The Genetic CT Inferiority Complex

[BlueDogs]

Imagine this. You have a state with one of the great national basketball powers with 3 National Championship in the last 15 years. You have a state with highest per capta income in the United States. You have the 35th largest media market in the United States. It is also sandwiched between 2 of the largest media markets in the United States. You have one of the the top academic state schools. You have a a rising football program competing at a national level with over 32, ooo season tickholders. You have a baseball program which is becoming recognized as a credivle national power. You have a soccer program which is a recognized national power.

Yet, we conitnue to make excuses...to accept that somehow Connecticut is just not a good match. Baloney! Leadership and vision make all the difference, and that is precisely wha we lack and what has led to this downfall. Be proud. Connecticut is a great place and has a lot to offer. We need folks that are big thinkers, not small minded defeatists.

 

[mattp]

I always thought we were a better fit for the B1G b/c of all the reasons you list. What I don't get is why everyone seems to be admitting defeat and throwing in the towel (what else would you call it when you say we should make this cross country CUSA+ league) when as far as I can see we're probably in the 5th or 6th inning of expansion.

 

[Adios]

I always thought we were a better fit for the B1G b/c of all the reasons you list. What I don't get is why everyone seems to be admitting defeat and throwing in the towel (what else would you call it when you say we should make this cross country CUSA+ league) when as far as I can see we're probably in the 5th or 6th inning of expansion.

Emotionally weak.

 

[sdhusky]

I always thought we were a better fit for the B1G b/c of all the reasons you list. What I don't get is why everyone seems to be admitting defeat and throwing in the towel (what else would you call it when you say we should make this cross country CUSA+ league) when as far as I can see we're probably in the 5th or 6th inning of expansion.

But if the game is going into extra innings, it makes sense to be prepared.

We can work to make the best of our current situation and still be able to say yes to the Big11 when (and if) they come calling.

 

[whaler11]

I always thought we were a better fit for the B1G b/c of all the reasons you list. What I don't get is why everyone seems to be admitting defeat and throwing in the towel (what else would you call it when you say we should make this cross country CUSA+ league) when as far as I can see we're probably in the 5th or 6th inning of expansion.

Well you have to do something in the interim. Skip a few football seasons?

 

[John Greene]

Most UConn fans, especially, BY'ers do not suffer from an inferiority complex, if anything they are rapidly becoming paranoid. Maybe a little bi-polar.

 

[mattp]

I would hate to see us sign a long term GOR or something that will prevent us from acting in the future, and I don't see this mega conference coming together unless everyone does just that. I think if the BE is dissolved we need a new football only conference of 8-10 schools that all have a common mission, going somewhere else. The only way we wouldn't have to sign a long term GOR is if everyone is on the same page in that regard. Our TV contract won't be as large, but it's not like we're going to be getting $10m/team even with the GOR.

As it stands BEfootball seems to be UConn, Cinci, USF, Temple, UCF, Memphis, Houston SDSt, Boise and Tulane. We should be able to get $5-6m for that without a GOR. I don't know why we added Tulane, they're just another mouth to feed, but whatever. We'll be making a lot less than our peer group from TV contracts, but it'll only be for a few years and it'll give us a schedule and presumably some bowl tie-ins.

What should we do in the meantime? Play our games, the catholics aren't leaving for a couple of years. I just don't think forming a gargantuan league is really the answer. All that does is water down our already weak product. IF you look at the current slate of BE schools, does anyone really think they can increase per school revenue by adding anyone that's available? I don't see the point in expansion for it's own sake at this point.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

New Haven/Hartford is actually 30th biggest media market with 1M+ TV homes, not 35th. Otherwise, a great post!

 

[BlueDogs]

The Big10 was and is the right place for us. I really think there was a big bias towards the ACC and the Herbst hire was designed to help facilitate that. It was a hugely short sighted strategy. UConn should have been marketed and shopped aggressively when things frst started to unravel. A big financial package for stadium expansion should have been in place and in the back pocket along with a financial support package to allow for us to transition into a big Conference without eating away at membership revenue in early years. We could have recouped our investment over the long term through a higher take rate under big conference TV rev share. What was (and is) needed are some leaders, finance sophistication, and marketing folks. The group up in Storrs is not equipped to handle this situation. This has spun out of control beyond their capabilities, personal network reach, and experience levels. Wrong people at the wrong time. We need hill takers, not monitoring bureaucrats afraid to take steps. It saddens me that these folks (current and past) had so much to work with and managed to achieve the worst possible outcome possible.

 

[BlueDogs]

New Haven/Hartford is actually 30th biggest media market with 1M+ TV homes, not 35th. Otherwise, a great post!

I was pulling that from memory from 1992, should have looked it up.

 

[whaler11]

I would hate to see us sign a long term GOR or something that will prevent us from acting in the future, and I don't see this mega conference coming together unless everyone does just that. I think if the BE is dissolved we need a new football only conference of 8-10 schools that all have a common mission, going somewhere else. The only way we wouldn't have to sign a long term GOR is if everyone is on the same page in that regard. Our TV contract won't be as large, but it's not like we're going to be getting $10m/team even with the GOR.

As it stands BEfootball seems to be UConn, Cinci, USF, Temple, UCF, Memphis, Houston SDSt, Boise and Tulane. We should be able to get $5-6m for that without a GOR. I don't know why we added Tulane, they're just another mouth to feed, but whatever. We'll be making a lot less than our peer group from TV contracts, but it'll only be for a few years and it'll give us a schedule and presumably some bowl tie-ins.

What should we do in the meantime? Play our games, the catholics aren't leaving for a couple of years. I just don't think forming a gargantuan league is really the answer. All that does is water down our already weak product. IF you look at the current slate of BE schools, does anyone really think they can increase per school revenue by adding anyone that's available? I don't see the point in expansion for it's own sake at this point.

You need a football schedule to play in 2013 and beyond. If they don't play in that CUSA where the heck do they play? Intrasquad games in the Shenk?

 

[mattp]

You need a football schedule to play in 2013 and beyond. If they don't play in that CUSA where the heck do they play? Intrasquad games in the Shenk?

From my understanding we have a football conference at least until after the 2014 season.

Bluedogs, I think you hit the nail on the head. We should have been selling ourselves to the B1G before Herbst and Manuel were even here, but especially once Cuse and Pitt announced they were leaving. It was obvious we needed a landing spot but from my viewpoint it doesn't seem we did any kind of promotion until after Rutgers left, whereas we should have been trying to take Rutgers spot. Obviously I have no idea how much work anyone actually did or didn't do, but it seems like were were definitely a step behind. We should have tried to take the first car out(RU's B1G spot) instead of waiting for the second (UofL's ACC spot).

 

[Palatine]

Actually, UConn deleivers more than the Hartford/New Haven DMA. You can see there are a ton of Fairfield/New York DMA that are strong UConn households. In 2012, H/NH is the 30th largest DMA with 1,006,280 households,, Nashville is 29th with 1,024,560 households, Kansas City is 31st with 939,740.

 

[Vowelguy]

Actually, UConn deleivers more than the Hartford/New Haven DMA. You can see there are a ton of Fairfield/New York DMA that are strong UConn households. In 2012, H/NH is the 30th largest DMA with 1,006,280 households,, Nashville is 29th with 1,024,560 households, Kansas City is 31st with 939,740.

The key demo is males 18-34. CT is weak there and it's only getting worse.

 

[whaler11]

From my understanding we have a football conference at least until after the 2014 season.

Yes, in the league that you are saying to not join. What do you propose for 2015 without ACC/Big 10.

As for the rest I get that the leadership is clueless - but I find it almost impossible to believe they didn't realize they should try to get out. You can't join leagues that don't invite you.

 

[nycscooby]

It's not inferiority, it's our unfortunate reality.

We are now left to hope that schools will not be forced to pay $50MM exit fees so that expansion happens more quickly so that our FB program isn't damaged beyond repair. By the way, it is also unfortunate but true that none of the other sports matter squat and in football, we're likely behind Cincinnati for the next golden ticket.

 

[Palatine]

It's not inferiority, it's our unfortunate reality.

We are now left to hope that schools will not be forced to pay $50MM exit fees so that expansion happens more quickly so that our FB program isn't damaged beyond repair. By the way, it is also unfortunate but true that none of the other sports matter squat and in football, we're likely behind Cincinnati for the next golden ticket.

If it's not inferiority, it is New England negativism.

The land of steady habits is not about boosterism. It looks down on enthusiam and boosterism.

Two men from New England were walking down the street. One looked up and said, "Beautiful weather today." The other looked back and replied, "Finally."

You have to live in other parts of the country to understand what negative Nancys we are in Connecticut.

The pasted post above isn't reality, it's reality through a Connecticut lens.

 

[BlueDogs]

If it's not inferiority, it is New England negativism.

The land of steady habits is not about boosterism. It looks down on enthusiam and boosterism.

Two men from New England were walking down the street. One looked up and said, "Beautiful weather today." The other looked back and replied, "Finally."

You have to live in other parts of the country to understand what negative Nancys we are in Connecticut.

The pasted post above isn't reality, it's reality through a Connecticut lens.

I thought it should end with "that's bad news, it'll probably rain tomorrow then."

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Imagine this. You have a state with one of the great national basketball powers with 3 National Championship in the last 15 years. You have a state with highest per capta income in the United States. You have the 35th largest media market in the United States. It is also sandwiched between 2 of the largest media markets in the United States. You have one of the the top academic state schools. You have a a rising football program competing at a national level with over 32, ooo season tickholders. You have a baseball program which is becoming recognized as a credivle
national power. You have a soccer program which is a recognized national power.

Yet, we conitnue to make excuses...to accept that somehow Connecticut is just not a good match. Baloney! Leadership and vision make all the difference, and that is precisely wha we lack and what has led to this downfall. Be proud. Connecticut is a great place and has a lot to offer. We need folks that are big thinkers, not small minded defeatists.

Agreed. Connecticut needs to start thinking big time.