Hartford Courant article about scheduling

[HooperScooper]

Amore sat down with Vic Cegles, who does the scheduling for the team. Lots of interesting stuff in here. A few highlights:

-Arizona home and home will begin next season in Arizona.
- Auburn return game may be rescheduled to the following season.
- Home and home series with Villanova will likely begin next season in Connecticut.
- They want to continue the Syracuse game at MSG.
- A foreign trip to Canada is being discussed for the summer (I've been asking for that for years. Seems it's been a long time since UConn has done one of these. Not sure why.)
- Men's/Women's doubleheader against Notre Dame at MSG is being discussed.
- Games against New England D1 teams Providence, Boston College, UMass or Rhode Island are being kicked around.

UConn Men's Insider: Vic Cegles Has An Agenda

Some people aren't going to like this comment.

"We really need to get Alterique [Gilbert] and [Terry] Larrier back," he said. "We need to win some games, get some confidence. Everybody wants to play us, but we're coming off such a tough year with injuries, we've got to be a little bit lighter next year as far as the nonconference schedule."

 

[mauconnfan]

Really would love to see a New England Holiday or early season Classic - Change it around with the above mentioned and 4 different every year.

 

[upstater]

I don't mind that comment about the lighter schedule at all.

Look at Cincinnati's schedule.

It sucks for the fans who want marquee games.

But... given the Nike extravaganza and the Villanova/Syracuse games, there is enough there to test the team already.

Let's start winning games and worry about "proving" UConn is back later.

Cincy is on TV now because they've lost only 3 games. And then you look at their schedule and... YUCK.

 

[ConnZag3]

Disappointing to read that a UConn/Arizona game isn't apparently good enough for weekend scheduling. So much for my plan to make a weekend trip to Tucson for that one...

 

[ctchamps]

Agree with @upstater. The probability of integrating the injured and new players into the team quickly next year is unlikely.

But really like the discussions with non conference teams. This article might explain the Rothstein conjecture. More likely scheduling the NBE than looking to join.

 

[gampelcrazies]

Disappointing to read that a UConn/Arizona game isn't apparently good enough for weekend scheduling. So much for my plan to make a weekend trip to Tucson for that one..

same

 

[Drew]

Hope we can find a way to work out the game @ Auburn next year. My sister goes to school there and I was hoping to make the trip down.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I'm happy to hear that a summer tour is potentially in the works. Be nice to hit the ground running when the real games start rather than get smacked in the face.

 

[HooperScooper]

I'm happy to hear that a summer tour is potentially in the works. Be nice to hit the ground running when the real games start rather than get smacked in the face.

I agree. Does anyone know why UConn hasn't taken these trips in the last few years? They would seem to be very beneficial. I think the last one they went on Ben Gordon was still playing for the Huskies.

 

[tjc1888]

I'm happy to hear that a summer tour is potentially in the works. Be nice to hit the ground running when the real games start rather than get smacked in the face.

Agreed- never understood why we don't play any of these "secret scrimmages," that are always talked about, against some decent D-I competition. I feel like we always start the season off slow, and playing some good competition before the year starts or going on a summer tour could really be beneficial in chemistry. Especially next year when, once again we are going to be incorporating a bunch of new bodies (AG, TL, MD off injury, plus the three freshmen)

 

[HooperScooper]

Agreed- never understood why we don't play any of these "secret scrimmages," that are always talked about, against some decent D-I competition. I feel like we always start the season off slow, and playing some good competition before the year starts or going on a summer tour could really be beneficial in chemistry. Especially next year when, once again we are going to be incorporating a bunch of new bodies (AG, TL, MD off injury, plus the three freshmen)

Summer tour is different than D1 "secret scrimmages" after practices start in October.

You can do a total of 2 D2 exhibitions and charge for admission and/or D1 secret scrimmages and not charge admission. UConn has mentioned many times that they want 2 D2 exhibitions because they want the money from tickets that are sold. The article mentioned they make $200,000 from each exhibition game and don't want to give up that money.

 

[tjc1888]

Summer tour is different than D1 "secret scrimmages" after practices start in October.

You can do a total of 2 D2 exhibitions and charge for admission and/or D1 secret scrimmages and not charge admission. UConn has mentioned many times that they want 2 D2 exhibitions because they want the money from tickets that are sold. The article mentioned they make $200,000 from each exhibition game and don't want to give up that money.

Ya I realize the summer tour is different. I guess I didn't realize it was an either/or situation (secret scrimmage vs exhibitions). Now I get the reasoning behind the D2 exhibitions, but personally would rather have the D1 secret scrimmages.

 

[August_West]

Ya I realize the summer tour is different. I guess I didn't realize it was an either/or situation (secret scrimmage vs exhibitions). Now I get the reasoning behind the D2 exhibitions, but personally would rather have the D1 secret scrimmages.

Yeah well in the AAC we need every extra dollar we can get.

 

[HooperScooper]

Ya I realize the summer tour is different. I guess I didn't realize it was an either/or situation (secret scrimmage vs exhibitions). Now I get the reasoning behind the D2 exhibitions, but personally would rather have the D1 secret scrimmages.

Calhoun said many times that he would have rather done the D1 secret scrimmages but was over ruled by his AD who wanted the money from ticket sales for the D2 exhibitions. I imagine most coaches would agree the secret scrimmages are more beneficial for their teams.

 

[jibsey]

Amore sat down with Vic Cegles, who does the scheduling for the team. Lots of interesting stuff in here. A few highlights:

-Arizona home and home will begin next season in Arizona.
- Auburn return game may be rescheduled to the following season.
- Home and home series with Villanova will likely begin next season in Connecticut.
- They want to continue the Syracuse game at MSG.
- A foreign trip to Canada is being discussed for the summer (I've been asking for that for years. Seems it's been a long time since UConn has done one of these. Not sure why.)
- Men's/Women's doubleheader against Notre Dame at MSG is being discussed.
- Games against New England D1 teams Providence, Boston College, UMass or Rhode Island are being kicked around.

UConn Men's Insider: Vic Cegles Has An Agenda

Some people aren't going to like this comment.

"We really need to get Alterique [Gilbert] and [Terry] Larrier back," he said. "We need to win some games, get some confidence. Everybody wants to play us, but we're coming off such a tough year with injuries, we've got to be a little bit lighter next year as far as the nonconference schedule."

How would our OOC compare with what Calipari used to schedule when he was in CUSA? The number of ranked top 25 teams we play compared to an ACC team is not great. We aspire to be in that level of conference so why go light on the schedule? It's not like our in conference is impressing anyone. If we are not in a power 5 we need that schedule to help us to maybe land the highest level of recruit, not just a good recruiting class. The idea that because Cincy played no one and is top 15 so we should do the same is pretty funny.