UConn's Big East Rival Will Be ............

[superjohn]

Uh, they were 12-6 in the Big East...they were better than UConn this year.

We're just coming off our worst 3 year stretch in nearly 40 years with a great young coach who is bringing us back to national prominence. We're a national program who has won 4 of the last 21 national championships, Providence is a regional program who has won 1 tournament game in 21 years.

 

[The Funster]

PC for fan rivalry, Nova for basketball prestige.

This. I'm really looking forward to renewing all the OBE rivalries and making some new ones too.

 

[Lefty2one]

Nova and PC are the obvious answers. I'm curious to see what develops with Seton Hall.

 

[Blaneylover]

Surprised by so many people saying PC. They are close by but we're a big time national program, they aren't. It was always fun playing them but I never considered them a rival.

I think PC is the correct answer. They are very close geographically, the head coaches hate each other, and they will chase the same recruits.

 

[Waquoit]

PC fans hate us. They cherish any UConn win as if was manna from heaven. Let's see how long it takes for the bus trips to PC games to start in earnest. Pre-game the year after the Dream Season you couldn't find a empty seat downtown. We ended up in the basement of some joint filled with kindred spirits. I went back up to use the john and overheard a PC couple; "The only space is downstairs" "I'm not going down there. It's filled with drunken UConn fans!"

 

[goskis2018]

1.Syracuse
2. Boston College
3. Pittsburgh
4.West Virginia

oh wait!!!

The funny thing about this comment is that I would take Georgetown and Villanova as rivals over all of those schools except for Syracuse.

 

[Ratso]

gotta say syracuse rivalry was/is still fun

i’m binging uconn syracuse. starting with the 2012 dysfunctional team @ gampel
forgot how loaded that team was


it’s more compelling than anything on netflix

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

We will have several. That's kind of the point of moving.

 

[uconnell]

Of all the teams we played.....going back in years,the teams I detest the most are Rutgers,Pitt, St John’s , Boston College and the Cuse. I put the Cuse and Rutgers as co #1 because I hate Rutgers Men And Women’s team equally. Maybe women more.

 

[Kenny11]

Even if seton hall continues to ascend, along with Hurley’s connection to Jersey and Seton Hall, I have a hard time seeing our fan base respect seton hall enough for us to consider them rivals...unless there is an actual fight.

 

[Hallfan]

The argument for PC isn't a bad one.

This is an all-time great exchange!

 

[Kolumbo]

They aren't on our level. The geography has always been the same and they were never our rival before and they won't be now. Soon it will be UConn and Nova fighting it out for conference bragging rights, that will be your rivalry for the foreseeable future.

I think they were our rival back in the early days when we sucked. Actually made it to a final 4 before us but I don't see it in their future.

 

[Dean Wormer]

Of all the teams we played.....going back in years,the teams I detest the most are Rutgers,Pitt, St John’s , Boston College and the Cuse. I put the Cuse and Rutgers as co #1 because I hate Rutgers Men And Women’s team equally. Maybe women more.

I hate Syracuse. Always have, always will. That being said, Nova will be our biggest NBE rival as long as Jay Wright keeps them winners, & PC with Cooley because of their penis envy. They hate us, cause they ain’t us.

 

[AdamaNation]

Like it’s always been. All of em. Us against the world!!!

 

[Zissou]

Proximity, shared history, meaningful games - all play into a rivalry. CR has left many teams without fully developed rivals.

Looking a few years into the future, I'm guessing UConn's rivals should be:
1. Providence. Prov is a better program than you remember and the proximity will make them natural rivals.
2. Nova. Battling for Big East prominence. 2 Blue Blood programs in conference.
3. Cuse. The former top rival, but that fades a bit over time being OOC.
4. UMass. After the giggles, there should be an effort to develop this into a regional rivalry with annual football games and hoops.
5. BC. Same as UMass.
6. Cincy. Keep scheduling them in both sports and keep a rivalry
7. St Johns. SJ has been below its potential for too long. If they can compete near the top of the conference, the NYC/MSG makes for a natural conference rival.
8. SH. They would love to have more rivals, but they are not quite worthy.

Nova is also without a true natural rival. Here is Nova's list
1. Georgetown. Forever tied to 1985 and a long standing conference rival. They need to be better for this to stir more emotion.
2. UConn. Not today, but I am going to project forward the importance of UConn to the Big East and Hurley's track to build the program. Battling for Big East prominence. 2 Blue Blood programs in conference.
3. UNC! We are not probably near the top of their list, but we have built so much history with them. UNC-Nova games are special.
4. Kansas! sames.
5. Cuse. Nova-Cuse has great history. It never had the level of hatred as Cuse-GTown or Cuse-UConn, but still a good history. This will likely continue to fade.
6. St Johns. meh.
7. Temple. Our most competent Big 5 rival.
8. St Joes (PA). They hate us the most. Historical rivalry that has faded with their mediocrity.
9. The Hall. More of an annoyance than a rival.

 

[HooperScooper]

9. The Hall. More of an annoyance than a rival.

That's how I would characterize PC for UConn. What exactly have they done to be a rival? Distance between campuses doesn't make a rivalry. The most important aspect to be a rival is both teams have to be very good and there has to be big time meaningful games. Like in a conference championship, something like that. PC's won what, 1 NCAA Tournament game in over 20 years? When was the last time the 2 teams played a big time meaningful game? I can't think of any off hand. Maybe there was one?

 

[Waquoit]

When was the last time the 2 teams played a big time meaningful game? I can't think of any off hand. Maybe there was one?

Maybe the PC home game during the Dream Season? They were good that year, fighting for a spot in the dance. Their fans left to the sound of 1000's of UConn fans chanting "P-C N-I-T!"

 

[Dean Wormer]

That's how I would characterize PC for UConn. What exactly have they done to be a rival? Distance between campuses doesn't make a rivalry. The most important aspect to be a rival is both teams have to be very good and there has to be big time meaningful games. Like in a conference championship, something like that. PC's won what, 1 NCAA Tournament game in over 20 years? When was the last time the 2 teams played a big time meaningful game? I can't think of any off hand. Maybe there was one?

PC started being relevant again only after the Alpha programs of UConn, Cuse, Louisville, OBE Pitt, and WVU left town. If the OBE stayed together, PC would be a bottom feeder to this day.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

It's gotta be Providence.

I was at UConn during the Tim Welsh's last four years, so back then they were so no more than a doormat so I'm excited for Providence to be a legit foe.

Ed Cooley has been their most successful coach since Dave Gavitt and I expect their teams to always be solid as long as he's around.

Even though I'm in Norwalk, I plan to go to every Providence away game, especially if they are on the weekend!

 

[the Q]

Villanova. We are both championship tier programs

this.

if it’s not Nova, something went wrong.

providenve is probably second due to history and geography. But I hope Georgetown and St. John’s make some mini revivals to bring those back to the forefront as well

 

[uconnell]

It's gotta be Providence.

I was at UConn during the Tim Welsh's last four years, so back then they were so no more than a doormat so I'm excited for Providence to be a legit foe.

Ed Cooley has been their most successful coach since Dave Gavitt and I expect their teams to always be solid as long as he's around.

Even though I'm in Norwalk, I plan to go to every Providence away game, especially if they are on the weekend!

Don’t forget to wear your fanny pack, don’t want to disappoint the PC fans. They call us the fannypackers.

 

[BugsyCT]

Outside of the ones mentioned, a budding rivalry could be Xavier. We had an intense game with them this year (double OT loss) and they've had a reasonably solid program for some time.

 

[ToolzieFan]

Villanova is the obvious answer.

The Providence rivalry will be fun, but they haven’t done enough in recent years to come close to the excitement I’ll feel for Nova games.