Some thoughts on the MWC news

[noeynox]

It is going to be difficult for UConn football to recruit in the northeast with all of our local rivals playing in the acc and big ten. Getting passed over for Louisville was a tremendous body blow.

If we stay in the this conference for considerable time we have to be able to get more jucos accepted to stay competitive. We are currently struggling with this.

 

[Dann]

@noeynox-exactly to the point juco wise. ppl here lay the to good for us grades side of the convo but dont realize what im talking about. we can't be the need good grades school right now. we need to survive then when we get a call to the b10 we can play the great grades school. i think ppl have no clue here what has to be actually done. they just want ships and the acc like idiots. in order for uconn to live in fball we need to land the kids temple was years ago and not bitch about grades. its really that simple. its not going to hurt our usnews numbers at all so pipe down all u elite bull shiters. if we get th b10 u can all suck nutz and enjoy the cic which u wouldnt have gotten otherwise clownasses.

@ffldcntyfan-lol i know the b10 doesn't do things on "trend". come on now. read your response to me again. what im saying is months to 2 years ago very few insiders or just ppl interested in CR on the message board world were talking about 18 or 20 team confs. i can count names on one hand. one of them was the nevada guy who is a tosu insider and has been for a while. one of his buddys stoped by here recently and has been very pro uconn fwiw also which is interesting. now with a flurry a moves, all the fun to follow clowns and everyone wvu and so on is talking big 20 team leagues. that was my refrence to trends being talked about. before these moves there was only 1 person here talking about monster leagues, do u remember who? he used to get torn apart and laughed at for making whild stuff up. anyway now its the cute thing, but 2 of the important ppl i have quietly followed over a long time(not wvu insiders) have both been beating the drum for a long time and both have stuck to orginal info as md/ruty fit right into it. one has uconn simply on the list but the other sees uconn as struggling for a spot with kansas. so i wonder how much he knows about how uconn is going 100% aftyer the aau in a hurry right now and w/e else vs his news from the past 2 years not being totaly full of uconn updates. maybe susan has uconn truly in a good spot with her aau push(#B1GHARDER) or maybe kansas is a lock add eventually and were battling for something we can't win?

 

[noeynox]

You'd really have to have your head in the sand to not understand just how drastic our situation is as far as football conference affiliation goes. This isn't as simple as pining for an invite somewhere else as Pudge says SU Fans did for 8 years. At least SU had us, Pitt, RU, WVU, with them in the same conference. All close teams they had some history against. All teams they recruited against for players. We are the only one from that group left behind, recruiting head to head against them is going to be wickedly difficult the longer we are in what will be inferior conference from an access perception standpoint. Expecting our already declining attendance to be helped by playing the likes of Tulane and ECU instead of teams we've established some short history with is wishful thinking as far as I'm concerned.

Our only solution is going to be to win big enough to raise eyebrows. The next coach should be someone who could successfully recruit the JUCO ranks for kids that can play and handle the schoolwork. Consult with Bill Snyder if you have to. KSU should be the blueprint if were going to be here long term.

 

[Marty Jackson]

I think that for one reason or another, people sink their identity into "which program" they support. In other words, it's not enough for some people to be a UConn fan. They have to be a UConn women's basketball fan, or a men's basketball fan, or a football fan. I never understood that, but you're right that it exists. However, I'll say that the number of people who are exclusively women's bball fans is much smaller than the othnt ynner two. It really shouldn't become a factor in defining our psyche. I would buy more of the argument that the men's bball fans make us look like a bball school vs. a football school much more so than the women's fans...

i get this all the time... i think it has to do with age... the more you remember uconn as a growing hoops power, the more resistant you are to accepting fb. for my age bracket, there arent many pure uconn fans. most are uconn bb. fb will take a generation to really catch hold.

many who follow fb already followed a regional or national program (ie bc or nd)...

 

[pj]

If Kansas is seriously on the B1G's radar then they made a huge mistake not taking Missouri when they had they chance. Kansas and Missouri belong together, they are historic rivals, and Missouri's market is twice as big as Kansas's.

Without Missouri, I just don't see Kansas over UConn. Kansas and Connecticut are the same size but Kansas is shared with K State and UConn brings inroads into NYC and southern New England. UConn has a regional rivalry with Rutgers, Kansas would be rejoining Nebraska but would lack other rivals like K State, Missouri, Colorado, Oklahoma. There really isn't any measure by which Kansas brings more to the B1G than UConn.

 

[Dann]

the market mizzu has is covered by the b10 already as several teams out west have large amounts of fans/alums already in place. st loiue is as much mizzu as it is illinois so tvs are already covered. kc is as much mizzu as it is kansas so the b10 can get it with kansas if it doesn't already have it just with other b10 population in the city. springfield and columbia are not big enough gains. the b10 had the chance and passed, they must be able to cover mizzu as a state without them. sucks when your 2 big cities are on the borders with other big time schoold close by.

dont get me wrong i would foam at the mouth for the b10 to add kan/mizzu/unc/uva/uconn all together but i doubt it.

 

[UConnDan97]

i get this all the time... i think it has to do with age... the more you remember uconn as a growing hoops power, the more resistant you are to accepting fb. for my age bracket, there arent many pure uconn fans. most are uconn bb. fb will take a generation to really catch hold.

many who follow fb already followed a regional or national program (ie bc or nd)...

Age might be part of it (I understand the idea that some people haven't been invested in the 1-A version of our football team as long as they may have been with the bball), but I also think that there is a serious divide between people who went to UConn versus the non-attending UConn fan. I think that the person who went to UConn (quite like myself) is much more likely to be a fan of all the sports, whereas the non-attending fan likely got hooked on one of the teams from whatever sport they most enjoy...

 

[Marty Jackson]

Age might be part of it (I understand the idea that some people haven't been invested in the 1-A version of our football team as long as they may have been with the bball), but I also think that there is a serious divide between people who went to UConn versus the non-attending UConn fan. I think that the person who went to UConn (quite like myself) is much more likely to be a fan of all the sports, whereas the non-attending fan likely got hooked on one of the teams from whatever sport they most enjoy...

For those that didn't attend Uconn, I think it depends on whether they developed any loyalty for other fb programs. growing up in ct and following the huskies bb program, I didn't really have any interest in college fb until uconn moved up to 1A.

Many friends of mine are big husky fans for bb, but follow ND for FB (none attended Uconn)... Interestingly, one if very outspoken about uconn dropping the fb program because it can't compete and is ruining the bb program...

He's one of those idiot lawers that doesn't know anything though.

 

[businesslawyer]

He's one of those idiot lawers that doesn't know anything though.

You know another kind?

 

[ffg53]

For those that didn't attend Uconn, I think it depends on whether they developed any loyalty for other fb programs. growing up in ct and following the huskies bb program, I didn't really have any interest in college fb until uconn moved up to 1A.

Many friends of mine are big husky fans for bb, but follow ND for FB (none attended Uconn)... Interestingly, one if very outspoken about uconn dropping the fb program because it can't compete and is ruining the bb program...

He's one of those idiot lawers that doesn't know anything though.

I can only speak to my experience, but since UConn went 1-A I have been all in, and like you I was never really a college football fan unless Syracuse made a bowl game. Which means basically a couple years in my lifetime, because this predates the current era where you get to go bowling for being merely mediocre. Now I follow CFB because of UConn's upgrade.

I went to Temple, but because I went to the art school which was on its own campus never really felt a "Temple connection." So coming to CT and being immediately immersed in UConn fever was great, and it obviously transcends being a student or alumni. Within 4 yeas of my moving here men's BB won an NT, the women won an NT and men's soccer won an NT. So once the football team upgraded it was just a natural progression to follow them. I'm sure there's the older WBB set that doesn't--and never will--follow the football team. Hell, most of them don't follow the men's BB team. But for most of the population UConn is our de-facto TEAM, regardless of sport. Or maybe I'm must naive.

 

[Marty Jackson]

You know another kind?

i don't, but im sure there is one smart lawyer somewhere...

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

but the number of seniors who only roll with women's basketball I think outnumber the men's fans who dislike the football program.

The women's basketball program has a unique demographic in sports. They are really one-of-a-kind, a fact they themselves don't even understand. They are the oldest fanbase in any sport, can anyone think of any sport where you see more senior citizens? What happens in ten years after half of them have died?

Women's college basketball simply doesn't exist elsewhere. Oh sure, they field teams and keep scores, but UConn is the only university in the nation that thinks of it as prestigious.

In the context of realignment, women's college basketball and indeed all other sports besides football are completely irrelevant. All factors have been irrelevant except the subjective potential to draw eyeballs from a national perspective. UConn scores low on that front from a football perspective.

 

[huskymedic]

Women's college basketball simply doesn't exist elsewhere. Oh sure, they field teams and keep scores, but UConn is the only university in the nation that thinks of it as prestigious.

I fully agree in the context of conference relaignment but I would argue that Stanford, Baylor and Tennessee (if they get relevant again) may disagree with your assertion that WBB isn't prestigious.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

I fully agree in the context of conference relaignment but I would argue that Stanford, Baylor and Tennessee (if they get relevant again) may disagree with your assertion that WBB isn't prestigious.

Next to football, the idea of calling women's basketball prestigious is laughable, even at those schools. Not at UConn though.

 

[whaler11]

The women's basketball program has a unique demographic in sports. They are really one-of-a-kind, a fact they themselves don't even understand. They are the oldest fanbase in any sport, can anyone think of any sport where you see more senior citizens? What happens in ten years after half of them have died?

Women's college basketball simply doesn't exist elsewhere. Oh sure, they field teams and keep scores, but UConn is the only university in the nation that thinks of it as prestigious.

In the context of realignment, women's college basketball and indeed all other sports besides football are completely irrelevant. All factors have been irrelevant except the subjective potential to draw eyeballs from a national perspective. UConn scores low on that front from a football perspective.

Well one thing we aren't running out of soon is senior citizens. The amount of people turning 65 every day is mind boggling.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

Well one thing we aren't running out of soon is senior citizens. The amount of people turning 65 every day is mind boggling.

Do you suddenly become a fan when you turn 65? Count me among those who think it's a generational fad...

 

[whaler11]

Do you suddenly become a fan when you turn 65? Count me among those who think it's a generational fad...

I don't disagree. At some point I expect people to get bored by 90-25 games and realize how silly it all is. It won't be a lack of old people that kills it though.

 

[Gurleyman]

Reading this board, you could now easily come to the conclusion that going to a BCS game was bad, and having the top WBB basketball program in the country is bad.

Stop. The idea is to win. At everything. As much as possible. Florida once fired its softball coach for losing a home regional to Bethune-Cookman. It doesn't mean they stopped caring about football - it means they want to win. At softball. Same as everything else. In fact, when the SEC programs all added softball in the Title IX boom of the mid-90's, they all built multi-million dollar stadiums and hired the best coaches to try to win right away. Florida started women's lacrosse two years ago and was ranked #1 in the nation this year before being upset in the semis. This notion that you can't spend money on more than one thing would be silly to the folks down in SEC country. They don't compete half-assed in anything.

So why does our fanbase turn our successes into negatives? It was not a negative that we made a BCS bowl in our sixth or seventh year in I-A. It was awesome. And OU did not embarrass us - it was 34-20 in the fourth quarter and we had the ball in their territory. Pitt fared much worse against Utah a year or two prior. It is not a negative that we have the flagship program in any sport, much less one that brings in good ratings for ESPN in March.

 

[TexanMark]

As a guy who lives in upstate NY ... the thing to remember is the bizarre contrast between the Townie fans from Central NY & the uppercrust elitist kids that attend the University (and then run out of the 315 as fast as possible). I don't think it is a large fanbase (despite the basketball attendance). It does not extend to Albany nor Buffalo. (small percentages) And ... for most of the last 20 years, major Institutional investors would not put their money in Central New York property; so, the Corporate pockets aren't deep. It has strong civic mindedness ... but that doesn't overcome a simply stagnant local economy. (and why you find Syracuse businessmen all over the rest of the Northeast)

I don't think they have the prospects that UConn has in the long run. I don't think their brand is near as good as ours. (btw ... whaler ... that's just bizarre that you ding the WBB so much. Give it a rest) We have something that can really be built much greater. I am of mixed heart. Warde Manual ... thus far ... gets a No Confidence vote from me. And I do like Susan Herbst.

O ... and the MWC? I don't see how the MWC can win. (but I am wrong repeatedly lately) They cannot grab the Mark to Market TV rights pricing that Aresco can get. And we have a clear $17m win on the BCS in the next cycle. I understand Boise is using the leverage they have. But, I bet Aresco (former CBS exec) knows something about what can be put on the table. We can have a good 2013 schedule and beyond. And, I am NOT pining for the ACC or the B1G for 8 years like our Cuse fans.

Lots of wrong here concerning Cuse and MWC. Pudge you better be pining unless you are comfortable playing in the Big East-USA. Personally I think the BE needs to consider retracting into a east of the Mississippi Conference. I guess having a few teams in TX would work too. A few candidates not considered before with good future prospects: USM, MTSU, UTSA and ODU.

 

[upstater]

Lots of wrong here concerning Cuse and MWC. Pudge you better be pining unless you are comfortable playing in the Big East-USA. Personally I think the BE needs to consider retracting into a east of the Mississippi Conference. I guess having a few teams in TX would work too. A few candidates not considered before with good future prospects: USM, MTSU, UTSA and ODU.

Where do you live? Texas? I've lived upstate for many years now (Albany, Troy, Rochester, Buffalo). Pudge is right on. I hear literally nothing about Syracuse up here. And then your feelings get hurt and so you write inane stuff. This is the second totally bizarre post of yours in the last week. You are really losing it.

 

[TexanMark]

Where do you live? I've lived upstate for many years now. Pudge is right on. I hear literally nothing about Syracuse up here. And then your feelings get hurt and so you write inane stuff. This is the second totally bizarre post of yours in the last week. You are really losing it.

Mr. Professor...just stop it. I said lots was wrong not everything. BTW, I have a lake house in Jefferson County on Lake Ontario and I am a native CNYer. I know the market...I realize Cuse isn't that strong (compared to Rochester eastward) in the 716 due to the Bills...but when the Orange BB plays in Buffalo they draw sellout crowds.

 

[upstater]

Mr. Professor...just stop it. I said lots was wrong not everything. BTW, I have a lake house in Jefferson County on Lake Ontario and I am a native CNYer. I know the market...I realize Cuse isn't that strong (compared to Rochester eastward) in the 716 due to the Bills...but when the Orange BB plays in Buffalo they draw sellout crowds.

You seemed to take too much offense to what he said. I think there's a lot of truth in what he said. I wondered what your background was because so many Cuse kids are Westchester, Long Island, Jersey. I have no doubt Cuse is highly popular in CNY. Someone is filling the Carrier Dome, obviously. But that's not what Pudge said. And by the way, Trans-Siberian Orchestra drew crowds in Buffalo last week. Big crowds.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I don't disagree. At some point I expect people to get bored by 90-25 games and realize how silly it all is. It won't be a lack of old people that kills it though.

I get bored now. Tune in for final 4 and NC games. Or against the top 2-3. But they just blew out #1 on the road, it was not even interesting.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

 

[TexanMark]

You seemed to take too much offense to what he said. I think there's a lot of truth in what he said. I wondered what your background was because so many Cuse kids are Westchester, Long Island, Jersey. I have no doubt Cuse is highly popular in CNY. Someone is filling the Carrier Dome, obviously. But that's not what Pudge said. And by the way, Trans-Siberian Orchestra drew crowds in Buffalo last week. Big crowds.

No problem...I'm debating. I just disagree with most of what he said about Cuse and he was wrong about the MWC taking Boise...the MWC was desperate enough to give them a Notre Dame Lite deal. I think the UConn brand is strong but I think Cuse is a tad stronger. I still think UConn will end in a better place soon but I also think a more reasonable conference layout is needed. Time to let SDSU go (for free). Stick to easat of the Mississippi...maybe include Texas.

 

[TRest]

Reading this board, you could now easily come to the conclusion that going to a BCS game was bad, and having the top WBB basketball program in the country is bad.

Bull****. The idea is to ****ing win. At everything. As much as possible. Florida once fired its softball coach for losing a home regional to Bethune-Cookman. It doesn't mean they stopped caring about football - it means they want to win. At softball. Same as everything else. In fact, when the SEC programs all added softball in the Title IX boom of the mid-90's, they all built multi-million dollar stadiums and hired the best coaches to try to win right away. Florida started women's lacrosse two years ago and was ranked #1 in the nation this year before being upset in the semis. This notion that you can't spend money on more than one thing would be silly to the folks down in SEC country. They don't compete half-assed in anything.

So why does our fanbase turn our successes into negatives? It was not a negative that we made a BCS bowl in our sixth or seventh year in I-A. It was awesome. And OU did not embarrass us - it was 34-20 in the fourth quarter and we had the ball in their territory. Pitt fared much worse against Utah a year or two prior. It is not a negative that we have the flagship program in any sport, much less one that brings in good ratings for ESPN in March.

All of which makes me wonder why Uconn women's soccer, which used to be strong, has been allowed to slowly sink away.