Daily Campus article - why UConn should go to MAC

[Skies2018]

Honestly it’s pretty pathetic at this point. 2 independent FBS teams left in the entire country and were one of them? Hell even Delaware found a home and they don’t even play FBS football yet!

It’s absurd that we thought it wasn’t possible to be good at basketball or football in the American. You can be good at sports in mediocre conferences - BYU, SDSU, UCF, Cinci, JMU, Houston all did it along with countless others. Now we’re stuck without a home for the one sport that drives college athletics. AD Dave, his predecessors, and this entire administration have single handedly screwed us thanks to a decade of absolutely atrocious decisions.

Anyone smart would be looking to find us a home for football so that we can eventually upgrade to a Power conference in the next round of realignment. Anything besides that is malpractice. MAC, Sun Belt, MWC i don’t care but find us a home and do it quick. And regionally is dead so it really doesn’t matter which one we go to.

 

[How Sway?!]

Honestly it’s pretty pathetic at this point. 2 independent FBS teams left in the entire country and were one of them? Hell even Delaware found a home and they don’t even play FBS football yet!

It’s absurd that we thought it wasn’t possible to be good at basketball or football in the American. You can be good at sports in mediocre conferences - BYU, SDSU, UCF, Cinci, JMU, Houston all did it along with countless others. Now we’re stuck without a home for the one sport that drives college athletics. AD Dave, his predecessors, and this entire administration have single handedly screwed us thanks to a decade of absolutely atrocious decisions.

Anyone smart would be looking to find us a home for football so that we can eventually upgrade to a Power conference in the next round of realignment. Anything besides that is malpractice. MAC, Sun Belt, MWC i don’t care but find us a home and do it quick. And regionally is dead so it really doesn’t matter which one we go to.

My guy, it takes two to tango. I'm sure AD Dave would love for us to be in a conference for football only, but how many conferences do you see actively pursuing us?

 

[CL82]

Honestly it’s pretty pathetic at this point. 2 independent FBS teams left in the entire country and were one of them? Hell even Delaware found a home and they don’t even play FBS football yet!

It’s absurd that we thought it wasn’t possible to be good at basketball or football in the American. You can be good at sports in mediocre conferences - BYU, SDSU, UCF, Cinci, JMU, Houston all did it along with countless others. Now we’re stuck without a home for the one sport that drives college athletics. AD Dave, his predecessors, and this entire administration have single handedly screwed us thanks to a decade of absolutely atrocious decisions.

Anyone smart would be looking to find us a home for football so that we can eventually upgrade to a Power conference in the next round of realignment. Anything besides that is malpractice. MAC, Sun Belt, MWC i don’t care but find us a home and do it quick. And regionally is dead so it really doesn’t matter which one we go to.

So if we join the MAC we automatically get invited to a P-Star conference in the next burst of conference realignment? Is that how that works?

 

[Zissou]

For context, Kansas who hasn't missed a tournament since 1989…

2018 vacated

 

[shizzle787]

My guy, it takes two to tango. I'm sure AD Dave would love for us to be in a conference for football only, but how many conferences do you see actively pursuing us?

Actually, in the case of the Sun Belt, MAC, or CUSA, he would not.

 

[ZooCougar]

My guy, it takes two to tango. I'm sure AD Dave would love for us to be in a conference for football only, but how many conferences do you see actively pursuing us?

Pretty CUSA would say “you had us at hello”.

They already tried it on with us once.

 

[Skies2018]

So if we join the MAC we automatically get invited to a P-Star conference in the next burst of conference realignment? Is that how that works?

No you’re right - we should stay an independent in football, go 3-9 every year, have 8k people in the stands, not bowl tie-ins, no schedule consistency, and no permanent home. Oh and then we can play 8 tiny catholic schools in basketball! That seems like the path towards long term athletic success and relevance.

 

[How Sway?!]

No you’re right - we should stay an independent in football, go 3-9 every year, have 8k people in the stands, not bowl tie-ins, no schedule consistency, and no permanent home. Oh and then we can play 8 tiny catholic schools in basketball! That seems like the path towards long term athletic success and relevance.

You do know our schedule is set for at least the next 3 years or so? We can go 3-9 in the MAC in front of even less people than now. Also, not sure if youve noticed, but we won a national championship and are a top 5 team this year playing those 8 tiny Catholic schools.

 

[CL82]

No you’re right - we should stay an independent in football, go 3-9 every year, have 8k people in the stands, not bowl tie-ins, no schedule consistency, and no permanent home. Oh and then we can play 8 tiny catholic schools in basketball! That seems like the path towards long term athletic success and relevance.

So just curious, why is it important for you to identify the other Big East schools as Catholic schools? How does that advanced your argument? If you were just arguing against playing a small private schools, why not just say that?

In any event, you realize that posting imaginary records and imaginary attendance isn't actually an argument, right? It's just you playing make-believe, which is fine if that's what you're into, but it really isn't an intelligent or informed discussion of the issue.

 

[Steve1981]

Rumors. Bloggers. Rothstein.

Time will tell.

 

[Skies2018]

So just curious, why is it important for you to identify the other Big East schools as Catholic schools? How does that advanced your argument? If you were just arguing against playing a small private schools, why not just say that?

In any event, you realize that posting imaginary records and imaginary attendance isn't actually an argument, right? It's just you playing make-believe, which is fine if that's what you're into, but it really isn't an intelligent or informed discussion of the issue.

I wasn’t at all trying to make it a religious thing and I apologize if that’s how it came across. You’re correct, small private schools is better phrasing. I more meant it as a juxtaposition to our status as a flagship state school. Catholic or not doesn’t matter.

I’m moreso frustrated by the fact that people in the administration who get paid a lot of money to make strategic decisions seemed to think that being an independent was a good solution for football. It turned out it wasn’t and were really just in a bad spot with the program because of it.

 

[DoctorWho85]

Doesn't the MAC have to pay for all the production equipment and stuff like that too? I mean I would hate the MAC for football for 2 reasons: the games get pushed behind ESPN's paywall and UConn gets forced to pay more money for production obligations to get their games on "TV"

 

[Steve1981]

You don't have production equipment?? Lay off the nutmeg Dr. Who.

 

[DoctorWho85]

You don't have production equipment?? Lay off the nutmeg Dr. Who.

Too much in my apple cider.

 

[CL82]

I wasn’t at all trying to make it a religious thing and I apologize if that’s how it came across. You’re correct, small private schools is better phrasing. I more meant it as a juxtaposition to our status as a flagship state school. Catholic or not doesn’t matter.

I’m moreso frustrated by the fact that people in the administration who get paid a lot of money to make strategic decisions seemed to think that being an independent was a good solution for football. It turned out it wasn’t and were really just in a bad spot with the program because of it.

I don't think being independent was ever thought to be a good solution, rather, it was deemed to be the best of the available alternatives. When we left the American, which was the right decision for a multitude of reasons, we explored being a football only member of that conference. They weren't interested. We also explored being a football only member of the MAC and CUSA. For whatever reason, no agreement was reached to do so.

At the time, scheduling was a big concern, it turned out that many then P5 schools were interested in scheduling home and homes with us and a few of the schools at the top of the football world were happy to give us a game for which we are paid in excess of seven figures. In that world independence made sense whether it still does with us being the lone independent is something we will have to see.

The school very actively pursued membership in the big 12. From what we've heard from multiple sources we were literally hours away from getting it. My understanding is we have also pursued membership in the ACC, very recently, but there was insufficient interest by that conference.

Where does that leave us? I don't think anyone really knows. There are "possibilities" but I think they are largely aspirational.

 

[CL82]

You don't have production equipment?? Lay off the nutmeg Dr. Who.

Actually, Connecticut is pretty well positioned for production equipment. If you watch the content UCONN+ you can see the quality broadcast were capable of producing. That doesn't mean that it comes at zero cost to us, however. You still need to pay for on air talent, producers, and cameramen. For what it's worth.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Steve1981]

The main issue of UConn getting into a power conference is football. Conference schedules are easier than independent schedules. Would think regularly making bowls games, winning seasons would look more favorably on UConn returning to a power conference. Basketball is superior to all, so it's football holding you back. An easier schedule would help and feed on itself and whala Power Conference UConn.

 

[noeynox]

My guy, it takes two to tango. I'm sure AD Dave would love for us to be in a conference for football only, but how many conferences do you see actively pursuing us?

None. We want to keep BB where it is at all costs. Who the heck wants this fb program that has been beyond awful?

 

[billybud]

Conference Championship Games....I'd rather sit in the stands watching almost any other than the ACC. Maybe I was old school when younger. Now, wet and cold doesn't compute. I'll have the big screen on, the fire lit, a bowl of gumbo, and an icy Modelo at hand. And toast all of the miserable games that I sat through when younger.

MAC.................dome
B1G..................dome
SEC..................dome
B-12..................dome
PAC..................dome

ACC...cold wet stadium in Charlotte.

UConn doesn't really want to go to the Carolina Conference....basketball OK...but football is low rent (no pun intended).

 

[pepband99]

Conference Championship Games....I'd rather sit in the stands watching almost any other than the ACC. Maybe I was old school when younger. Now, wet and cold doesn't compute. I'll have the big screen on, the fire lit, a bowl of gumbo, and an icy Modelo at hand. And toast all of the miserable games that I sat through when younger.

MAC.................dome
B1G..................dome
SEC..................dome
B-12..................dome
PAC..................dome

ACC...cold wet stadium in Charlotte.

1) An excellent point which i never thought of.
2) Just have it at a neutral dome in "ACC Country" in Southern Canada - not like Cuse will ever sniff it.

 

[Fishy]

I wasn’t at all trying to make it a religious thing and I apologize if that’s how it came across. You’re correct, small private schools is better phrasing. I more meant it as a juxtaposition to our status as a flagship state school. Catholic or not doesn’t matter.

I’m moreso frustrated by the fact that people in the administration who get paid a lot of money to make strategic decisions seemed to think that being an independent was a good solution for football. It turned out it wasn’t and were really just in a bad spot with the program because of it.

It was their only option.

Why is this so hard to understand?