80s, UConn hosted then national soccer power St. Louis U. Billekins at Memorial Stadium. UConn football was mediocre then & the soccer first horde called for abolition of football & turning over Memorial to the Soccer teams permanently.
When UConn made the decision to move up to 1-A football, & the RENT was being built, again the soccer first crowd was decrying building facilities for football & ignoring infrastructure for soccer & other sports.
Fast forward to today: The University has built an improved Marrone Stadium, Men's & Women's basketball practice facilities, a baseball stadium, softball park, & in process on the new hockey facility. And STILL, there are factions that want to demote the football team to FCS or abolish it entirely. Why? Because, it their Utopian minds the record of UConn Football tarnishes the credibility of the Athletic Department in terms of winning championships. It this philosophy is to be embraced, then we might as well close the athletic department. Hockey mired in ,500 seasons? Can it! Basketball doesn't qualify for post-season play? The horror, & you gotta go! Soccer season less than spectacular? Bye-Bye!
My point is, that after the unparalleled success during the FHCRE-I era that culminated with the trip to the Fiesta Bowl, UConn football fell down the rabbit hole due to A.D. mismanagement. I trust A.D. Dave to right the ship with this next coaching hire. The naysayers & their agendas be damned!

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Thank you for posting this. Brings back a lot of great memories. It was right around the time of Bobby Dulan, Carl Hobbs and Vern Giscome too. All good players. I have distinct memories of Kuzencski going up against Pat Ewing on a Saturday noon game in Hartford. He played him tough and could get shot off but couldn't get it to drop that day.

UConn split with Georgetown in Kuzencski’s sophomore year. Both games were close, decided by 1 or 2 points IIRC.

 

[noeynox]

It seems that in Every generation, there are factions within the fanbase who want to push their own agenda & not look at the athletic department as a whole. When I was an undergrad in the '70s, & Joe Marrone had the men's soccer team on the upswing toward their 1st National Championship in the '80s, UConn hosted then national soccer power St. Louis U. Billekins at Memorial Stadium. UConn football was mediocre then & the soccer first horde called for abolition of football & turning over Memorial to the Soccer teams permanently.
When UConn made the decision to move up to 1-A football, & the RENT was being built, again the soccer first crowd was decrying building facilities for football & ignoring infrastructure for soccer & other sports.
Fast forward to today: The University has built an improved Marrone Stadium, Men's & Women's basketball practice facilities, a baseball stadium, softball park, & in process on the new hockey facility. And STILL, there are factions that want to demote the football team to FCS or abolish it entirely. Why? Because, it their Utopian minds the record of UConn Football tarnishes the credibility of the Athletic Department in terms of winning championships. It this philosophy is to be embraced, then we might as well close the athletic department. Hockey mired in ,500 seasons? Can it! Basketball doesn't qualify for post-season play? The horror, & you gotta go! Soccer season less than spectacular? Bye-Bye!
My point is, that after the unparalleled success during the FHCRE-I era that culminated with the trip to the Fiesta Bowl, UConn football fell down the rabbit hole due to A.D. mismanagement. I trust A.D. Dave to right the ship with this next coaching hire. The naysayers & their agendas be damned!

I wanted to like this post, but I don't trust AD Dave until he proves us wrong. This entire university has to show that they can make good decisions when it comes to football. The only one that qualifies so far was going independent and locking in the CBS sports deal, but we all know that was more a byproduct of getting BB into the Big East. This next hire is everything.

 

[itgoeslike]

What appears to have prompted this exploration is the potential of 2 of the remaining independents coming off the board. In addition, the behind the scenes discussions of P5 conferences potentially limiting their schedule to other P5 conferences may be a contributing factor. The AD has done a good job to date building an independent schedule, but he needs to ensure he can get to 12 games after 2026. CUSA is a distressed property and there may be an opportunity to craft access to some of those teams (limited conference schedule) to build future schedules and have access to post season opportunities (like Notre Dame worked out with ACC). Not saying this is going to happen (I hope it doesn’t), but it does require at least a look at what could be pieced together on UConn’s terms. Ultimately, I think I would prefer to have CUSA implode and have additional teams added to the independent pool that could help round out a 12 game schedule in the future.

 

[huskymedic]

UMass Bamford looking for a conference that will take UMass as a football only member and has reached out to CUSA recently:

 

[RSTuthill]

UMass Bamford looking for a conference that will take UMass as a football only member and has reached out to CUSA recently:

Sure, bound to happen. That will not stop them from playing UConn even if they were invited and accepted.

 

[ZooCougar]

Can we please have a moderator change the title of the thread to: “UConn not in talks to join CUSA”.

 

[ZooCougar]

It seems that in Every generation, there are factions within the fanbase who want to push their own agenda & not look at the athletic department as a whole. When I was an undergrad in the '70s, & Joe Marrone had the men's soccer team on the upswing toward their 1st National Championship in the '80s, UConn hosted then national soccer power St. Louis U. Billekins at Memorial Stadium. UConn football was mediocre then & the soccer first horde called for abolition of football & turning over Memorial to the Soccer teams permanently.
When UConn made the decision to move up to 1-A football, & the RENT was being built, again the soccer first crowd was decrying building facilities for football & ignoring infrastructure for soccer & other sports.
Fast forward to today: The University has built an improved Marrone Stadium, Men's & Women's basketball practice facilities, a baseball stadium, softball park, & in process on the new hockey facility. And STILL, there are factions that want to demote the football team to FCS or abolish it entirely. Why? Because, it their Utopian minds the record of UConn Football tarnishes the credibility of the Athletic Department in terms of winning championships. It this philosophy is to be embraced, then we might as well close the athletic department. Hockey mired in ,500 seasons? Can it! Basketball doesn't qualify for post-season play? The horror, & you gotta go! Soccer season less than spectacular? Bye-Bye!
My point is, that after the unparalleled success during the FHCRE-I era that culminated with the trip to the Fiesta Bowl, UConn football fell down the rabbit hole due to A.D. mismanagement. I trust A.D. Dave to right the ship with this next coaching hire. The naysayers & their agendas be damned!

As a big soccer fan. College Men’s Soccer is for the birds. It’s a dead end of the sport and not fun to watch. It shouldn’t even be considered soccer because the clock counts in the wrong direction and the ridiculous amount of subs.

Any money spent on Soccer is charity. It will do nothing for UConn.

UConn got a huge boost in applications when it moved to FBS. People actually care about crap like that, even if it is irrational.

 

[Waquoit]

I’d disagree strongly with that, when Perno recruited Corny, Mike McKay, and Bruce Kuzencski....After Corny, McKay, and Kuzencski graduated they unfortunately reverted to their losing ways.

With Perno at the helm, they reverted to their losing ways before those guys left the team. That team gave the Georgetown team that lost to Jordan in the Finals their biggest loss of the season. Yet, they ended up losing 7 out of their last 8 games. They should of made the Dance. A real AD cuts Perno loose after that disaster.

 

[Zissou]

C-USA isn’t very attractive, but I’m stretching here to make the best look for a fit and a viable conf.

west- UTEP, New Mex State (add), LA Tech, MITSU, W Kentucky, FIU. (all full members in the west)

east- (all new members in the east). Delaware (full), liberty (full), Army (football only), UConn (football only), UMass (football only), Nova (football only)

That’s 8 full members, meeting ncaa FBS rules.

East only meets West in the title game, so no crazy footprint or schedule for the east teams.

Only 5 conference games, so a nice compromise to schedule like a hybrid independent.

The conf membership allows for bowl alignments and CFP money. When CFP goes to 12, members have a path to CFP.

 

[HuskiesFan1014]

C-USA isn’t very attractive, but I’m stretching here to make the best look for a fit and a viable conf.

west- UTEP, New Mex State (add), LA Tech, MITSU, W Kentucky, FIU. (all full members in the west)

east- (all new members in the east). Delaware (full), liberty (full), Army (football only), UConn (football only), UMass (football only), Nova (football only)

That’s 8 full members, meeting ncaa FBS rules.

East only meets West in the title game, so no crazy footprint or schedule for the east teams.

Only 5 conference games, so a nice compromise to schedule like a hybrid independent.

The conf membership allows for bowl alignments and CFP money. When CFP goes to 12, members have a path to CFP.

You can put a tuxedo on a pig, but it's still a pig.
No thanks. Still not okay.

 

[metsfan2323]

C-USA isn’t very attractive, but I’m stretching here to make the best look for a fit and a viable conf.

west- UTEP, New Mex State (add), LA Tech, MITSU, W Kentucky, FIU. (all full members in the west)

east- (all new members in the east). Delaware (full), liberty (full), Army (football only), UConn (football only), UMass (football only), Nova (football only)

That’s 8 full members, meeting ncaa FBS rules.

East only meets West in the title game, so no crazy footprint or schedule for the east teams.

Only 5 conference games, so a nice compromise to schedule like a hybrid independent.

The conf membership allows for bowl alignments and CFP money. When CFP goes to 12, members have a path to CFP.

I would actually sign up for that even at 7 conference games. Independence stinks, this board just hasn't figured it out yet.

You keep talking about Villanova like they are FBS, is this something they are on record as considering in the near future or are you dreaming?

 

[Rumrunner]

It's been said a million times by a million other people, but if UConn left the AAC for football to end up in a weakened CUSA, then just pull the plug and beg the Patriot League or CAA for membership.

 

[crewbear742]

There is something of Norma Desmond on this board. The faded forgotten silent film star clutches at the hope of restoring her stardom through the abysmal script she is writing. She is possessed of a false hope for she refuses to see the structural realities that time and circumstance had imposed. In the end, she commits murder rather than face the truth.

UConn has something of a Sophie's choice in this realignment chaos. It could join the remnant of C-USA where it would have a reasonable chance of being competitive. But this would admit the true state to which the football program has fallen. It could remain independent and brand itself as NE New Mexico State with better facilities. It would have a better schedule (for a while anyways) but would consign itself to being beaten by 30 points every week into perpetuity.

And this is where we return to Norma Desmond. The response will be "All we need is the right coach and we can free ourselves from this dilemma." The aging former filmstar desparately clutches at her script. She closes her eyes the structural problems any coach will face and will find incredibly difficult to overcome - not the least of which is a school that has deliberately prioritized basketball.

The insult of a C-USA invite may be keenly felt but it does represent the true state of UConn football. And make no mistake. This is exactly what the basketball mafia wanted. They wanted to castrate the program to vicariously punish football for the collapse of the Big East and to make sure football would never threaten basketball again. They won't admit it but they are quietly satisfied.

I assume that I will now end up like Joe Gillis - face down in the pool with three bullets in the back.

 

[Uconnalliance]

BTW what university do you root for?

Yours!!! Knucklehead

 

[Ha Who]

With Perno at the helm, they reverted to their losing ways before those guys left the team. That team gave the Georgetown team that lost to Jordan in the Finals their biggest loss of the season. Yet, they ended up losing 7 out of their last 8 games. They should of made the Dance. A real AD cuts Perno loose after that disaster.

I used to call the nose picker, a Perno with talent

 

[metsfan2323]

It's been said a million times by a million other people, but if UConn left the AAC for football to end up in a weakened CUSA, then just pull the plug and beg the Patriot League or CAA for membership.

It's also been said a million times that we wanted to keep football in the AAC. Stop making an argument that isn't true. Independence for football is a by-product of moving all of our other sports to the Big East.

If a viable league offered us football only membership it will be seriously considered, right now there are no viable football only opportunities. A 3 team CUSA is not a real league.

 

[HuskiesFan1014]

There is something of Norma Desmond on this board. The faded forgotten silent film star clutches at the hope of restoring her stardom through the abysmal script she is writing. She is possessed of a false hope for she refuses to see the structural realities that time and circumstance had imposed. In the end, she commits murder rather than face the truth.

UConn has something of a Sophie's choice in this realignment chaos. It could join the remnant of C-USA where it would have a reasonable chance of being competitive. But this would admit the true state to which the football program has fallen. It could remain independent and brand itself as NE New Mexico State with better facilities. It would have a better schedule (for a while anyways) but would consign itself to being beaten by 30 points every week into perpetuity.

And this is where we return to Norma Desmond. The response will be "All we need is the right coach and we can free ourselves from this dilemma." The aging former filmstar desparately clutches at her script. She closes her eyes the structural problems any coach will face and will find incredibly difficult to overcome - not the least of which is a school that has deliberately prioritized basketball.

The insult of a C-USA invite may be keenly felt but it does represent the true state of UConn football. And make no mistake. This is exactly what the basketball mafia wanted. They wanted to castrate the program to vicariously punish football for the collapse of the Big East and to make sure football would never threaten basketball again. They won't admit it but they are quietly satisfied.

I assume that I will now end up like Joe Gillis - face down in the pool with three bullets in the back.

Sometimes you get what you deserve.

 

[Rumrunner]

It's also been said a million times that we wanted to keep football in the AAC. Stop making an argument that isn't true. Independence for football is a by-product of moving all of our other sports to the Big East.

If a viable league offered us football only membership it will be seriously considered, right now there are no viable football only opportunities. A 3 team CUSA is not a real league.

UConn played football in the AAC. UConn left the AAC. It does not now play football in the AAC because it left the AAC.

 

[ZooCougar]

C-USA isn’t very attractive, but I’m stretching here to make the best look for a fit and a viable conf.

west- UTEP, New Mex State (add), LA Tech, MITSU, W Kentucky, FIU. (all full members in the west)

east- (all new members in the east). Delaware (full), liberty (full), Army (football only), UConn (football only), UMass (football only), Nova (football only)

That’s 8 full members, meeting ncaa FBS rules.

East only meets West in the title game, so no crazy footprint or schedule for the east teams.

Only 5 conference games, so a nice compromise to schedule like a hybrid independent.

The conf membership allows for bowl alignments and CFP money. When CFP goes to 12, members have a path to CFP.

We aren’t going there. Why waste a thought on a hypothetical?

 

[metsfan2323]

UConn played football in the AAC. UConn left the AAC. It does not play football in the AAC because it left the AAC.

OK, you be you. I'm not going to argue with a clown.

 

[ZooCougar]

There is something of Norma Desmond on this board. The faded forgotten silent film star clutches at the hope of restoring her stardom through the abysmal script she is writing. She is possessed of a false hope for she refuses to see the structural realities that time and circumstance had imposed. In the end, she commits murder rather than face the truth.

UConn has something of a Sophie's choice in this realignment chaos. It could join the remnant of C-USA where it would have a reasonable chance of being competitive. But this would admit the true state to which the football program has fallen. It could remain independent and brand itself as NE New Mexico State with better facilities. It would have a better schedule (for a while anyways) but would consign itself to being beaten by 30 points every week into perpetuity.

And this is where we return to Norma Desmond. The response will be "All we need is the right coach and we can free ourselves from this dilemma." The aging former filmstar desparately clutches at her script. She closes her eyes the structural problems any coach will face and will find incredibly difficult to overcome - not the least of which is a school that has deliberately prioritized basketball.

The insult of a C-USA invite may be keenly felt but it does represent the true state of UConn football. And make no mistake. This is exactly what the basketball mafia wanted. They wanted to castrate the program to vicariously punish football for the collapse of the Big East and to make sure football would never threaten basketball again. They won't admit it but they are quietly satisfied.

I assume that I will now end up like Joe Gillis - face down in the pool with three bullets in the back.

Get real. It’s hard to be as bad as we are.

Whst do you expect from a coach who purposely didn’t start his best players? What do you expect from a team that obviously didn’t respect what the head coach was doing?

It literally would be so easy to find someone more competent than Edsall.

All it took was Lou Spanos and a retread on $2500.00 a week stipend to make this team look competitive enough to be entertaining again. And it took like two weeks!

Give me a break with your Silent Film Star song and dance good god.

Will this team be a regular Top 25 again? Probably not, we were never a Top 25 to begin with.

Top 70? You bet. Top 50? Attainable.

We don’t need a conference to do that. Conference USA membership is the worst possible course of action. Less money, less sexy opponents and not insulated by the realignment.

 

[HuskyDogArt]

Except UMass it seems haha

Yes, I wonder why not UMass...I'm not laughing thou

 

[Zissou]

We aren’t going there. Why waste a thought on a hypothetical?

Some struggle to see what is possible with change. Some think only what is now is what will be.

Many here gave your response, and stronger, when a talked about UConn to the Big East here on the BY long before it happened.

Without a P5 position, UConn is ok as an independent, but also should be open to what is possible with such an invite.

 

[Zissou]

I would actually sign up for that even at 7 conference games. Independence stinks, this board just hasn't figured it out yet.

You keep talking about Villanova like they are FBS, is this something they are on record as considering in the near future or are you dreaming?

Maybe dreaming. Nova has sat still, not knowing what it wants. The FCS CAA continues to look less attractive as teams graduate to FBS. JMU is the latest.

 

[huskymedic]

C-USA isn’t very attractive, but I’m stretching here to make the best look for a fit and a viable conf.

west- UTEP, New Mex State (add), LA Tech, MITSU, W Kentucky, FIU. (all full members in the west)

east- (all new members in the east). Delaware (full), liberty (full), Army (football only), UConn (football only), UMass (football only), Nova (football only)

That’s 8 full members, meeting ncaa FBS rules.

East only meets West in the title game, so no crazy footprint or schedule for the east teams.

Only 5 conference games, so a nice compromise to schedule like a hybrid independent.

The conf membership allows for bowl alignments and CFP money. When CFP goes to 12, members have a path to CFP.

Your new CUSA “west” bucket appears to have sprung a leak..

 

[ZooCougar]

Some struggle to see what is possible with change. Some think only what is now is what will be.

Many here gave your response, and stronger, when a talked about UConn to the Big East here on the BY long before it happened.

Without a P5 position, UConn is ok as an independent, but also should be open to what is possible with such an invite.

We’re better off as an independent.

We don’t even know what the CUSA is at this point, it’s like jumping into quicksand.

Also Benedict said it was a non starter in the most polite way possible.

 

[ZooCougar]

Your new CUSA “west” bucket appears to have sprung a leak..

There are three teams left. Stick a fork in this discussion. Odds are those teams will be Indy and we can play them anyways.