OOC Scheduling - what's next?

[Exit 4]

Realistic BCS teams that we should be able to get home and home with going forward (or extensions)...

listed by conference and then order of priority

Syracuse
Pitt
Louisville
UNC
Wake
Duke
NC State
Virginia (already scheduled)
(obviously politics are at play with BC, but if relationships are smoothed then they would be added to the list)

Rutgers
Illinois
Minnesota
Iowa
Purdue
Northwestern
Indiana
Maryland

WVU
TCU
Kansas
Kansas State
Baylor
Iowa State

Kentucky
Missouri
Vanderbilt
(I don't think beyond our current deal with Tennessee that they would re-up a home and home unless we were to go power 5)

Pac-12 teams probably won't make the trip.

That seems like an accurate list to me for 1-1s. And it seems while we are in the AAC it will take some luck just get anything with any of these programs scheduled.

Looking beyond the tall order, to the dream scenario, it sure would be nice to also link up with an elite program, even if its a road game with no return date. I think we are at a point where we need to have something big on the long term schedule, a game against Ohio St in Ohio or Florida at Florida to keep it interesting. Its time to abandon the "safe" scheduling approach we have historically and wisely taken in the past. We need more risk now that we are without the cover of a BCS conf.

 

[John]

That seems like an accurate list to me for 1-1s. And it seems while we are in the AAC it will take some luck just get anything with any of these programs scheduled.

Looking beyond the tall order, to the dream scenario, it sure would be nice to also link up with an elite program, even if its a road game with no return date. I think we are at a point where we need to have something big on the long term schedule, a game against Ohio St in Ohio or Florida at Florida to keep it interesting. Its time to abandon the "safe" scheduling approach we have historically and wisely taken in the past. We need more risk now that we are without the cover of a BCS conf.

YES. Didn't Va Tech have a "Anyone, Any Time, Any Place" thing going on for a long time? We need to put this out there, and then go and actually beat people.

 

[UConn Dan]

I've mentioned before how I feel about no return games, especially with the B1G. If UConn aspires to be in the B1G then it can't settle for a one-way trip to Ohio State. It sends the wrong message -- how could we add value to the B1G contract if we are telling the conference we know are not worthy of a return game.

I'd be much more willing (and we should be looking) to do neutral site kickoff type games at MetLife and Gillette against teams like Ohio State and Penn State.

If I was AD, I'd be willing to do no return games with these teams:
Alabama
Texas
Florida
LSU
Notre Dame

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

I am more concerned with our in conference schedule.

 

[Exit 4]

I've mentioned before how I feel about no return games, especially with the B1G. If UConn aspires to be in the B1G then it can't settle for a one-way trip to Ohio State. It sends the wrong message -- how could we add value to the B1G contract if we are telling the conference we know are not worthy of a return game.

I'd be much more willing (and we should be looking) to do neutral site kickoff type games at MetLife and Gillette against teams like Ohio State and Penn State.

If I was AD, I'd be willing to do no return games with these teams:
Alabama
Texas
Florida
LSU
Notre Dame

I generally agree with your breakdown and approach. We just better get some 1 and 1s. Nothing with a P5 team has been scheduled since the Virginia deal a long while back. Boise St, BYU and Army are nice (and I really am happy about them), but they arent P5.

 

[UConn Dan]

I generally agree with your breakdown and approach. We just better get some 1 and 1s. Nothing with a P5 team has been scheduled since the Virginia deal a long while back. Boise St, BYU and Army are nice (and I really am happy about them), but they arent P5.

I 100% agree, we are good for 2014 and 2015, but we need to fill out 2016 and beyond with teams from the above list and if Warde Manuel manages to score a better team (he's got interesting some pictures) than all more power to him. I'm hoping any day now we hear an announcement for a 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 home and homes with somebody, anybody... i don't want to be playing Buffalo and UMass for the rest of my life.

 

[UConn Dan]

I am more concerned with our in conference schedule.

When we're in the B1G or ACC in 5 years, your concerns will be a distant memory. OK, I'll put down the crack pipe now...

 

[coachcap]

I am more concerned with our in conference schedule.

The B1G & PAC12 are supposed to start scheduling 9 conference games yearly. Aresco has said that the AAC won't, but if the availability of Major opponants dries up, I envision the ACC actually going to 9 per year once Navy & Tulsa are on board. Otherwise, get set for a plethera of MAC & C-USA visits.

 

[John]

When we're in the B1G or ACC in 5 years, your concerns will be a distant memory. OK, I'll put down the crack pipe now...

the excitement I felt at Michigan is going to make these Memphis/etc games a lot harder to swallow. I already miss the Big East.

 

[Drew]

check out memphis' 2017 OOC schedule http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa/aac/memphis-tigers.php

 

[Dooley]

Scheduling OOC games now that we're in the AAC should be top priority after we name a new coach. Realistically, I wouldn't want to schedule too difficult until our new coach has some time to "get his players" and implement his system. We can play schools that would generate additional excitement and could also lead to basketball scheduling. My list:

Boston College - no brainer, would sellout and the atmosphere would be electric. Should be an annual "New England" game;
Rutgers - regional rival, would help recruiting in NJ and keep a presence in NYC for CR;
Syracuse - same as Rutgers but also add "could lead to basketball scheduling";
Duke - okay, so not much excitement for football except exposure into recruiting areas...but could it lead to a 1-1-1 for MBB (home and home plus MSG)?;
Kentucky - winnable game against a SEC opponent, good exposure into FB recruiting areas, could lead to a basketball series;
Kansas - same as Kentucky but replace SEC w/B12;
Michigan State - B10 teams typically play a style of football that UCONN can compete against and MSU is one of them (in a good year), could also lead to future basketball series;
Georgia Tech - fertile recruiting grounds and may be transitioning from the triple option offense by the time we play them (i.e. we can win in a transition year for them), plus not a bad "get" for a basketball series;
Texas (1 away, 1 @ MetLife) - we have a good history with them in basketball series and this would give them an opportunity to play in NYC;
Nebraska (1 away, 1 @ MetLife) - if we had issues accommodating Michigan's ticket requests, we might as well give them access to every seat at the Rent and make UCONN fans scrounge for tickets! MetLife assures they can pack the joint and get NYC exposure when they're not playing Rutgers

There are others but I think these would be excellent additions. I like the idea of scheduling BYU and Boise St very frequently and playing an occasional road/neutral game with Notre Dame, if we can. I'd play just about any big program at MetLife or Gillette in a 1 off scenario, if needed. UCONN needs the exposure like they got by playing teams like Michigan. They're not getting a second of press time for playing Buffalo or Stony Brook.

 

[RedSoloCup]

I've mentioned before how I feel about no return games, especially with the B1G. If UConn aspires to be in the B1G then it can't settle for a one-way trip to Ohio State. It sends the wrong message -- how could we add value to the B1G contract if we are telling the conference we know are not worthy of a return game.

I'd be much more willing (and we should be looking) to do neutral site kickoff type games at MetLife and Gillette against teams like Ohio State and Penn State.

If I was AD, I'd be willing to do no return games with these teams:
Alabama
Texas
Florida
LSU
Notre Dame

I wonder if we get bites offering 2 away - 1 home & 1 @ metlife...

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Actually BC and Notre Dame used to tie a hockey series in with their annual football series. As long as they are scheduled with enough time in between, say noon and 7 you could potentially play on the same day though I agree that basketball on Friday or Sunday would probably work better.

I can see that working at BC because their football and hockey venues are literally attached to each other (don't some of the suites face both ways?) and because the umber of BC football fans would easily fit inside their hockey rink

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Florida State or Florida State? I guess you could include VaTech but that doesn't generate that much excitement. Clemson is legendary but only in Clemson...We've done Virginia, North Carolina, NC State, Georgia Tech, Maryland*, Wake Forest, and Duke. I honestly don't think anyone other than FSU, maybe Miami would generate more than just slightly above average interest. I'd rather play Michigan State, Iowa, Northwestern and some of the other Big Ten teams, or even an occasional Big 12, Missouri or K-State or somebody.

Well that explains things . . . that is a big part of Connecticut's problems - the fans just don't get it. Virginia Tech, Clemson, UVA, UNC, NCState, Georgia Tech, Maryland, etc. are all good programs. This is exactly the company UConn should be keeping. If fans can't get excited about these schools they should give it up.

 

[Exit 4]

Well that explains things . . . that is a big part of Connecticut's problems - the fans just don't get it. Virginia Tech, Clemson, UVA, UNC, NCState, Georgia Tech, Maryland, etc. are all good programs. This is exactly the company UConn should be keeping. If fans can't get excited about these schools they should give it up.

I'm probably in the minority but I get more satisfaction out of playing and beating northern schools; whether its the B1G or northern schools in the ACC. I dont have a good reason why I feel that way. Maybe its because I view the northern schools as true peers where wins count more in recruiting battles and around the office for fodder. Plus, as demonstrated by Michigan, our fellow northern schools have many more alumni in NE than the southern schools, so again, there is a little more local juice to the game. That all said, we just need to get some games scheduled against P5 schools ASAP.

 

[UConn Dan]

Sounds like Warde is looking for some more quality home and homes...


DOES SIZE MATTER?: The size of Rentschler Field (40,000) caused Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon to offer the Huskies significant financial benefits to move the game either to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., or to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.
The Huskies said no.
Luckily, no other team -- yet -- has voiced a similar opinion regarding Rentschler Field's limited capacity. Next season, BYU and Boise State will play at the Rent while Tennessee (2015) and Virginia (2016) are also scheduled to play here.
"I don't think the size of the stadium really has much factor in trying to schedule home and away," Manuel said. "I mean, you're not paying anybody anymore because you have a larger stadium when you do a home and home, that really doesn't come into consideration. I think what we want and I want for our team and for our fans ... we want to bring in an attractive schedule in the non-conference and to do the things at home in a way to prepare our teams for the conference and be successful in our conference play."
Getting BYU and Boise State (Army is also coming in 2015) are certainly feathers in the Huskies' cap. But Manuel doesn't want to stop there.
"I want us to be able to play against top teams and to bring them here to our stadium and play more home and home against top teams when we can," he said. "It all depends on how things work out and who's available and who wants to come, what dates line up, those kinds of things. It's all predicated on many different variables, but it's something that I desire and that we work at trying to attract."