The Athletic Group of 5 Mailbag Question: Will UConn's turnaround under Jim Mora get them in a conference?

[Waquoit]

UConn is now a coveted entity—especially and (cruelly) ironically by BC.

It's funny, we all knew at the time that BC was making a big mistake by sticking the shiv into UConn. But BC was clueless. More proof how how overrated BC academics are.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

I found this in a google search:
The bottom line
An extremely approximated breakdown of what to expect over the next few years, both in a Big East reality and a hypothetical situation where UConn stayed in the AAC. This does not take into account a potential bump in attendance:

Big East:
Value of Big East deal with FOX: $4.2 million per year, per team
Value of current deal with SNY: About $1 million per year
Expected value of football deal with SNY: About $1 million per year
Potential football buy game: $1 million per year
Bowl game payout: $310,000, based on 2019
Men’s Basketball Fund: $1.6 million
AAC exit fee: $1 million per year, after 2020
TOTAL: $8.1 million

AAC:
Value of new AAC deal: About $7 million per year, per team
Bowl Game Payout: $2.05 million per team in 2019
Men’s Basketball Fund: $725,000
ESPN+ Production costs: About $1 million per year
Additional travel: About $2 million per year
TOTAL: $6.75 million

Forget the AAC, it’s a money pit for UConn athletics and recruiting successes would drop to near zero.

 

[metsfan2323]

Independence is far more interesting for the fan base

Myth vs Reality:

The Michigan game was major disappointment and generated no buzz at all. The Boneyard was dead all week of that game. Same for the NC State game.

We are far more fired up about the games against UMASS, Liberty and Army. Even the FIU game generated more excitement. The reality is wins generate buzz, and it hardly matter who we are playing.

Myth:

The AAC buried UCONN football.

Reality:

Lousy coaching and constant losing buried UCONN football.

 

[Dizzy21]

Myth vs Reality:

The Michigan game was major disappointment and generated no buzz at all. The Boneyard was dead all week of that game. Same for the NC State game.

We are far more fired up about the games against UMASS, Liberty and Army. Even the FIU game generated more excitement. The reality is wins generate buzz, and it hardly matter who we are playing.

Myth:

The AAC buried UCONN football.

Reality:

Lousy coaching and constant losing buried UCONN football.

I think my assumption is that we would be a competitive team in the scenarios being talked about, a lot more so than now. If that's the case then the narrative changes and stomping UMass or Toledo draws a lot less attention of the boneyard and from the fans while being in a potentially competitive game with Michigan draws a lot more. This year after the cuse game everyone knew it was going to be a curb stomping in Anne arbor and that we could compete well with UMass, thus the difference in excitement.

 

[kibblesnbits]

That reporter is clueless. He said teams need a league for rivalries and league titles, yet I'm sure he couldn't name a potentially interesting rival for UConn in CUSA or the MAC. If you aren't interested in the teams you are playing then winning a title over them is also not particularly exciting.

I expect Navy will return to independent status in the next 5 years. Their rivals aren't in the AAC and their championship is the Commander in Chief Trophy, not the AAC title. The rest of their programs are well placed in the Patriot League. What does the AAC do for their football?

Navy actually invented the independent scheduling model that has worked well for Army in recent years. They had ND every year and would add 2-4 other G5 level (including BE schools such as Rutgers and Pitt before the league broke up) with many being mid-to-low tier schools in their conferences that Navy might beat in a good season. Add to that the CiC games to make a relatively attractive 1/2 schedule. The rest was made up of directional schools and mid-majors that they would almost always beat to ensure bowl eligibility. It was extremely successful in rebuilding the program. As a military academy they had no problem finding a bowl to play in as long as they qualified.

Temple would be the next possible football independent. I can't imagine they are thrilled to be in a conference where the nearest full member is ECU. Establishing a "quasi-conference" of northeastern independents (Army, Navy, Temple, UMass and UConn) would ensure being able to book October and November opponents when most teams have turned toward their league games. Of course, that grouping would be a lot more attractive if UConn can build a consistent winner to provide a significant rival and attendance draw on the back half of the home schedule.

 

[UCan3]

Is it just me, or is it cool being able to custom design schedules and not have to worry about playing required conference games? It would be different if as an independent we were struggling to set up compelling matchups - we’re not.

But instead we play great schedule and only thing we miss out on is some bowl structure that no one understands and it becoming less relevant as time goes on.

In reality, the ACC is logical choice and we should settle for no less.

 

[huskymedic]

C-USA Media Deal > no $$ noted (no surprise):

 

[pepband99]

and yet they accepted the offer to join CUSA.

BTW if they go undefeated next year they might end their season in a major bowl, so maybe it's not so bad. They will be selling their recruits that realistic dream.

What kind of record do you think Mora might lead us to next year if we played Liberty's 2023 schedule? and do you think that record might assist our goal of getting a P5 upgrade?

They accepted, because:

1) They are actually a geographical fit. We are not.
2) Ex football, their sports are a better fit than their current home (ASUN). We wouldn't move our other sports anywhere.
3) They need to grab their only brass ring, before either the NCAA comes calling (likely), or Freeze bolts (also likely)

Any UConn fan equating us with Liberty on any plane should submit their fandom permanently.

 

[ZooCougar]

They accepted, because:

1) They are actually a geographical fit. We are not.
2) Ex football, their sports are a better fit than their current home (ASUN). We wouldn't move our other sports anywhere.
3) They need to grab their only brass ring, before either the NCAA comes calling (likely), or Freeze bolts (also likely)

Any UConn fan equating us with Liberty on any plane should submit their fandom permanently.

Dagnabbit. We missed our shot to play Jacksonville State and Kennesaw State on weeknights in October!

 

[businesslawyer]

Myth vs Reality:

The Michigan game was major disappointment and generated no buzz at all. The Boneyard was dead all week of that game. Same for the NC State game.

We are far more fired up about the games against UMASS, Liberty and Army. Even the FIU game generated more excitement. The reality is wins generate buzz, and it hardly matter who we are playing.

Myth:

The AAC buried UCONN football.

Reality:

Lousy coaching and constant losing buried UCONN football.

I don’t disagree that winning generates interest and buzz. But I do believe that if we were 5-2 and NOW playing games against Michigan, NC State and Syracuse, the fan base would be going nuts. The lack of interest at the time was that we had sucked for 7 years and no one cared about anything

 

[CL82]

Lousy coaching and constant losing buried UCONN football.

Got rid of the redundant part for you. Bad coaches definitionally generate constant losses.

Here’s the thing though, being in the American still would’ve sucked even if we had had more football success. Don’t get me wrong, it wouldn’t have sucked as bad, but it still would’ve sucked. That was an absolutely miserable conference that forced us to play against opponents our fan base did not care about with nominal media money and incredible travel expenses. Pushing our games largely onto ESPN+ took away the only carrot that it offered, media exposure.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Myth vs Reality:

The Michigan game was major disappointment and generated no buzz at all. The Boneyard was dead all week of that game. Same for the NC State game.

We are far more fired up about the games against UMASS, Liberty and Army. Even the FIU game generated more excitement. The reality is wins generate buzz, and it hardly matter who we are playing.

Myth:

The AAC buried UCONN football.

Reality:

Lousy coaching and constant losing buried UCONN football.

The AAC buried UConn Men’s Basketball more than anything, and slightly weakened womens basketball.

 

[weyuo]

UConn will never end up in the ACC and here's why:

1: ACC women's basketball does not want UConn to do to them what they have done to the Big East and the AAC. Make everyone else irrelevant.
2: Miami, Pitt, Syracuse, Louisville and especially BC want to always hold it over UConn that they are in a good paying conference and UConn fights a yearly battle to pay for it's athletics. Probably more out of spite than anything. Too much bad blood from the Big East days
3: The UConn basketball fans got what they wanted. UConn back in the Big East with a week in March at MSG. Try taking that away from them a second time.

 

[billybud]

I do not think that the ACC will be expanding soon.

They missed the window of opportunity to pick up Cincinnati and WVU who will be under a GOR for a while in the Big 12.

There are not that many football brands left that would strengthen football in the conference.

The ACC will hang out with 14 (15 in sports other than football).

Of course...the amount that ESPN would add to the conference payout is the major player...enough to make everybody's slice bigger.

 

[Hoophound]

UConn will never end up in the ACC and here's why:

1: ACC women's basketball does not want UConn to do to them what they have done to the Big East and the AAC. Make everyone else irrelevant.
2: Miami, Pitt, Syracuse, Louisville and especially BC want to always hold it over UConn that they are in a good paying conference and UConn fights a yearly battle to pay for it's athletics. Probably more out of spite than anything. Too much bad blood from the Big East days
3: The UConn basketball fans got what they wanted. UConn back in the Big East with a week in March at MSG. Try taking that away from them a second time.

1. I doubt that, nor would it matter much to the decision makers.
2. They will need a new conference mate and money. We are the best option—-probably the only real option.
3. The Big East loyalists are a minority. We all like the Big East but understand a P5 invite must be accepted.

 

[metsfan2323]

I don’t disagree that winning generates interest and buzz. But I do believe that if we were 5-2 and NOW playing games against Michigan, NC State and Syracuse, the fan base would be going nuts. The lack of interest at the time was that we had sucked for 7 years and no one cared about anything

If we were currently 5- 5 and closing out the season against Michigan and NC State we would already be lamenting coming so close to a bowl and missing out.

Asking our coaches to get us to a bowl on a shoestring budget in this play for pay era when we are making them face such a demanding schedule full of P5 teams is absurd and a recipe for failure.

Cincy made it all the way to the playoff last season playing just two P5 teams. I doubt their fans were complaining about a boring schedule.

Next year will really make clear what our correct path should be going forward. Liberty will play an easy 2023 schedule and likely finish with double digit wins whereas it will take an epic performance from Mora and the team to finish above .500.

 

[metsfan2323]

Any UConn fan equating us with Liberty on any plane should submit their fandom permanently.

No offense but that is an absurd and delusional statement to make.

Liberty is ranked, and have in recent seasons been extremely successful and they play their home games in a nearly sold out stadium. Whatever it is they are doing we should be taking notes.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

UConn will never end up in the ACC and here's why:

1: ACC women's basketball does not want UConn to do to them what they have done to the Big East and the AAC. Make everyone else irrelevant.
2: Miami, Pitt, Syracuse, Louisville and especially BC want to always hold it over UConn that they are in a good paying conference and UConn fights a yearly battle to pay for it's athletics. Probably more out of spite than anything. Too much bad blood from the Big East days
3: The UConn basketball fans got what they wanted. UConn back in the Big East with a week in March at MSG. Try taking that away from them a second time.

I think you’re about as right as Captain Smith was when he said “full steam ahead”.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

No offense but that is an absurd and delusional statement to make.

Liberty is ranked, and have in recent seasons been extremely successful and they play their home games in a nearly sold out stadium. Whatever it is they are doing we should be taking notes.

I wouldn’t take notes on anything Liberty University does. Many P5 schools will not play Liberty for some good reasons. I will admit they have an excellent football coach who I expect to jump ship soon.

 

[kemba]

While not having conference standings and a conference championship to play for is a downside, nobody is going to care about playing for a conference USA championship either. Independence is the right move for now

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

No offense but that is an absurd and delusional statement to make.

Liberty is ranked, and have in recent seasons been extremely successful and they play their home games in a nearly sold out stadium. Whatever it is they are doing we should be taking notes.

I think he meant in terms of non-football aspects?

 

[Nostical]

Myth vs Reality:

The Michigan game was major disappointment and generated no buzz at all.The Boneyard was dead all week of that game. Same for the NC State game.

Wouldn't have been if we were on a winning streak before playing those games. They would have generated lots of buzz and fan support. If we continue our winning ways, play in a Bowl and start fast next year there will be lots of Husky fans at games. If next fall we're 7-1or 6-2 (look at our schedule and try telling me it's impossible) and heading down to play Tennessee, try finding a flight to Rocky Top.

 

[UConnDan97]

It was a step up to go from G5 to Independence in football. Stay the course until the B1G or ACC calls.

THIS!!!

Anyone that still believes that being in a G5 is better than being an Independent has lost the plot. Control your schedule and your travel budget, because you'll make more money that way than you will with any C-USA tv contract, that's for sure. More people come to watch the regional rivals anyways.

And with more attendance comes better recruits. Anyone who hasn't picked up in that yet shouldn't be talking college football realignment, in my less than humble opinion...

 

[FfldCntyFan]

If next fall we're 7-1or 6-2 (look at our schedule and try telling me it's impossible) and heading down to play Tennessee, try finding a flight to Rocky Top.

I'm already kicking around the idea of a couple days in Nashville then heading to Knoxville for the game.

 

[Slick]

I'm already kicking around the idea of a couple days in Nashville then heading to Knoxville for the game.

Have you checked out hotels there yet.Almost nothing available. all Sold out.