Our scheduling philosophy going forward as an independent

[shizzle787]

I used to be more of a hardliner wanting six P4 home and homes a year, but I don't think that is realistic going forward.

As of 2029, here is what I would like to see.

1. No pay day games (we don't have any scheduled currently going forward- let's keep it that way)
2. Five P4 home and home series a year (guaranteeing at least two P4 home games every year)
3. FCS game yearly (guaranteeing seven home games every other year)
4. UMass game yearly (good for the region)
5. Two Pac-12 opponents yearly (top G6 league and only have to go west once a year)
6. Three east coast AAC programs (Temple, ECU, USF, etc.)
7. No games against MAC, Conference USA, or Sun Belt foes

Prospective schedule:

1. UNC (H)
2. Indiana (A)
3. USF (A)
4. Maryland (H)
5. Colorado State (A)
6. Temple (A)
7. Boston College (H)
8. Charlotte (H)
9. Utah State (H)
10. Merrimack (H)
11. Syracuse (A)
12. ECU (H)

The 2025 and 2026 schedules look to be done, and 2027 just needs an FCS game (although we need to reverse the locations for the 27/28 Temple series to get 7 home games in 2027 and 4 home and 4 road games for 2028 up to this point). I don't think my philosophy could come into play before 2029, but I think it is realistic after that.

 

[CCSUblue]

Is it that time already shizzle? Feels like we just put the last one to bed.

 

[WrenchFan69]

Will be hard to make this work as a soon-to-be football-only member of the PAC

 

[zls44]

I used to be more of a hardliner wanting six P4 home and homes a year, but I don't think that is realistic going forward.

As of 2029, here is what I would like to see.

1. No pay day games (we don't have any scheduled currently going forward- let's keep it that way)
2. Five P4 home and home series a year (guaranteeing at least two P4 home games every year)
3. FCS game yearly (guaranteeing seven home games every other year)
4. UMass game yearly (good for the region)
5. Two Pac-12 opponents yearly (top G6 league and only have to go west once a year)
6. Three east coast AAC programs (Temple, ECU, USF, etc.)
7. No games against MAC, Conference USA, or Sun Belt foes

Prospective schedule:

1. UNC (H)
2. Indiana (A)
3. USF (A)
4. Maryland (H)
5. Colorado State (A)
6. Temple (A)
7. Boston College (H)
8. Charlotte (H)
9. Utah State (H)
10. Merrimack (H)
11. Syracuse (A)
12. ECU (H)

The 2025 and 2026 schedules look to be done, and 2027 just needs an FCS game (although we need to reverse the locations for the 27/28 Temple series to get 7 home games in 2027 and 4 home and 4 road games for 2028 up to this point). I don't think my philosophy could come into play before 2029, but I think it is realistic after that.

I would like to see this, too.


It is extremely unrealistic, but I’d like it. Definitely gonna need to keep the Sun Belt/MAC teams before we even factor in there being 0 reason a PAC-12 school would sign up for a home and home given the expenses and lack of recruiting region for either side.

Remember: the other side of the deals have to be interested in them for the deal to happen. Why would Oregon State or Wazzou do that?

 

[ZooCougar]

I used to be more of a hardliner wanting six P4 home and homes a year, but I don't think that is realistic going forward.

As of 2029, here is what I would like to see.

1. No pay day games (we don't have any scheduled currently going forward- let's keep it that way)
2. Five P4 home and home series a year (guaranteeing at least two P4 home games every year)
3. FCS game yearly (guaranteeing seven home games every other year)
4. UMass game yearly (good for the region)
5. Two Pac-12 opponents yearly (top G6 league and only have to go west once a year)
6. Three east coast AAC programs (Temple, ECU, USF, etc.)
7. No games against MAC, Conference USA, or Sun Belt foes

Prospective schedule:

1. UNC (H)
2. Indiana (A)
3. USF (A)
4. Maryland (H)
5. Colorado State (A)
6. Temple (A)
7. Boston College (H)
8. Charlotte (H)
9. Utah State (H)
10. Merrimack (H)
11. Syracuse (A)
12. ECU (H)

The 2025 and 2026 schedules look to be done, and 2027 just needs an FCS game (although we need to reverse the locations for the 27/28 Temple series to get 7 home games in 2027 and 4 home and 4 road games for 2028 up to this point). I don't think my philosophy could come into play before 2029, but I think it is realistic after that.

I’m extremely pleased that the AD doesn’t agree with you.

We should play 2-3 P4s a year. Why make it any harder than it needs to be.

Last year’s team might be the very peak of what we can do as an independent with a roster that will be perpetually in flux.

Touch grass.

 

[shizzle787]

I’m extremely pleased that the AD doesn’t agree with you.

We should play 2-3 P4s a year. Why make it any harder than it needs to be.

Last year’s team might be the very peak of what we can do as an independent with a roster that will be perpetually in flux.

Touch grass.

We literally play 4 P4 games a year (this year is an exception because OSU cancelled last second on us). The AD is a lot closer to me than you, and prior to Indiana moving their 2026 game to 2030, we had 5 P4 games for next year.

 

[TheDrifter75]

I used to be more of a hardliner wanting six P4 home and homes a year, but I don't think that is realistic going forward.

As of 2029, here is what I would like to see.

1. No pay day games (we don't have any scheduled currently going forward- let's keep it that way)
2. Five P4 home and home series a year (guaranteeing at least two P4 home games every year)
3. FCS game yearly (guaranteeing seven home games every other year)
4. UMass game yearly (good for the region)
5. Two Pac-12 opponents yearly (top G6 league and only have to go west once a year)
6. Three east coast AAC programs (Temple, ECU, USF, etc.)
7. No games against MAC, Conference USA, or Sun Belt foes

Prospective schedule:

1. UNC (H)
2. Indiana (A)
3. USF (A)
4. Maryland (H)
5. Colorado State (A)
6. Temple (A)
7. Boston College (H)
8. Charlotte (H)
9. Utah State (H)
10. Merrimack (H)
11. Syracuse (A)
12. ECU (H)

The 2025 and 2026 schedules look to be done, and 2027 just needs an FCS game (although we need to reverse the locations for the 27/28 Temple series to get 7 home games in 2027 and 4 home and 4 road games for 2028 up to this point). I don't think my philosophy could come into play before 2029, but I think it is realistic after that.

The glaring omission on the schedule is the team from point number 4.

 

[Kolumbo]

I would trade a Sun Belt game for the UMass game. I want to play UMass but I'm not sure it helps us in the immediate future, depends on how UMass does. AAC and Sun Belt I think are viable scheduling options and very good exposure for the program. I hope this strategy is only required for a few more years and an invitation is proferred.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Continue scheduling Delaware. UMass began and ended with the first game under P.

 

[Jetskies]

let's get UNewHaven ASAP! they can be our FCS game one of these years. apparently we've played them before and they won, if i heard right.

 

[pepband99]

I would like to see this, too.


It is extremely unrealistic, but I’d like it. Definitely gonna need to keep the Sun Belt/MAC teams before we even factor in there being 0 reason a PAC-12 school would sign up for a home and home given the expenses and lack of recruiting region for either side.

Remember: the other side of the deals have to be interested in them for the deal to happen. Why would Oregon State or Wazzou do that?

Same thought from me on Sun Belt. These games should normally be competitive, and normally in recruiting areas.

MAC we can limit to UMass and the occasional Buffalo game. No benefit to anyone otherwise.

Plus - there is no way we get 3 AAC games a year on a rolling basis. Not feasible.

Need to remember - WE are the ones with scheduling problems. We can't cut that much possible inventory.

 

[ZooCougar]

We literally play 4 P4 games a year (this year is an exception because OSU cancelled last second on us). The AD is a lot closer to me than you, and prior to Indiana moving their 2026 game to 2030, we had 5 P4 games for next year.

If that holds then we are in for a rude awakening. Your philosophy is designed to fail.

 

[hardcorehusky]

I want as many Big XII and ACC teams as part of the five as possible to show where we stand with them. Would love to have Army but that tank has been redeployed. I have never been in love with the UMass game other than its a quick ride and easy tailgate for me.

From a home team standpoint, I don't mind rotation of schools we haven't seen before or rarely. It makes things different.

 

[BlueWolf25]

If that holds then we are in for a rude awakening. Your philosophy is designed to fail.

Of course in an ideal world, all of us would like to see a schedule with better teams, but that shouldn’t happen as an Independent. We have to keep scheduling for success, which means wins. Last year should’ve made that as clear as possible: 8-0 in G5 games, 0-4 in the regular season against P4 schools. Sure some of those losses were close, but it still shows we can’t just load up with P4 games. Winning is our best hope. This year’s schedule is nearly perfect in that regard. 9 G5/FCS games that we should be favored to win the majority of, and the 3 P4 games (Duke, BC, Cuse) are about as winnable as you can get from the P4

 

[BlueWolf25]

When UCF went undefeated in 2017, the best teams they beat were Memphis and USF. No one else on their schedule won more than 7 games. They beat a 4-8 Maryland squad in their only P4 game during the regular season. But that season changed everything for them.

We’re in a different situation scheduling as an independent of course, but it goes to show we don’t need more than a couple P4 level opponents each year. In our current situation, a 10-2 record with 2-3 P4 games is infinitely better than a 5-7 record with four or five losses to P4 teams, and it’s not even close

 

[ZooCougar]

Of course in an ideal world, all of us would like to see a schedule with better teams, but that shouldn’t happen as an Independent. We have to keep scheduling for success, which means wins. Last year should’ve made that as clear as possible: 8-0 in G5 games, 0-4 in the regular season against P4 schools. Sure some of those losses were close, but it still shows we can’t just load up with P4 games. Winning is our best hope. This year’s schedule is nearly perfect in that regard. 9 G5/FCS games that we should be favored to win the majority of, and the 3 P4 games (Duke, BC, Cuse) are about as winnable as you can get from the P4

Anyone who says we should schedule more P4s isn't worth listening to.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

When UCF went undefeated in 2017, the best teams they beat were Memphis and USF. No one else on their schedule won more than 7 games. They beat a 4-8 Maryland squad in their only P4 game during the regular season. But that season changed everything for them.

We’re in a different situation scheduling as an independent of course, but it goes to show we don’t need more than a couple P4 level opponents each year. In our current situation, a 10-2 record with 2-3 P4 games is infinitely better than a 5-7 record with four or five losses to P4 teams, and it’s not even close

They also beat no 22 usf and no 7 auburn. They also had 12, 10 and some 9 win seasons after that while being competitive and beating P4 teams on their schedules. Playing in the AAC at that time means seeing top 25 teams on the conference schedule.

 

[Scoe]

Anyone, anytime, anywhere, bring em on.

 

[Purple Stein]

You are who you play. We play the Sun Belt and the MAC, we're associated with the Sun Belt and the MAC. Would like to see as many games as possible against the big boys and fake it until we make it.

 

[Alum86]

let's get UNewHaven ASAP! they can be our FCS game one of these years. apparently we've played them before and they won, if i heard right.

You did. Years ago at Memorial. It was like Calhoun losing to UHart year 1. Awful

 

[RitzLuce1]

I’m extremely pleased that the AD doesn’t agree with you.

We should play 2-3 P4s a year. Why make it any harder than it needs to be.

Last year’s team might be the very peak of what we can do as an independent with a roster that will be perpetually in flux.

Touch grass.

The UConn football fanbase is notorious for advocating for things that led us to be being one of the worst football teams in Division 1 history.

Diaco? A young attractive up and comer! I like the hire! Randy Ed-Shell of himself 2.0? Awesome! Welcome back! Cancel the 2020 season due to Covid? Smart!

But no more damaging were the people who aggressively pushed to schedule as many home and home's with Power 4 opponents to make up for the "unattractive to the fan" AAC schools after we failed to get in the ACC. That would save the program they said. We needed to so fans who weren't interested in the AAC teams would come they said. UConn as one of the worst teams in the AAC and all of college football was playing the toughest non conference games of anyone in the conference. Games against schools that had more resources than us and talent. And the AAC teams were all better than us. All but ensuring bad years were humiliating and historically bad years. But hey at least Missouri and Purdue came to the Rent (while the fans STILL stayed away).

We just had the best year since 2003. It was by playing 3 ACC teams and all G5 teams. We lost to all the ACC teams BTW. So if we schedule 5-6 P4 games a year you are probably scheduling 4-5 losses. At least. Do not change what we did last year and hopefully this upcoming year. Schedule winnable games. Get as many wins as possible. Get to a bowl. And take advantage of a P4 team resting their best players. That's the best chance we have to get out of our predicament and building respectability. Not to mention building a fanbase.

 

[shizzle787]

The UConn football fanbase is notorious for advocating for things that led us to be being one of the worst football teams in Division 1 history.

Diaco? A young attractive up and comer! I like the hire! Randy Ed-Shell of himself 2.0? Awesome! Welcome back! Cancel the 2020 season due to Covid? Smart!

But no more damaging were the people who aggressively pushed to schedule as many home and home's with Power 4 opponents to make up for the "unattractive to the fan" AAC schools after we failed to get in the ACC. That would save the program they said. We needed to so fans who weren't interested in the AAC teams would come they said. UConn as one of the worst teams in the AAC and all of college football was playing the toughest non conference games of anyone in the conference. Games against schools that had more resources than us and talent. And the AAC teams were all better than us. All but ensuring bad years were humiliating and historically bad years. But hey at least Missouri and Purdue came to the Rent (while the fans STILL stayed away).

We just had the best year since 2003. It was by playing 3 ACC teams and all G5 teams. We lost to all the ACC teams BTW. So if we schedule 5-6 P4 games a year you are probably scheduling 4-5 losses. At least. Do not change what we did last year and hopefully this upcoming year. Schedule winnable games. Get as many wins as possible. Get to a bowl. And take advantage of a P4 team resting their best players. That's the best chance we have to get out of our predicament and building respectability. Not to mention building a fanbase.

We played 4 P4 teams last year and had our best attendance in years. Brands coming into the Rent absolutely bolster attention and interest. In the AAC we never played more than 3 P4 teams a year, and may of those years we only played two.

You literally owned your own point. We played 3 ACC teams and all G5 teams (the AAC) several times in the American and got smoked, but played 5 P4 last year and went 9-4. (Not to mention three of the losses were by a touchdown or less.) Playing down to competition and lesser brands is what killed us.

 

[RitzLuce1]

We played 4 P4 teams last year and had our best attendance in years. Brands coming into the Rent absolutely bolster attention and interest. In the AAC we never played more than 3 P4 teams a year, and may of those years we only played two.

You literally owned your own point. We played 3 ACC teams and all G5 teams (the AAC) several times in the American and got smoked, but played 5 P4 last year and went 9-4. (Not to mention three of the losses were by a touchdown or less.) Playing down to competition and lesser brands is what killed us.

We have beaten 2 P4 teams in the last 10 seasons. One who rested their best players in a bowl.

By all means, go crazy. Up it to 5 P4 games. All in the name we may break 29k. See how it goes. You have been an advocate for all the other disastrous ideas so you are bound to be right. Eventually.

The only way you get 35k-40k in the Rent ever again is getting UConn in a conference with P4 level schools. The only way we get there is to improve national perception, win as many games as possible, and make bowls. Last season did that.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

The UConn football fanbase is notorious for advocating for things that led us to be being one of the worst football teams in Division 1 history.

Diaco? A young attractive up and comer! I like the hire! Randy Ed-Shell of himself 2.0? Awesome! Welcome back! Cancel the 2020 season due to Covid? Smart!

But no more damaging were the people who aggressively pushed to schedule as many home and home's with Power 4 opponents to make up for the "unattractive to the fan" AAC schools after we failed to get in the ACC. That would save the program they said. We needed to so fans who weren't interested in the AAC teams would come they said. UConn as one of the worst teams in the AAC and all of college football was playing the toughest non conference games of anyone in the conference. Games against schools that had more resources than us and talent. And the AAC teams were all better than us. All but ensuring bad years were humiliating and historically bad years. But hey at least Missouri and Purdue came to the Rent (while the fans STILL stayed away).

We just had the best year since 2003. It was by playing 3 ACC teams and all G5 teams. We lost to all the ACC teams BTW. So if we schedule 5-6 P4 games a year you are probably scheduling 4-5 losses. At least. Do not change what we did last year and hopefully this upcoming year. Schedule winnable games. Get as many wins as possible. Get to a bowl. And take advantage of a P4 team resting their best players. That's the best chance we have to get out of our predicament and building respectability. Not to mention building a fanbase.

You make it sound like the fanbase was responsible for coaching hires and schedules???

 

[ZooCougar]

You are who you play. We play the Sun Belt and the MAC, we're associated with the Sun Belt and the MAC. Would like to see as many games as possible against the big boys and fake it until we make it.

Fake it till you make it means going 3-9.

That’s not what we need.