I want UMass in the league

[uconnbill]

No UMass period. Small time thinking from small minded people. My gosh I am glad none of you have a say in how the conference expands because your way of thinking is FCS at best

 

[nelsonmuntz]

No UMass period. Small time thinking from small minded people. My gosh I am glad none of you have a say in how the conference expands because your way of thinking is FCS at best

Who should we add? Please enlighten us.

Umass is a step up on half the schools already in the league.

 

[WestHartHusk]

Who should we add? Please enlighten us.

Umass is a step up on half the schools already in the league.

Nelson, you are so wrong it is incredible. First, you have no premise - we don't need to add anyone. Second, they went 1-11 in the MAC. Repeat that, 1-11. Hell, even Tulane had 2 wins.

 

[Durks07]

Who should we add? Please enlighten us.

Umass is a step up on half the schools already in the league.

How about no one? How about a good reason that they are a beneficial program to add to a new conference? If the only good reason is that they provide one game where travel is not a higher cost proposition, I submit that this is short-sighted to the point of blindness. They only give Uconn one game every two years where they do not have to travel far. They come into Rentscheler Field and are even worse than Buffalo. We complain about fan apathy, lets talk about a schedule that is guaranteed to have another absolute dreg on a yearly basis. How will the fairweather fans respond to that? Umass drew 35K to the Rent last year. However, that was the first game of the season. How much of that was a function of the fans wanting to see football regardless of the opponent?

You argued infamously that UConn should disband the football program. The football program is a financial drain on the athletic department. Explain how adding another dreg to the conference changes that. How exactly is adding a school like Umass, with the national pulse of lifeless body going to help? What value do they add? What money do they bring in a TV deal that will benefit anyone? None. You suggest that a good idea is brining in a school who will contribute nothing themselves, and whose only function to diminish the amount of money that Uconn recieves in an atrocious TV deal. If the football program is a financial drain, then Umass is a financial vacuum. If this atrocity of a conference brings in a school that actually will be the worst yet (hard feat to accomplish) you may actually get your wish of disbanding the football program.

 

[RS9999X]

Amherst and Northampton are nice day trips in October. Book a bed and breakfast and go to Brattleboro and enjoy a NE weekend.

Sent from my Lumia 920 via Windows 8. Now bite me Apple Droids.

 

[WestHartHusk]

Don't disagree, but you don't need a football game to go there. Hell, if we are going on location, then let's get McGill in here.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

So the same posters that attack anyone who says the C7 was a better option for UConn also think we shouldn't play anyone that casual fans will care about.

 

[Durks07]

So the same posters that attack anyone who says the C7 was a better option for UConn also think we shouldn't play anyone that casual fans will care about.

Ad hominem argument. Nothing about that addresses the question. It simply denigrates the people who disagree with you with a conclusory, dismissive statement that is neither true or has a correlation with itself. How do the people who "attack" people who think the C7 is a better option for Uconn also not want to play anyone the casual fan will care about? They don't appear to be related. The question is whether Umass should be added to the NNNNBE, not whether Uconn should ever play them. The most obvious reason that Umass is not a good addition is that they add nothing market-wise and bring no additional money into the conferece. They only add another team to split a pitiful TV deal with. Answer why Umass has positives that outweigh the negatives.

If Uconn is in such a financial bind that they should consider eliminating the football program, then tell us in what way adding another member to the conference allievates that problem. It aggravates that problem and we all know it because Uconn recieves less money because of it. Playing Umass OOC does not require Uconn to split any TV money with them. Sharing a conference with them does. Or does it not? If not, enlighten us as to why.

 

[whaler11]

Amherst and Northampton are nice day trips in October. Book a bed and breakfast and go to Brattleboro and enjoy a NE weekend.

Sent from my Lumia 920 via Windows 8. Now bite me Apple Droids.

I worked in Brattleboro for a while. I'm not totally sure it's a circle of hell... But it's a short par 4 away.

 

[whaler11]

So the same posters that attack anyone who says the C7 was a better option for UConn also think we shouldn't play anyone that casual fans will care about.

While I find your C7 talk ridiculous, I do agree that UMass is better conference mate than a few we've got. I don't buy into your attendance angle - it isn't true and is pennies anyway

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Ad hominem argument. Nothing about that addresses the question. It simply denigrates the people who disagree with you with a conclusory, dismissive statement that is neither true or has a correlation with itself. How do the people who "attack" people who think the C7 is a better option for Uconn also not want to play anyone the casual fan will care about? They don't appear to be related. The question is whether Umass should be added to the NNNNBE, not whether Uconn should ever play them. The most obvious reason that Umass is not a good addition is that they add nothing market-wise and bring no additional money into the conferece. They only add another team to split a pitiful TV deal with. Answer why Umass has positives that outweigh the negatives.

If Uconn is in such a financial bind that they should consider eliminating the football program, then tell us in what way adding another member to the conference allievates that problem. It aggravates that problem and we all know it because Uconn recieves less money because of it. Playing Umass OOC does not require Uconn to split any TV money with them. Sharing a conference with them does. Or does it not? If not, enlighten us as to why.

UConn does not need to be in a financial bind to not want to piss money down a sinkhole.

There are 3 football schools within the NNBE that any casual fan gives a crap about: Temple, Cincinnati and South Florida. There is literally no interest in any of these other schools at all, and their won't be because the fan interest in the core schools is so shallow. There is no history or proximity with these other programs, and they are not big enough names to compensate for that. There is also only one school within 800 miles of UConn. What kind of of attendance do you expect once Rutgers leaves? How many season ticket buyers?

UConn needs to figure out a way to make this conference relevant to fans, or the football program will be shut down. Not just because of financial reasons, but because no one will care either way.

 

[Durks07]

UConn does not need to be in a financial bind to not want to piss money down a sinkhole.

There are 3 football schools within the NNBE that any casual fan gives a crap about: Temple, Cincinnati and South Florida. There is literally no interest in any of these other schools at all, and their won't be because the fan interest in the core schools is so shallow. There is no history or proximity with these other programs, and they are not big enough names to compensate for that. There is also only one school within 800 miles of UConn. What kind of of attendance do you expect once Rutgers leaves? How many season ticket buyers?

UConn needs to figure out a way to make this conference relevant to fans, or the football program will be shut down. Not just because of financial reasons, but because no one will care either way.

Adding another college football program that is little more than a practice squad with no cache is not making the conference more relevant to anyone. If Umass will generate local interest then schedule OOC games with them. Uconn gets to keep the money from the gate, like they would if it was a conference match-up, and they do not have to share TV money with them.

 

[metsfan2323]

Adding another college football program that is little more than a practice squad with no cache is not making the conference more relevant to anyone.\

That's exactly what BC and Cuse fans used to say about UCONN football 13 years ago.

That practice squad with no cache has Notre Dame on their 2015 schedule. Yes they stink now but so did UCONN in 2000 and 2001 when we were starting this journey.

 

[Atross]

We need to stop the quibbling and holier than thou mentality. If we're so much better why are we still on the outside looking in? It is true that UCONN sports is stronger in talent and better off financially than UMASS but some proximity is needed for the students and fans. It would be a simple road trip to both the Mullens Center and Gillette Stadium. As someone said UMASS is in Hockey East with UCONN soon to follow. This is a natural rival that many could relate to. Simply put we need Eastern schools. I like the idea as previously posted of tring to add Delaware and VCU. Didn't Joe Flacco play at Delaware? To counter Syracuse bring in Buffalo.

 

[Fishy]

Anyone suggesting we add Delaware, VCU and Buffalo should be lined up against a stone wall and shot.

UMass is one thing, but adding that other dreck is nothing short of treason.

 

[Chin Diesel]

UConn does not need to be in a financial bind to not want to piss money down a sinkhole.

There are 3 football schools within the NNBE that any casual fan gives a crap about: Temple, Cincinnati and South Florida. There is literally no interest in any of these other schools at all, and their won't be because the fan interest in the core schools is so shallow. There is no history or proximity with these other programs, and they are not big enough names to compensate for that. There is also only one school within 800 miles of UConn. What kind of of attendance do you expect once Rutgers leaves? How many season ticket buyers?

UConn needs to figure out a way to make this conference relevant to fans, or the football program will be shut down. Not just because of financial reasons, but because no one will care either way.

Speak for yourself. And I'll speak for myself.

I despise the position we are in right now.

But, I am intrigued about UCF, Houston and SMU. Big cities with huge football talent. Each city produces multiple more BCS talent than New England and New York combined.

Not really intrigued with playing Tulane and Memphis but both those cities are way better to visit for a weekend football excursion than anything in the current BE football.

Embrace the suck.

 

[whaler11]

UConn does not need to be in a financial bind to not want to piss money down a sinkhole.

There are 3 football schools within the NNBE that any casual fan gives a crap about: Temple, Cincinnati and South Florida. There is literally no interest in any of these other schools at all, and their won't be because the fan interest in the core schools is so shallow. There is no history or proximity with these other programs, and they are not big enough names to compensate for that. There is also only one school within 800 miles of UConn. What kind of of attendance do you expect once Rutgers leaves? How many season ticket buyers?

UConn needs to figure out a way to make this conference relevant to fans, or the football program will be shut down. Not just because of financial reasons, but because no one will care either way.

Call me crazy but a 'casual fan' would actually be a lot more interested in pretty much anyone over Temple. East Carolina is about what... a million times more interesting than Temple? I work with a ton of Temple grads - they tell me there is peer pressure to not go to football games.


And you are wrong that no one will care about UConn football. The same amount that care today will care in the future. The attendance may be lower, but the same amount of people will care.

 

[huskymedic]

Speak for yourself. And I'll speak for myself.

I despise the position we are in right now.

But, I am intrigued about UCF, Houston and SMU. Big cities with huge football talent. Each city produces multiple more BCS talent than New England and New York combined.

Not really intrigued with playing Tulane and Memphis but both those cities are way better to visit for a weekend football excursion than anything in the current BE football.

Embrace the suck.

 

[djct1999]

This proposed league will certainly bode well for an FBS 1 seed. I see it now, UConn will host Nova in the quarterfinals, while UMass will play at Delaware. If Umass can pull off the upset, wow, this would be huge for New England football.

 

[tzznandrew]

People are interested in good teams. Right now, UMass is not one.

The difference between UConn circa 2000 and UMass now: UConn had a track record of investment and success in other sports that you could use to project success in football.

 

[djct1999]

People are interested in good teams. Right now, UMass is not one.

The difference between UConn circa 2000 and UMass now: UConn had a track record of investment and success in other sports that you could use to project success in football.

and by uconn resigned to such a dismal fate, what will UConns worth be to others when it means so little to ourselves. by going this route, this will make us less attractive not more.

 

[Mark W]

Maybe I misunderstood the basis for this thread when I started. My premise was to suggest that UMass would have been a better option than Tulane, Tulsa or some of the other schools brought in.

Football...I don't expect anyone to share my optimism as a UMass fan for the football program. We had a tough first year in FBS and I agree that the jury is still out on whether we can make the program viable. Where I may be overly positive, I think many here are overly negative. Maybe the truth falls somewhere in the middle...a good MAC team. If our athletic budget stays at 27 million and our fan base stays apathetic..maybe that's the ceiling......I'm hoping for more!!

Basketball....that is the crown jewel of UConn's athletic dept and I don't think you guys are giving that enough consideration in this thread. I contend that UMass brings more to the table basketball-wise than anyone you've brought in with the exception of maybe Memphis. Umass is 18-9 with a RPI 48-54 (depending on what site you look). Sure, UConn and Cincy will be the power basketball teams in the conference, but what will your RPI look like after conference play is over? Out of all the teams you're bringing in, are any of them in the top 100?

 

[RS9999X]

ECU is top 100 RPI

ECU: 99
UCF: 111
Tulsa: 124
Tulane: 175
Houston: 200
SMU: 225

Average RPI: 156

 

[RS9999X]

It's a 4 team basketball conference. USF with an RPI of 140 and 10-17 record will decline to the sad state of Tulane, Houston and SMU

 

[Mark W]

ECU is top 100 RPI

ECU: 99
UCF: 111
Tulsa: 124
Tulane: 175
Houston: 200
SMU: 225

Average RPI: 156

Right...and UMass beat them this year...so I'm kinda hoping they stay in the top 100