Reality vs fear

[Jaydumo20]

We have a fantastic athletic department, world class facilities and the institution of the academics at UConn are equally impressive.

We all entrenched as a premier university in New England and the Mid Atlantic.

Our football team ain't that good, but when you look at the aggregate of UConn compared to other New England or Mid Atlantic universities, adding the UConn brand to an established conference makes a lot of sense.

Will it happen? Who really knows?

Should it happen? Absolutely.

Should you as a fan care? Yes.

The university has invested too much and has achieved A LOT with that investment.

How would I feel if it happens? Very melancholy. The Big East was where it all began, but the world has changed. We don't live in a vacuum and we can't pretend that we're isolated from the monumental shift in the college sports landscape just because we've managed to win several basketball titles.

Everything you say is Valid.
this isn't directed at you, but the predictions are so all over the place that there may as well not be any predictions at all. I read an SI article published last week that predicts that Duke, UNC, Cuse, BC, Purdue or any other non-powerhouse football program would be left behind. In that case, we'd probably start complaining about that if we made the p4. Who knows?

Here's a prediction- college basketball starts to climb closer to college football in popularity. I mean Caitlin Clark was more popular and recognizable than any college football player this past year. By a long shot.
Or the NFL with the Taylor swift non-football stories taking center stage points to saturation point for the nfl and it's only a matter of time. If you think there's no way, compare baseball popularity to football popularity in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Nobody knew. Just ask myspace

 

[FearThePups]

Please, as a UConn Alum it's still not hard to admit that UConn has been dreadful in football for a long time. Just plain horrible, for many years. There hasn't been a single season with a winning record since 2010, and only 6 winning seasons out of the last 25. That's objectively awful.

Correct. Our lifetime record is sub .500. If any of you have a plan to get UConn into a better conference which would include our DePaulesque football program, I’m all ears.

 

[FearThePups]

Hot take: I think Big 12 comes back for UConn and adds them this upcoming summer.

How so? They didn’t want our football program and would only pay us a crumb of a full share.

 

[B1GEast]

Here's a prediction- college basketball starts to climb closer to college football in popularity.

I think I could make a case that college basketball is more popular than college football. There's a big difference between popularity and profitability.

Everyone knows the CBS contract with the NCAA is way undervalued.

There are many more non football conferences involved in the tournament.

I think the reason that college football is more profitable is because of the transition to the NFL, and right now the NFL is top dog.

What's unfortunate is that a lot power that influencing the future roadmap in college sports is very few hands. The SEC, B1G commissioners and ESPN/Fox Sports and some broadcast consultants are carving up the pie for themselves at the expense of everyone else.

If I were the Big 12, I'd talk to the remaining ACC teams and all the other division one football schools and pledge allegiance to each other to screw the SEC and the B1G and to not schedule any conference games against them.

Let the B1G have to only play the SEC after 2026. See how far they get.

 

[dennismenace]

Of course its dreadful you replace a geriatric dud, with a dud with pretty blue eyes, you then bring back a guy who had no interest in doing the job. The investment hasn't been there in football so you get the results we got. But i get. Money doesn't grown on trees and we have 2 high profile BB programs at the top of the heap that require maximum resources. Football has been largely treated like an afterthought.

Men's basketball is a very good net generator of funds so it doesn't require maximum resources; just the opposite unlike most of the other sports both men and women. So football has been treated like it is: a large drain on resources. How and where do you get a plan that turns that around into a net generator of funds (or at least close to break even)? That's the $64000 question. I think the path chosen (independent) for now is responsible. Not sure its feasible for football with the conference alignment we are in. Football is becoming more and more of an outlier in this region compared to lacrosse, soccer and hockey.

 

[Jaydumo20]

I think I could make a case that college basketball is more popular than college football. There's a big difference between popularity and profitability.

Everyone knows the CBS contract with the NCAA is way undervalued.

There are many more non football conferences involved in the tournament.

I think the reason that college football is more profitable is because of the transition to the NFL, and right now the NFL is top dog.

What's unfortunate is that a lot power that influencing the future roadmap in college sports is very few hands. The SEC, B1G commissioners and ESPN/Fox Sports and some broadcast consultants are carving up the pie for themselves at the expense of everyone else.

If I were the Big 12, I'd talk to the remaining ACC teams and all the other division one football schools and pledge allegiance to each other to screw the SEC and the B1G and to not schedule any conference games against them.

Let the B1G have to only play the SEC after 2026. See how far they get.

Well said. I agree with you that even some of the schools that assume because they are in the acc or the big 12 that they would be safe. Not necessarily true.

In other related news: my friend is a huge Ohio State football fan and he sent me a text outlining all the $$$ Ohio State and Ryan day spent to try to guarantee a title: including hiring chip Kelly as OC and paying players millions to forgo this years nfl draft. He said to me "that he's disgusted and doesn't even want to watch" he still will, but said his interest level is cut in half.

As for me, I think college football sucks. I've tried and tried. I just can't

 

[nelsonmuntz]

If you are not worried about the future for schools that have been left out of the power structure running the game, I do not know what to tell you.

The first time posts like this showed up on what was the Boneyard at the time was in April 2003. Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese had given an interview blasting Miami and Boston College for, I believe the term he used was, "acting in the shadows". The Big East had just won the NCAA Basketball Championships with Syracuse men and UConn women, and Miami had won the football championship for the 2001 season, but BCU and Miami hatched a plan to destroy the Big East and do as much damage as possible to the Big East athletic programs, hoping to put them out of business for good. That spring, as Miami, BCU and ultimately VTech headed for the exit, 90% of the posters on this board assured us, with absolute certainty, that UConn was finished as an athletic program.

Since then, UConn has won 5 national championships in men's basketball and 7 in women's basketball, and even made a BCS bowl game in football. Outside of maybe 10 or 12 schools, every college fanbase would happily trade their last 21 years for ours.

The sky is always falling in Storrs, and UConn just keeps winning championships. If you really want to wallow in misery, you should become a BCU or Rutgers fan, although you will be lonely since neither of those programs have many fans. If you want to follow dominant programs that wins a lot, then you should like UConn. But you will have to squeeze in because this bandwagon is crowded.

 

[B1GEast]

The first time posts like this showed up on what was the Boneyard at the time was in April 2003. Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese had given an interview blasting Miami and Boston College for, I believe the term he used was, "acting in the shadows". The Big East had just won the NCAA Basketball Championships with Syracuse men and UConn women, and Miami had won the football championship for the 2001 season, but BCU and Miami hatched a plan to destroy the Big East and do as much damage as possible to the Big East athletic programs, hoping to put them out of business for good. That spring, as Miami, BCU and ultimately VTech headed for the exit, 90% of the posters on this board assured us, with absolute certainty, that UConn was finished as an athletic program.

Since then, UConn has won 5 national championships in men's basketball and 7 in women's basketball, and even made a BCS bowl game in football. Outside of maybe 10 or 12 schools, every college fanbase would happily trade their last 21 years for ours.

The sky is always falling in Storrs, and UConn just keeps winning championships. If you really want to wallow in misery, you should become a BCU or Rutgers fan, although you will be lonely since neither of those programs have many fans. If you want to follow dominant programs that wins a lot, then you should like UConn. But you will have to squeeze in because this bandwagon is crowded.

Unfortunately the affects of realignment are not always immediately felt.

The B1G and SEC want to change college basketball payouts by expanding the number of teams in the tournament. They'll probably get their way.

When that happens you'll probably start to a lot more play in games that act as byes for all the other teams.

Then you'll probably see quotas for the number of teams conference will get it in the tournament further squeezing the smaller conferences, and the payout will greatly benefit conferences with multiple teams in the tournament, not to mention how they will tier units to make even more money.

In this type of scenario, Big East units might be worth much less than SEC or B1G units, very hypothetical, but not unrealistic to consider.

I hate all of what the B1G and SEC have done and are trying to do.

But as a fan, I would much rather be a part of the influence than part of the rest of the group that is forced to grin and bear it.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Unfortunately the affects of realignment are not always immediately felt.

The B1G and SEC want to change college basketball payouts by expanding the number of teams in the tournament. They'll probably get their way.

When that happens you'll probably start to a lot more play in games that act as byes for all the other teams.

Then you'll probably see quotas for the number of teams conference will get it in the tournament further squeezing the smaller conferences, and the payout will greatly benefit conferences with multiple teams in the tournament, not to mention how they will tier units to make even more money. In this type of scenario, Big East units might be worth much less than SEC or B1G units, very hypothetical, but not unrealistic to consider.

I hate all of what the B1G and SEC have done and are trying to do.

But as a fan, I would much rather be a part of the influence than part of the rest of the group that is forced to grin and bear it.

I know all the "but this time it is really different" arguments. It may be different, but it is not necessarily worse. I believe you were on the Boneyard in 2003. The ACC raid of 2003 was not just a body blow, it was a punch right in our freaking face by Mike Tyson in his prime. The 5 remaining Big East football schools had not really accomplished anything, had modest fan interest compared to Miami, and the Catholic schools, which had a lot of the basketball prestige at the time, were planning to strike out on their own. There was a good chance that we were going to end up in some modified CUSA, which would have been the end of UConn athletics at that point. To go from where the Big East was in the Spring of 2003, to what would happen for UConn over the next 21 years, was nothing short of a miracle.

The entire nationwide university system is about to enter the most chaotic period in its existence, and I believe that several of the universities whose teams we watch in the fall and winter may not even exist in 20 years. Even if they survive, universities will look dramatically different 20 years from now compared to how they look today. What happens to their sports team is far down the list of concerns to university administrators. It will be chaos, but chaos should not be feared, and in our case, it is actually kind of necessary.

 

[Waquoit]

I know all the "but this time it is really different" arguments.

Have you already forgotten how it all turned to merde when we in the AAC? We were down and way out. It even gave us our worst WBB team in 30 years. It wasn't just "a matter of time before UConn came back", it was a freaking miracle! We've already had two miracles in MBB, I'm not counting on a third.

 

[Jaydumo20]

Have you already forgotten how it all turned to merde when we in the AAC? We were down and way out. It even gave us our worst WBB team in 30 years. It wasn't just "a matter of time before UConn came back", it was a freaking miracle! We've already had two miracles in MBB, I'm not counting on a third.

I think we attract miracles. That Brimah play against st.joes was actually miracle #2.

Houston basketball has had 2 miracles:
Olajuwon chose them over st.johns because the weather reminded him of Nigeria. And they made it out of the AAC in grand fashion. Miracles are a dime a dozen in sports. God's a huge sports fan. Why do you think Sunday is the day to rest?

 

[Waquoit]

I think we attract miracles. That Brimah play against st.joes was actually miracle #2.

Houston basketball has had 2 miracles:
Olajuwon chose them over st.johns because the weather reminded him of Nigeria. And they made it out of the AAC in grand fashion. Miracles are a dime a dozen in sports. God's a huge sports fan. Why do you think Sunday is the day to rest?

 

[Jaydumo20]

View attachment 99848

That's me, walking from the 'jungle' to St. Thomas in '98 to pray for multiple UConn nattys.

 

[John]

I think we attract miracles. That Brimah play against st.joes was actually miracle #2.

Houston basketball has had 2 miracles:
Olajuwon chose them over st.johns because the weather reminded him of Nigeria. And they made it out of the AAC in grand fashion. Miracles are a dime a dozen in sports. God's a huge sports fan. Why do you think Sunday is the day to rest?

UCF has had miracles too.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

View attachment 99848

UConn athletics is doomed. We heard you the first time, in 2003.

 

[B1GEast]

I believe you were on the Boneyard in 2

I found the other board during the Orlovsky years in the early 2000's.

I remember how everyone felt about the BC, Cause and Miami leaving. I was a punch in the gut.

The second raid was worse. We knew it was going to happen, but what bothered me the most was that Tranghese chose Marianto as his replacement and Marianto was a basketball guy in a football world. He was also a fool and they ate his lunch.

I wasn't thrilled about how Susan and Ward handled the third raid either.

I think there's a slight opportunity for UConn to land somewhere, but I'm not stressing about it, it's out of my control.

 

[cohenzone]

What can we possibly do?

I have zero fear of being left out in basketball. We're the best basketball program in the country, there's too many good basketball teams in the country to contract, and the tournament is going to expand which I don't like.

We have a coach who won’t be here forever, who half the BY was ready to run out of town 18 months ago. We have the BY cheering when every good player goes pro after a year or two. The portal has made that less of an issue. If the portal is modified somehow to reduce the ease of program jumping, the future changes for UConn. I would not be blinded by current success. The next season or two will tell us more about how well we do with all of the early departures.

In the meantime we have 2 major sports that are on the flip side of each other. Football without conference affiliation will be doing well to have modestly successful seasons do long as they need to keep power conference teams for a third of the schedule. With the current portal we can already see that our better under recruited players leave for what they see as greener pastures. And the women’s basketball program without Geno will have an uncertain future because basically the BE has them and really nobody else. I think being on the outside looking in sucks for UConn, but i’m ancient so it probably doesn’t matter to me.

 

[Jaydumo20]

We have a coach who won’t be here forever, who half the BY was ready to run out of town 18 months ago. We have the BY cheering when every good player goes pro after a year or two. The portal has made that less of an issue. If the portal is modified somehow to reduce the ease of program jumping, the future changes for UConn. I would not be blinded by current success. The next season or two will tell us more about how well we do with all of the early departures.

In the meantime we have 2 major sports that are on the flip side of each other. Football without conference affiliation will be doing well to have modestly successful seasons do long as they need to keep power conference teams for a third of the schedule. With the current portal we can already see that our better under recruited players leave for what they see as greener pastures. And the women’s basketball program without Geno will have an uncertain future because basically the BE has them and really nobody else. I think being on the outside looking in sucks for UConn, but i’m ancient so it probably doesn’t matter to me.

Now that Paige is already the internets new Caitlin (even though paige was a star from the getgo) an unexpected turn of events like that is enough for the powers to salivate at UConn bball.

I've been to Iowa a ton in my life, basketball was just born there this year. The internet moves quick

 

[7774]

Now that Paige is already the internets new Caitlin (even though paige was a star from the getgo) an unexpected turn of events like that is enough for the powers to salivate at UConn bball.

I've been to Iowa a ton in my life, basketball was just born there this year. The internet moves quick

lol Iowa had one of the best women’s coaches ever in the 80s and they were excellent.

 

[cohenzone]

Now that Paige is already the internets new Caitlin (even though paige was a star from the getgo) an unexpected turn of events like that is enough for the powers to salivate at UConn bball.

I've been to Iowa a ton in my life, basketball was just born there this year. The internet moves quick

I appreciate your optimism. I’m more Missouri than Iowa i guess. Have to show me first.

 

[Waquoit]

lol Iowa had one of the best women’s coaches ever in the 80s and they were excellent.

And the coach left for Rutgers!

 

[Jaydumo20]

lol Iowa had one of the best women’s coaches ever in the 80s and they were excellent.

Well, I guess if we're gonna be 100% literal... How can we forget the 80s Hawkeye women's team that stole the country's hearts.

 

[Scoe]

Now that Paige is already the internets new Caitlin (even though paige was a star from the getgo) an unexpected turn of events like that is enough for the powers to salivate at UConn bball.

I've been to Iowa a ton in my life, basketball was just born there this year. The internet moves quick

Iowa is a wrestling state.

 

[7774]

Well, I guess if we're gonna be 100% literal... How can we forget the 80s Hawkeye women's team that stole the country's hearts.

Derp

 

[John]

Well, I guess if we're gonna be 100% literal... How can we forget the 80s Hawkeye women's team that stole the country's hearts.

Please God tell me we're not pinning our hopes on women's basketball now.

 

[uconnfan68]

And what would be the price tag for creating dorms for an additional 15,000 students, changing the entire infrastructure of the campus and creating new roads and lanes in and out of campus, hiring another 800+ professors and additional faculty, building a new on campus arena, expanding and building more classroom space, dining space, exercise facilities, student centers etc.?

That’s part of the process. Figuring out how to accomplish your goals. If you just want to give up and say we can’t do it, that’s all you.

 

[Mr. Hand]

And what would be the price tag for creating dorms for an additional 15,000 students, changing the entire infrastructure of the campus and creating new roads and lanes in and out of campus, hiring another 800+ professors and additional faculty, building a new on campus arena, expanding and building more classroom space, dining space, exercise facilities, student centers etc.?

They're trying. There's massive new housing complexes currently being built on 275 opposite Hillside road and 195 where 2steps/thumpers used to be. Another development will get underway soon on 195 near CVS.

A half dozen new restaurants are also in the works.

The road infrastructure to support all of this has so far been absent.