National sentiment

[UCHuskies08]

I’ve received more unsolicited, excited messages from friends today than I did even when we won our titles. It’s obviously been the answer since the TV deal broke, so here we are.

There’s a hunk of fans who drank every drop of the football kool aid that’ll have a rough come down from that, but ultimately I couldn’t be happier. Feels the school’s been saved from itself.

This is a major point for me. Every casual fan who doesn't obsessively follow conference realignment on social media and message boards has been all for it.

Only people on here who still seem to think there's somehow a P5 spot waiting for us are upset with it as far as I've seen. That dream is over. I get it. I lost hope when the Big 12 was like "lol na we'll pass," but that was still a good 9 years of waiting and hoping for a P5 invite. Never came. Never going to come.

How y'all still march on (WAIT FOR THE 2024 DEALS! <---- lol), I don't know. But it's time to come home, soldier. Home to the Big East.

 

[That Guy]

*UConn men’s basketball fans, you’re not a UConn fan if you actively want to torpedo the football program to get what you want. Big problem with this fanbase

I would agree with you if we had some sort of pedigree, history, or tradition as a perennial football power and had just fallen on very hard times, similar to men's basketball. Then I would be all for trying to restore the football program. The fact is that we have always been a mediocre to slightly above-average program with a very low ceiling. Even our best year was mediocre. We had a fluke Fiesta Bowl appearance after an 8-4 season in a down year in the BE and got trounced by Oklahoma. We are located in BY FAR the worst recruiting ground in the country, it's literally a wasteland when it comes to football talent. The few 4* kids that come out of CT every year end up going to Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, etc. and that leaves us with no talent in the state. We then go pick up the scraps and leftovers in NJ, PA, FL, and the DMV area. What this move signifies is that the admins finally acknowledged and accepted that we are and always will be a basketball school and everything must be done to return to and maintain our status as an ELITE basketball program with national championship aspirations, something our football program could never achieve or even dream about.

 

[skies88]

You’re not a UConn fan if you want to see our historically great basketball program which is the pride of our university die at the expense of a dead football program

That is an outrageous strawman to infer that A) basketball is dying, considering we're bringing in our first top 25 recruiting class in 4 years after 3 consecutive sub .500 seasons and B) that I and other football fans want to see basketball suffer because we're of the delusion it will help our case - you know, like UConn basketball only fans

 

[KingAG]

That is an outrageous strawman to infer that A) basketball is dying, considering we're bringing in our first top 25 recruiting class in 4 years after 3 consecutive sub .500 seasons and B) that I and other football fans want to see basketball suffer because we're of the delusion it will help our case - you know, like UConn basketball only fans

That is absolutely the case. If you can’t see the negative impact he AAC has had on our basketball program then you aren’t looking. So for you to want us to stay there for the sole purpose of the football program that hasn’t benefited from the AAC either is asking a lot. The move to the big east isn’t killing the football program. It’s been dead for going on a decade

 

[NatiHuskiFan]

Most of my friends and Bearcats alum are happy UConn is returning to the Big East and it’s not because they don’t want to play UConn. UC wants out of the AAC just as badly as many UConn fans have wanted (at least from what I can tell since joining the BY). Any Xavier fans I’m around are glad to have UConn to play now also

 

[NC_Uconn_Fan]

I admit it, I could care less about the football program. I am a UCONN mens basketball fan since 1988. I didn't even know UCONN had a football team until early 2000's. I moved out of the state around that time, there is no connection for me to the football team. If this move helps the basketball team, I'm all for it.

I can totally understand all of you who invested time and money in the football program. I would be upset as well, just giving you my view and probably they view of many UCONN fans.

I live down here in NC, I don't know any Duke basketball fan who is a fan of their football team, most jumped on Clemson, FSU or Alabama. The same can said for UNC basketball fans, most don't care much about the football.

I am referring to fans, not alumni. I went to CCSU, not UCONN.

 

[mauconnfan]

I admit it, I could care less about the football program. I am a UCONN mens basketball fan since 1988. I didn't even know UCONN had a football team until early 2000's. I moved out of the state around that time, there is no connection for me to the football team. If this move helps the basketball team, I'm all for it.

I can totally understand all of you who invested time and money in the football program. I would be upset as well, just giving you my view and probably they view of many UCONN fans.

I live down here in NC, I don't know any Duke basketball fan who is a fan of their football team, most jumped on Clemson, FSU or Alabama. The same can said for UNC basketball fans, most don't care much about the football.

I am referring to fans, not alumni. I went to CCSU, not UCONN.

Very similar to these feelings here. A fan of hoops since the Dee Rowe era and only went to the Yale Bowl for those UConn football games. The reason for that trip wasn't necessarily the Husky fandom but the party itself. Always looked up their scores on weekends, stats for the players. Was interested in their successes through the years and gained some more after getting tickets to the Indiana Rent first game. But never cared enough to worry about where they are now if it hurts the basketball program. UConn is basketball and any additional success for football is great but it seems to be going the wrong period with nothing in sight to make me believe this is a bad move. I'm happy this is more of where the Huskies belong.

 

[bendm]

In a few years, Texas and Oklahoma will leave the B12, and the dregs will invite schools like USF, UCF, Cincinnati, & one other (not sure who).

really? you were pinning our P5 hopes on being the FOURTH school possibly invited to join "the dregs" of the big12 if texas and oklahoma leave?

i was told buying lotto tickets isn't a sound investment strategy...

 

[Husky25]

I didn't even know UCONN had a football team until early 2000's.

Wow. What a coincidence! They didn't have a Div. 1A football program until the early 2000s.

That is absolutely the case. If you can’t see the negative impact he AAC has had on our basketball program then you aren’t looking. So for you to want us to stay there for the sole purpose of the football program that hasn’t benefited from the AAC either is asking a lot. The move to the big east isn’t killing the football program. It’s been dead for going on a decade

Baloney. The football team had absolutely no hand in the basketball team's three straight losing seasons against what most basketball-only fans' view as inferior competition. The AAC has negatively affected the women's program far more than the men's.

 

[Towney007]

I admit it, I could care less about the football program. I am a UCONN mens basketball fan since 1988. I didn't even know UCONN had a football team until early 2000's. I moved out of the state around that time, there is no connection for me to the football team. If this move helps the basketball team, I'm all for it.

I can totally understand all of you who invested time and money in the football program. I would be upset as well, just giving you my view and probably they view of many UCONN fans.

I live down here in NC, I don't know any Duke basketball fan who is a fan of their football team, most jumped on Clemson, FSU or Alabama. The same can said for UNC basketball fans, most don't care much about the football.

I am referring to fans, not alumni. I went to CCSU, not UCONN.

Yup, same here. Not an alum, but die hard for the hoops program since I was a kid. Just totally apathetic to college football and I work in college sports. I want the football program to succeed but I don't want its struggles to be something that weighs down the basketball program in any way. I don't have the SCIENCE~! to prove it, but I feel like that's the overwhelming number of UConn fans and that's shown out the last few years, especially.

 

[Candyman]

*UConn men’s basketball fans, you’re not a UConn fan if you actively want to torpedo the football program to get what you want. Big problem with this fanbase

I can tell you with a brother who works for the NY Rens that the being in the AAC has turned many players away from UConn. Their coaches advise their players to join P5 first Big East 2nd.

Football had one maybe two good seasons. Basketball has a rich tradition of winning with 4 national titles and womans 11 titles. The administration is finally putting basketball first and I'm fine with Football dying. they had 6 years in a football conference.

I love the football fans on here saying Mens basketball sucks now and cant win in a conference they think their better than but we are in a football conference and they went 1-11 and 0-8 in conference. Had the worst defense in Div 1 history last season. We are supposed to believe this will get better and P5 will come running? Please go back and cry on the Football board.

 

[Towney007]

Wow. What a coincidence! They didn't have a Div. 1A football program until the early 2000s.


Baloney. The football team had absolutely no hand in the basketball team's three straight losing seasons against what most basketball-only fans' views of inferior competition. The AAC has negatively affected the women's program far more than the men's.

I just don't know how anyone can say that, though.

The only reason the team was in the American Conference, which DID hinder recruiting/exposure, etc - was *because we had a football program*. Full stop. No football, no American.

As for their coaching failures, etc. - that's on the program. I'm not saying the football program is to blame for all of life's ills here - but it was certainly an ankle weight and has been for some time.

 

[KingAG]

Wow. What a coincidence! They didn't have a Div. 1A football program until the early 2000s.


Baloney. The football team had absolutely no hand in the basketball team's three straight losing seasons against what most basketball-only fans' views of inferior competition. The AAC has negatively affected the women's program far more than the men's.

We were in the AAC for the sole benefit of the football program. The AAC was a strain on the basketball program. This isn’t rocket science. Had the football team even been respectable it may had been worth it. But the football program has become a parody. There is no tangible benefit right now to weighing our basketball program down by a failed experiment

 

[Zissou]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">How do you feel about UConn heading to the Big East?</p>&mdash; UConn Insider (@UConn_Insider) <a href="">June 22, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[raf46]

It’s not going to work out. Everyone except our frontrunning basketball fanboys sees that. Shortsighted dumb move. But it’s par for the course.

you have not been paying attention to the reality of what has been happening.

 

[mauconnfan]

Wow. What a coincidence! They didn't have a Div. 1A football program until the early 2000s.


Baloney. The football team had absolutely no hand in the basketball team's three straight losing seasons against what most basketball-only fans' view as inferior competition. The AAC has negatively affected the women's program far more than the men's.

How have the women been affected more? Maybe one or 2 more 65 point win a year? Please it's not close 25 on this one. Granted it's a tough call on how much impact thanks to KO not working hard enough to give us a barometer I agree, but there were times he was in on a really good player over the years even right after the NC and the fingers all pointed to the other coaches saying "really you want to play in the AAC against ECU, USF, Tulsa and alike?". I mean FF every year in a womens world where no one really gives a damn about what league you play in it's more like is UConn, Baylor, ND recruiting you or not?

 

[Husky25]

I just don't know how anyone can say that, though.

The only reason the team was in the American Conference, which DID hinder recruiting/exposure, etc - was *because we had a football program*. Full stop. No football, no American.

As for their coaching failures, etc. - that's on the program. I'm not saying the football program is to blame for all of life's ills here - but it was certainly an ankle weight and has been for some time.

The coach hindered recruiting. The coach hindered player development. The coach hindered player retention. Whatever happened in his life that led to his marital divorce affected the basketball team far more than conference affiliation. Hurley recruited a top 20 class for next season. He did in while the program was to remain solidly in the AAC.

We were in the AAC for the sole benefit of the football program. The AAC was a strain on the basketball program. This isn’t rocket science. Had the football team even been respectable it may had been worth it. But the football program has become a parody. There is no tangible benefit right now to weighing our basketball program down by a failed experiment

You say that as if UConn had gone 28-2, run the conference schedule each of the last 3 seasons, only to get a 5 seed in the South region.

You guys are looking for a scapegoat. You found one and are piling on.

 

[Husky25]

How have the women been affected more? Maybe one or 2 more 65 point win a year? Please it's not close 25 on this one. Granted it's a tough call on how much impact thanks to KO not working hard enough to give us a barometer I agree, but there were times he was in on a really good player over the years even right after the NC and the fingers all pointed to the other coaches saying "really you want to play in the AAC against ECU, USF, Tulsa and alike?". I mean FF every year in a womens world where no one really gives a damn about what league you play in it's more like is UConn, Baylor, ND recruiting you or not?

No less than a #5 ranking, ending the regular season ranked #2, and getting assigned a 2 seed in the Tournament, lower than a 1 seed who they beat in the regular season and one who had a worse record, for example. It was in the papers.

 

[Towney007]

The coach hindered recruiting. The coach hindered player development. The coach hindered player retention. Whatever happened in his life that led to his marital divorce affected the basketball team far more than conference affiliation. Hurley recruited a top 20 class for next season. He did in while the program was to remain solidly in the AAC.



You say that as if UConn had gone 28-2, run the conference schedule each of the last 3 seasons, only to get a 5 seed in the South region.

You guys are looking for a scapegoat. You found one and are piling on.

You think moving from the old Big East to the American *helped* to make it easier for basketball recruiting?

Do you think the idea of playing Tulsa appeals more to recruits or Villanova?

And while Hurley got a top 20 class, he also lost a guy to *Illinois*.

Again - it's not football's FAULT that hoops has sucked. But it's certainly been an ankle weight because the conference is an ankle weight. Players would rather play in other conferences, fans don't care about the opponents, TV networks could care less about giving the basketball product in the conference meaningful exposure. All those things hurt the basketball program.

And again - the only reason we were *in the conference at all* was because of the football program. Simple as that.

 

[3rdbass]

You think moving from the old Big East to the American *helped* to make it easier for basketball recruiting?

Do you think the idea of playing Tulsa appeals more to recruits or Villanova?

And while Hurley got a top 20 class, he also lost a guy to *Illinois*.

Again - it's not football's FAULT that hoops has sucked. But it's certainly been an ankle weight because the conference is an ankle weight. Players would rather play in other conferences, fans don't care about the opponents, TV networks could care less about giving the basketball product in the conference meaningful exposure. All those things hurt the basketball program.

And again - the only reason we were *in the conference at all* was because of the football program. Simple as that.

Also, having a coach like KO sure didn't help our image. That definitely hurt us in the AAC as was such a poor coach and handicapped Hurley with such a poor lineup his first year.

 

[Slick]

It shows we ran up the white flag and admitted we're small time

Unfortunately AAC added nothing for UConn. They had to do something to bring back interest in Basketball which was dying on the vine. Whatever happens with football will happen.

 

[KingAG]

The coach hindered recruiting. The coach hindered player development. The coach hindered player retention. Whatever happened in his life that led to his marital divorce affected the basketball team far more than conference affiliation. Hurley recruited a top 20 class for next season. He did in while the program was to remain solidly in the AAC.



You say that as if UConn had gone 28-2, run the conference schedule each of the last 3 seasons, only to get a 5 seed in the South region.

You guys are looking for a scapegoat. You found one and are piling on.

No one is blaming the football program. But the conference that was best for them is horrible for our basketball programs. Call it s scapegoat all you want. Recruiting was an uphill battle in the AAC. We can start pulling in top 10 classes consistently in the Big Beast. We can damn near put a strangle hold on the north east. The football program isn’t directly responsible for the basketball programs plummet from grace. But the fact is that there is no conference available to us at the moment where both can simultaneously reach their full potential. So a decision had to be made on which program to put in position to reach their potential. The basketball program has proven its capable of reaching the elite goal in its respective sport. The football team hasn’t proven it can be consistently competitive. The decision was an easy one. And anyone who is “a fan of UConn” should understand that

 

[Towney007]

And to be clear - football's not *to blame*. It hasn't helped, certainly -

Also, having a coach like KO sure didn't help our image. That definitely hurt us in the AAC as was such a poor coach and handicapped Hurley with such a poor lineup his first year.

100%. And Ollie also hurt recruiting by just not really doing it.

And all of that is important. UConn hoops blew it's own foot off. But the conference is a terrible fit for the program, hasn't helped and has amplified a lot of the problems the program has had. And when your margin for error just keeps shrinking.. it gets impossible to keep up after a while.

The conference was a pretty GOOD fit for the football program and alas - they did nothing to take advantage of it or warrant more time as a member at the slight expense of the other programs on campus - to right the ship.

Yes, we're leaving the conference to protect hoops. But we're also leaving because football just hasn't proven it can hack.

 

[CL82]

The football model was the right move to start with. The future was football. CT just effed it up starting too late followed up by with a stadium in East Hartford, Blumental lawsuit and very piss poor HC hires. Big Time ambitions with small time actions.

FIFY

BCU didn't want to compete against UConn per their AD. It had nothing to go with being butthurt over the lawsuit. "It was business, not personal."

 

[mauconnfan]

No less than a #5 ranking, ending the regular season ranked #2, and getting assigned a 2 seed in the Tournament, lower than a 1 seed who they beat in the regular season and one who had a worse record, for example. It was in the papers.

It's always been a s***t show with UConn women in the tourney they're after Geno no matter what league he's in that's not new. I don't need the papers I saw him get out coached a couple times the last couple years how about we go in that direction rather than try to blame it on a league? Doesn't matter where they are ranked or number in the tourney it's womens college basketball there's only 4-6 teams who have any legit shot. Just win you have a great team. League means zero to a program like Geno's they could go to the Ivy and win NC's.

 

[Towney007]

Well in the end, it's a perfect storm scenario that the university didn't seem ready to handle or were prepared for.

Football hurt hoops. Hoops hurt football. Hoops couldn't stay relevant/good enough for long enough to buy football time to get better and get on solid footing. Football's existence and pulling us into the American basically made it so that every mistake hoops made hurt 15 times as much. When the bottom fell out on both, there just wasn't enough draw to the conference to sustain fan attendance and then before you know it - you're staring at a crisis.

And the administration really just didn't have an answer for 2-3 years. We're spoiled up here. Building programs and (for the most part) sustaining them has been easy for us. Now - not as much. We didn't know how to take a shot. But I think we do now. Live and learn - we survived - so now onwards and upwards for everyone.

 

[CL82]

I would agree with you if we had some sort of pedigree, history, or tradition as a perennial football power ... We had a fluke Fiesta Bowl appearance after an 8-4 season in a down year in the BE and got trounced by Oklahoma.

I post this periodically. Connecticut has won 25 conference championships, 15 shared and 10 outright.

Season	Coach	Conference	Overall record	Conference record
1901	T. D. Knowles	Athletic League of New England State Colleges	8–2	1–0
1924	Sumner Dole	New England Conference	6–0–2	3–0
1926†	Sumner Dole	New England Conference	7–1	2–1
1928†	Sumner Dole	New England Conference	4–1–3	1–0–2
1936	J. Orlean Christian	New England Conference	7–2	2–0
1937†	J. Orlean Christian	New England Conference	6–2–1	1–0
1942	J. Orlean Christian	New England Conference	6–2	2–0
1945	J. Orlean Christian	New England Conference	7–1	2–0
1949†	J. Orlean Christian	Yankee Conference	4–4–1	2–0–1
1952†	Robert Ingalls	Yankee Conference	5–3	2–1
1956	Robert Ingalls	Yankee Conference	6–2–1	3–0–1
1957†	Robert Ingalls	Yankee Conference	5–4–1	3–0–1
1958	Robert Ingalls	Yankee Conference	7–3	4–0
1959	Robert Ingalls	Yankee Conference	6–3	4–0
1960†	Robert Ingalls	Yankee Conference	5–4	3–1
1968†	John Toner	Yankee Conference	4–6	4–1
1970	John Toner	Yankee Conference	4–4–2	4–0–1
1971†	Robert Casciola	Yankee Conference	5–3–1	4–1–1
1973	Larry Naviaux	Yankee Conference	8–2–1	5–0–1
1982†	Walt Nadzak	Yankee Conference	5–6	3–2
1983†	Tom Jackson	Yankee Conference	5–6	4–1
1986†	Tom Jackson	Yankee Conference	8–3	5–2
1989†	Tom Jackson	Yankee Conference	8–3	6–2
2007†	Randy Edsall	Big East	9–4	5–2
2010†	Randy Edsall	Big East	8–5	5–2

Clearly we aren't Alabama, but really who is? We've had a lot of success over the years but if you don't follow the program you won't know that.

 

[Waquoit]

It's always been a s***t show with UConn women in the tourney they're after Geno no matter what league he's in that's not new. I don't need the papers I saw him get out coached a couple times the last couple years how about we go in that direction rather than try to blame it on a league? Doesn't matter where they are ranked or number in the tourney it's womens college basketball there's only 4-6 teams who have any legit shot. Just win you have a great team. League means zero to a program like Geno's they could go to the Ivy and win NC's.

You think Geno is going overseas for players these days because he wants to? He's forced into it because the negative recruiting against the crappy league they're in has gained traction. No program is conference-proof. You ever hear of La Tech?

 

[tzznandrew]

You say that as if UConn had gone 28-2, run the conference schedule each of the last 3 seasons, only to get a 5 seed in the South region.

You guys are looking for a scapegoat. You found one and are piling on.

One year we went into the tournament with 7 losses. That team won the title, but got a freaking 7 seed. For contrast:

2002-2003 got 5 seed with 9 losses and a similar tournament championship blow out.
2003-2004 got a 2 seed with 6 losses
2004-2005 got a 2 seed with 7 losses
2007-2008 got a 4 seed with 8 losses
2012-2013 got a 9 seed with 13 losses --> same seed as our 2015-2016 that had 10 losses but won a conference tournament!

If we went 28-2 we'd likely get a 2 or a 3 seed. But look at what was getting 2 seeds for UConn in the Big East? What about the fact that Xavier got a 1 seed with 5 losses in 2018?

 

[Husky25]

You think moving from the old Big East to the American *helped* to make it easier for basketball recruiting?

I didn't say that (incidentally UConn didn't move. The American IS the old Big East, but that's semantics.).

Do you think the idea of playing Tulsa appeals more to recruits or Villanova?

Apples and oranges, but you know that. Tulsa provides better competition than DePaul does though.

And while Hurley got a top 20 class, he also lost a guy to *Illinois*.

Did Calhoun never lose a recruiting battle? Is Illinois really that terrible? Before John Groce, and even for his first couple seasons, Illinois was pretty good.

Again - it's not football's FAULT that hoops has sucked.

There. You said it (Yes, I purposely took it out of context), but this is not what Basketball onlys think.

I get the argument. I just don't think it is based in reality. Alas, perception is reality, which is how the #2 team in the nation gets a 2 seed in the Tournament.

I truly have mixed emotions on this move. I think it is outstanding for basketball and the non-revenue generating sports, but I am a UConn fan and have an active rooting interest in both football AND basketball. As a UConn fan, I never understood the active negativity. Though my son is old enough to come to games and actually enjoy them, football gives me 6 full days events in the late summer and fall of adult-time to hang out with my friends. Basketball provides only a few hours. Maybe LAZ will allow tailgating in the church parking lot. Probably not too much fun in February.

The other thing is this is not the "Old" Big East. UConn's rivals from earlier in the decade and the last are in the ACC. These aren't PJ's (or even Amaker's) Pirates, Jarvis's Red Storm, Ewing's (the player) Hoyas, or Wade's Golden Eagles.

We'll see how football Independence works out. I have a feeling not too well. Obviously, they can set up scheduling alliances and I've read some longshot scenarios here and on Twitter that are just that. One posited that ESPN overplayed their hand with the ESPN+ arrangement, but they desperately want the UConn product and will force them on the ACC in 2025. That doesn't seem likely to me, but neither did this.