Michigan AD confirms they will honor 2013 game....

[rich1122]

I would go for sure to NY. But, do you think that you would fill a NY stadium with fans who can barely get there on time and always leaver early. Make it at the Rent or take the buyout.

 

[johnhuskies95]

You really don't think people are going to care about Syracuse USC? I think people will 100% be talking about that game. When was the last time USC was out on the east coast?

Well, they came to Virginia four years ago. The point is, getting a "blueblood" to play a Big East team in a true away venue is extremely difficult. Other than Pitt getting Notre Dame, how often do the true bluebloods like Alabama, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, USC, Texas, Ohio State, Tennessee and Nebraska play a Big East team in a true road game?

I simply disagree with the original poster saying we should move the game to NYC immediately because of the rise in national profile. UConn has a chance to get two bluebooks to come play them at the Rent in three years. How many other Big East programs can say that?

 

[metsfan2323]

Wow, a UConn-Michigan game in NYC in September. That would suck, count me out.

If the game is at Yankee stadium I assume it will need to be played in November after baseball season is over.

Two undefeated teams, both 9 - o squaring off in November on a Saturday evening. Michigan ranked # 2, UCONN ranked # 14. Michigan leads by 4 with 1:10 to go but we force a punt. Whitmer completes passes to Osiecki, and Bryce McNeal who breaks a tackle and goes for 30 yards before he is forced out of bounds at the Michigan 15 yard line. 6 seconds to go and ball at the Michigan 2 following a completion to Joe Williams. Whitmer under center, takes the snap and rolls out to his left on a naked bootleg and crosses the endzone as time expires. Fans on the field. Chaos at Yankee Stadium.

 

[businesslawyer]

R u serious? Really? What the hell is he going to say..... Play at a neutral site or we'll get a booster to cut a 2.5 mil check for the buy out? Do u think the strong arm tactics implemented by the mich's and nd's of the world r played out in full view? He'll no! If this topic is in play again, which it may or not be,it's all going on behind the scenes. When my company acquires a competitor, we don't come in and say were going to gut the company, lay off the workforce and shut down the plant! We talk about how wonderful the employees and products are and how they are they are a stable part of the community, then sign the deal! When that's done, THEN we gut the company, game over. As a business lawyer I would expect more understanding of business and the gamesmanship that goes into it.

Gee, thank you for that lecture. Not to bother you with Kindergarten level business lawyering, but the obvious fact that makes the two situations totally different is that Michigan has the unilateral right to cut UConn a check and walk away from the game. In your example, you elect to lie because you can't unilaterally buy a company -- you need to convince someone to sell it to you.

But thank you for your condescension.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Out of curiousity, why are we discussing Michigan cancelling when they gave a clear answer that they wouldn't cancel?

It's good question. Easy answer is b/c it's an internet chat forum and we're all just bullsh*tting.

I guess I would have to go back and read to figure out where and how the tangent started, but I've been trying to be clear on a couple things.

The thing that stands out most to me, is that the article referenced clearly lays out that Michigan is intersted in large eastern venues. It doesn't specifically say New York, but it I think it's pretty clear what the situation is. To my knowledge, this is the frist publc acknowledgement out of Michigan of interest to play football in NYC - again - for them. Been a long time since they played regulary in New York.

Of the top 10 programs that draw the most fan interest,television revenue, gate reciept revenue in college football in NYC, UConn and Michigan and are the only ones that don't have contracts in place in coming years for either Yankee stadium or Met-Life meadowlands games.

To my knowledge, based on today's article - of the identiied top 10 programs for fan interest in college fooball derived from official Google company research, published by the NYTimes, now that MIchigan has expressed that interest....ONLY our own University of Connecticut is the ONLY school with a 1-A football program htat has not openly expressed interest to play in NYC.

IMO - that needs to change, and quick.

and working out a partnership w/ Michigan to play in the city, seems to be sitting on the doorstep and just waiting to happen, and with a wide open future schedule out of conference currently, we've got tons of opporunity to start playing in New York.

By no means, does any of that suggest that the 2013 game in Rentschler be given up willingly, nor does it mean we should be restricting our normal desired alottment of games at Rentschler in any season. I have repeatedly expressed this.

So that's why I've been talking about it.

 

[UConnDan97]

If the game is at Yankee stadium I assume it will need to be played in November after baseball season is over.

Two undefeated teams, both 9 - o squaring off in November on a Saturday evening. Michigan ranked # 2, UCONN ranked # 14. Michigan leads by 4 with 1:10 to go but we force a punt. Whitmer completes passes to Osiecki, and Bryce McNeal who breaks a tackle and goes for 30 yards before he is forced out of bounds at the Michigan 15 yard line. 6 seconds to go and ball at the Michigan 2 following a completion to Joe Williams. Whitmer under center, takes the snap and rolls out to his left on a naked bootleg and crosses the endzone as time expires. Fans on the field. Chaos at Yankee Stadium.

We win by 17. McCombs goes for 180 and two tds. Whitmer throws for another 2 tds. Taylor Mack takes one to the house on the second half kickoff.

New York goes nuts. They are showing national flag blue on the Empire State Building (not that $#itty Rutgers red). Tri-state tv sets continue their trend of turning on for Huskies. I have a whiskey on the rocks and laugh to myself in joyous bliss. Life is good when you're a UConn fan. Root harder!

 

[Dann]

We win by 17. McCombs goes for 180 and two tds. Whitmer throws for another 2 tds. Taylor Mack takes one to the house on the second half kickoff.

New York goes nuts. They are showing national flag blue on the Empire State Building (not that $#itty Rutgers red). Tri-state tv sets continue their trend of turning on for Huskies. I have a whiskey on the rocks and laugh to myself in joyous bliss. Life is good when you're a UConn fan. #RootHarder

 

[HuskyBandDad]

What we need to do is take the 2010-2013 games, and build an an extended scheduling contract in place with Michigan such that the two game series we've got goes another 4 games, and we end up laying them 3 times in Michigan, and they play us once more in Hartford, and once in Yankee Stadium.

Get r done Warde.

Show of hands, how many people would take the train to E153rd station for a UConn v. Michigan game at Yankee Stadium?

Not Me - The Rent or nothing

 

[HuskyBandDad]

Michigan ranks right behind Notre Dame and Penn State in popularity and fanbase in New York City, for programs that actually aren't local to New York City, and historically played games in New York regularly.

Michigan and UConn, are the only football programs of the most popular college football teams in New York City, that don't have existing scheduling contracts in place to play games in either Yankee Stadium or the new Meadowlands.

Look, I'm all for getting games on the schedule in Rentschler, but can it be any more clear after the past few years? We can't be standing up without a chair on this one.

We need to get Michigan on our schedule, and in New York City. I'm not willing to give up the game at Rentschler for it, but we've got to find a way to make this work.

Warde Manuel.............get r done.

We have a hard time filling the Rent - How many of our fans are going to go anywhere else ??

 

[ZooCougar]

When they play at some Big Ten schools they don't even get 40k into larger capacity stadiums. For the sake of our season ticket holders, this should be a true home game.

 

[ZooCougar]

Also, I take the Michigan AD at his word. They intend to honor the contract, because that is their policy even when they could break even or make more money by buying it out and leaving us in a scheduling deficit.

If this is how Michigan really does business then this is something to be appreciated in my book. I also can't blame them for requesting we consider an alternate venue. If we were in their shoes we would do the same.

But this is one of the truly crappy things about the economics of college football. With such a comparatively short regular season, you are always going to see inequalities. Goliath will rarely ever go on the road to play David. Even when Goliath isn't really Goliath.

In this case, I expect that Michigan will be a much better team than they were the last time we played them.

I really don't envy our AD. He has fans and donors that want the premier teams playing in the Rent. But that is looking increasingly unlikely. I was against the Notre Dame, simply because it was too one sided. We could have played a few games at neutral locations, but Notre Dame should have compromises and at least played us once or twice at the Rent.

 

[Santini35]

The thing that stands out most to me, is that the article referenced clearly lays out that Michigan is intersted in large eastern venues. It doesn't specifically say New York, but it I think it's pretty clear what the situation is. To my knowledge, this is the frist publc acknowledgement out of Michigan of interest to play football in NYC - again - for them. Been a long time since they played regulary in New York.

Where does he say that he is interested in playing any game in a large eastern venue, beyond trying to get out of having to play the 2013 game at the Rent? Everything Brandon has said since at least last July is that he wants to play as many home non conference games as absolutely possible, with the exception of every other year with ND, and made for TV one off's like playing Alabama in Dallas this year.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Where does he say that he is interested in playing any game in a large eastern venue, beyond trying to get out of having to play the 2013 game at the Rent? Everything Brandon has said since at least last July is that he wants to play as many home non conference games as absolutely possible, with the exception of every other year with ND, and made for TV one off's like playing Alabama in Dallas this year.

"Certainly there are ways to make that game [away vs. UConn] bigger, in terms of venue, and we'll have conversations in that regard," Brandon acknowledged."

I inserted/inferred 'eastern' venue into the statement, is it a huge reach to think that he's talking about NYC? I think it's pretty clear.

He doesn't say anything about wantng to play future games in a large eastern venue. I'm saying that's what we should be pitching at Michigan. Based on everything I've written in here. The market shares in NY. The pieces of that incredibly large market base that are getting grabbed up by all the other college football programs that have significant fan bases there.

I understand that he wants to put every non conference game other than ND into the big house. That's not going to be realistic unless they're playing unattractive media and fan games.

I think we've got an opportunity to build a long term scheduling relationship with Michigan through NYC, and I think we'd be dumb not to make a strong effort to make it work. If they're going to go on the road to the east coast, NYC is the place to play for them, andI think that he may want it, but it's highly doubtful that they'll get every single non-conference game in the future other than ND at home.

Get it?

 

[Santini35]

No I don't get it. You seem to want to confuse his desire to make the best of what, from his point of view, is a bad situation that was forced upon him by his predecessor with wanting to play on the east coast at all.

He doesn't care what bigger venue he plays us in, he just knows one in the east is the only one he'd even have a chance to get UConn to capitulate to.

That fact does not mean that he desires to play in NYC at all (even if it makes market share sense to you), which you seem to attribute to him.

 

[Carl Spackler]

No I don't get it. You seem to want to confuse his desire to make the best of what, from his point of view, is a bad situation that was forced upon him by his predecessor with wanting to play on the east coast at all.

He doesn't care what bigger venue he plays us in, he just knows one in the east is the only one he'd even have a chance to get UConn to capitulate to.

That fact does not mean that he desires to play in NYC at all (even if it makes market share sense to you), which you seem to attribute to him.

Fair enough. I disagree that Michigan has no interest to play on the east coast, but it's just my opinion, and time will tell, whether or not they schedule NYC.

The fact that he's interested in discussion larger venues than Rentschler in 2013, on the east coast, most definitely means that he's interested in NYC venues, at least for one year. You seem to think that Michigan will be able to do exactly what he said in what you posted regarding scheduling out of conference in the future. I think it's totally unrealistic scheduling wise, but it sure sounds good to the Michigan fan base to hear the AD say that he wants all non-conference games at home.

The market share in NYC is what it is, and I posted the source that I used, which had nothing to do with Michigan's athletic department, no idea where you got that I attributed that to him.....but the source clearly demonstrates that there are about 8-9 D 1-A major college football programs that have significant fan base in NYC, and of those programs, the only ones that don't currently have scheduling arrangements in coming years in NY - are UConn and Michigan.

Michigan is a national brand in college football. They will be traveling west with the Pac-10 arrangement. If they're going to be traveling to the east coast as well, which they'd be dumb not to get in on the game that PSU, ND, USC....are getting in on........New York City is the place to play for them. Nobody owns New York City - in any sport. The Yankees don't. The Giants don't. What you do with New York City, is carve out your slice of the market, and make it as big as you can. The majority of the time, that small slice of New York, is bigger than most entire markets elsewhere in the country.

If, and when it happens, and I have no doubt that Michigan will be back in NYC at some point in the next few years..and that's clearly where we disagree - you think they won't...but....if and when they do....we absolutley need to be on that ticket, and my point in all of this discussion, is that we are in position right now, - to be very pro-active in making that happen.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Let me put it this way - IF....Michigan chooses to schedule NYC in the future....is there anyone in their right mind that believes they would choose to seek out UCONN to play in Met-Life or Yankee Stadium over Notre Dame?

We are in position to pitch a deal, and close on it, that would be huge for us, and give Michigan their entry into the New York market. If we let this scheduling partnership expire and fall through the floor and end after 2013 without actively pursuing it for the future...and the only way we pursue it through NYC.....then Warde Manuel is no better when it comes to being the AD of a major football playing school at 1-A, than Hathaway was.

 

[CTMike]

He has Michigan ties, I'm sure the subject will come up. We just have no idea whether any amount of #BeggingHarder will make them want to play us again... and that won't necessarily be a reflection on Manuel. But I'm sure the subject will be brought up.

 

[Carl Spackler]

He has Michigan ties, I'm sure the subject will come up. We just have no idea whether any amount of #BeggingHarder will make them want to play us again... and that won't necessarily be a reflection on Manuel. But I'm sure the subject will be brought up.

I agree. I think Manuel knows what he's doing, and I think he's going to be doing whatever he can to extend the Michigan scheduling beyond 2013. I basically wrote that for effect.

What cannot happen, is that the University and fan base walk away from New York City at this point in time. It was ok in 2006-2007, but if we don't get in now, we're going to on the outside of the party looking in again, when it comes to somethign around college football.

We need to get into the city, and we've got what I think is a golden opportunity to do so, and not by scheduling the likes of Army - as Rutgers has done, but by doing what Syracuse has done, and go out and get a program on the ticket that has a national profile and major share of New York.....AND do it better than Syracuse did - by not compromising our own home schedule at Rentschler iwth a slate of unattractive games.

That's where having the wide open futures right now becomse a positive rather than a negative for us. We can go out and aggresseively pursue scheduling a Michigan (or other program), in New York City in the future, and still get 6 home games, that feature the NC States, and Marylands, and Vanderbilts, Tennessee's and Michigan's coming to Rentschler.

I suppose I should leave this alone now. The Michigan AD has said he'll honor the 2013 game and Michigan will be at Rentschler in Sept 2013.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

.....but suggests another venue at least be considered.....


http://www.annarbor.com/sports/um-f...-to-go-on-as-planned-expects-pac-12-opponent/

Michigan would want to play this game at the old Memorial Field? Seriously? What other venue change could they possibly be suggesting since Rentschler Field is UConn's home stadium? Did the Huskies asked to have the '10 game played in Detroit at Ford Field? No, they played at Michigan's home field.

No way to anything but UM coming to East Hartford. That is a huge part of UConn getting respect as a legit BCS program.

Going forward, if Michigan wants a long term deal . . . sure one of the games could be at Yankee Stadium or better yet - a 1-2-1 series with two games in the Bronx. Other than that . . . take a hike. Unless!!! Unless, it could solicit their influence to get UConn a conference invite . . . at which point I'm all in for whatever they'd like in the short-term.

 

[Carl Spackler]

FYI:
Syracuse is playing USC in NY in 2012. They're playing Penn State in NYC in 2013. They're playign Notre Dame in NYC in 2014 and 2016. All at Met-Life Stadium.

I'd like to see UConn figure out a way to line something similar up with MIchigan involved, and others, at Yankee Stadium.

That's carving out a market share in New York City with scheduling, and it's omething they've moved on quickly, while they've got lots of other scheduling contracts in place for the carrier dome out of conference.

If you look at Syracuse's non-conference schedule at the Carrier Dome.....they're alienating the locals upstate.

We don't have to do that, b/c we've got so few scheduling contracts in place right now for Rentschler out of conference in the future. WE can still find plenty of room to bring in high profile names to Rentschler in the future as well.

When it comes to major college football...and being the athletic director.......scheduling is priority #1. Scheduling is what put Buffalo on the map for Warde Manuel. UMass is hell bent on scheduling right now. UConn needs to change our mode of operating. We refused to get bent over by Notre Dame years ago, but times have changed. We don't need to bend over anymore and can actually be part of a negotiation, that can benefit two sides of a coin.


I've got to shut off the computer now - later.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

FYI:
Syracuse is playing USC in NY in 2012. They're playing Penn State in NYC in 2013. They're playign Notre Dame in NYC in 2014 and 2016. All at Met-Life Stadium.

I'd like to see UConn figure out a way to line something similar up with MIchigan involved, and others, at Yankee Stadium.

Last check Syracuse was located in New York state, UConn was not. Let's not get crazy exporting games. That's part of the problem with the Big East. . . it's a basketball conference with some football, it's got a program that's in the conference, but just not in all sports, it's a huge conference in hoops that has extinguished to a huge degree hot-blooded rivalries, it has a team now on the Pacific Coast, the Canadien Border (out west), Texas and is hopeful to get a football only school (Navy).

And people here, criticize the ACC?

 

[Carl Spackler]

Ignorin the most powerful market forces in college athletics is what got the big east to the situation it's in right now in 2012, vs. what it could have been......and uconn was right in line all along up until Herbst and Manuel arrived. Ignoring the power of the new york city market, and what's happening in it right now with college football, would be a bad mistake. making the moves that syracuse has made is not what we have to do, we have the opportunity to continue to bring high profile teams into Rentschler, and also carve our slice out of new york.

Have you looked at our future schedules? We have ZERO teams scheduled for 2014. We have 1 OOC game schedule in 2015. We have 2 OOC games scheduled in 2016. We have 1 OOC game scheduled in 2017. This is a problem that needs to be fixed. Very fast. It's a huge weakness that was left unaddressed by Hathaway. We menaged to land Michigan and Tennessee a few years ago, and renewed a Virginia home and home, and essentially nothing was done with future scheduling that is evident for fans to see.

That problem, can be turned into a big strength for us, if we can get into New York. B/c we'll have the room to continue to have a nice home game slate at Rentschler, in addition to building the profile in NYC and nationally with programs that want to play in NYC.

I don't get what's so hard to comprehend about this. I'm not saying anything that compromises the value of our home field, am talking about how to strengthen and build our football brand, and make our home stronger.

Last check Syracuse was located in New York state, UConn was not. Let's not get crazy exporting games. That's part of the problem with the Big East. . . it's a basketball conference with some football, it's got a program that's in the conference, but just not in all sports, it's a huge conference in hoops that has extinguished to a huge degree hot-blooded rivalries, it has a team now on the Pacific Coast, the Canadien Border (out west), Texas and is hopeful to get a football only school (Navy).

And people here, criticize the ACC?

 

[pj]

If indeed Michigan wants to play in NYC, then UConn should be thrilled at the opportunity to schedule another 2-game series, one at Michigan and one in NYC. That would be huge for the UConn football brand. In the meantime, thank you, Michigan, for honoring the contract to play at the Rent. That's huge for UConn and a generous gesture from the Wolverines.

 

[Waquoit]

... and a generous gesture from the Wolverines.

No, it's not. It's payment for services rendered. We were generous playing them in the first place. UM was desperate for an opening game. We gave them what they were looking for, a game against a team ith a nationally know name. They aren't doing us a favor. They owe. Pay up.

 

[Waquoit]

Ignoring the power of the new york city market, and ....

Constantly repeating yourself doesn't make your (poor) point any more valid. This game in NYC or E. Rutherford would be forgotten by that "market" approximately 5 minutes after the final play. The Wolverines coming to The Rent would be the biggest day in the history of the program. The positive effects would last for years.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Constantly repeating yourself doesn't make your (poor) point any more valid. This game in NYC or E. Rutherford would be forgotten by that "market" approximately 5 minutes after the final play. The Wolverines coming to The Rent would be the biggest day in the history of the program. The positive effects would last for years.

Well said. A couple of years from that game, a lot of folks (non-UConn fans) would remember seeing Michigan but not able to remember who they played.

 

[Jimdish255]

Well said. A couple of years from that game, a lot of folks (non-UConn fans) would remember seeing Michigan but not able to remember who they played.

Yes, Yes and Yes. Cuse is from NY with a huge fanbase in NYC and the historic media connections. Throwing Buffalo and UMass into the equation for us to emulate is worse than the trailer mentality we worked so hard to shed. Honor the contract and we work on the future if there is one. Do we still think so little of ourselves that holding someone to a contract is optional for them but an obligation for us? The Michigan game is a huge opportunity to build something here and what we should be focusing on is marketing the heck out of it to send a message that we can promote the game and add as much of an big event atmosphere as we've ever seen in CT.

 

[freescooter]

the Michigan AD said exactly what I said. They want to play all their non-conference games except Notre Dame every other year, at Michigan Stadium. They want to do that because they can do that. They know by playing 8 home games, they maximize their potential revenue stream, they likewise maximize their competitive advantage since the home team usually has an advantage. They do it because they can. For UCONN bringing "name" opponents to Rentschler Field is an important facet of our development as a program. It is one thing to play them, and one thing to beat them, but it is also important to play them in our house. It will create a level of excitment that we haven't yet seen with UCONN football. Michigan's complaints about the size of the venue is much ado about nothing. They regularly play in comparable facilities in the Big 10 and they've played in comparable facilities elswhere. We aren't going to paly them somewhere else.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Constantly repeating yourself doesn't make your (poor) point any more valid. This game in NYC or E. Rutherford would be forgotten by that "market" approximately 5 minutes after the final play. The Wolverines coming to The Rent would be the biggest day in the history of the program. The positive effects would last for years.

Holy crap. Nowhere, anywhere have I suggested that the 2013 game be moved.

Nor have I said that a game in NYC against Michigan (or anyone else) would be more important than playing at Rentschler. I've actually said that we are in good position to schedule in NYC, b/c it WON"T have to come at compromising our Rentschler schedules, as Syracuse has done with their Carrier dome slate.

I've repeatedly said that I think it's very important that we start scheduling games to be played in a venue in New York City, and that I think that the return game that we've got contracted with Michigan, is an excellent place to begin to move on doing that. Feel free to disagree with that if you want, but try to keep the discussion there.

Michigan coming to Rentschler is a huge deal....for us. I'm very grateful for the stance that the new AD has taken on the game. THanks Michigan.

And frankly, if you're attitude, about having them "pay up", in any way or fashion were to actually be part of how UConn handles this situation until the game is actually played at Rentschler, then you know what - that's most likely exactly what Michigan would do, is pay up the fee and then take their program somewhere else to play a game.

Unbelievable.

 

[Jimdish255]

Holy crap. Nowhere, anywhere have I suggested that the 2013 game be moved.

Nor have I said that a game in NYC against Michigan (or anyone else) would be more important than playing at Rentschler. I've actually said that we are in good position to schedule in NYC, b/c it WON"T have to come at compromising our Rentschler schedules, as Syracuse has done with their Carrier dome slate.

I've repeatedly said that I think it's very important that we start scheduling games to be played in a venue in New York City, and that I think that the return game that we've got contracted with Michigan, is an excellent place to begin to move on doing that. Feel free to disagree with that if you want, but try to keep the discussion there.

Michigan coming to Rentschler is a huge deal....for us. I'm very grateful for the stance that the new AD has taken on the game. THanks Michigan.

And frankly, if you're attitude, about having them "pay up", in any way or fashion were to actually be part of how UConn handles this situation until the game is actually played at Rentschler, then you know what - that's most likely exactly what Michigan would do, is pay up the fee and then take their program somewhere else to play a game.

Unbelievable.

Great. Sounds like we're all in agreement here. The future could certainly include NYC, but I'm not convinced it has the same loing-term benefits for us that some others on the board feel it does. In fact there could be a few negatives we need to consider as I mentioned earlier.