Jacobs: Don’t blame the AAC for the sad reality of UConn football

[hardcorehusky]

BC just fired Adazzio after 7 years and a .500 record. And this is with no competition from us for New England kids. And this was the guy Burton et al wanted prior instead of PP. Bottom line - this is a long term project that we are now into the upside part.

 

[ScottVib]

The Adazzio problem was timing. When Edsall left, Adazzio had just accepted the Temple job about a week before (12/23). If not for that, he probably comes in after Edsall bails from the Fiesta Bowl.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

It is really hard to succeed as the geographic outlier in a conference. It is especially hard in basketball. If the AAC had more northern teams, than maybe it wouldn't have sucked so bad for UConn.

 

[Pudge]

It is really hard to succeed as the geographic outlier in a conference. It is especially hard in basketball. If the AAC had more northern teams, than maybe it wouldn't have sucked so bad for UConn.

I am 100% in on this.

UConn had leverage. We were the successor University & our Hoop programs were solid. A Temple, Rutgers, Cincinnati, Louisville & Navy + Florida schools is great for our ideal football schedule (of course, with 3 times ESPN money).

When Rutgers, Louisville go ... Aresco + powers went TX, Boise, Tulsa, Tulane. What if we promoted more in our driving concentric circle. Tulane sucked then; Tulsa is a 4500 enrollment. We’d feel different with Buffalo & Villanova & Army.

The P5 money game has changed the sport. And now ... ESPN has diminished in leverage. Let’s see. But you begin with Wins.

 

[buddy]

One small point: by the time the Bahamas rolled around the cake was baked. Preparing the ground occurred long before.

I thought UConn was "penciled in" at that time and that weekend Jurich got out the eraser.

 

[RSTuthill]

I thought UConn was "penciled in" at that time and that weekend Jurich got out the eraser.

Have not seen anything credible to that effect. But I am open to credible data if it exists. If true, that would be incredibly controversial.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I thought UConn was "penciled in" at that time and that weekend Jurich got out the eraser.

This is exactly what happened.

 

[RSTuthill]

This is exactly what happened.

Do you have data?

 

[UCFBfan]

I think the test on the football program attendance problem will be answered in the next few years. People say it was the AAC teams. Others say it was the terrible performance. Others say it was both.

A lot of people think that we can schedule winnable games as an independent and the fans will come back. Not BE level back, but more than now. I personally don't see it. If we win 5-6 games but have a home slate of Liberty, UMass, ODU, a FCS program, a CUSA school, and a P5 school, I still think attendance will be garbage. Who wants to watch teams people have barely heard of. If people thought it was bad playing Houston, UCF, Memphis, etc, imagine trying to get fans to buy tickets to see some school named Liberty or Coastal Carolina.

I'll be very interested to see if the fans return if we start winning again but have a weaker home slate. That will show if being in the AAC hurt the team in term of fan interest or not.

 

[Chief00]

I thought it was a good column. The AAC had 4 teams in the top 25 at various points this year. If we had a better team these games against UCF, Memphis, SMU and Cincy would be interesting. The failure is all about us.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

It is really hard to succeed as the geographic outlier in a conference. It is especially hard in basketball. If the AAC had more northern teams, than maybe it wouldn't have sucked so bad for UConn.

Or. . . . . maybe if the ACC had one more northeast team it wouldn't suck so bad for BC.

 

[freescooter]

Lost access to the major bowl games with the formation of (don't say move to) the AAC. Everything else flows from there. If UConn still had an auto-bid to the NY6 by winning a league of mostly northeastern programs, we could have survived PP (nothing could have saved us from Diaco).

Being an isolated program in a FL and TX based league of mostly lesser academic institutions that DGAF about admissions further hindered the program. If a kid can stay closer to home for the same FB league they in general will. We also lost our PA pipeline. Those kids came here because the BE was a BCS league and filled in the two-deep. Many became stars.

The league hindered finding better personnel and coaches. PP was a mistake that stunted momentum, Diaco killed the program and Edsall 2.0 doesn't have the same cache as the new upstart program.

I’m not so sure about that. SMU Memphis Temple even Tulane have improved dramatically. Our issue was an utterly awful coach followed by what might be the single worst coach in college football history. Not to mention an awful AD. Honestly the AAC has become a really legitimate football league. Except for the very top it can hold its own with any other P5 conference.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

You lost me with elected officials.

I tried to be all inclusive.

 

[Hoophound]

I think the test on the football program attendance problem will be answered in the next few years. People say it was the AAC teams. Others say it was the terrible performance. Others say it was both.

A lot of people think that we can schedule winnable games as an independent and the fans will come back. Not BE level back, but more than now. I personally don't see it. If we win 5-6 games but have a home slate of Liberty, UMass, ODU, a FCS program, a CUSA school, and a P5 school, I still think attendance will be garbage. Who wants to watch teams people have barely heard of. If people thought it was bad playing Houston, UCF, Memphis, etc, imagine trying to get fans to buy tickets to see some school named Liberty or Coastal Carolina.

I'll be very interested to see if the fans return if we start winning again but have a weaker home slate. That will show if being in the AAC hurt the team in term of fan interest or not.

I believe our home schedule will be much better in 2021. 2020 was cobbled together last minute. DB realizes he’s needs to bring names to the Rent and he’s doing well getting P5 schools scheduled at home down the road. Couple that with Army, Navy, BYU etc. and there are other appealing home games too bring in as well.

 

[Yup!]

BC just fired Adazzio after 7 years and a .500 record. And this is with no competition from us for New England kids. And this was the guy Burton et al wanted prior instead of PP. Bottom line - this is a long term project that we are now into the upside part.

Lets fire Edsall now and bring in Addazio, guy would recruit really well in CT. He also managed to coach BC to 5 bowl games out of 7 years. This hire probably wouldn’t be a home run, but it would definitely be a move headed in the right direction imo.

 

[BlueDogs]

There is no move. Conference Realignment ended years ago when it came to additions. The next moves are about CONTRACTION. The Big 12 debacle proved it and the ESPN contracts re validated it.

Competition for media content may change that. Big12 got bought off to avoid expansion. Not sure that’s a sustainable biz model. Time will tell.

 

[Viet Vet]

Power Five conference dreams are dead. Get over it. Independent football can be attractive if we are able to schedule long-term commitments from Northeast schools, ie: UMass, BC, Army, Navy, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple.....plus home-and-homes with lower level Big 10 and ACC. The occasional sacrificial "revenue" game with a Clemson, et al, will pad the balance sheet. We are, and will forever be, a basketball school. No apologies here, returning to the Big East is great. But a vibrant football (ie: 30,000+ in the stands for Northeast rivalry games) program will enhance the entire athletic reputation. With great basketball, baseball, field hockey, soccer, Hockey East hockey and competitive football UConn can be a national brand. We don't need to be a nationally branded football team to be a national brand.

New baseball, softball, and soccer facilities are going to be a valuable recruiting and marketing tool. Add the (whenever?) on-campus hockey rink (I have been a season ticketholder for six years in Hartford, so yes, I am biased), and we will have the best facilities in the Northeast.

We will likely never be Ohio State, but would any UConn alum/fan not want to see BC fading in the rearview mirror?

BTW, UConn '74.

 

[LoyalFanCT]

Or. . . . . maybe if the ACC had one more northeast team it wouldn't suck so bad for BC.

Then let them take UConn!

 

[LoyalFanCT]

Lets fire Edsall now and bring in Addazio, guy would recruit really well in CT. He also managed to coach BC to 5 bowl games out of 7 years. This hire probably wouldn’t be a home run, but it would definitely be a move headed in the right direction imo.

Yes to Yup! Addazio is not another Paul Pasc. I think he could lead UConn into winning seasons. I like Randy Edsall but UConn is not heading in the right direction. I suspect two more years with him in charge will not lead to major changes.