Do We Care About Bowl Games?

[RSTuthill]

Other than the extra weeks of practice, do we care that as an independent UConn likely won't be going to bowl games? Aside from a couple during the heyday as a Big East member they were all third tier money losers anyway. Yeah, UConn got revenue form the success of others, in the BE and AAC, and UConn gives that up. But in the overall calculation does it really matter? Thoughts?

 

[Exit 4]

Other than the extra weeks of practice, do we care that as an independent UConn likely won't be going to bowl games? Aside from a couple during the heyday as a Big East member they were all third tier money losers anyway. Yeah, UConn got revenue form the success of others, in the BE and AAC, and UConn gives that up. But in the overall calculation does it really matter? Thoughts?

My simple view - I want to win six or seven games first, then I will complain about our bowl situation (outside looking in).

 

[huskymedic]

I’ll miss going to Bowl games as a fan. Went to all but the last one - had a blast @ each one and it was cool to travel the US and Canada with my growing son (and my brother). Memories that neither of us will forget.

 

[SubbaBub]

You can schedule your bowl game as an early season road or neutral site game.

Would you rather travel to Clemson or Tampa to play Marshall?

The lack of extra practice hurts, not getting bowl season media coverage does too.

The $$$ is probably a wash.

 

[Pudge]

What’s the Control NCAA has on these?

Why do they get to “certify “ these games beyond the regular schedule?

Why can’t a school who’s got 8 wins the first of November just call LiveNation & do a Bowl. In Toronto.

I know some of these answers because I hung around with Pedigree Pasadena California who were third generation Rose Bowl Committee. But the whole thing got absurd. Particularly ahhh ... with ESPN owning 16 or so.

 

[Tdaley]

After the last 8 years it doesn't matter much to me. If we are winning 8 or 9 games a year and not getting into decent bowl games then my perspective on this will change. I have a open mind as to how all of this will play out in the future.

 

[whaler11]

Yes. The kids do so of course we do.

 

[Wildgopher]

Other than the extra weeks of practice, do we care that as an independent UConn likely won't be going to bowl games? Aside from a couple during the heyday as a Big East member they were all third tier money losers anyway. Yeah, UConn got revenue form the success of others, in the BE and AAC, and UConn gives that up. But in the overall calculation does it really matter? Thoughts?

I liked going to bowl games, but the problem we (UConn) always had was since there was no locked in bowl game, travel plans at the last minute, especially flights, were always expensive. A big bowl game, like the Fiesta Bowl, was great. Travel around the Holidays is always crazy, and the possibility of getting snowed in, or out, of somewhere always existed since we live here.
I'm OK with going to a few away games a year and spending a couple days in whatever city it is, or nearby, and having some fun in nicer weather, at a lower cost. Away games are great. Big time away games are better than great.
It will be nice to get back to winning games. Travel to new and exciting road games will be that much better.
Tulane football games were nothing to get excited about, but going to New Orleans for a few days was always great.
I can't wait for football season to start!
Let the tailgate begin!

 

[kemba]

Yup.

 

[Guapo]

Yeah. It’s important for recruiting and it gives the team something to play for.

I still believe we will get some sort of bowl tie in. Benedict is a football guy, he knows it’s important.

 

[billybud]

Small bowls can be a wonderful over all experience. Nice vacations.

My wife & I went to the Emerald Bowl in Frisco...had a great week. Stayed right off of the trolley line downtown...toured the city's sights, rented a car and wandered from Monterrey to Napa/Sonoma.

The Music City Bowl in Nashville was unexpectantly vibrant...great music venues, Amish farm country just an hour or so north of Nashville was fun and a change of pace.

 

[DSquiz]

Unfortunately I don't think we need to worry for a few years. That said I loved going to bowls as student. I went to Charlotte, Birmingham, and Phoenix and they were amazing trips that my friends still talk about. I'd love for Benedict to make a deal like Army for a set bowl we can plan on as soon as we hit 6 games.

Planning to go cross country in under a month is one of the more difficult parts of bowl and limits attendance, especially around the holidays.

 

[ScottVib]

Ultimately if UConn gets to 6 wins and there are open bowl slots, they have to be selected ahead of teams with losing records, regardless of negotiated tie-ins

 

[Chin Diesel]

You can schedule your bowl game as an early season road or neutral site game.

Would you rather travel to Clemson or Tampa to play Marshall?

The lack of extra practice hurts, not getting bowl season media coverage does too.

The $$$ is probably a wash.

Put me down for this as well.

Schedule good OOC or even the pay day games early in the schedule.

It acts as a bowl game for fans who have added benefit of having several months to figure out how to get to the game.

If, opportunity exists in Dec for a real bowl game, added bonus.

But I guarantee it will be easier for AD David Benedict to schedule a better guaranteed name as compared to the tripe for most bowl game opponents.

 

[Pudge]

PLUS. You get to see a real ballsy College Football environment. Yes ... Me too. I would love to see a Georgia (as UMASS saw last year) or Ole Miss or Clemson or LSU. Then Detroit or Birmingham on a Tuesday before XMAS.

 

[billybud]

Ultimately if UConn gets to 6 wins and there are open bowl slots, they have to be selected ahead of teams with losing records, regardless of negotiated tie-ins

If the wins meet the criteria...Current Criteria

1. The team must have at least as many wins as overall losses. Wins against non-Division I teams do not count toward the number of wins.[2]
2. No more than one win against an FCS team may count toward that win total, and only if the FCS team has awarded at least 90% of the scholarships that FCS rules allowed it to award over the last two years.[2] (Currently, that means that wins against Ivy League, Pioneer Football League, and Northeast Conference teams and Georgetown do not count.) The requirement that the FCS team must have awarded 90% of its allowed scholarships may be waived if a "unique or catastrophic situation" prevented the FCS team from meeting that requirement.[2]
3. A team that has a losing record only because it lost its conference championship game remains eligible for a bowl.[2]

If there are not enough eligible teams to fill all the bowl slots, additional teams may be selected, according to the following priorities, which must be applied in descending order:[2]

1. Teams which would have met the eligibility criteria if not for the fact that they had one win against an FCS team that didn't meet the scholarship requirement and no waiver was granted.[3]
2. Teams which played 13 games during the regular season and finished with a 6–7 record.[3] (This criterion normally applies only to Hawaii and some of its home opponents.)
3. Teams in their second year of reclassification from FCS to FBS football.[3]
4. Teams with at least 5 wins and no more than 7 losses, in order of their Academic Progress Rates.[3]

 

[ScottVib]

That’s what I was saying. It’s D-1 bylaw 18.7.2 (I think). UConn is unlikely to start scheduling non-qualifying FCS schools; although if they did, that still goes ahead of 5-7 teams in the pecking order.

If there aren’t enough 6 win teams to fill in the conferences slots, then it goes to leftover 6 win teams, then 6 wins with a non-counting FCS, then 6-7, then 5-7 by APR order

 

[Husky25]

Ultimately if UConn gets to 6 wins and there are open bowl slots, they have to be selected ahead of teams with losing records, regardless of negotiated tie-ins

This is my understanding as well. Aside from the presumable NYD6 access the AAC has enjoyed, the AAC bowl tie-ins are not impressive.

Bowl slots are in the mid 80's. That's a far cry (roughly double) from when the last time UConn was bowl eligible as an independent in 2002 and 2003, with a 6-6 and 9-3 record, respectively.

Another positive is UConn gets to keep 100% of their bowl payout as well. Presumably, it won't get redistributed by the conference.

 

[LoyalFanCT]

I hope UConn will qualify for a bowl game this year.

 

[whaler11]

FWIW pretty sure the NEC now counts towards 6.

 

[billybud]

Last season...

The AAC had 7 teams with 7 or more wins

ACC....:9

B1G.....8

B12.....7

CUSA..8

Indy.....2

MAC....5

MWC...5

P12......8

SEC.....9

SBelt....5

72 total with 7 wins...78 bowl berths


There were also 6-6 teams I did not count them)

 

[HuskyHawk]

Yeah. It’s important for recruiting and it gives the team something to play for.

I still believe we will get some sort of bowl tie in. Benedict is a football guy, he knows it’s important.

I doubt we have any tie-in until we show we can win some games. That said, as @ScottVib points out, we can still go if all the slots don't fill. That has happened several times in the past. So I'm not worried about it. If we start being bowl eligible and not getting to bowls, we will have leverage to get a tie in. I think Pinstripe would want us.

Right now Fox only has Cotton Bowl. It wouldn't surprise me if they sought to expand that inventory.

 

[Guapo]

I doubt we have any tie-in until we show we can win some games. That said, as @ScottVib points out, we can still go if all the slots don't fill. That has happened several times in the past. So I'm not worried about it. If we start being bowl eligible and not getting to bowls, we will have leverage to get a tie in. I think Pinstripe would want us.

Right now Fox only has Cotton Bowl. It wouldn't surprise me if they sought to expand that inventory.

I agree, except I guess it kind of a chicken or egg thing, right?

We need to win to get a bowl but we need to recruit to win.

Having a bowl in place will make recruiting easier.

 

[businesslawyer]

Other than the extra weeks of practice, do we care that as an independent UConn likely won't be going to bowl games? Aside from a couple during the heyday as a Big East member they were all third tier money losers anyway. Yeah, UConn got revenue form the success of others, in the BE and AAC, and UConn gives that up. But in the overall calculation does it really matter? Thoughts?

Good God, yes, of course it matters. If you're a player, do you want to look forward to having a bowl game at the end of your season or don't you? And if you think the answer is of course you do, the next question is how in the world not being able to offer that to recruits isn't a huge disadvantage.

And that's before talking about getting thousands of well off and dedicated boosters travelling and drinking in one place for a game where you can hit them up for money.

 

[ktuck911]

Hell yeah we care about bowl games.. the last 2 regimes tried to turn us into something we never really were.. We had an identity. Just needed to tweak it a little bit, not change the whole dang on thing completely... We had success... They messed it all up... Let's get back to that, which includes going bowling every year...