Uconn Kansas Home and Home Announced

[bendm]

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.

and as hurley said the games arent back to back to back. there is time to make adjustments and practice in between regular season games unlike an MTE.

 

[UC1995]

He seems to be taking a page from Geno. When the conference is bad we need to schedule the heavy hitters. Playing good teams will only help us to stay fresh. After a couple weak teams in a row we lose our edge.

 

[nycscooby]

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).

Yes it was Jan 1995, I was there. First ever men’s and women’s doubleheader. Women played first and won. #2 Huskies played like #8 Jayhawks and got smoked! It was never close, think we lost by almost 30! I think we had like a 12 game winning streak going in to that game. It sucked!!

 

[DRBackup]

That was the first game after Ricky Moore and Kirk King were suspended. We played Rip at point guard and he had 24 points and 8 assists. If I remember right, we jumped out to a big lead (maybe 22-7 or so) and crowd was going bonkers, but once Kansas fought back in it, we didn’t have enough big game moxie. Yet. A couple years later, we were well-moxied.

IIRC Billy Thomas hit a few threes late to swing the momentum back to KU.

 

[DRBackup]

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?

Last season was derailed by injuries and by losses to unranked teams like Seton Hall, Villanova, Memphis, Colorado, and Dayton. The NCAA committee doesn't typically penalize you for challenging yourself out of conference against, conceivably, ranked teams.

 

[zls44]

My comment about the last KU game was focused on UConn fans showing up, going out in Lawrence and making an impression. I think we knocked it out of the park. That's got to be part of what the Big XII is considering in whether UConn is a fit. Will they show up?

Still a question in Stillwater, Ames, Manhattan, Waco etc.

It absolutely is not part of the consideration.

 

[HuskyHawk]

It absolutely is not part of the consideration.

I guarantee it was part of the consideration of KU agreeing to the home and home.

 

[Waquoit]

I guarantee it was part of the consideration of KU agreeing to the home and home.

How so? You're telling us we had to sing for our supper?

 

[HuskyHawk]

How so?

KU values opponents that pack the gym, including with visiting fans of the other team. It's part of the experience. Marquette isn't getting this series.

I am confident it's a factor for the Big XII in considering schools. The main one? Of course not. But UConn showing up in far flung places is a positive. The old Big 8 schools know they'll travel to each other. Same with the SWC schools and some crossover with OSU and KU/K State. Arizona/Utah/Colorado sure. And Colorado/Kansas schools too. UConn is pretty far, even from WVU and Cinci, so I think we're a question mark. The more we answer that yes, UConn fans will be in Lawrence and in Tuscon next year (maybe Provo in the future?) the more we reduce the fears about UConn not fitting in.

I know this may seem odd, but these are football schools. Road visitors is important to college football atmosphere. Basketball is just a test case for that.

 

[superjohn]

KU values opponents that pack the gym, including with visiting fans of the other team. It's part of the experience. Marquette isn't getting this series.

I am confident it's a factor for the Big XII in considering schools. The main one? Of course not. But UConn showing up in far flung places is a positive. The old Big 8 schools know they'll travel to each other. Same with the SWC schools and some crossover with OSU and KU/K State. Arizona/Utah/Colorado sure. And Colorado/Kansas schools too. UConn is pretty far, even from WVU and Cinci, so I think we're a question mark. The more we answer that yes, UConn fans will be in Lawrence and in Tuscon next year (maybe Provo in the future?) the more we reduce the fears about UConn not fitting in.

I know this may seem odd, but these are football schools. Road visitors is important to college football atmosphere. Basketball is just a test case for that.

We have a home and home with them because UConn is the best program in the country.

The games benefit both schools.

 

[HuskyHawk]

We have a home and home with them because UConn is the best program in the country.

The games benefit both schools.

And we were among the best programs for a long time and yet didn't have home and homes except that one in the 90s.

 

[REB1094]

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 pros:

• If we win most of these games, we have an extremely strong tournament resume before BE play
• National visibility and money
• Stronger competition = find your strengths and fix your weaknesses earlier in the season

The cons:

• If we lose most of these games, we are looking at weak metrics and rankings heading into BE play where will be limited opportunities for shiny wins

Obviously you have to win the games. High level teams have to win high level games

 

[superjohn]

And we were among the best programs for a long time and yet didn't have home and homes except that one in the 90s.

Among the best programs and you say we have to schedule this way now because our conference stinks, which I disagree with. Our conference used to be the best in the country so we didn't have to schedule the way we currenty are scheduling. Do I have this right?

 

[Storrs South]

This is a huge net positive

1. Big home games
2. Big NYC games
3. Big Boston game
4. Big home game coming the following season

and as the AD noted those neutral games namely BYU in Boston and I assume Illinois at MSG are going to come with big pay days.

It's fun to play good teams and not wait until January to get them and will only help metrics.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Among the best programs and you say we have to schedule this way now because our conference stinks, which I disagree with. Our conference used to be the best in the country so we didn't have to schedule the way we currenty are scheduling. Do I have this right?

I am saying two things:

UConn scheduling this aggressively is in part to ensure our overall SOS is strong enough despite the Big East not being as strong as it has in the past. In part, for visibility to recruits and big TV/$ games. In part to ensure our fans have a home/close neutral slate they are excited about.

I'm saying KU scheduling UConn is in part based on our recent success and in part on the strong response UConn fans had in traveling to Lawrence for the last game. Had we not shown up, this series doesn't happen.

Arizona, we've had two prior home and homes, plus tournament games, there's some history there. BYU we've only played once before in the tournament. Football has met twice because BYU was independent. But all three at once? That feels a little bit like a trial run.

 

[zls44]

I'm saying KU scheduling UConn is in part based on our recent success and in part on the strong response UConn fans had in traveling to Lawrence for the last game. Had we not shown up, this series doesn't happen.

This is a wildly dumb comment. UConn fans showing up in Lawrence had absolutely no role in this.

It’s Kansas. They’re selling out every night. They’d schedule a top 10 program even if they sent no fans.

 

[Lafayette]

This is a wildly dumb comment. UConn fans showing up in Lawrence had absolutely no role in this.

It’s Kansas. They’re selling out every night. They’d schedule a top 10 program even if they sent no fans.

Ahem, I can introduce the topic of television to this. The money for a CBS game (not sure who is still doing these) is big for each program.

 

[ucp990411]

"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.

Nobody thought we were a mid major in the 1990’s. We pretty much were the best program in the best conference. I will give you pre 1990 but definitely not after 1990

 

[Samoo]

The pros:

• If we win most of these games, we have an extremely strong tournament resume before BE play
• National visibility and money
• Stronger competition = find your strengths and fix your weaknesses earlier in the season

The cons:

• If we lose most of these games, we are looking at weak metrics and rankings heading into BE play where will be limited opportunities for shiny wins

Obviously you have to win the games. High level teams have to win high level games

One further benefit of winning most of the games - it raises the overall Big East conference ranking, which then reflects back on UConn.

 

[HooperScooper]

Nobody thought we were a mid major in the 1990’s. We pretty much were the best program in the best conference. I will give you pre 1990 but definitely not after 1990

In 1989 I started graduate school at Michigan. I told someone I was a UConn basketball fan and they said, "Yukon? Is that in Alaska?" And they were being serious. Then the Dream Season happened. Then they made the NCAA Tournament the season after that and there was momentum. But it probably took another few seasons to get things rolling where people everywhere knew what UConn was. So you're right, UConn wasn't an unknown to some people during the entire decade. I probably should have said 1980s and it would have made more sense. But there's nobody now that would perceive UConn as a "mid-major" as the post I was replying to said. That's just absolutely ridiculous.

 

[Captbluefin]

Some people scared of too tough of a schedule. That’s funny. Want to be a national program, schedule a big non conference.

Loosing to Kansas on the road in a close game helps way more than blowing out Fairfield come selection Sunday

Grow some

 

[HCCForever]

The pros:

• If we win most of these games, we have an extremely strong tournament resume before BE play
• National visibility and money
• Stronger competition = find your strengths and fix your weaknesses earlier in the season

The cons:

• If we lose most of these games, we are looking at weak metrics and rankings heading into BE play where will be limited opportunities for shiny wins

Obviously you have to win the games. High level teams have to win high level games

This sounds similar to the 2025 baseball schedule. Very strong OOC schedule but the baseball team faltered out of the gate and despite a good record in a weak Big East, UConn failed to secure a regional bid since they didn't win the conference tournament. MBB needs to secure wins against the strong OOC games.

 

[REB1094]

This sounds similar to the 2025 baseball schedule. Very strong OOC schedule but the baseball team faltered out of the gate and despite a good record in a weak Big East, UConn failed to secure a regional bid since they didn't win the conference tournament. MBB needs to secure wins against the strong OOC games.

Kind of the story of 2023 MBB too. Crushed the OOC and was one of the best teams in the country. Miserable 4-5 weeks in BE play that put us towards the end of the top 25. But pulled it together towards the end, and leaning on the OOC dominance, was able to pull a 4 seed despite not making the BET finals. Rest is history

 

[HooperScooper]

Dan Hurley made waves online when he said UConn wouldn’t participate in three-game multi-team events anymore, inviting criticism after the reigning back-to-back national champs lost three straight at the Maui Invitational last November. Instead, UConn would only play home-and-home series and single game events in big-time arenas, which just happen to be within driving distance.

That formula, with six high-major games revealed so far, has set up the Huskies for what will be an entertaining, yet highly-challenging start to their quest for a third national title in four years.

Breaking down six high-major games on UConn men’s basketball’s monster 2025-26 nonconference schedule

The UConn men’s basketball program isn’t ducking anything with its 2025-26 nonconference schedule, which features six much-anticipated games against top teams.

www.courant.com

Alternate access:
Breaking down six high-major games on UConn men’s basketball’s monster 2025-26 nonconference schedule

 

[gsmooth]

Dan Hurley made waves online when he said UConn wouldn’t participate in three-game multi-team events anymore, inviting criticism after the reigning back-to-back national champs lost three straight at the Maui Invitational last November. Instead, UConn would only play home-and-home series and single game events in big-time arenas, which just happen to be within driving distance.

That formula, with six high-major games revealed so far, has set up the Huskies for what will be an entertaining, yet highly-challenging start to their quest for a third national title in four years.

Breaking down six high-major games on UConn men’s basketball’s monster 2025-26 nonconference schedule

The UConn men’s basketball program isn’t ducking anything with its 2025-26 nonconference schedule, which features six much-anticipated games against top teams.

www.courant.com

Alternate access:
Breaking down six high-major games on UConn men’s basketball’s monster 2025-26 nonconference schedule

Dan Hurley made waves about it making that statement, but that was because most of the media kept reporting those quotes after the tournament. What they neglected to mention was that Hurley said the same thing or something similar about not wanting to play in the MTEs before the Maui Invitational.