UConn may compete in Spring

[HardFacts]

So you think Randy and the players are wrong? Just want to be clear...because that's who made the decision. (and don't cite one player dissenting from the others...the majority of players decided not to play).

And who asked them the question? I believe it was RE!

 

[HardFacts]

"Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it." --Dwight D. Eisenhower

 

[gioff2323]

Since we're indy, we don't have a lot of scheduling options in this cluster**** year.

Army and BYU figured it out.

 

[ShakyTheMohel]

Army and BYU figured it out.

I actually do think they could have cobbled together a schedule. Especially with ACC looking for out of conference games.

I just think they had a tough start to camp and they made a quick decision that the difficulty of practicing with testing/quarantining, and the risk of long term player health weren't worth trying to play games.

Teams seemed to have figured out how to practice with these restrictions...and they mostly have been able to play games. But...we are only two weeks in and things can change quickly.

We can't really say yet if it was the right or wrong decision, but I can understand why RE and the team didn't think it was worth the risk.

 

[Exit 4]

I actually do think they could have cobbled together a schedule. Especially with ACC looking for out of conference games.

I just think they had a tough start to camp and they made a quick decision that the difficulty of practicing with testing/quarantining, and the risk of long term player health weren't worth trying to play games.

Teams seemed to have figured out how to practice with these restrictions...and they mostly have been able to play games. But...we are only two weeks in and things can change quickly.

We can't really say yet if it was the right or wrong decision, but I can understand why RE and the team didn't think it was worth the risk.

Too early to say it was right or wrong- but I think one thing is clear - some states have been solutions oriented in helping their schools devise a plan to travel and play and some states didn’t want see it as a subject worth their time or taking “risks.” Randy very well knows which state he’s in and what it was going to take to play (cooperation from the health dept that wasn’t coming). This is the one year not being in a conference hurts - tomorrow (2021) will be different. If we were in a conference there would have been indirect pressure to march forward.

That all said, let’s see where COVid takes us come late October. Wheels still could come off, especially for the B1G who have set themselves up for some calamity with the 21 day quarantine and 5% threshold rules. That’s a set up that might propel a couple healthy teams far above their class.

 

[MustangMan]

Too early to say it was right or wrong- but I think one thing is clear - some states have been solutions oriented in helping their schools devise a plan to travel and play and some states didn’t want see it as a subject worth their time or taking “risks.” Randy very well knows which state he’s in and what it was going to take to play (cooperation from the health dept that wasn’t coming). This is the one year not being in a conference hurts - tomorrow (2021) will be different. If we were in a conference there would have been indirect pressure to march forward.

That all said, let’s see where COVid takes us come late October. Wheels still could come off, especially for the B1G who have set themselves up for some calamity with the 21 day quarantine and 5% threshold rules. That’s a set up that might propel a couple healthy teams far above their class.

This ^^^^^

If CT had the will, it could have figured out a way to help UConn play.

We have had some hiccups, but I predict ever B12, AAC, and CUSA team in the state will get at least 8 games.

 

[Bongo Fury]

This ^^^^^

If CT had the will, it could have figured out a way to help UConn play.

We have had some hiccups, but I predict ever B12, AAC, and CUSA team in the state will get at least 8 games.

I agree it could have been done but figured it wasn’t worth the effort. I feel they looking for a 5th year Mensah, Vandermark and Rose. Looking for a more mature OLine QB and rest of team. 2020 is a desperate season but yes it could have happened.

 

[UCTitleTown]

Play one game and have all the players lose the year of eligibility? Am I understanding this? Move on. The decision was made and UConn left in the outside. No one is going to care about football in the Spring with everyone else back playing this Fall.

 

[Exit 4]

Play one game and have all the players lose the year of eligibility? Am I understanding this? Move on. The decision was made and UConn left in the outside. No one is going to care about football in the Spring with everyone else back playing this Fall.

It was decided by the NCAA in late august that everyone gets an extra year whether they play 0, 1 or 14 games this fall or next spring.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Meanwhile, Baylor has canceled games two weeks in a row. I am hoping for the best, but late October - early November my be brutal.

 

[kibblesnbits]

Army and BYU figured it out.

Army built a schedule just so they can play Air Force (which is playing a two game schedule against Army and Navy) and Navy. They just lost one game against BYU to COVID leaving them with 10. Coach Monken has said he expects to lose more. Of those still on the schedule, they have 3 FCS teams, 2 from the Sun Belt and 2 from CUSA. It really is a joke.

As for BYU, not only did they cancel this week's Army game, but they just added (scheduling on the fly) La Tech for October. Even so, they only have 8 games, including 3 CUSA, 2 Sun Belt and an FCS. If they beat Houston, they will go undefeated and no one will care.

Should we have tried like Army to build a schedule primarily of CUSA, Sun Belt and southern FCS schools - particularly when those states experienced a major case boom at the very time that we would have been trying to throw together a completely new schedule? Based on what was known at the time cancelling the season was the right decision and based on what is known now it still is. If everything goes perfectly from here on out people will waste brain cells arguing over whether we should have done something different, but that doesn't change the situation at the time a decision was made.

 

[uconnbill]

So you think Randy and the players are wrong? Just want to be clear...because that's who made the decision. (and don't cite one player dissenting from the others...the majority of players decided not to play).

I think they jumped to the decision without waiting longer to see what happened elsewhere. They could have played a 6-8 game schedule as others have with no fans in the stands "though I think 25% would have been fine following CDC guidelines and what we have heard from the governor's office."

 

[Life Is Good]

I am sorry but UConn should be playing now just as many others are in the country. I have to put up with BC playing, Syracuse, Pitt, Western Kentucky and Liberty all playing. UConn should be playing, period.

Agree, especially since all the players competing now will not lose a year of eligibility. I think if you played you should lose a year.

 

[Life Is Good]

It was decided by the NCAA in late august that everyone gets an extra year whether they play 0, 1 or 14 games this fall or next spring.

I think that’s ridiculous that they don’t lose a year. It’s a big advantage for teams next year

 

[Chief00]

Not very smart or helpful. You don’t need kids getting nicked up in the spring over nothing and losing part or all of a fall season... play now or wait it out.

If true, it’s all about doubling down to do damage control on one of the dumbest decisions in UConn Athletics History - cancelling the football season.

 

[Chief00]

So you think Randy and the players are wrong? Just want to be clear...because that's who made the decision. (and don't cite one player dissenting from the others...the majority of players decided not to play).

You couldn’t be so wrong. 95% of the players hate the decision and Chief avoids using that word (hate). In fact, one or two took the unusual step of entering the portal at this time of year. Morale is at an all time low. These kids have been working out since 7/1.
Worse, they were thrown in as props against their will and fed incorrect information about the college football landscape. That meeting one described as - did you ever see a hostage video?

 

[Nextmanup]

While I am sad UConn is not playing this year I am looking forward to our game against UMass and our season next year. Hoping most of our seniors stay and our redshirt juniors stay as well.. we will know who’s leaving once the players get a good idea If they are playing next year or benchwarming. I don’t think the teams that actually play more than 5-6 games should get an extra year of eligibility though.

 

[huskymedic]

You couldn’t be so wrong. 95% of the players hate the decision and Chief avoids using that word (hate). In fact, one or two took the unusual step of entering the portal at this time of year. Morale is at an all time low.

My direct knowledge (multiple contacts/sources) leads me to point out that you are over exaggerating whatever you may have heard.

 

[BugsyCT]

We're in an extraordinary global situation and you guys are bummed that you can't watch 6-7 UConn games at most.

First world problems.

 

[Chief00]

My direct knowledge (multiple contacts/sources) leads me to point out that you are over exaggerating whatever you may have heard.

The transfer portal will ultimate prove who’s right. Part of the issue is the players were either given inaccurate information or information that proved to be wrong regarding the college football landscape. They are not happy campers now.

 

[MustangMan]

So you think Randy and the players are wrong? Just want to be clear...because that's who made the decision. (and don't cite one player dissenting from the others...the majority of players decided not to play).

Yes. Option theory teaches us that the option has inherent valueand you never exercise it until you absolutely have to. When the crisis hit, it was obvious that it would impact the season. By pulling the plug, they took away the option of playing ANY games in the Fall.

Unlike members of the B10 and P12, Uconn has no real ability to put together a schedule at this point.

Instead of shutting things down, UConn should have been working with experts on a plan to play/train safely. The AD should have been working to build a schedule with the knowledge that games might be cancelled or postponed.

Basically, UConn’s leadership needed to be flexible- it was not.

 

[Ldandy]

So you think Randy and the players are wrong? Just want to be clear...because that's who made the decision. (and don't cite one player dissenting from the others...the majority of players decided not to play).

It’s TBD if UCONN made the right move or not in respect to Covid, however I don’t buy for a second that the players really wanted this. They simply accepted the reality that they had no schedule to speak of and put on a brave face. At the end of the day players want to play. It’s why you see kids in The MAC and MWC pushing their administrators to get something done.

 

[uconnbill]

BYU, Army, Liberty all play out of conferences games and there is no way. UConn could have played Army, Liberty, MTSU, ODU and at least a ACC team or two. No team is playing 12 games and playing 6 or 7 would have been something we all could have dealt with.

 

[Goatmeat]

The transfer portal will ultimate prove who’s right. Part of the issue is the players were either given inaccurate information or information that proved to be wrong regarding the college football landscape. They are not happy campers now.

Well then they are more than welcome to transfer to any of the FCS schools that recruited them.

 

[huskymedic]

UConn could have played Army, Liberty, MTSU, ODU and at least a ACC team or two.

Just a point of reference... ODU cancelled their football season as well.

 

[Rosebud70]

I dont think players did not want to play I feel they wanted to protect they’re eligibility. They should of made some effort to pull off a 8-10 game season especially now since kids won’t lose they’re eligibility now. They should look into throwing something together now. Seems to be working out for 98 percent of the NCAA

 

[Hornet22]

You couldn’t be so wrong. 95% of the players hate the decision and Chief avoids using that word (hate). In fact, one or two took the unusual step of entering the portal at this time of year. Morale is at an all time low. These kids have been working out since 7/1.
Worse, they were thrown in as props against their will and fed incorrect information about the college football landscape. That meeting one described as - did you ever see a hostage video?

Chief, please stop lying. Please.

 

[Chief00]

I dont think players did not want to play I feel they wanted to protect they’re eligibility. They should of made some effort to pull off a 8-10 game season especially now since kids won’t lose they’re eligibility now. They should look into throwing something together now. Seems to be working out for 98 percent of the NCAA

Agree, and the players were not provided with the full information at that meeting. For the sake of argument let’s give UConn AD/Edsall the bendfit of the doubt that they just either did a poor job pulling together information at the time, read the landscape wrong and did not mean to mislead. They still have the responsibility to own up to that with the players based on current information, apologize and take action to play football this Fall, if still possible.

 

[Exit 4]

Agree, and the players were not provided with the full information at that meeting. For the sake of argument let’s give UConn AD/Edsall the bendfit of the doubt that they just either did a poor job pulling together information at the time, read the landscape wrong and did not mean to mislead. They still have the responsibility to own up to that with the players based on current information, apologize and take action to play football this Fall, if still possible.

What information was missing? Who could have foreseen and/or promised that the NCAA would grant a universal exemption on fall 2020 sports regardless of playing time. I think most expected some sort of limit to prevent a "double dip" so to speak. With the possibility of a wasted year of eligibility fully off the table it opens things up for UMass and others to toy with playing 1, 2, 5 or whatever number of games they can book.

 

[Hornet22]

Agree, and the players were not provided with the full information at that meeting. For the sake of argument let’s give UConn AD/Edsall the bendfit of the doubt that they just either did a poor job pulling together information at the time, read the landscape wrong and did not mean to mislead. They still have the responsibility to own up to that with the players based on current information, apologize and take action to play football this Fall, if still possible.

This narrative you’re pedaling is irresponsible.