What UMass can teach UConn about life as a football independent (Courant)

[billybud]

Don't think that I saw UMass at all last season down this way.

..they play a game on any cable/sat mainstream channel (ABC/NBC/CBS/Fox/ESPN, ESPN2, etc) last season?

I know you could stream the BC game and other games. The wave of the future, I guess.

 

[billybud]

I am probably a lazy sports fan...I flip through the channel guide and watch games that interest me, often flipping between a couple of them.

 

[BugsyCT]

When was the last time an IVY played an FBS school? Are there rules that prohibit it?

Yale beat Army in New Haven in 2014. Not sure about anyone else.

 

[Pudge]

Yale beat Army in New Haven in 2014. Not sure about anyone else.

Scheduled to play Dartmouth in 2024

Playing Bucknell & Colgate too

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Shanghai Penn games/China tour: knowing a few guys who played with or coached the mixed bag of ex-pats of varied age and athletic skill level, Chinese and other Asian college kids, etc beer league teams, Penn reasonably played all of its’ roster to limit the Shanghai exhibition to 85-zip. With a few pompous exceptions, ideally most of the ex-pats came out of the exhibition relatively intact!

Not that Penn needs help recruiting in China, the exhibitions are mostly about relationship-maintenance and fundraising with local alumni and others, global exposure for the Quakers’ student-athletes, and a bit less on expanding minimalist knowledge of gridiron on the mainland.

 

[Guapo]

Scheduled to play Dartmouth in 2024

Playing Bucknell & Colgate too

The first UConn football game I went to was on Campus against Colgate

 

[Pudge]

Shanghai Penn games/China tour: knowing a few guys who played with or coached the mixed bag of ex-pats of varied age and athletic skill level, Chinese and other Asian college kids, etc beer league teams, Penn reasonably played all of its’ roster to limit the Shanghai exhibition to 85-zip. With a few pompous exceptions, ideally most of the ex-pats came out of the exhibition relatively intact!

Not that Penn needs help recruiting in China, the exhibitions are mostly about relationship-maintenance and fundraising with local alumni and others, global exposure for the Quakers’ student-athletes, and a bit less on expanding minimalist knowledge of gridiron on the mainland.

If you expected a reasonable competition ... you’d arrange it far different.

The point is - as an Independent - we should do whatever makes sense to advance our goals. Money-making being a primary thing.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

If you expected a reasonable competition ... you’d arrange it far different.

The point is - as an Independent - we should do whatever makes sense to advance our goals. Money-making being a primary thing.

Sure, just reasonably level-setting Penn’s actual goals and having a laugh at some of the phat 5’9” expats that likely played in Shanghai. While it’s highly probable Penn’s relationship and fundraising was more academic than gridiron focused, UConn clearly needs to raise any and all favorable publicity and dinero or Yuan any above-board way it can.

 

[huskymedic]

Don't think that I saw UMass at all last season down this way.

..they play a game on any cable/sat mainstream channel (ABC/NBC/CBS/Fox/ESPN, ESPN2, etc) last season?

I know you could stream the BC game and other games. The wave of the future, I guess.

UConn Game was on ESPNU and the Georgia game was on SEC Network

 

[uconndogs]

We've obviously been beyond bad for a number of years now. So, with that said, when the program does get turned around and competitive, I can clearly see a scenario where programs like BC and Syracuse avoid us like the plague. We used to beat the Orange like a drum and we had a stretch when we were playing much better football than BC and they wanted no part of us. Those programs would rather eat their young than lend any legitimacy to a competitive UCONN football program.

Certainly doesn't matter right now, because they know we're an easy W.

 

[Husky25]

We've obviously been beyond bad for a number of years now. So, with that said, when the program does get turned around and competitive, I can clearly see a scenario where programs like BC and Syracuse avoid us like the plague. We used to beat the Orange like a drum and we had a stretch when we were playing much better football than BC and they wanted no part of us. Those programs would rather eat their young than lend any legitimacy to a competitive UCONN football program.

Certainly doesn't matter right now, because they know we're an easy W.

UConn plays BC in 2022 and 2023. DeFilippo retired in 2012/13. In that timeframe. After that is when the icy relationship began to thaw. It had nothing to do with how good UConn was playing. BC wanted to be the only New England team at the adult table and after UConn began Big East play in 2004, Defilippo didn't want to legitimize a 2nd New England program. It was on him in football and Calhoun in basketball.

 

[Pudge]

We've obviously been beyond bad for a number of years now. So, with that said, when the program does get turned around and competitive, I can clearly see a scenario where programs like BC and Syracuse avoid us like the plague. We used to beat the Orange like a drum and we had a stretch when we were playing much better football than BC and they wanted no part of us. Those programs would rather eat their young than lend any legitimacy to a competitive UCONN football program.

Certainly doesn't matter right now, because they know we're an easy W.

I think Babers - the SU Coach - has cockiness to him. And the SU AD is light years beyond Gross. I bet they see us as easy pickings and a short drive. And we can be easy and fill the Dome more than Ohio or Toledo.

 

[uconndogs]

UConn plays BC in 2022 and 2023. DeFilippo retired in 2012/13. In that timeframe. After that is when the icy relationship began to thaw. It had nothing to do with how good UConn was playing. BC wanted to be the only New England team at the adult table and after UConn began Big East play in 2004, Defilippo didn't want to legitimize a 2nd New England program. It was on him in football and Calhoun in basketball.

I think Babers - the SU Coach - has cockiness to him. And the SU AD is light years beyond Gross. I bet they see us as easy pickings and a short drive. And we can be easy and fill the Dome more than Ohio or Toledo.

I hope you are both right, because getting and keeping BC and Cuse on the schedule on a regular basis would be huge. Of course, at some point we have to get competitive with those guys..........and we will.

 

[Husky25]

I think Babers - the SU Coach - has cockiness to him. And the SU AD is light years beyond Gross. I bet they see us as easy pickings and a short drive. And we can be easy and fill the Dome more than Ohio or Toledo.

Not only that, but ESPN would carry the game. It would get eyeballs in the northeast corridor.

 

[huskyrob1]

This was actually a pretty well written article and a good interview.

As expected, UConn will undoubtedly play UMass, NMSU, Liberty, and probably Army on an annual basis. BYU I’d say will be 4-6 out of every 10 years or something along those lines.

The 2 for 1’s are a great avenue for us and really should be pursued. UMass got Mississippi State to come play them (albeit in Gillette). If we could get them at the Rent that would be incredible.

Being able to play every game on a Saturday will rock. I’d love to have 2pm kick times on SNY.

There will be buy games for us in the future- I’d say we’ll play at most 3 on an annual basis- but those will be fun. Especially if we get to visit some cathedrals of college football.

Here’s an idea for what I think a 2022 and beyond schedule could look like:

CCSU
@ NC State
Boston College
@ Iowa State
@ NMSU
Army
@ BYU
Tulsa
@ Liberty
Akron
@ Mississippi State
UMass

Nice line up, I like it, but suppose things start clicking for Edsall and his team. We could be the next UCF in the sense that we were 1-11 in 2018 and a couple years later go undefeated with that schedule, and if that ever happened I don't think we make the playoff just like UCF, unless the playoff is expanded by then.

 

[billybud]

Although they are close enough to be rivals of a sort....in all of these decades, Buffalo has only played Syracuse in a one for three series (between 2000-07)

I think that regional games make a lot of sense..

 

[Husky25]

Nice line up, I like it, but suppose things start clicking for Edsall and his team. We could be the next UCF in the sense that we were 1-11 in 2018 and a couple years later go undefeated with that schedule, and if that ever happened I don't think we make the playoff just like UCF, unless the playoff is expanded by then.

IMO, there is only one way an Independent team other than ND will ever make a NYD6 game, let alone a playoff. Blow the whole system up.

Even if the playoff is expanded and is mandated to include the best G5 team, it would basically preclude in writing all other independents other than Notre Dame, just like every other precursor to the CFP.

 

[huskyrob1]

We've obviously been beyond bad for a number of years now. So, with that said, when the program does get turned around and competitive, I can clearly see a scenario where programs like BC and Syracuse avoid us like the plague. We used to beat the Orange like a drum and we had a stretch when we were playing much better football than BC and they wanted no part of us. Those programs would rather eat their young than lend any legitimacy to a competitive UCONN football program.

Certainly doesn't matter right now, because they know we're an easy W.

Do you really think once we start beating them, they would not want to play us anymore? I think also it depends a lot on our college presidents and AD's developing a good relationship to keep a good local rivalry going.

 

[huskyrob1]

IMO, there is only one way an Independent team other than ND will ever make a NYD6 game, let alone a playoff. Blow the whole system up.

Even if the playoff is expanded and is mandated to include the best G5 team, it would basically preclude in writing all other independents other than Notre Dame, just like every other precursor to the CFP.

Well you might be right, but you also might be wrong. In any event I would love to see UConn test that theory.

 

[Husky25]

Well you might be right, but you also might be wrong. In any event I would love to see UConn test that theory.

Well yeah. It's a no-lose proposition for UConn.

 

[Steve1981]

I appreciate people putting in the effort to make these theoretical schedules, so thank you. I will point out that we will most likely play UMass every year, so you may want to swap one of these teams out for them.

So what are you say, we trade you the USF away game and we give you a home game for that slot.

 

[SubbaBub]

Here is 2021 and your first chance to fill in a schedule. Assume we aren't getting a game on 12/6 reserved for conference championships. The teams in blue are already signed and don't forget the bye week.

• 09/02 - Holy Cross
• 09/11 - Purdue
• 09/18 -
• 09/25 -
• 10/02
• 10/09 - at UMass
• 10/16
• 10/23
• 10/30
• 11/06
• 11/13 - at Clemson
• 11/20
• 11/27

The following teams have an open OOC slot and might consider playing us: Wake Forest, BC, FSU (no chance in hell), Ga Tech, PItt, TCU (no), Texas Tech (no), Northwestern, Maryland (no), Texas A&M (no), Florida, Georgia, SCar, Tenn (no, their other games suck), New Mexico State (10/23 or 10/30), ECU, Temple, UCF, SMU, Tulsa, Central Michigan, FIU, Marshall, MTSU, ODU, So. Miss, UAB, UTSA, Fresno St, Hawaii, UNLV, Texas St, Louisiana-Monroe.

Notes:
Most of the G5's are looking for home games. Most of the P5's are looking for a third OOC home game.
This may be a 5/7 home/road split season
Cuse has a home game with Albany TBA that we might be able to buy out.

Plan A for AD Dave: Get 2 of Pitt/GTECH/Wake, 1 at home; Give Northwestern whatever they want for a H/H; Book NM St as we'll need to for years to come; Get 2 of the old AAC (Temple, ECU, Tulsa are the most likely); Suck up 1 more SEC buy game on the road; Fill #12 with any other G5 willing to play at the Rent in 2021.

Do that and Dave deserves a statue.

 

[Pudge]

Although they are close enough to be rivals of a sort....in all of these decades, Buffalo has only played Syracuse in a one for three series (between 2000-07)

I think that regional games make a lot of sense..

HATE TO SAY IT

That was deep in Darryl Gross's tenure. He overthought stuff. I don't know the AD profile today; thought he was a executive at ESPN. Babers, to me, has no fear like that. He would think beating up on us would serve a purpose and satisfy a slice of their fans. Buffalo too

 

[zls44]

Although they are close enough to be rivals of a sort....in all of these decades, Buffalo has only played Syracuse in a one for three series (between 2000-07)

Which they only did as part of the deal to get the state of New York to pay for a new roof on the Carrier Dome.

 

[BlueDogs]

Pudge, I've been agreeing with you on a lot of the Big East/Indy talk, but you gotta understand that nobody cares about Stony Brook, Holy Cross, or JMU no matter how you think we will.

So right. If we play a glorified FCS schedule, we are no better than just that - a glorified FCS squad masquerading as a legit FBS program. Nobody is filling seats to see us play Holy Cross or Colgate (although Colgate would have beat the snot out of us last year). May as well close up shop. Schedule up not down.

 

[Husky25]

I'm going to both Holy Cross games and any other away CHC game UConn plays. If for no other reason than I grew up 13 minutes away and I have a spot to crash two towns east whenever I wish.

 

[Chief00]

The article is fine ... but it is near identical to the one Paul Doyle wrote a few weeks ago. Thanks Putterman

I’d also emphasize Florida trips. We get 4-8 kids a year; we need a trip every year. As much as possible. With 4 likely targets - UCF, USF, FAU, FIU - there’s opportunity. And also Georgia. If we get a P5 date ... ok.

Agree - Schedule games in FL. With private Big East knowledge in the Spring, Chief was concerned about FL being the focus of such a high % of our recruits - I think we are feeling that now.
What I couldn’t understand was that Randy apparently had no knowledge - hence it makes more sense now.

 

[Pudge]

Which they only did as part of the deal to get the state of New York to pay for a new roof on the Carrier Dome.

WTF?

Really. That doesn’t sound like NY State. Under what part of the budget? Economic development? It’s a Private infrastructure project. Now ... you do know NYS built a Hollywood quality production soundstage ... in Syracuse ... and it’s been used like twice in 5 years.

Then. Chief? If we don’t go harvest Florida for speed and some positions, we should give up. That’s a core priority.

Lastly. No one is saying Play a FCS schedule. You do notice that Army is playing 2 a year. My point is SOME FCS are more important than directional Southern FBS. And might be better games.

 

[hardcorehusky]

Yale beat Army in New Haven in 2014. Not sure about anyone else.

Yale needed a special waiver to play the game which was the latest in a series that started in 1893. Army won the mythical National Championship in 1914. Otherwise the waiver would not have been granted.

PS it was a great game- 51-48. First time in the Yale Bowl in many years. Then I drove to the Rent to watch Temple spank the good guys. Total buzzkill

 

[noeynox]

Yale needed a special waiver to play the game which was the latest in a series that started in 1893. Army won the mythical National Championship in 1914. Otherwise the waiver would not have been granted.

PS it was a great game- 51-48. First time in the Yale Bowl in many years. Then I drove to the Rent to watch Temple spank the good guys. Total buzzkill

Pretty sure IVY'S can't play FBS schools, though i couldn't find it. I thought the Academies were exception because technically they don't give out scholarships.