UConn at Ohio State 2025

[Greedo]

Just as a guess...UConn, in the Big Ten, might be between an Indiana (.299 win rate over last 40 yrs) and a Purdue (.426 win rate) in conference wins. Northwestern is .348, Illinois is .402., Minnesota .369.

At any rate...having a winning record in conference would not come easily.

I'm not saying they would come easy, and we probably would have a losing record. That doesn't mean I don't want to still play those teams. Not to mention who knows where this team will be 5 years from now when we play against OSU.

 

[#1 PA Husky Fan]

Hopefully, we can use some of the "pay game" funds, impending tv contract, and expected ticket sale improvement to increase our spend on the coaching staff. If we are going to play a P5 schedule, we need to step up to be competitive. I don't expect that we are going to send our teams in to play the "big boys" with their hands tied behind their backs.

 

[huskysupporter]

Hopefully, we can use some of the "pay game" funds, impending tv contract, and expected ticket sale improvement to increase our spend on the coaching staff. If we are going to play a P5 schedule, we need to step up to be competitive. I don't expect that we are going to send our teams in to play the "big boys" with their hands tied behind their backs.

What makes you think that this will happen? You make way to much sense and think too logically. We have an administration that refuses to fund the program appropriately.

 

[Chief00]

Why? This kind of buy out game has always been available to us (at least since no one had to fear us winning it). We didn't do this often before because we didn't need to.

Look, I'm fine playing a game like this every so often, but it will only be important when and if we've rebounded to the point where we actually have a chance to win the game, as we did when we went to South Bend in '09 or Michigan in '10.

So good news? Sure. But actually change the equation as to whether we can survive and thrive as an Indy? Not even close.

True, and the other challenge is the quality of our home schedule. For now, Randy is putting wins before an attractive home slate. Will the fans fall for that appoach?

 

[Alum86]

Me too, I wore #10 whenever I could and now my kid wears it in high school. Kelly's battles with Earl the Pearl Washington were epic.
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[huskysupporter]

True, and the other challenge is the quality of our home schedule. For now, Randy is putting wins before an attractive home slate. Will the fans fall for that appoach?

Randy has nothing to do with the schedule. And if you haven’t noticed this team can’t exactly count on any wins.

 

[Chief00]

Randy has nothing to do with the schedule.

That’s incorrect.

 

[LoyalFanCT]

If Randy doesn't improve UConn's record this year and next, I think he will be shown the exit. My hope is the team will get to a 6 and 6 season soon. Perhaps by the time UConn plays Clemson and Ohio State we will have a respectable loss.

 

[freescooter]

True, and the other challenge is the quality of our home schedule. For now, Randy is putting wins before an attractive home slate. Will the fans fall for that appoach?

The home schedule isn’t that bad in the short term. And getting wins is really crucial too. And starting in 2022 the home schedule gets better with BC and Syracuse both regional rivals. Even in 2020 we have Army and Indiana and UMass as a regional draw. If you compare our home slate with UMass I would say we are much better most years

 

[FroginCT]

The home schedule isn’t that bad in the short term. And getting wins is really crucial too. And starting in 2022 the home schedule gets better with BC and Syracuse both regional rivals. Even in 2020 we have Army and Indiana and UMass as a regional draw. If you compare our home slate with UMass I would say we are much better most years

It just hurts to think that UMass is the current standard for home scheduling over the next couple of years.

 

[huskysupporter]

That’s incorrect.

You are incorrect.

 

[FroginCT]

You are incorrect.

If the head coach doesn't have a say in scheduling, then the athletic department is screwed up.

 

[freescooter]

It just hurts to think that UMass is the current standard for home scheduling over the next couple of years.

It isn’t. Just pointing out that our home slate is not that bad given that we are in year 1 of this experiment. And we do in fact need to “schedule for success” to some extent at this point too.

 

[UConnDan97]

This is a great move. It's great monetarily, it's great for recruiting, it's great for our athletic department to continue to push the Husky brand.

Let's go, dogs!!!

 

[Ldandy]

If I’m being honest I still question the long term viability of independence for any team not named ND. BYU and Army scrape by on their historical football brand names, but for others it seems like a road to nowhere.

OSU will hand out millions to any number of sacrificial lambs to come to Cbus, but don’t expect them to come within 50 miles of The Rent. How do you keep fans invested in a team that gets blasted on the road for a paycheck while serving up a steady diet of Liberty, Umass and Army at home? Is the occasional Purdue or Duke on the home schedule going to be enough to sell season tickets? Maybe a few wins will help, but under Randy even the wins have been brutal to watch.

 

[GoUC99]

If I’m being honest I still question the long term viability of independence for any team not named ND. BYU and Army scrape by on their historical football brand names, but for others it seems like a road to nowhere.

OSU will hand out millions to any number of sacrificial lambs to come to Cbus, but don’t expect them to come within 50 miles of The Rent. How do you keep fans invested in a team that gets blasted on the road for a paycheck while serving up a steady diet of Liberty, Umass and Army at home? Is the occasional Purdue or Duke on the home schedule going to be enough to sell season tickets? Maybe a few wins will help, but under Randy even the wins have been brutal to watch.

I don’t think the plan is to stay independent long term. It was a move that needed to happen to try and stop the bleeding. Everything now is posturing for the hopes of an invite to P5 in the future

 

[spsct]

To someone's point about other teams (such as Buffalo) being able to get this pay game:

I may be wrong, but I seem to remember that the B1G allowed a limited number of non P5 games per season and that BYU and UConn (even when in the AAC) were held at a P5 level. Is that still the case? If so then we would be a desirable opponent when compared to MAC or CUSA teams.

If I'm wrong then (in best Emily Litella voice) never mind...

 

[billybud]

The MAC is the Big Ten's private preserve.

Ohio State is 27-0 against the MAC. (11 games in last 10 seasons).

Michigan is 23-1, Penn State 24-2, Michigan State 35-3...etc

 

[UConn Dan]

To someone's point about other teams (such as Buffalo) being able to get this pay game:

I may be wrong, but I seem to remember that the B1G allowed a limited number of non P5 games per season and that BYU and UConn (even when in the AAC) were held at a P5 level. Is that still the case? If so then we would be a desirable opponent when compared to MAC or CUSA teams.

If I'm wrong then (in best Emily Litella voice) never mind...

Yes, UConn was considered a P5 school for B1G out-of-conference scheduling. I'm not sure if this is a permanent status or something that rolls based on recent performance. At the time, I recall reading that they used a historic average ranking/record/performance (I think it was a 10 year horizon so it included our better days). If they've updated their list, we'd most likely be off it by now. But that I'm not sure of.

 

[ScottVib]

Near term scheduling interesting but beatable teams at home is a smart play. Get people into the stadium give them a reason (or at least hope) to stay more than a half... and you can re-build the attendance from there.

 

[LoyalFanCT]

If I’m being honest I still question the long term viability of independence for any team not named ND. BYU and Army scrape by on their historical football brand names, but for others it seems like a road to nowhere.

OSU will hand out millions to any number of sacrificial lambs to come to Cbus, but don’t expect them to come within 50 miles of The Rent. How do you keep fans invested in a team that gets blasted on the road for a paycheck while serving up a steady diet of Liberty, Umass and Army at home? Is the occasional Purdue or Duke on the home schedule going to be enough to sell season tickets? Maybe a few wins will help, but under Randy even the wins have been brutal to watch.

This is why we cannot just remain as an independent. UConn has to push for ACC or B10 membership on much higher levels than before. That also means mens' FB and BB need to be in top 30 if not better. It is a far goal right now, but the ranking of these two teams around 2010 would have seemed impossible in 1990. Don't give up the dream, make it a reality -- Dave Benedict.

 

[coachcap]

I don’t think the plan is to stay independent long term. It was a move that needed to happen to try and stop the bleeding. Everything now is posturing for the hopes of an invite to P5 in the future

I'm beginning to wonder IF a P-5 invitation will EVER come. While UCONN moving all non-football & & hockey sports to the Big East made sense financially, I wonder what the perception of P-5 conferences is of the move & whether that perception enhances or stifles UCONN's candidacy.
Looking ahead 5 years from now, the perfect storm needs to happen: Husky athletic teams MUST be competative for championships in all Big East sponsored sports. Hockey must continue it ascent of this seasson (I mentioned this because, IF the B1G comes calling, UCONN will be required to move the hockey teams to the B1G). AND, most importantly, Husky football must improve to the prominence it held during the latter part of the HCRE-1 era.
Then there are external factors beyond UConn's control: The B1G could possibly add Texas & Oklahoma to reunite them with Nebraska, thus depriving UCONN a spot. The ACC could be ravaged by having teams such as Florida State, Clemson, & Miami plucked off by the SEC.
For now, my only hope is for Husky football to finally turn the corner & no longer be an embarrassment on the gridiron. Become again the team that UCONN fans were so proud of when it received the invitation to the Fiesta Bowl.

 

[coachcap]

This is why we cannot just remain as an independent. UConn has to push for ACC or B10 membership on much higher levels than before. That also means mens' FB and BB need to be in top 30 if not better. It is a far goal right now, but the ranking of these two teams around 2010 would have seemed impossible in 1990. Don't give up the dream, make it a reality -- Dave Benedict.

There is no "pushing" for inclusion. P-5 membership is by invitation only. I think what you meant was that UConn Athletics teams must be competative for championships & post season invitations across the board in order to be worthy of such an invite should P-5 conferences decide that the time is ripe for another round of expansion. That is my hope as well.

 

[LoyalFanCT]

There is no "pushing" for inclusion. P-5 membership is by invitation only. I think what you meant was that UConn Athletics teams must be competative for championships & post season invitations across the board in order to be worthy of such an invite should P-5 conferences decide that the time is ripe for another round of expansion. That is my hope as well.

Beyond outstanding athletic results, UConn can never again give lackluster attention to the application process. It was not just the president and AD. We should have been twice as aggressive as Louisville when making our case to the ACC. Gov. Malloy was basically nowhere to be found. Neither were our US Senators and business community. Next time it needs to be all hands on deck, even the admirals.

 

[coachcap]

ACC incompetence is the primary reason UConn is not a P5 school. The ACC could have locked up the entire East Coast from Boston to Miami and everywhere in between just by admitting Rutgers and UConn when both were searching for a new home. Instead, they took Notre Dame basketball and Pittsburg. This left the door open for a Big Ten
incursion into the Washington to New York market. They snatched up Maryland and Rutgers. The ACC got Louisville. UConn returns to Big East virtually locking up a large sector of NYC market in basketball. The ACC tossed away about 15 million very wealthy fans.

Your logic is faulty. There was no way Snookie was EVER ACC bound. I used to scope out all of the old Big East Rivals boards. Their fanbase was constantly talking about an imminent B1G invite almost 2 years before the deed was done. They were ridiculed by lurkers that were fans of other Big East teams as they were perennial Big East doormats. When Rutgers & Maryland were announced as the winners of B1G expansion, West Virginia campaigned to the Big XII, & Pitt & Syracuse won the ACC lottery.

 

[UConnDan97]

If I’m being honest I still question the long term viability of independence for any team not named ND. BYU and Army scrape by on their historical football brand names, but for others it seems like a road to nowhere.

While I understand your fear, I also think that you are vastly overestimating the impact of the historical brand of both BYU and Army.

The kids nowadays don't even remember Steve Young's pro career, never mind his college career. Army and BYU were top dogs multiple generations ago. It would be like saying that Houston and SMU could leverage their great years in the 70s and 80s too. They can't.

It doesn't mean we'll be successful. Who knows. But it seems clear to me that Independence offers the best option we have right now...

 

[UConnDan97]

BYO's appeal appears to be faith based. Army's is based on patriotism, especially veterans.

No question about it. They'll both always have their following because of it.

Likewise, a successful program in the Tri-State area will also always have a following, provided we are successful. With success, we uniquely have the opportunity to capture the Tri-State and New England at once. And let me tell you something...

... that's a hell of a lot of eyeballs!

 

[LoyalFanCT]

No question about it. They'll both always have their following because of it.

Likewise, a successful program in the Tri-State area will also always have a following, provided we are successful. With success, we uniquely have the opportunity to capture the Tri-State and New England at once. And let me tell you something...

... that's a hell of a lot of eyeballs!

UConn Dan is so so right. NYC metro area and almost all of New England is ready to view UConn as its team for football and men's basketball, and baseball for that matter.

 

[billybud]

The problem is...that much of the ACC did not want to augment the move to the northeast....BC and Cuse being on the annual schedule of Clemson and FSU was already enough.

Duke, UNC, VT and Virginia wanted to stay together as a tight little group. They don't go to Syracuse/Boston.

 

[FroginCT]

I order to get into the B1G, you have to have top-level graduate research funding and overall large endowments. AAU is an almost must (yes, I know Nebraska lost AAU but there is an asterisk WRT Nebraska). That comes before large media markets.