So let's be honest, what's left for UConn?

[J187Money]

I don't think that you can say UConn sports were an absolute joke. UConn was a decent sports school just not elite...yet.

NOBODY decided to go to UConn in 1989 because they were excited about the athletics. That's what I'm saying. I grew up in Wisconsin and sports were a real draw.

 

[ctchamps]

To be honest, UConn still has my support as a fan! And in my book that is the only thing that matters!

 

[J187Money]

To clarify, I was pissed. My brother got to go home and go to Madison for school. My parents couldn't afford OOS tuition again. So I sucked it up and went to a school that I didn't want to go to, that had NOTHING in the way of a REAL football program. I'm not even sure I went to two games when I was in Storrs. Why bother?

So when UCONN decided to build a program, I was all in. And unlike many others here, I realized from Day 1 you can't turn UCONN into Wisconsin (including the stadium experience and fanbase) in 10 years. I'm not saying that we couldn't have done better. I'm not happy about the last two years. But I'm not a doomsayer.

 

[UC990411]

To clarify, I was pissed. My brother got to go home and go to Madison for school. My parents couldn't afford OOS tuition again. So I sucked it up and went to a school that I didn't want to go to, that had NOTHING in the way of a REAL football program. I'm not even sure I went to two games when I was in Storrs. Why bother?

So when UCONN decided to build a program, I was all in. And unlike many others here, I realized from Day 1 you can't turn UCONN into Wisconsin (including the stadium experience and fanbase) in 10 years. I'm not saying that we couldn't have done better. I'm not happy about the last two years. But I'm not a doomsayer.

Thing is, people around here don't realize you can't build a program in ten years. They get their panties in a bunch because we're not Wisconoson or Alabama.

I think ten years ago if you asked everyone if they'd be happy with where we are today you'd get 50/50 split yes and no. Of the 50% who say no, half of that group would rather still be playing games in Storrs at that high school stadium. I don't know where I'm going with this but all I can say is we're in a better spot now than we were ten years ago, even if its the nnnnnbe. We'll find a landing spot eventually

 

[TouchdownHusky]

UConn needs an Orrin Hatch who can raise enough stink and be a big enough PIA to get the Huskies into a major conference just to shut him up (or keep Washington out of the matter). Worked for Utah. Need to put pressure on anyone and everyone. ESPN would be a start. Have always felt they could be a real asset for UConn if they just acted like a good corporate neighbor.

 

[kingdobbs]

UConn needs an Orrin Hatch who can raise enough stink and be a big enough PIA to get the Huskies into a major conference just to shut him up (or keep Washington out of the matter). Worked for Utah. Need to put pressure on anyone and everyone. ESPN would be a start. Have always felt they could be a real asset for UConn if they just acted like a good corporate neighbor.

Not that this isn't accurate, but you know what else worked for Utah?

Being good at football.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Not that this isn't accurate, but you know what else worked for Utah?

Being good at football.

UConn was on it's way there. Just needed the status quo to remain in effect. And let's see. . . . Urban Meyer or Paul Pasqualoni? Hmmmm. Someone should rot in he££ for hiring and allowing that man to coach UConn.

 

[ScottVib]

UConn was on it's way there. Just needed the status quo to remain in effect. And let's see. . . . Urban Meyer or Paul Pasqualoni? Hmmmm. Someone should rot in he££ for hiring and allowing that man to coach UConn.

You really think that Urban Meyer was an option? How muh would UConn have had to overpay to lure him back from his medically-induced semi-retirement? 100 million?

Meyer would have only considered a handfull of the creme-de-la-creme schools. He wasn't coming to UConn.

 

[huskymedic]

You really think that Urban Meyer was an option? How muh would UConn have had to overpay to lure him back from his medically-induced semi-retirement? 100 million?

Meyer would have only considered a handfull of the creme-de-la-creme schools. He wasn't coming to UConn.

Last game @ UF was the Bowl game on 1/1/11. He took the tOSU job 10 months later for
$4m plus (we sure weren't gonna be paying any coach that).

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...ary-4-million/2011/11/29/gIQAup9K9N_blog.html

 

[TouchdownHusky]

You really think that Urban Meyer was an option? How muh would UConn have had to overpay to lure him back from his medically-induced semi-retirement? 100 million?

Meyer would have only considered a handfull of the creme-de-la-creme schools. He wasn't coming to UConn.

No I didn't think a post Florida UM was an option. But he was a helluva get for Utah coming from Bowling Green - an up an comer. UConn? They hired a tired old retread. Bad fit at the time he was hired, worse now that we all know. So in that sense, Utah was vastly ahead of UConn. UConn desperately needed a dynamic coach post Randy.

 

[jostar1]

Thanks. It took a lot of therapy to bring me to this point. As a service to the board, I'll summarize it below, but this should not be considered a substitute for meeting with a professionsal in severe cases (cough, cough... HFD...cough.)

The Seven Stages of Conference Realignment

1. SHOCK & DENIAL-
You will probably react to learning of the loss of yet another conference member with numbed disbelief. You may deny the reality of the loss at some level, in order to avoid the pain. Belief in a secret plan that will bring UConn to the Big 10 is typical in this stage. This may last for weeks.
2. PAIN & GUILT-
As the shock wears off, it is replaced with the suffering of unbelievable pain. Although excruciating and almost unbearable, it is important that you experience the pain fully, Life feels chaotic and scary during this phase. Expect very little productivity during this stage as reading the Boneyard replaces normal functions such as work, talking with your spouse and bathing.
3. ANGER & BARGAINING-
Frustration gives way to anger, and you may lash out and lay blame for the lack of a decent conference on someone else. Many choose Warde Manual or Jeff Hathaway. This is a time for the release of bottled up emotion. You may rail against fate, questioning "Why UConn ?" You may also try to bargain in vain with the powers that be for a way out of your despair ("I will not complain about Syracuse’s cupcake basketball schedule anymore, if you just bring back the original Big East members.")
4. "DEPRESSION", REFLECTION, LONELINESS-
Just when your friends may think you should be getting on with your life, a long period of sad reflection will likely overtake you. Encouragement from others is not helpful to you during this stage of grieving. During this time, you finally realize the true magnitude of your loss, and it depresses you. You may isolate yourself on purpose, and talk of “going independent in football” becomes the norm.
5. THE UPWARD TURN-
As you start to adjust to life without a meaningful conference affiliation, your life becomes a little calmer and more organized. Your physical symptoms lessen, and your "depression" begins to lift slightly. You actually start working at work again and your boss decides that he doesn’t need to fire you or upgrade the internet firewall.
6. RECONSTRUCTION & WORKING THROUGH-
As you become more functional, your mind starts working again, and you will find yourself seeking realistic solutions to problems posed by life without a decent conference. You will start to work on practical and financial problems and reconstructing your program, such as stadium expansion and focusing on third tier TV rights.
7. ACCEPTANCE & HOPE-
During this, the last of the seven stages of conference realignment, you learn to accept and deal with the reality of your situation. Acceptance does not necessarily mean instant happiness. Given the pain and turmoil you have experienced, you can never return to the carefree, untroubled YOU that existed before this tragedy. But you will find a way forward, unfortunately that may involve trips to Amherst, but you will survive.

The problem is that with every new rumor or tweet that doesn't pan out, I'm back to Stage 1.

 

[HuskyHawk]

NOBODY decided to go to UConn in 1989 because they were excited about the athletics. That's what I'm saying. I grew up in Wisconsin and sports were a real draw.

It was a definite factor for me in 1984. Don't underestimate the following the basketball team had even under Perno. Of course it won out over Bryant.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

They'll be no acceptance. Had UConn balked years ago at making the move to D1, then that was on them. Had UConn failed miserably over the decade or so that it was in D1/BCS, then maybe they just weren't cut out for the big time world of college football.

But . . . . none of this was the case. UConn proved it could play at this level. UConn is being discriminated against (oligopolistic practices that should be curtailed) and blackballed right out of big time college football (hell, big time sports altogether). The preditory practice by the ACC, BiG 10 and Big 12 have destroyed this program. I'd like to see the powers to be mount a nonstop political campaign to find UConn an appropriate home. Nonstop political manuevering. Need votes in the Senate or the House? Find UConn a home. Need campaign contributions or electoral votes for 2016? Find UConn an appropriate home. Need to get to and from the ESPN campus without being pulled over by the state police? Find UConn an appropriate home.

No big deal . . . just do it. Not asking for anything different than other states (Indiana, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Mississippi, et al.). Just want what those states are accorded. Short of that "All's fair in love and war, baby".

 

[J187Money]

It was a definite factor for me in 1984. Don't underestimate the following the basketball team had even under Perno. Of course it won out over Bryant.

But you are local right?

 

[HuskyHawk]

But you are local right?

Grew up in Manchester, so yeah, I was.

 

[J187Money]

Grew up in Manchester, so yeah, I was.

Local people go local for lots of reasons. Regionally UCONN makes sense. But for other parts of the country, UCONN was a non-entity.

 

[freescooter]

So I'm not shocked by Boise leaving nor will I be shocked when/if SDSU follows suit. So where does that leave the following:

1) The 2013 schedule. You're now looking at two, possibly more, holes in our conference slate. I know we weren't slated to play Boise but if SDSU goes, we were slated to play them. Does the awful play a team twice idea come into play?

2) What's left of this conference? So SDSU and Boise bolt (assuming on SDSU). There are thoughts out there that the MWC isn't done. While I think grabbing Cincy would be bold, it would make them a complete outlier and not sure that's what this conference can afford to do. So let's say they grab UH or SMU or both. So we're back to an Eastern Conference. Who do we replace the 4 teams that leave? Is there anyone even worth adding or do we stay at 8 teams?

3) Who will be carrying this conference on TV? I believe our deal with ESPN for FB has another year and bball is up after this season. The one thing the Boise thing is making glaringly obvious is that no TV network wants to touch the NBE due to the instability of UConn and Cincy. I don't blame them but the reality is that someone, hopefully, needs to cover these games. The C7 are here until 2015 so there is a viable bball conference for another 2 seasons. No one is willing to sign a 2 year deal?!?

4) Finally, where do we go from here? I know everyone wants to believe that the B1G or ACC will swoop us up but let's be honest with ourselves. We've been c**kblocked by teams within the ACC twice and the B1G is a long term pipe dream that may come true but not for some time. Also, how long until the Big-12 acts and grabs Cincy? That just leaves us....I wanna believe that we will end up being fine, but when and for how long until we reach there? It's looking like it's 3-5 years away. It's possible the UMD settlement will change that but we need to look at the now.

I was feeling good after Saturday when KO got is contract and we romped Stanford. The Boise thing doesn't shock me but it definitely makes me worried who the MWC might take next. If it's Cincy.....man....

Funny thing about this situation we're in is that it is driven by football, but in our case the football outcome isn't going to be that bad if we handle things right. Not great by any means, but not so bad that we can't be pretty successful. It is possible that UConn can become sort of the Eastern version of Boise/TCU/Utah/Louisville c.2003. A very successful team that goes bowling, occasionally gets a bigger name scalp and solidifies its position as 'next in" among the remainder schools. With the right coach, I could see that happening. Of course that will require some changes, but it could happen for sure. Under pretty much all conditions, a 11-1, 12-0 or 10-2 team will be ranked, and depending on what happens elsewhere, if you have a really good record, you can get some notoriety and even a good bowl or conceivably even a playoff shot. If there had been a 4 team playoff 3 of the past 5 years would have seen a mid-major in the top 4, so it isn't that far fetched.

On the other hand, mens basketball is going to get absolutely jocked. There is no way around it. We're going from one of the best basketball conferences in the country to one that is a mid-level mid-major. Despite all the whistling past the graveyard going on on the hoop board the new basketball conference is going to be dreadful. 3 teams in the top 100...that's worse than the A-10, the WAC and the Missouri Valley (though I concede our 3 are higher ranked than most of them. We have 3 top 50. most of those leagues are 1-2 Top 50 and 2-3 top 100). The new league would be awful. At best it will be a 3 bid league, maybe worse. And we need to forget National Championships. While I get that Memphis and Butler both got to the finals as mid-majors, it has been almost a quarter century since a team from a true mid-major conference has won the title. And losing a hall of fame head coach, plus being banned from the tournement this year are major setbacks. We'll struggle recruiting (again despite the whistling past the graveyard going on on the hoop board) and be treated like a mid-major(worse seeds, tougher road) come tournament time. And we're just not replacing 7-8 games a year with the likes of Syracuse, Louisville, Pittsburgh and Georgetown with comparable non-league match ups. Best we can hope for is to add a couple of BCS league teams (maybe we have to go on the road 2-1, too) and replace some of the real dreck with other higher mid-majors. And again, those teams will probably want us to go on the road more than Stony Brook and Maine will. I could see us as a top 25 team, but more along the lines of Xavier or Gonzaga than what we're used to over the past few decades.

 

[CL82]

Funny thing about this situation we're in is that it is driven by football, but in our case the football outcome isn't going to be that bad if we handle things right. Not great by any means, but not so bad that we can't be pretty successful. It is possible that UConn can become sort of the Eastern version of Boise/TCU/Utah/Louisville c.2003. A very successful team that goes bowling, occasionally gets a bigger name scalp and solidifies its position as 'next in" among the remainder schools. With the right coach, I could see that happening. Of course that will require some changes, but it could happen for sure.

On the other hand, mens basketball is going to get absolutely jocked. There is no way around it. We're going from one of the best basketball conferences in the country to one that is a mid-level mid-major. Despite all the whistling past the graveyard going on on the hoop board the new basketball conference is going to be dreadful. 3 teams in the top 100...that's worse than the A-10, the WAC and the Missouri Valley (though I concede our 3 are higher ranked than most of them. We have 3 top 50. most of those leagues are 1-2 Top 50 and 2-3 top 100). The new league would be awful. At best it will be a 3 bid league, maybe worse. And we need to forget National Championships. While I get that Memphis and Butler both got to the finals as mid-majors, it has been almost a quarter century since a team from a true mid-major conference has won the title. And losing a hall of fame head coach, plus being banned from the tournement this year are major setbacks. We'll struggle recruiting (again despite the whistling past the graveyard going on on the hoop board) and be treated like a mid-major(worse seeds, tougher road) come tournament time. And we're just not replacing 7-8 games a year with the likes of Syracuse, Louisville, Pittsburgh and Georgetown with comparable non-league match ups. Best we can hope for is to add a couple of BCS league teams (maybe we have to go on the road 2-1, too) and replace some of the real dreck with other higher mid-majors. And again, those teams will probably want us to go on the road more than Stony Brook and Maine will. I could see us as a top 25 team, but more along the lines of Xavier or Gonzaga than what we're used to over the past few decades.

We'll just need to Auriema's scheduling model and take on all comers in our OOC schedule.

 

[freescooter]

yeah, sure. first of all, "all comers" in women's basketball is like 5 teams beside UConn. Secondly, when you are one of the handful of elite programs everyone not named Tennessee wants to play you. Among men's teams it isn't quite so simple. Plus its one thing to play all comers when you'll probably be favored in 75% of those games. Quite another when you're the underdog. Do you whistle Yankee Doodle?

 

[CL82]

Oh that's right, we lost last night, so you've come out to complain. I'd pity you, but you are just tiresome.

 

[djct1999]

remember back to high school.............its getting close to the prom. there is a girl you want to ask but dont really have to balls to and there is a girl you are friends with that you know will say yes. then, out of nowhere, your friend inexplicably gets asked by some other guy you never assumed would, and all of a sudden you scramble, in full panic mode because your crutch is no longer there. . . . . uconn needs to be just that. right now the media has us portrayed as a crutch, the chick the acc knows will say yes. maybe i am being to subjective, but i have a hard time believing that. i think behind the scenes uconn is a bigger player than the media wants to make us be. mark my words, uconn is the next chip to move. once we do, its armageddon and the acc will be in full panic mode. in the immortal words of khalid el-amin, "lets shock the world"

 

[freescooter]

I know, let's pretend that Houston is a really good team. Look at our current conference schedule and replace Syracuse with Tulane, Pitt with Southern Methodist, Georgetown with Houston (remembering it isn't 1984), for that matter even a sluggo program like Seton hall with Central Florida and tell me it isn't an unfathomable comedown. Here's the RPI of the current Big East vs the new conference
Old: Louisville 9, Syracuse 19, Cincinnati 24, UConn 26, Georgetown 32, Marquette 54, Notre Dame 64, Pitt 68, Seton Hall 73, Rutgers 97, South florida 99, St Johns 100, villanova 105, PC 123, ...De Paul 202. The current big East has 6 top 25 teams.

And the new: Cincy 24, UConn 26, Temple 35, Memphis 91, South Florida 99, UCF 120, East Carolina (rumored full member) 117, Tulane 135, SMU 160, Houston 213. think about how this effects strength of schedule. And conference SOS. This conglomeration has 1 top 25 team. CL82, you might want to pretend this is no biggie and we can make it up out of conference, but in the real world that isn't happening. At best UConn is a mid-top 25 type team from here on out, and that assumes Ollie is the guy we need to coach. I don't accept that assumption yet. Won an emotional opening game against an over-rated Michigan State team. And "played hard" in a loss to a New Mexico team that has lost 2 of 3 to South Dakota State and St Louis. And got taken to 2 ots against might Quinnipiac. Not sure I've seen enough to say he's going to be more than ordinary as a head coach. if you go by the pr blitz, he's an improvement on Calhoun. Again reality suggests something different.

bottom line, what's left on the basketball side is a very ugly situation. While football is a step back, given our lack of history, it is possible that we are successful despite the situation. Basketball is ugly though any way you look at it, as long as you look at the facts...

 

[RioDog]

Thanks. It took a lot of therapy to bring me to this point. As a service to the board, I'll summarize it below, but this should not be considered a substitute for meeting with a professionsal in severe cases (cough, cough... HFD...cough.)

The Seven Stages of Conference Realignment

1. SHOCK & DENIAL-
You will probably react to learning of the loss of yet another conference member with numbed disbelief. You may deny the reality of the loss at some level, in order to avoid the pain. Belief in a secret plan that will bring UConn to the Big 10 is typical in this stage. This may last for weeks.
2. PAIN & GUILT-
As the shock wears off, it is replaced with the suffering of unbelievable pain. Although excruciating and almost unbearable, it is important that you experience the pain fully, Life feels chaotic and scary during this phase. Expect very little productivity during this stage as reading the Boneyard replaces normal functions such as work, talking with your spouse and bathing.
3. ANGER & BARGAINING-
Frustration gives way to anger, and you may lash out and lay blame for the lack of a decent conference on someone else. Many choose Warde Manual or Jeff Hathaway. This is a time for the release of bottled up emotion. You may rail against fate, questioning "Why UConn ?" You may also try to bargain in vain with the powers that be for a way out of your despair ("I will not complain about Syracuse’s cupcake basketball schedule anymore, if you just bring back the original Big East members.")
4. "DEPRESSION", REFLECTION, LONELINESS-
Just when your friends may think you should be getting on with your life, a long period of sad reflection will likely overtake you. Encouragement from others is not helpful to you during this stage of grieving. During this time, you finally realize the true magnitude of your loss, and it depresses you. You may isolate yourself on purpose, and talk of “going independent in football” becomes the norm.
5. THE UPWARD TURN-
As you start to adjust to life without a meaningful conference affiliation, your life becomes a little calmer and more organized. Your physical symptoms lessen, and your "depression" begins to lift slightly. You actually start working at work again and your boss decides that he doesn’t need to fire you or upgrade the internet firewall.
6. RECONSTRUCTION & WORKING THROUGH-
As you become more functional, your mind starts working again, and you will find yourself seeking realistic solutions to problems posed by life without a decent conference. You will start to work on practical and financial problems and reconstructing your program, such as stadium expansion and focusing on third tier TV rights.
7. ACCEPTANCE & HOPE-
During this, the last of the seven stages of conference realignment, you learn to accept and deal with the reality of your situation. Acceptance does not necessarily mean instant happiness. Given the pain and turmoil you have experienced, you can never return to the carefree, untroubled YOU that existed before this tragedy. But you will find a way forward, unfortunately that may involve trips to Amherst, but you will survive.

Hilarious- Too early to nominate a post of the year?

 

[willie99]

what's left? I have no idea

time to sit back and forgetaboutit