In the 100 moves (maybe less) of Universities upgrading or moving laterally, the INSTANT look at their Bell Cow football or men's basketball team has played a part.
Maybe a 9-3 for both of the last two years would have made a difference.
That's why Jeff Hathaway selecting Pasqualoni in January of 2011 was impactful. I think this was an issue. But, in looking at the ACC or the B1G, we simply weren't pencil'd in using either conferences criteria. A Boise type presence the last two years would have pushed us forward. But ... more telling was the full Tom Jurich rebound from the Kragthorpe years. In my view of the world, there is NO reason (if you look at this like a Stock Arbitrage player) you would take a Syracuse or a Pitt given long term viabilities of our respective markets. If UConn showed (over the last 6 years) the ability to fill Rentschler and reach beyond our core START-UP fanbase, I think we have a clear comparative advantage to those Old-School traditional programs. If the ACC knew Central NY like I know Central NY, you would not bet EVER on going Cuse versus UConn. We are, however, a constant threat to BC.
For all the bitching about Warde Manual, we best hope that the man can use the full toolbox in raising this Athletic Program. My dream is a UConn Football program that we do grow and capture Fairfield County and the greater New England population that is far beyond the reach of the Catholic backstabbers. That ... our Kevin Ollie first year love affair blossoms into the greatest few years of Recruits and then the NCAA March success continues. I believe much of the College world thought we were dying when they saw Calhoun's end approaching. All the good Olympic sports news shows that we are a full Athletic Department. All the Herbst advances (and the parallel legislature support (which you absolutely do not see in NYS or the rest of NE) provides hope that we are on a track for the B1G. But Pasqualoni?
I want this Connecticut guy to succeed. I actually want him to groom a Joe Philbin or Chip Kelly. Open minded 40 year old with a flair for offense. Pasqualoni, I believe, has a better handle on how to recruit and bring higher level kids than Edsall. (Edsall has, in retrospect, a brilliant view on how to develop really raw unseen guys - Beatty, Blidi, Sio, Don Brown) There are many stories in the Conference Realignment world about schools with great potential that won't chin themselves to the next level because of short term poor coaching stints. I think Siena (here in Albany) could easily be Atlantic 10 or much higher (Big East Catholic) if they could sustain a McCaffery for more than 4 years ... there Fanbase could be a Creighton/Xavier. But ... you need a sustained effort WITH a Plan. I'm hoping Warde is the guy rather than dismissing him because of some statement he makes supporting OUR conference or other. We have to believe that we have the assets to rise to be among the top 70 (+/-) College Programs that will be in this elevated world. I don't think the musical chairs game is over.
