Irish fan on why UConn belongs in the ACC

[uconndogs]

Beating the out of BC for 10 straight years may not have been a rivalry, but it sure was fun taking over Conte and watching that.

 

[Adios]

Here is the funniest thing about ACC football attendanceI have ever seen. We Irish fans love to poke at BC. Not the way you poke at an equal rival but the way you poke down at the hopelessly silly little brother. Two years ago we were having a good time about BC's 2-10 team. Just epically bad.

And then as part of my gathering info to toss at BC fans to rub in as much salt as I could find, I saw the list for football average attendance for the ACC. BC was bad, below 40,000, around 37,000. But here is what is so funny I forgot about making fun of BC for having few fans. Maryland averaged fewer fans per game than BC.

So Maryland with 45,000 students averaged fewer fans per game than did little BC, with an awful 2-10 team.

Maryland has been central to the lack of fans attending ACC games. Well, the lack is only relative to the SEC and the BUG. But anyway, Maryland has been a bottom feeder in football attendance. So how does Maryland going to the BUG make the BUG seem brilliantly run while the ACC replacing Maryland with a school with more football fans than Maryland makes the ACC leadership seem weak?

UMD has loads of fans or alumni who just didn't go to games. Or stopped going. But UMD still provides a decent reach into the south in recruiting.

 

[SubbaBub]

The BUG had to keep PSU happy so they wouldn't defect to the ACC. Hence Delaney grabbed their contiguous old rivals Rutgers and Maryland (the latter had one of their placed as President).

Same reasoning with the ACC keeping FSU happy so they wouldn't bolt for the Big12.

This is a myth. PSU was never going anywhere. Yes, some never warmed to the Big Ten and more were pissed at the lack of conference support vs. the NCAA, but they weren't even the slightest threat to be kicked out or leave.

RU and MD were about getting the BTN in NY/NJ and Balt/DC. Period. Everything else was a secondary consideration or less.

 

[Yawkey Way]

. UConn once won 27 straight games against BC and people are telling us we have a rivalry. No, that's not one.

I agree with this actually. I 've never met a BC fan in my life that considers Uconn a rival in anything. Football drives the financial bus in college sports, not basketball. Uconn has never beaten BC in football... ever. Not even back when you signed up for the Continental Army. Umass and Villanova have beaten BC more than Uconn has in football. BC sees their rivalry as ND ( although ND thinks about BC football about as as much as Uconn football fans think about Umass football ) BC is 13-9 vs. ND in football, most games very competitive, close in the series. But now with Syracuse accepted into the ACC, BC and Syracuse will be annual football rivals in the ACC it appears . Both football programs go back together a lot of years in football in the BE, and before.. Uconn ? if things break just right they'll be off to the Big, ( where it appears the vast majority of UCONN fans here want to be ) where Rutgers most likely will become Uconn's annual football rival moving forward. Rutgers and Uconn ( unlike ND, BC, Syracuse ) are state Public Univ, not Privates. Lots of commonality there, and similar football programs as well to make for a decent future football rivalry, imo.

 

[MSNDfan]

That's right. I wasn't even born in the 50s. What are we going to discuss next here. Nicky's numbers about the so-called rivalry are telling. If you're constantly losing, that's not a rivalry. UConn once won 27 straight games against BC and people are telling us we have a rivalry. No, that's not one.

Alabama once beat Tennessee 11 straight years in fooball. Only a person utterly ignorant of college football would say the game was no longer rivalry at the end of the 11 years.

if Penn State were playing Pitt and Syracuse annually, both games would be huge rivalries for Penn State, its two most important ones.

 

[MSNDfan]

This is a myth. PSU was never going anywhere. Yes, some never warmed to the Big Ten and more were pissed at the lack of conference support vs. the NCAA, but they weren't even the slightest threat to be kicked out or leave.

RU and MD were about getting the BTN in NY/NJ and Balt/DC. Period. Everything else was a secondary consideration or less.

If PSU was never really going to leave, it was bluffing the BUG. And if it was bluffing, then the BUG got outfoxed and played by PSU.

 

[specialisthusky]

Why are we even bothering with a guy who does not have the mental maturity to refer to the B1G, Ohio State, or Michigan without calling them a name a ten year old wouldn't even laugh at?

 

[The Viking]

I agree with this actually. I 've never met a BC fan in my life that considers Uconn a rival in anything. Football drives the financial bus in college sports, not basketball. Uconn has never beaten BC in football... ever. Not even back when you signed up for the Continental Army. Umass and Villanova have beaten BC more than Uconn has in football. BC sees their rivalry as ND ( although ND thinks about BC football about as as much as Uconn football fans think about Umass football ) BC is 13-9 vs. ND in football, most games very competitive, close in the series. But now with Syracuse accepted into the ACC, BC and Syracuse will be annual football rivals in the ACC it appears. Uconn ? if things break right they'll be off to the Big, where Rutgers most likely will be their football rival moving forward.

don't be a fool. UConn football in its first 10 years of relevanc has already had better seasons than BC football during that time frame.
There is no rivalry because BC won't allow it out of fear.

 

[MSNDfan]

Why are we even bothering with a guy who does not have the mental maturity to refer to the B1G, Ohio State, or Michigan without calling them a name a ten year old wouldn't even laugh at?

After all, a word like B1G is certainly as mature and sensible as that symbol Prince once called himself.

 

[SubbaBub]

So you're telling me the BE schools had no animosity towards ND over the past 10 years? Honestly? As for bowls meaning less, I believe they'll mean the same as years past to everyone save the 4 (last year 2) schools not playing for the NC.

The BE FB schools had the following issues with ND:

1. Consistently voting with the C7 to prevent more FB focused decisions like who to add, TV rights and whether to split.

2. Not playing BE FB schools more regularly. This has always been understated. The BE would have loved to have the ACC's arrangement.

3. Bumping BE from higher profile bowl games. As it stands, I don't recall this actually happening because ND was way down, but it was always a concern.

4. For some, not me, not saving the BE by joining. The feeling is ND could have stopped teams from leaving or enticed a few better programs to join. This is silly because every other sentence out of ND says they will remain indy in FB at all costs. You're a fool if you think otherwise.

5. For pulling sending it's other sports to the ACC. No one actually cared about this or ND's other sports. It was more a sense of being had. (See #4).

All those saying the ND/ACC relationship is a rerun of the BE are correct. If the ACC understands ND is out for ND, then it will be fine.

 

[Adios]

After all, a word like B1G is certainly as mature and sensible as that symbol Prince once called himself.

Feel free to type out "Big Ten"...

 

[The Viking]

This thread should be shutdown and thrown into a dumpster fire

 

[MSNDfan]

don't be a fool. UConn football in its first 10 years of relevanc has already had better seasons than BC football during that time frame.
There is no rivalry because BC won't allow it out of fear.

I don't think it is fear. I think BC was so furious about UConn and the state of Connecticut's actions that it wanted just to separate completely.

With the then AD gone, and the coaches of both revenue sports then gone, it will all be washed under the bridge, but only if 1 thing happens. And that is UConn joins the ACC.

Unless UConn is in the ACC, BC football is going to see little value in playing UConn. BC needs to play away OOC games in states with large numbers of potential recruits.

 

[Sea Goat]

I think all of them have been to NCAA men's and women's postseason play much more often than Rutgers in the past 50 years as well as bowl games. And Maryland and Louisville both stink academically. I'm not sure of your point there.

Jesus, Stimp - what's gotten into you? Maryland stinks academically? Fess up - did your prom date leave you for a Terrapin?

 

[upstater]

I agree with this actually. I 've never met a BC fan in my life that considers Uconn a rival in anything. Football drives the financial bus in college sports, not basketball. Uconn has never beaten BC in football... ever. Not even back when you signed up for the Continental Army. Umass and Villanova have beaten BC more than Uconn has in football. BC sees their rivalry as ND ( although ND thinks about BC football about as as much as Uconn football fans think about Umass football ) BC is 13-9 vs. ND in football, most games very competitive, close in the series. But now with Syracuse accepted into the ACC, BC and Syracuse will be annual football rivals in the ACC it appears . Both football programs go back together a lot of years in football in the BE, and before.. Uconn ? if things break just right they'll be off to the Big, ( where it appears the vast majority of UCONN fans here want to be ) where Rutgers most likely will become Uconn's annual football rival moving forward. Rutgers and Uconn ( unlike ND, BC, Syracuse ) are state Public Univ, not Privates. Lots of commonality there, and similar football programs as well to make for a decent future football rivalry, imo.

Wow, man. You are hurting here. You beat UConn back when we had 30 scholarships. Congratulations. Meanwhile, you never finished higher than 3rd in football in the BE. Congrats on that too. As for football driving the financial bus, UConn does very well thank you, better than its old conference mates with football. Now tuck your tail and run.

 

[SubbaBub]

I don't think it is fear. I think BC was so furious about UConn and the state of Connecticut's actions that it wanted just to separate completely.

With the then AD gone, and the coaches of both revenue sports then gone, it will all be washed under the bridge, but only if 1 thing happens. And that is UConn joins the ACC.

Unless UConn is in the ACC, BC football is going to see little value in playing UConn. BC needs to play away OOC games in states with large numbers of potential recruits.

BC admitted it was fearful if competition from a State U with a better brand and better athletic department. First rule of trolling is not to challenge the obvious.

 

[upstater]

I don't think it is fear. I think BC was so furious about UConn and the state of Connecticut's actions that it wanted just to separate completely.

With the then AD gone, and the coaches of both revenue sports then gone, it will all be washed under the bridge, but only if 1 thing happens. And that is UConn joins the ACC.

Unless UConn is in the ACC, BC football is going to see little value in playing UConn. BC needs to play away OOC games in states with large numbers of potential recruits.

You couldn't be more off about this.

Bob Ryan reported in 2003 that BC feared that UConn would do to it in football what happened in basketball. The AD and President were explicit that this was about turf. And no, it wasn't washed under the bridge with the new AD, because the new AD presented BC's renewed argument about UConn encroaching on its footprint in an ACC meeting just last year. Duke and UNC's presidents were incredulous.

This is all about fear.

 

[upstater]

Alabama once beat Tennessee 11 straight years in fooball. Only a person utterly ignorant of college football would say the game was no longer rivalry at the end of the 11 years.

if Penn State were playing Pitt and Syracuse annually, both games would be huge rivalries for Penn State, its two most important ones.

LOL. Try posing this question on the PSU board. Would annual games against Syracuse float their boat? LOL. They would be 99.9% against it.

 

[Yawkey Way]

don't be a fool. UConn football in its first 10 years of relevanc has already had better seasons than BC football during that time frame.
.

Not really, but I won't agree the overall records, strength of schedules, etc. during this time frame either. The fact of the matter is both BC and Uconn have one thing in common at present. BC hired as its football coach before its current one, an over the hill, defensive coordinator with no head coaching experience ( he was canned ), while UCONN mysterfyingly hired an old retread that was not good enough for Syracus before he wound up at Uconn and bottomed out the Uconn football program ( so he was canned as well ). Both programs have new coaches, so who knows what happens next.. time will tell...

 

[Yawkey Way]

You couldn't be more off about this.

Bob Ryan reported in 2003 that BC feared that UConn would do to it in football what happened in basketball. The AD and President were explicit that this was about turf. And no, it wasn't washed under the bridge with the new AD, because the new AD presented BC's renewed argument about UConn encroaching on its footprint in an ACC meeting just last year. Duke and UNC's presidents were incredulous.

This is all about fear.

Looks to me like that strategy is working as BC apparently ( from what I've read on here from Uconn posters ) has enormous clout and political muscle power with the founders of the ACC to get the southern schools to capitulate to BC and keep Uconn out of the ACC ( and maybe, who knows,, BC has significant political power with Michigan, Ohio State in the BIG too to keep the Big from inviting Uconn, too.. oh sure ). BC could have " fear" who knows, but its paranoia to think that BC has so much power and influence around the leagues that its BC's fault that the phones at Uconn arn't ringing from other leagues for an invite. If you want to make BC a school with political muscle power with all the other schools in these leagues on all this, so be it. But Com.on Man, don't do this to yourself. BC probably is protecting what it sees as" its turf"... New England isn't exactly a hotbed of football recruit talent to tap into, lets be honest here .. and Uconn admissions has the capacity to take in football recuits that would never get thru adissions at BC. BC afterall did make the financial investment to all this well before Uconn did too. Is BC to blame as well for Uconn's slowness to invest as BC did ? Uconn appears to have perhaps waited too long. I have no doubt whatsoever either that if the situation was reversed, that Uconn football would do the same thing to protect its self interests both on the field and off the field as well, as they would have invested and staked out their claim early to the " turf " as well. Its like the land rush in Oklahoma. You leave early, get out there, plant your flag first, and that " turf " is yours, and the others were just too damn slow to get out of the gate.. and that stretch of " turf " will be protected by shotgun by you then if it has to be.

 

[uconndogs]

BC a brick when UCONN stepped up its football program and UCONN built a competitive and respectable program in about 8 seconds. The potential for UCONN football and athletics when placed on level conference footing far surpasses anything that BC can possibly bring to the table. BC athletics are a mess and Bates has a huge job on his hands. Recent BBHC hire is certainly inspiring (that is sarcasm btw).

 

[BC1978]

Wow, man. You are hurting here. You beat UConn back when we had 30 scholarships. Congratulations. Meanwhile, you never finished higher than 3rd in football in the BE. Congrats on that too. As for football driving the financial bus, UConn does very well thank you, better than its old conference mates with football. Now tuck your tail and run.

Upstater, I do remember that article and Bob Ryan did indeed make that point.

Bob Ryan has also written articles stating that college sports in general, and BC athletics in particular, DO indeed matter in Boston. Since Bob Ryan has such credibility with you (as he does with me), I am sure you will agree with his comments on BC athletics mattering in Boston.

Or is Bob Ryan only believed when the narrative fits the Uconn preconception?

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2...tter-boston/AziFdUtgn7Y8eg4JiU8VLI/story.html

 

[BC1978]

BC a brick when UCONN stepped up its football program and UCONN built a competitive and respectable program in about 8 seconds. The potential for UCONN football and athletics when placed on level conference footing far surpasses anything that BC can possibly bring to the table. BC athletics are a mess and Bates has a huge job on his hands. Recent BBHC hire is certainly inspiring (that is sarcasm btw).

BC athletics are a mess? Really??

There are three sports that matter at BC - in this order:

1. Football
2. Hockey
3. Basketball

1. The new FB coaching staff has reversed BC's slide, returning them to a winning record and a bowl invitation last year. They have also returned BC FB to a recruiting force in the Northeast.

2. Hockey just finished a disappointing season with a young team - all it did was make its 24th Frozen Four - tied with Michigan for the most in college hockey history.

3. BC BB is a mess right now. This much is true. (They did just hire a very good assistant from Maryland - Spinelli. But they have a long way to go.)

Methinks you are overstating things just a tad, no?

 

[upstater]

Looks to me like that strategy is working as BC apparently ( from what I've read on here from Uconn posters ) has enormous clout and political muscle power with the founders of the ACC to get the southern schools to capitulate to BC and keep Uconn out of the ACC ( and maybe, who knows,, BC has significant political power with Michigan, Ohio State in the BIG too to keep the Big from inviting Uconn, too.. oh sure ). BC could have " fear" who knows, but its paranoia to think that BC has so much power and influence around the leagues that its BC's fault that the phones at Uconn arn't ringing from other leagues for an invite. If you want to make BC a school with political muscle power with all the other schools in these leagues on all this, so be it. But Com.on Man, don't do this to yourself. BC probably is protecting what it sees as" its turf"... New England isn't exactly a hotbed of football recruit talent to tap into, lets be honest here .. and Uconn admissions has the capacity to take in football recuits that would never get thru adissions at BC. BC afterall did make the financial investment to all this well before Uconn did too. Is BC to blame as well for Uconn's slowness to invest as BC did ? Uconn appears to have perhaps waited too long. I have no doubt whatsoever either that if the situation was reversed, that Uconn football would do the same thing to protect its self interests both on the field and off the field as well, as they would have invested and staked out their claim early to the " turf " as well. Its like the land rush in Oklahoma. You leave early, get out there, plant your flag first, and that " turf " is yours, and the others were just too damn slow to get out of the gate.. and that stretch of " turf " will be protected by shotgun by you then if it has to be.

The articles make it plain that BC blackballed UConn. Go ahead, turn the blinders on. You seem not to know how committees work. When someone claims a vested interest, you don't go against them unless it impacts your own interests.

This BC admission story is one of the most c--- and bull stories ever. Skinner grabbed anyone he could, kids no one else would touch, kids like Harley etc. I remember even before that both Rutgers and PSU stepping off a stud RB recruit from New Jersey whose grades and academics passed through the danger zone. His name was Brandon Brokaw. he ended up at BC.

You should take a gander at what your fellow ACC posters at Scout think of you. Go visit the UNC board for instance, where people are clamoring to trade UConn for BC.

 

[Yawkey Way]

BC a brick when UCONN stepped up its football program and UCONN built a competitive and respectable program in about 8 seconds. The potential for UCONN football and athletics when placed on level conference footing far surpasses anything that BC can possibly bring to the table. BC athletics are a mess and Bates has a huge job on his hands. Recent BBHC hire is certainly inspiring (that is sarcasm btw).

BC football would be playing Uconn in football in the BE now, if it was not for Miami. BC , a charter school Founding member of the BE, voted " yes " for Uconn's admittance, including football, into the BE. BC tried for years to convince unhappy Miami to stay. But once Miami had had enough of the basketball people running the BE, Miami decided to leave and go to the ACC. BC saw this as a mortal blow to the BE, and quickly decided to join Miami in its quest to leave the BE... Uconn football had nothing to do with BC electing to follow Miami to the ACC, but Blumenthal thought so, and launched his ill advised lwasuit against BC, and the others in the ACC, including the ACC Commish. As it turns out, BC was right.. with the loss of MIAMI football, the BE would fall apart. But if Miami had stayed, BC was going to be playing Uconn in the BE if that league stayed together, and BC knew this when they voted to accept Uconn into the BE... but the bolting of Miami, the lawsuit, the acrimony flying out of Uconn, the last football game played in Hartford, etc changed everything, and so thats where we're at today

BC a brick when UCONN stepped up its football program and UCONN built a competitive and respectable program in about 8 seconds. The potential for UCONN football and athletics when placed on level conference footing far surpasses anything that BC can possibly bring to the table. BC athletics are a mess and Bates has a huge job on his hands. Recent BBHC hire is certainly inspiring (that is sarcasm btw).