Next Task for WM - beef up the football schedule

[ruskin]

Talking about one offs it seems. If we were to do that I'd rather do it with another team.

Not specifically directing this specifically at you Broch, but, simply, beggars -- and as much as everyonel hates it, that's what UConn is for the time being in football scheduling -- can't be choosers. Can't turn down an opportunity hoping something "better" might come along.

 

[freescooter]

Talking about one offs it seems. If we were to do that I'd rather do it with another team.

Kick their a$$es again, and they'll come to their senses. Say what you will, playing Notre Dame was a huge deal for us in terms of perception. Bigger than Michigan,bigger than South Carolina. Bigger than Oklahoma. More casual fans/non-fans paid attention to that game than any other one we've played. Just in case you've forgotten

 

[Jimdish255]

My alma mater will officially be playing Connecticut on September 6th. I know Connecticut fans don't get too happy playing FCS teams. But me and my girlfriend which graduates from Connecticut on May 2014 will be returning to the Rent to see Stony Brook play Connecticut for the firs time ever. I'm excited. Should be fun to watch. I'll refuse to predict any scores

I believe Cal Daniels headed to Stony Brook - one of the CT HS players speculated on some months ago.

 

[Palatine]

"Say what you will, playing Notre Dame was a huge deal for us in terms of perception. Bigger than Michigan,bigger than South Carolina. Bigger than Oklahoma. More casual fans/non-fans paid attention to that game than any other one we've played. Just in case you've forgotten.

True. Also true, it had no impact on anything.

 

[BoatShow]

Agree on the schedule to a point, I think the schedule is better than it has been for sure but can continue to ramp up if nothing else for the exposure but mainly for me to tell the potential recruits we will be playing the big boys too. (and hopefully knocking a few off)
Why the hatred for WV? What did they do that we wouldn't have if we were offered? I for one would gladly accept a series with them. The outpouring they showed our fans and team still holds weight with me, and will for a very long time.

For sure. WVU games were always fun even when we weren't competitive. I would be fully on board with a series with them.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

If ND is willing to consider us due to Diaco my preference would be two neutral site games (they can have control of 2/3 of the tickets and call it a home game for NBC), one in Foxboro and one in the Meadowlands.

 

[BigEastCT]

A suggestion: In regard to football scheduling the AAC is considered weak conference. With that perception I believe it would be in our best interest to STOP scheduling 1AA teams. It will hurt our body of work if/when we win the AAC. I personally would like to open the season with ARMY. A game that you can travel too, A game we can win, and West point is beautiful. Army would be an upgrade from a 1AA team.

I also agree with the comments of playing BC (the new England Trophy)and Rutgers annually (tri-state Trophy)

 

[Dove]

Get Navy.

Also, can someone post the committed scheduled opponents and the season which they are booked?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Get Navy.

Also, can someone post the committed scheduled opponents and the season which they are booked?

Navy will be a conference opponent in a couple of years.

I believe that Stony Brook (2014) and Villanova (2015) are the only future FCS (1-AA) opponents we have scheduled. Hopefully that will be the end of it.

Next season BYU & Boise St home Army away (Yankee Stadium).
2015 Tennessee & Army home, BYU away.
2016 Virginia home, Tennessee away
2017 Virginia away
2018 Boise St away

 

[Dooley]

Always amazed at the folks who hold their noses up at playing one offs at places like Notre Dame. Personally, I would rather travel to South Bend 100 times out of 100 than go to 1 home game against Stony Brook or Towson.

 

[Dove]

Navy will be a conference opponent in a couple of years.

I believe that Stony Brook (2014) and Villanova (2015) are the only fute FCS (1-AA) opponents we have scheduled. Hopefully that will be the end of it.

Next season BYU & Boise St home Army away (Yankee Stadium).
2015 Tennessee & Army home, BYU away.
2016 Virginia home, Tennessee away
2017 Virginia away
2018 Boise St away

Thanks FairfieldCounty

 

[UCFBfan]

Always amazed at the folks who hold their noses up at playing one offs at places like Notre Dame. Personally, I would rather travel to South Bend 100 times out of 100 than go to 1 home game against Stony Brook or Towson.

I'd be ok with a few one offs as long as we're not getting stuck with a home slate of 1AA, MAC, random low level P5, AAC sched. We need to get some bigger names, if possible on the home slate so interest remains in buying season tickets. I would also prefer one offs to be within road trip/east coast area. Do it with OSU, PSU, ND, etc. Places that would be great road trips for our fans to try and boost fan travel. Don't do one offs with West Coast schools. (Yeah I'm being picky here!)

 

[coachcap]

I'd be ok with a few one offs as long as we're not getting stuck with a home slate of 1AA, MAC, random low level P5, AAC sched. We need to get some bigger names, if possible on the home slate so interest remains in buying season tickets. I would also prefer one offs to be within road trip/east coast area. Do it with OSU, PSU, ND, etc. Places that would be great road trips for our fans to try and boost fan travel. Don't do one offs with West Coast schools. (Yeah I'm being picky here!)

My wish for a 1-off would be to Baton Rouge's Tiger Stadium. Brother (UConn B.S. '75) got his M.S. there. And any game that involves a 70 mile side trip to NOLA for dining is perfect. (Although this desire will be mitigated once UConn has road trips to play Tulane)Need to Zydigo music!

 

[HuskyDogArt]

We need to beef up the schedule ASAP. We need a series with someone in the B1G (the Rutgers series has yet to be officially announced, right?) and a second series with someone in the ACC (Syracuse, Pitt, VT).

I'd also take one of those road openers with Ohio State, Penn State, etc too. We need press. We need to be seen. The strategy to avoid the top 20 programs for OOC games in the past was the right choice for our Big East days, now its more about exposure than avoiding embarrassment.

One team I would leave on their island though is WV. Let them sit out there.

Exit 4, WVU would be a nice series... we need to get a Big XII team here. I'd like to see us get MWC team and maybe a SEC team, too. (Would FSU accept a game at The Rent??)

 

[Dooley]

Navy will be a conference opponent in a couple of years.

I believe that Stony Brook (2014) and Villanova (2015) are the only future FCS (1-AA) opponents we have scheduled. Hopefully that will be the end of it.

Next season BYU & Boise St home Army away (Yankee Stadium).
2015 Tennessee & Army home, BYU away.
2016 Virginia home, Tennessee away
2017 Virginia away
2018 Boise St away

That's definitely a good start to OOC scheduling. I'd still like to get a few more high profile games whether they are one-off types or neutral site stadiums. Home and homes can be found with the lower half teams of the B1G, ACC, and maybe B12. Would love to continue a series with Rutgers while we wait in AAC purgatory too.

 

[tduconn]

RIght - step back for a second though. THe big 10 is playing football at a different level of post season goals than we are though (for now). They have to seriously consider things like "strength of schedule" when it comes to the future post season bowl system, and they are competing with the likes of the SEC for access to that championship bowl system.

We - on the other hand, in the next few years, need to compile as many winning records as we can, so that we can even be in consideration for that kind of level of post season success.

For UCONN, in the forseeable future, scheduling the one FCS game a year, is a good idea, and it's a good idea to make it a game that should be a mismatch in our favor.

When we are in the Big 10, we can stop scheduling FCS games.

 

[Jimdish255]

Exit 4, WVU would be a nice series... we need to get a Big XII team here. I'd like to see us get MWC team and maybe a SEC team, too. (Would FSU accept a game at The Rent??)

You mean Florida State? ACC Florida State that loved the idea so much they spearheaded our rejection along with BC? Sure they would! Sorry I lost my mind if you meant Fresno State, although I'm not sure what would justify the travel for either team.

 

[BoatShow]

My reasonable wish list of teams who would come to the Rent for the next few years.
UNC
WVU
VA TECH
Northwestern
BC
PSU

 

[MattMang23]

If Warde doesn't get Texas, USC and Alabama here within the next three years, he's a failure.

 

[ASweet3781]

Beef up the schedule??? Are you kidding me?

We can't even get to 6 wins with the schedules we have been playing!

The goal right now is the get to 6 wins every year and make bowl games. Nothing else.

 

[HawkHusky]

Beef up the schedule??? Are you kidding me?

We can't even get to 6 wins with the schedules we have been playing!

The goal right now is the get to 6 wins every year and make bowl games. Nothing else.

You also want to get UCONN fans back into the game..future AAC schedules aren't going to help with that. It doesn't need to be powerhouse top 10 teams, but it should at least be good teams from P5 conferences.

And there's no telling how good UCONN will be next year, tough schedule or not...just look at this year's Auburn (12-1) vs last year (3-9). They played the same SEC gauntlet, but thrived under a new coach and system.

 

[ASweet3781]

You also want to get UCONN fans back into the game..future AAC schedules aren't going to help with that. It doesn't need to be powerhouse top 10 teams, but it should at least be good teams from P5 conferences.

And there's no telling how good UCONN will be next year, tough schedule or not...just look at this year's Auburn (12-1) vs last year (3-9). They played the same SEC gauntlet, but thrived under a new coach and system.

UConn is playing BYU and Boise State next year at home. That is more than enough beef on the schedule for where we are currently as a program.

You get fans to the game by winning games.

There are tons of teams this year bowl eligible because they weren't silly enough to schedule 3-4 losable non conference games a year like UConn has been doing.

The non conference schedule if anything has been filled with too many trap games against opponents who are just good enough to beat us. I gladly would have preferred to play a Norfolk State at home as opposed to Western Michigan or Iowa State for example as it would have led to a bowl game with a BCS level opponent at possibly Yankee Stadium. That is how you beef up the schedule. Win and get to a bowl.

 

[HawkHusky]

I agree with you ASweet on UCONN's schedule next year. It's not P5 teams, but it's good FBS teams with name recognition (unlike Towson, Buffalo). I'm talking about future schedules. We don't need anymore Towson, Buffalo, Fordham, Western Michigan type games..those type of games will exist with the bottom of the AAC.

What I disagree with is the aspiration to be a mediocre 6-6 bowl eligible team. If we want UCONN to be B1G, we have to think B1G in terms of winning seasons with better opponents. The AAC will have enough teams at the bottom for those pick-up wins.

 

[freescooter]

hawk,
You need to look at this as a process. Winning is the critical first step. We have BYU, Virginia, Tennessee, Boise State on the schedule over the next few seasons. We'll probably be the underdog in every one of those games unless we show we can win a bunch. What our game plan needs to be is to get bowl eligible next year, and make regular progress toward the ultimate goal of winning titles. You build a reputation by putting up gaudy regular seasons numbers then winning whatever bowl game you go to. Beating a completely disinterested Florida team did more for Louisville's reputation than any win on the schedule. Shocking Oklahoma in the Fiesta is the win that made Boise State. Before that they were just a team that put up gaudy numbers against weak competition. they might play one major name every few years now, but that win was the one that changed the perception. One wonders whether west Virginia would be in the B12 today if they had not knocked off Georgia and Oklahoma in BCS games.

 

[HawkHusky]

hawk,
You need to look at this as a process. Winning is the critical first step. We have BYU, Virginia, Tennessee, Boise State on the schedule over the next few seasons. We'll probably be the underdog in every one of those games unless we show we can win a bunch. What our game plan needs to be is to get bowl eligible next year, and make regular progress toward the ultimate goal of winning titles. You build a reputation by putting up gaudy regular seasons numbers then winning whatever bowl game you go to. Beating a completely disinterested Florida team did more for Louisville's reputation than any win on the schedule. Shocking Oklahoma in the Fiesta is the win that made Boise State. Before that they were just a team that put up gaudy numbers against weak competition. they might play one major name every few years now, but that win was the one that changed the perception. One wonders whether west Virginia would be in the B12 today if they had not knocked off Georgia and Oklahoma in BCS games.

Very true Scooter. I agree with most of your post. Just saying that these scheduled OOC games will be key to UCONN's success if they are stuck in the AAC for who knows how long.