Who should UCONN be playing on rivalry weekend?

[John]

It's amazing how delusional this fan base is. We stick up our noses at the AAC (which we are currently resting comfortably at the bottom of) and say that our rivalry game should be against a team that won't play us, we have no real history of playing in football, and I'm pretty sure we have never beaten in football.

Then UMAss it is!

 

[noeynox]

It's amazing how delusional this fan base is. We stick up our noses at the AAC (which we are currently resting comfortably at the bottom of) and say that our rivalry game should be against a team that won't play us, we have no real history of playing in football, and I'm pretty sure we have never beaten in football.

I don't get the disdain for UMass either. A local school trying to run in FBS, if anyone should be able to understand that, it is UConn fans.

 

[John]

I don't get the disdain for UMass either. A local school trying to run in FBS, if anyone should be able to understand that, it is UConn fans.

because it's like the basketball team saying that University of Hartford is an arch rival.

 

[Woof 101]

It's amazing how delusional this fan base is. We stick up our noses at the AAC (which we are currently resting comfortably at the bottom of) and say that our rivalry game should be against a team that won't play us, we have no real history of playing in football, and I'm pretty sure we have never beaten in football.

AFL, no spitting match here. Our whipped down trodden fan base may not be strong but I think you should take back the delusional and evaluate the post we are responding to here. Nobody is sticking up noses at the AAC, that has not been mentioned. Who ever made the rule your main rival has to be in conference? Whould it be nice, of course.
A rivalry takes three things to make it just that. First two teams that want the same thing, in our case that is dominance in the southern New England / NY and NJ area. Having teams that could carry that over to other sports keeps it alive year round.
Two, you need the parties to be in a antagonistic state or condition to create # three...Bad blood ...
The folks that responded with BC and Rutgers are the ones that realize BC ran from us a long time ago whether we beat them or not on the gridiron they saw the writing on the wall. Both got something we wanted and feel we deserve which adds to the bad blood potion. There are no teams in the country or any conference right now that would make a better rivalary than BC and as a second choice the R. The proximity also allows for both fan bases to travel well thus adding to the stew.
As for resting comfortably on the bottom those are your words I do not hear anyone else who is comfortable with the situation. Do realize footballs bounce funny, Memphis was in the same position just last season. Should we beat them tomorrow it does not make a rivalary...

 

[noeynox]

because it's like the basketball team saying that University of Hartford is an arch rival.

What is our all time record in FB vs UMass, what is our record all time against Hartford in BB? Not remotely close to the same thing.

 

[jbdphi]

AFL, no spitting match here. Our whipped down trodden fan base may not be strong but I think you should take back the delusional and evaluate the post we are responding to here. Nobody is sticking up noses at the AAC, that has not been mentioned. Who ever made the rule your main rival has to be in conference? Whould it be nice, of course.
A rivalry takes three things to make it just that. First two teams that want the same thing, in our case that is dominance in the southern New England / NY and NJ area. Having teams that could carry that over to other sports keeps it alive year round.
Two, you need the parties to be in a antagonistic state or condition to create # three...Bad blood ...
The folks that responded with BC and Rutgers are the ones that realize BC ran from us a long time ago whether we beat them or not on the gridiron they saw the writing on the wall. Both got something we wanted and feel we deserve which adds to the bad blood potion. There are no teams in the country or any conference right now that would make a better rivalary than BC and as a second choice the R. The proximity also allows for both fan bases to travel well thus adding to the stew.
As for resting comfortably on the bottom those are your words I do not hear anyone else who is comfortable with the situation. Do realize footballs bounce funny, Memphis was in the same position just last season. Should we beat them tomorrow it does not make a rivalary...

I agree that to have rivalry you need to have something behind it and we don't have that in conference (not even Temple). But to claim that Rutgers or BC should be our rival? At least we have a bit of history in football with Rutgers but given their move to the B1G I don't see us getting them late in season on a regular basis. As for BC, I know a lot of people hate them for a variety of good reasons but that game isn't happening either.

So if you want to be realistic about it, you look to UMass and you don't look down at them (given they would probably beat us this season) but give that a chance to become something more.

And trust me, I didn't mean the fans or team were comfortable being at the bottom. I was saying that it isn't like we're threatening to be even close to the top half of the conference.

 

[DrG]

If my recollection is correct, when the question was put as to whether the AAC should invite UMass or Tulsa, the majority here voted for Tulsa. So I think UConn's rival should be Tulsa.

 

[Blue Loyalist]

Navy. It's more of a national game.

The only problem is that it could never be a rivalry game for Navy. Every one of their practices ends with "Beat Army!"

 

[UCFBfan]

I don't think anyone is looking down at these teams in the AAC because we think we're better then any of them. I think the reason everyone is saying None of the Above is because it is not a natural rivalry with any of these schools. Rivalries cannot be forced or created artificially. I don't give a about what our record is against BC or that we've never beaten them. I hate them with every ounce of my soul. That feeling is what forms a rivalry. Many here would probably say they feel the same towards them. THAT is what makes a rivalry. Right now, no one feels anything for ANY team in the AAC because we don't have a history with any of those schools, Temple included. Should we be stuck here for oblivion, maybe something develops naturally but that's it.

So for some of you to think folks here are being pompous I think you're reading it wrong. I think it's just that playing these schools mean nothing to us because they seem like all OOC games. We have never played many of these schools more then a random time here or there, or never. We see our regional rivals from the BE days playing in new conferences and we want to be there playing them again. Whether that's playing Syracuse and BC in the ACC or Rutgers in the B1G, that is what we all want.

HISTORY builds rivlaries, not some scheduling person trying to force one on either fan base.

 

[John]

I don't think anyone is looking down at these teams in the AAC because we think we're better then any of them. I think the reason everyone is saying None of the Above is because it is not a natural rivalry with any of these schools. Rivalries cannot be forced or created artificially. I don't give a about what our record is against BC or that we've never beaten them. I hate them with every ounce of my soul. That feeling is what forms a rivalry. Many here would probably say they feel the same towards them. THAT is what makes a rivalry. Right now, no one feels anything for ANY team in the AAC because we don't have a history with any of those schools, Temple included. Should we be stuck here for oblivion, maybe something develops naturally but that's it.

So for some of you to think folks here are being pompous I think you're reading it wrong. I think it's just that playing these schools mean nothing to us because they seem like all OOC games. We have never played many of these schools more then a random time here or there, or never. We see our regional rivals from the BE days playing in new conferences and we want to be there playing them again. Whether that's playing Syracuse and BC in the ACC or Rutgers in the B1G, that is what we all want.

HISTORY builds rivlaries, not some scheduling person trying to force one on either fan base.

NAILED IT. I don't get jacked hearing any of those schools mentioned. I'm still wrapping my head around them as "conference mates", never mind some forced-fed "rivalry game"

 

[John]

What is our all time record in FB vs UMass, what is our record all time against Hartford in BB? Not remotely close to the same thing.

Ok Bad example. URI then. Same thing. Wake me up when it's over.

UMASS, good God.

 

[noeynox]

I don't think anyone is looking down at these teams in the AAC because we think we're better then any of them. I think the reason everyone is saying None of the Above is because it is not a natural rivalry with any of these schools. Rivalries cannot be forced or created artificially. I don't give a about what our record is against BC or that we've never beaten them. I hate them with every ounce of my soul. That feeling is what forms a rivalry. Many here would probably say they feel the same towards them. THAT is what makes a rivalry. Right now, no one feels anything for ANY team in the AAC because we don't have a history with any of those schools, Temple included. Should we be stuck here for oblivion, maybe something develops naturally but that's it.

So for some of you to think folks here are being pompous I think you're reading it wrong. I think it's just that playing these schools mean nothing to us because they seem like all OOC games. We have never played many of these schools more then a random time here or there, or never. We see our regional rivals from the BE days playing in new conferences and we want to be there playing them again. Whether that's playing Syracuse and BC in the ACC or Rutgers in the B1G, that is what we all want.

HISTORY builds rivlaries, not some scheduling person trying to force one on either fan base.

We all want the same thing, it just isn't our reality, and if you have sat in the Rent for a game this year, the place has no juice, or excitement because as you said we have no attachments to these "conference mates". A game against UMass could stir some local passions. There are only two state schools playing FBS football in New England. I miss the Big East FB competition as much as anyone but that ship has sailed, sadly.

 

[Confident Carl]

BC or Rutgers, depending which league invites us first.

BC would be my choice. I think they are trying to create a rivalry between Maryland and Rutgers. If UMASS moves into the American then that would be a natural rivalry as well.

After attending the East Carolina game, perhaps we could get something going with them. The Pirates have the best fan base in the American and hard to believe but aside from Temple and Navy, they are our closest opponent. Ultimately I would prefer an annual game against Navy if that is possible.

 

[Dooley]

1. Boston College


2. Rutgers
3. Syracuse

UCONN fans hate Boston College. HATE. Hoops fans got all fired up over a fairly meaningless early season game last year at MSG against them. When BC and UCONN was announced as being in the Puerto Rico field, the same hoops fans got all fired up again. Hockey had to turn away people at the ticket window when BC came to the XL. If football ever got together on a long overdue "Battle of New England" on Thanksgiving weekend, not only would it sell out Gillette, it would be a 50/50 crowd split full with crowd fights in the stands (classic northeast fandom). BC fans like to claim that they are above UCONN and, right now, they are. But given the opportunity to play one another, they would lose their minds if they lost to UCONN and, thus, a natural geographic rivalry would be born.

Honestly, the fact that this game can't be scheduled is mind boggling. It would help both schools.

 

[Uconnalliance]

Can we play ourselves? This way we can't lose again.

 

[KOD594]

Would prefer one of BC, Cuse or Rutgers by tangling possible men and women's annual hoops game as a tie-in to football series but ACC is trying to create BC-Cuse rivalry as is Big Ten with Rutgers- Maryland. Navy is out at they have Army and last thing want to see after watching Army game is closing season with option team. UMASS only works for them as only raises their profile and lowers ours. Temple is best choice as closest league opponent to us, will generate interest from Philly on north along East Coast including raising recruiting profile in Southeast PA & South Jersey where there is lot of talent.

 

[CTBasketball]

1. Boston College


2. Rutgers
3. Syracuse

UCONN fans hate Boston College. HATE. Hoops fans got all fired up over a fairly meaningless early season game last year at MSG against them. When BC and UCONN was announced as being in the Puerto Rico field, the same hoops fans got all fired up again. Hockey had to turn away people at the ticket window when BC came to the XL. If football ever got together on a long overdue "Battle of New England" on Thanksgiving weekend, not only would it sell out Gillette, it would be a 50/50 crowd split full with crowd fights in the stands (classic northeast fandom). BC fans like to claim that they are above UCONN and, right now, they are. But given the opportunity to play one another, they would lose their minds if they lost to UCONN and, thus, a natural geographic rivalry would be born.

Honestly, the fact that this game can't be scheduled is mind boggling. It would help both schools.

Its not a Battle for New England when the two best teams don't play each other.

 

[06029]

Honestly, the fact that this game can't be scheduled is mind boggling. It would help both schools.

This game only helps Uconn. BC gets a schedule that includes annual games against FSU, Pitt, Cuse, VTech and Clemson. They also get Wake every year. They get ND 3 out of the next 5 years. They just finished home and home with USC. And a game against Uconn would help them? It helps them just as much as a game against UMass does. A non-P5 OOC game filled only with down side risk.

Uconn could not sell out Yankee Stadium against Army. Uconn can not sell out the Rent but would magically have 50% of Gillette? I get the Uconn hate of BC. But is it equal on the BC side? It takes 2 sides to build a rivalry. Right now, it is BC-Cuse for BC with a long history on both sides with each costing the other shots at significant bowl games in the past.

 

[sub legacy]

It's amazing how delusional this fan base is. We stick up our noses at the AAC (which we are currently resting comfortably at the bottom of) and say that our rivalry game should be against a team that won't play us, we have no real history of playing in football, and I'm pretty sure we have never beaten in football.

To be fair, Boston College is relatively mediocre in terms of present perception, so who are they to be "equal" to anyway?

But at least they're capable of knocking off good teams from time to time. UConn can, too... problem is, showing up is half the battle.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Rutty, BC, or Sara there are no other answers.

Based on our conference, I would choose USF but they already have a date for the prom. That leaves Cincy...but they own us so...

 

[Dogged]

It's amazing how delusional this fan base is. We stick up our noses at the AAC (which we are currently resting comfortably at the bottom of) and say that our rivalry game should be against a team that won't play us, we have no real history of playing in football, and I'm pretty sure we have never beaten in football.

I'm not sticking my nose up at the AAC. It's kind of been forced up by the bad smell.

 

[sub legacy]

Rutgers was becoming a decent rivalry before they left. Boston College would be a good New England rivalry in theory, but politics is continually preventing that from happening. So...

Rutgers
Syracuse
Boston College

would seem like appropriate, geographic rivals. Problem is, we're clearly not competitive, with or without a rivalry.

 

[Dooley]

This game only helps Uconn. BC gets a schedule that includes annual games against FSU, Pitt, Cuse, VTech and Clemson. They also get Wake every year. They get ND 3 out of the next 5 years. They just finished home and home with USC. And a game against Uconn would help them? It helps them just as much as a game against UMass does. A non-P5 OOC game filled only with down side risk.

Uconn could not sell out Yankee Stadium against Army. Uconn can not sell out the Rent but would magically have 50% of Gillette? I get the Uconn hate of BC. But is it equal on the BC side? It takes 2 sides to build a rivalry. Right now, it is BC-Cuse for BC with a long history on both sides with each costing the other shots at significant bowl games in the past.

And yet BC can't sell all of those magical games against FSU, Pitt, Cuse, VTech, Clemson and USCw. Apathy for BC athletics is at an all-time high. BC is a bowl team and yet they still can't sell out their own building against the ACC competition and USC games that you mentioned. Why is that? Apathy. What cures apathy? Local rivalries.

Yes, UCONN fans would swarm to whatever venue a BC/UCONN fan is played in. UCONN just brought 16+K to Yankee Stadium to watch two lousy 2-win teams play. UCONN is not always going to be this bad as they have been in the past 2 seasons. You put a bowl eligible UCONN team versus a bowl eligible BC team and yes, you easily have a rowdy, electric 50/50 split at Gillette. No question about that.

And about selling out Yankee Stadium - the only game to have sold out Yankee was 2010 Notre Dame vs Army. RU vs Army in 2012 drew 30K...and that's when RU had a shot at winning the Big East title. The fact that UCONN brought some 16+K fans to Yankee for a horrendous game between two horrendous teams is a testament of UCONN's presence in the northeast. Play that game again when UCONN is bowl eligible and you very easily have well over 20K UCONN fans. Or play that game against a team that we UCONN fans hate (BC), and you easily have well over 20K UCONN fans in the building.

You BC fans would very quickly hate UCONN as much as we hate you guys. UCONN fans hate BC for their role in keeping UCONN stuck in the AAC. BC fans hate the idea of UCONN infringing on "their turf". The game makes sense for BC because it will give this area a needed rivalry game on a high level. BC can't sell out their own building for marquee games like USCw and ACC games. BC is in need of some enthusiasm. If BC truly sees UCONN as a game against UMASS, then why continue to schedule UMASS annually and not UCONN? UCONN would bring more money and attention to any game against BC and you know it.

 

[Stinger92860]

Navy would move the Army game for us. (joke)

Duh on my part. I was thinking it's our rivalry game, not theirs, and we play it in November. Nevermind.

 

[Dooley]

http://the-boneyard.com/blog/on-riv...-progress-of-college-football-in-new-england/

 

[weyuo]

because it's like the basketball team saying that University of Hartford is an arch rival.

I don't get the attitude towards UMass either. Sure I'd like to see Penn St, Pitt, Cuse , BC and Maryland scheduled on a fairly regular basis but guess what? They don't want or need to play UConn. Scratch that.... they just don't want to play UConn. UMass does though. And... the Huskies get to play in a pro stadium(instead of a baseball field) thanks to UMass. I was just looking over future matchups for UMass and it seems some of those schools would rather be playing the Minutemen than the Huskies so I wouldn't be looking down my nose at them. They're going to be playing Florida, Vandy, Colorado a few times, Temple, Indiana, Army and an away game at Hawaii along with Notre Dame. They've played Penn St. When was the last time UConn played Penn St in football?

I think UConn and UMass should be fairly regular if not a yearly thing(hey don't be surprised if UMass ends up in the AAC sooner than later). If the crowds are raucous and the games competitive enough to create some buzz in New England maybe BC will finally take a hint and get us on their schedule.

 

[Ldandy]

I don't get the attitude towards UMass either. Sure I'd like to see Penn St, Pitt, Cuse , BC and Maryland scheduled on a fairly regular basis but guess what? They don't want or need to play UConn. Scratch that.... they just don't want to play UConn. UMass does though. And... the Huskies get to play in a pro stadium(instead of a baseball field) thanks to UMass. I was just looking over future matchups for UMass and it seems some of those schools would rather be playing the Minutemen than the Huskies so I wouldn't be looking down my nose at them. They're going to be playing Florida, Vandy, Colorado a few times, Temple, Indiana, Army and an away game at Hawaii along with Notre Dame. They've played Penn St. When was the last time UConn played Penn St in football?

I think UConn and UMass should be fairly regular if not a yearly thing(hey don't be surprised if UMass ends up in the AAC sooner than later). If the crowds are raucous and the games competitive enough to create some buzz in New England maybe BC will finally take a hint and get us on their schedule.

The question is would UCONN play one and dones at these places as UMASS has? It's as simple as that. P5 Schools want as many home games as possible w/o having to play return dates on the road.

 

[Dooley]

The question is would UCONN play one and dones at these places as UMASS has? It's as simple as that. P5 Schools want as many home games as possible w/o having to play return dates on the road.

As part of the deal to build Rentschler Field, the state of CT put into law that UCONN must play all "home" games at Rentschler Field until a certain year (I think that year is 2017). I think the first choice, obviously, is to try to schedule home and homes. But getting schools to agree to come to the Rent is difficult and we can't change our home venue without the blessing of our state legislature.

I think you hit the nail on the head. Personally, I think UCONN is getting to a point where it needs to consider scheduling one and done payout games on the road. But I'm not sure there would be majority agreement amongst the UCONN fanbase with this. I think many UCONN fans think that getting schools to come to the Rent is easy and that we shouldn't agree to play anyone without a return trip to Connecticut scheduled.

 

[huskymedic]

As part of the deal to build Rentschler Field, the state of CT put into law that UCONN must play all "home" games at Rentschler Field until a certain year (I think that year is 2017). I think the first choice, obviously, is to try to schedule home and homes. But getting schools to agree to come to the Rent is difficult and we can't change our home venue without the blessing of our state legislature.

Correct - Agreements can be worked out after soothing lawmakers who feel "wronged" - for example during the ND debacle, here is what was crafted; "The agreement reached between UConn and the lawmakers would run from 2011-2017, putting three games at Notre Dame stadium, and three at sites in either Boston, New York or New Jersey. It also requires UConn to play at least six other home games during those seasons at Rentschler Field, as long as the NCAA rules permit a 12-game season and permits a team to use one Football Championship Subdivision win per season as a bowl-eligible win"

 

[John]

I think you hit the nail on the head. Personally, I think UCONN is getting to a point where it needs to consider scheduling one and done payout games on the road. But I'm not sure there would be majority agreement amongst the UCONN fanbase with this. I think many UCONN fans think that getting schools to come to the Rent is easy and that we shouldn't agree to play anyone without a return trip to Connecticut scheduled.

I thought this even during the PP era. We were never as big as we thought we were (ie demanding 1-and-1's). - I've always felt we should have a bad-azzed "anyone, anywhere, anytime" attitude.