Report: UConn Going To Big East For 2020-2021 Season

[WrenchFan69]

Crazy:



If these are the American's choices, why wouldn't they ask UConn back as football only? Surely a state school is a much bigger revenue producer for the league than the likes of Charlotte, Old Dominion, Georgia State, Troy, UAB, North Texas, Georgia Southern, Louisiana Tech, FIU, or FAU.

It's obvious isn't it? We were bad for a few years in football and we're better at basketball so now our football brand has detached from our top 25 public school/elite flagship university profile. The people saying UConn doesn't bring anything as football only are morons.

 

[Walker11]

Imagine having to go to North Texas to play them in basketball? Are they even a mid-major?

There are people on this forum who are highly respected and think this move is a disaster. Talk about a stupid fanbase.

 

[Kmart]

Yep

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

Can someone explain why this "kills" any hope of a P5 invite ever? That seems to be the common sentiment amongst anti-Big East people.

Is it completely out of the question that our football program improves in the next 5-10 years as an independent, especially with all these series scheduled (Duke, Indiana, Illinois, Clemson, etc.) and Edsall putting some level of his stamp back on this program after a couple more years?

Is there zero chance of movement among the ACC/B1G/Big 12 in the next 10-15 years?

Some people are treating this as a doomsday scenario, and I just don't understand that point of view.
It's not a shot at the anti-Big East people, I just don't have enough knowledge about the politics/financial aspect of conference realignment as to why this move essentially is a guaranteed slow-death for our athletic program.

 

[upstater]

Can someone explain why this "kills" any hope of a P5 invite ever? That seems to be the common sentiment amongst anti-Big East people.

Is it completely out of the question that our football program improves in the next 5-10 years as an independent, especially with all these series scheduled (Duke, Indiana, Illinois, Clemson, etc.) and Edsall putting some level of his stamp back on this program after a couple more years?

Is there zero chance of movement among the ACC/B1G/Big 12 in the next 10-15 years?

Some people are treating this as a doomsday scenario, and I just don't understand that point of view.
It's not a shot at the anti-Big East people, I just don't have enough knowledge about the politics/financial aspect of conference realignment as to why this move essentially is a guaranteed slow-death for our athletic program.

I think the program will actually close down.

Forget about FCS.

Regardless, the UConn AD just told everyone that the school doesn't care about football. How can you be added to a conference that emphasizes football when you don't care about he one thing it emphasizes?

 

[djct1999]

I think the program will actually close down.

Forget about FCS.

Regardless, the UConn AD just told everyone that the school doesn't care about football. How can you be added to a conference that emphasizes football when you don't care about he one thing it emphasizes?

The real question to me is will UConn become a trendsetter here?

 

[Adios]

There are people on this forum who are highly respected and think this move is a disaster. Talk about a stupid fanbase.

Yeah, John Silver just said we set ourselves back big time in P5 aspirations. Meaning, we have P5 aspirations. I assume he is a know-nothing, blow-hard.

Definitely a stupid fanbase.

 

[ecasadoSBU]

Perhaps UConn can be the start of the trend to decouple football and Olympic sports. Why not?

I always thought that football should be treated like College Hockey when it comes to conferences. You can make the football conferences with a bigger geographic footprint while leaving everything else on a regional conference.

I guess I can dream...

 

[Deuce]

Yeah, John Silver just said we set ourselves back big time in P5 aspirations. Meaning, we have P5 aspirations. I assume he is a know-nothing, blow-hard.

Definitely a stupid fanbase.

Butch it’s totally your choice if you want to keep believing in Santa Claus but it’s seems like you are just taking it way too personal that the vast majority of us KNOW that it was our parents leaving those presents under the tree for us.

 

[gampelcrazies]

I love how all the people upset by this move say “UConn is giving up on football”. No! Fans gave up on football!

 

[aburks41]

Can’t wait until people can comment. I want to hear from Coach so bad. You know coaching in the big east has been a dream of his for a long time.

Best part about this move is it basically means the only place Hurley will bounce to is the NBA. UConn in the Big East is as close as you can get to the mountain top in NCAAB. There's now a 0% chance we would ever need to worry about a move to Seton Hall since they will be in our conference

 

[KingAG]

I keep seeing the “football” fans taking this false moral high ground of supporting all UConn sports. Yet they in the same breathe support our basketball programs dying a slow death at the expense of football. Just be honest. You’d rather sacrifice the basketball program instead of the football one. You’re no better than us. We just prefer to save the asset which has historically buttered our bread. We and apparently the admin chose the asset with a freakin pulse

 

[djct1999]

I love how all the people upset by this move say “UConn is giving up on football”. No! Fans gave up on football!

Totally. If more fans showed up last year, no way do we go 1-11. I totally blame the losses to UCF and Cincy on this fanbase. What else could it be?

 

[CTMike]

This idea that fans are somehow responsible for where football is is stupid. Fans have reacted entirely rationally to the series of terrible decisions that have been shoved down their throats. It’s those decisions over the last decade that have got us where we are.

 

[Rico444]

I keep seeing the “football” fans taking this false moral high ground of supporting all UConn sports. Yet they in the same breathe support our basketball programs dying a slow death at the expense of football. Just be honest. You’d rather sacrifice the basketball program instead of the football one. You’re no better than us. We just prefer to save the asset which has historically buttered our bread. We and apparently the admin chose the asset with a freakin pulse

I can understand the anger from the football fans. They got the news this weekend that their program is likely going to die in the near future. As awful as getting relegated to the AAC was, and as awful as the nut kicks of Louisville jumping us in realignment and the Big 12 passing were, this is a worse situation, and you can be damn sure us basketball fans would be just as livid if this were happening to our program.

My one issue is with the posters that complain about the men's basketball fans not supporting all of UConn's teams when I've never seen the vast majority of them post on the men's basketball board. I didn't make UConn football appointment watching, but if I was near a TV I would put the game on and root for a victory. That's about the same level of support that I would expect many of these football-only fans had for the hoops program...and that's fine by me. I don't think anyone should be forced to like a certain sport more than another. But don't complain about the basketball only people not caring about football in the same breath.

 

[KingAG]

I can understand the anger from the football fans. They got the news this weekend that their program is likely going to die in the near future. As awful as getting relegated to the AAC was, and as awful as the nut kicks of Louisville jumping us in realignment and the Big 12 passing were, this is a worse situation, and you can be damn sure us basketball fans would be just as livid if this were happening to our program.

My one issue is with the posters that complain about the men's basketball fans not supporting all of UConn's teams when I've never seen the vast majority of them post on the men's basketball board. I didn't make UConn football appointment watching, but if I was near a TV I would put the game on and root for a victory. That's about the same level of support that I would expect many of these football-only fans had for the hoops program...and that's fine by me. I don't think anyone should be forced to like a certain sport more than another. But don't complain about the basketball only people not caring about football in the same breath.

Agreed. I just hate this idea that the “basketball fans” don’t want a successful football program to root for. Of course we do. But after almost a 20 year experiment all we have to show for it is being the worst team in FBS. 7 yrs ago we made a decision for football that put a strain on our basketball program, it didn’t pay off. It’s time to make a decision for our basketball program now. We all love UConn sports. An we very much want the football team to end up in a good position. Just not at the expense of our identity any more

 

[kemba]

Agreed. I just hate this idea that the “basketball fans” don’t want a successful football program to root for. Of course we do. But after almost a 20 year experiment all we have to show for it is being the worst team in FBS. 7 yrs ago we made a decision for football that put a strain on our basketball program, it didn’t pay off. It’s time to make a decision for our basketball program now. We all love UConn sports. An we very much want the football team to end up in a good position. Just not at the expense of our identity any more

Well there are some who root against the football program and are gleeful about what this could mean for the football program, and any bad news that happens to them. And while that might be a minority, its still a noticeable number of people

The other issue is blaming the football program for the basketball programs issues when Kevin Ollie was the problem. It's just excuses, and not based on what's actually happened.

 

[vuchps]

Welcome home...

 

[KingAG]

Well there are some who root against the football program and are gleeful about what this could mean for the football program, and any bad news that happens to them. And while that might be a minority, its still a noticeable number of people

The other issue is blaming the football program for the basketball programs issues when Kevin Ollie was the problem. It's just excuses, and not based on what's actually happened.

The football program isn’t to “blame” for all of the b-ball programs issues. But for the betterment of the football program the basketball program was put in a situation that wasn’t ideal or conducive to running a high major northeastern basketball power. It put a strain on the program. That gave us little to no room for error. Ollie torpedoed the program, you’ll get no argument from me there. But our national irrelevance is definitely tied to the AAC.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

Dear Basketball-Only Fans,

The football team averaged an attendance of about 21,000 last year. For an abysmal team. After years of toiling away.

These people Bleed Blue. They are loyal to UConn. They are alumni, they are Connecticut residents, they are boosters, they are fans.

They want what is best for UConn. For football and almost certainly for basketball as well. I don't know any football fans who don't also root for the basketball team.

For us, it's tough, because it feels like this is probably the death of the program. A program that beat WVU on a cold November night in overtime. The team that went to Notre Dame and beat them. The team that beat Pitt on a rocking night by going for it on a 4th down knowing they'd get those few yards. The team that beat South Carolina in a bowl game.

Those memories are precious to us, and it hurts to realize that there probably won't be any new memories like that.

We hoped that the AAC would not kill the basketball program. Memphis was there. Cincinnati. Houston. Wichita State came in. We didn't want the basketball team to suffer, of course. But the hope was that, if the football team could become respectable again, then maybe, just maybe, in the next wave of P5 realignment, we might be considered. It was probably never going to happen. But at least we had a tiny shred of hope.

But those dreams now seem dead. And for thousands and thousands of UConn football fans, that hurts.

And you're dancing on their graves? Calling yourself a UConn fan?

I think this was probably the right move. Maybe the only move. I don't know. It seems as if there are no options left.

But if you're a real UConn fan, then perhaps you shouldn't take such glee from the death of a program followed by thousands of your fellow UConn fans and alumni. Perhaps your constant denigration of the football team doesn't make you a better UConn fan. Maybe it just means you a jerk.

Anyway. I've made a ton of great memories following the football team, tailgating with friends, screaming U-C-O-N-N after touchdowns. Enjoying beautiful afternoons with the Hartford cityscape in the background. And I'm sad that the program seems in a death spiral.

I'm happy for the basketball programs. Cause I'm a real UConn fan.

If you're celebrating the slow death of UConn Football, are you?

 

[Rico444]

Well there are some who root against the football program and are gleeful about what this could mean for the football program, and any bad news that happens to them. And while that might be a minority, its still a noticeable number of people

You're right, and as a basketball fan it makes me cringe to see those people purposefully dancing on football's grave. But there are plenty of football-only people that detest the basketball teams too and hate that the university makes decisions in its best interest. Of course the university is going to do that when the football team 1) hasn't been remotely good in almost a decade, 2)doesn't have the history to justify holding on and bleeding money any longer, and 3) doesn't have a realistic path to becoming a great program, or in lieu of that, one good enough to make us attractive to a P5 conference and the cash cow of major college football.

The men's basketball team was a national powerhouse for a decade and already had a national championship before the football team even went D-I. The idea that it's selfish for the university to protect their strongest brands at the expense of a program that's been around for less than 20 years really isn't that surprising. And honestly, I would argue it's a no-brainer.

 

[upstater]

Perhaps UConn can be the start of the trend to decouple football and Olympic sports. Why not?

I always thought that football should be treated like College Hockey when it comes to conferences. You can make the football conferences with a bigger geographic footprint while leaving everything else on a regional conference.

I guess I can dream...

If you like basketball, that is a horrible trend.

Because the P5 schools are saying, "By all means, decouple it."

 

[upstater]

Totally. If more fans showed up last year, no way do we go 1-11. I totally blame the losses to UCF and Cincy on this fanbase. What else could it be?

While I agree, surely you can make an argument that the lack of support resulted in a $1 million salary coach like Edsall, which just piled onto the trouble.

 

[Adios]

Butch it’s totally your choice if you want to keep believing in Santa Claus but it’s seems like you are just taking it way too personal that the vast majority of us KNOW that it was our parents leaving those presents under the tree for us.

Of course it hurts. What can I say? It's all good. And it's not make believe. We screwed up in football over the past almost 10 years. Had we not...

Since we got a bunch of Drake fans here, it's God's plan.

I am sure it will work out in the long run. But we sure made it might possibly take longer now.

 

[Danzz]

Dear Basketball-Only Fans,

The football team averaged an attendance of about 21,000 last year. For an abysmal team. After years of toiling away.

These people Bleed Blue. They are loyal to UConn. They are alumni, they are Connecticut residents, they are boosters, they are fans.

They want what is best for UConn. For football and almost certainly for basketball as well. I don't know any football fans who don't also root for the basketball team.

For us, it's tough, because it feels like this is probably the death of the program. A program that beat WVU on a cold November night in overtime. The team that went to Notre Dame and beat them. The team that beat Pitt on a rocking night by going for it on a 4th down knowing they'd get those few yards. The team that beat South Carolina in a bowl game.

Those memories are precious to us, and it hurts to realize that there probably won't be any new memories like that.

We hoped that the AAC would not kill the basketball program. Memphis was there. Cincinnati. Houston. Wichita State came in. We didn't want the basketball team to suffer, of course. But the hope was that, if the football team could become respectable again, then maybe, just maybe, in the next wave of P5 realignment, we might be considered. It was probably never going to happen. But at least we had a tiny shred of hope.

But those dreams now seem dead. And for thousands and thousands of UConn football fans, that hurts.

And you're dancing on their graves? Calling yourself a UConn fan?

I think this was probably the right move. Maybe the only move. I don't know. It seems as if there are no options left.

But if you're a real UConn fan, then perhaps you shouldn't take such glee from the death of a program followed by thousands of your fellow UConn fans and alumni. Perhaps your constant denigration of the football team doesn't make you a better UConn fan. Maybe it just means you a jerk.

Anyway. I've made a ton of great memories following the football team, tailgating with friends, screaming U-C-O-N-N after touchdowns. Enjoying beautiful afternoons with the Hartford cityscape in the background. And I'm sad that the program seems in a death spiral.

I'm happy for the basketball programs. Cause I'm a real UConn fan.

If you're celebrating the slow death of UConn Football, are you?

It is unfortunate that UConn football couldn't take the next step after the first Edsall era. We couldn't recruit enough good players to be competitive. We needed a JC and got coach P and there is plenty of blame to go around. We didn't get a P-5 invite and there is none in the near future. An Edsall retread wasn't the answer and his recruiting has been a disaster.
There is nothing to celebrate here. UConn football had a chance to to be something other than what it has become. UConn football fans supported the team during the worst of times and deserved a better program to root for.
We were stuck in a conference because of our football commitment that never made any sense for UConn. It became time to cut our losses and move to the BE where at least we have some regional rivalries. I have mixed feelings: excitement over playing a BE basketball schedule and disappointment over the football situation.

 

[husky429]

Dear Basketball-Only Fans,

The football team averaged an attendance of about 21,000 last year. For an abysmal team. After years of toiling away.

These people Bleed Blue. They are loyal to UConn. They are alumni, they are Connecticut residents, they are boosters, they are fans.

They want what is best for UConn. For football and almost certainly for basketball as well. I don't know any football fans who don't also root for the basketball team.

For us, it's tough, because it feels like this is probably the death of the program. A program that beat WVU on a cold November night in overtime. The team that went to Notre Dame and beat them. The team that beat Pitt on a rocking night by going for it on a 4th down knowing they'd get those few yards. The team that beat South Carolina in a bowl game.

Those memories are precious to us, and it hurts to realize that there probably won't be any new memories like that.

We hoped that the AAC would not kill the basketball program. Memphis was there. Cincinnati. Houston. Wichita State came in. We didn't want the basketball team to suffer, of course. But the hope was that, if the football team could become respectable again, then maybe, just maybe, in the next wave of P5 realignment, we might be considered. It was probably never going to happen. But at least we had a tiny shred of hope.

But those dreams now seem dead. And for thousands and thousands of UConn football fans, that hurts.

And you're dancing on their graves? Calling yourself a UConn fan?

I think this was probably the right move. Maybe the only move. I don't know. It seems as if there are no options left.

But if you're a real UConn fan, then perhaps you shouldn't take such glee from the death of a program followed by thousands of your fellow UConn fans and alumni. Perhaps your constant denigration of the football team doesn't make you a better UConn fan. Maybe it just means you a jerk.

Anyway. I've made a ton of great memories following the football team, tailgating with friends, screaming U-C-O-N-N after touchdowns. Enjoying beautiful afternoons with the Hartford cityscape in the background. And I'm sad that the program seems in a death spiral.

I'm happy for the basketball programs. Cause I'm a real UConn fan.

If you're celebrating the slow death of UConn Football, are you?

The only thing I've learned from this is that football fans are pretty dramatic.

 

[Rico444]

Of course it hurts. What can I say? It's all good. And it's not make believe. We screwed up in football over the past almost 10 years. Had we not...

I don't think anybody disagrees with you that had they hired a better coach after Edsall left, they'd be in a much better spot now, maybe even P5, but at the very least well positioned for an invite. The problem is we can't go back in time, and right now we aren't anywhere remotely close.

 

[djct1999]

While I agree, surely you can make an argument that the lack of support resulted in a $1 million salary coach like Edsall, which just piled onto the trouble.

Of course. This was the perfect storm of bad and fingers can be pointed in many directions. The fans, though, are the least to blame.

 

[kemba]

You're right, and as a basketball fan it makes me cringe to see those people purposefully dancing on football's grave. But there are plenty of football-only people that detest the basketball teams too and hate that the university makes decisions in its best interest.

Yea that's fair. I don't see it from football people nearly as much, but it's stupid from any group of fans.

I don't think everyone needs to care about every sport, its supposed to be entertainment, like what you like. But its mind boggling the number of people who flat out hate certain UConn teams but are fans of others.

 

[Waquoit]

Agreed. I just hate this idea that the “basketball fans” don’t want a successful football program to root for.

I can't agree more. No one has attended more Rent FB games than me. I'm still going to go. But FB and the AAC was like a huge drowning guy pulling everyone around him down. We had to cut loose. I especially hate the "well you had a Top 25 recruiting class". Talk about disrespect. That a 4-time champion should be content with a Top 25 class.