Playing Brand Names That Will Sell Spring FB Tickets

[BapeKidd88]

I was thinking about what Spring Football will look like for UConn now that UMass and the other FBS conferences are playing during the Fall.
In my opinion, scheduling Spring FCS games with Villanova and Georgetown could draw UConn football fans
Furthermore, I think this direction would ultimately benefit the program more beyond this year.
Personally, I am skeptical that Benedict ever intended for UConn football to tread water as an Indy like UMass has been doing.
I think the UMass brand is suffering from being a bottom feeder. It's simply impossible for a Northeast team to field a competitive team as an FBS Independent. The recruiting alone wont support that. No matter what you think of Randy's class, it's just not good next to the P5s.
Losing like UMass has done will attract similar sparse crowds.
My belief is that Benedict wants to bring UConn Football back to its true rivals in FCS. Otherwise, why not play FBS this Fall with everyone else? I think his support of the basketball team playing this Fall has exposed his principles as far as Football is concerned.
That being said...
UConn fans will probably buy tickets to see UConn play Georgetown. UConn fans will probably buy tickets to see UConn play Villanova. Make these games a series for a "Big East" trophy (similar to the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy trophy that the Service Academies play for.
UConn can actually recruit successfully against those teams, and go on to play for a National Championship in FCS.
The main thing is attendance will get better.
No one is going to buy a ticket to see the team lose. We've seen that already these last few years of football and men's basketball.

 

[Hoophound]

I was thinking about what Spring Football will look like for UConn now that UMass and the other FBS conferences are playing during the Fall.
In my opinion, scheduling Spring FCS games with Villanova and Georgetown could draw UConn football fans
Furthermore, I think this direction would ultimately benefit the program more beyond this year.
Personally, I am skeptical that Benedict ever intended for UConn football to tread water as an Indy like UMass has been doing.
I think the UMass brand is suffering from being a bottom feeder. It's simply impossible for a Northeast team to field a competitive team as an FBS Independent. The recruiting alone wont support that. No matter what you think of Randy's class, it's just not good next to the P5s.
Losing like UMass has done will attract similar sparse crowds.
My belief is that Benedict wants to bring UConn Football back to its true rivals in FCS. Otherwise, why not play FBS this Fall with everyone else? I think his support of the basketball team playing this Fall has exposed his principles as far as Football is concerned.
That being said...
UConn fans will probably buy tickets to see UConn play Georgetown. UConn fans will probably buy tickets to see UConn play Villanova. Make these games a series for a "Big East" trophy (similar to the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy trophy that the Service Academies play for.
UConn can actually recruit successfully against those teams, and go on to play for a National Championship in FCS.
The main thing is attendance will get better.
No one is going to buy a ticket to see the team lose. We've seen that already these last few years of football and men's basketball.

Terrible take. That is not the plan and frankly, I’d rather drop football than play FCS. UConn fans have had a lot of things taken away. Taking things away doesn’t create more fans.

We simply need to take football seriously. Randy has been recruiting very well this year. Let’s hope it continues and the team improves. If not, let’s hire a better coach.

 

[Chief00]

The Spring football idea - is another Randy DOA idea.

 

[coachcap]

NO, NO, NO, &NOOOO! The OP is wrong on so many fronts. A steady habit of FCS teams will only drag UConn football further into the abyss. One thing that the HCRE version 1.0 regime taught us was that UConn could successfully compete at the FBS level. On former versions of the Boneyard forum, followers of Rutgers, Syracuse, & B.C. were adamant that it would take 10 years for the Huskies to compete at even a .500 winning percent level upon joining the BE Football Conference. In that 10 year UConn ACTUALLY achieved 2 Big East Co-Championships & reached its pinnacle with the Fiesta Bowl invitation.
HCRE leaving in the dead of night for Maryland & a series of bad coaching hires put the Huskies in its current predicament. Pasqualoni was an average recruiter & a terrible game day coach. Bobby Red Pants's recruiting philosophy was to offer schollies of the tight end du jour & try to plug them in to any position on the playing field. HCRE 2.0 has stopped the recruiting insanity & is bringing in much better players from high school football hotbed areas.
UConn has to play competitive football against DESIREABLE opposition in order for fans to return to the RENT. FCS caliber teams don't qualify. A home schedule with service academies, BYU, Boise ST., & a spattering of Power 5 teams is MUCH more palatable with UConn having a chance to win the game than playing FCS competition.
To use a baseball analogy, once you've been to the Big Show, you don't want to be sent back to the Minor Leagues. The OP's idea of returning to FCS level will kill the program, not enhance it.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

Any games in the spring are likely to be scrimmages so it really doesn’t matter the opponent.

 

[DoctorWho85]

Unless other schools are playing a somewhat full season in the spring, UConn isn't playing a spring schedule. I like the idea of scrimmage with UMass instead of a spring blue and white game.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

I was thinking about what Spring Football will look like for UConn now that UMass and the other FBS conferences are playing during the Fall.
In my opinion, scheduling Spring FCS games with Villanova and Georgetown could draw UConn football fans
Furthermore, I think this direction would ultimately benefit the program more beyond this year.
Personally, I am skeptical that Benedict ever intended for UConn football to tread water as an Indy like UMass has been doing.
I think the UMass brand is suffering from being a bottom feeder. It's simply impossible for a Northeast team to field a competitive team as an FBS Independent. The recruiting alone wont support that. No matter what you think of Randy's class, it's just not good next to the P5s.
Losing like UMass has done will attract similar sparse crowds.
My belief is that Benedict wants to bring UConn Football back to its true rivals in FCS. Otherwise, why not play FBS this Fall with everyone else? I think his support of the basketball team playing this Fall has exposed his principles as far as Football is concerned.
That being said...
UConn fans will probably buy tickets to see UConn play Georgetown. UConn fans will probably buy tickets to see UConn play Villanova. Make these games a series for a "Big East" trophy (similar to the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy trophy that the Service Academies play for.
UConn can actually recruit successfully against those teams, and go on to play for a National Championship in FCS.
The main thing is attendance will get better.
No one is going to buy a ticket to see the team lose. We've seen that already these last few years of football and men's basketball.

This can't be a serious post.

 

[huskyblooz]

We weren’t even a good FCS team. Occasionally, we made the playoffs. It should be either D1 or drop it and add lacrosse. I say with give the independent try through 2029. At the end of the decade, if it’s failing, pull the plug.

 

[DoctorWho85]

We weren’t even a good FCS team. Occasionally, we made the playoffs. It should be either D1 or drop it and add lacrosse. I say with give the independent try through 2029. At the end of the decade, if it’s failing, pull the plug.

Pulling the plug means you are basically dooming the athletic department to failure. They spent the money on and invested in one of the best training facilities in the country. You're telling me that with that kind of money invested in the program that their best bet is to just eliminate the sport. That also means a lot of other sports both men's and women's get eliminate if football is dropped. Basically what you're saying is all you want for UConn is to have basketball and that's it.

 

[Vuce]

If there is a spring season of fake games I am not buying tickets. I am a season ticket holder and once they blew it up, I opted to roll them over to fall of 2021. Ridiculous idea

 

[Adios]

Just a reminder, Edsall was successful in helping an NFL expansion team reach the AFC championship quick.

 

[HardFacts]

I was thinking about what Spring Football will look like for UConn now that UMass and the other FBS conferences are playing during the Fall.
In my opinion, scheduling Spring FCS games with Villanova and Georgetown could draw UConn football fans
Furthermore, I think this direction would ultimately benefit the program more beyond this year.
Personally, I am skeptical that Benedict ever intended for UConn football to tread water as an Indy like UMass has been doing.
I think the UMass brand is suffering from being a bottom feeder. It's simply impossible for a Northeast team to field a competitive team as an FBS Independent. The recruiting alone wont support that. No matter what you think of Randy's class, it's just not good next to the P5s.
Losing like UMass has done will attract similar sparse crowds.
My belief is that Benedict wants to bring UConn Football back to its true rivals in FCS. Otherwise, why not play FBS this Fall with everyone else? I think his support of the basketball team playing this Fall has exposed his principles as far as Football is concerned.
That being said...
UConn fans will probably buy tickets to see UConn play Georgetown. UConn fans will probably buy tickets to see UConn play Villanova. Make these games a series for a "Big East" trophy (similar to the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy trophy that the Service Academies play for.
UConn can actually recruit successfully against those teams, and go on to play for a National Championship in FCS.
The main thing is attendance will get better.
No one is going to buy a ticket to see the team lose. We've seen that already these last few years of football and men's basketball.

We couldn’t even fill Memorial Stadium as an FCS team

 

[huskysupporter]

Terrible take. That is not the plan and frankly, I’d rather drop football than play FCS. UConn fans have had a lot of things taken away. Taking things away doesn’t create more fans.

We simply need to take football seriously. Randy has been recruiting very well this year. Let’s hope it continues and the team improves. If not, let’s hire a better coach.

2 additional points:
The program is not going to go FCS. When they pull the plug in the next couple of years it’s over.
UCONN does not and will not take football seriously. They assistant salary pool is a joke. Going independent was the end.

 

[HartfordHank]

Just a reminder, Edsall was successful in helping an NFL expansion team reach the AFC championship quick.

A team being coached by Tom Coughlin!

 

[Bongo Fury]

UConn will always have a football team. So will Kansas.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

2 additional points:
The program is not going to go FCS. When they pull the plug in the next couple of years it’s over.
UCONN does not and will not take football seriously. They assistant salary pool is a joke. Going independent was the end.

You keep saying going independent will be the end of UConn football. Obviously that means you are against UConn hoops going back to the big east...so what what was your solution for UConn sports?

I think it was the only move. Hoops and football were dying in the AAC. Hurley has stated being back in the BE has significantly helped recruiting. So that part has already worked. The football schedule that DB has put together is much better than the AAC schedule. And recruiting seemed to be doing well.

Revenue is still unknown but it appears hoops season tickets are up and football tv contract is better than expected. Less travel for all sports.

So what's your issue with the move? What should they have done?

 

[Hoophound]

I just hope to God we have a couple of strong seasons before anyone considers pulling the plug. The Rent used to rock. The whining is incredible. Win games with good coaching and the Rent will fill right back up. People love a winner.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

You keep saying going independent will be the end of UConn football. Obviously that means you are against UConn hoops going back to the big east...so what what was your solution for UConn sports?

I think it was the only move. Hoops and football were dying in the AAC. Hurley has stated being back in the BE has significantly helped recruiting. So that part has already worked. The football schedule that DB has put together is much better than the AAC schedule. And recruiting seemed to be doing well.

Revenue is still unknown but it appears hoops season tickets are up and football tv contract is better than expected. Less travel for all sports.

So what's your issue with the move? What should they have done?

Start by getting rid of Edsall. Please hire a coach that values offense - particularly, TD's. Try making this program exciting for players and fans.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Start by getting rid of Edsall. Please hire a coach that values offense - particularly, TD's. Try making this program exciting for players and fans.

Um...that wasn't the question. We were discussing if going independent made sense.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

So what's your issue with the move? What should they have done?

Um...that wasn't the question.

I get that it wasn't THE question you had in mind. But . . . getting rid of Randy would help any discussion on football.

 

[Stinger92860]

We should play the NY Giants they are a mirror image of UConn football. Can’t move the ball and can’t stop anyone.

 

[BlueandOG]

Boooooooo!

 

[freescooter]

You keep saying going independent will be the end of UConn football. Obviously that means you are against UConn hoops going back to the big east...so what what was your solution for UConn sports?

I think it was the only move. Hoops and football were dying in the AAC. Hurley has stated being back in the BE has significantly helped recruiting. So that part has already worked. The football schedule that DB has put together is much better than the AAC schedule. And recruiting seemed to be doing well.

Revenue is still unknown but it appears hoops season tickets are up and football tv contract is better than expected. Less travel for all sports.

So what's your issue with the move? What should they have done?

I’m not totally sold on either independence or the Big East to be honest. In some ways the Indy move makes sense. If we start to win and knock off a name or two annually it will preserve the program and allow us to make a move to a big time league if it comes available. As for the Big East I am not convinced that it isn’t a short sighted decision to join a league that is living on its history. Yeah Villanova is/ or at least was excellent but I am not sure if that is truly sustainable now that the SEC especially has decided to take basketball seriously. Plus ask yourself this. If a top tier ACC or Big 10 team called (not talking BC or Rutgers here) which BE coach would say no thanks? Jay Wright perhaps but he is about the only one. And if you look at the BE record in the tournament despite gathering lots of bids only Villanova has made a run. 2 titles are impressive for sure but the rest of the league has largely been a paper tiger. Xavier got to the Elite 8 once but got blown out of the building by Gonzaga. I think they are the only other BE team to last past the first weekend. We will see if they can remain among the top leagues or if they gradually become a more or less permanent 6th with The occasional really good team. That is my estimation of where they are and where they will stay. I guess it is better that 7 th and fans will like playing teams they’ve heard of as long as we win, but I suspect it will get old pretty soon when they realize that Syracuse and Louisville and even Cincy are not on the schedule.

 

[DoctorWho85]

I’m not totally sold on either independence or the Big East to be honest. In some ways the Indy move makes sense. If we start to win and knock off a name or two annually it will preserve the program and allow us to make a move to a big time league if it comes available. As for the Big East I am not convinced that it isn’t a short sighted decision to join a league that is living on its history. Yeah Villanova is/ or at least was excellent but I am not sure if that is truly sustainable now that the SEC especially has decided to take basketball seriously. Plus ask yourself this. If a top tier ACC or Big 10 team called (not talking BC or Rutgers here) which BE coach would say no thanks? Jay Wright perhaps but he is about the only one. And if you look at the BE record in the tournament despite gathering lots of bids only Villanova has made a run. 2 titles are impressive for sure but the rest of the league has largely been a paper tiger. Xavier got to the Elite 8 once but got blown out of the building by Gonzaga. I think they are the only other BE team to last past the first weekend. We will see if they can remain among the top leagues or if they gradually become a more or less permanent 6th with The occasional really good team. That is my estimation of where they are and where they will stay. I guess it is better that 7 th and fans will like playing teams they’ve heard of as long as we win, but I suspect it will get old pretty soon when they realize that Syracuse and Louisville and even Cincy are not on the schedule.

The move was a pure financial move. With football getting a TV contract from NBC and will see more money from the Big East than the AAC without being forced behind a crappy subscription.

 

[Adios]

UConn has a huge market here. It's as if the school has supplanted the Whalers, and it sure is showing with the championships won.