LVille Gametime set

[whaler11]

I can't see skipping a football game against a ranked opponent that I have tickets for in order to stay home and watch a basketball game in November. But I guess that's just me.

Yeah and we could use tens of thousands like you instead in lieu of fans who stay home or in the parking lot to watch baseball games.

 

[freescooter]

I can't see skipping a football game against a ranked opponent that I have tickets for in order to stay home and watch a basketball game in November. But I guess that's just me.

Exactly. it is you. It isn't guys like you that UConn cares about. Its casual fans, and people who buy the tickets tickets the week before the game. This setup is such that those are the folks who won't show up. So instead of 40,000, we'll have a crowd of 30,000 and then read that UConn couldn't even sell out its small stadium for a nationally ranked team.

As for the rest of it, it doesn't matter that the mens basketball team gets on ESPN2 on a Friday night in November against a middling Maryland club. Who cares? November basketball is like February baseball to most of the country. Unfortunately, in Connecticut it is a big deal and will impact the football game. The other point, I think, is that in an era when we've just seen how important football is vs basketball, Warde and his loyal followers made it perfectly clear what their priorities are. If UConn's Athletic Department doesn't care about the football program enough to protect it the way Maryland( you'll note they wouldn't play on Saturday because they have a football game then) and Rutgers would, why should anyone else care about the football program? That is the attitude that will confine us to the AAC for a long, long time. This was a short -term decision that reflects a series of attitudes that are prevalent in our athletic department which will have negative log term consequences. the difference between a Friday night basketball game in November on ESPN2 vs one on ESPNU on Saturday is negligible. The difference between 33000 and a sellout on that same night is huge.

 

[J187Money]

Exactly. it is you. It isn't guys like you that UConn cares about. Its casual fans, and people who buy the tickets tickets the week before the game. This setup is such that those are the folks who won't show up. So instead of 40,000, we'll have a crowd of 30,000 and then read that UConn couldn't even sell out its small stadium for a nationally ranked team.

As for the rest of it, it doesn't matter that the mens basketball team gets on ESPN2 on a Friday night in November against a middling Maryland club. Who cares? November basketball is like February baseball to most of the country. Unfortunately, in Connecticut it is a big deal and will impact the football game. The other point, I think, is that in an era when we've just seen how important football is vs basketball, Warde and his loyal followers made it perfectly clear what their priorities are. If UConn's Athletic Department doesn't care about the football program enough to protect it the way Maryland( you'll note they wouldn't play on Saturday because they have a football game then) and Rutgers would, why should anyone else care about the football program? That is the attitude that will confine us to the AAC for a long, long time. This was a short -term decision that reflects a series of attitudes that are prevalent in our athletic department which will have negative log term consequences. the difference between a Friday night basketball game in November on ESPN2 vs one on ESPNU on Saturday is negligible. The difference between 33000 and a sellout on that same night is huge.

You have actually swung me on this point. Maybe this isn't a bad thing for the overall "branding" of the school and TV eyeballs (getting 5 hours of coverage in one night). But it certainly won't help attendance. To either event.

 

[mattp]

I think it's a little silly to say that because Warde took advantage of an opportunity to play a name OOC bball team at a neutral site that's very do-able for UConn fans, he's flushing the toilet on football. I wish we didn't have to split our fans, but I think overall we're still better off playing that ball game that night than we are a home game against Sacred Heart the following night, or whatever else we'd have on the schedule.

Football against Louisville will be a sell out either way, I'm more worried about how our attendance in Brooklyn will look.

 

[Carl Spackler]

You guys got to get outside the little bubble on this website once in a while. the world doesn't revolve around UCONN sports. It's important, to people like the people that post here, but get a grip on reality, and stop entertaining Debbie's. they suck energy.

Whether or not a UCONN football game sells out in November at Rentschler has absolutely nothing to do with a UCONN basketball game being played in Brooklyn on the same date, and the big assumption here, is that you somehow think that UCONN has final say over when and where ESPN decides to broadcast sports anyway.

Getting basically a full Friday night of UCONN sports on a national ESPN channel, I'm actually quite fine with - and think is a pretty good thing (even though I'm pretty sure, that deep in their black and withered hearts, the programming people at ESPN are secretly hoping for Maryland and Louisville wins) but at least we're on national TV, for an entire evening.

Whether or not the football game against Louisville is a sell out, is dependant upon many factors, the most important of which, is how well our football program is doing come November, and the least important of which, is a UCONN basketball game in Brooklyn.

 

[freescooter]

I think it's a little silly to say that because Warde took advantage of an opportunity to play a name OOC bball team at a neutral site that's very do-able for UConn fans, he's flushing the toilet on football. I wish we didn't have to split our fans, but I think overall we're still better off playing that ball game that night than we are a home game against Sacred Heart the following night, or whatever else we'd have on the schedule.

Football against Louisville will be a sell out either way, I'm more worried about how our attendance in Brooklyn will look.

Its Maryland, for gosh sakes. Its Maryland in November. We're not talking about Duke in March. It isn't some big deal game at a Military base overseas, or on an aircraft carrier or anything unique. its a friggin' early season game against an easily replaceable opponent in a location at a time and a location whcih will hurt our football program. We could easily have landed a comparable opponent to Maryland, played the game at home on Saturday and made it a big deal. It isn't 2002. Maryland is a mid-level opponent, not some power program. And it sends a clear message to everyone out there that A. UConn doesn't care about its football program; and B. UConn is willing to do anything for the privilege of playing a crappy team from a power conference. I expect that being relegated to the AAC will ultimately push us down the ladder to mid-majordom. But Warde appears not to have bothered to wait. I guess at least one can say he's being pro-active on something.

 

[whaler11]

There will be people who don't go to the basketball game to go football. There will be people who don't go to football, because they go to Brooklyn.

There are people who stay home to watch both on television that may have gone to one of them otherwise.

Is it a lot of people? Is it worth worrying about? Who knows and probably not. But there are certainly people who are going to make choices. I would go to Brooklyn if there wasn't a football game.

 

[freescooter]

whaler, when you are trying to build up a program's bonafides you don't intentionally schedule such that you compete with yourself. That is dumb. And you surely don't do it for the privilege of playing a mediocre opponent. And that is the practical side of things. The "optics" of this is even worse. Absolutely screams small time. And that football doesn't matter to UConn. And it probably doesn't. But I don't know why you would want to say that publicly.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

UConn needs to be 5-2 going into the Louisville game or both places are not going to look good on tv. This is a big year for both programs

 

[sportsart]

I'm trying to remember the last "small time" program that had BB and FB back to back on ESPN2. If anyone can help me just SCREAM it out.

 

[J187Money]

It probably wouldn't look good in Brooklyn even if there was no football game. My comments re: an 8:30 start for football on a Friday at the Rent are even more true for a hoops game in Brooklyn. Technically, I couldn't get to the game on time from my office 2 blocks from MSG without leaving early. To make that game from CT and be in your seats at the tip, you'd have to be getting on the 4-5 at GCT at 5:45.

 

[PRHusky]

Estimated number of UConn fans who would have gone to the basketball game in Brooklyn but will not because they will attend the football game at the Rent that day: 500 (still will have 4-5k UConn fans in Brooklyn).

Estimated number of UConn fans who would have gone to the football game at the Rent, but will not because they will attend the basketball game in Brooklyn that day: 250 (will still be a sellout at the Rent).

These numbers are just a guess, but I think they are reasonable estimates. If they are correct, then freescooter's argument is absurd.

 

[J187Money]

Estimated number of UConn fans who would have gone to the basketball game in Brooklyn but will not because they will attend the football game at the Rent that day: 500 (still will have 4-5k UConn fans in Brooklyn).

Estimated number of UConn fans who would have gone to the football game at the Rent, but will not because they will attend the basketball game in Brooklyn that day: 250 (will still be a sellout at the Rent).

These numbers are just a guess, but I think they are reasonable estimates. If they are correct, then freescooter's argument is absurd.

You forgot to estimate the number of people that might have gone to either game, but won't because they will stay home and watch on TV.

 

[Waquoit]

I'm trying to remember the last "small time" program that had BB and FB back to back on ESPN2. If anyone can help me just SCREAM it out.

Wrong question, what big-time program has ever agreed to putting a national BB game the same night as a home football game once, nevermind twice?

 

[whaler11]

You forgot to estimate the number of people that might have gone to either game, but won't because they will stay home and watch on TV.

Which you can't until you know their record.

 

[PRHusky]

You forgot to estimate the number of people that might have gone to either game, but won't because they will stay home and watch on TV.

It is hard to believe that more than 50 people would fall under this category.

What I definitely should have mentioned is the millions that will watch a UConn athletics marathon on espn2 that night.

 

[whaler11]

It is hard to believe that more than 50 people would fall under this category.

What I definitely should have mentioned is the millions that will watch a UConn athletics marathon on espn2 that night.

That number is way bigger than the other two. Have you ever been to a night game at Rentschler during the baseball playoffs?

If UConn is 3-4 it will be plenty. If they are 2-5 forget it.

 

[BlueMAB]

I wonder if the B1G, with their desire to fill programming and tap into the NY market, sees the value of a UConn brand with enough of a draw to be on national TV for 5 straight hours, twice?

Or maybe this is ESPN trying to get the ACC to wake the up, and invite us to the party before someone else does?

Or maybe ESPN is just trying to kill the UConn program by giving us back to back games on their network. AGAIN.

Regardless, you guys can bitch about the couple of thousand fans this affects all you want. Reasonable people understand this is yet another great opportunity for UConn to promote the brand on the national stage. Something that is going to be more difficult in the immediate future.

Lastly, you don't pass on these because some fans might be inconvenienced. You jump at these opportunities, then market the hell out of the games and stress the importance of the fans to do their part and show the up. You want to criticize WM, rip him for not marketing these, not providing student busses to the BBall game, and/or having the basketball game on the scoreboard, if/when all that happens.

 

[freescooter]

Wing,
name another "major" program that has scheduled a basketball game opposite a home football game. Just 1. They don't do it because it is a bad idea. This chuckle head of an AD has now done it two years running. You could argue that last year was a special case. but this year he went and did it again. And not to play some major highly ranked program on a military base. To play a program that has been between 70 and 105 each of the last 4 years. And it isn't like UConn basketball absolutely has to schedule any game it can under any circumstances against crapo teams from major conferences. the other thing that's dumb here...we play 1 Friday night game this year. So if this basketball game against the #72 team in the nation, in the world's 115th most famous arena was so damned critical, move that game to Saturday. We've moved football games before. Moved 2 games at Rutgers. 1 from Saturday to Thanksgiving morning and one from a Saturday to Sunday night. Hell, 2 years ago we rescheduled the opener the week before. And both Rutgers games were done during the season. And we still don't know what time most games will be played this season, so switching dates isn't unheard of.

As for the supposed big deal of 5 straight hours of UConn on ESPN 2, I have to say I doubt it makes much difference. UConn fans might watch both, rather than go to one, but basketball fans will likely watch basketball then move on to other basketball. Football fans will watch football. It isn't like Thursday night ABC comedies where you stick some crappy show between 2 popular ones.

this was an awful idea, but exactly what we'd expect from a MAC level Athletic director.

 

[J187Money]

It might have been the only date in that window to get Barclays (and at least a "name" opponent). And I think continuing to play in NYC regularly is a good thing.

 

[Carl Spackler]

UCONN v. Notre Dame men's hoops XL center 1/2/2010 12:00pm tip.

UCONN v. South Carolina Birmingham, AL 1/2/2010. 2:00pm kickoff.


I guess we should have bitched about that day too.

 

[J187Money]

UCONN v. Notre Dame men's hoops XL center 1/2/2010 12:00pm tip.

UCONN v. South Carolina Birmingham, AL 1/2/2010. 2:00pm kickoff.


I guess we should have bitched about that day too.

I did lament not being able to go to the ND game. But I was able to give my tickets a good home. And I was happy as a clam eating my Papa John's pizza after that game

 

[Carl Spackler]

Ha! I guess we should have bitched a lot more then.

 

[BlueMAB]

Free- just because you repeat the same thing over and over again doesn't make it true.

Maybe the reason we have to do this is because we aren't the "big" program you think we are? We are in the AAC and Rutgers, Ville, BCU, Pitt, and Cuse are not.

What does that tell you about UConn and the validity of saying "nobody else does it". Nobody else has to do it, while being popular enough for the network to want to do it.

Being more concerned with attendance and perception while ignoring the exposure is amazingly naive and silly.

 

[Jax Husky]

Free, I really think you are readi g wayyyyy too much into this. Casual fans around the country arent going to be thinking about the implications of why UConn scheduled this. All they'll know is that the biggest sports network in the world decided to highlight UConn athletics for 7 hours. That will be the take away nationally.

 

[Waquoit]

All they'll know is that the biggest sports network in the world decided to highlight UConn athletics for 7 hours. That will be the take away nationally.

Will it? The same thing happened last year and I don't remember any huge positive takeaway. I don't remember any takeaway at all good or bad. All I remember is that it was a hardship on the good UConn fans, the ones that go to games and support the team. The "fans" that don't go to games, that don't support the team with cash, the ones that sit on the couch making posts badmouthing the crowd are the one that are good with this.

 

[d1reality]

Free, I really think you are readi g wayyyyy too much into this. Casual fans around the country arent going to be thinking about the implications of why UConn scheduled this. All they'll know is that the biggest sports network in the world decided to highlight UConn athletics for 7 hours. That will be the take away nationally.

Or they may be watching whatever game is on ESPN and not even tuning in on the deuce for AAC action.

 

[Jax Husky]

Will it? The same thing happened last year and I don't remember any huge positive takeaway. I don't remember any takeaway at all good or bad. All I remember is that it was a hardship on the good UConn fans, the ones that go to games and support the team. The "fans" that don't go to games, that don't support the team with cash, the ones that sit on the couch making posts badmouthing the crowd are the one that are good with this.

The bars I was in in Florida all had UConn on for an entire night. I really cannot imagine that some huge number of fans are really impacted by this. Are you suggesting there are thousands of fans that were going to head down to Brooklyn that won't now because of their football tickets? Or vice versa? I just don't see it.

 

[mattp]

The bars I was in in Florida all had UConn on for an entire night. I really cannot imagine that some huge number of fans are really impacted by this. Are you suggesting there are thousands of fans that were going to head down to Brooklyn that won't now because of their football tickets? Or vice versa? I just don't see it.

I think there's probably a thousand or more that would have made the trip to Brooklyn if the times were better. I know some people here are spoiled, like freescooter who can only get excited for a game on an aircraft carrier or Duke in March, but UConn/Maryland at the Barclays Center is going to be a marquee early season bball game. A lot of casual fans will be watching, because aside from some interesting early season tournament match-ups, this is about as good as it gets until after Christmas.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Actually I think Pitt did it and we were part of the football end of the doubleheader. Dont remember the why.