UConn is going Bowling > Wasabi Fenway Bowl v. Army (Saturday 12/27/25 @2:15 on ESPN) | Page 18 | The Boneyard
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UConn is going Bowling > Wasabi Fenway Bowl v. Army (Saturday 12/27/25 @2:15 on ESPN)

Bosko said:
Gasparilla (Tampa) or Fenway were the options — AD picked Fenway. I know for sure, my son’s on the team.
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Interesting. I would have like the Gasparilla Bowl but how many Uconn fans would have gone? Hard to say but we did have a pretty good turnout for the Myrtle Beach Bowl 2 years ago for a lessor opponent.
 
Tdaley said:
Interesting. I would have like the Gasparilla Bowl but how many Uconn fans would have gone? Hard to say but we did have a pretty good turnout for the Myrtle Beach Bowl 2 years ago for a lessor opponent.
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I was hoping for Gasparilla Bowl since Tampa is only two hours away. I would have gone.
 
Bosko said:
Yes - Bowl location is limiting participation. This comes from a parent that has a player on the team. Truth hurts.
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Truth sets you free. Why didn’t the players just vote to bypass Fenway if they feel this way?
 
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If Mora were still coaching, the team would be heading to Tampa. Unfortunately, the players had a different vision of where they wanted to go. The Vegas line opened at UConn +2.5 and has already shifted to +8.5. If the AD and coaches don’t start recruiting players to stay, we’re going to look like North Carolina did last year — a shell of our former team.


The team sent everyone home on Sunday and they report back tomorrow. Hopefully, we get the right mix of players returning so we can field a competitive team. Just the facts.
 
Tdaley said:
Interesting. I would have like the Gasparilla Bowl but how many Uconn fans would have gone? Hard to say but we did have a pretty good turnout for the Myrtle Beach Bowl 2 years ago for a lessor opponent.
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Tampa is a great spot for turnout. Plenty of us fans in Florida, easy direct flights from the north, plenty to do and perfect weather. Turnout would have been great if the guys would have played.
Bosko said:
If Mora were still coaching, the team would be heading to Tampa. Unfortunately, the players had a different vision of where they wanted to go. The Vegas line opened at UConn +2.5 and has already shifted to +8.5. If the AD and coaches don’t start recruiting players to stay, we’re going to look like North Carolina did last year — a shell of our former team.


The team sent everyone home on Sunday and they report back tomorrow. Hopefully, we get the right mix of players returning so we can field a competitive team. Just the facts.
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I’m very confident they are recruiting players to stay.
 
That is odd because UConn took the ACC's spot in the Fenway Bowl which has tie-ins to the ACC and American. Last year, UConn took the American slot. And, Louisville is in the Boca Bowl which is an overflow bowl.
 
Bosko said:
Yes - Bowl location is limiting participation. This comes from a parent that has a player on the team. Truth hurts.
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Has anyone said anything publicly about that?
 
Bosko said:
If Mora were still coaching, the team would be heading to Tampa. Unfortunately, the players had a different vision of where they wanted to go. The Vegas line opened at UConn +2.5 and has already shifted to +8.5. If the AD and coaches don’t start recruiting players to stay, we’re going to look like North Carolina did last year — a shell of our former team.


The team sent everyone home on Sunday and they report back tomorrow. Hopefully, we get the right mix of players returning so we can field a competitive team. Just the facts.
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Sounds like they may have watched the Army-Navy game on Saturday to scout for the Wasabi Bowl. Just a guess on my part.
 
CTBasketball said:
I heard from someone close to the team they had options. I don’t know if that’s true for certain. What I think is reality is the AD pushed hard for Fenway Bowl from the get-go thinking morale would be the same as last year.
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It is true. The YouTube UConn football show with Joe D has a co host who is good friends with Mike Burton and said the day after the team was not happy it was the Fenway bowl and both Joe and Skyler would likely sit out now. They had been there done that. Even with Mora leaving, most of the team would have been willingly to try to go out one last time to get the 10th win with a different bowl.

Why was Benedict so hell bent on Boston? Did he know the consequences of that decision in regards to the teams feelings? Does he think a Skelton crew getting pasted by Army was a more desirable result than spending money on air fare and hotels for the team staff band and cheerleaders to go to Florida?

My guess if we won’t get the inside story like we did for his trip to Central Michigan to scout Candle.
 
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RitzLuce1 said:
It is true. The YouTube UConn football show with Joe D has a co host who is good friends with Mike Burton and said the day after the team was not happy it was the Fenway bowl and both Joe and Skyler would likely sit out now. They had been there done that. Even with Mora leaving, most of the team would have been willingly to try to go out one last time to get the 10th win with a different bowl.

Why was Benedict so hell bent on Boston? Did he know the consequences of that decision in regards to the teams feelings? Does he think a Skelton crew getting pasted by Army was a more desirable result than spending money on air fare and hotels for the team staff band and cheerleaders to go to Florida?

My guess if we won’t get the inside story like we did for his trip to Central Michigan to scout Candle.
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I just feel like people are way overthinking this. Our athletic department is broke. We have to beg for more and more from the state, and we are wondering why we are going to a bowl fans can attend and that makes a profit? People are infusing that we are going to lose to Army but would automatically win any other game. The 10th win in the grand scheme of things means a lot to a very small # of people. It does not really change our trajectory at all

And yes, some folks are sitting it out (like players at many schools), but we are not having a run to the door of transfers specifically because we are playing Army at Fenway.
 
Nobody was going to travel to this game. Fenway Bowl cuts our losses. This season is over for all intents and purposes. Let’s just put this bowl in the same spot where the St. Petersburg Bowl with Diaco is. Forgotten.
 
No one with our fan base, the school or the football program has any reason to view this bowl as beneath them or the program.

That said, if there is concern over playing in what could well be a bad weather game in a venue that is far from ideal for football, I can understand that.

If the kids feel they were entitled to a vacation in a warm weather location that happened to have a football game attached to it, they may need to reassess their priorities.

From things that I've read, it seems that Mora had their hopes up for one bowl (which he may have had the clout to get the school to accept if offered), which went out the window a couple days before Thanksgiving when he announced he was taking his talents to Fort Collins. If this is what happened, some of these kids need to understand which direction their anger/disappointment/disillusionment should be pointed.

I understand that with many of the secondary bowls some of the horse trading begins early. I can believe that some conversations may have transpired nearly a week in advance of bowl bids being offered but I'm not sure that any bowl could have committed and offer at a date earlier than when Mora accepted the CSU job. It is very possible the he promised the team something that would have fallen through even if he did remain.

As with everyone else, I'm allowed my own opinions and feelings about things. On this subject, I'm already well into next year mode. My mind frame is everything that has to do with next year and beyond takes priority. Of course I want the best for everyone who suited up for the team this year and yes, I want that tenth win, but I'm not going to waste any time or energy in worrying about anyone on the team feeling they deserved better than this bowl game.

Are they allowed to feel that way? Yes. Am I allowed to not concern myself with that? Also yes.
 
While I'm not thrilled that we're repeating the Bowl venue, nor happy about the opt outs, I'm still encouraging all UConn fans to show up at Fenway! No matter which players are wearing those uniforms on the 27th, we support the Blue and White. With a chance to get to 10 wins we should make our presence known. Doing so will energize the players and reflect our confidence in the program Mora built and our belief it will continue to thrive under HC Candle. Now is not the time to pout and stay home. Let's all make the effort.
 
Interesting view on the bowl selection process from an ACC point of view:



-> Not counting California, which is still bound to Pac-12 bowl affiliations, and the Hurricanes, nine ACC teams earned bowl eligibility. The ACC only has eight bowl partnerships, though, six of which are considered priority and broken into two groups: Pop-Tarts, Gator and Holiday bowls; and Mayo, Pinstripe and Sun bowls. After that comes the Military Bowl and the Fenway Bowl. The ACC also utilizes bowl games owned by ESPN Events and needed two more after the Fenway Bowl, co-owned by the organization, went with a regional matchup in UConn and Army. <-

-> ESPN Events has always been great to work with, and it's been important feedback from our membership that the more games we can play in Florida, the better,” Strickland said. “And so, ESPN Events was able to move things around for us. This year, the Fenway Bowl was able to put together a regional matchup that didn't involve an ACC team. That was a moving piece that helped us open up an additional game in Florida.” <-
 
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Even with all the extra baggage in this "weird" year I am still looking forward to going up to Boston to support the team. That said Tampa would have been awesome. Perfect Friday game leading into a weekend and still early enough not to mess with holiday plans. IN fairness, I was going no matter where we went with exception of Boca as the timing would not have worked for me. Oh well, lets hope us fans support whoever we roll out there for the game.
 
Nostical said:
While I'm not thrilled that we're repeating the Bowl venue, nor happy about the opt outs, I'm still encouraging all UConn fans to show up at Fenway! No matter which players are wearing those uniforms on the 27th, we support the Blue and White. With a chance to get to 10 wins we should make our presence known. Doing so will energize the players and reflect our confidence in the program Mora built and our belief it will continue to thrive under HC Candle. Now is not the time to pout and stay home. Let's all make the effort.
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100 PERCENT
 
DaveHuskiesFan said:
We’re starting a true freshman QB and a quarter of the team is opting out.
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Is there a thread I'm missing? Has the school announced who is or is not getting ready for the game? Have people posted they are not coming on social media? All I've seen are references to Bell and Fagnano not coming, and the only posts from a real person (as opposed to anonymous internet posters) were speculative and not definitive.
 
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