UConn's FBS Football Program - what is our mission?

[Jetskies]

TLDR:
in your opinion, what is our mission to exist as a team sport, with all the costs involved, if we have no foreseeable path to the P4 (play out the scenario)?



Full Version:
in the cloud of uncertainty that is UConn's conference fate, I have been thinking of the scenario of us simply never landing somewhere during this generation of major college football.

"Never", meaning not in the current, lacking, regulatory environment surrounding NIL / revenue sharing... so until a fundamental governance shift happens in CFB that impacts everyone equally, we just don't get in anywhere because the $$ don't add up for the member schools, vs what we bring them.


OK - now that i've explained what I mean by "never" - if this ^^ happens to us, I wanted to hear what y'all think the mission of UConn football should be.
Examples of things:

• Are we to prioritize an authentic student athelete experience (emphasis on STUDENT), over on-field success?
• Should we keep going on spending at current rate? Again, in this scenario, nothing we achieve will get us an invite to a P4. We are locked in independence
• Do we shift our priority to playing (to the extent possible) exclusively northeast / east coast competition? I guess this one is not quite feasible over the long haul... we play who we can.
• Do you double down on the spending and investment in Football? one opinion expressed by some folks on this, is that as a flagship state school, we MUST have a football team as it puts our brand on the biggest stage in college sports. It is embarassing to not have a football team as a Univ. of (insert-state-name), regardless of NCAA division, or how bad the team is.
  • ie. we are a worthwhile marketing tool for the University & the State, no matter how good/bad we are. Therefore, $Millions per year will always be acceptable. Seeing a husky head on a helmet on ESPN is worth it for exposure, even if we're losing 49-0 vs. an SEC team.

curious where folks stand. Thx!

 

[Gburyhusky]

Important questions. I would keep it simple: 1. Put out a respectable team each season that is competitive at the mid to high G 5 level; 2. Average 28k home attendance; 3. Don't bankrupt or embarrass the University.

In terms of spending, the reality is that the money is not there to spend and compete at the highest (P4) levels, and will never be there unless there is a P4 invite. Being competitive in the G5 arena is the realistic standard, there is no shame in that at all, and it doesn't require massive spending. The State's political decision makers appear to have no problem subsidizing the program at its current levels,. (And remember the State owns the Rent, and it needs a tenant for the Rent.)

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Important questions. I would keep it simple: 1. Put out a respectable team each season that is competitive at the mid to high G 5 level; 2. Average 28k home attendance; 3. Don't bankrupt or embarrass the University

Let's aspire for more than this. Had the UConn basketball programs had similar aspirations in the late 80's and onward, I shudder to think where the University as a whole would be now. High level basketball propelled the entire University to the point where both the public and the Legislature got behind it in a huge way. Football can do something similar - obviously national titles is pretty difficult to dream of but a large step up in football can make another leap happen for the entire University.

 

[UConnJim]

Right now, football is in the proof on concept phase that UConn, as an independent, can be consistently competitive with G5 programs. As football continues to win, the goal is to be competitive with lower P5 programs like BC/Syracuse/Wake Forest/Duke... As the wins continue to come and the fanbase broadens and attendance improves, UConn needs to invest more in football with the goal of getting a P4 bid.

 

[Patman]

Let's aspire for more than this. Had the UConn basketball programs had similar aspirations in the late 80's and onward, I shudder to think where the University as a whole would be now. High level basketball propelled the entire University to the point where both the public and the Legislature got behind it in a huge way. Football can do something similar - obviously national titles is pretty difficult to dream of but a large step up in football can make another leap happen for the entire University.

How do you propose we grow things to the point where people put Nebraska type money into UConn?

 

[LBird33]

Just win baby !

 

[TheDrifter75]

How do you propose we grow things to the point where people put Nebraska type money into UConn?

Have a 35 year stretch where the team wins at least 9 and loses no more than 3 games a year. That would be a start.

 

[UCFBfan]

If UConn can't find a way into a P4, after years of independence, or when CBS Sports no longer keeps a TV deal with us, we'll find a conference to join for football. We can't keep ourselves as relevant, even as small as that is, without weekly TV exposure. Joining a conference gives us some exposure as well as additional revenue that not having a TV deal would leave a void.

None of this is ideal or anything anyone wants to think about. TBH, in 5 years we could be in a conference that resembles the BE and not be a power conference anymore but just another G5. Those top 40-50 schools will find a way to squeeze schools out. The noose is tightening each rule they pass.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

How do you propose we grow things to the point where people put Nebraska type money into UConn?

Nebraska money? (Your notion, not mine). Might not ever happen. But that can't be our only goal, right?

 

[husky429]

Win and win and win. Everything else will follow.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Have a 35 year stretch where the team wins at least 9 and loses no more than 3 games a year. That would be a start.

Better yet, a 60+ year stretch of selling out all home games.

 

[Patman]

Nebraska money? (Your notion, not mine). Might not ever happen. But that can't be our only goal, right?

Well, what's the goal? Top 60? Top 40? Top 20?

 

[uconndogs]

I'll be that guy......

Presumably, winning is an objective towards acheiving the mission.

I don't think UCONN, or any other major college athletic department, knows what their mission is. Support the development of student athletes? Clearly not the case. Promote the school? OK, maybe, but at what amount of defecit funding?

I think college athletics has lost its way and has some serious issues adead.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Well, what's the goal? Top 60? Top 40? Top 20?

60 to 40 range seems doable. Top 20 would be a real stretch goal/might not ever happen.

 

[Hoophound]

60 to 40 range seems doable. Top 20 would be a real stretch goal/might not ever happen.

It should always be the goal in a championship AD like ours. Any goals one sets should be seemingly outrageous at the onset. That’s how greatness is achieved.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

It should always be the goal in a championship AD like ours. Any goals one sets should be seemingly outrageous at the onset. That’s how greatness is achieved.

Agreed. For football, which is unlike any other collegiate sport for obvious reasons, the deck is stacked against us but we need to dream big things.

 

[Exit 4]

The mission is to fill the stadium and have a reliable top 60 program. And the ultimate goal is power 4 status.

 

[Scoe]

Right now, football is in the proof on concept phase that UConn, as an independent, can be consistently competitive with G5 programs. As football continues to win, the goal is to be competitive with lower P5 programs like BC/Syracuse/Wake Forest/Duke... As the wins continue to come and the fanbase broadens and attendance improves, UConn needs to invest more in football with the goal of getting a P4 bid.

Competitive against the G5? No dominate the G5 and beat the lower P5 and be competitive with the power house programs.

 

[UConnJim]

Competitive against the G5? No dominate the G5 and beat the lower P5 and be competitive with the power house programs.

Oh how we forget. Since 2013: 3-9, 2-10. 6-7, 3-9, 3-9, 1-11, 2-10, 1-11, 6-7, 3-9, 9-4. UConn has not shown that they can be consistently competitive against the G5 so that is the first step. And, we have not shown that we can beat the lower level P4 schools, which is the next step. Last year was a positive step forward, but UConn went 1-4 against the P4.

 

[Samoo]

Competitive against the G5? No dominate the G5 and beat the lower P5 and be competitive with the power house programs.

So, the goal is to be the equivalent of a powerhouse program on 1/10th of the budget? Aspirational, but not realistic without the preceding goal of joining the P4 club.

 

[Jetskies]

So, the goal is to be the equivalent of a powerhouse program on 1/10th of the budget? Aspirational, but not realistic without the preceding goal of joining the P4 club.

Scoe's idea of being competitive against the P4 might have been more (near-term) possible in a pre-NIL era where a smaller brand like UConn gets lucky recruiting, but now with the financials involved, yeah it seems to be all about how big "the bag" is.

Things that were once fascinating, like facilities & player amenities, are simply a given now. No one cares. I can see a high school kid (or his "agent") telling our position coach giving him the tour: "I already know there's a barber shop next to the locker room - what kinda bag we talkin?"

I hope we get a true FBS commissioner, and proper governance like the pro leagues have (salary caps, contracts, player mins/maxes, CBA, etc.) to somehow level this playing field so that UConn has even a remote shot to put a fiercely competitive team together, beyond just beating the Buffalo's and FAU's of the world. And honestly, I even wish that for Buffalo and FAU too.

I fear that unless NCAA gives us and our peers the policy tools to compete fairly (in recruiting), our glass ceiling really is what happened last year. lose close-ish games to duke and syracuse, year after year. Eventually that will get old.

 

[Patman]

So, the goal is to be the equivalent of a powerhouse program on 1/10th of the budget? Aspirational, but not realistic without the preceding goal of joining the P4 club.

We're getting close to the budget of the top of g5. That much is true. I suspect Boise and a couple of others outspend us

 

[Husky92]

I hope we get a true FBS commissioner, and proper governance like the pro leagues have (salary caps, contracts, player mins/maxes, CBA, etc.) to somehow level this playing field so that UConn has even a remote shot to put a fiercely competitive team together, beyond just beating the Buffalo's and FAU's of the world. And honestly, I even wish that for Buffalo and FAU too.

I fear that unless NCAA gives us and our peers the policy tools to compete fairly (in recruiting), our glass ceiling really is what happened last year. lose close-ish games to duke and syracuse, year after year. Eventually that will get old.

This is a fair take. I wish it were different and I wish your first paragraph (quoted) would come to pass, but we are a ways from that…if it ever is to come to pass.

There is a reason every pro league has policies in place to provide some level of competitiveness.

 

[Patman]

This is a fair take. I wish it were different and I wish your first paragraph (quoted) would come to pass, but we are a ways from that…if it ever is to come to pass.

There is a reason every pro league has policies in place to provide some level of competitiveness.

It will never come to pass. Theres no incentive to do it until all the other programs are shed away and only the top 40 or so are left.

 

[Jetskies]

This is a fair take. I wish it were different and I wish your first paragraph (quoted) would come to pass, but we are a ways from that…if it ever is to come to pass.

There is a reason every pro league has policies in place to provide some level of competitiveness.

It will never come to pass. Theres no incentive to do it until all the other programs are shed away and only the top 40 or so are left.

i thought about it more and realized this ^.

yeah ohio state has no reason to play by the same rules as uconn. The ratings of even a mediocre B1G matchup like Ohio State vs. Northwestern (not to mention stadium revenues on gameday) make any uconn game look like pop warner. The types of governance i mentioned are agreeable when everyone is contributing evenly (or close to evenly) to the league's revenue stream.

32 NFL teams, all of which are in it together.
FBS can't (or won't) follow this model, because of the income disparities... Michigan vs. Kennesaw State

Why does money ruin EVERYTHING.