Uconn Kansas Home and Home Announced

[bazz&boujee]

hi - football fan mostly, but also casual bball fan. so, pardon my ignorance in advance:

this OOC schedule looks like an absolute death sentence, at first glance.
coming out of the tournament last year where we derailed our season, I wouldn't have thought an OOC would look like this.
Can someone help me understand the full benefits of setting this up?
besides high ratings, of course.
it is an exciting list of names, but it just seems like a lot of risk of the season going off the rails, before Big East play.

thoughts?

It’s because we won’t automatically qualify for postseason by beating Eastern Connecticut State 6 times

 

[HuskyHawk]

hi - football fan mostly, but also casual bball fan. so, pardon my ignorance in advance:

this OOC schedule looks like an absolute death sentence, at first glance.
coming out of the tournament last year where we derailed our season, I wouldn't have thought an OOC would look like this.
Can someone help me understand the full benefits of setting this up?
besides high ratings, of course.
it is an exciting list of names, but it just seems like a lot of risk of the season going off the rails, before Big East play.

thoughts?

Because the Big East is weak. It's not enough to put us in the top seed discussion. Have to schedule aggressively OOC to fill the gaps and bump our metrics.

If you think it's bad, KU plus UConn, Duke, UNC, NC State, Mizzou and a loaded Players Era tournament in Vegas and then plays a Big XII schedule that is much harder then our Big East schedule.

 

[temery]

Report: UConn to Schedule Home-and-Home Series with Kansas

UConn will play in Lawrence this year and in Connecticut in '26-27.

storrscentral.com

 

[ThetaZoo]

I believe it was the off week between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl.

We played them in a double header (women's team destroy the lady Jayhawks) at Kemper in KC. The return was two seasons later in Hartford and yes, that was the first game after Kirk and Ricky were suspended (Kirk for the season).

Yeah, Kirk King got the death penalty but I wonder what illegal benefits SEC football players were receiving at that time...we'll never know.

 

[BlueWolf25]

Because the Big East is weak. It's not enough to put us in the top seed discussion. Have to schedule aggressively OOC to fill the gaps and bump our metrics.

If you think it's bad, KU plus UConn, Duke, UNC, NC State, Mizzou and a loaded Players Era tournament in Vegas and then plays a Big XII schedule that is much harder then our Big East schedule.

There’s also almost zero downside to playing these games. Benedict was talking about the schedule on Jared’s podcast the other day; these games are ideal for the metrics, even if we lose. Losing to Memphis, Dayton and Colorado in Maui did us no favors last year, but a loss to Kansas on the road or a BYU or Florida on a neutral site won’t kill us.

Also, why not load up OOC? It’s fun, and we shouldn’t be afraid to schedule hard. It sure didn’t hurt us in 23 or 24

 

[superjohn]

Because the Big East is weak. It's not enough to put us in the top seed discussion. Have to schedule aggressively OOC to fill the gaps and bump our metrics.

If you think it's bad, KU plus UConn, Duke, UNC, NC State, Mizzou and a loaded Players Era tournament in Vegas and then plays a Big XII schedule that is much harder then our Big East schedule.

Nonsense.

UConn was the #1 overall seed in 2023-2024. Duke was just the #1 overall seed coming out of the ACC which is garbage. They played 4 ranked teams the entire regular season.

 

[HooperScooper]

Nonsense.

UConn was the #1 overall seed in 2023-2024. Duke was just the #1 overall seed coming out of the ACC which is garbage. They played 4 ranked teams the entire regular season.

Just win baby!

 

[Viet Vet]

hi - football fan mostly, but also casual bball fan. so, pardon my ignorance in advance:

this OOC schedule looks like an absolute death sentence, at first glance.
coming out of the tournament last year where we derailed our season, I wouldn't have thought an OOC would look like this.
Can someone help me understand the full benefits of setting this up?
besides high ratings, of course.
it is an exciting list of names, but it just seems like a lot of risk of the season going off the rails, before Big East play.

thoughts?

The tournament “derailed our season”? You do realize we lost to National Champion Florida by two, the same margin as runner-up Houston.

 

[I Bleed Blue]

 

[HuskyV]

Proof that Connecticut had superior home brew & pizza in 1929.

Bud: Angelina can do you think I ehh, can have a some nice home brew?
Angelina: Mister you drink. You're gonna get sick. Let me bring you some good. Would you like something to eat? My momma is making pizza in the kitchen. Would you like some pizza?
Bud: What is pizza?
Angelina: You don't know what pizza is? Where are you from?
Bud: From Kansas.
Angelina: Kansas? Where is that?
Bud:

Better pizzza, IPA & hoop. What else is there?

 

[ec33]

hi - football fan mostly, but also casual bball fan. so, pardon my ignorance in advance:

this OOC schedule looks like an absolute death sentence, at first glance.
coming out of the tournament last year where we derailed our season, I wouldn't have thought an OOC would look like this.
Can someone help me understand the full benefits of setting this up?
besides high ratings, of course.
it is an exciting list of names, but it just seems like a lot of risk of the season going off the rails, before Big East play.

thoughts?

The answer is money. Bringing in more revenue means more money to share with the players. With the end goal of UConn can try to bring in better players and winning more games.

 

[HCCForever]

Think Rash had a good game didn’t he?

Yes Rash had 22 and Rip had 21. Sam “scores in bunches” Funhes even made an appearance. Kansas was loaded with Pierce, LaFrentz, Vaughn and Pollard. Jerod Haase had 10 and Billy Thomas had 11.

I didn’t remember all the details but I was there and the environment was great. A coworker was visiting from San Francisco and was impressed as well.

Loading…

www.bing.com

 

[Jetskies]

The tournament “derailed our season”? You do realize we lost to National Champion Florida by two, the same margin as runner-up Houston.

apologies, i forgot what the name of the tournament was. I was referring to maui, not the NCAA tournament. We had a good season after that, by most standards... except our own.

 

[UCfor3]

Yes Rash had 22 and Rip had 21. Sam “scores in bunches” Funhes even made an appearance. Kansas was loaded with Pierce, LaFrentz, Vaughn and Pollard. Jerod Haase had 10 and Billy Thomas had 11.

I didn’t remember all the details but I was there and the environment was great. A coworker was visiting from San Francisco and was impressed as well.

Loading…

www.bing.com

I was at that game. Civic Center was electric.

 

[jibsey]

Question about this non con sched. Predictions? I hope it’s not painful and we survive it. Hurley must be very upbeat about this team.

 

[DW1361]

Pluses or minuses to playing these games goes out the window for me because playing these teams just elevates our national exposure and weakens the perception of some that we are merely a “mid-major” school in a mid major conference. And dang it the season will be so exciting!!! Losing three last year in Hawaii was devastating and hard to stomach as all three of those teams were inferior to us, but losing to a legit program will hurt us fans more than it will the team.

I will also add that Duke has always had a cupcake OOC and the ACC has become a lame conference. The ACC realizes the issue and they are trying to reduce conference games to do just what UConn is doing. So I have to say UConn has it right. Recruits hopefully will see that as well.

 

[upstater]

Proof that Connecticut had superior home brew & pizza in 1929.

Bud: Angelina can do you think I ehh, can have a some nice home brew?
Angelina: Mister you drink. You're gonna get sick. Let me bring you some good. Would you like something to eat? My momma is making pizza in the kitchen. Would you like some pizza?
Bud: What is pizza?
Angelina: You don't know what pizza is? Where are you from?
Bud: From Kansas.
Angelina: Kansas? Where is that?
Bud:

Better pizzza, IPA & hoop. What else is there?

Not many people in the USA knew what pizza was in the 1920s.

Even in New Haven, when they wanted to hire, the wanted ads read: "We are training Tomato Pie Makers." If you wanted to buy an oven in the trade mags, you'd be looking for a Tomato Pie oven. After WW2, the GIs returning from Italy had learned all about pizza, and suddenly the word pizza replaced "Tomato Pie."

Don't ask me how I know these things.

 

[HooperScooper]

Pluses or minuses to playing these games goes out the window for me because playing these teams just elevates our national exposure and weakens the perception of some that we are merely a “mid-major” school in a mid major conference.

"Mid-major" school? Are we still in the 1990s? Most people consider UConn a blue blood now. So is there anyone still out there that perceives UConn as a mid-major? Perceptions running the gamut from mid-major to blue blood is hard to believe.

 

[Waquoit]

I hope it’s not painful and we survive it.

That's the spirit!

 

[DW1361]

"Mid-major" school? Are we still in the 1990s? Most people consider UConn a blue blood now. So is there anyone still out there that perceives UConn as a mid-major? Perceptions running the gamut from mid-major to blue blood is hard to believe.

Ya, I was referring to the thread in the FB Forum. The argument in part was that it referred to FB and Baseball not basketball, but do you really think we are respected as one of the guys by all? I still don’t believe that on a national level we get the respect we deserve. That is my perception, but I can’t give you examples to back it up so go ahead and attack me for that.

We are doing well recruiting, but should we be recruiting better? I think we are on our way after two straight titles but look at how many were quick to criticize our conference, our coach, and our current “decline” even after we took Florida to the end (and except for a couple miscues should have beat them). We know we are not mid major and that is why I stated it with quotation marks, but don’t you think it is a constant battle to maintain where we are? Don’t you think we have to keep on playing a challenging schedule to prove we are deserving? I love where we are now, but I still believe there are a lot out there that don’t believe or will admit the truth we know to be true. I love we have Kansas scheduled.

 

[shizzle787]

I am extremely happy with our schedule for the second year in a row. The AD is finally getting it (winning two national championships in a row helps). My final request would be if one of our five final OOC games is against Yale. It is a Quad 3 game at home that we will win that is good for the state. If the other four games are Coppin State, New Haven, Stonehill, and New Hampshire then so be it.

 

[navery12]

I should have expected this from the Boneyard, but we've spent years complaining that the OOC schedule is too easy or there's not enough home games. And now it's too difficult?

 

[Bongo Fury]

I recall a Kansas H&H back in the 90s.... our home was at HCC or Gampel (forgot which) and we had Rip maybe was a freshman but held our own vs #1 Kansas for a half while the ladies demolished Kansas away.

Freshman Jake held his own against Pollard. Tough team

 

[HooperScooper]

Ya, I was referring to the thread in the FB Forum. The argument in part was that it referred to FB and Baseball not basketball, but do you really think we are respected as one of the guys by all? I still don’t believe that on a national level we get the respect we deserve. That is my perception, but I can’t give you examples to back it up so go ahead and attack me for that.

We are doing well recruiting, but should we be recruiting better? I think we are on our way after two straight titles but look at how many were quick to criticize our conference, our coach, and our current “decline” even after we took Florida to the end (and except for a couple miscues should have beat them). We know we are not mid major and that is why I stated it with quotation marks, but don’t you think it is a constant battle to maintain where we are? Don’t you think we have to keep on playing a challenging schedule to prove we are deserving? I love where we are now, but I still believe there are a lot out there that don’t believe or will admit the truth we know to be true. I love we have Kansas scheduled.

I was talking about men's basketball. That's what I care about the most. I wasn't aware you were talking about other sports. Sure it would be great if we had big time football and the baseball team was in a big time conference but as long as men's basketball is great and competing for national championships then I'm happy.

 

[auror]

hi - football fan mostly, but also casual bball fan. so, pardon my ignorance in advance:

this OOC schedule looks like an absolute death sentence, at first glance.
coming out of the tournament last year where we derailed our season, I wouldn't have thought an OOC would look like this.
Can someone help me understand the full benefits of setting this up?
besides high ratings, of course.
it is an exciting list of names, but it just seems like a lot of risk of the season going off the rails, before Big East play.

thoughts?

Aside from the person who said money (which is the correct answer), it's actually not as difficult as it looks because we've rigged it masterfully.

5 of the 6 games are Storrs/Hartford, Storrs North, and Storrs South. The 2 home games are against good teams but teams ranked behind us in the pre-season. The neutral games the opposing teams are traveling 1,000, 2,175, and 830 miles and we're traveling 141, 141, and 84 miles. 4 of the teams are coming across time zones while we don't change.

Despite the gauntlet, there's a good chance we're favored in 5 of the 6 of these games (depending on the results once the year starts). And yeah, we'll probably lose the Kansas game... though they are going to be very inexperienced this year so maybe we can even steal that one.