Fagnano and Bell are out for the Wasabi Bowl

[HuskyAlum012]

I see this as a very simple solution. If these bowl games are such cash cows for networks aka ESPN, then why not include a NIL payout to the winners Ala the players era tourneys? I know There are a lot more mouths to feed but could entice most players to play rather than opt out. You will still get the Skyler cases but could help with a player in Evers situation

 

[Chief00]

All these posts later, believe even more than I did before that we should have declined the bowl invite, given the circumstances.

 

[CTBasketball]

All these posts later, believe even more than I did before that we should have declined the bowl invite, given the circumstances.

AD wanted the paycheck. Can’t blame him for running it like a business. But optically losing to Army will not be good, but yet again, it’s the bowl season and no one cares.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

All these posts later, believe even more than I did before that we should have declined the bowl invite, given the circumstances.

We are far from being in position to decline bowl games.

 

[king conn]

Last year 5 players opted out for UNC for the Fenway Bowl

The boneyard: Lets roll them and prove we can beat a p4 team!

This year 2 players opt out for us.

The boneyard: We should not only decline the game, college football needs to be eliminated as a sport

 

[Zonepress]

The NCAA has nothing to do with that.

Making athletes employees would be the end of college sports.

how are the players not already employees?
They are getting a check from the University or will be soon
perhaps they are considered 1099 contract workers
For scholarship for footbal and basketball IMHO “college sports” is over
Give it a few more years and women’s basketball. Will be there as well.

 

[Scoe]

Last year 5 players opted out for UNC for the Fenway Bowl

The boneyard: Lets roll them and prove we can beat a p4 team!

This year 2 players opt out for us.

The boneyard: We should not only decline the game, college football needs to be eliminated as a sport

Is it just 2 opting out?

 

[Chief00]

Last year 5 players opted out for UNC for the Fenway Bowl

The boneyard: Lets roll them and prove we can beat a p4 team!

This year 2 players opt out for us.

The boneyard: We should not only decline the game, college football needs to be eliminated as a sport

So how did that work for UNC?
My dad used to say, if you are going to do something, do it right! Or don’t do it at all.
Applying that standard and recognizing our head coach, interim head coach and QB have left us, the decision seems pretty obvious.

 

[BlueWolf25]

So how did that work for UNC?
My dad used to say, if you are going to do something, do it right! Or don’t do it at all.
Applying that standard and recognizing our head coach, interim head coach and QB have left us, the decision seems pretty obvious.

Sammis is still coaching the bowl game even though TCU hired him

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Last year 5 players opted out for UNC for the Fenway Bowl

The boneyard: Lets roll them and prove we can beat a p4 team!

This year 2 players opt out for us.

The boneyard: We should not only decline the game, college football needs to be eliminated as a sport

Context never matters... until it does.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

So how did that work for UNC?
My dad used to say, if you are going to do something, do it right! Or don’t do it at all.
Applying that standard and recognizing our head coach, interim head coach and QB have left us, the decision seems pretty obvious.

Written by someone who has not had his Precious adversely affected in this manner.

 

[king conn]

So how did that work for UNC?
My dad used to say, if you are going to do something, do it right! Or don’t do it at all.
Applying that standard and recognizing our head coach, interim head coach and QB have left us, the decision seems pretty obvious.

That's a strawman Chief, has nothing to do with my post.

Your only good answer would have been that you protested last year the fact that UNC didn't decline the game. But you and everyone else crying here didn't.

What we have here is crybaby hypocrisy

 

[Hondo 77]

Nope. Not what us fans signed up for and shell out $$ for. Seems like everybody has their hands out and takes care of themselves except the fans and NIL supporters.

This 💩 has to stop. It’s not right.

Fans are just cash cows to be milked.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

My dad used to say, if you are going to do something, do it right! Or don't do it at all.

That was your father?

Thank you for clearing that up. I've heard that expression my entire life, but until now I never knew who to attribute it to.

 

[CTBasketball]

Fans are just cash cows to be milked.

This sport is not about the fans. At one point it was about the college athlete, now it’s about the Benjamin’s for the higher ups.

 

[superjohn]

All these posts later, believe even more than I did before that we should have declined the bowl invite, given the circumstances.

UConn football is no position to be declining bowl games. We cancelled a whole season and we were the laughingstock of college football for it.

 

[HuskyAlum012]

Nobody is going to remember who won the 2025 Fenway Bowl. If we pack out Fenway in b2b years with almost double the attendance of the ACC school who plays in its backyard, that will open up significantly more eye balls to where we stand as a program than anything else. From the website, it looks like there are more sections opened for this year's game than last year's which makes you think the ticket sales are going very well.

AD David Benedict playing chess while everyone else is still playing checkers, per usual. Do I wish our players care more about getting that 10th win? Absolutely, but lets be frank, nobody outside of UConn will look at us differently with 9 vs 10 wins this season.

 

[Hoophound]

Nobody is going to remember who won the 2025 Fenway Bowl. If we pack out Fenway in b2b years with almost double the attendance of the ACC school who plays in its backyard, that will open up significantly more eye balls to where we stand as a program than anything else. From the website, it looks like there are more sections opened for this year's game than last year's which makes you think the ticket sales are going very well.

AD David Benedict playing chess while everyone else is still playing checkers, per usual. Do I wish our players care more about getting that 10th win? Absolutely, but lets be frank, nobody outside of UConn will look at us differently with 9 vs 10 wins this season.

Getting spanked by Army won’t be a good look at all. We need to avoid that.

 

[HuskyAlum012]

Getting spanked by Army won’t be a good look at all. We need to avoid that.

Nobody will be talking about that in 5 years in the next realigment. People would be talking about us selling 26k tix in back to back fenway bowls.

 

[CTBasketball]

Nobody will be talking about that in 5 years in the next realigment. People would be talking about us selling 26k tix in back to back fenway bowls.

I would be surprised if we matched last years ticket numbers.

 

[HuskyAlum012]

I would be surprised if we matched last years ticket numbers.

There is news on the Storrs Central board that may surprise you then. Do not underestimate how many more Army fans will show than UNC last year.

 

[CTBasketball]

There is news on the Storrs Central board that may surprise you then. Do not underestimate how many more Army fans will show than UNC last year.

Army travels better than UNC. Overall I think it will be a similar crowd as last year.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I imagine that Army will travel significantly better than UNC to a football game in Boston in late December.

Even if we end up at 80% of last year's UConn turnout, this year should set a new attendance record for this bowl game.

 

[HuskyAlum012]

I imagine that Army will travel significantly better than UNC to a football game in Boston in late December.

Even if we end up at 80% of last year's UConn turnout, this year should set a new attendance record for this bowl game.

Co-sign. I also think the updated timeslot is significantly better than 11 am kickoff of last year. Alot more flexibility with different modes of transportation. Can easily take train in and out for CT residents.

 

[CL82]

how are the players not already employees?
They are getting a check from the University or will be soon
perhaps they are considered 1099 contract workers
For scholarship for footbal and basketball IMHO “college sports” is over
Give it a few more years and women’s basketball. Will be there as well.

Honestly, once you're getting payments, I don't see how they could be mere contractors given the degree of control the school has over them.

 

[Rdkid]

When they start??? To quote The Gladiator- ‘miss the battle? You missed the war son’

Colleges have been cutting sports programs for the past 20 years.
Maybe even longer.

UConn has net added over the past 20 years. Hundreds of athletes. Cut some recently. The distinction is if it becomes wholesale elimination of popular team sports that don’t fund themselves - not a men’s sport like tennis for gender equity reasons and savings around the edges.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Honestly, once you're getting payments, I don't see how they could be mere contractors given the degree of control the school has over them.

I understand fully what you are saying. My question is what about the services they provide and the cash compensation that they recieve from the schools allows them/the schools to avoid treating it as W-2 wages and not need to take withholding (FICA, SUI etc)? I'm very confident that they are not treated that way.

The answer to that is the basis for how they are not viewed as employees.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

This is what a leader does. Dart played in a “meaningless” bowl game last year against Duke instead of sitting out and preparing for the draft. Dart has continued to show that same character and leadership on the Giants.

Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart pens heartfelt message to Rebel Nation as he prepares to play in one final game for red and blue - The Rebel Walk

Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart pens heartfelt message to Rebel Nation as he prepares to play in one final game for red and blue

therebelwalk.com

 

[CL82]

I understand fully what you are saying. My question is what about the services they provide and the cash compensation that they recieve from the schools allows them/the schools to avoid treating it as W-2 wages and not need to take withholding (FICA, SUI etc)? I'm very confident that they are not treated that way.

The answer to that is the basis for how they are not viewed as employees.

Housing would be reported on a 1098-T. What are the cash do they get from the school under the current system? Pell grant money? That would be 1098–T as well.

But if the school are paying athletes directly, and it doesn't fit into one of those boxes, it seems like you do the "20 factor test" (or equivalent) on it and at the end of that process I think it comes out as wages.

That's just me, thinking it through, but I would defer to your expertise, if that doesn't make sense.

 

[CTBasketball]

I imagine that Army will travel significantly better than UNC to a football game in Boston in late December.

Even if we end up at 80% of last year's UConn turnout, this year should set a new attendance record for this bowl game.

Imagine if we show up so well to Fenway that this bowl becomes our new purgatory. Each and every year, no matter the record, we get sent to Boston.