UCONN to Resume Relationship With BC in Basketball and Football

[Rumrunner]

UConn basketball is not in need of a BC hoops game.

UConn football needs a BC game more than BC football.

Knowing how utterly screwed UConn has gotten in the past two years, I fully expect manuel to sign a bb series, probably even throw in a girl's series, too, but do nothing for football.

So in the end we reward BC with our blue blood programs and get shafted in the one sport that counts the most.

 

[The Viking]

Frankly I could not care less what their motivation is. They need us to create a buzz in their media market, where they're about 20th on the totem pole. The bi-annual visits of Clemson Florida State and Virginia Tech sure ain't doing it. Don't care if Addazio is ripping UConn, that's part of the game. UConn has three times as many NFL draftees in recent years. If PP isn't selling that, there there really is no hope for him.
But agree, there definitely has to be firm linkage between hoop & football games. Trust but verify.

I think you're misunderstanding what I wrote. I'm not asking what their incentive is. I'm saying I don't believe they want to play us in football and wouldn't trust them with any hoops contract without football included.

Personally I believe that what Addazio is saying to recruits about us is what they're attitude will be if/when they say anything about scheduling football games with us.

Hope I'm wrong though.

 

[SubbaBub]

UConn football needs a BC game more than BC football.

Might have been true in 2001-2004. Wasn't true at all 2007-2010.
2013+ it's mutually beneficial. BCS home games are must for UConn and BC needs a game it thinks it can win occasionally that isn't FCS and will sell some tickets.

No neutral site games until demand is demonstrated. Each team could use the home game.


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[AZHuskiePop]

BC screwed UConn as recently as several months ago. They had the daggers out.

That being said, consider 2 points:

1. When you beat BC on the field, you take away their ability to club you over the head in the boardrooms repeatedly. UConn has big wins against Virginia and Maryland from that conference recently, and they went toe-to-toe with UNC and NC State. They more than took care of business against Cuse and Pitt, while going .500 against Louisville. This probably means that they can go 50/50 against BC as well, but with some incentive, do much better than that. Beating BC will not mean much to the outside world, but when BC stands up in the boardroom and complains about UConn again, they will look like even bigger fools than they already are. Not that this ever stopped them before.

2. UConn is going to struggle to schedule home-and-homes against BCS teams. Schedule all the home-and-homes you can. Ideally, the BC series would become an annual thing.

You make so good points.
I 'm an Old School Blue Collar Lower Naugatuck Valley type.
We don't quit and we don't forget.
If UConn were in a major conference I could see the resumption of this series at a future time. Right now the perception will be Big 5 BC agrees to play a desparate Ct
That thought really bothers me.



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[Durks07]

How many of us would rather be waterboarded than send our kids to BC? How many would make a personal point to paint Alumni Stadium blue and white? How many would love to rip apart BC at their home stadium and start a long, incessant "little brother" chant that echoes throughout the stadium to remind them in no uncertain terms who really is "New England's team?"

UConn football needs a rival. It does not have one. I know Rutgers can qualify, but honestly ask, are they a rival, or do we call them one because there are no better options? Rutgers and UConn have played very close (agonizing) games over the past few years, and that certainly helps, but rivalries are natural. Our "rivalry" with Rutgers always felt more like a "well, who honestly is a rival?" designation rather than a true blood hate rivalry. I like beating Rutgers as much as the next person, but honestly, if we do not ever play them again (unless we go to the B1G!), I sincerely will not care.

We hate BC. BC hates us. We are within 100 or so miles of one another, and we have a well-documented antipathy that extends beyond the players and the fans. Few schools have that kind of resentment toward one another.

College sports are built on rivalries. Where was our men's basketball team before we had Syracuse, Georgetown, and Pitt to hate? Those schools, and the desperation to beat one another lifted UConn basketball from a regional power into a national contender on a regular basis. Fans need games to circle on the calendar. UConn football has never had that.

We circled the Pitt, Cuse, G'Town basketball games on the calendar. Pitt and Cuse football games never carried that cache or angst. BC provides that more than any of those schools ever could or would. The local coverage of a UConn/BC game, and the storylines would generate a buzz for the game that only the Notre Dame and Michigan games ever did.

The passion for UConn in this state is pound for pound strong enough to rival any other fan base. It may not be the largest, but it certainly stacks up. To those of us who went to the Rutgers game at the Rent in 2007, we were playing our first game as a nationally ranked team at home, against Rutgers in primetime (with the representatives of the Sugar or Fiesta Bowl in attendance). I have never seen a UConn crowd at a football game like that. Something was at stake, the game MATTERED for national purposes, and the fans rose up, and responded in a way that I remember to this day.

We need that kind of game every single year if we cannot get it every single week. The more of them we have, the bigger, and more passionate UConn fans become for the football team. The BC game will matter. We have talked about it in hypotheticals for years. Seeing it live will be standing room only, and we will be able to hurl the boos and hate we have pent up for years in person. This game must happen. UConn football is desperate for it. That said, duckK BC!

 

[NickyNewark]

I get your point but I as a NJ native and RU fan feel no one in NY/NJ care about a BC/UConn rivalry*at least yet* and Boston already don't watch BC!!Not to mention the fact NJ alone w/o the NY/PA and FF county fringes has as much population and exposure as Connecticut and Massachusetts together in a condensed area AND CARES about football which outside of Conn, NEngland don't!Either you want to claim your part of the NY/NJ market or just a pass by state going either to NY or Boston?The NY market is the stage that I would want caring and what stoked my interest in UConn football as before you came into the FB BE I cared little about BC and less about Connecticut's FB team!And remember this, it hasn't even happened yet and your already making BC fan's smile with your admittance of their relevance to you all ?UConn DOESN'T NEED BC to be relevant !! You can stand on your own two feet now! To the impartial observer it look's like you sent up the white flag but that's JMO!!Outside of that I think its a blood rivalry with the potential to be Backyard Brawl 2!!But too much power is in BC's hand's right now and hopefully if the B1G pick's you up the shoe will be on the other foot!!

 

[NickyNewark]

I get your point but I as a NJ native and RU fan feel no one in NY/NJ care about a BC/UConn rivalry*at least yet* and Boston already don't watch BC!!Not to mention the fact NJ alone w/o the NY/PA and FF county fringes has as much population and exposure as Connecticut and Massachusetts together in a condensed area AND CARES about football which outside of Conn, NEngland don't!Either you want to claim your part of the NY/NJ market or just a pass by state going either to NY or Boston?The NY market is the stage that I would want caring and what stoked my interest in UConn football as before you came into the FB BE I cared little about BC and less about Connecticut's FB team!And remember this, it hasn't even happened yet and your already making BC fan's smile with your admittance of their relevance to you all ?UConn DOESN'T NEED BC to be relevant !! You can stand on your own two feet now! To the impartial observer it look's like you sent up the white flag but that's JMO!!Outside of that I think its a blood rivalry with the potential to be Backyard Brawl 2!!But too much power is in BC's hand's right now and hopefully if the B1G pick's you up the shoe will be on the other foot!!

 

[NickyNewark]

@And may I add, I also hate the arrogance of BC as much as that other small upstate private known as "Cuse" and believe it not BC may need this game as badly as you guys do as their isolation has taken them out of the conversation so that EVEN the ACC wonders why they picked them up?EF BC!!The future is state flagship U's!

 

[Dooley]

BC is irrelevant. They know playing UConn in any sport sells more tickets because we will pack their houses. Then they will use some sort of statistical book-cooking to show increased attendance/interest and present it to Delany and to get a B1G invite ahead of us. Then we can all watch in disgust as Cincinnati, Temple, USF and UCF are added to the ACC (each citing a completely new and different reason as to why they are better than UConn) and we are left behind to foster our growing rivalry with Tulane and friggin' Memphis. F BC. F the ACC. Warde better be approaching this one with extreme caution. BC can not be trusted.

 

[NickyNewark]

BC is irrelevant. They know playing UConn in any sport sells more tickets because we will pack their houses. Then they will use some sort of statistical book-cooking to show increased attendance/interest and present it to Delany and to get a B1G invite ahead of us. Then we can all watch in disgust as Cincinnati, Temple, USF and UCF are added to the ACC (each citing a completely new and different reason as to why they are better than UConn) and we are left behind to foster our growing rivalry with Tulane and friggin' Memphis. F BC. F the ACC. Warde better be approaching this one with extreme caution. BC can not be trusted.

@I was thinking along your line's...whats in it for BC?Since when do "they do UConn a favor"!!BE VERY WARY or they may have B1G eye's!They may sense or worse know were on the B1G's radar?

 

[UCFBfan]

How many of us would rather be waterboarded than send our kids to BC? How many would make a personal point to paint Alumni Stadium blue and white? How many would love to rip apart BC at their home stadium and start a long, incessant "little brother" chant that echoes throughout the stadium to remind them in no uncertain terms who really is "New England's team?"

UConn football needs a rival. It does not have one. I know Rutgers can qualify, but honestly ask, are they a rival, or do we call them one because there are no better options? Rutgers and UConn have played very close (agonizing) games over the past few years, and that certainly helps, but rivalries are natural. Our "rivalry" with Rutgers always felt more like a "well, who honestly is a rival?" designation rather than a true blood hate rivalry. I like beating Rutgers as much as the next person, but honestly, if we do not ever play them again (unless we go to the B1G!), I sincerely will not care.

We hate BC. BC hates us. We are within 100 or so miles of one another, and we have a well-documented antipathy that extends beyond the players and the fans. Few schools have that kind of resentment toward one another.

College sports are built on rivalries. Where was our men's basketball team before we had Syracuse, Georgetown, and Pitt to hate? Those schools, and the desperation to beat one another lifted UConn basketball from a regional power into a national contender on a regular basis. Fans need games to circle on the calendar. UConn football has never had that.

We circled the Pitt, Cuse, G'Town basketball games on the calendar. Pitt and Cuse football games never carried that cache or angst. BC provides that more than any of those schools ever could or would. The local coverage of a UConn/BC game, and the storylines would generate a buzz for the game that only the Notre Dame and Michigan games ever did.

The passion for UConn in this state is pound for pound strong enough to rival any other fan base. It may not be the largest, but it certainly stacks up. To those of us who went to the Rutgers game at the Rent in 2007, we were playing our first game as a nationally ranked team at home, against Rutgers in primetime (with the representatives of the Sugar or Fiesta Bowl in attendance). I have never seen a UConn crowd at a football game like that. Something was at stake, the game MATTERED for national purposes, and the fans rose up, and responded in a way that I remember to this day.

We need that kind of game every single year if we cannot get it every single week. The more of them we have, the bigger, and more passionate UConn fans become for the football team. The BC game will matter. We have talked about it in hypotheticals for years. Seeing it live will be standing room only, and we will be able to hurl the boos and hate we have pent up for years in person. This game must happen. UConn football is desperate for it. That said, duckK BC!

AMEN!

I'm ready to go and kick some BC @$$ no matter the sport. You are all crazy if you think scheduling them is a bad idea. I know many folks who I try to get to follow football who are ardent bball fans who would be all in for this game. They remember hating BC and still hate them. It's a tough sell to get new fans to come and see Tulane, ECU, SMU, etc. It's not a tough sell tog et fans to come and see someone we may have a history with. I also agree that RU always felt like a forced rivalry and I also would not shed a tear if we never played them (minus being in the B1G)

 

[NickyNewark]

AMEN!

I'm ready to go and kick some BC @ no matter the sport. You are all crazy if you think scheduling them is a bad idea. I know many folks who I try to get to follow football who are ardent bball fans who would be all in for this game. They remember hating BC and still hate them. It's a tough sell to get new fans to come and see Tulane, ECU, SMU, etc. It's not a tough sell tog et fans to come and see someone we may have a history with. I also agree that RU always felt like a forced rivalry and I also would not shed a tear if we never played them (minus being in the B1G)

@This lack of respect is starting to sound more like pro-BC anti NY/Nj bias?Where did I hear garbage like that before?Oh yea..about BC.."WE don't care if we ever play BC again!!"Fool me once...

 

[Chief00]

Because the conferences are so extended geographically I think you will see more OOC scheduling with teams nearby.

 

[junglehusky]

Some UConn fans do hate Rutgers. I don't quite hate them as much since I was a grad student there in the last couple Terry Shea years and the early Schiano era and both schools were basically in the building process. I am envious that they got a life raft out of the BE though.I would like to see a series scheduled with them , but I'm not sure if Rutgers would want to... they're in the B1G money now and need more Norfolk States to get to a respectable record. From our time together in the NBE Rutgers knows UConn is more than just competitive with them, we actually beat them enough times for them to think twice in a non-conference situation.

Having said that, we hate BC more, plain and simple. If we got them on the schedule, in the Rent, it would be the most anticipated regular season game since Notre Dame, probably the most anticipated home game ever (if we had expectations of a good season this year I would say the Michigan game).

 

[NickyNewark]

Some UConn fans do hate Rutgers. I don't quite hate them as much since I was a grad student there in the last couple Terry Shea years and the early Schiano era and both schools were basically in the building process. I am envious that they got a life raft out of the BE though.I would like to see a series scheduled with them , but I'm not sure if Rutgers would want to... they're in the B1G money now and need more Norfolk States to get to a respectable record. From our time together in the NBE Rutgers knows UConn is more than just competitive with them, we actually beat them enough times for them to think twice in a non-conference situation.

Having said that, we hate BC more, plain and simple. If we got them on the schedule, in the Rent, it would be the most anticipated regular season game since Notre Dame, probably the most anticipated home game ever (if we had expectations of a good season this year I would say the Michigan game).

@I can respect that... most RU fans like to think they were rival's with PSU yrs ago but since we(RU)only beat them once that I can recall "88" in the Dick Anderson era or error lol I don't really think PSU would agree with that and Temple likes to think their our rival but NO RU fan want's to believe that so that leave's you guy's and "Cuse" and pre "04/5" no RU fan would have said UConn !!Cuse is our closest version of BC cause we've played them forever and there private and arrogant but we only started embarrassing them the last 8 or so years!I don't care what anybody says proximity creates rival's so I know what you guys mean about bloodsport and BC!

 

[NickyNewark]

@Since the B1G won't allow non BCS opponent's after "14" I think UConn and Cuse should at least alternate as OOC (hopefully IC) games for both of our sake's and SOS points!

 

[UCFBfan]

@This lack of respect is starting to sound more like pro-BC anti NY/Nj bias?Where did I hear garbage like that before?Oh yea..about BC.."WE don't care if we ever play BC again!!"Fool me once...

I honestly am not sure what your post means because you use punctuation worse than HFD does, and that's saying something.

What I took from it was a disappointment in my lack of appreciation for Rutgers-UConn rivalry? I'm not saying I don't wanna play Rutgers again. (I believe I said we should play them earlier in this thread) What I was saying was that they were made to be our rivals and it was never a natural thing. Yeah, we had some close games and if we stayed together longer I could see it be a rivalry, but it's nothing compared to BC and even Syracuse, thought not in football for 'Cuse so much. I'm from NJ and have no interest in Rutgers and never did. Grew up a PSU fan and still had no interest or even realization many years growing up that RU played football. I promise you I have no bias against my home state/region (NY/NJ). I just won't lose any sleep over the idea of playing or not playing RU anytime soon.

 

[NickyNewark]

I honestly am not sure what your post means because you use punctuation worse than HFD does, and that's saying something.

What I took from it was a disappointment in my lack of appreciation for Rutgers-UConn rivalry? I'm not saying I don't wanna play Rutgers again. (I believe I said we should play them earlier in this thread) What I was saying was that they were made to be our rivals and it was never a natural thing. Yeah, we had some close games and if we stayed together longer I could see it be a rivalry, but it's nothing compared to BC and even Syracuse, thought not in football for 'Cuse so much. I'm from NJ and have no interest in Rutgers and never did. Grew up a PSU fan and still had no interest or even realization many years growing up that RU played football. I promise you I have no bias against my home state/region (NY/NJ). I just won't lose any sleep over the idea of playing or not playing RU anytime soon.

@I'd prefer not to comment on your reply though I respect everyone's opinion's your certainly entitled to yours BUT RU was ingrained in me since I was a newspaper boy in the early 60's delivering both the SL and Newark New's (now long defunct) and thru the 80's though not D1 were beating or tying on the road team's like Tenn, UF and giving Bama all they could handle in the Meadowland's b4 beating PSU in "88"!Obviously your very young "under 30" or weren't aware sir and I say this respectfully!Thank's for the reply and I apologize for the punctuation!

 

[huskysupporter]

It's about time.

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[Waquoit]

And I hope we don't do a hoops deal with them before football is included. Don't fall for them saying lets do hoops for the next 8 years and in 2016 we'll see how our football schedule is. If thats the case tell them to call us when their football sched is opened and we'll discuss hoops and football.

That's the right move. I hate BCU. They screw us, then act like they are wronged party and keep screwing us. Then we should do them a solid?

 

[SubbaBub]

I am indifferent to Rutgers, though I enjoy the competitiveness of the FB games and am jealous of their B1G affiliation.

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[Waquoit]

I am indifferent to Rutgers, though I enjoy the competitiveness of the FB games and am jealous of their B1G affiliation.

I think UConn fans have a bit of a soft spot for ol' Rutgers. They were the 1st D-1 team we ever beat. First team we beat twice. And the 1st team we beat thrice. The first team we beat four times. They are also the 1st team we beat for a 5th time.

 

[Alum86]

I wouldn't trust BC to schedule football games with us. What is their incentive? You know Addazio is slamming us and our conference when talking to recruits who we've also had genuine interest in. They just added somewhat regional rivals in Cuse and Pitt to their league so it's not like they don't have any northeast rivals now.

I mean I get that they want to play us in hoops but I'm not sure they want to play us enough to start scheduling football games with us. Especially considering how good their hoops league is now. I hope I'm wrong.

And I hope we don't do a hoops deal with them before football is included. Don't fall for them saying lets do hoops for the next 8 years and in 2016 we'll see how our football schedule is. If thats the case tell them to call us when their football sched is opened and we'll discuss hoops and football.

SPOT ON!

Thank you. The suckers on this board think BC can be trusted. They have short memories. We'll schedule them in hoop and they'll tell us to GFO when it's time to talk football.

 

[ruskin]

SPOT ON!

Thank you. The suckers on this board think BC can be trusted. They have short memories. We'll schedule them in hoop and they'll tell us to GFO when it's time to talk football.

I don't think there are any 'suckers' in the pro-let's play BC camp. No one in their right minds here 'trusts' BC. Warde needs to be tough and insist on linkage with simultaneous signing of hoop/football contracts. Like turning the nuclear key at the same time.

 

[Durks07]

I get your point but I as a NJ native and RU fan feel no one in NY/NJ care about a BC/UConn rivalry*at least yet* and Boston already don't watch BC!!Not to mention the fact NJ alone w/o the NY/PA and FF county fringes has as much population and exposure as Connecticut and Massachusetts together in a condensed area AND CARES about football which outside of Conn, NEngland don't!

The thing with rivalry games is that no one actually cares about them unless you are either an alumni/fan of the school, or it is a rivalry with national magnitude (i.e. OSU/Mich; Ala/Aub; ND/USC). I doubt anyone outside of Indiana and Purdue alumni care or even know that their annual game is a "rivalry" game. It’s actually called the “still won’t be on the back pages of the Indiana newspapers because a ND player had a bowel movement” game. So the fact that no one outside of Connecticut or possibly Massachusetts would care is not a sticking point for me. As far as local attention goes, no UConn game except for possibly ND will ever have the hype that would exist for this one. Bar none. Everyone cares about football: The problem is that there aren't many college teams around here that are good. UConn is 10 years old, BC is liquid garbage, and Cuse...well, if the city of Syracuse gets destroyed in a snowstorm, it is doubtful that anyone will notice. Not to mention they are so bad that an 8 win season was so miraculous, that an NFL team hired their coach.

Either you want to claim your part of the NY/NJ market or just a pass by state going either to NY or Boston?The NY market is the stage that I would want caring and what stoked my interest in UConn football as before you came into the FB BE I cared little about BC and less about Connecticut's FB team!And remember this, it hasn't even happened yet and your already making BC fan's smile with your admittance of their relevance to you all ?UConn DOESN'T NEED BC to be relevant !! You can stand on your own two feet now!

Focusing on New York is an important goal, and one that can be accomplished many ways. However, UConn also needs to increase the fan support, and build the fan base. The program has only existed for ten meaningful years, and people don't have the same attachment as some do for the basketball team (myself included, UConn basketball is my first love, but I love UCONN and support everything I can). We hate, absolutely hate Boston College. They hate us too. Sports fans care about beating teams like that, and ting on them when they are down is just a beautiful thing. As far as football goes, we never had an opponent where the fans have a Clockwork Orange-esque reaction to just seeing that stupid unintimidating Eagle. Our rivalry with Rutgers does exist, but it was forced in the sense that there were no better options. The close games, the general dislike between the fans, and the proximity of the schools helped create it as a package, but it was not organic. It didn’t just happen on its own, more cobbled together because Cuse and Pitt really just blow. Uconn fans who don’t closely follow the football team will take notice of Uconn-BC, and people from around the region will pay attention to the local teams fighting for local supremacy.

No, Uconn does not need BC to be relevant, but this is a game that we all want to see. This is the kind of rivalry that we need. Ohio State doesn’t need Michigan to be relevant, and Florida does not need Tennessee to be relevant, which is good, because Vanderbilt has surpassed Tennessee in the SEC. Uconn claims a share of the NYC market, along with Rutgers and others, and basketball coverage for Uconn in NYC is very strong. However, it cannot be a bad thing to demonstrate that you add something the other schools claiming NYC cannot claim themselves; pull in Boston. Honestly, I do not think that is the secret strategy behind the scenes, but it cannot hurt. Playing a game against a marquee opponent every other year or so, or playing Rutgers at Metlife annually (an idea that I really favor), and continuing to push basketball in that market can help continue to stake claim to NYC for Uconn.