I made my annual donation to UConn athletics today

[NYUConn]

I apologize in advance for this rant.

Beginning last year around this time I decided that I was going to donate $100 to the athletics program annually, increasing that amount by 10% every subsequent year, so today I made a donation of $110 to the UConn Club 2016-17 Pledge Year.

The donation last year was a lot easier to make.

The football team was going bowling, our men's basketball team was showing signs of getting back to the tournament and there was even a glimmer of hope that the Big 12 might come calling.

In the last few months the wheels have really come off this athletic program. The football team is a disaster and somehow, against all odds, our men's basketball program may actually be worse.

And finally, it looks as though we're going to be shut out of the P5 for the foreseeable future.

I literally found myself wondering yesterday if I could go on supporting this athletic department as we continue to spiral in our two major revenue sports, with nothing but Tulane on our schedule for years to come.

I was at UConn from 2002-2006. Looking back at it now, I don't think myself or any of us realized what we were witnessing. The 2004 joint titles, the explosion of our football program into the BCS era and a revolving door of NBA and NFL draft picks coming in and out of Storrs.

Without getting too personal, the success of the athletic program had a direct impact on my studies and subsequently helped put me on a career path that has made me pretty successful today.

But more than anything, it has given me a lasting pride in being a Husky.

So when thinking about all that, I realized how awful it would be for future UConn students to not be able to experience this in Storrs.

It's hard to imagine this today, but 30 years ago this year when Jim Calhoun took over at UConn, we were not even just invisible nationally, we were maybe not even a Top 5 athletic department in New England.

Sure, the school was fortunate enough to have a seat at the Big East under a visionary commissioner in Dave Gavitt, but as the years went by the school scratched and clawed its way to athletic success in nearly every sport.

In 1986 UConn had 4 national titles in the past 105 years of it's existence: 2 Field Hockey and 2 Men's Soccer.

Today we have 22: 4 Field Hockey 3 Men's Soccer 4 Men's Basketball and 11 Women's Basketball.

Not to mention a handful of bowl victories, College World Series appearances and final 4 appearances in Men's and Women's Basketball, Field Hockey, Women's Soccer.

This is a long rant that has gone on for far too long, so I'll end it with this:

If you want to see our success continue, you need to invest in UConn Athletics today when the program needs it the most.

I'm not just talking about making a donation, I'm talking about buying tickets to the games and showing up and being the best fan you can be.

I'm reaffirming my stance today with my donation and my trip to Boston this weekend for UConn-BC in the afternoon and UConn-BU in the evening (Hockey).

If you feel like I do, you can consider matching my donation or giving $11 or $1.

https://ev9.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncom...ndDriveId=7082&linkID=uconn&PledgeAmount=0.00

But like I said, it's not just about the money, it's about keeping the faith and being a proud Husky fan.

Rant over. Have a great one, guys.

 

[dogged1]

Hello Yarders.
Alum class of 76.
Lurker since day 1.
Congrats NYUconn, you got me out of the closet.
Matched.

 

[NYUConn]

Hello Yarders.
Alum class of 76.
Lurker since day 1.
Congrats NYUconn, you got me out of the closet.
Matched.

Awesome! Thanks, Dogged1!

Let's go Huskies!

 

[Rocktheworld]

I'm not sure what a donation would do to help the on-field product, unless you're telling the Foundation your donation may only be applied to Diaco's buyout. And until UConn is making P5 money, donations will only let the AD in its current form tread water a little longer before sports like field hockey have to be cut. Donations will not right this ship.

As I said before, and as you have done, UConn got over 100k from me over my four years there. They can wait a while for my next contribution.

 

[NYUConn]

I'm not sure what a donation would do to help the on-field product, unless you're telling the Foundation your donation may only be applied to Diaco's buyout. And until UConn is making P5 money, donations will only let the AD in its current form tread water a little longer before sports like field hockey have to be cut. Donations will not right this ship.

As I said before, and as you have done, UConn got over 100k from me over my four years there. They can wait a while for my next contribution.

I understand your frustration, but to your point why are we penalizing the rest of our sports for the on field actions of our revenue sports?

I have no problem donating $110 to the general health of the athletic department so it ensures that our Field Hockey team can continue to win national championships.

Also, the logic of "We are not in a P5 conference, so therefore donations are wasted" is an extremely short-sighed argument when you consider that one of the metrics to any future P5 invite will be donor base and financial solvency.

Look, I get the frustration and I'm not here to criticize anyone who is unwilling to invest in this athletic department right now.

I'm just sharing my feeling that now is the time we need it more than every.

 

[CJS87]

I apologize in advance for this rant.

Beginning last year around this time I decided that I was going to donate $100 to the athletics program annually, increasing that amount by 10% every subsequent year, so today I made a donation of $110 to the UConn Club 2016-17 Pledge Year.

The donation last year was a lot easier to make.

The football team was going bowling, our men's basketball team was showing signs of getting back to the tournament and there was even a glimmer of hope that the Big 12 might come calling.

In the last few months the wheels have really come off this athletic program. The football team is a disaster and somehow, against all odds, our men's basketball program may actually be worse.

And finally, it looks as though we're going to be shut out of the P5 for the foreseeable future.

I literally found myself wondering yesterday if I could go on supporting this athletic department as we continue to spiral in our two major revenue sports, with nothing but Tulane on our schedule for years to come.

I was at UConn from 2002-2006. Looking back at it now, I don't think myself or any of us realized what we were witnessing. The 2004 joint titles, the explosion of our football program into the BCS era and a revolving door of NBA and NFL draft picks coming in and out of Storrs.

Without getting too personal, the success of the athletic program had a direct impact on my studies and subsequently helped put me on a career path that has made me pretty successful today.

But more than anything, it has given me a lasting pride in being a Husky.

So when thinking about all that, I realized how awful it would be for future UConn students to not be able to experience this in Storrs.

It's hard to imagine this today, but 30 years ago this year when Jim Calhoun took over at UConn, we were not even just invisible nationally, we were maybe not even a Top 5 athletic department in New England.

Sure, the school was fortunate enough to have a seat at the Big East under a visionary commissioner in Dave Gavitt, but as the years went by the school scratched and clawed its way to athletic success in nearly every sport.

In 1986 UConn had 4 national titles in the past 105 years of it's existence: 2 Field Hockey and 2 Men's Soccer.

Today we have 22: 4 Field Hockey 3 Men's Soccer 4 Men's Basketball and 11 Women's Basketball.

Not to mention a handful of bowl victories, College World Series appearances and final 4 appearances in Men's and Women's Basketball, Field Hockey, Women's Soccer.

This is a long rant that has gone on for far too long, so I'll end it with this:

If you want to see our success continue, you need to invest in UConn Athletics today when the program needs it the most.

I'm not just talking about making a donation, I'm talking about buying tickets to the games and showing up and being the best fan you can be.

I'm reaffirming my stance today with my donation and my trip to Boston this weekend for UConn-BC in the afternoon and UConn-BU in the evening (Hockey).

If you feel like I do, you can consider matching my donation or giving $11 or $1.

https://ev9.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncom...ndDriveId=7082&linkID=uconn&PledgeAmount=0.00

But like I said, it's not just about the money, it's about keeping the faith and being a proud Husky fan.

Rant over. Have a great one, guys.

You are exactly right. People need to donate to sustain our athletic programs. I donate $500 annually plus $300 for football seats donation. Give what you can but donate.

 

[CJS87]

I'm not sure what a donation would do to help the on-field product, unless you're telling the Foundation your donation may only be applied to Diaco's buyout. And until UConn is making P5 money, donations will only let the AD in its current form tread water a little longer before sports like field hockey have to be cut. Donations will not right this ship.

As I said before, and as you have done, UConn got over 100k from me over my four years there. They can wait a while for my next contribution.

Certainly appreciate your past giving and no obligation to donate again. But you are wrong about giving. If you want UConn to continue to compete at the highest level it takes money. On field performance and sustaining UConn athletics are two different things.

 

[CJS87]

I understand your frustration, but to your point why are we penalizing the rest of our sports for the on field actions of our revenue sports?

I have no problem donating $110 to the general health of the athletic department so it ensures that our Field Hockey team can continue to win national championships.

Also, the logic of "We are not in a P5 conference, so therefore donations are wasted" is an extremely short-sighed argument when you consider that one of the metrics to any future P5 invite will be donor base and financial solvency.

Look, I get the frustration and I'm not here to criticize anyone who is unwilling to invest in this athletic department right now.

I'm just sharing my feeling that now is the time we need it more than every.

You are 100 percent right. Well said.

 

[CTMike]

I give the bare minimum but it counts. Thanks for the reminder for the current year.

 

[Afroabe224]

I apologize in advance for this rant.

Beginning last year around this time I decided that I was going to donate $100 to the athletics program annually, increasing that amount by 10% every subsequent year, so today I made a donation of $110 to the UConn Club 2016-17 Pledge Year.

The donation last year was a lot easier to make.

The football team was going bowling, our men's basketball team was showing signs of getting back to the tournament and there was even a glimmer of hope that the Big 12 might come calling.

In the last few months the wheels have really come off this athletic program. The football team is a disaster and somehow, against all odds, our men's basketball program may actually be worse.

And finally, it looks as though we're going to be shut out of the P5 for the foreseeable future.

I literally found myself wondering yesterday if I could go on supporting this athletic department as we continue to spiral in our two major revenue sports, with nothing but Tulane on our schedule for years to come.

I was at UConn from 2002-2006. Looking back at it now, I don't think myself or any of us realized what we were witnessing. The 2004 joint titles, the explosion of our football program into the BCS era and a revolving door of NBA and NFL draft picks coming in and out of Storrs.

Without getting too personal, the success of the athletic program had a direct impact on my studies and subsequently helped put me on a career path that has made me pretty successful today.

But more than anything, it has given me a lasting pride in being a Husky.

So when thinking about all that, I realized how awful it would be for future UConn students to not be able to experience this in Storrs.

It's hard to imagine this today, but 30 years ago this year when Jim Calhoun took over at UConn, we were not even just invisible nationally, we were maybe not even a Top 5 athletic department in New England.

Sure, the school was fortunate enough to have a seat at the Big East under a visionary commissioner in Dave Gavitt, but as the years went by the school scratched and clawed its way to athletic success in nearly every sport.

In 1986 UConn had 4 national titles in the past 105 years of it's existence: 2 Field Hockey and 2 Men's Soccer.

Today we have 22: 4 Field Hockey 3 Men's Soccer 4 Men's Basketball and 11 Women's Basketball.

Not to mention a handful of bowl victories, College World Series appearances and final 4 appearances in Men's and Women's Basketball, Field Hockey, Women's Soccer.

This is a long rant that has gone on for far too long, so I'll end it with this:

If you want to see our success continue, you need to invest in UConn Athletics today when the program needs it the most.

I'm not just talking about making a donation, I'm talking about buying tickets to the games and showing up and being the best fan you can be.

I'm reaffirming my stance today with my donation and my trip to Boston this weekend for UConn-BC in the afternoon and UConn-BU in the evening (Hockey).

If you feel like I do, you can consider matching my donation or giving $11 or $1.

https://ev9.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncom...ndDriveId=7082&linkID=uconn&PledgeAmount=0.00

But like I said, it's not just about the money, it's about keeping the faith and being a proud Husky fan.

Rant over. Have a great one, guys.

Couldn't agree more, I'm on board with you. I was at UConn '08-'11 and it is sad/frustrating/agonizing how quickly our place in the national landscape has changed. There is plenty of complaining on this board but I am legitimately concerned we'll turn into Houston or UNLV (one of those schools nobody knows was ever good until they see a 30 for 30 film) over the next decade. Sports are a huge part of the reason I take such pride in being a Husky and you're right that this is when UConn needs us the most.

Maybe I'll see you at Alumni or Agganis tomorrow. Go Huskies!

 

[NYUConn]

I give the bare minimum but it counts. Thanks for the reminder for the current year.

When it comes to small dollar donations like ours, it's less about the dollar amount than it is the total donor amount.

To be able to say we have 50,000 small donors annually is just as important as saying we raise x million of dollars total.

A large small donor base shows a passionate fan base. It is a big deal.

 

[HuskyDogArt]

I apologize in advance for this rant.

Beginning last year around this time I decided that I was going to donate $100 to the athletics program annually, increasing that amount by 10% every subsequent year, so today I made a donation of $110 to the UConn Club 2016-17 Pledge Year.

The donation last year was a lot easier to make.

The football team was going bowling, our men's basketball team was showing signs of getting back to the tournament and there was even a glimmer of hope that the Big 12 might come calling.

In the last few months the wheels have really come off this athletic program. The football team is a disaster and somehow, against all odds, our men's basketball program may actually be worse.

And finally, it looks as though we're going to be shut out of the P5 for the foreseeable future.

I literally found myself wondering yesterday if I could go on supporting this athletic department as we continue to spiral in our two major revenue sports, with nothing but Tulane on our schedule for years to come.

I was at UConn from 2002-2006. Looking back at it now, I don't think myself or any of us realized what we were witnessing. The 2004 joint titles, the explosion of our football program into the BCS era and a revolving door of NBA and NFL draft picks coming in and out of Storrs.

Without getting too personal, the success of the athletic program had a direct impact on my studies and subsequently helped put me on a career path that has made me pretty successful today.

But more than anything, it has given me a lasting pride in being a Husky.

So when thinking about all that, I realized how awful it would be for future UConn students to not be able to experience this in Storrs.

It's hard to imagine this today, but 30 years ago this year when Jim Calhoun took over at UConn, we were not even just invisible nationally, we were maybe not even a Top 5 athletic department in New England.

Sure, the school was fortunate enough to have a seat at the Big East under a visionary commissioner in Dave Gavitt, but as the years went by the school scratched and clawed its way to athletic success in nearly every sport.

In 1986 UConn had 4 national titles in the past 105 years of it's existence: 2 Field Hockey and 2 Men's Soccer.

Today we have 22: 4 Field Hockey 3 Men's Soccer 4 Men's Basketball and 11 Women's Basketball.

Not to mention a handful of bowl victories, College World Series appearances and final 4 appearances in Men's and Women's Basketball, Field Hockey, Women's Soccer.

This is a long rant that has gone on for far too long, so I'll end it with this:

If you want to see our success continue, you need to invest in UConn Athletics today when the program needs it the most.

I'm not just talking about making a donation, I'm talking about buying tickets to the games and showing up and being the best fan you can be.

I'm reaffirming my stance today with my donation and my trip to Boston this weekend for UConn-BC in the afternoon and UConn-BU in the evening (Hockey).

If you feel like I do, you can consider matching my donation or giving $11 or $1.

https://ev9.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncom...ndDriveId=7082&linkID=uconn&PledgeAmount=0.00

But like I said, it's not just about the money, it's about keeping the faith and being a proud Husky fan.

Rant over. Have a great one, guys.

I might not donate this year, because I want UConn to do three things: 1) Start lacrosse, 2) drop football and 3) get out of the AAC.

My reasoning for those 3 is that College Lacrosse is the fastest growing sports, so we should play it. Football is not a growth sport, high school lacrosse in New England and the northeast is popular. We can win a NC in lacrosse, before we can win a NC in football. Besides, I think you'll see lots of schools dropping football. Get us out of the AAC because we need a conference for our powerhouses -basketball, not for football.
Besides Maine, did we win any?

 

[zls44]

I might not donate this year, because I want UConn to do three things: 1) Start lacrosse, 2) drop football and 3) get out of the AAC.

...


no

 

[Ha Who]

I'm not sure what a donation would do to help the on-field product, unless you're telling the Foundation your donation may only be applied to Diaco's buyout. And until UConn is making P5 money, donations will only let the AD in its current form tread water a little longer before sports like field hockey have to be cut. Donations will not right this ship.

As I said before, and as you have done, UConn got over 100k from me over my four years there. They can wait a while for my next contribution.

The original rant was a home run. This post is the same mentality that won't drive to a hoops game because Scott Haney is predicting a half inch of snow.