Randy Edsall on the Big East...

[uconnbill]

I still blame ESPN, Blumenthal and The Big East when they could have been a player instead of being played. The AAC and Aresco have some blame as well with this past contract and not letting UConn keep the SNY for Women's basketball.

 

[huskymedic]

It's the AD's fault that this news leaked out early.

How so? Aren't you making a huge leap that the leak came fo the UConn camp and not the Big East/Big East conference school camp?

 

[huskysupporter]

Stop with the Doom & Gloom

It’s not RIP UConn Football. It’s just not. Stop with the death of all Football. Please. They’ll adjust.

We have GREAT facilities for our peer competition. (Except Clemson). I don’t think we will care if we miss UCF or SMU. Somehow we will figure it out.

We gave up the dream of P5. In fact, it’s clear that the tide is going elsewhere

It is RIP for UCONN football. Wish I was wrong. I think Coach Edsall knows it too.

Cannot imagine the amount of kids that are in the transport portal next year.

 

[huskysupporter]

If a 3-0 UConn team is taking on a 3-0, 2-1 Syracuse, Pitt, BC, Rutgers team, you don't think 25k/30k is a reasonable guess?

Correct. There is nothing to play for as an independent. Already poor recruiting will get worse. Players will be transferring em masse. Attendance will be even worse. Losing money, no interest = dropping football

 

[CL82]

Just to be clear no, things won't be o.k. He and his team have to do what they can do, but rest assured -- it will not be enough to keep us in FBS long term. At some point recruits will not come to play in front of 4000 people against Lehigh in a 40,000 seat stadium.

So you are saying that we need a bigger stadium?

 

[Pudge]

It is RIP for UCONN football. Wish I was wrong. I think Coach Edsall knows it too.

Cannot imagine the amount of kids that are in the transport portal next year.

We shall see

Nobody walks away from the amount of capital investment we all can see within a short drive. This ain’t Sears. They’re options

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Correct. There is nothing to play for as an independent. Already poor recruiting will get worse. Players will be transferring em masse. Attendance will be even worse. Losing money, no interest = dropping football

And we were playing for what exactly now -the title of a G5 league 95% of our fans rejected?

Maybe I'm wrong but on the list of reasons kids commit to UConn, playing for the AAC league title has to be pretty low on the list.

It's the main difference between where we were and where we are now. We could use the BCS, it meant something. Nowadays? Win and get kids to the league.

 

[ZooCougar]

If a 3-0 UConn team is taking on a 3-0, 2-1 Syracuse, Pitt, BC, Rutgers team, you don't think 25k/30k is a reasonable guess?

No. Think 2,500 to 3,000.

If we can even schedule enough games to play in 2020. We’re basically playing 12 exhibition games a season going forward.

 

[Pudge]

Well.

There’s BYU. Army. Notre Dame.

UMass, Liberty, NM State, Idaho. All those strange SunBelt schools. And most all the CUSA is unattractive. MAC?

I pose - the University of Connecticut is different. On first blush, we are in the middle. Sure some 2 for 1. But if you call Hawaii or Indiana or Virginia. We are the most likely to get a game. Probably before Army. Part of my sanguine feeling ... is I just didn’t think succeeding against most of the AAC mattered to me. Bowls? Maybe Fox needs Mid December football content.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

No. Think 2,500 to 3,000.

If we can even schedule enough games to play in 2020. We’re basically playing 12 exhibition games a season going forward.

So dramatic. 2,500 fans really?

College football is essentially a 12 game exhibition aside from Alabama, Clemson, and a couple others anyway. Not sure what sport you've been following.

 

[ZooCougar]

So dramatic. 2,500 fans really?

College football is essentially a 12 game exhibition aside from Alabama, Clemson, and a couple others anyway. Not sure what sport you've been following.

Honestly, it sounds as if you’ve never even watched college football.

We have no standings, no championship, no postseason.

It’s as if Basketball had to play a season without ever taking part in a conference tournament or the NCAAs.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Honestly, it sounds as if you’ve never even watched college football.

We have no standings, no championship, no postseason.

It’s as if Basketball had to play a season without ever taking part in a conference tournament or the NCAAs.

There's no championships or playoffs for 98% of college football. And there never was going to be for UConn either way.

College football is a unique sport where the regular season in of itself is more important than the bowls. What other sport is like that?

 

[kemba]

There's no championships or playoffs for 98% of college football. And there never was going to be for UConn either way.

College football is a unique sport where the regular season in of itself is more important than the bowls. What other sport is like that?

Right.

Make the team competitive and manage to schedule a few decent games and people will come. The buzz of 2007 or the Fiesta Bowl year isn't coming back. But decent crowds because its a fun thing to do outside on a beautiful Saturday can happen

 

[ZooCougar]

There's no championships or playoffs for 98% of college football. And there never was going to be for UConn either way.

College football is a unique sport where the regular season in of itself is more important than the bowls. What other sport is like that?

No. Use your brain. We don’t have a bowl tie in. I guess we could claim to finish first in our conference each year.

The football team is done. It really is. Interest will be below AAC levels.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

No. Use your brain. We don’t have a bowl tie in. I guess we could claim to finish first in our conference each year.

The football team is done. It really is. Interest will be below AAC levels.

It was done as soon as Louisville left for the ACC. That was the ending of meaningful football at UConn.

G5 is mid major ball. Win some games, play some interesting or local teams and you'll have some crowds.

If you want to say it was dead when we were relegated, sure.

If you want to say leaving the AAC for Independence is the death knell, I just think you're wrong.

 

[Pudge]

Bowl tie-ins?

Pfffft. I don’t care what’s the contract for the MAC or CUSA or SunBelt. If you are a Blazer wearing local businessman, you choose UCONN over Middle Tennessee or Western Michigan

Honestly. Win a National Championships in the next 5 years. In Hoop. Do you think Brand means nothing to a a weed eater company. (Tongue in cheek)

 

[businesslawyer]

If UConn is consistently winning again, 7/8 wins, I think you'll see 20k in the stands and maybe get into the 30ks if a former rival comes to the Rent.

The alternative was 4,000 people against Tulane, with a 2/3 win team.

That's like the Steve Martin bit, on how to be a millionaire and not pay taxes? "First, get a million bucks."

Our roster is currently insufficient, and while it's great that young men who were close to committing to us when this was announced are believing the bull manure that they're being fed, this will make recruiting at the level Edsall used to recruit almost impossible, which makes getting to 7/8 wins consistently almost impossible. We are in a death cycle. I wish I could ignore it and wait until it plays out to recognize it, but make no mistake -- we are in it.

 

[businesslawyer]

Yeah cuz thats not already happening. L-o-l

Of course it's already been happening. But the possibility of getting better was there as long as you could tell recruits our league was strong enough that if you win it, you probably get a major bowl game. That pitch is now dead.

 

[businesslawyer]

We shall see

Nobody walks away from the amount of capital investment we all can see within a short drive. This ain’t Sears. They’re options

I would love to be wrong about this Pudge. But I'm not a doom and gloom guy. As awful as the football was last year, I hadn't given up on, slowly but surely, Edsall building us back up to where we were.

But I just don't see how it's possible. I'm not sure it's going great for BYU, and they're light years ahead of us in being able to make it work. I know how it's going for UMass.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

That's like the Steve Martin bit, on how to be a millionaire and not pay taxes? "First, get a million bucks."

Our roster is currently insufficient, and while it's great that young men who were close to committing to us when this was announced are believing the bull manure that they're being fed, this will make recruiting at the level Edsall used to recruit almost impossible, which makes getting to 7/8 wins consistently almost impossible. We are in a death cycle. I wish I could ignore it and wait until it plays out to recognize it, but make no mistake -- we are in it.

The basic difference we have is you and others think Edsall (and UConn) could recruit well enough to consistently compete in a southern mid major football league - I don't think that was in the cards. The loss of BCS/P5 status and any regional identity would always be an uphill battle fighting with one hand tied behind our back.

If we give Edsall the time to reset the roster, with a softer schedule, I believe we can get back to winning.

Maybe it's just me, but give me a few teams I care about playing each year (regional team(s), or lower tier P5 teams), a road buy game vs top teams (think Clemson), and then fill out the rest with MAC, C-USA, Indies, and a local FCS, whatever, and I can get behind rooting for this team on and would make me get back in the car from NJ and buy tickets again.

Call me what you will, but I was never again making the 6-7 hr round trips to The Rent to see us struggle in the AAC year in year out. Conference title be damned, I just never would have cared about the AAC.

 

[Excalibur]

And just got another 2020 commitment. I'd like to believer there is no way all these kids are committing to UConn (or any school in flux). That's 3 or 4 new commits since the move was announced.

This is when the commitments always start coming in.

 

[Alum86]

He's saying it ain't his problem. And it's on the administration to figure it out and he seems confident they will.

LOL. Definition of insanity

 

[ZooCougar]

I would love to be wrong about this Pudge. But I'm not a doom and gloom guy. As awful as the football was last year, I hadn't given up on, slowly but surely, Edsall building us back up to where we were.

But I just don't see how it's possible. I'm not sure it's going great for BYU, and they're light years ahead of us in being able to make it work. I know how it's going for UMass.

Way too many headwinds now

There is no tailwind

Death is certain soon for us

 

[Waquoit]

I am feeling more sanguine about it.

Is that good?

 

[Waquoit]

I still blame ESPN, Blumenthal and The Big East when they could have been a player instead of being played. The AAC and Aresco have some blame as well with this past contract and not letting UConn keep the SNY for Women's basketball.

Depression?

 

[Waquoit]

There is no tailwind

What about the ticket sales site crashing right after the announcement? The added juice of a rejuvenated basketball program will help the prospects of the FB team. The status quo would have killed everything.

 

[ZooCougar]

What about the ticket sales site crashing right after the announcement? The added juice of a rejuvenated basketball program will help the prospects of the FB team. The status quo would have killed everything.

That’s not really a tailwind yet. That’s just whatever something is before it becomes a theory.

I hope you’re right. But I really don’t think basketball fans have ever done anything substantial to help UConn Football.

 

[Waquoit]

I hope you’re right. But I really don’t think basketball fans have ever done anything substantial to help UConn Football.

Don't kid yourself, buddy. Hoop fans built the Rent and put plenty of fannies in seats. I'm a BB fan and I bought Fiesta Bowl tickets from the school, fer cryin' out loud.

 

[Alum86]

It is a company statement. Relying on the admin, B o T, & AD Dave? Okay. But we’ll need a little more intel from them.

 

[ZooCougar]

Don't kid yourself, buddy. Hoop fans built the Rent and put plenty of fannies in seats. I'm a BB fan and I bought Fiesta Bowl tickets from the school, fer cryin' out loud.

Not enough did the same. There’s always been a negative undercurrent coming from those people. Normal fanbases have nearly 100% crossover. These are also the same peeps that stopped buying basketball tickets too.