Jeff Jacobs: As the season dies, it’s worth asking if UConn football is worth keeping alive?

[ConnHuskBask]

I not sure the donors who have the interest in the sports they are donating their money towards consider it being "milked".

Maybe the guy who has offered to pony up $6m towards hockey facility upgrades can give two hoots about football or basketball?

Can UConn be a better shepard of $$ (both athletic and non-athletic) - absolutely.

I have to think someone that is willing to pony up $6M to UConn athletics has to have a broader support for the school as a whole, rather than just hockey, right?

I would think someone would be able to say hey, we know hockey is your thing, but there's going to be no UConn hockey to speak of in 15 years if we don't improve football.

I'd rather take the $3M for football and improve our assistants than the $6M for hockey to build a half ass stadium.

 

[huskymedic]

I have to think someone that is willing to pony up $6M to UConn athletics has to have a broader support for the school as a whole, rather than just hockey, right?

I would think someone would be able to say hey, we know hockey is your thing, but there's going to be no UConn hockey to speak of in 15 years if we don't improve football.

I'd rather take the $3M for football and improve our assistants than the $6M for hockey to build a half ass stadium.

I don't agree w/ the global support statement. The person reportedly pledged $6m for hockey facility upgrades, the same way Tony Rizza pledged $8m for the soccer facility. Telling folks "thanks but we'll spend your generous contribution elsewhere" isn't going to happen. I guess the AD/Foundation can try, but if I was the donor - it's my money.

I believe UConn Hockey (and baseball/softball/soccer) will exist whether football improves or not. Could they cull other sports for a few million savings here and there - probably. But cutting $600k+/- of expense for men's swimming and diving and another $300k+/- for Men's Golf doesn't mean they are going to just reinvest it in football coach's salaries or reduce mandatory student fees.

We can agree to disagree on how to spend other people's money.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

When I've donated recently (nowhere near Rizza dollars unless you move the decimal way over to the left), I've explicitly stated it was for soccer and baseball. I've been a fan of UConn soccer since the late 70's and my brother is a season ticket holder. I have great memories of going to games and that's where I wanted my paltry donation to go. I'm also excited about how the baseball team has been doing and wanted to invest there in an attempt to strike while the iron is hot. I would not want my money routed towards football, though I do recognize it's significance in our perception and hopes.

 

[Adios]

Going into Hockey East was shortsighted, but throwing money at baseball/soccer/and god almighty softball? What are we thinking.

Are you kidding me? Yeah, going to one of the best conferences in a sport is shortsighted. We should drop other sports too. Ones that Big Ten and ACC schools play and care about. Might as well, we're going to join the MEAC.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

We can agree to disagree on how to spend other people's money.

I guess I would just like to see how the potential donors are approached.

I don't trust our administration at all, so part of me wonders if they are guiding the money to where they want/think they need it. As opposed to where it should be best spent.

Are you kidding me? Yeah, going to one of the best conferences in a sport is shortsighted. We should drop other sports too. Ones that Big Ten and ACC schools play and care about. Might as well, we're going to join the MEAC.

Brace yourself. I would drop all sports except men's basketball and football if we needed to.

 

[the Q]

I guess I would just like to see how the potential donors are approached.

I don't trust our administration at all, so part of me wonders if they are guiding the money to where they want/think they need it. As opposed to where it should be best spent.



Brace yourself. I would drop all sports except men's basketball and football if we needed to.

Its logical, however the federal govt would take issue.

 

[Redding Husky]

If UConn FB dies, UConn BB dies.

 

[polycom]

If UConn FB dies, UConn BB dies.

Yeah this is false

 

[Redding Husky]

Yeah this is false

A split will happen. And non-Power 5 schools will have their BB programs excluded.

 

[Bobol]

There are half empty stadiums at all kinds of P5 schools ...... .

OK.... please list the P5 football teams that play in stadiums that are more than half empty.

Thanks

 

[gampelcrazies]

It’s time

 

[uconnell]

Agree’d. It is very damaging to constantly harp on coaching salaries. People with little understanding of sports find it outrageous that coaches are paid so well. They don’t understand how hard it is or the market. Arming the ignorant majority with bad information won’t help the sports programs. I’m amazed how many people used to use Ken Kreyske as their info source.

Speaking of salaries, I don’t think we would be in the mess we are in now if Ollie hadn’t screwed up after The AD gave him a new contract. Maybe we would have the $ to pay a football coach. Truth is I was upset when I heard Edsall was hired, then I hoped he had learned a few things in his travels, apparently not.
Today’s young men are not like the young men of ten or so years ago. Different values but they all want to win. .
,

 

[hthusky74]

@temery should get royalties/residuals...

Jeff Jacobs: As the season dies, it’s worth asking if UConn football is worth keeping alive?

The salient question worth asking is whether Jeff Jacobs is worth keeping alive?

 

[Redding Husky]

If football dies, all of our other sports die. The stench of failure will be too great.

Then we become Idaho.

 

[DAC17]

If football dies, all of our other sports die. The stench of failure will be too great.

Then we become Idaho.

I don't buy that. Basketball will never die, especially if they can get back in the Big East. IMO, the P5 dream is just that. We need to come to grips with the real world.

 

[Stainmaster]

I don't buy that. Basketball will never die, especially if they can get back in the Big East. IMO, the P5 dream is just that. We need to come to grips with the real world.

The Big East will be a second-tier League in 25 years. Basketball as we know it will definitely die if we’re stuck in a division where the BE, A10, AAC, and MW are the top conferences. The AD needs to take every possible step to get into a P5 conference, no matter how unlikely it seems at the moment. Anything else is throwing in the towel.

 

[DAC17]

The Big East will be a second-tier League in 25 years. Basketball as we know it will definitely die if we’re stuck in a division where the BE, A10, AAC, and MW are the top conferences. The AD needs to take every possible step to get into a P5 conference, no matter how unlikely it seems at the moment. Anything else is throwing in the towel.

And I still don't think that the football presence will be enough to convince a P5 conference to take us in. Cincy, UCF and others will be ahead of us in line, for better or worse.

You call it throwing in the towel; I call it reality. Differences of opinion make it fun.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

If football dies, all of our other sports die. The stench of failure will be too great.

Then we become Idaho.

The "football drives the bus" guys have been wrong every step of the way, and are responsible for the current condition of UConn athletics.

 

[J187Money]

It's called fiscal responsibility.

Really? The program always lost money, even when it was an FCS program.

 

[J187Money]

I believe they have already raised $18m of the $25m for the soccer/baseball/softball facilities through private donations. The intent is 100% private funding (much like Werth).

It's much more fun to pretend that we went looting the homes of schoolteachers to pay for the facilities.

 

[J187Money]

When I've donated recently (nowhere near Rizza dollars unless you move the decimal way over to the left), I've explicitly stated it was for soccer and baseball. I've been a fan of UConn soccer since the late 70's and my brother is a season ticket holder. I have great memories of going to games and that's where I wanted my paltry donation to go. I'm also excited about how the baseball team has been doing and wanted to invest there in an attempt to strike while the iron is hot. I would not want my money routed towards football, though I do recognize it's significance in our perception and hopes.

I sponsored one of the foul poles for the softball field. If I find out that they took my foul pole money and spent it somewhere else I don't know what I'm going to do....

 

[Adios]

The "football drives the bus" guys have been wrong every step of the way, and are responsible for the current condition of UConn athletics.

Yes, the P5 conferences are still very interested in us. That really sucks.

Do you see Wyoming fans come around here? Or Ball State?

 

[Stainmaster]

The "football drives the bus" guys have been wrong every step of the way, and are responsible for the current condition of UConn athletics.

Nice to hear you admit you want UConn basketball to become JMU football.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

If I find out that they took my foul pole money and spent it somewhere else I don't know what I'm going to do....

Can you get them to name it J-Money's Fair Pole? It's got a nice hip-hop ring to it.

 

[J187Money]

Can you get them to name it J-Money's Fair Pole? It's got a nice hip-hop ring to it.

I don't know - but once the field has been built I will feel compelled to go to a softball game and sit next to it. One of my buddies bought the other one.

(that's what happens when you go out drinking and decide f-it! let's buy foul poles!)