WM isn't going to convince FSU and GT that UConn is a better football school than Louisville.
will get back to OP in a second, but this is why overall Connecticut CR strategy has to change -- has to be also be fought at pay grades above Warde and even Susan. Playing nice is never going to convince atavistic southern/midwest boards of trustees, athletic directors, presidents & conf. comishes of anything. This is why new fronts have to opened up above the stubborn parties in other states.
Back to Warde. Has rebounded since the ill-conceived NPR interview (probably had to go with the boss). I'd say he's gone from a C-minus to a B-plus. The Boise/BYU '14 football scheduling a big step forward as is finally breaking ground on basketball facility.
The TJ Weist hire is a net plus, but with reservations. I get the feeling that if it was strictly up to Warde he'd have canned PP but suspect Herbst/BOT lack of appetite to pay buyout & McHugh-PP ties got in the way. I just wish he'd have been a little more transparent and taken ownership of the TJ hiring the way Oliver Luck did with Holgorsen at WVU . I hope we're not treated to the same soap opera that came with Bill Stewart's ugly departure.
Football-scheduling wise would like to see a BCS away in 2014 and another 2 to join Tenn in 15.
Warde's big challenge now is men hoop scheduling (figure Geno can handle his side) Gotta lessen the RPI hit and figure out a way to fill home seats, especially in November and December.
People are going nuts over the logo change but now that he's had a full year to "monitor" stale and sometimes annoying football and hoop "game production" make some reasonable changes. For example time to bag "Let's get ready to rumble" & "are you ready for this" in hoops, etc.
And back to tickets - a big deal was made about charging higher prices for 'marquee' games (like Michigan in football). That's fine, but for the time being (hopefully) there's going to be a lot less marquee games. If TV is paying a lot less money for rights to UConn games, why are fans paying the same? Would bet anything UConn ticket prices will still rival that of highest found in Big 10, SEC, ACC. Personally willing to pay it for a couple of years as long as I can see a light at the end of the tunnel (not a train). But overall, still get feeling fans are being taken for granted a la the Hathaway era. Would be nice if season ticket renewers saw some kind of gesture of gratitude from Storrs -- and that's where Warde can make a difference.