Moving UConn Football Forward - A Message from Athletic Director David Benedict.

[uconnbill]

Whoever said that we won’t be making a power conference anytime soon…respectfully, I disagree.

I’m just going to be frank: the ACC and Big 12 are fighting their own battles right now, as they are currently worried about retaining members. UConn is power-conference ready, we’re just waiting for the current realignment to settle. I wouldn’t be surprised if Yormark and DB have the occasional discussion about adding UConn to the B12. I think part of the reason Mora left is because he realized it will be 2-3 years before we get solidified into a P4—given his west coast connections, he may have realized it would be time better spent closer to home.

UConn needs a conference, plain and simple. Staying this way, is a death wish for the program. We are not Notre Dame, and the Big East is a good basketball conference that is losing juice compared to the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, and the ACC.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I can't be positive 100% of the time. There's not that much whiskey around...

If needed I can send you a few bottles

 

[Hoophound]

I never expected Mora to retire here. I did think he’d stick around 3-4 more years. He seemed a little perturbed lately. I actually felt that his reactions after beating Duke and surviving FAU were very subdued. Duke in particular. However, it was after Duke that he did a recruiting pitch in the press conference, so I thought that was a good sign. Anyway, I’m over it. Excited for what’s next.

 

[snoopy]

UConn needs a conference, plain and simple. Staying this way, is a death wish for the program. We are not Notre Dame, and the Big East is a good basketball conference that is losing juice compared to the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, and the ACC.

So, question (two of them, actually):

1. Why did we reject the PAC-12 football offer?

2. Why don’t we try the AAC again?

(Ik the first AAC run was…a hot mess).

 

[BlueandOG]

Everyone knows that being in the P4 is better. Who would deny that? But that's not a plan. That's not a path to get into the P4. We've already seen that the Big East + Independent football is better than the AAC. The data is there.

Would we accept an invite to the Big 12? Of course! But we've gotta get an invite first in order to accept it...

This. UConnSan97 nailed it.

 

[Hamms30]

So, question (two of them, actually):

1. Why did we reject the PAC-12 football offer?

2. Why don’t we try the AAC again?

(Ik the first AAC run was…a hot mess).

1.) It wasn't worth it given the travel costs/burden
2.) We're not invited. We don't get to just pick a conference and join.

 

[uconnbill]

... except for the fact that it almost certainly has nothing to do with our conference situation...

We are not Notre Dame. We need a conference for football and the rest of our sports. I wish certain politicians had shut up last year when the Big 12 was calling. They didn't help push the Big East, which will not allow the rest of the sports programs.

 

[UConnDan97]

We are not Notre Dame. We need a conference for football and the rest of our sports. I wish certain politicians had shut up last year when the Big 12 was calling. They didn't help push the Big East, which will not allow the rest of the sports programs.

Our politicians not saying the right things isn't likely what kept us out though. It was reported that we needed 1 or 2 more votes to get to the 12 out of 16 required, despite Yormark's best efforts. So... we need to do what we can where we currently are until something better comes...

 

[superjohn]

Was anyone expecting Mora to live near Storrs for 20 years????

Even if he stayed for 8 years, he was leaving the area when he was done coaching.

That's the point. Whether he bought a house or rented he was never planning on staying there.

He's in his 60's and it's known he loves it out west, he doesn't have kids he was raising in CT.

 

[HuskyAlum012]

Our politicians not saying the right things isn't likely what kept us out though. It was reported that we needed 1 or 2 more votes to get to the 12 out of 16 required, despite Yormark's best efforts. So... we need to do what we can where we currently are until something better comes...

It's ironic that I believe Ok st was one of the bigger voices that was vehemently against us joining Big 12 because our football wasn't good enough, but this year we would whoop their asses

 

[uconnbill]

So, question (two of them, actually):

1. Why did we reject the PAC-12 football offer?

2. Why don’t we try the AAC again?

(Ik the first AAC run was…a hot mess).

Travel was too much

No on the AAC because only baseball would improve. The football team lost its best players to the Big 12, a place we should have been in, but that ship has sailed for now.

 

[uconnbill]

Our politicians not saying the right things isn't likely what kept us out though. It was reported that we needed 1 or 2 more votes to get to the 12 out of 16 required, despite Yormark's best efforts. So... we need to do what we can where we currently are until something better comes...

Having the governor and a U.S. senator coming out against it didn't help them both push the Big East.

 

[snoopy]

1.) It wasn't worth it given the travel costs/burden
2.) We're not invited. We don't get to just pick a conference and join.

As for the 2nd point, totally, I get that. A lot of people don’t and I think that trips them up.

But what I meant to say though, is DB potentially calling up AAC commissioners and seeing if there was any opportunity. But yeah…not sure if it’s worth it.