Independent Scheduling

[Exit 4]

Hypothetical calendar: I understand there is lots we could do with switching....more than I did. This schedule does not at all reflect the long term goals which is to play more regional teams...like all our northern ACC neighbors. That will happen in the years ahead, for now this is something I patched together for 2020.

six home games / six road games:

1. 09/03 - UMass
2. 09/12 - at Illinois
3. 09/19 - Maine
4. 09/26 - Indiana
5. 10/3 - at UCF - historically UCF hasnt played any OOC games outside of Sept. They have two open OOC slots in 2020 with UNC booked on 9/5 and GT on 9/19.
6. 10/10 - FIU at home - possible two game series? Maybe we don't want to play them- they are good. In 2017 they played an October OOC game with Tulane.
7. 10/17 - at Coastal Carolina - possible two game series? They have an open 2020 date, but like OD they haven't scheduled their cupcake game yet. Not ideal to play SC and CC in the same year.
8. 10/24 - at Arkansas - pay day game (M. Anthony SEC rumors) - they have had OOCs in Oct in the past including Tulsa last year.
9. 10/31 - Virginia Tech at home - could make this a home game and a two game series? VT has regularly scheduled OOC games in Oct and Nov in the past
10. 11/7 - at Army - start of a new series. Army has one open slot in 2019 and just a couple open weekends. They have only five home games scheduled. I'd like to make this a home game, but...
11. 11/14 - Old Dominion at home- start of a new series. This game in Nov is a stretch for two reasons, OD has historically played its OOC in Sept and because while they have an open date in 2020, their filled dates are: Wake visit on 9/5, at NC on 9/26 and Virginia visiting on 11/21. OD is a candidate to flip with Maine.
12. 11/21 - at South Carolina SC routinely ends their season with two of three games as OOC.

I dropped the idea of playing Air Force. They visit Army in 2020 and I don't see us going out there in 2020 particularly since they tend to play OOC only in Sept and November.

Unknowns, can/would we want BYU or Liberty to reschedule a game on our behalf? Both have full 2020 slates.

I think there is room to get a series going with Syracuse, Pitt and others up north, but dont think we can start any of them in 2020.

 

[freescooter]

Both Old Dominion and Liberty are associate members of the Big East and play UConn in Field Hockey. Wouldn't stun me if both are on the schedule.

South Carolina has had a pretty long relationship for us that is continuing with women's hoop so they could also be ones on our schedule soon/

If the option is Old Dominion and Liberty I’ll take Tulane and Tulsa any day of the week. At least I’ve heard of them. Old Dominion and you want us to play There???

 

[SubbaBub]

Part of this exercise for the AD is to generate some excitement. While the Exit 4 schedules probably aren't too far off what we are looking at for 2020, we need to try harder to fill both the schedule and the home slate with more than Indiana and VT. It may seem like 2003, but it isn't. If you add one more attractive home game, I think that is a big win even if it's an AAC team like Memphis. That would give us 5 legit P5 games, 3 AAC level game (incl Army), and 4 G5/FCS schlock (of which 1 is UMass which for some 1995 level reason still excites some people.)

That is a legit BCS level schedule.

 

[SubbaBub]

Bryan Fischer @BryanDFischer 46m
Seriously, if USC wants to keep their no-FCS streak going, they should be on the phone to get UConn to come out instead of UCD. Makes plenty of sense on both sides.

This partially answers the bowl game question. If we can sell tickets, we can schedule marquee and neutral site games like this. 2021 "bowl" game at Clemson. BC in Dublin. Anyone good in FL, etc. Since bowls don't actually make money, just schedule travel games for the fanbase.

 

[HartfordHank]

11/21 - at South Carolina SC routinely ends their season with two of three games

Normally a buy game followed by traditional game with Clemson. SEC traditionally plays a cupcake buy game before their rivalry game.

 

[uconnflyer88]

I see everyone has spontaneously obtained their FBS scheduling certification

 

[Big East Fa]

Bryan Fischer @BryanDFischer 46m
Seriously, if USC wants to keep their no-FCS streak going, they should be on the phone to get UConn to come out instead of UCD. Makes plenty of sense on both sides.

USC is going to break that streak. The Trojans scheduled UC Davis.

 

[huskymedic]

USC is going to break that streak. The Trojans scheduled UC Davis.

Ummm... that’s the whole point Fischer was making? They can avoid breaking the streak by scheduling UConn instead.

 

[lavuuk153]

Totally saying that to the wife tonight.

T&P

 

[nickp91]

I am very excited for the Independent era of UConn Football

 

[Jimdish255]

Going to be tough to get anything that looks like an "exciting" schedule for a good 2 - 3 years. Teams have scheduled out pretty far with home and homes of some sort and it will take creativity to get games changed or moved. But if other AD's are looking at future schedules that for some reason seem disadvantageous or unproductive from a fan, media or travel standpoint we could be one of the easiest/top options to slot in. Have to hope that all of the scheduling calls aren't outgoing and we can get some of those rescheduling requests incoming. We're going to need a bunch for the next few years. Playing UAB (as was mentioned) doesn't thrill me because it would likely be home and home. If we do that might as well schedule Tulane.

 

[BugsyCT]

I'm going with cautious optimism and suppressing any feelings of inevitable doom for the Independent era of UConn Football.

So . . . yay us!!

 

[UCFBfan]

I don't know why we can't get Army on the schedule every year as soon as they have openings. I've said it in a different thread, but a annual home and home would be great because a road trip to West Point is one of the best away games one can attend. The pregame activities are obviously amazing but the stadium has a gorgeous view of the Hudson.

Plus, it's just over a 2 hour trip.

Would love to see them on the schedule over a team like NMSU, Liberty, or any of those low level schools.

 

[Storrs South]

I don't know why we can't get Army on the schedule every year as soon as they have openings.

Well it just so happens they have an opening in 2020

 

[Pudge]

We aren’t good enough to play five P5 games in 2020 ... and at 1-11, we aren’t entitled to call anyone schlock

I’m not gonna make suggested alterations. But Liberty & Old Dominion are my view of a new start. And trying to get near .500.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Totally saying that to the wife tonight.

How’d that work out @CL82 ?

 

[SubbaBub]

I don't know why we can't get Army on the schedule every year as soon as they have openings. I've said it in a different thread, but a annual home and home would be great because a road trip to West Point is one of the best away games one can attend. The pregame activities are obviously amazing but the stadium has a gorgeous view of the Hudson.

Plus, it's just over a 2 hour trip.

Would love to see them on the schedule over a team like NMSU, Liberty, or any of those low level schools.

Army is a national program. They schedule not only Navy and Air Force every years, they also get ND most years. They are a relatively easy win for most P5 programs who are incentivized to schedule them because Army veterans/bases are all over the country. Since they are funded by taxpayers, close road games don't do much for them.

We will be able to get them often because they are a fellow independent and we can be flexible on dates, but it's misguided to think we will have them on the schedule every year.

 

[SubbaBub]

We aren’t good enough to play five P5 games in 2020 ... and at 1-11, we aren’t entitled to call anyone schlock

I’m not gonna make suggested alterations. But Liberty & Old Dominion are my view of a new start. And trying to get near .500.

It was a general statement on branding/game attractiveness. Like the old line, we can get better at FB, these other teams will always be "Who 'dis?" programs.

 

[ct06111]

As for Army, throw in a hockey series to sweeten the deal. A Hockey East vs Atlantic Hockey OOC series. Offer to play a weekend in NY. Heck, have the football and hockey games the same wknd!

 

[Pudge]

Army is a national program. They schedule not only Navy and Air Force every years, they also get ND most years. They are a relatively easy win for most P5 programs who are incentivized to schedule them because Army veterans/bases are all over the country. Since they are funded by taxpayers, close road games don't do much for them.

We will be able to get them often because they are a fellow independent and we can be flexible on dates, but it's misguided to think we will have them on the schedule every year.

Yeah but ...

Occasionally, they like to play a short distance from West Point to allow cadets to go to games in numbers. So you can sometimes see that.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

If the option is Old Dominion and Liberty I’ll take Tulane and Tulsa any day of the week. At least I’ve heard of them. Old Dominion and you want us to play There???

Cough, cough ... recruiting, drivable, etc

 

[Chin Diesel]

Cough, cough ... recruiting, drivable, etc

Plus, ODU razed Foreman field after last season and will have a new stadium starting this fall. ODU's new stadium will be at least as nice as Tulane's stadium.

Hampton Roads in the fall is good weather and definitely driveable. And yes, it's a recruiting rich area which UConn can legitimately pursue.

 

[Steve1981]

As a UMass fan, like the idea of moving the 9/3 game to 12/5. This will open up the schedule for both teams to have a season opener at home.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

As a UMass fan, like the idea of moving the 9/3 game to 12/5. This will open up the schedule for both teams to have a season opener at home.

I think it would be advantageous to play an annual UConn/UMass series towards the end of the season. Fills a hole in the end of season schedule for both teams and hopefully would have some juice.

Hypothetical, but UConn/UMass are both playing to the tune of above .500 ball and there is some excitement, would/could UMass move the annual game back to Gillette?

 

[huskymedic]

UConn Huskies to begin play as an FBS Independent in 2020

The University of Connecticut has made it official. The Huskies will begin play as an FBS Independent starting with the 2020 season.

fbschedules.com

>>So just which schools should Benedict be on the phone with? Here’s a list of schools (excluding AAC programs) that still have holes remaining in their 2020 schedules:

Florida State (1)
Virginia Tech (1)
TCU (2)
Arkansas (2)
South Carolina (1)
Florida International (2)
Louisiana Tech (1)
Old Dominion (1)
Southern Miss (1)
UAB (1)
Army (1)
Air Force (1)
Coastal Carolina (1)
Louisiana (1)
Louisiana-Monroe (2)

Filling out their 2020 schedule, even with this many teams still having holes to fill, isn’t going to be easy.

The most difficult thing for UConn is going to be getting home games. Most of the teams with one opening in their non-conference schedules are already playing at least one game away from home and won’t be looking to add another. Also, many of those holes are likely to be filled with home games against FCS teams, if they aren’t already. That means going after teams with two spots left to fill would be smart.<<