OT: AAC a Football Powerhouse?

[msf22b]

Wowsa!

 

[TitleTown]

Too bad no school in this pathetic conference has the money to keep these great young coaches. I know Frost is a Nebraska guy but supposedly they blew UCF's offer to keep him out of the water.

 

[wire chief]

I live in the campus vicinity and enjoy the local celebration. The general disrespect for the AAC means that UCF will not be seen as the #1 college football team. Enrollment is the 2nd highest in the country, so good things could easily go their way in sports. But the danger is some Power 5 conference will abduct it, leaving the AAC that much weaker in reputation.

 

[ucbart]

My fear is that the next round of expansion will see UCF, Memphis or USF leave the conference. That would be the worst thing that could happen. Surely expansion isn't done yet.

 

[CocoHusky]

I live in the campus vicinity and enjoy the local celebration. The general disrespect for the AAC means that UCF will not be seen as the #1 college football team. Enrollment is the 2nd highest in the country, so good things could easily go their way in sports. But the danger is some Power 5 conference will abduct it, leaving the AAC that much weaker in reputation.

"A clause in the conference's current television contracts with ESPN and Fox guarantee the Big 12 an additional $20 to $25 million in revenue per new school it adds."
Big 12 vetoes conference expansion, UCF to stay in AAC

 

[MSGRET]

If that happens I see UConn going independent and scheduling as many ranked teams that will play them and the usual annual with DePaul. Then sprinkle in the others, plus the homecoming games for their Seniors.

 

[triaddukefan]

Central Florida had a great season indeed. They retained the Civil ConFLiCT Trophy... and they won the Sugar Bowl.

 

[stamfordhusky]

If that happens I see UConn going independent and scheduling as many ranked teams that will play them and the usual annual with DePaul. Then sprinkle in the others, plus the homecoming games for their Seniors.

Absolutely NO chance of that happening.

 

[TitleTown]

"A clause in the conference's current television contracts with ESPN and Fox guarantee the Big 12 an additional $20 to $25 million in revenue per new school it adds."
Big 12 vetoes conference expansion, UCF to stay in AAC

UConn was a huge part of these discussions as well. The BIG 12 wants the NYC market and UConn can give them that.

 

[TitleTown]

I live in the campus vicinity and enjoy the local celebration. The general disrespect for the AAC means that UCF will not be seen as the #1 college football team. Enrollment is the 2nd highest in the country, so good things could easily go their way in sports. But the danger is some Power 5 conference will abduct it, leaving the AAC that much weaker in reputation.

It has already been done. Scott Frost made UCF, and him leaving for Nebraska and taking his ENTIRE staff means UCF is headed back to the 2-10 seasons they a couple years ago before Frost got there. These teams in the AAC simply don't have the money to compete with Power 5 schools in football. Basketball is a different story because coaching staffs are exponentially smaller, facilities cost less, and rosters are smaller. IMHO UConn should have stayed in the Big East as a Basketball school and had the football team go back to being FCS.

 

[Carnac]

I'm not a fan of UConn football, and DO NOT profess to know anything about the team's infrastructure or challenges. Because the basketball teams are tied to it's success, I sometimes wonder why UConn has such a difficult time in building and maintaining a competitive football program that in time, would be attractive to p-5 conferences. I look at the success that UCF and USF had this past season and wonder: if they did it, why can't UConn? What did they do that UConn didn't? Just how serious is UConn in building a real competitive program that wins 10+ games (some against top 25 schools) a year, and can be sustained over a long period of time, and not use it as a stepping stone.

Since the key to getting out of the AAC is tied to the success and allure of the football program, I wonder if the same due diligence and effort to find a coach that can turn the program around is being done by UConn's administration and athletic director that was done by USF and UCF? I wonder.

 

[uconnfan68]

I'm not a fan of UConn football, and DO NOT profess to know anything about the team's infrastructure or challenges. Because the basketball teams are tied to it's success, I sometimes wonder why UConn has such a difficult time in building and maintaining a competitive football program that in time, would be attractive to p-5 conferences. I look at the success that UCF and USF had this past season and wonder: if they did it, why can't UConn? What did they do that UConn didn't? Just how serious is UConn in building a real competitive program that wins 10+ games (some against top 25 schools) a year, and can be sustained over a long period of time, and not use it as a stepping stone.

Since the key to getting out of the AAC is tied to the success and allure of the football program, I wonder if the same due diligence and effort to find a coach that can turn the program around is being done by UConn's administration and athletic director that was done by USF and UCF? I wonder.

Pretty sure it’s related to academics. We have a much higher standard.

 

[Kurebeach5]

I'm not a fan of UConn football, and DO NOT profess to know anything about the team's infrastructure or challenges. Because the basketball teams are tied to it's success, I sometimes wonder why UConn has such a difficult time in building and maintaining a competitive football program that in time, would be attractive to p-5 conferences. I look at the success that UCF and USF had this past season and wonder: if they did it, why can't UConn? What did they do that UConn didn't? Just how serious is UConn in building a real competitive program that wins 10+ games (some against top 25 schools) a year, and can be sustained over a long period of time, and not use it as a stepping stone.

Since the key to getting out of the AAC is tied to the success and allure of the football program, I wonder if the same due diligence and effort to find a coach that can turn the program around is being done by UConn's administration and athletic director that was done by USF and UCF? I wonder.

It's all about recruiting. After Miami,Fla. St. and Florida take the cream of the crop, there are so many top D-1 football prospects in Florida that USF,UCF and even FAU have their pick of quality athletes to fill their rosters. There just are not that many D-1 prospects in NE or the N.East. It's much easier to recruit 2/3 prospects a year in basketball and be really good - it's a lot harder to get 20-25 kids to invigorate your football roster.

 

[Carnac]

It's all about recruiting. After Miami,Fla. St. and Florida take the cream of the crop, there are so many top D-1 football prospects in Florida that USF,UCF and even FAU have their pick of quality athletes to fill their rosters. There just are not that many D-1 prospects in NE or the N.East. It's much easier to recruit 2/3 prospects a year in basketball and be really good - it's a lot harder to get 20-25 kids to invigorate your football roster.

Based in your comments, might it be time to drop football, and take our chances on getting into a P-5 conference in basketball only? The picture you describe seems to be a revolving door with no possible positive ending for UConn in sight. With tougher academic standards as another poster suggested, and the fact that it's easier to recruit a kid to go to (or stay in) sunny and warm south Florida, than the frigid, unforgiving and bone chilling cold winters in Connecticut, it appears to be an uneven playing field for sure. So what can be done to get out of this unacceptable no win situation the Huskies find themselves in? Is there a viable solution?

 

[TitleTown]

I'm not a fan of UConn football, and DO NOT profess to know anything about the team's infrastructure or challenges. Because the basketball teams are tied to it's success, I sometimes wonder why UConn has such a difficult time in building and maintaining a competitive football program that in time, would be attractive to p-5 conferences. I look at the success that UCF and USF had this past season and wonder: if they did it, why can't UConn? What did they do that UConn didn't? Just how serious is UConn in building a real competitive program that wins 10+ games (some against top 25 schools) a year, and can be sustained over a long period of time, and not use it as a stepping stone.

Since the key to getting out of the AAC is tied to the success and allure of the football program, I wonder if the same due diligence and effort to find a coach that can turn the program around is being done by UConn's administration and athletic director that was done by USF and UCF? I wonder.

Look at the schools you have mentioned that have turned it around. It's no coincidence that they are both in Florida, which happens to be arguably(Texas is pretty damn good too) the most fertile recruiting ground in the entire country! There is just no good HS football north of NJ/Penn. That makes it very hard to lure both the coaches and players it needs to have a consistently good football team.

 

[TitleTown]

Pretty sure it’s related to academics. We have a much higher standard.

LOL

 

[Adios]

Based in your comments, might it be time to drop football, and take our chances on getting into a P-5 conference in basketball only. The picture you describe seems to be a revolving door with no possible positive ending for UConn in sight. With tougher academic standards as another poster suggested, and the fact that it's easier to recruit a kid to go to (or stay in) sunny and warm south Florida, than the frigid, unforgiving and bone chilling cold winters in Connecticut, it appears to be an uneven playing field for sure. So what can be done to get out of this unacceptable no win situation the Huskies find themselves in? Is there a viable solution?

Football is not going to be dropped. The only state flagship school that ever dropped football was Vermont.

UCF is going nuts claiming a national title.

UConn football is fine. We just had a run of 2 horrible coaches.

 

[UConnNick]

If that happens I see UConn going independent and scheduling as many ranked teams that will play them and the usual annual with DePaul. Then sprinkle in the others, plus the homecoming games for their Seniors.

UCONN going independent in BB would be a death sentence for the entire AD. You can't be an independent in CBB.

 

[UConnNick]

Based in your comments, might it be time to drop football, and take our chances on getting into a P-5 conference in basketball only? The picture you describe seems to be a revolving door with no possible positive ending for UConn in sight. With tougher academic standards as another poster suggested, and the fact that it's easier to recruit a kid to go to (or stay in) sunny and warm south Florida, than the frigid, unforgiving and bone chilling cold winters in Connecticut, it appears to be an uneven playing field for sure. So what can be done to get out of this unacceptable no win situation the Huskies find themselves in? Is there a viable solution?

By definition, P5 conferences are all about football. They're not likely to take on any schools not named Notre Dame for anything other than all sports, including football.

 

[UConnNick]

It has already been done. Scott Frost made UCF, and him leaving for Nebraska and taking his ENTIRE staff means UCF is headed back to the 2-10 seasons they a couple years ago before Frost got there. These teams in the AAC simply don't have the money to compete with Power 5 schools in football. Basketball is a different story because coaching staffs are exponentially smaller, facilities cost less, and rosters are smaller. IMHO UConn should have stayed in the Big East as a Basketball school and had the football team go back to being FCS.

UCF has had a successful football program long before Scott Frost ever arrived. They beat Baylor in a BCS Bowl game (Fiesta Bowl) when O'Leary was their coach. Yes, they had one bad season a couple of years ago, but that was an anomaly. They'll be fine without Frost, just like USF was this past season after Taggart left for Oregon. Those two schools sit right in the middle of one of the hottest football recruiting areas in the country.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

If that happens I see UConn going independent and scheduling as many ranked teams that will play them and the usual annual with DePaul. Then sprinkle in the others, plus the homecoming games for their Seniors.

If I understand the rudiments of college big-bucks business, it's all about the conference. The conferences create their own TV networks, and the conferences negotiate long-term TV contracts with the big networks. Unless you're Notre Dame with a stellar century-long tradition of top-flight football, going independent will guarantee a lack of money from TV, and will horribly exacerbate the already huge drain of university cash down the UConn football black hole. If memory serves, UConn has one of the biggest subsidies from the university for sports in the nation- over $20 million a year.

Really, really sad that this body-destroying sport rules universities and university athletics.