Toldedo newspaper: UConn success Clouds B1G pick

[Duncan Idaho]

Rutgers was a D1AA school just like UCONN until 1979. We made the jump to 1A in the 1980 season.

no. you were D1 prior to 1979. The schedule wasn't that great and transitioning but you had the scholarships. You were ranked top 20 in '76.

 

[uconNYC]

I think it's also a problem that there has never been a team to rally around. The predominant schools in the Greater NYC area either don't play, or just started playing big time college football in past couple of decades.

NYU - No football team
St. Johns - No Football
SUNY Stony Brook (On Long Island and Manhattan) - FCS Football
Cornell - FCS
Rutgers - Periodic success mixed with bad football. Only playing major football since the 1970's
UConn - Only playing D1 football for about 20 years
Syracuse - Too far away and haven't won enough
Suny Buffalo - LOL

Fordham football is coming on strong with Coach Moorhead. Lots of tradition there.

 

[junglehusky]

The ACC is NOT the most appropriate home for UConn. Our academics are well above schools like Louisville. I look forward to creating new rivalries with schools that didn't stab us in the back while selling us out.

I have to disagree, as long as UVA, UNC, Duke and even Florida State are in the ACC, UConn would do very well to associate with these schools to attract out-of-state students to apply to UConn when they are applying to those schools. They are high level, Research-I universities just as the Big Ten universities are, but those states are in the same time zone, and have growing demographics / economies. If the ACC invites UConn before the B1G does, UConn will accept at the drop of a hat. (It should go without saying that the reverse is true too). The only thing, and I mean the ONLY THING that would cause Uconn to hesitate would be if UVA and UNC have left for other conferences.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Let's go by alumni: Alumni association data - in the 5 boroughs.

Penn State: approx. 23,000
UCONN: approx. 20,000
Michigan: approx. 13,000


That's just a little sample.

 

[FDNY99]

KevinOnCFB: Hmmm RT @CFAAEliteClips: UConn’s success clouds Big Ten pick - Toledo Blade http://post original url/0cPti7JN0w via@po_st

Ruknighttime7:34am via Twitter for Windows Phone
@KevinOnCFB football drives the bus,Uconn football program bad,facility wise worse.B10 should add Florida gulf Coast!

RUKnighttime is your typical ignorant RU fan...RU wishes it had UCONN's on-campus facility!

 

[MSNDfan]

I have to disagree, as long as UVA, UNC, Duke and even Florida State are in the ACC, UConn would do very well to associate with these schools to attract out-of-state students to apply to UConn when they are applying to those schools. They are high level, Research-I universities just as the Big Ten universities are, but those states are in the same time zone, and have growing demographics / economies. If the ACC invites UConn before the B1G does, UConn will accept at the drop of a hat. (It should go without saying that the reverse is true too). The only thing, and I mean the ONLY THING that would cause Uconn to hesitate would be if UVA and UNC have left for other conferences.

UVA and UNC are not leaving for anywhere. They are both banking on ND as a half member in football being the final piece of the puzzle to step up ACC football.

 

[junglehusky]

UVA and UNC are not leaving for anywhere. They are both banking on ND as a half member in football being the final piece of the puzzle to step up ACC football.

I don't think they are leaving either. Just saying that if TuxedoYoda & other B12's fantasies come true then, and only then would UConn hesistate about joining an unstable ACC (which would basically be the old Big East).

 

[ZooCougar]

I think it's also a problem that there has never been a team to rally around. The predominant schools in the Greater NYC area either don't play, or just started playing big time college football in past couple of decades.

NYU - No football team
St. Johns - No Football
SUNY Stony Brook (On Long Island and Manhattan) - FCS Football
Cornell - FCS
Rutgers - Periodic success mixed with bad football. Only playing major football since the 1970's
UConn - Only playing D1 football for about 20 years
Syracuse - Too far away and haven't won enough
Suny Buffalo - LOL

More than rooting for their "home" teams, New Yorkers want a winner. If UConn or Rutgers were to win something (like UConn has in BB) New Yorkers will make them their team.

I think there is a fundamental misunderstanding of the New York sports market by many. This is a pro sports town that has some college basketball history.

New Yorkers care more about the Giants, Jets, Mets, Yankees, Knicks and Rangers. They will go on for days about Eli, ARod, Jeter, why the Knicks still suck etc.

 

[husky210]

KevinOnCFB: Hmmm RT @CFAAEliteClips: UConn’s success clouds Big Ten pick - Toledo Blade http://post original url/0cPti7JN0w via@po_st

Ruknighttime7:34am via Twitter for Windows Phone
@KevinOnCFB football drives the bus,Uconn football program bad,facility wise worse.B10 should add Florida gulf Coast!

What a fool. If ours are bad.....then I guess you can call everyone's bad....

 

[RegisteredUconn]

Makes me wonder if the deal is done and we're just waiting for Rutgers and Maryland to have their day in the sun.

Ditto.

 

[buggsy]

You left out Army, which has history but no recent success to speak of. They were in many ways New York's team through the 60s. the combination of the Viet Nam War and bad football pushed them off the stage. And with respect to Rutgers, they have historically played major college football, just not very well. Like a lot of people, you confuse their historic opponents with what they are today. divisions were much less stringent before 1975 or so. Until the mid-70s schools like the Patriot League members, and the Ivies were all considered "University division." Heck, Coast Guard played in the Tangerine Bowl in the 1960s. Rutgers and BC were sort of similar. They were more or less MAC-level football schools in the 1960s and early 70s. Also, I guess you have a different definition of periodic success than most of the world.

If RU's success is only periodic, what is UCONN's... since RU has had more overall wins, and a better winning percentage than UCONN...and less losing seasons than UCONN? Please answer that. You talk as if UCONN has had a more successful history than Rutgers, and that is flat out false.

RU has not historically played major college football. For the first 100 years or so, our biggest rivals were the IVY's , Colgate, Lehigh, Swarthmore, etc. Only in 1980 did we go full scholarship.

 

[buggsy]

no. you were D1 prior to 1979. The schedule wasn't that great and transitioning but you had the scholarships. You were ranked top 20 in '76.

We were not in the same category as D1A back then.We were only ranked that year because we were undefeated. We were not full funded scholarship-wise, or program support-wise. We played in a 20,000 seat stadium, and played similar schools to us back then...including UCONN.

Yes, we offered some scholarships, but so did UCONN then. Does that mean you were also D1? Did you see the schedule we played that year? Every team was a D1AA team, even though they were not called D1AA back then.

 

[Point6]

Hoops is important on the east coast and the B1G will have no compelling east coast rivalries in hoops. Rutgers vs. Maryland and/or vs. Penn State games are not interesting enough in hoops to compete with the ACC for east coast attention. From my mega-homer perspective, it seems obvious that adding a UConn - Maryland rivalry to the the B1G East portfolio would lift all B1G boats in the region. I also think the refrain that realignment is only about football is too simple. Rivalries build conferences. From hoops rivalries, football rivalries follow.

Plus, we could kick Indiana's @$5 for an out of town @$5 kicking.

Jimmy D, hook us up B1G brother. For all your peoples!

 

[dayooper]

You left out Army, which has history but no recent success to speak of. They were in many ways New York's team through the 60s. the combination of the Viet Nam War and bad football pushed them off the stage. And with respect to Rutgers, they have historically played major college football, just not very well. Like a lot of people, you confuse their historic opponents with what they are today. divisions were much less stringent before 1975 or so. Until the mid-70s schools like the Patriot League members, and the Ivies were all considered "University division." Heck, Coast Guard played in the Tangerine Bowl in the 1960s. Rutgers and BC were sort of similar. They were more or less MAC-level football schools in the 1960s and early 70s. Also, I guess you have a different definition of periodic success than most of the world.

Before 1974 (the year the D2 playoffs started) there was a blur between the divisions. The issue was, during the mid '70's, teams started really putting money into the programs and the divisions really started to separate. "The Middle Conference" had 2 teams that dropped down to division 2 (Lehigh and Layfayette) while Rutgers started giving full scholarships.

As a side, I played D2 football in the '90's and we had scholarships, albeit not full ones. Only 3 or 4 of my teammates had full rides. We had 36 scholarships to split between the 65 or so members of the team. D3 is the division that doesn't award scholarships.

 

[tzznandrew]

KevinOnCFB: Hmmm RT @CFAAEliteClips: UConn’s success clouds Big Ten pick - Toledo Blade http://post original url/0cPti7JN0w via@po_st

Ruknighttime7:34am via Twitter for Windows Phone
@KevinOnCFB football drives the bus,Uconn football program bad,facility wise worse.B10 should add Florida gulf Coast!

Oh, the Florida Gulf Coast that won more NCAA championships on Monday and Tuesday of this week than Rutgers has won in its whole athletic department's history?

 

[freescooter]

We were not in the same category as D1A back then.We were only ranked that year because we were undefeated. We were not full funded scholarship-wise, or program support-wise. We played in a 20,000 seat stadium, and played similar schools to us back then...including UCONN.

Yes, we offered some scholarships, but so did UCONN then. Does that mean you were also D1? Did you see the schedule we played that year? Every team was a D1AA team, even though they were not called D1AA back then.

mainly because there was no D1A back then. Rutgers, Temple, BC, were sort of like Ohio, Central Michigan, Northern Iowa are today. They were "university division" programs while UConn was "college division." The Ivies were also University Division at the time. Generally speaking the differences were in number of scholarships, facilities but they weren't as big as they are today, at least in this part of the country. For UConn, UMass and the rest of the old Yankee Conference, our "Big" games were an Ivy opponent and usually a lower level "university" level program. For us it was often Rutgers or Temple. For UMass it was BC, Buffalo, sometimes Rutgers. As I said the lines weren't anywhere near as tightly drawn at that time. In the late 60's-70s, the Yankee Conference capped scholarships at 12, in theory 1 for each starter and a kicker was how they arrived at the number, for example. Holy Cross and Temple, who played schedules similar to what Rutgers played, had more as did BC. If you look at those schedules from say 1960-70, they are pretty similar, especially Holy Cross, Rutgers and Temple--a couple of Ivies, a couple of "eastern powers" (i.e. Penn State, Syracuse,Pitt, West Virginia, Army, Navy), a couple of Yankee conference types, and a couple of other locals like Lehigh, Colgate, BU, and each other. BC tended to play more Catholics in those days rather than what are now Patriot League schools. So they played Detroit, Villanova, Marquette before those schools dropped football. Afterwards they replaced them with a bunch of Virginia schools like Richmond, William & Mary and of all places VMI who they played regularly between the late 60s and early 70s.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

I think it's also a problem that there has never been a team to rally around. The predominant schools in the Greater NYC area either don't play, or just started playing big time college football in past couple of decades.

NYU - No football team
St. Johns - No Football
SUNY Stony Brook (On Long Island and Manhattan) - FCS Football
Cornell - FCS
Rutgers - Periodic success mixed with bad football. Only playing major football since the 1970's
UConn - Only playing D1 football for about 20 years
Syracuse - Too far away and haven't won enough
Suny Buffalo - LOL

More than rooting for their "home" teams, New Yorkers want a winner. If UConn or Rutgers were to win something (like UConn has in BB) New Yorkers will make them their team.

NYC used to have major college football teams in Princeton and Yale, both easily reached by train, with a smidge of Columbia thrown in. When the Ivy League pulled back from ‘major’ football in the 1950’s, the NFL filled in the gap and has dominated the NYC football scene since. There is a reason that the NY Titans (Jets) were founded in 1959 by the AFL. The loss of Yale and Princeton put into play a large market segment that had not previously followed the NY Giants thus allowing a new pro team to succeed.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

I don't think they are leaving either. Just saying that if TuxedoYoda & other B12's fantasies come true then, and only then would UConn hesistate about joining an unstable ACC (which would basically be the old Big East).

The ACC will exist as long as UNC wishes for it to exist as there is only a slight chance that the ACC could stay together if UNC bolted for the B1G or SEC. The XII will not exist the moment Texas leaves for the PAC, SEC, or B1G.

 

[Adios]

The ACC will exist as long as UNC wishes for it to exist as there is only a slight chance that the ACC could stay together if UNC bolted for the B1G or SEC. The XII will not exist the moment Texas leaves for the PAC, SEC, or B1G.

ODU, Temple, etc, to the ACC. Where else are they going to go? Plenty of schools can reform a Texas-centric conference, as well.

I think we are VERY far from this musical chairs game being over. Way too many schools/markets that are being developed and are not in "power" conferences, in the AAC and the MWC.

 

[blitz8ru]

They were in "The Middle Three" conference with Lehigh and Lafayette until 1975 and regularly played the Ivy League schools through that period as well. When the division split happened in the mid '70's, they choose to start putting money into their athletics and went D1. They joined the Big East in 1991.

LOL we didn't start putting real money into athletics until 2000. From 1980-2000 we were playing D1 with D1AA funding for 32 sports. Since then we cut 5 sports (men's and women's fencing, men's swimming & diving, men's rowing, men's tennis, ironically rowing and fencing were our most accomplished sports) funding for FB has increased but has increased only marginally for the rest of the sports.

 

[HuskyPete]

LOL we didn't start putting real money into athletics until 2000. From 1980-2000 we were playing D1 with D1AA funding for 32 sports. Since then we cut 5 sports (men's and women's fencing, men's swimming & diving, men's rowing, men's tennis, ironically rowing and fencing were our most accomplished sports) funding for FB has increased but has increased only marginally for the rest of the sports.

Don't forget THE RAC the glorified high school basketball court, I can't wait to see the look and laughs that B1g teams will have when they play at that dump. I don't care how much Rutgers spent, it's still a dump.

 

[TRest]

Rutgers was a D1AA school just like UCONN until 1979. We made the jump to 1A in the 1980 season.

False. Rutgers was University Division when UConn was College Division in the 70's. Rutgers continued to 1-a when UConn was 1-aa. Rutgers continued to play a mixed schedule for years, however.

 

[ruthetiger]

If RU's success is only periodic, what is UCONN's... since RU has had more overall wins, and a better winning percentage than UCONN...and less losing seasons than UCONN? Please answer that. You talk as if UCONN has had a more successful history than Rutgers, and that is flat out false.

RU has not historically played major college football. For the first 100 years or so, our biggest rivals were the IVY's , Colgate, Lehigh, Swarthmore, etc. Only in 1980 did we go full scholarship.

We played PoSU in the 20s and Nebraska. But generally the perception about RU is false. Not too many people know anything about RU football or UCONN for that matter.

 

[TRest]

LOL we didn't start putting real money into athletics until 2000. From 1980-2000 we were playing D1 with D1AA funding for 32 sports. Since then we cut 5 sports (men's and women's fencing, men's swimming & diving, men's rowing, men's tennis, ironically rowing and fencing were our most accomplished sports) funding for FB has increased but has increased only marginally for the rest of the sports.

I think we can all stipulate that Rutgers has been half-assing its attempts at big time college athletics for years.

 

[Stinger92860]

The ACC will exist as long as UNC wishes for it to exist as there is only a slight chance that the ACC could stay together if UNC bolted for the B1G or SEC. The XII will not exist the moment Texas leaves for the PAC, SEC, or B1G.

Where would all of the other acc teams go? Same for xii. That's over 20 schools and we would be down to 3 conferences. There is too much demand for regional content to have only 3 conferences left.