If you could travel back in time and give one piece of advice to a UConn AD regarding Conference Realignment, when and what?

[Duncan Idaho]

D1-AA was actually an upgrade for the Yankee conference (UNH, Maine, UMass, BU, UCONN & URI) schools, when they moved from D2 (formerly the NCAA College Division) to the 1-AA classification when it was created in 1978.

We only had 12 football scholarships in 1973. There is a reason we started beating Yale later in the early 80s...

 

[Kolumbo]

And he moves on to trying to be insulting/provocative in the next stage of the life cycle of a troll. Up next: feigned victimhood.

Like the scorpion said, "it's in my nature."

 

[SU1968]

Well, I can't speak for everybody, but I enjoyed the football rivalries in the Yankee conference. I'm not sure Connecticut's basketball dominance happens if we had stayed in a New England regional conference. In fact, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have. In all likelihood Jim Calhoun would've never come to Connecticut.

How about you guys? If you had one trip in the way back machine where you could only give one piece of advice to a past athletic Director, what would it have been?

AD Jake Crouthamel was a driving force in the creation of the oBE, probably one of the most successful conferences in pre-realignment history. He was nearing the end of his career at SU and didn't like (along with Jim Boeheim) the idea of SU leaving the oBE with its great BB rivalries. When the 3-member ACC committee came to vet SU, Jake's response was somewhat less that welcoming. It wasn't difficult then for the ACC to replace SU with VT in the selection process. If SU had been accepted in 2003, the money would have started to flow and new facilities and higher coach salaries would have resulted. Perhaps SU wouldn't have wandered in the wilderness for more than a decade.

 

[ZooCougar]

AD Jake Crouthamel was a driving force in the creation of the oBE, probably one of the most successful conferences in pre-realignment history. He was nearing the end of his career at SU and didn't like (along with Jim Boeheim) the idea of SU leaving the oBE with its great BB rivalries. When the 3-member ACC committee came to vet SU, Jake's response was somewhat less that welcoming. It wasn't difficult then for the ACC to replace SU with VT in the selection process. If SU had been accepted in 2003, the money would have started to flow and new facilities and higher coach salaries would have resulted. Perhaps SU wouldn't have wandered in the wilderness for more than a decade.

You’re not out of the woods yet.

 

[CL82]

AD Jake Crouthamel was a driving force in the creation of the oBE, probably one of the most successful conferences in pre-realignment history. He was nearing the end of his career at SU and didn't like (along with Jim Boeheim) the idea of SU leaving the oBE with its great BB rivalries. When the 3-member ACC committee came to vet SU, Jake's response was somewhat less that welcoming. It wasn't difficult then for the ACC to replace SU with VT in the selection process. If SU had been accepted in 2003, the money would have started to flow and new facilities and higher coach salaries would have resulted. Perhaps SU wouldn't have wandered in the wilderness for more than a decade.

Interesting! My guess was going to be to tell the A.D. not to keep Paul Pasqualone after Donovan McNabb left.

It's a shame that Syracuse was faced with a choice between revenue and conference affiliation. I feel like it was at its best basketball wise in the big east.

 

[CL82]

Lol, and there it is, right on time: "feigned victimhood."

 

[ScottVib]

AD Jake Crouthamel was a driving force in the creation of the oBE, probably one of the most successful conferences in pre-realignment history. He was nearing the end of his career at SU and didn't like (along with Jim Boeheim) the idea of SU leaving the oBE with its great BB rivalries. When the 3-member ACC committee came to vet SU, Jake's response was somewhat less that welcoming. It wasn't difficult then for the ACC to replace SU with VT in the selection process.

I remember Boeheim being very much against the move... that said VT was going to replace someone or there wasn't going to be expansion that year, the question was would it be BC or Syracuse that got left out. The ACC Expansion vote hinged on UVA accepting to get the necessary majority and the state intervened forcing a UVA no vote, until Virginia Tech was accepted (this is also where the theory that X State will be forced to be with X University to allow the move theory began)

 

[Rufus]

If I remember right, didn't former ACC Commissioner John Swofford's son work at Boston College back when BC joined the ACC in 2003?

I would go back to 2002 and tell UConn to hire Swofford's son.

 

[UConnDan97]

If I remember right, didn't former ACC Commissioner John Swofford's son work at Boston College back when BC joined the ACC in 2003?

I would go back to 2002 and tell UConn to hire Swofford's son.

Doesn't always work out. Mark Emmert used to work at UConn, and there were very few people who screwed UConn harder than him...

 

[HuskyNan]

I dunno. It seems to me you’ve been pretty condescending. When shown where you’re wrong, you just decide to attack from another angle.

Louisivlle fan, hmm?

 

[jostar1]

AD Jake Crouthamel was a driving force in the creation of the oBE, probably one of the most successful conferences in pre-realignment history. He was nearing the end of his career at SU and didn't like (along with Jim Boeheim) the idea of SU leaving the oBE with its great BB rivalries. When the 3-member ACC committee came to vet SU, Jake's response was somewhat less that welcoming. It wasn't difficult then for the ACC to replace SU with VT in the selection process. If SU had been accepted in 2003, the money would have started to flow and new facilities and higher coach salaries would have resulted. Perhaps SU wouldn't have wandered in the wilderness for more than a decade.

You forgot the part where Jake Crouthamel collapsed in his kitchen when he learned that Syracuse had been passed over for Virginia Tech.

 

[metsfan2323]

I would go back in time to the 1980s, and implement a plan to move the entire Storrs campus to Hartford by 2010. Investing billions over the last few decades into a campus in the woods of eastern Connecticut that the locals do not even want there while also investing billions into a small city like Hartford was wasted investment dollars. If UConn was in the state capital, 1) it would be higher ranked academically, 2) it would be a more desirable conference partner, 3) Hartford would be a much nicer city, and 4) the state of Connecticut would have saved billions over the last 35 years.

I have been told that this was actually discussed in the late 80's and early 90's among state legislators, but after some rough budget cycles, the will to make a big change never developed.

I agree. Even better, go farther back in time and make New Haven the capital and put UConn in New Haven. With proper investment (along with Yale's money) New Haven could have been a large city and kept its NHL hockey team.

 

[KryHavok]

With proper investment (along with Yale's money) New Haven could have been a large city and kept its NHL hockey team.

Ummm, so we would've had the New Haven Whalers instead of the New Haven Nighthawks...okay, that's a fair trade. I like your idea.

 

[Hoophound]

Connecticut has just screwed up its cities by not having county government. There’s no way to really fix our cities under this system.

 

[CL82]

I agree. Even better, go farther back in time and make New Haven the capital and put UConn in New Haven. With proper investment (along with Yale's money) New Haven could have been a large city and kept its NHL hockey team.

Or go even further back in time and build the University of Connecticut in New York City. Sure, the name would be a little incongruous, but otherwise it's a genius idea.

 

[CL82]

Connecticut has just screwed up its cities by not having county government. There’s no way to really fix our cities under this system.

Living in New Jersey, which has a very strong county system. I can tell you it does not eliminate screwed up cities.

(yes I'm looking at you Camden)

 

[HuskyinWRNY]

Connecticut has just screwed up its cities by not having county government. There’s no way to really fix our cities under this system.

Long Island has two counties, and they mess up everything.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Or go even further back in time and build the University of Connecticut in New York City. Sure, the name would be a little incongruous, but otherwise it's a genius idea.

Actually my grandson asked wouldnt it made more sense if it was within 5-10 miles of Hartford . Those towns around Hartford were rural in my life time so I suspect in 1890’s cheap land was avaiable . That would have been a huge plus for Hartford .

 

[ScottVib]

It was founded as an agricultural school... being near the student population or the capital was of far less interest to that mission than being near lots of open farmland...

 

[Travelman6]

Get the jump on Lville and push forward relentlessly -2011

 

[Patman]

It was founded as an agricultural school... being near the student population or the capital was of far less interest to that mission than being near lots of open farmland...

well and thats basically what happened. Free land near nothing was probably seen as the best option. Wonder if there was even a train line out that far though... probably why UConn was a backwater until the early 80s

 

[Hondo 77]

Living in New Jersey, which has a very strong county system. I can tell you it does not eliminate screwed up cities.

(yes I'm looking at you Camden)

It’s all about rampant corruption.

 

[ZooCougar]

Make sure nothing gets leaked to startup YouTube Grifters.

 

[superjohn]

Moving the UConn campus is so goshdarn stupid but thanks for the laugh.