Key tweets, and it's all gone to Hell.

[metsfan2323]

I hate to say it - but that might happen. All depends what is said in the halls and behind closed doors at the ESPN Bowl/CFB industrial complex. We might have to join something as football only to keep post season access.

You shouldn't hate to say it, it is vital for our future. We need to join a conference.

 

[JMick]

As P5 conferences get bigger, scheduling them may become tougher.

This move probably means UConn football is done. It doesn't make sense to try anymore

 

[superjohn]

West Virginia is a poor state. So is Mississippi. But that’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is that still draw in wealth and an active alumni base in a way that UConn never has.

UConn never took fundraising seriously until recently. It never made sense to me but we should sail past those schools soon in endowment.

 

[Exit 4]

AAC-related thought experiment

I’m not saying I want this or support this, but wanted to replace Key Tweet speculation with just regular speculation/conversation Let’s say we don’t get into the Big XII (which I don’t want to be true) AND the American gets raided by the PAC-12 (think SMU, Tulane). Would you accept a...

the-boneyard.com

the yarders were overwhelmingly against when I polled this subject

Well, if we land in the AAC for football only and keep BB in the BE, then a very large number of BB heads in our fan base will be ecstatic. They will think we have a golden ticket. They will be happy.

 

[superjohn]

This move probably means UConn football is done. It doesn't make sense to try anymore

There isn't a P5 though. It's going to be a P2 in football so a lot of schools will eventually be in UConn's position.

 

[JMick]

There isn't a P5 though. It's going to be a P2 in football so a lot of schools will eventually be in UConn's position.

And a lot of those schools should give up on the football dream too.

It's still insane to me that football means so much when it might be a dead sport in another generation or two. When popular gen z athletes start showing signs of CTE at 40 it's going to open a lot of eyes

 

[noeynox]

There isn't a P5 though. It's going to be a P2 in football so a lot of schools will eventually be in UConn's position.

Long way away from that and they will collect a lot of millions till then. We will not.

 

[Exit 4]

If we end up in the AAC as football only then its probably safe to say our last conversations with the B12 and ACC were not very positive....ie - they offered no path.

 

[LoyalFanCT]

Look, B10 realignment is not done, according to reports this week. That may free up spots in the ACC -- or the B12 may choose to expand further. I still think UConn could win at least eight games in football this year. If we do, and win a decent bowl game, we could be in the top 50 FBS teams. BB and baseball continue to excel. While realignment keeps on giving us fans a kick in the gut -- or even in a more sensitive spot -- there is hope. I think Mora, Hurley, Geno etc. know what they are doing.

 

[upstater]

I didn’t say that. I said it’s a factor. just like geography is a factor. But for the fun of it sure here you go:
UConn Endowment: $600M
WVU Endowment: $900M
Louisville Endowment: $900M

And just a bit more:
SMU: 1.9 BILLION
Colorado: 1.53 BILLION
Arizona: 1.2 BILLION
Arizona State: 1.4 BILLION
Utah: 1.3 BILLION

Notice the outlier? Tell me again it’s not a factor.

Endowments mean practically nothing when it comes to state schools.

What matters more is state support.

And WV gets very little compared to UConn. WV, for instance, made national news as it went into huge debt for athletic facilities and a law school it recently built, and this forced it to close 20% of the school down and fire 20% of faculty through a retrenchment program. Basically, this school is the first state school we know of to implode. They completely got rid of their mathematics dept., computer science, mechanical engineering, 2/3rds of their English Dept, all languages, linguistics. Most of these programs were profitable.

 

[Urcea]

You shouldn't hate to say it, it is vital for our future. We need to join a conference.

I wouldn't go without some kind of northern partner

 

[LoyalFanCT]

I wouldn't go without some kind of northern partner

How about Army?

 

[UCFBfan]

If we end up in the AAC as football only then its probably safe to say our last conversations with the B12 and ACC were not very positive....ie - they offered no path.

Are you kidding? Look at the last rounds of realignment. AAC schools UCF, Cincy, and SMU got seats. It almost looks like it's better to be in the AAC than not. Lol. I kid, kinda

 

[metsfan2323]

I wouldn't go without some kind of northern partner

Why? Travel isn't an issue when it is 4 road games per year. We're already traveling all over the country as an independent. Temple would be our northern rival.

 

[UCFBfan]

I'll be honest, and I said this awhile back, our home conference slate is so poor the next few years that joining the AAC for FB only wouldn't hurt our schedule. In fact, the idea of Temple or USF might be more interesting than Georgia St and some other random schools.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Referring to basketball in a realignment thread is just silly. Almost no one but us cares.

I can't tell if you are trolling or deliberately trying to give the most boomer answer possible every time you post on realignment.

 

[Fishy]

UConn never took fundraising seriously until recently. It never made sense to me but we should sail past those schools soon in endowment.

There’s a lot of things that we did not take seriously and still do not take seriously. Our endowment was one of them. (We’re not sailing past them any time soon.) Our athletic facilities were another. Football was yet another.

We acted like we were Rhode Island or New Hampshire for way, way too long and it’s killed us.

Realignment was a contact sport and we never treated it like that - Cincy did, Houston did, UCF did, SMU did, BC did, Miami did, UL did, Rutgers did. Syracuse and Pitt didn’t, but they didn’t have to because they were good in 1950 and that somehow was enough.

A lot of really weird crap had to happen to put us in this spot, but we absolutely did not help ourselves in any fashion.

 

[Fishy]

I'll be honest, and I said this awhile back, our home conference slate is so poor the next few years that joining the AAC for FB only wouldn't hurt our schedule. In fact, the idea of Temple or USF might be more interesting than Georgia St and some other random schools.

It definitely would not hurt us.

We also need revenue from somewhere.

 

[LoyalFanCT]

UConn has to raise $1B for the endowment over the next five years. We are so close to New York City with all of its billionaires and there are many wealthy people in southwestern CT. We can get there if we ask properly and prove our case.

There’s a lot of things that we did not take seriously and still do not take seriously. Our endowment was one of them. (We’re not sailing past them any time soon.) Our athletic facilities were another. Football was yet another.

We acted like we were Rhode Island or New Hampshire for way, way too long and it’s killed us.

Realignment was a contact sport and we never treated it like that - Cincy did, Houston did, UCF did, SMU did, BC did, Miami did, UL did, Rutgers did. Syracuse and Pitt didn’t, but they didn’t have to because they were good in 1950 and that somehow was enough.

A lot of really weird crap had to happen to put us in this spot, but we absolutely did not help ourselves in any fashion.

 

[mike012]

Football only and we will do a bball series with FAU and Memphis and a women’s bball with Usf.

 

[metsfan2323]

Football only and we will do a bball series with FAU and Memphis and a women’s bball with Usf.

and the main selling point is ESPN would be able to put us behind their paywall. ESPN will decide who gets added to the AAC not Mike Aresco.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

There’s a lot of things that we did not take seriously and still do not take seriously. Our endowment was one of them. (We’re not sailing past them any time soon.) Our athletic facilities were another. Football was yet another.

We acted like we were Rhode Island or New Hampshire for way, way too long and it’s killed us.

Realignment was a contact sport and we never treated it like that - Cincy did, Houston did, UCF did, SMU did, BC did, Miami did, UL did, Rutgers did. Syracuse and Pitt didn’t, but they didn’t have to because they were good in 1950 and that somehow was enough.

A lot of really weird crap had to happen to put us in this spot, but we absolutely did not help ourselves in any fashion.

Hold on. When UConn did play rough, half this board, including you, lost your spit.

UConn's problem was geography. BCU convinced the ACC that it owned New England, and Syracuse convinced the ACC that they owned New York. Neither school will ever allow us in the ACC as a result, and that pretty much puts a stake in us with the ACC, which was always the most likely destination.

 

[Urcea]

Why? Travel isn't an issue when it is 4 road games per year. We're already traveling all over the country as an independent. Temple would be our northern rival.

I guess. It was an interest issue but I guess I could talk myself back into Temple and USF

 

[CL82]

Translation: Even the detrius of the Pac 12 don't want be a part of the American.

 

[Mora4Prez]

I say this again - what is the logical path forward for our football team?

In my head it’s (disgustingly) maybe beg the AAC to come back for a few years til we build up enough goodwill to maybe get into the BIG XII or remnants of post-dissolution ACC. It’s not ideal but being an independent isn’t doing us any favors financially, scheduling-wise, or bowl-game wise.