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Latest Herbst statement

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Rumrunner said:
She dropped an atomic hint. No other conference cares about this stuff, including the ACC-heck they just added Louisville. This email is addressed specifically at our angst. She wouldn't have put this in. Every word in the statement is there for a reason. Do you think for a moment that she is not aware of the significance of those two themes-research/flagship.
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I think that reading between the lines like that is a bit of a reach.
 
Butch said:
They proved you and everyone else wrong. I know they can succeed with the hand of cards we have.
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What? Me and everyone else how? Going on NPR doesn't prove anything. It's nice and all but it didn't prove anything.

I wish that aggresiveness would accompany the optimism.
 
ZooCougar said:
What? Me and everyone else how? Going on NPR doesn't prove anything. It's nice and all but it didn't prove anything.

I wish that aggresiveness would accompany the optimism.
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You think you can't "read into" what was said. C'mon, look at how we are positioned, academically and athletically. This is common sense, really.
 
ZooCougar said:
You stick with your wackjob conspiracy theory. Either they deliver the baby or they don't.
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You stick to your wackjob pessimism. We're on the B1G's radar. I didn't say anything about any conspiracy either. Basic logic.
 
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Butch said:
You think you can't "read into" what was said. C'mon, look at how we are positioned, academically and athletically. This is common sense, really.
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How are we positioned? The position hasn't changed since three weeks ago, if anything it is more precarious.
 
Hopefully this puts to rest the idea that SH has no interest in athletics. SH is doing everything she can to get UConn a seat at the table with all the big boys. The first step to getting our B1G goal is to get AAU status. We all know UConn lacks the football tradition at this moment and in order to sell UConn to the B1G we need to first get into the AAU. Outside of Football UConn would elevate the sports of the B1G from obviously basketball, soccer, baseball, track n field, etc. However the problem is football as we all know drives the bus and UConn is lacking there. To get us in SH is first getting every other aspect of this University in line with other B1G schoools. Then in the near future Delany can go to the other Presidents and say "UConn might not be the football school we all want now but they are a fit in every other aspect, bring a solid market and fan base. Nobody thought they could build a basketball powerhouse but they did and there is no reason football eventually with the right investments wont follow suit"

If you look at SH bio, she has degrees from Duke and USC. Worked at Northwestern and oversaw the University System of Georgia which includes the University of Georgia. To think that she doesn't understand the importance of major athletics to a University is insane. Unfortunately her predecessors didn't leave the school in a good enough position to play with the B1G boys and now she has to first make up ground before putting UConn where it belongs.
 
This hit everything short of we're leaving. Yes, #begharder has hit her radar as does the general despair over the thought of being stuck. There were clearly code words being delivered.

Doubt we have a B1G invite in the bag, but it is clear her goal is to join it or at least make UConn a B1G style University. Which in itself would be an accomplishment.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2
 
Butchy, your devoted optimism is wonderful, but collectively we need to acknowledge and address that that is not the general perception of our program outside of this region. We know we have a lot to contribute for a lot of reasons, but we aren't the problem. Herbst at least acknowledged that there are folks spreading misinformation about us to damage us. Good first step. Now lets tackle it head on.
 
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CTMike said:
Butchy, your devoted optimism is wonderful, but collectively we need to acknowledge and address that that is not the general perception of our program outside of this region. We know we have a lot to contribute for a lot of reasons, but we aren't the problem. Herbst at least acknowledged that there are folks spreading misinformation about us to damage us. Good first step. Now lets tackle it head on.
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I am well aware of that. Having our fans be more immature than kids doesn't help.

Personally, I am VERY glad I went to UConn and graduated from there. It was the only school I applied to. And that was before we won any championship in basketball. It is very easy to communicate with other fanbases and tell them what we really have. They'll listen. I've ventured onto B1G message boards and posted some stuff. Had to be done. Not everyone has a problem with us. There are people who are cool with us in B1G fanbases.
 
CTMike said:
Butchy, your devoted optimism is wonderful, but collectively we need to acknowledge and address that that is not the general perception of our program outside of this region. We know we have a lot to contribute for a lot of reasons, but we aren't the problem. Herbst at least acknowledged that there are folks spreading misinformation about us to damage us. Good first step. Now lets tackle it head on.
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It's better to let the pros be optimistic and aggressive. I'll remain realistic.
 
Huskyfan990411 said:
Hopefully this puts to rest the idea that SH has no interest in athletics. SH is doing everything she can to get UConn a seat at the table with all the big boys. The first step to getting our B1G goal is to get AAU status. We all know UConn lacks the football tradition at this moment and in order to sell UConn to the B1G we need to first get into the AAU. Outside of Football UConn would elevate the sports of the B1G from obviously basketball, soccer, baseball, track n field, etc. However the problem is football as we all know drives the bus and UConn is lacking there. To get us in SH is first getting every other aspect of this University in line with other B1G schoools. Then in the near future Delany can go to the other Presidents and say "UConn might not be the football school we all want now but they are a fit in every other aspect, bring a solid market and fan base. Nobody thought they could build a basketball powerhouse but they did and there is no reason football eventually with the right investments wont follow suit"

If you look at SH bio, she has degrees from Duke and USC. Worked at Northwestern and oversaw the University System of Georgia which includes the University of Georgia. To think that she doesn't understand the importance of major athletics to a University is insane. Unfortunately her predecessors didn't leave the school in a good enough position to play with the B1G boys and now she has to first make up ground before putting UConn where it belongs.
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You left out UAlbany.
 
Like it. Keep putting the academics together with research and pushing in sports and good things will happen. Fast as I would like, hardly, but just like any goal; decide how to get there and do all the things it takes and next time you look up you'll be a lot closer.
Tough to get as worked up on this conference stuff as was a few weeks ago, SH is really hard to get off my mind. Can't think of a way to help other than donating, hope it helps in some small way.
 
I thought SH statement was EXCELLENT.

This is largely out-of-our-control. Sorry to state that. The "Beg Harder" crew ("we need not beg, plead, nor despair") needs to understand that; even with hard work, this might take awhile. But ... WE do have a strong future. WE are National Champions in major sports & we can pull that Football Program to a higher level. This Cartel of Money has major issues that will sort itself through. Personally, I simply cannot believe that OUR market/OUR Northeast is left out of the whole equation excepting BC, RU & that rundown city in CNY.

We just need to keep striving. (and it would be nice if Warde Manual proved that he had the ability that was stated upon getting hired) And .. I guess I don't understand why we have to put up with the loud people around here that use words like "dire" & catastrophic". Optimism is good. Remember what Calhoun said when he arrived ... "this is doable".
 
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SubbaBub said:
This hit everything short of we're leaving. Yes, #begharder has hit her radar as does the general despair over the thought of being stuck. There were clearly code words being delivered.

Doubt we have a B1G invite in the bag, but it is clear her goal is to join it or at least make UConn a B1G style University. Which in itself would be an accomplishment.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2
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Agreed. I don't think UConn has a B1G invite but is on the radar. I do think UConn is trying to position itself to get one. The ACC isn't coming, they base their invites on insecurity. The B1G has shown they base invites on logic, it's really the only road left for UConn and it's not going to be easy.
 
caw said:
Agreed. I don't think UConn has a B1G invite but is on the radar. I do think UConn is trying to position itself to get one. The ACC isn't coming, they base their invites on insecurity. The B1G has shown they base invites on logic, it's really the only road left for UConn and it's not going to be easy.
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AAU membership is a must for UConn to have a shot at the B1G. I believe the only school without AAU membership is Nebraska but they did have it when first accepted. The lack of a huge football tradition and reputation hurts UConn which in turn makes being apart of the AAU a must.
 
The B1G can really care less about AAU stuff at this point. Herbst was absolutely right to point out Nebraska. She knows the inside scoop, and so does everyone in academia. Michigan and Wisconsin conspired to kick Nebraska out long before Nebraska entered the B1G, and in the words of the former President of Wisky, Nebraska's AAU status was never discussed during their evaluation and invitation into the B1G. Of course it wasn't--why would it be when B1G schools were trying to kick them out?
 
She did use some buzzwords:

"Demographics matter," Delany said. "I think it matters to be in New Jersey and Maryland and around D.C., Philadelphia and New York. It matters to us for it to be contiguous. It matters for it to be flagship universities."

Herbst:
So, Huskies: Let's all hang tough and please keep some perspective, as hard as it is in a time of great change. Win or lose, conference struggles or not, UConn is a research university. So if you are feeling low, just head to our university home page and glory in the amazing new faculty we are hiring at a rapid pace, our incredible student successes across disciplines, scientific awards and invention by our faculty, and all that matters most at your flagship university.
 
Huskyfan990411 said:
To think that she doesn't understand the importance of major athletics to a University is insane. Unfortunately her predecessors didn't leave the school in a good enough position to play with the B1G boys and now she has to first make up ground before putting UConn where it belongs.
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You have no idea how bad things were when she took over. Endowment a joke. Provost and AD hopeless.We were a school treading water. SH basically said "all those not willing to start swimming , get out of the pool. We have to drain it, recaulk it and re-fill it---and if you get back in-- I better see you swimming with gusto.
 
Nositcal, how much things like the endowment improved. I can't imagine too much yet, she's only been here two years.
 
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i think she raised it like 10% or something in year 1 and has aims for a billion total in the future from like 200mil or something. #B1GENDOWMENT
 
What... nobody's going to make a joke out of Nostical's mention of "endowment" and "re-caulk"???

PS... as a member of the #BegHarder crew - this was always partly ironic in response to Nelson saying "Beg Harder isn't going to work". I have always been of the opinion that a B1G invite is down the road, a matter of years not months. And I remain of the opinion that if a couple schools leave the ACC we'll be there in a jiffy. Either way UConn needs to make its case as strong as possible both in public and in private, which last year to some people qualified as #BegHarder.
 
Focusing on academics and research is a good move by Herbst since it's UConn's distinct advanatage over those schools still not in a top 5 conference. She's building on our strengths while getting our athletic programs in order.

The good news here…we may have finally hit rock bottom (not counting what appears to be a very painful upcoming football season)…

However it’s always darkest before the dawn. Here’s my crystal ball on how things start to turn around for the better starting next month:
  • Jan 2013: Ollie gets signed to a long term contract stabalizing the MBB program
  • April 2013: UConn women win their 8th national title
  • Dec 2013: Pasqualoni gets fired after a 5-7, 5-7 and 4-8 seasons and new coach re-energizies program; season ticket sales increase to 30K
  • February 2014: Ollie lands 2-3, 4 to 5 star recruits
  • April 2014: UConn men return to the NCAA tournament and UConn women play for their 9th national title
  • Sept 2014: UConn gets AAU invite
  • Oct 2014: UConn opens new on campus Basketball Development Center. Both men’s and women’s BB teams start the season nationally ranked. Upgrades to all on campus athletic facilities are completed. UConn begins competition in Hockey East.
  • November 2014: UConn football is enjoying its best football season in 4 years and is in contention for the league title; much is written about UConn’s "amazing" turnaround.
  • December 2014: UConn football appears in it’s first bowl game in 4 years; season ticket sales jump to 35K and fundraising begins to expand the Rent to 55K
  • Jan 2015: UConn is invited to join the B1G

    UConn has shown it can build very strong programs – and despite the current 3 year setback in football (not as bad as Steve Kragthorpe at Louisville, Greg Robinson at Syracuse or Frank Spaziani at BC - but still pretty bad) – UConn will get things back on track in a B1G way…

    Hang in their UConn fans….there are brighter days ahead.
 
BTW, the endowment is closer to $400M, but needs to get to $1B to be in the range of other large land grant universities (Herbst's goal)
 
mikeinmanila said:
Focusing on academics and research is a good move by Herbst since it's UConn's distinct advanatage over those schools still not in a top 5 conference. She's building on our strengths while getting our athletic programs in order.

The good news here…we may have finally hit rock bottom (not counting what appears to be a very painful upcoming football season)…

However it’s always darkest before the dawn. Here’s my crystal ball on how things start to turn around for the better starting next month:
  • Jan 2013: Ollie gets signed to a long term contract stabalizing the MBB program
  • April 2013: UConn women win their 8th national title
  • Dec 2013: Pasqualoni gets fired after a 5-7, 5-7 and 4-8 seasons and new coach re-energizies program; season ticket sales increase to 30K
  • February 2014: Ollie lands 2-3, 4 to 5 star recruits
  • April 2014: UConn men return to the NCAA tournament and UConn women play for their 9th national title
  • Sept 2014: UConn gets AAU invite
  • Oct 2014: UConn opens new on campus Basketball Development Center. Both men’s and women’s BB teams start the season nationally ranked. Upgrades to all on campus athletic facilities are completed. UConn begins competition in Hockey East.
  • November 2014: UConn football is enjoying its best football season in 4 years and is in contention for the league title; much is written about UConn’s "amazing" turnaround.
  • December 2014: UConn football appears in it’s first bowl game in 4 years; season ticket sales jump to 35K and fundraising begins to expand the Rent to 55K
  • Jan 2015: UConn is invited to join the B1G

    UConn has shown it can build very strong programs – and despite the current 3 year setback in football (not as bad as Steve Kragthorpe at Louisville, Greg Robinson at Syracuse or Frank Spaziani at BC - but still pretty bad) – UConn will get things back on track in a B1G way…

    Hang in their UConn fans….there are brighter days ahead.
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Great write up Mike, My same thoughts and very realistic.
 
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