Uconn vs. BC... next year???

[TRest]

Blauds is looking for clicks. He is the only blogger out there even suggesting that this is a possibility and it is just a made up scenario. He created a scenario to justify his blogs existence. Believe that the game will come around when you start seeing more legitimate media sources (note that i recognize the absurdity of that phrase) talk about it.

Nothing in his post explains why the simple solution, BC playing FIU, won't happen. The only time people pay attention to him is if he floats a realignment rumor or something like this.

 

[businesslawyer]

I want to suggest Fenway, but I know better than to call that 'neutral'. Maybe Met Life or Yankee Stadium, if available.

Met Life? Seriously? It's further from Storrs and Hartford (by far) than Foxboro.

Playing BC in Foxboro would be neutral if the tickets are split in half. If we can't sell half of them to our fanbase, that's on us, not Warde.

 

[businesslawyer]

Nothing in his post explains why the simple solution, BC playing FIU, won't happen. The only time people pay attention to him is if he floats a realignment rumor or something like this.

I don't think this will happen, but yes, there were things in his post that explain why BC would want it to happen. Both that their home schedule needs to be more attractive to sell tickets and so their OOC schedule is viewed as "strong enough" by those who judge such things.

 

[HuskiesFan1014]

 

[Waquoit]

I'm at the point where I don't care if we do a home and home with these clowns. But all of you that are good with a one-off on the road can go jump in the lake.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Shockingly, I disagree. I think a rivalry is integral to the health of a program, and right now, we're lacking a few natural rivals. And how many teams do we hate more than BC? I reckon, not many. I feel like taking a pass on BCU is cutting off our nose to spite our face. Sure, we don't want to do them any favors. They deserve less.

But what really matters is the health of our program. And I bet you BCU puts more butts in the seats than virtually all of our OOC opponents. And we need to worry about us. Not them. And I think building that rivalry and turning that hatred into something we can use to build our program is a good thing.

Bully for you and others who get excited for this. I get it. They just don't do it for me. Of course I'd want to beat them but I was more excited for home games against BYU, Boise, Mizzou, and the mysterious Tennessee series.

We do need a natural rivalry, but that won't be with BC until we're in the ACC. And bending over for a one off in Foxboro? that. I wouldn't go.

 

[Dooley]

If there was ever a program that needs to consider ticket sales in its schedule, it's BC. They are in a P5 conference, played in a bowl game last year, and they still can't sell out primetime home games against ranked powerhouses like USC and FSU. A logical fan can understand our attendance struggles: we play in a bad conference with a bad home schedule and haven't sniffed a bowl game since the Fiesta. But there is no excuse for BC.

I don't know if it's a good thing or not but I think we're just about the only fanbase that would be excited to play against them. We would absolutely bring 5-10K to their stadium and create an electric environment for them that they so seldom enjoy. Most of their conference mates, like FSU, Clemson, VT, etc, loathe having to travel to the northeast to play a game that they don't care about. But we would all pack our cars and trucks and spit fire for the opportunity to drive over to Boston and watch our Huskies take on BC in the true battle for New England. Again, I don't know if that is a good thing or not.

As for a home and home, I think that the last time we hosted BC we (i.e. us fans) weren't exactly gracious hosts. While I had a few BC kids yell stuff at me at our game up there, it was nowhere near as vile as what some BC fans experienced at the Rent. I can't and don't blame some of their fanbase for not wanting to return to East Hartford. Playing 1 game there and a split gate at either Fenway or Gillette would be fine by me. I would even continue to want to play this series even if we ever get into the B1G. It would be good for New England college football.

Cue the BC fan to quote this post and remind me how important it is for BC fans to schedule New Hampshire or Emerson College and that no BC fan cares about UConn...

 

[31GuardTrap]

I don't like saying to UMass...hey we have a better team to play...sorry. I don't nec mean better on the field.
You never know when you need a favor yourself. (we know this...but....most don't)
If it were to happen though....an annual game at Gillette would be fine with me. Could be our version of the Annual Outdoor Cocktail party down in Jax.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Playing 1 game there and a split gate at either Fenway or Gillette would be fine by me.

. Might as well rebuild Memorial where the practice fields are.

 

[sub legacy]

Met Life? Seriously? It's further from Storrs and Hartford (by far) than Foxboro.

Playing BC in Foxboro would be neutral if the tickets are split in half. If we can't sell half of them to our fanbase, that's on us, not Warde.

Don't know why I didn't even think of Foxboro. Total brain fart on that one.

 

[Dooley]

. Might as well rebuild Memorial where the practice fields are.

Huh? Why? Outselling BC in a "Boston" venue would be a good thing for us.

I'm not holding my breath over playing them either. I don't think it will ever happen. This thread is based off of one guy's blog opinion - nothing substantial.

 

[Husky25]

It's tough to defend bad behavior and poor sportsmanship among fanbases, but I recall that the last time BC was in the 860, they had just then recently announced their intention to flee the Big East. While their departure hastened UConn's arrival, fans were bitter that the most natural of natural rivals was being stripped away. Calhoun's declaration and Gene being a DeFilipo didn't help matters either.

 

[Jimdish255]

When we're in the B1G they'll come running to us with the great idea of an annual game. Until then our AD should be publicly challenging them and Diaco should create another trophy for a game not played. That would at least give us a few laughs.

 

[Dooley]

It's tough to defend bad behavior and poor sportsmanship among fanbases, but I recall that the last time BC was in the 860, they had just then recently announced their intention to flee the Big East. While their departure hastened UConn's arrival, fans were bitter that the most natural of natural rivals was being stripped away. Calhoun's declaration and Gene being a DeFilipo didn't help matters either.

Oh I know. They came to our house at a time when emotions were at an all-time high within our fanbase. We're still stuck in the AAC and I think our fanbase is still pretty sour with BC, but I don't think the level of venom is as lethal as it was back in 2003. Aside from the Iowa State mascot claiming that a UConn fan pushed him, I haven't heard of many other black eye moments such as the BC game. But I still can't blame their fans for not being overly excited about the prospects of returning to the Rent. Play a game or two at Gillette/Fenway, then test the waters at a game at the Rent. Or just schedule an annual game at Gillette/Fenway...the northeast's largest cocktail party of sorts.

All of this, of course, assumes that Rhode Island isn't available for BC to schedule.

 

[BugsyCT]

Both fan bases can thumb their noses at the prospect of facing each other again out of pride or for whatever reasons, but they're no denying that if the game were ever scheduled (even at a semi-neutral site), there would be a huge local buildup, especially in Connecticut. There's no denying that there's still a ton of bad blood there based on everything that went down during the split. Who wouldn't line up for a ticket to see them knock heads again?

 

[Waquoit]

But I still can't blame their fans for not being overly excited about the prospects of returning to the Rent. Play a game or two at Gillette/Fenway, then test the waters at a game at the Rent.

Way to throw your fanbase under the bus, Dooley. Test the waters, my left nut.

 

[SonsOfNutmeg]

Their future OOC schedules are pretty horrible. They have ND and a home & home lined up with OSU - and that's over the next 9 years. If we give up the UMass game we better get a home game against BC in the deal, unless they want to make it a neutral site with a 50/50 ticket split.

Where the hell would we play a "neutral" site game w/ BCU? Foxboro?

 

[Dooley]

Way to throw your fanbase under the bus, Dooley. Test the waters, my left nut.

If the reports of our fans throwing beer bottles at their busses is true, I'm only throwing those knuckleheads under the bus. Hopefully, they will not be in attendance at any future game. We have way too many good fans to let the stupid actions of a few spoil our reputation.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Huh? Why? Outselling BC in a "Boston" venue would be a good thing for us.

I'm not holding my breath over playing them either. I don't think it will ever happen. This thread is based off of one guy's blog opinion - nothing substantial.

First of all it's unlikely we'd outsell BC in a Boston venue. Secondly, this is not like signing up for the ill fated Notre Dame series. Playing BC in Chestnut Hill and Foxboro/Fenway would be essentially giving up as an athletic department.

People overestimate how "huge" this game would be in the northeast. Screw them. Let them continue to manufacture their rivalry with Clemson.

 

[Dooley]

Don't you remember basketball games at Conte Forum in the 80s/90s? They were UConn home games. I'm headed up to Conte this winter for our hockey game and I'm sure we will have a nice representation there as well. I understand that you don't want to do anything to help BC sell tickets and a game against us guarantees them a sellout (even FSU or USC or Clemson can't proclaim that).

Ultimately, I don't think anything happens until after we find a P5 home. That could be 20 years from now for all we know. BC doesn't want to do anything to help UConn while we are stuck in AAC purgatory, even if it means that they schedule every other New England school and proclaim that its in the best interest for their fans.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Someone should inform this writer that UConn is a P5 school according to The B1G

I am pretty sure that BC's leadership team has to change into some clean underwear what that news came out.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Don't you remember basketball games at Conte Forum in the 80s/90s? They were UConn home games. I'm headed up to Conte this winter for our hockey game and I'm sure we will have a nice representation there as well. I understand that you don't want to do anything to help BC sell tickets and a game against us guarantees them a sellout (even FSU or USC or Clemson can't proclaim that).

Ultimately, I don't think anything happens until after we find a P5 home. That could be 20 years from now for all we know. BC doesn't want to do anything to help UConn while we are stuck in AAC purgatory, even if it means that they schedule every other New England school and proclaim that its in the best interest for their fans.

In the 80's/90's you couldn't get a ticket to a UConn hoops home game. They'd sell out the HCC against Marathon Oil. Today, times are different, and you cannot compare basketball support in the Big East heyday to football support in AAC hell.

We'd send 5-10k fans.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Met Life? Seriously? It's further from Storrs and Hartford (by far) than Foxboro.

Playing BC in Foxboro would be neutral if the tickets are split in half. If we can't sell half of them to our fanbase, that's on us, not Warde.

BC's fanbase extends to the I-495 belt along with RI, NH & Maine and that is it. BC would be a horrible draw at MetLife and while a lot of UConn fans would show-up, UConn could not make-up the difference, bet on 40K tops for attendance. Gillette for the 'New England Cup' makes as lot more sense as BC should draw there and as long as the ticket policy is fair, UConn should draw, well, too. If I had the time, I would even go to a game at Alumni between UConn and BC just for the entertainment value. Problem with Alumni stadium, outside of the adjacent parking garage, there is no parking on-campus. Thus, one has to park in Boston and then take the T to the stadium hitting a few bars along the way, which is not necessarily a bad thing, just not traditional football tailgating, or park 5 miles away in Needham (not sure how long BC will be able to use that location for satellite parking as it is being built-up now) and shuttle bus it in.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

In the 80's/90's you couldn't get a ticket to a UConn hoops home game. They'd sell out the HCC against Marathon Oil. Today, times are different, and you cannot compare basketball support in the Big East heyday to football support in AAC hell.

We'd send 5-10k fans.

Boston's is UConn's second largest out-of-state Alumni hub after New York. If UConn played hoops at Conte, I think UConn would be well represented, even today, assuming BC was fair with respect to visitor ticket policies. While UConn and BC are no longer in the same conference, many current and future UConn students apply to both UConn and BC and go to one or the other, which builds in a natural 'rivalry' and an excuse to go on road trips to visit friends. BC itself could be a roadblock. I clearly remember PC getting upset that UConn fans turned the Donut into Gampel Pavillion east in the 90's and required fans to purchase a block of 3 PC games to get the UConn game. St. John's and Seton Hall did the same.

 

[Dooley]

We'd send 5-10k fans.

If we only send 5-10K to Gillette, then we deserve to be in the AAC. We had around 15K last year at Yankee for an awful game against Army.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Boston's is UConn's second largest out-of-state Alumni hub after New York. If UConn played hoops at Conte, I think UConn would be well represented, even today, assuming BC was fair with respect to visitor ticket policies. While UConn and BC are no longer in the same conference, many current and future UConn students apply to both UConn and BC and go to one or the other, which builds in a natural 'rivalry' and an excuse to go on road trips to visit friends. BC itself could be a roadblock. I clearly remember PC getting upset that UConn fans turned the Donut into Gampel Pavillion east in the 90's and required fans to purchase a block of 3 PC games to get the UConn game. St. John's and Seton Hall did the same.

All well and good. How many fans do we send to a game at Alumni Stadium? I say 5-10k. At Foxboro, maybe 15k. The notion of selling out Gillette is a pipe dream.

 

[Husky25]

This is a few years but in reading all the rules at Alumni Stadium, BC discourages tailgating even more than BYU!!!

I thought BC Interruption was a fan site? What awful suggestions for a tailgate! Bud Light and Busch? If you're gonna talk the talk, you've gotta walk the walk and if UConn can't bet them on the field (I believe they can, especially next year and beyond), fans will destroy them in the parking lot - particularly in the Blue Lot.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

All well and good. How many fans do we send to a game at Alumni Stadium? I say 5-10k. At Foxboro, maybe 15k. The notion of selling out Gillette is a pipe dream.

Never said that. The Razor holds 68K. If BC draws 20K and UConn pulls in 10K for 30K, it would meet expectations. What BC fears is if BC pulled in 20K and UConn pulled in 20K. That would look real bad for them in TV and in the press.

 

[huskymedic]

Love a two page thread that has evolved into UConn fans biting each other all over a Blaud's post he probably thought up sitting on the crapper recovering from a late night.

 

[Dooley]

Not sell out. Out sell, in a 50/50 gate split at Gillette. For UConn fans, this would be the game we would all circle on our calendars to go to. We brought 5K to Notre Dame and around 10-15K to Yankee for an awful game against Army. There is no doubt in my mind that we would bring 20+K to Gillette, given how close it is to our campus. For BC fans, if we are to believe what we are constantly told by our BC lurkers on this board, it would just be another game against a low level New England school. How many fans do they bring to Gillette for games against UMass? Whatever that number is, subtract 5K because, you know, UMass > UConn to the average BC fan.

Bringing 5-10K to Alumni Stadium gives them their first sellout in years. No other fanbase in the country would bring as many fans to their stadium as we would because no other fanbase in the country gives a hoot about BC. We do. And saying otherwise is silly.