So Michigan doesn't want to play at the Rent

[J187Money]

say what you will but i had a great time at the Linc against Temple a few years ago. where else do i get the opportunity to sit in the front row at the 50 yard line for $50?

I had fun too but going there for an NFL playoff game v that game made me wonder if I was in the same place.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Yeah, if we can play Penn State at Meadowlands or BC at Gillette we should take a pass. . . .could you imagine Florida State in 80s or Boise State now if they'd taken that approach? We've got to earn our way into the big boy club to gain leverage and that means accepting terms not always to our liking. That means 1-game-contract road games against Top 25 programs and if we can get a neutral site we can drive to all the better. It sucks that Michigan is trying to back out but I'd rather save the matchup than play a MAC team.

Neutral site games . . . no problem. Series that has one team play at home and then the neutral site game for UConn's home game . . . NO.

 

[Waquoit]

Neutral site games . . . no problem. Series that has one team play at home and then the neutral site game for UConn's home game . . . NO.

Why do so many people not get this?

 

[Chin Diesel]

Why do so many people not get this?

Because then this thread wouldn't be 11 pages and 150+ posts.

Arguing over the obvious is more fun.

 

[ruskin]

as someone who doesn't 'get it', please explain the leverage we have to reject such deals as long as we're in the conference we're in. I'm not talking about playing the Baylors, Vanderbilts, Iowa States. Indianas. talking about the big boys. It's not a long list.
just for fun, heres ESPN's preseason top 25. Here's who I'd take the 1 & 'neutral' with. 'Neutral means Yankee, Meadowlands or Gillette. Basing this on gut instinct, including the oppositions stadium size, tradition and fan base travel rep:
1. USC YES
2. LSU YES
3. Alabama YES
4. Oregon NO (Autzen as big as rent)
5. Oklahoma YES
6. Georgia a close YES
7. Florida St. NO (they go to BC)
8. South Carolina NO
9. Arkansas NO
10. Michigan YES reluctantly, they should honor contract but that's life in big city
11. West Virginia NO
12. Michigan State NO
13. Kansas State NO
14. TCU NO
15. Stanford NO
16. Wisconsin NO
17. Nebraska NO
18. Clemson NO
19. Virginia Tech MAYBE (make 'em go to Gillette)
20. Ohio State YES
21. Oklahoma State NO
22. Texas YES
23. Boise State NO
24. Notre Dame YES (should have adjusted deal to 1 include 1 Rent game with 1 NY and 1 Gillette)
25. Florida YES

 

[Waquoit]

Big-timed by Va Tech? In your dreams!

 

[freescooter]

Yeah, if we can play Penn State at Meadowlands or BC at Gillette we should take a pass. . . .could you imagine Florida State in 80s or Boise State now if they'd taken that approach? We've got to earn our way into the big boy club to gain leverage and that means accepting terms not always to our liking. That means 1-game-contract road games against Top 25 programs and if we can get a neutral site we can drive to all the better. It sucks that Michigan is trying to back out but I'd rather save the matchup than play a MAC team.

The Bosie reference is pretty much a non-starter. Bosie came out of a non-BCS conference thus had no leverage to get teams to play at Boise. Maybe they get a 2-1 with someone. But htey have played home and home with both Oregon and Oregon State. They had a couple of one offs with South Carolina, Georgia and Arkansas, it's true, but at the time South Carolina was hardly a power nor was Arkansas. And a non-BCS program playing at Arkansas or at Georgia was pretty much standard practice. These were pretty mich originally scheduled as "paycheck games" as much as anything else. they just happened to be better than your typical paycheck opponent.

As for Florida State, it was a bit of a different era, goin gback to the 80s. totally different scheduling philosophies.

 

[HomeKing93]

Speaking of a 2-1 series, BSU is playing the other BCS team from Michigan this year in East Lansing and then there are two more games in 2022 and 2023 in Boise and East Lansing, respectively. The terms of that series seems odd to me.

 

[businesslawyer]

The Bosie reference is pretty much a non-starter. Bosie came out of a non-BCS conference thus had no leverage to get teams to play at Boise. Maybe they get a 2-1 with someone. But htey have played home and home with both Oregon and Oregon State. They had a couple of one offs with South Carolina, Georgia and Arkansas, it's true, but at the time South Carolina was hardly a power nor was Arkansas. And a non-BCS program playing at Arkansas or at Georgia was pretty much standard practice. These were pretty mich originally scheduled as "paycheck games" as much as anything else. they just happened to be better than your typical paycheck opponent.

As for Florida State, it was a bit of a different era, goin gback to the 80s. totally different scheduling philosophies.

We came out of nowhere as well I would point out. You are vastly overestimating how important it is to the rest of the world that UConn played in the Big East while it was establishing its I-A program and Boise didn't.

 

[ruskin]

So is it the majority opinion all non-conf scheduling deals should be straight up home-and-homes? IMO that keeps us in the lower/mid tier of BCS football. Gotta beat somebody big at their place or on their terms to make a statement. Refer to previous post for short list of teams in that category. Throw in Penn State too,

 

[TouchdownHusky]

as someone who doesn't 'get it', please explain the leverage we have to reject such deals as long as we're in the conference we're in. I'm not talking about playing the Baylors, Vanderbilts, Iowa States. Indianas. talking about the big boys.


And, UConn will continue to have zero leverage if it allows itself to aspire so low. Getting the "big boys" to come into Rentschler is the way to build a program. It is the way to develop a bigger fan base, which could stimulate the need for expanding the stadium. Even a two for one series would work for the Top 25 you named. Not saying there is no room for "paying your dues" but these schools need to show up at Rentschler. Using this year as an example, NC State is really the only big team coming into Rentschler (Cincy and Benedict Arnold-burg have no choice they're in the conference). Ain't nobody getting excited about Buffalo and Temple or UMass.

 

[Waquoit]

IMO that keeps us in the lower/mid tier of BCS football. Gotta beat somebody big at their place or on their terms to make a statement.

Not necessarily. Beating everyone that's put in front of you makes a statement. Having just one loss makes a statement no matter the competition. Haven't heard much from Appalachian State recently.

 

[pj]

Beating everyone that's put in front of you makes a statement. Having just one loss makes a statement no matter the competition. Haven't heard much from Appalachian State recently.

Yes. It's easier to look good on weak schedules with a few strong teams, then players can really get up for the big games. The bowl system gives an opportunity for a big OOC game every year. I like the strategy of scheduling a couple of BCS OOC teams annually. NC State and Maryland are a good pair this year.

 

[ruskin]

We haven't heard much from App State because they are staying I-AA. That was a Virginia-Chaminade once in a lifetime deal. And we haven't heard much from Hawaii either because they got exposed in the Sugar Bowl after going unbeaten against a weak I-A schedule.
I just don't see the problem in driving to Gillette or the Meadowlands 3, 4 or 5 times in a decade if it means playing a USC, Alabama, Penn State or (gasp) Notre Dame. We are not in the position of telling those kind of teams the only way we'll play you is you have to come here. I think UConn should aspire to play those kinds of teams. This program's next signature win is not going to be at Rentschler, as much as we would wish it so.
As an aside I think we're a little spoiled being in the Northeast with everything so relatively close. If you told someone from the South or Midwest we turned down a game against an elite team because our fans didn't want to drive 80-90 miles we'd get laughed at.
Of course, if we go 1-6 in the Big East this year like this site says, we're going to get laughed at anyway.