UCONN Needs You Now... (NOT OT)

[johnhuskies95]

That's just wrong, Pasqualoni had a dozen guys who made it to the NFL. TThat's half the squad from in P's first season. He was an awful coach. The team was plenty talented to win.

Football is way different than basketball (obviously). Having good talent from a couple guys is nice, but depth is way more important. Those SEC teams come at you in droves.

And I'm not really talking about Pasqualoni's first season. I'm talking about the roster right now.

 

[Sportsman5]

I will be driving 2 hours from massachusetts to attend every game. No excuses!

 

[James]

I'm pretty much hoops only, but I hope they kick some major ass. The key to the future of the university lies in their hands. Get er done boys.

I agree with this sentiment

 

[Bonehead]

I'm a lifelong UConn football fan but I need to see some success on the field. Everyone knew that Diaco would win the press conference when he was brought in.

Unlike.

 

[BrysonDeMan]

About donating tickets: I called the ticket office a few weeks ago (when the Military Appreciation offer was going on) and asked if I could donate mini plans. They said yes. They even said that they would honor the Military Appreciation offer (I called the day after it expired). Four tickets for our Military to enjoy BYU, Boise and UCF (plus the bonus Temple game from the offer).

I bring this up because the ticket office wants to move tickets. They are very accommodating. UCONN knows the only way out of the AAC is through football (sorry hoops only fans). So if you already have tickets and feel like doing something more OR live too far away but want to help UCONN, you can donate tickets. Entirely up to everyone's personal preferences, budgets, and commitment levels of course.

The day is here that we ALL need to rally behind UCONN the SCHOOL and not be program specific. Football is a fall sport with hardly any scheduling conflicts with hoops until late in the season. If MBB and WBB all showed football the same enthusiasm and support as basketball, it would go a LONG way towards showing the world that UCONN belongs where we all know we belong: in a "Power" conference.

We raised money for Calhoun - why not raise a couple grand and buy & donate some tickets.
It seems well worth the cause

 

[intlzncster]

I definitely respect what your saying, so I hope you don't feel like I'm coming at you like a jerk.

Basically, were stuck here because our fan base as a whole can't commit or has other obligations.

Not saying that's wrong at all - just stating that it's the overwhelming reason we're in the AAC.

Everyone has stuff to do that's valid and hell probably more important than UConn football, but if we don't show up now, we may just be stuck here forever.

It's a trek for me coming from Brooklyn without a car but I enjoy it most of all and realize if I'm not in, then I have no right to complain about our situation.

I don't mind at all and fully understand people's position in favor of support. I support it! lol

Also, respect for making the journey from Brooklyn. If anybody can lecture about commitment, it's you.

 

[johnhuskies95]

This season is going to be tough. No doubt about it.

My issue is that nobody - especially die hard fans on the Boneyard - can afford to not buy in 100%.

I don't want to have to see Tulsa, Tulane etc. on our schedule every year and literally the only thing I can do about that is to continue to buy season tickets ( however minuscule my group of 8-10 impact may be in the scheme of things).

So I guess your point wasn't really about season tickets or going to the games but felt like I had to get this out there. My guy @Dooley can't bang this drum every time by himself.

The basketball team barely ever truly sells out anymore. And that's been the case for about the last 5 years, before the AAC even existed.

It's going to take a lot of winning to get fans truly interested in UConn football. If Diaco can recruit(and regardless of what sdhusky may say, that remains to be seen) I think he will be very successful. He's a good coach. Just look at this past year, UCF, Cincinnati and Louisville were miles ahead of the rest of the AAC in recruiting, and it showed.

Edit: Obviously Rutgers also recruited very well, but then again, they're Rutgers. I think not capitalizing on any type of success is a given for them.

 

[August_West]

Football post here... Tonight was the UCONN Alumni Association Football Kickoff Dinner with Coach Diaco. Warde spoke first - he said: (thanks to CTMike for the quote): "We need you now. Not later, not depending on the opposing team... UConn Football needs everyone now. Buy tickets, fill the stadium, support the team. Because if we want things to happen ("I'm speaking in code but I see nodding heads out there") we need to show support. If you know people that had tickets but gave them up... Encourage them to come back. If you see seats go unused, make sure those folks know when they show back up that they were missed." Can you decode the bolded line??? I live in San Diego and can't make this event but every year, I eagerly wait for news from it. I have never seen the folks who went to this dinner come back so fired up. I swear a couple of the fatties on the football board were hitting the NCAA site to see if they had eligibility after Diaco spoke. Standing room only. I mentioned the new strength coach Balis (stolen from the SEC because of Diaco's relationship) and the football board was wondering how the guys bought in. More from CTMike: For the folks that were curious about the strength and conditioning improvements... Diaco left no doubt. So many jaw dropping stats that he put out there, I wish I could remember them all. Cochran lost 26lbs and 14 PERCENT body fat. That's insane. More people than I can count gained weight while losing body fat - all muscle. Player after player he rattled off significant improvements... Really impressive. Players have 100% bought in. Hardcorehusky's favorite quote? "Culture beats scheme everyday" Well, you might be thinking, sure, I'll go to the games and support the team, but do they have any players? Here is Diaco on a his to say about Obi Melinfonwu: “Obi, in time, will be the best or one of the best safety prospects in the country,” Diaco said. “He has unbelievable skill set — crazy. I’ve been around some great safeties. He’s the most talent safety I’ve ever been on a team with — physically. Just talent. “(Notre Dame) had a first round draft pick, a pro bowl safety in Harrison Smith. From a talent standpoint, (Melinfonwu) the most talented safety I’ve ever been around.” Here's Jones and WR Geremy Davis (1000+ yard receiver in 2013) at the conference media day (earlier today) YouTube Video Coach Diaco says that Byron Jones will be on the best players in the country. I think he will be a first round NFL pick next spring. How about on offense? For those of you studying every recruiting mix tape that comes along, spend a couple of minutes imaging this guy in UCONN Blue next season. He'll be our starting tailback. His HS 100 meters times would be more than respectible on the UCONN track team, btw Josh Marriner:

This is a great post. I pretty much loathe college football and I am ( well I went in with family members) A season ticket holder strictly because it is so important to our hoops future. However I just paid a visit to the womens board to check and I don't see this topic posted over there. Why not? It should be. It's a large fan base, shouldn't we also try to drum up support over there? Shouldn't they want the same things we want for the program as a whole?

Edit.... My bad. You did. Great job. Notice that it got pretty much no replies. I guess the daycare and senior citizen options at the rent aren't up to snuff.

 

[Dooley]

I have posted things about football tickets on the WBB board before and got crickets too. I hope they read it and consider it, even if they don't reply to a thread. CR (and football attendance) affects WBB too.

 

[RMoore1999]

Can't wait for the "hoops only" fans to poo poo the football team. As someone who equally supports both teams this is imminently important.

Any UConn "hoops only" fan that explicitly "poo poo"s the football team is ignorant and/or stupid, pure and simple.

 

[whaler11]

The women's board seems to be made up from people randomly around the country many of them have no connection beyond they like a team that wins every game.

Plus when the CR stuff doesn't matter to them unless they like other teams because they keep winning until Geno retires. The regular season games have never been interesting anyway. Beating SMU by 60 is just like beating Seton Hall by 60.

 

[dsturdy5]

I live in northeastern MA, damn near the NH line (a 2+ hour ride each way) and I've had season tickets to the Rent since it opened. I've been to as many games a year as I can, which has dwindled some since starting a family and taking on new responsibilities at work. However, I do my darnedest to make sure those seats are used. I've sold to fellow 'yarders, family members of players, alums who live up here by me, friends who are still in CT, random people. There is some leg work at times, but it can be done. Some have bought their own season tickets and/or mini plans after going and it does make a difference.

I have only been able to attend one bowl game (Charlotte) but I've bought tickets to all of them and sold/donated them. I have to coach in a state cross country meet the day of the game at Yankee Stadium, I bought tickets and my niece and her boyfriend are going down, they've never been to a UConn game before. I don't doubt that they will jump on the bandwagon and want to go again. They are the perfect age to get hooked, too. They are in their early 20's and have no connection to the school besides the fact that they live in CT. My hope is that they want to start bringing friends and jump into a season ticket plan of their own with a large group. Maybe, just maybe, they will even start watching on television.

I almost gave up my tickets this year because I didn't think I could make the commitment to the schedule but I went ahead and bought back in, knowing that my little part will help. My $, my rear end in the seat, my voice at the game, will help the program. We can't sit here and bemoan the situation without trying everything in our power to change it.

 

[noeynox]

I know @whaler has alluded to this as well, but I've had trouble giving tickets away to games. Not selling, giving. I've never tried to sell extras, I just require that people say with absolute certainty that they will attend.

I lost a guy this year, after ten years because of the ticket office. Diaco and Warde need to march in there and give them a pep talk how you can't up peoples seats. I don't want to hear about how they are volunteers and mistakes happen. I am one dude that lost a loyal fan from his crew after ten years. Has this happened with others?

It needs to be all hands on deck but it needs to be more than imploring fans to come from uconn's end. Too often I really feel they sheet on their fans. I used to get bball three game plans until eventually you were getting the crappiest games and they kept pushing you further up.

I buy tickets, have donated tickets, gone to bowl games, etc. To say I've been disillusioned buy the ticket office experience is an understatement. Sorry to rain the parade of happy thoughts, but the grassroots effort needs to start with a commitment to excellence at the ticket office.I came so damn close not renewing myself.

 

[whaler11]

I know @whaler has alluded to this as well, but I've had trouble giving tickets away to games. Not selling, giving. I've never tried to sell extras, I just require that people say with absolute certainty that they will attend.

I lost a guy this year, after ten years because of the ticket office. Diaco and Warde need to march in there and give them a pep talk how you can't up peoples seats. I don't want to hear about how they are volunteers and mistakes happen. I am one dude that lost a loyal fan from his crew after ten years. Has this happened with others?

It needs to be all hands on deck but it needs to be more than imploring fans to come from uconn's end. Too often I really feel they sheet on their fans. I used to get bball three game plans until eventually you were getting the crappiest games and they kept pushing you further up.

I buy tickets, have donated tickets, gone to bowl games, etc. To say I've been disillusioned buy the ticket office experience is an understatement. Sorry to rain the parade of happy thoughts, but the grassroots effort needs to start with a commitment to excellence at the ticket office.I came so damn close not renewing myself.

How bad did they screw it up thar people walked away?

 

[noeynox]

I've told this before, but they sent me all non preceded seats three years ago. They sold my original seats and had mailed them out. I ended up with different, further back seats in 202 my original seats. This angered my buddy. Last year I ended in 242 near some rowdy drunks and fight broke out during towson. He had enough. I don't blame him.

I emailed Warde personally, he refereed me to Kyle Kravchuk. Nice guy, but I didn't never did get my original seats back. I'm back in 202, closer than originally with aisle seats reportedly, minus one guy who bought two seats. This is supposed to be fun not stress inducing with dozens of back and forth calls. I really think not getting me my original seats back from day one no questions asked is unacceptable. Your run of the mill fan isn't going to stick around after that level of disloyalty.

 

[whaler11]

I've told this before, but they sent me all non preceded seats three years ago. They sold my original seats and had mailed them out. I ended up with different, further back seats in 202 my original seats. This angered my buddy. Last year I ended in 242 near some rowdy drunks and fight broke out during towson. He had enough. I don't blame him.

I emailed Warde personally, he refereed me to Kyle Kravchuk. Nice guy, but I didn't never did get my original seats back. I'm back in 202, closer than originally with aisle seats reportedly, minus one guy who bought two seats. This is supposed to be fun not stress inducing with dozens of back and forth calls. I really think not getting me my original seats back from day one no questions asked is unacceptable. Your run of the mill fan isn't going to stick around after that level of disloyalty.

Agreed. The department annoyed me badly enough that I wrote them a long letter about why I was skipping the USCe bowl game in protest. They left a voice mail apology which was fine - but it can really set people off.

 

[donyell34]

Some have gripes . I understand this . We need to really support the team , bottom line.

 

[sdhusky]

Some have gripes . I understand this . We need to really support the team , bottom line.

Exactly. And going to a college football game is just fun.

Here is what KennyD just posted on the Football board:

"I have had UConn FB, MBB, WBB, and Soccer season tickets since I graduated in 1970. I currently have FB and WBB season tickets. Without a doubt, going to a football game is the best experience. How can that be, you ask! How could anyone enjoy attending a FB game the last three years? I love UConn BB but going to a game at Gampel or the XL can’t come close to matching my experience at the Rent. Here’s a few reasons:..."


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[Fishy]

Fans need to buy tickets.

Not for nothing, but scoop up hockey tickets, too, while you're at it. (They are dirt cheap.)

That said, the ticket office needs to kiss some ass when the phone rings and especially when the phone rings and there's a long-time customer on the other end with a gripe. You just cannot let folks like whaler and noeynox get off the phone feeling like they have not been treated well.

That's bad business.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I thought it was presence in the seats that mattered, not so much sales? At least, that's what I was getting from this thread.

For me, it comes down to time management, as much as anything else. I've limited myself to a select few sports after spending too much time following everything. I used to do UCONN, Patriots, Celtics, Red Sox, Soccer, and various other niche sports, but it got too much. Now it's UCONN Men and Women; Patriots; Soccer.

Also, I don't live in CT.

If you buy season tickets I will make sure that they are used for every game.

 

[Dooley]

I'm adding hockey XL season tickets to my UCONN portfolio this season.

 

[ScottBonz]

My buddy wanted to have his bachelor party on the Boise State game day and play golf. Turned that into 6 more guys coming to that game, we can play golf Sunday.

 

[sdhusky]

My buddy wanted to have his bachelor party on the Boise State game day and play golf. Turned that into 6 more guys coming to that game, we can play golf Sunday.

Sweet!!!!

 

[scdono]

Ok. You should all know that you've convinced me to buy some tickets. I own Patriots tix and am spoiled rotten, have young boys who won't be able to "enjoy" the game at this point in their life. However, I'm quietly a hard core fan and am gonna get some skin in the game...that is all

 

[intlzncster]

My buddy wanted to have his bachelor party on the Boise State game day and play golf. Turned that into 6 more guys coming to that game, we can play golf Sunday.

Just don't invite the boneyard. Pro tip.