What’s your solution?

[TouchdownHusky]

How about UConn get better in both sports and demonstrate it's a great program and show people they belong in a P5 conference. Collectively, this board sounds like parents bitching about little jr's lack of playing time and then when he gets a chance he proves to everyone why the coach doesn't play him in the first place.

 

[pepband99]

2012 called, it wants its pep talk back.

And yet, you still can't offer an answer at all. Shocking.

Your "breakeven" scenario of football indy and Big East basketball has its own albatross - the rights fees will drop a substantial amount for the Big East very soon.

Combine an independent football schedule that includes a high number of directional schools, probably no AAC opponents (to the degree that hurts), and a sprinkling of maybe 1 good P5 game a year, and what do you get? Essentially the same expense report, but you killed any chance of your AD growing. Nice job.

You're essentially betting the farm on the Big East fixing our attendance, as that's the only controllable revenue source. Given what's happening to attendance around the country, i would go against that bet, maybe even harder than the TV rights side.

 

[SubbaBub]

This is a BB problem that has nothing to do with FB.

BB has been recruiting the same 6' to 6'-3 combo guard for every position for a few years now and yet none of them can shoot and every last one of them thinks they are better than they are.

All the big men have been useless in terms of offense.

And no one can knock down a shot with any consistency. If you cut the truck load of bricks in half, they win most of there games.

The one exception. Has been Larrier. He is tall we than 6-3 and can actually hit his mid-range fade way most of the time. His problem is everything else, defense, ball handling, sharing.

It's a recruiting problem that can be partially blamed on not being in a NYC centered conference with marquee programs. The C7 BE, still gets to pitch that mom and dad can drove to most games. I don't think the name BE makes as much of a difference as the C7 not getting buried by large state schools like they used to.

The next TV contract will have a lot to say about UConn BB going forward. All you have to do is scroll through the garbage games on ESPN and 2, that used to feature UConn. But first we have to stop getting blown out by garbage programs.

 

[CTBasketball]

This is a BB problem that has nothing to do with FB.

BB has been recruiting the same 6' to 6'-3 combo guard for every position for a few years now and yet none of them can shoot and every last one of them thinks they are better than they are.

All the big men have been useless in terms of offense.

And no one can knock down a shot with any consistency. If you cut the truck load of bricks in half, they win most of there games.

The one exception. Has been Larrier. He is tall we than 6-3 and can actually hit his mid-range fade way most of the time. His problem is everything else, defense, ball handling, sharing.

It's a recruiting problem that can be partially blamed on not being in a NYC centered conference with marquee programs. The C7 BE, still gets to pitch that mom and dad can drove to most games. I don't think the name BE makes as much of a difference as the C7 not getting buried by large state schools like they used to.

The next TV contract will have a lot to say about UConn BB going forward. All you have to do is scroll through the garbage games on ESPN and 2, that used to feature UConn. But first we have to stop getting blown out by garbage programs.

I see other teams not in metropolitan-located conferences recruit and develop players. These teams aren’t P5 either.

Essentially we don’t have an adult in charge.

 

[Rocktheworld]

I see other teams not in metropolitan-located conferences recruit and develop players. These teams aren’t P5 either.

Essentially we don’t have an adult in charge.

At least once KO is gone we will have the “resurgence” narrative going for us during broadcasts if the next regime is competent

 

[upstater]

At least once KO is gone we will have the “resurgence” narrative going for us during broadcasts if the next regime is competent

Hopefully. Because they are peddling another narrative now, and it's about the AAC and recruiting.

 

[Dogdeacon]

I see other teams not in metropolitan-located conferences recruit and develop players. These teams aren’t P5 either.

Essentially we don’t have an adult in charge.

Yep, its easier to fall into better players when you are in the old BE, but that didn't work until we had aggressive recruiting and a winning team. The lost players/team rebuild rationale doesn't hold water in the current 'younger' CBB environment especially given that this season's on court results reflect the opposite of any newfound dedication to work harder, playing smarter, recruiting differently etc..

 

[NowInStorrs]

The American is not a new conference. It is Conference USA with a new name.

The first sentence is correct at least. The AAC is literally the Big East with a new name. You may think it's more like Conference USA than the old Big East but it is 100% the Big East with a new name.

 

[bobbyinaz]

It's easy for people to sit here & say wait it out until 2025 and then see what happens. I think the point of whaler's original post is what will the UConn athletic department look like come 2025?

There is no way that the state, the university, or the students (thru fees) can continue to support the current athletic budget for another 7 years in the slimmest of hopes that there may be a chair available in the P5 for us.

While we all look at this thru UConn shaded glasses the reality is that there are most likely a few schools who are already ahead of us for any possible openings. Being Notre Dame's plus 1 can't be a viable strategy

Staying the course is probably not an option because the current funding is not going to be available going forward. Even with better performance in football and hoops the possible increase in attendance doesn't add enough dollars to the till. Let's assume that Aresco does get an increase in the next TV deal. How much of an increase is realistic? Even if he double the contract that only adds a few million per school.

So, is whaler's suggestion the answer? Do we start dropping sports now? Going independent is not the answer but, IMO, staying the course likely causes us to die on the vine

 

[upstater]

It's easy for people to sit here & say wait it out until 2025 and then see what happens. I think the point of whaler's original post is what will the UConn athletic department look like come 2025?

There is no way that the state, the university, or the students (thru fees) can continue to support the current athletic budget for another 7 years in the slimmest of hopes that there may be a chair available in the P5 for us.

While we all look at this thru UConn shaded glasses the reality is that there are most likely a few schools who are already ahead of us for any possible openings. Being Notre Dame's plus 1 can't be a viable strategy

Staying the course is probably not an option because the current funding is not going to be available going forward. Even with better performance in football and hoops the possible increase in attendance doesn't add enough dollars to the till. Let's assume that Aresco does get an increase in the next TV deal. How much of an increase is realistic? Even if he double the contract that only adds a few million per school.

So, is whaler's suggestion the answer? Do we start dropping sports now? Going independent is not the answer but, IMO, staying the course likely causes us to die on the vine

My view is if you drop football, you might as well drop it all. Because things are going to change radically in a few short years for the non P5. The combination of less money + demographics for private schools + P5 monopolizing the system = G5 + BE getting frozen out. The flip side (fewer football players by 5 to 10%) is not nearly as threatening as the massive changes coming.

 

[upstater]

Yep, its easier to fall into better players when you are in the old BE, but that didn't work until we had aggressive recruiting and a winning team. The lost players/team rebuild rationale doesn't hold water in the current 'younger' CBB environment especially given that this season's on court results reflect the opposite of any newfound dedication to work harder, playing smarter, recruiting differently etc..

To further reinforce what you're saying, UConn actually saw a recruiting dropoff as the BE wound down. Not as bad as recently, but if you look at the rankings, we had two cycles of classes with only one big recruit on them. The Shabazz, Giffey, Olander, Roscoe, Lamb, Nolan, Daniels, Boatright classes came in over 2 years. Lots of talent there, but with the Roscoe transfer, you look again and there is only one top 50 guy in that entire rankings (Daniels), which is why UConn fans were down on those years. Omar Calhoun had a very promising freshman year, but injuries got in his way.

The Facey, Brimah and Samuel class was also considered a disappointment.

The same amount of recruiting talent has come through Storrs in recent years with Purvis, Jalen, Alterique, Larrier, & Vital, but it hasn't panned out.

I don't think Ollie gets another year BUT if he does, he needs to get back to his specialty, preparing guards. For 2 years now, this has been a team without a lead guard. Yes, some may think this is an excuse, but I'm actually blaming Ollie for not recruiting enough good guards, and for not preparing Jalen better than he has. Regardless, anyone can see on the floor that there is no one out there to run the offense. This is the result.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

And yet, you still can't offer an answer at all. Shocking.

Your "breakeven" scenario of football indy and Big East basketball has its own albatross - the rights fees will drop a substantial amount for the Big East very soon.

Combine an independent football schedule that includes a high number of directional schools, probably no AAC opponents (to the degree that hurts), and a sprinkling of maybe 1 good P5 game a year, and what do you get? Essentially the same expense report, but you killed any chance of your AD growing. Nice job.

You're essentially betting the farm on the Big East fixing our attendance, as that's the only controllable revenue source. Given what's happening to attendance around the country, i would go against that bet, maybe even harder than the TV rights side.

My way will probably fail. Your way is guaranteed to fail. The chance for any high probability successful outcomes ended when the school chased football into this mausoleum of a conference.

Some posters predicted that football would take down basketball. Others thought football would save it. Which were right?

 

[The Funster]

I feel like football is UConn's Vietnam. Stretching back decades and several administrations, no one wants to admit that it was not a winnable campaign, so we just keep marching to that tune to our ultimate deaths.

I love the analogy. It feels like it fits right now but we can't forget that we were winning the war until HCRE went to Maryland. If he had stayed or we had anyone other than PP and BD we'd be in much better shape and likely would have nosed out Louisvile for that seat in the ACC. Even if hoops imploded, we would have had a strong FB program. We have neither right now.

 

[whaler11]

It's easy for people to sit here & say wait it out until 2025 and then see what happens. I think the point of whaler's original post is what will the UConn athletic department look like come 2025?

There is no way that the state, the university, or the students (thru fees) can continue to support the current athletic budget for another 7 years in the slimmest of hopes that there may be a chair available in the P5 for us.

While we all look at this thru UConn shaded glasses the reality is that there are most likely a few schools who are already ahead of us for any possible openings. Being Notre Dame's plus 1 can't be a viable strategy

Staying the course is probably not an option because the current funding is not going to be available going forward. Even with better performance in football and hoops the possible increase in attendance doesn't add enough dollars to the till. Let's assume that Aresco does get an increase in the next TV deal. How much of an increase is realistic? Even if he double the contract that only adds a few million per school.

So, is whaler's suggestion the answer? Do we start dropping sports now? Going independent is not the answer but, IMO, staying the course likely causes us to die on the vine

Sitting and waiting is what got us here.

I’m not sure I see how sitting and waiting will ever get us out.

It’s the equivilent of ‘monitoring the situation’.

 

[8893]

I love the analogy. It feels like it fits right now but we can't forget that we were winning the war until HCRE went to Maryland. If he had stayed or we had anyone other than PP and BD we'd be in much better shape and likely would have nosed out Louisvile for that seat in the ACC. Even if hoops imploded, we would have had a strong FB program. We have neither right now.

That was certainly the high point but when he left we had just been embarrassed in a national bowl game that seemed to confirm the narrative that we didn’t belong. It almost seemed as if he knew it, too.

 

[The Funster]

That was certainly the high point but when he left we had just been embarrassed in a national bowl game that seemed to confirm the narrative that we didn’t belong. It almost seemed as if he knew it, too.

That was the narrative but the game was 2 scores going into the 4th, IIRC, when Oklahoma scored two TDs. Still, it was a MAJOR bowl and a game to build off. UConn had hit the big time ahead of schedule.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Sitting and waiting is what got us here.

I’m not sure I see how sitting and waiting will ever get us out.

It’s the equivilent of ‘monitoring the situation’.

I’m starting to not follow you.

It seems like this all comes down to you wanting to be in the New Big East for basketball. And to that end, you’ll take the concession of downgrading football to the MAC. How exactly is playing and losing to Nova, Georgetown, and Providence (while making NBE money on FS1) “1.7 billion times” better than the current situation of losing to WSU, SMU, and Cincinnati? All you do from that comment on is make the MAC concession sound less awful than we may think. But why exactly are we making this concession? What is the problem for which this set of moves is apparently a solution (never specified this in the OP)? Are we just in the NBE forever? What happens if/when the ACC or B1G eventually want us (will they ever if we do this?)? If this were to happen tomorrow, how does suddenly being in the NBE help our long-term outlook?

We aren’t in “this situation” because of “sitting and waiting”. You’re smarter than that. We are in this situation because of bad coaching hires and extensions; and because of factors beyond our control. Returning to winning tradition is the best move that is under our control. Moving to the NBE will not accelerate that; and the football program will at best improve marginally and stagnate. We will be “sitting and waiting” in the MAC playing Del Val and Stevenson as opposed to pretending we can hang with real P5 programs from time to time.

If you’re really looking at upward mobility, this is the worst thing we can do.

 

[superjohn]

I’m starting to not follow you.

It seems like this all comes down to you wanting to be in the New Big East for basketball. And to that end, you’ll take the concession of downgrading football to the MAC. How exactly is playing and losing to Nova, Georgetown, and Providence (while making NBE money on FS1) “1.7 billion times” better than the current situation of losing to WSU, SMU, and Cincinnati? All you do from that comment on is make the MAC concession sound less awful than we may think. But why exactly are we making this concession? What is the problem for which this set of moves is apparently a solution (never specified this in the OP)?

We aren’t in “this situation” because of “sitting and waiting”. You’re smarter than that. We are in this situation because of bad coaching hires and extensions; and because of factors beyond our control. Returning to winning tradition is the best move that is under our control. Moving to the NBE will not accelerate that; and the football program will at best improve marginally and stagnate. We will be “sitting and waiting” in the MAC playing Del Val and Stevenson as opposed to pretending we can hang with decent programs from time to time.

If you’re really looking at upward mobility, this is the worst thing we can do.

I agree that moving to the MAC is stupid but we are absolutely in this position because of sitting and waiting.

The landscape was changing and we just sat there taking everyone's word for it that Big East schools wouldn't leave for a second time. Meanwhile Pitt and Cuse were working out deals with the ACC. We were still somehow blindsided that Louisville was working behind the scenes to make sure they had a landing spot. We sat around and waited three different times, that's the biggest reason we remain where we are.

 

[auggie22]

I’m starting to not follow you.

It seems like this all comes down to you wanting to be in the New Big East for basketball. And to that end, you’ll take the concession of downgrading football to the MAC. How exactly is playing and losing to Nova, Georgetown, and Providence (while making NBE money on FS1) “1.7 billion times” better than the current situation of losing to WSU, SMU, and Cincinnati? All you do from that comment on is make the MAC concession sound less awful than we may think. But why exactly are we making this concession? What is the problem for which this set of moves is apparently a solution (never specified this in the OP)? Are we just in the NBE forever? What happens if/when the ACC or B1G eventually want us (will they ever if we do this?)? If this were to happen tomorrow, how does suddenly being in the NBE help our long-term outlook?

We aren’t in “this situation” because of “sitting and waiting”. You’re smarter than that. We are in this situation because of bad coaching hires and extensions; and because of factors beyond our control. Returning to winning tradition is the best move that is under our control. Moving to the NBE will not accelerate that; and the football program will at best improve marginally and stagnate. We will be “sitting and waiting” in the MAC playing Del Val and Stevenson as opposed to pretending we can hang with real P5 programs from time to time.

If you’re really looking at upward mobility, this is the worst thing we can do.

The Georgetown game in Hartford 2 years ago is the highest grossing box office of any UCONN game at HCC, including the glory years spent in the BE. I think the AD's bottom line will look alot healthier with a steady diet of Gtown, Nova, St Johns, PC (not to mention sneaky interesting match-ups with Butler and Xavier)?

 

[whaler11]

I’m starting to not follow you.

It seems like this all comes down to you wanting to be in the New Big East for basketball. And to that end, you’ll take the concession of downgrading football to the MAC. How exactly is playing and losing to Nova, Georgetown, and Providence (while making NBE money on FS1) “1.7 billion times” better than the current situation of losing to WSU, SMU, and Cincinnati? All you do from that comment on is make the MAC concession sound less awful than we may think. But why exactly are we making this concession? What is the problem for which this set of moves is apparently a solution (never specified this in the OP)? Are we just in the NBE forever? What happens if/when the ACC or B1G eventually want us (will they ever if we do this?)? If this were to happen tomorrow, how does suddenly being in the NBE help our long-term outlook?

We aren’t in “this situation” because of “sitting and waiting”. You’re smarter than that. We are in this situation because of bad coaching hires and extensions; and because of factors beyond our control. Returning to winning tradition is the best move that is under our control. Moving to the NBE will not accelerate that; and the football program will at best improve marginally and stagnate. We will be “sitting and waiting” in the MAC playing Del Val and Stevenson as opposed to pretending we can hang with real P5 programs from time to time.

If you’re really looking at upward mobility, this is the worst thing we can do.

I’m football first. I’m looking for a way to have any athletic department at all.

I don’t believe there will be any upward mobility for UConn ever.

 

[SubbaBub]

I see other teams not in metropolitan-located conferences recruit and develop players. These teams aren’t P5 either.

Essentially we don’t have an adult in charge.

True, but we are unlikely to ever recruit the bald kid from Wichita State from Kansas.

We used to get guys from all over but our bread and butter recruits came from NYC and internationally.

Lately our international prospects haven't panned out and the NYC guys can play in the BE, Big, or ACC before playing in the American.

Blue Blood or not, our conference schedule hurts even if we should still be doing better than we are. And so should KO.

 

[8893]

That was the narrative but the game was 2 scores going into the 4th, IIRC, when Oklahoma scored two TDs. Still, it was a MAJOR bowl and a game to build off. UConn had hit the big time ahead of schedule.

That's what I thought at the time, but I remember hearing resounding laughter nationally and being cited as the prime example of what a mess the then-current bowl and conference system was if a team as weak as UConn could be in a major bowl. Even some CT people suggested that making that bowl was the worst thing that ever happened to us because it exposed us nationally and made us a punchline, just at the time when the P5 were deciding who else to let into the club.

I also remember thinking, and probably even typing on this board, that going to Maryland was a lateral move at best for Edsall. But then it quickly seemed that he had seen the writing on the wall and knew that UConn had gone about as far it could go, and that the landscape was changing rapidly.

So, in retrospect, I think Edsall leaving then was more symptom than cause in terms of the limits of UConn football.

 

[KodiacKemba]

Idc about any of these things ..!! I just wanna see uconn basketball .. just want to see the players shut up and play hard .. I believe we can win 20 games especially in the aac we should win 13 league games ..! I understand if you’re not winning you’re not gonna b happy ... but starting tomorrow could be the time we start streaking

 

[CTBasketball]

True, but we are unlikely to ever recruit the bald kid from Wichita State from Kansas.

We used to get guys from all over but our bread and butter recruits came from NYC and internationally.

Lately our international prospects haven't panned out and the NYC guys can play in the BE, Big, or ACC before playing in the American.

Blue Blood or not, our conference schedule hurts even if we should still be doing better than we are. And so should KO.

I have a hard time agreeing with this entirely. Yes the conference hurts and creates a different recruiting strategy from the old days, but we should be dominating the AAC. Just look at our recruiting classes under KO.

2013 helped win a championship as freshman

2014 had Hamilton an NBA guy player

2015 had Adams and Enoch (both 4* guys capable of helping a program)

2016 had 4 Top 100 guys and an AA, plus a really good 3* guy we got late

2017 remains to be seen. Doesn’t look good tho

The issue isn’t necessarily recruiting, we’re doing pretty well compared to other AAC and even Big East teams. The issue is player development and coaching in general.

Recruits are starting to see thru the bullsh!t that KO pitches. Hence why you have transfers, JUCO scraps, and low end 3* talent signing with us.

Next year’s class is more of the same, headlined by a 5’11” 3/4* guard that were all raving about. Then the rest is a bunch of fluff.

 

[The Funster]

That's what I thought at the time, but I remember hearing resounding laughter nationally and being cited as the prime example of what a mess the then-current bowl and conference system was if a team as weak as UConn could be in a major bowl. Even some CT people suggested that making that bowl was the worst thing that ever happened to us because it exposed us nationally and made us a punchline, just at the time when the P5 were deciding who else to let into the club.

I also remember thinking, and probably even typing on this board, that going to Maryland was a lateral move at best for Edsall. But then it quickly seemed that he had seen the writing on the wall and knew that UConn had gone about as far it could go, and that the landscape was changing rapidly.

So, in retrospect, I think Edsall leaving then was more symptom than cause in terms of the limits of UConn football.

I hear what you are saying but I also remember UConn playing those gimmicky press defenses and then developing into a national power. When we moved up to FBS a lot of fans on message boards told us it would take a generation to get established in football and yet there we were and we were a punchline more so because we didn't sell our allotment of tickets even though there were a lot bought on the secondary market.

Still, I might be dreaming and the reality is we are in our own little Vietnam right now.

Man, that's depressing.