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

[Marbles90]

Cause the new PAC 12 TV deal would pay almost the same amount as Big East and Indy status. Not to mention the closest conference rival would be what? Boise St? That would destroy the athletic department on travel alone just for football.

AAC won't take football only and UConn isn't going to move basket ball unless it's to ACC, Big 10 or big 12.

Realistically without an invite to the P4 is just going to kill the budget more

First of all, were we ever actually offered a football only invite to the new PAC? If yes, I do not remember that. I do remember us coming out saying we were not interested in it but I don’t remember an actual invite.

Second, really? 6 trips to the western part of the country will “destroy” the AD due to travel? You do know we are traveling to Colorado and Wyoming next year, right? And we have traveled to Utah, Idaho and California in previous seasons. I mean, yeah, the travel will be more, but not that significant and certainly not enough to destroy the entire athletic department. And if we got BE $$ for basketball and whatever the football portion of the new PAC $$ I think it would at least wash.

 

[uconnyankee]

Our current situation is the best possible situation that we have control of. Are there some really short sighted people still out there that think we should stay in the Big East at all costs? You betcha.

If you want to keep being able to get Dan Hurley the resources to keep him here and keep competing for championships for the long term then getting to one of the four is imperative.

For football, Indy is better than being in any G6 conference, unless you enjoy watching every game on ESPN+ and getting almost no exposure.

At least in the Big East, we get as much money as we would if all the sports were still in the AAC.

So what's your recommendation? I'm honestly curious on how you would fix the long-term situation, considering your agreement that we're in the best current situation that we have available to us...

only thing you can do is stay the course. Build on what Mora has done. Keep the fb brand on an upward trajectory and get ready for the next round.
Protect the crown jewel in bb, and make sure any move from BE is a win win.
I do think a fb only would be better than Indy. But it would have to be something workable. Pac 12 without other eastern team or two would be tough. With Memphis, Temple, and Tulane. Maybe?
AAC would work, but I don’t think they want us without bb.

just keep moving forward. No more RE2.0 for 5 years.

 

[uconnyankee]

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.

Are there people thinking UConn should leave BE for anything but P4?
Only conversation in my mind is can we get fb only somewhere and keep BE for everything else.
No way do you take bb out of BE for anything but P4.

 

[snoopy]

Are there people thinking UConn should leave BE for anything but P4?
Only conversation in my mind is can we get fb only somewhere and keep BE for everything else.
No way do you take bb out of BE for anything but P4.

Nah, FB only for AAC. But that likely won’t happen…

 

[JMick]

The argument that Mora left partly because of conference, and having a solution for UConn’s conference affiliation are very different.

I’m am hopeful that for 2030 with next movements, UConn can finally make a move. If there was a fb only option, I think UConn should consider it. But like everything else, there has to be a viable conference willing to make it happen.

It's so weird that people can't acknowledge that the conference situation hurts us, but it's also the best current position. Anyone who thinks being independent wasn't a factor here is imo crazy. But that doesn't mean we can just do something about it, either.

 

[Nicklo28]

It seems the AAC would be a good fit for football. But we would have to give them something in return. How about football and women basketball go to AAC only. Everything else stays Big East.
I wonder if AAC would go for it. Our woman’s basketball program is # 1. And a good asset

 

[uconnfan68]

It seems the AAC would be a good fit for football. But we would have to give them something in return. How about football and women basketball go to AAC only. Everything else stays Big East.
I wonder if AAC would go for it. Our woman’s basketball program is # 1. And a good asset

We were undefeated in a better AAC in wbb. Why make them suffer?

 

[snoopy]

Maybe FB and baseball/softball can play in the AAC?

 

[uconnfan68]

Maybe FB and baseball/softball can play in the AAC?

Probably a better solution, but it seems like our sports are in about 5 conferences now.

 

[jostar1]

It seems the AAC would be a good fit for football. But we would have to give them something in return. How about football and women basketball go to AAC only. Everything else stays Big East.
I wonder if AAC would go for it. Our woman’s basketball program is # 1. And a good asset

You didn't ask: Would the Big East allow women's basketball to go to the AAC? I doubt it.

 

[CCSUblue]

Probably a better solution, but it seems like our sports are in about 5 conferences now.

Big East - primary
Hockey East - m/w ice hockey
Independent - football
CAA - women's rowing

 

[Woof 101]

Regarding Mora, I believe that either this was Mora and Benedict's plan all along, or Mora underestimated the challenges of our situation.

Could have been both and like many have said he took a job in his neighborhood. More money, PAC 12, bigger budget etc.
Either DB had a lot of promises of a conference or possibly thought the Mora brand would add to that possibility.
I wish him well as sad as I am to see him go.
Another kick in the back side... wait... wait ... They want us to commit to our season ticket holders seats by December 3rd!
Last season they moved it up quite a bunch but this is ridiculous. No Idea of a coach, staff or team we lose much more than just Mora this year.
They want us bleeding blue and I have for decades but it is more about bleeding green backs.

 

[Woof 101]

. I stayed at a holiday Inn express last night, if you are questioning my credentials...

But... but... Hotel 6 would have left the light on ; )

 

[Hskies4Ever]

Cause the new PAC 12 TV deal would pay almost the same amount as Big East and Indy status. Not to mention the closest conference rival would be what? Boise St? That would destroy the athletic department on travel alone just for football.

AAC won't take football only and UConn isn't going to move basket ball unless it's to ACC, Big 10 or big 12.

Realistically without an invite to the P4 is just going to kill the budget more

The AAC takes football only for Army and Navy, and if the football team is good enough to raise the value of the payout for everyone, they absolutely will take UConn. They’re now in an arms race vs the Pac for G6 supremacy.

IF the opportunity were to arise it would hinge on the benefits of the stability offered vs. the exit fee and also national linear coverage vs. being on ESPN+.

I think the university has shown the capacity to foot the bill for now and it would cause more headaches than benefit in my opinion.

If we’re going to make it to the P4 we need to keep winning, and if we do that combined with intriguing scheduling, we will eventually get to a place where our media rights are comparable to the AAC and maybe even the Pac.

As long as our plan is to get to the P4, unless there is a VERY UConn-friendly exit fee negotiated, joining a conference probably doesn’t make much sense.

 

[FairwayFlyer]

DO seems willing to take a call. Interesting.

 

[greenday61892]

All this talk about switching only some non-football from Big East to AAC with football is moot, I'm almost 99% positive you're only allowed to be an associate member in a sport that your primary conference doesn't sponsor, and if it does you have to be in your primary conference.

 

[Jax Husky]

DB is saying what needs to be said.
I think anyone that roots for UConn Football (clearly there are those BB only fans here) is a bit apprehensive about Moras departure and what it might mean for his replacement.

Did Mora leave because of the conference situation? Money? Location? Dislike of New England?
Lack of support from from UConn? Was it Benedict?

I think Mora is a classy guy. I suspect it was location and conference, things that UConn can’t solve immediately or at all.
I don’t think if it was anything else, he’s going to burn any bridges.

I would have liked him to stay for the bowl. He did that for his players, and I think it would be great for him to finish with these guys. I get there are reasons why he won’t, so it is what it is.

The biggest thing though is, whether it’s said or not, how does this impact the next coach. Is the Indy label really a problem? Does UConn need to push for ST solution if this is causing instability at the leadership level. Is it institutional support? I thought UConn really turned on the faucet for that, but maybe not enough. Is it the coaching staff and ability to retain coaches? I thought we turned a corner there.

This next hire is incredibly important and likely sends a big message where UConn thinks its program is heading. It won’t happen (I hope not at least) but imagine RE 3.0 and the message it sends. On the flip, a Chip Kelley or Chesney would be solid.

It’s literally groundhogs day here. Is it 3 more years of winter again, or do we have an early spring. Let’s hope for the latter

Please not Chip Kelly. He hates to recruitand is looking for retirement gigs at this point.

 

[jrg23]

DO = HC. Lyndon Johnson DC. Darius Butler handles the backfield. Hire Donald Brown to coach RB's. Bring back Andre Dixon as the S&C. Jackson Mitchell with LB's. There are 20 other names to feature here. But at the end of the day, pick the cream of the crop of legacy players/coaches and the journey will continue!

 

[Scrutineer]

UConn should think about selling the fb rights to a private equity firm. Let’s see how the private sector can change our fb fortunes.

That, or something along the lines of spinning the Athletic Department off as a private corporation, has occurred to me as well. But, with no experience in such matters, I've struggled to conjure up who would make such an investment and how they would generate returns attractive enough to make it work. Maybe some Boneyarders have ideas and experience they could share.

 

[Scrutineer]

How is this still an issue on this board? It's gotta be 99% of people who actually seriously follow UConn and college sports that want us in the P4. bailWe haven't been invited.

End of the day, he turns 65 next season and probably wants to be in a different location than Connecticut for next year and the rest of his life. That said, he was fortunate at UConn because the expectations were so low and there are some parts of the head coaching job that he didn't want to do like raising money and UConn didn't object.

The more I read the comments here the more I'm beginning to believe the real reason he took the CSU job is next year's schedule with what will likely be a depleted roster even beyond JF and SB. We saw several key guys leave after last year's success and it will likely happen again (and we already have a few important pieces in the portal) so JM may have bailed to avoid losing the aura currently surrounding him.

Hard to go from 10-3 (maybe) to.............? He's been on a roll the past two years and grabbed what to him appears more appealing path.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

The more I read the comments here the more I'm beginning to believe the real reason he took the CSU job is next year's schedule with what will likely be a depleted roster even beyond JF and SB. We saw several key guys leave after last year's success and it will likely happen again (and we already have a few important pieces in the portal) so JM may have bailed to avoid losing the aura currently surrounding him.

Hard to go from 10-3 (maybe) to.............? He's been on a roll the past two years and grabbed what to him appears more appealing path.

This certainly has something to do with it. However, it is not like he will be let go even if he has a bad season next year. Also, he can always get replacement players from the portal no matter how many players leave.

With CSU, he will get a few years to rebuild the program back up in the new PAC-12. He will be a big hero if he can turn the program around there. It is small possible CSU will be paying him much more than UConn.

The bottom line is he wants to retire in the West near the Rockies.

 

[Waquoit]

I have to say, he did give it his best shot while he was here. I think the lure of the B12 got him in the door and when it didn't happen, he started looking.

 

[Scrutineer]

It’s not that hard, the lack of perceived (real or otherwise) football program strength is what is keeping us out. That seems to be the primary reason then you have secondary reasons like perceived TV/media attractiveness, lack of

You might be right about the size of the field and who gets to play but we see that the P2 (and it’s really only two) don’t care about basketball or March Madness. And, with the PE money floating around the March Madness revenue is far less
Important.

The B1G and SEC do care about basketball and are already pushing to remove the automatic qualifier status for all leagues. Gets them more slots to put in teams that have no prayer to win but bring an additional "share" to the conference.

 

[Scrutineer]

DO seems willing to take a call. Interesting.

We don't need to turn football over to someone who has never run a program, especially at this stage when in a few years seismic changes MAY lead to a better spot for us. Next year's schedule couldn't come at a worse time if we aren't able to hire an experienced coach who wins and knows how to construct and operate a football program.

 

[Bubba1957]

Comments about him leaving because key players are out of eligibility or next year’s schedule being hard are not right.
Whatever his reasons, I guarantee those aren’t it.