Should UConn abandon big-time college football? The question is a complex one to answer (Hearst)

[amishboy]

There's no reason UConn can't be a plucky 6-6 bowl participant most seasons besides horrid coaching for the past decade.

This is tongue-in-cheek, right? Because you're obviously kidding about the 6-6 aspirations?

 

[amishboy]

Take it to FCS and I’ll never watch UConn again or donate a dime. It’s going backwards to the podunk dump it used to be. No interest watching a Catholic rec, basketball league.

Why would it be a Catholic rec basketball league? Why couldn't we stay in the BE for basketball and play FCS football? Isn't that what Villanova, among others, does?

 

[NY Crusader]

We are not going down to FCS. We would lose even more money at that level. Also, we are not playing a level below UMass, Syracuse, Pitt, or Boston College. The ACC will get raided by either the B1G or SEC or both in the next decade giving us a natural home.

Of that group UMass, actually SHOULD move down to FCS.

If I were UCONN I do what I can to turn the ship around at the FBS level. There's no reason they can't find a Temple-like niche within the G5 (soon to be G6) landscape. ACC deciding to expand add UConn in the near future is a long shot IMO but worth remaining in position for if the opportunity does arise.

I really would be happy to see FBS football ultimately work out in East Hartford.

 

[amishboy]

Here are the records for the past 10 years of some other Eastern schools, i.e., our "natural rivals," who are still trying to compete at the FBS level:

2	2020	ACC	1	10	0	.091	1	9	0	.100	-12.92	1.53				Dino Babers (1-10)
3	2019	ACC	5	7	0	.417	2	6	0	.250	-2.79	-0.62	22	21		Dino Babers (5-7)
4	2018	ACC	10	3	0	.769	6	2	0	.750	12.14	1.30		12	15	Dino Babers (10-3)	Camping World Bowl-W
5	2017	ACC	4	8	0	.333	2	6	0	.250	1.96	5.80				Dino Babers (4-8)
6	2016	ACC	4	8	0	.333	2	6	0	.250	-4.51	4.57				Dino Babers (4-8)
7	2015	ACC	4	8	0	.333	2	6	0	.250	-1.51	3.91				Scott Shafer (4-8)
8	2014	ACC	3	9	0	.250	1	7	0	.125	-4.84	3.00				Scott Shafer (3-9)
9	2013	ACC	7	6	0	.538	4	4	0	.500	2.81	2.88				Scott Shafer (7-6)	Texas Bowl-W
10	2012	Big East	8	5	0	.615	5	2	0	.714	6.27	0.81				Doug Marrone (8-5)	Pinstripe Bowl-W
11	2011	Big East	5	7	0	.417	1	6	0	.143	-3.15	1.02				Doug Marrone (5-7)

2	2020	ACC	6	5	0	.545	5	5	0	.500	1.54	-1.19		21		Pat Narduzzi (6-5)
3	2019	ACC	8	5	0	.615	4	4	0	.500	0.60	0.52				Pat Narduzzi (8-5)	Quick Lane Bowl-W
4	2018	ACC	7	7	0	.500	6	2	0	.750	5.70	6.55		24		Pat Narduzzi (7-7)	Sun Bowl-L
5	2017	ACC	5	7	0	.417	3	5	0	.375	1.21	4.13				Pat Narduzzi (5-7)
6	2016	ACC	8	5	0	.615	5	3	0	.625	8.12	3.51		22		Pat Narduzzi (8-5)	Pinstripe Bowl-L
7	2015	ACC	8	5	0	.615	6	2	0	.750	6.32	3.78		23		Pat Narduzzi (8-5)	Military Bowl-L
8	2014	ACC	6	7	0	.462	4	4	0	.500	2.74	0.97				Joe Rudolph (0-1), Paul Chryst (6-6)	Armed Forces Bowl-L
9	2013	ACC	7	6	0	.538	3	5	0	.375	3.72	3.49				Paul Chryst (7-6)	Little Caesars Bowl-W
10	2012	Big East	6	7	0	.462	3	4	0	.429	2.05	-0.64				Paul Chryst (6-7)	BBVA Compass Bowl-L
11	2011	Big East	6	7	0	.462	4	3	0	.571	1.09	1.17				Todd Graham (6-6), Keith Patterson (0-1)	BBVA Compass Bowl-L

2	2020	ACC	6	5	0	.545	5	5	0	.500	-0.04	-0.59				Jeff Hafley (6-5)
3	2019	ACC	6	7	0	.462	4	4	0	.500	-0.37	1.17				Rich Gunnell (0-1), Steve Addazio (6-6)	Birmingham Bowl-L
4	2018	ACC	7	5	0	.583	4	4	0	.500	4.61	1.78		17		Steve Addazio (7-5)
5	2017	ACC	7	6	0	.538	4	4	0	.500	9.39	7.08				Steve Addazio (7-6)	Pinstripe Bowl-L
6	2016	ACC	7	6	0	.538	2	6	0	.250	0.58	0.50				Steve Addazio (7-6)	Quick Lane Bowl-W
7	2015	ACC	3	9	0	.250	0	8	0	.000	-1.73	2.11				Steve Addazio (3-9)
8	2014	ACC	7	6	0	.538	4	4	0	.500	6.04	2.35				Steve Addazio (7-6)	Pinstripe Bowl-L
9	2013	ACC	7	6	0	.538	4	4	0	.500	1.28	2.20				Steve Addazio (7-6)	AdvoCare V100 Bowl-L
10	2012	ACC	2	10	0	.167	1	7	0	.125	-6.74	2.01				Frank Spaziani (2-10)
11	2011	ACC	4	8	0	.333	3	5	0	.375	-4.61	0.89				Frank Spaziani (4-8)

From 30 results, there have been four 8-win seasons at Pitt and Syracuse and one 10-win season at Syracuse; BC has never won more than 7 games. So please tell me how UConn is going to be more successful than Syracuse, Pitt, and BC. Better coaching? Bigger endowment? More "commitment"?

We need to face facts: the recruiting base in the Northeast is small, better recruits from the South, Midwest, and West Coast aren't going to opt to spend 4 or more years in Storrs, and the fan base is smaller than in other areas of the country (in part because many people are happy to root for local professional teams).

In my mind, the UConn football issue is very similar to the Whalers; there are many very passionate fans, but not enough to make it work. How much are people willing to spend, to achieve a goal of mediocrity?

 

[Mrhoops33]

Facts are facts! Uconn is a basketball school. Uconn football is a divison 2 school at best maybe divison 3. They play in a 40,000 seat stadium and draw less than 10,000 people.Any recruit thats any good ,will not come to Uconn.so you get second tier players at best. Uconn will not win a game this year. Uconn will not fire Edstall because they will have to pay him. let him go at the end of the year and save money.

 

[crewbear742]

Facts are facts! Uconn is a basketball school.

Yes. That is why UCONN is on the outside of realignment looking in. That is why UCONN has buried itself in a marginal basketball conference pretending it is still the 1980s.

I get it. "Basketball Strikes Back" and all that. Football is the sport that destroyed Paradise and you want your pound of flesh. In 20 years UCONN will still be a basketball school. The New Big East will be a note in the margin of some NCAA history somewhere but UCONN will still be a basketball school.

Then what?

 

[huskymedic]

UConn/BOT/AD Dave need to work to shift the growing narrative here…

 

[storrsroars]

Here are the records for the past 10 years of some other Eastern schools, i.e., our "natural rivals," who are still trying to compete at the FBS level:

2	2020	ACC	1	10	0	.091	1	9	0	.100	-12.92	1.53				Dino Babers (1-10)
3	2019	ACC	5	7	0	.417	2	6	0	.250	-2.79	-0.62	22	21		Dino Babers (5-7)
4	2018	ACC	10	3	0	.769	6	2	0	.750	12.14	1.30		12	15	Dino Babers (10-3)	Camping World Bowl-W
5	2017	ACC	4	8	0	.333	2	6	0	.250	1.96	5.80				Dino Babers (4-8)
6	2016	ACC	4	8	0	.333	2	6	0	.250	-4.51	4.57				Dino Babers (4-8)
7	2015	ACC	4	8	0	.333	2	6	0	.250	-1.51	3.91				Scott Shafer (4-8)
8	2014	ACC	3	9	0	.250	1	7	0	.125	-4.84	3.00				Scott Shafer (3-9)
9	2013	ACC	7	6	0	.538	4	4	0	.500	2.81	2.88				Scott Shafer (7-6)	Texas Bowl-W
10	2012	Big East	8	5	0	.615	5	2	0	.714	6.27	0.81				Doug Marrone (8-5)	Pinstripe Bowl-W
11	2011	Big East	5	7	0	.417	1	6	0	.143	-3.15	1.02				Doug Marrone (5-7)

2	2020	ACC	6	5	0	.545	5	5	0	.500	1.54	-1.19		21		Pat Narduzzi (6-5)
3	2019	ACC	8	5	0	.615	4	4	0	.500	0.60	0.52				Pat Narduzzi (8-5)	Quick Lane Bowl-W
4	2018	ACC	7	7	0	.500	6	2	0	.750	5.70	6.55		24		Pat Narduzzi (7-7)	Sun Bowl-L
5	2017	ACC	5	7	0	.417	3	5	0	.375	1.21	4.13				Pat Narduzzi (5-7)
6	2016	ACC	8	5	0	.615	5	3	0	.625	8.12	3.51		22		Pat Narduzzi (8-5)	Pinstripe Bowl-L
7	2015	ACC	8	5	0	.615	6	2	0	.750	6.32	3.78		23		Pat Narduzzi (8-5)	Military Bowl-L
8	2014	ACC	6	7	0	.462	4	4	0	.500	2.74	0.97				Joe Rudolph (0-1), Paul Chryst (6-6)	Armed Forces Bowl-L
9	2013	ACC	7	6	0	.538	3	5	0	.375	3.72	3.49				Paul Chryst (7-6)	Little Caesars Bowl-W
10	2012	Big East	6	7	0	.462	3	4	0	.429	2.05	-0.64				Paul Chryst (6-7)	BBVA Compass Bowl-L
11	2011	Big East	6	7	0	.462	4	3	0	.571	1.09	1.17				Todd Graham (6-6), Keith Patterson (0-1)	BBVA Compass Bowl-L

2	2020	ACC	6	5	0	.545	5	5	0	.500	-0.04	-0.59				Jeff Hafley (6-5)
3	2019	ACC	6	7	0	.462	4	4	0	.500	-0.37	1.17				Rich Gunnell (0-1), Steve Addazio (6-6)	Birmingham Bowl-L
4	2018	ACC	7	5	0	.583	4	4	0	.500	4.61	1.78		17		Steve Addazio (7-5)
5	2017	ACC	7	6	0	.538	4	4	0	.500	9.39	7.08				Steve Addazio (7-6)	Pinstripe Bowl-L
6	2016	ACC	7	6	0	.538	2	6	0	.250	0.58	0.50				Steve Addazio (7-6)	Quick Lane Bowl-W
7	2015	ACC	3	9	0	.250	0	8	0	.000	-1.73	2.11				Steve Addazio (3-9)
8	2014	ACC	7	6	0	.538	4	4	0	.500	6.04	2.35				Steve Addazio (7-6)	Pinstripe Bowl-L
9	2013	ACC	7	6	0	.538	4	4	0	.500	1.28	2.20				Steve Addazio (7-6)	AdvoCare V100 Bowl-L
10	2012	ACC	2	10	0	.167	1	7	0	.125	-6.74	2.01				Frank Spaziani (2-10)
11	2011	ACC	4	8	0	.333	3	5	0	.375	-4.61	0.89				Frank Spaziani (4-8)

From 30 results, there have been four 8-win seasons at Pitt and Syracuse and one 10-win season at Syracuse; BC has never won more than 7 games. So please tell me how UConn is going to be more successful than Syracuse, Pitt, and BC. Better coaching? Bigger endowment? More "commitment"?

We need to face facts: the recruiting base in the Northeast is small, better recruits from the South, Midwest, and West Coast aren't going to opt to spend 4 or more years in Storrs, and the fan base is smaller than in other areas of the country (in part because many people are happy to root for local professional teams).

In my mind, the UConn football issue is very similar to the Whalers; there are many very passionate fans, but not enough to make it work. How much are people willing to spend, to achieve a goal of mediocrity?

Hard to argue this level of mediocrity is the best the Northeast has, sans PSU. And he didn't even include Rutgers.

I will say though, that because I now live in Pittsburgh with a Pitt double grad wife who has season tix, I've started to follow them a bit more closely lately. And I think they might have a 10-win season in them this year. Probably 9 wins, but after watching Clemson and UNC, who knows. And Kenny Pickett will be drafted and be a fine backup QB for someone. Not that that changes the fact that the Northeast (sans PSU) never achieve anything remotely close to B1G or SEC levels of fanaticism.

 

[Steve1981]

Of that group UMass, actually SHOULD move down to FCS.

If I were UCONN I do what I can to turn the ship around at the FBS level. There's no reason they can't find a Temple-like niche within the G5 (soon to be G6) landscape. ACC deciding to expand add UConn in the near future is a long shot IMO but worth remaining in position for if the opportunity does arise.

I really would be happy to see FBS football ultimately work out in East Hartford.

UMass will never move down to FCS as we are committed and have been upgrading our "on campus" facilities. Feel being on campus is great for the game day experience. That said, while most may not care for MAC teams, there are some that I like as Toledo, Ohio, and Buffalo. In basketball you have 3 seasons, within the season: OOC, conference and post season. Imagine you took the post season possibilities out of basketball. Do you really think it would not hurt recruiting. Think having the conference championship and bowl games are worthy goals and the ease of scheduling 4 ooc games with a P5 or two game and local FCS and G5 game plus a MAC schedule would be fine. My thought is stay FBS and be open to a affiliation that's good for the program and post season play.

 

[amishboy]

Yes. That is why UCONN is on the outside of realignment looking in. That is why UCONN has buried itself in a marginal basketball conference pretending it is still the 1980s.

I get it. "Basketball Strikes Back" and all that. Football is the sport that destroyed Paradise and you want your pound of flesh. In 20 years UCONN will still be a basketball school. The New Big East will be a note in the margin of some NCAA history somewhere but UCONN will still be a basketball school.

Then what?

Why do you believe the BE will be a note...? If we continue to recruit as we have been under Hurley, we can be a perennial top 10 program; it's much easier to get a 4 or 5-star kid to come to Storrs for 1 year, plus there's still plenty of talent within a few hours, unlike football. Sure, maybe the payoff from March Madness is less than the FBS, but it's still plenty, not to mention the name recognition that so many seek.

 

[Adios]

UMass will never move down to FCS as we are committed and have been upgrading our "on campus" facilities. Feel being on campus is great for the game day experience. That said, while most may not care for MAC teams, there are some that I like as Toledo, Ohio, and Buffalo. In basketball you have 3 seasons, within the season: OOC, conference and post season. Imagine you took the post season possibilities out of basketball. Do you really think it would not hurt recruiting. Think having the conference championship and bowl games are worthy goals and the ease of scheduling 4 ooc games with a P5 or two game and local FCS and G5 game plus a MAC schedule would be fine. My thought is stay FBS and be open to a affiliation that's good for the program and post season play.

You guys need a new stadium in Springfield.

 

[Steve1981]

Sarcasm noted Butch. Hope some of you can visit our on campus stadium on Oct 9th. We need to improve and win more for drastic changes, but small improvements are being made. This is for the Boston College game and not sure it will continue.

Tickets:

UMass - Mullins Center

Online Ticket Office

umasstix.evenue.net

Parking Map.

 

[Adios]

That wasn't sarcasm. But if you guys prefer Hadley, enjoy.

 

[Viet Vet]

UConn '74 here. Football (along with basketball) is the window to national recognition. We were once a local (regional at best) brand in my day. Jim and Geno moved us to the national stage, and Randy approached it. Don't lose faith, Husky fans. The Dog will bark again.

 

[Drew]

I am absolutely not a Randy apologista but these articles do absolutely zero to help the program. It just adds to the already long list of challenges facing the coach/staff of this program- whoever that is.

UConn shouldn’t and isn’t “abandoning big time football”. The honest to God truth is UConn has never financially committed to being truly competitive at football. The men’s basketball staff of 4 made more than the football staff in 2017 when Randy was brought in (not sure about now but likely still true). That’s absolutely outrageous. I don’t care how good the hoops program is at ANY school- paying 4 people less than paying 11 is almost impossible.

Whoever they bring in next- if they don’t get the administrative support (including Board of Directors, President, Governor, and AD) needed in addition to the financial commitment needed they're going to be doomed. UConn needs to provide serious support from the top down in order to succeed. No more trying to win with duct tape and patches. Take some damn pride in the program and fund it for it to succeed.

Slow Friday at work and I’m reading back through some of the older threads from the beginning of this season. Nice to see this bolded component finally taking shape. I am cautiously optimistic from what I’ve seen thus far- we have statements from the BoD, AD David Benedict, Governor, Coach, and President. This is awesome stuff and it’s truthfully the first time EVER as a UConn fan I’ve felt like people are aligned in the mission, expectations and goals of the program

 

[ClifSpliffy]