Lack of respect for UConn as a whole needs clarification

[Hoophound]

I have been surfing around different boards and there is a general lack of understanding by other fan bases as to exactly what UConn brings to the table. As people look at football they see us as a nothing. They view women's basketball as worthless and men's basketball as our only value proposition.

In these discussions people seem to take a step back and re-evaluate when I or someone else tells them what is really going on at UConn.

1. UConn has done more in football in it's first 12 years in 1A than many "real programs" have done in the last 15.

2. UConn's facilities rival anyone's.

3. Men's basketball is elite and will pack arenas on the road that rarely sell out.

4. Women's basketball will pack arenas that usually draw flies. It will also increase interest in women's basketball at other schools.

5. UConn is a top public university.

6. Connecticut is NOT a small market. Hartford/New Haven is a medium to large market. Connecticut being a small state seems to confuse people.

7. The media coverage for UConn is ridiculous. "The horde" is real.

8. UConn has tremendous third tier revenue. More than most of these so called "big boy" schools.

9. The UConn brand is extremely valuable. It has been proven in merchandising over and over. A few more good football seasons and the brand will crossover to football.

10. The administration is committed to winning and improving academics. Challenge anyone to name another university that has made similar strides in the last 20 years--including during the recession.

It is important that fans around web nicely and calmly tout the university. Part of gaining respect is educating the most avid fans of other programs.

By the ACC taking Cuse and Pitt, the public seems to think we must be worth less than those programs. In reality, politics caused that result.

As I Iove to say over and over--Anyone that thinks UConn can never amount to anything in football, fears UConn amounting to anything in football. We win at everything we do.

 

[Adios]

3.5. The men's basketball program is in the top 5 in national popularity now according to one poll.

We do win at everything we do. Besides hockey. So far.

 

[zls44]

3.5. The men's basketball program is in the top 5 in national popularity now according to one poll.

Link? That sounds cool.

 

[Adios]

It was somewhere on the men's bball board. Can't find it.

 

[huskypantz]

Honestly, it's on us UConn football fans. If we traveled better and sold out our 40k seat stadium with plans for expansion, we'd probably be in the ACC with Cuse right now.

 

[Dann]

i have been fighting this idea on the wvu scout board for a year now any chance i get. a lot of team fan base ppl go to the board for its fun so its the perfect spot to put up the fight.

 

[John Greene]

Uconn gets respect where it has earned it, MBB & WBB. Unfortunately WBB does not matter to a lot of fans outside of CT and Knoxville. As far as FB is concerned we are a little above .500 over the last two coaches. We played in a BCS game with an 8-4 record in a 3 way tie for conf. champion. How much "respect" would most of this board have for a record like that if it was at another school? Little or none.

 

[CL82]

Add to that academics. The APR penalty has hurt us. One Houston poster listed RU and Temple as superior schools academically. Another said that UConn will likely be band from the 2013 and 2014 NCAA tournaments.

I can't waste time with correcting message board impressions but the school should be pushing academics hard right now in our sports set pieces and, far more importantly, building up our research dollars. That is the area in which we are lacking when compared to the big boys of the B1G.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Unfortunatley any success we have had has been "balanced" by a lot of negative stuff i.e. APR, Miles recruiting, Calhoun's' health, Jasper's death. Randy's MO in leaving, The Burton fiasco, Geno's law suit... Sstarted with that laptop crap. Forward, we are a good school with a well rounded, succsessful AD.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Honestly, it's on us UConn football fans. If we traveled better and sold out our 40k seat stadium with plans for expansion, we'd probably be in the ACC with Cuse right now.

Huh? Traveling football fans? That's what it was all about? Not basketball? Ok.

Pittsburgh fans, as of today, have purchased a grand total of 89 tickets for the season opener at Cincinatti next week according to somethign I saw a little while ago. Pitt has trouble filling the lower section of Heinz field for home games. Distance from Heinz field to Nippert Stadium? 280 miles. That's less than 2 tickets for every scholarship player on the Pitt travel squad, for a game that's essentially the equivalent of driving from hartford to philly.

No - traveling football fans and selling home football seats, has nothing to do with anything involving the ACC poaching Big East programs in the past.

 

[Hoophound]

Uconn gets respect where it has earned it, MBB & WBB. Unfortunately WBB does not matter to a lot of fans outside of CT and Knoxville. As far as FB is concerned we are a little above .500 over the last two coaches. We played in a BCS game with an 8-4 record in a 3 way tie for conf. champion. How much "respect" would most of this board have for a record like that if it was at another school? Little or none.

That's not the point. The point is that UConn is a strong addition to any conference and will succeed because the administration demands it.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

Uconn gets respect where it has earned it, MBB & WBB. Unfortunately WBB does not matter to a lot of fans outside of CT and Knoxville. As far as FB is concerned we are a little above .500 over the last two coaches. We played in a BCS game with an 8-4 record in a 3 way tie for conf. champion. How much "respect" would most of this board have for a record like that if it was at another school? Little or none.

Well. WBB is worth something to someone. SNY just forked over $1.14M a year just for tier-3 WBB rights. I would say our tier-1 and 2 WBB rights are worth far more than that to UCONN or any conference.

People that say WBB is worthless is just ignorant or clueless.

 

[John Greene]

And I "demand" the hottest girl in the bar go home with me! I guess it will now happen?

WBB has value in CT and Knoxville. The value in CT is why SNY paid for it.

 

[huskypantz]

Huh? Traveling football fans? That's what it was all about? Not basketball? Ok.

Pittsburgh fans, as of today, have purchased a grand total of 89 tickets for the season opener at Cincinatti next week according to somethign I saw a little while ago. Pitt has trouble filling the lower section of Heinz field for home games. Distance from Heinz field to Nippert Stadium? 280 miles. That's less than 2 tickets for every scholarship player on the Pitt travel squad, for a game that's essentially the equivalent of driving from hartford to philly.

No - traveling football fans and selling home football seats, has nothing to do with anything involving the ACC poaching Big East programs in the past.

Um, yeah it does. Cuse and Pitt are our rough equivalent in attendance and traveling fanbases. Academics, recent football success, basketball - all fairly even - although we have a moderate advantage with our national championships. The differences for them were history/tradition and the bad rep we picked up in 2003. We're never going to have more history or tradition. What could have made us more attractive was a larger fanbase - better attendance, traveling, TV ratings.

 

[mattp]

Honestly, it's on us UConn football fans. If we traveled better and sold out our 40k seat stadium with plans for expansion, we'd probably be in the ACC with Cuse right now.

Pitt and Cuse doesn't do either of those things, so i really don't think that was the ACC's criteria. Rutgers expanded their stadium and weren't invited. obviously on the field success had nothing to do with their criteria either, unless it was an inverse relationship.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

And I "demand" the hottest girl in the bar go home with me! I guess it will now happen?

WBB has value in CT and Knoxville. The value in CT is why SNY paid for it.

Except SNY reaches 14M homes, not just CT. Are you saying SNY paid for those rights cause no one cares about WBB other than folks in CT only? Man, they got some serious dumba**es running SNY if that's case. They should have hired you instead.

 

[Adios]

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Unless you win championships.

 

[Mr.Phat]

I have been surfing around different boards and there is a general lack of understanding by other fan bases as to exactly what UConn brings to the table. As people look at football they see us as a nothing. They view women's basketball as worthless and men's basketball as our only value proposition.

In these discussions people seem to take a step back and re-evaluate when I or someone else tells them what is really going on at UConn.

1. UConn has done more in football in it's first 12 years in 1A than many "real programs" have done in the last 15.

2. UConn's facilities rival anyone's.

3. Men's basketball is elite and will pack arenas on the road that rarely sell out.

4. Women's basketball will pack arenas that usually draw flies. It will also increase interest in women's basketball at other schools.

5. UConn is a top public university.

6. Connecticut is NOT a small market. Hartford/New Haven is a medium to large market. Connecticut being a small state seems to confuse people.

7. The media coverage for UConn is ridiculous. "The horde" is real.

8. UConn has tremendous third tier revenue. More than most of these so called "big boy" schools.

9. The UConn brand is extremely valuable. It has been proven in merchandising over and over. A few more good football seasons and the brand will crossover to football.

10. The administration is committed to winning and improving academics. Challenge anyone to name another university that has made similar strides in the last 20 years--including during the recession.

It is important that fans around web nicely and calmly tout the university. Part of gaining respect is educating the most avid fans of other programs.

By the ACC taking Cuse and Pitt, the public seems to think we must be worth less than those programs. In reality, politics caused that result.

As I Iove to say over and over--Anyone that thinks UConn can never amount to anything in football, fears UConn amounting to anything in football. We win at everything we do.

FWIW don't equate the esteem in which our school is held by the ignorant masses at these message boards with the administrators who run universities. Maybe you're not conflating the two but it is worth mentioning specifically.

I suspect the administrators and conference officials have a much higher opinion of the school. Herbst said herself many schools were envious of UConn's athletic achievements. This was a quote.

I mean these are the message boards which give us Penn State fans who believe the pederasty scandal is a massive conspiracy against an innocent Paterno. Just dig a little deeper and, you'll see, the truth will be revealed! Yep, and I saw Elvis drive past me on the interstate the other day.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Um, yeah it does. Cuse and Pitt are our rough equivalent in attendance and traveling fanbases. Academics, recent football success, basketball - all fairly even - although we have a moderate advantage with our national championships. The differences for them were history/tradition and the bad rep we picked up in 2003. We're never going to have more history or tradition. What could have made us more attractive was a larger fanbase - better attendance, traveling, TV ratings.

Clueless is the only word I can come up with. That's hard to do you know, stump me for words. Clueless.

 

[AJC88]

Clueless is the only word I can come up with. That's hard to do you know, stump me for words. Clueless.

Carl yesterday you said we have more in common with our new conference mates than those in the ACC, yet you have the balls to say someone else is clueless? Come on man! (Cris Carter voice)

 

[John Greene]

Carl yesterday you said we have more in common with our new conference mates than those in the ACC, yet you have the balls to say someone else is clueless? Come on man! (Cris Carter voice)

This is unfair! Just because Carl lives in an alternate universe is no reason to call him clueless. There he may have a clue.

 

[huskypantz]

Pitt and Cuse doesn't do either of those things, so i really don't think that was the ACC's criteria. Rutgers expanded their stadium and weren't invited. obviously on the field success had nothing to do with their criteria either, unless it was an inverse relationship.

My point was not that the difference was Pitt/Cuse fans > UConn fans. It was UConn is roughly equivalent to Pitt/Cuse all things considered, what would have put us over the top was fanbase. Rutgers, even with better attendance, is historically horrible in most sports and especially so in basketball.

 

[huskypantz]

Clueless is the only word I can come up with. That's hard to do you know, stump me for words. Clueless.

Coming from the patron saint of the New New Big East, I believe this is a compliment.

 

[Waquoit]

Link? That sounds cool.

The poll he cited was taken not too long after Kemba sunk that jumper against Pitt.

 

[B1GEast]

It really doesn't matter what sport fans think, Susan and Warde have this ship moving in the right direction, hockey expansion, a new basketball practice facility, the new uconn college town, soccer ranked number 1, football bcs, multiple mens and womens champs, baseball, track and field, any conference commish will take a long hard look and uconn before rutgers, usf or any other school.

Uconn is going places