UConn Board of Trustees Needs to Delay All Votes on Leaving AAC and Joining New Big East

[LoyalFanCT]

The UConn Board of Trustees Wednesday is scheduled to address whether the university should leave the AAC and put most sports in the New Big East. UConn football is likely to seriously suffer from the proposals presented so far since the New Big East does not offer football. This whole idea needs to be studied for months if not years before making such a move. In particular, the question must be asked if the football team -- and non-basketball sports -- are better off staying in the AAC. Students, alumni and fans need to be able to study the options and give their input. The decision is being made when one UConn president is leaving and another one has yet to start his job. The Board of Trustees has only an interim chairman. So it too is in flux. I am still not convinced that a top conference like the ACC may not want UConn to join in the near future. UConn is an elite university with major athletic traditions. It is being treated in this process little better than a community college.

 

[CTMike]

The UConn Board of Trustees Wednesday is scheduled to address whether the university should leave the AAC and put most sports in the New Big East. UConn football is likely to seriously suffer from the proposals presented so far since the New Big East does not offer football. This whole idea needs to be studied for months if not years before making such a move. In particular, the question must be asked if the football team -- and non-basketball sports -- are better off staying in the AAC. Students, alumni and fans need to be able to study the options and give their input. The decision is being made when one UConn president is leaving and another one has yet to start his job. The Board of Trustees has only an interim chairman. So it too is in flux. I am still not convinced that a top conference like the ACC may not want UConn to join in the near future. UConn is an elite university with major athletic traditions. It is being treated in this process little better than a community college.

You are the last guy on the pacific island thinking there’s still a war going on.

 

[BY06518]

At this point, everyone knows what your perspective. You bring nothing to these discussion and no one wants to read them. I'd suspect most people have blocked you anyway so may as well stop posting.

Don't really care... the Football experiment was a disaster and I want all you football fans to remember how chasing a dream that was never going to happen nearly killed the basketball program. Block me don't block me no skin off my back.

 

[Bonehead]

Don't really care... the Football experiment was a disaster and I want all you football fans to remember how chasing a dream that was never going to happen nearly killed the basketball program. Block me don't block me no skin off my back.

Should UConn pay Kevin Ollie?

 

[BY06518]

Should UConn pay Kevin Ollie?

If KO was winning he wasn't getting fired. They used the language in his contract to fire him with cause. My opinion settle for 5 mil and everyone goes home somewhat happy. That said its easier to spend money that isn't yours.

 

[CL82]

If KO was winning he wasn't getting fired. They used the language in his contract to fire him with cause.

Uh, because that’s how contracts work?

 

[LoyalFanCT]

You are the last guy on the pacific island thinking there’s still a war going on.

The way UConn football coach Randy Edsall, and the football and other non-basketball programs, were apparently treated in this process -- as well as their large national fan bases -- is like Dec. 7, 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Japan notified US authorities after the fact. Geno Auriemma, Dan Hurley and a couple of Board of Trustees members cannot make such important decisions on their own.

 

[CL82]

This whole idea needs to be studied for months if not years before making such a move. In particular, the question must be asked if the football team -- and non-basketball sports -- are better off staying in the AAC.

Rip the bandaid.

 

[SubbaBub]

If you think you can scheudle 12 acceptable FB opponents each year and you will make more money and spend less moving, then do it.

If you can't, then don't.

There, discussion held.

 

[MuchoDogYears]

Joining the Big East is a plus move for every sports program at UConn except football, and possibly baseball.
However, I still would not make this move unless UConn can show that they can put together a comparable or better football schedule than it had in the AAC. I think that’s a possibility, but not a probability. I would think there are a lot of the P5 programs that would want to schedule one game with UConn . However if this move results in UConn football team playing in the MAC then I want nothing to do with the move even though I’m a big UConn basketball fan.

 

[06029]

If KO was winning he wasn't getting fired. They used the language in his contract to fire him with cause. My opinion settle for 5 mil and everyone goes home somewhat happy. That said its easier to spend money that isn't yours.

How did FB cause Calhoun to retire? How did it cause the NCAA violations?How did it cause picking Calhoun's personal choice for a replacement coach? How did FB impact KO's failure as a coach? He recruited 4 and 5 star players and he won a NC. How has FB caused BB attendance to drop? As a member of the AAC, Uconn's average crowd and record -

2014 10,134 (record 32-8; National Championship; you could argue these were Calhoun's players)
2015 10,687 (record 20-15; no NCAA)
2016 10,413 (record 25-11; second round)
2017 8,505 (record 16-17; no NCAA)
2018 7,829 (record 14-18; no NCAA)

Much like FB, win and attendance goes up. Don't blame a poor coaching hire on FB. Maybe blame it on Calhoun who forced it on Uconn.

Attendance source

 

[Chin Diesel]

Joining the Big East is a plus move for every sports program at UConn except football, and possibly baseball.

That's the discussion in a nutshell. Move helps out every sport or is a push except football and baseball.

 

[CTMike]

The way UConn football coach Randy Edsall, and the football and other non-basketball programs, were apparently treated in this process -- as well as their large national fan bases -- is like Dec. 7, 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Japan notified US authorities after the fact. Geno Auriemma, Dan Hurley and a couple of Board of Trustees members cannot make such important decisions on their own.

I want to frame this. Comparing a conference switch to Pearl Harbor(!!!!) is truly Peak Boneyard.

 

[Bonehead]

If KO was winning he wasn't getting fired. They used the language in his contract to fire him with cause. My opinion settle for 5 mil and everyone goes home somewhat happy. That said its easier to spend money that isn't yours.

If you cant recruit at UConn while in the AAC how did you expect him to win in the AAC?

 

[huskymedic]

 

[BugsyCT]

Don't really care... the Football experiment was a disaster and I want all you football fans to remember how chasing a dream that was never going to happen nearly killed the basketball program. Block me don't block me no skin off my back.

The football experiment was going just fine until 2010. We went to bowl games and were competitive in the BE, winnig a share of the conference title twice. UConn fans used to fill that stadium as frontrunners do. Once CR hit and we drew the low card in every round of it we were doomed. We kept getting worse TV deals, coaching changes sucked and were in fact catastrophic, so team got worse & fans bailed, so now many of those same "fans" cry "who cares about football? We're a basketball state!" The experiment failed because we were blackballed by the P5 and had incompetent presidents & ADs at the worst possible time. The landscape shifted and we got caught in the rubble.

But it wasn't all that that hurt the basketball team. They made incompetent coaching decisions too. Don't blame it all on the conference alone. How much do you really think playing in the AAC rather than the NBE has affected the women's hoops program? They miss a couple of tough conference rivals every year (ND who they schedule OOC anyway) and that's it. They lay waste to everyone else. And yes, it's good in the here & now for the men's hoops to return to facing old regional rivals. We should improve - to Calhoun glory year levels? Not sure about that. If Hurley doesn't produce this fan base will be the first to let him know about it.

 

[WrenchFan69]

"while retweeting damning articles that will undermine your success"

 

[don356]

I can save them a lot of time on research. Figure out how much money it will take to completely get out of football as the financial reality of continuing as an independent will be worse than the current situation.

 

[don356]

Spoken like a guy who has a buyout and retirement package. LOL

 

[huskymedic]

"while retweeting damning articles that will undermine your success"

 

[LoyalFanCT]

With few exceptions, all of the top state research universities have Power 5 athletic affiliations and competitive football teams. Not one of the New Big East members is even in the Association of American Universities. AAU membership is close to a requirement for B10 membership. The New Big East is not the old Big East. I wonder what fans and basketball coaches will say if they fail to win national championships if UConn goes into NBE. Who will Geno blame then when losing to ND?

 

[Purple Stein]

The way UConn football coach Randy Edsall, and the football and other non-basketball programs, were apparently treated in this process -- as well as their large national fan bases -- is like Dec. 7, 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Japan notified US authorities after the fact. Geno Auriemma, Dan Hurley and a couple of Board of Trustees members cannot make such important decisions on their own.

 

[GridironGR8]

I can't help but think that despite the appearance that there is no plan for football, there actually is a plan. That plan being: 1) Try to compete as a BCS independent until RE either succeeds in a turn-around or fails; 2) If RE is not successful drop to FCS (or, less likely, drop FB altogether).

I think Susan Herbst, Dave Benedict and the BOT have been discussing their options for months if not years. The new AAC media contract set the final plan in motion when the BOT became convinced the financial situation was unsustainable. They may well be correct, but I wish there had been a way to hold off the final decision a few more years. Ultimately, the current Trustees/administrative team felt they needed to clear the deck for the new boss.

Just an opinion from a frustrated football fan. Zero "inside information."

 

[gtcam]

Ultimately, the current Trustees/administrative team felt they needed to clear the deck for the new boss.

This is a definite influence in the decision and a ridiculous one at that. Susan Herbst continues to haunt this school to the very end. Can't wait until she exits and hopefully takes DB the db with her

 

[gwhuskyfan]

The UConn Board of Trustees Wednesday is scheduled to address whether the university should leave the AAC and put most sports in the New Big East. UConn football is likely to seriously suffer from the proposals presented so far since the New Big East does not offer football. This whole idea needs to be studied for months if not years before making such a move. In particular, the question must be asked if the football team -- and non-basketball sports -- are better off staying in the AAC. Students, alumni and fans need to be able to study the options and give their input. The decision is being made when one UConn president is leaving and another one has yet to start his job. The Board of Trustees has only an interim chairman. So it too is in flux. I am still not convinced that a top conference like the ACC may not want UConn to join in the near future. UConn is an elite university with major athletic traditions. It is being treated in this process little better than a community college.

The Big East voted yesterday to offer an invite to UConn. The Board of Trustees vote tomorrow is just a formality. It's happening. That's that.