It’s about Rivals ...

[Pudge]

Competition. Games you can drive to or want to go visit. Not getting bumped on your flights to wherever.

UMASS is a big Game. A big Day on moving forward.

Buffalo. Temple. Navy. Army is HUGE. BC & Syracuse - of course. Rutgers. Maryland. Cincinnati. West Virginia. Pitt. Mount Nittany.

The AAC is solid. Houston SMU Memphis Tulane thrives - I think - because of that geo proximities. I don’t care. I think the next platform for us needs to be competitive Programs that we care about. I do want upgrades in comparable universities that can climb. I guess that’s Liberty & Old Dominion. James Madison (o no ... he’s going CAA again). I just don’t think Playing Middle Tennessee or South Alabama or North Texas has any interest or energy to our stakeholders.

UMASS & us ... I do think all these eastern programs are now - in our pov - interdependent.

 

[TRest]

Only umass and army are in our new boat. We couldn’t get a game with PSU when we were bcs, good luck now.

 

[noeynox]

Only umass and army are in our new boat. We couldn’t get a game with PSU when we were bcs, good luck now.

A buy game. We never did buy games in our BCS days except for maybe ND that one time. Buy games are our new normal.

I actually agree with Pudge on this one. UMass, Army, Navy, Buffalo, Temple should be G5 teams we should try and target regularly. SU, BC, Pitt, RU, probably aren't looking to do buy games and we may get home and homes with every few years. We already play ACC teams like Duke and Virginia. Try to sprinkle a few others in.

 

[Orioles]

My Humble Opinion, With the resurrection of the Men's Basketball Program in the Big East, Many Football Centric Athletic department may be willing to visit East Hartford in exchange for a Home and Home in Men's Basketball. eg Penn State, Boston Suckage, Rutgers, Duke, NC, Virginia, you know, Schools that would love to get Uconn Men's Basketball on their on campus courts.

 

[Adios]

My Humble Opinion, With the resurrection of the Men's Basketball Program in the Big East, Many Football Centric Athletic department may be willing to visit East Hartford in exchange for a Home and Home in Men's Basketball. eg Penn State, Boston Suckage, Rutgers, Duke, NC, Virginia, you know, Schools that would love to get Uconn Men's Basketball on their on campus courts.

That's part of the plan.

 

[Redding Husky]

So we'll hopefully be a national BB school and a regional FB school.

That may not be the best option; it's probably the only option.

This is our destiny. To me, it's disappointing. To many others, it's something celebrate.

 

[Redding Husky]

Competition. Games you can drive to or want to go visit. Not getting bumped on your flights to wherever.

UMASS is a big Game. A big Day on moving forward.

Buffalo. Temple. Navy. Army is HUGE. BC & Syracuse - of course. Rutgers. Maryland. Cincinnati. West Virginia. Pitt. Mount Nittany.

The AAC is solid. Houston SMU Memphis Tulane thrives - I think - because of that geo proximities. I don’t care. I think the next platform for us needs to be competitive Programs that we care about. I do want upgrades in comparable universities that can climb. I guess that’s Liberty & Old Dominion. James Madison (o no ... he’s going CAA again). I just don’t think Playing Middle Tennessee or South Alabama or North Texas has any interest or energy to our stakeholders.

UMASS & us ... I do think all these eastern programs are now - in our pov - interdependent.

If you want to go regional, maybe a new conference could be cobbled together:

UMass
UConn
Army
Villanova
Delaware
Buffalo
Ohio
Marshall
Liberty
ODU

I realize the FCS schools have said no to FBS, but maybe they'd change their views with a regional Northeastern conference involving minimal travel.

I doubt Army would want to join a conference considered to be a step down from what Navy & Air Force have, but we could ask. I'm just thinking out loud.

 

[Orioles]

Redding, I'm not celebrating it. I received ms BS at Uconn in 1983, and I couldn't Give a Flyer about Men's Basketball. I'm a Uconn Football fan 1st, and applauded Lou Perkin's plan to move to 1-A. However, The circumstances have changed, Having Tranghese asleep at the wheel, while an inferior football conference poached our best programs...Not once...But TWICE. And with our school being passed over in conference realignment, we are where we are.

I have no interest in seeing Uconn playing Houston, SMU, East Carolina, ect. Imagine that a rivalry with Cincinnati some feel is a rivalry!!! We traded the Big East for Conference USA.

The Only Rivalry I Want with the AAC is with Central Florida... The Civil CONNFLict.

 

[Orioles]

Redding... Pray Tell... If Villanova decided not to go 1-A for membership in the Big East, what would make you think they would make the commitment for this group of "Sad Sacks"?

 

[Orioles]

Additionally, why would Buffalo or Ohio abandon the MAC for all other sports to move to a "Lonely Hearts" conference?
I'm not Bashing you Redding, Just want to hear your thoughts.

 

[storrsroars]

The AAC is solid. Houston SMU Memphis Tulane thrives - I think - because of that geo proximities.

2018 AAC Football Attendance Averages
UCF: 44,018
usf: 38,517
ECU: 32,908
Navy: 31,464
Cincinnati: 30,519
Memphis: 30,178
Houston: 29,838
Temple: 28,470
UCONN: 20,924
SMU: 19,383
Tulane: 18,015
Tulsa: 17,098

AAC Average per game: 28,902

"Thriving"? Did you see last week's SMU home game vs Tulsa? There are more fans at a regular season Miami Marlins game.

I don't disagree with the point that regional rivalries are important for UConn attendance, but suggesting AAC teams are thriving because of regional rivalries appears to be a bit of a stretch.

 

[Pudge]

SMU played Temple last week. I don’t understand your reference. Fact: SMU has attendance problems (last year); maybe they’re better at 7-0.

Two things suck and they are facts:

1. Most people would say none of the AAC (or G5) are gonna move up now. Maybe one or two. A UCF or Houston sometime in next 10 years.
2. The AAC new contract extending out 13 years is a killer. Got UConn nothing much + Opportunity Cost losing dollars by locking WBB. And slowly slowly we lost our mojo with BB brand.

Fight to play schools that matter.

 

[storrsroars]

SMU played Temple last week. I don’t understand your reference. Fact: SMU has attendance problems (last year); maybe they’re better at 7-0.

Tulsa, Temple, Tulane, whatever. Sue me for a typo.

Did you see SMU's game last week? There were far more fans at the Rent. 7-0 isn't helping SMU attendance.

 

[GridironGR8]

SMU played Temple last week. I don’t understand your reference. Fact: SMU has attendance problems (last year); maybe they’re better at 7-0.

SMU is better. 22,900 so far. Better but not good. Right now I'd settle for not good as far as attendance goes. Regional rivalries could make UConn "not good" even if the onfield product continues to show only glacial improvement year-by-year.

 

[storrsroars]

SMU is better. 22,900 so far. Better but not good. Right now I'd settle for not good as far as attendance goes. Regional rivalries could make UConn "not good" even if the onfield product continues to show only glacial improvement year-by-year.

Saturday's attendance was listed as 23k, or 72% of the 32K capacity.

I ask you, does this look like 72% capacity?

 

[Hoophound]

People need to accept that attendance is way down at most schools due to changes in viewing habits. UConn’s fan base has been very resilient given the product. It should be considered a badge of honor that we still bring the numbers we do. This has been a crap show for the ages. On top of that, it has happened at a school accustom to wild success.

 

[noeynox]

People need to accept that attendance is way down at most schools due to changes in viewing habits. UConn’s fan base has been very resilient given the product. It should be considered a badge of honor that we still bring the numbers we do. This has been a crap show for the ages. On top of that, it has happened at a school accustom to wild success.

A decade of futility with nothing but talk of "empty cupboards, and ground up restorations". Seriously if i was AD, I'd put a clause in the contract, 1st time you take to the podium and say either of those 2 things or "5 year plans" publicly, that is cause for a "just cause firing".

In this day in age of "entertain me now", the last thing anyone wants to hear is "wait 5 years and you'll see".

 

[Pudge]

Well. If UConn Football was 7-0, the Rent would be near 40,000 ... says me. From my NY town looking at a bunch of bandwagon jumpers. UConn sports ... got to win.

I think the problem with SMU is like USC or some other high $ prestige crap ... they remember 1983. Or some other top of the charts. Just rooting for University kids fighting for your colors is ... boring. Particularly if you can go to the Cowboys luxe box or root UT, Baylor or some other.

 

[BlueDogs]

If you want to go regional, maybe a new conference could be cobbled together:

UMass
UConn
Army
Villanova
Delaware
Buffalo
Ohio
Marshall
Liberty
ODU

I realize the FCS schools have said no to FBS, but maybe they'd change their views with a regional Northeastern conference involving minimal travel.

I doubt Army would want to join a conference considered to be a step down from what Navy & Air Force have, but we could ask. I'm just thinking out loud.

Oh gosh, please no.

 

[gsmooth]

Saturday's attendance was listed as 23k, or 72% of the 32K capacity.

I ask you, does this look like 72% capacity?
View attachment 47377

it could be 72% capacity. Maybe a bunch of them went to buy hot dogs and use the restroom. Or hide underneath the bleachers to smoke weed, like you could at UConn's old Memorial Stadium.

 

[06029]

Competition. Games you can drive to or want to go visit. Not getting bumped on your flights to wherever.

UMASS is a big Game. A big Day on moving forward.

Buffalo. Temple. Navy. Army is HUGE. BC & Syracuse - of course. Rutgers. Maryland. Cincinnati. West Virginia. Pitt. Mount Nittany.

The AAC is solid. Houston SMU Memphis Tulane thrives - I think - because of that geo proximities. I don’t care. I think the next platform for us needs to be competitive Programs that we care about. I do want upgrades in comparable universities that can climb. I guess that’s Liberty & Old Dominion. James Madison (o no ... he’s going CAA again). I just don’t think Playing Middle Tennessee or South Alabama or North Texas has any interest or energy to our stakeholders.

UMASS & us ... I do think all these eastern programs are now - in our pov - interdependent.

Asking for a friend - what was your position on UMass joining the AAC 3 years ago? What was your opinion of an annual game with UMass 5 years ago?

I understand that was then and this is now but both teams are not good and the fact that you now declare the two "interdependent" really drives home how precarious Uconn FB is today. A thread away from FCS, just like their interdependent neighbor in Amherst.

 

[Pudge]

Asking for a friend - what was your position on UMass joining the AAC 3 years ago? What was your opinion of an annual game with UMass 5 years ago?

I understand that was then and this is now but both teams are not good and the fact that you now declare the two "interdependent" really drives home how precarious Uconn FB is today. A thread away from FCS, just like their interdependent neighbor in Amherst.

Doesn't matter. It really does not. We made a proactive choice to change - because it was necessary for the entire University: the BRAND, Basketball, Football.

My wish 5 years ago? I wanted to have our own wing of the American Athletic Conference. Go have your SMU, Houston, Tulsa, Tulane, Boise, BYU. I wanted UConn, Temple, Navy, Buffalo, Rutgers, Old Dominion (or Delaware/James Madison). Quite honestly, I saw the long long commutes always as an issue. I love the inclusion of the Florida teams ... we are NY/NE, we go to Florida. And I butt-hurt seeing our MBB open playing Tulsa and then Houston. nutso

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

People need to accept that attendance is way down at most schools due to changes in viewing habits. UConn’s fan base has been very resilient given the product. It should be considered a badge of honor that we still bring the numbers we do. This has been a crap show for the ages. On top of that, it has happened at a school accustom to wild success.

I am 100% on board with this. We have been historically bad for many years but still bring in ~20k fans. I don’t think many other fan bases would do the same.

 

[GridironGR8]

Saturday's attendance was listed as 23k, or 72% of the 32K capacity.

I ask you, does this look like 72% capacity?
View attachment 47377

Of course it doesn't. Just like the attendance reported at the Rent rarely looks like what the actual fannies in the seats would suggest. However, this year's reported SMU attendance is up several thousand per game over last year's reported attendance.

 

[SubbaBub]

It's about games that a lot of UConn fans want to see. In terms of drivable opponents that list of people that might actually feel the same way about us pulling into town is this:

Army
Boston College
Pitt
Rutgers
Syracuse

UMass could make that list if both programs get out of the triple digits.
Maryland as long as Edsall is still the coach.

That's it. That's the list.

Ps. Temple is an exercise in mutual co-dependency. If either program could attract better opponents they would drop the other in a heartbeat.