Why a yearly Thanksgiving series vs UMASS makes sense

[Drew]

1. Both teams need a New England rival
2. Easy travel to Amherst (yes, this game should be played on their campus when they host it, and obviously in EH when we host it)
3. Now that UMASS basketball is respectable again, make it a sports series ( hockey game Thanksgiving night, bball game Friday night, football game saturday)
4. Make it a trophy game. Would be pretty cool to see our players holding up the trophy after kicking umASS
5. At least for now, saves an easier game for the end of the schedule after a tough stretch of conference games. Think about what the SEC does with most of their teams scheduling FCS teams the second to last week of the season.
6. Most students at both schools have friends that have gone to the other one. Incentive for students to travel and or show up to the home game over thanksgiving break

 

[Palatine]

Ugh.

 

[Dooley]

I'd rather see UCONN schedule P5 teams. I get what you're saying though: UCONN needs a regional rival and that's true. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we can continue to play Rutgers while we wait in AAC purgatory.

 

[Skiblets]

Umm, no. No national cache, playing in a bandbox stadium every other year, no upside to this, end of year games should be conference rivalry games. We just need a better conference

 

[huskymedic]

1. Both teams need a New England rival
2. Easy travel to Amherst (yes, this game should be played on their campus when they host it, and obviously in EH when we host it) Just an FYI - Mcguirk only holds 17K
3. Now that UMASS basketball is respectable again, make it a sports series ( hockey game Thanksgiving night, bball game Friday night, football game saturday)
4. Make it a trophy game. Would be pretty cool to see our players holding up the trophy after kicking umASS
5. At least for now, saves an easier game for the end of the schedule after a tough stretch of conference games. Think about what the SEC does with most of their teams scheduling FCS teams the second to last week of the season.
6. Most students at both schools have friends that have gone to the other one. Incentive for students to travel and or show up to the home game over thanksgiving break

 

[Drew]

Umm, no. No national cache, playing in a bandbox stadium every other year, no upside to this, end of year games should be conference rivalry games. We just need a better conference

look at the UCF/USF series. Those teams hadn't played in forever yet that game was a huge deal to both of their fanbases because its regional. You don't just create a national rivalry game out of thin air. Those games, if anything, fade away over time due to conference realignment. A national rivalry game starts as a local rivalry.

People talk about wanting to play MAC or MWC or Sunbelt teams in OOC (at least one) but wouldn't you rather play UMASS than Central Michigan or Wyoming? I would assume the casual UConn fan would get more excited for UConn/Umass than Uconn/San Jose State.

The UConn/Umass thanksgiving series has potential to become a big deal in New England college sports. We need to think outside the box and create some excitement instead of just sulking because the Big East is no longer a conference. Tired of people saying no to everything and saying "we just need to be in the ACC/B10". Wake up and smell the coffee guys, we're here for now so lets make the most out of it.

 

[Drew]

I know it only seats 17,000 but it would be a much easier stadium to sell out and I personally would love to roam around the Umass campus after a win with my uconn gameday polo on and a big smile across my face

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Umm, no. No national cache, playing in a bandbox stadium every other year, no upside to this, end of year games should be conference rivalry games. We just need a better conference

I'm with you . . . Hell to the NO. UConn needs to be playing P5 type schools or at least conference rivals, not a D2 refugee. Let's think big not small (two former Yankee Conference rivals squaring off). Yuk.

As for the bandbox . . . that would be every year, not every other year. UConn's stadium is tiny enough, let's not play in a misplaced Ohio High School field.

 

[WestHartHusk]

This is such a bad idea it doesn't even warrant a response. Now go sit in the corner for the rest of the day.

 

[Drew]

Who's to say we won't play P5 schools in the other games? Suggesting our entire OOC is against P5 teams is just dumb, who wants to have to win 5 or 6 games in conference to make a bowl?

I haven't heard a legit reason to why this is a bad idea other than there's "no national cache" but honestly since when has UConn football played a game with national cache besides the one BCS game we miraculously made? Not trying to be a hater since i'm a student and a huge UConn football fan but I'd love to hear actually why its a bad idea other than "we're too good to play them" when all we do is bash Rutgers and BC for not playing us because they're "too good to play UConn"

 

[2Infinity]

...but honestly since when has UConn football played a game with national cache besides the one BCS game we miraculously made? "

Ummm...we just played Michigan this season! It was on a national network, ABC-TV. It also had a fair amount of national interest. Maybe not as much as if we were playing UMass...but I'll bet it would be close.

 

[UConnJim]

Why would you want to develop a rivalry with a school that many question if it is committed to FBS football? (Odds are 50/50 at best that UMass is in FBS football in 10 years.) Kind of makes others think your school may not be committed to FBS football. If, in 10 to 15 years, UMass shows they are committed to FBS and they are enjoying success, then I would say OK, let's give it a try.

 

[Dooley]

I'd love to hear actually why its a bad idea other than "we're too good to play them" when all we do is bash Rutgers and BC for not playing us because they're "too good to play UConn"

I think you just answered your own questions here. Despite our 3-9 finish last year, we're too good to play UMass. Until UCONN catches their escape pod out of the AAC, we need to be scheduling up, not down. Need to show that we are on a P5 level on the field and in the stands. Although Amherst is pretty close for UCONN fans to drive to, I doubt many will. We had a hard time getting fans to their seats at the Rent when we played UMASS here.

If you want to play UMass once in a while as the yearly cupcake, then that's fine. But we need to see how their program grows before committing to a yearly thing with them. They almost had the football program cut a few years ago! I wouldn't mind rekindling the basketball series somehow again now that they seem to be more competitive.

 

[UMass]

Drew...I'm a UMass fan and as much as that game would be a great deal for UMass, I'm agreeing with the guys on this board that are saying there is no real upside for UConn to do it at this time. If Umass builds the program like I hope they do, maybe 3-5 years down the road it would be great to re-establish the local rivalry, but I'd guess UConn will not be in the AAC by that time.
That said, I really do think basketball and hockey could put a week end series together annually that would be good for both schools.

 

[John Greene]

Guys, lets not dismiss this out of hand. It would probably generate a better late season gate than most other current possibilities. All of the negative points are valid, assuming we have a way out of the AAC mess. As much as it pains most of us, at this point we do not. Drew brings up a very valid point regarding the attention of casual fans.

 

[Uconnalliance]

If it isn't Umass maybe another D-1 local school ,play every year ,give it a special trophy like the Nutmeg cup or something like that. Maybe Army I don't know it's really not a bad idea,Christ Iowa & Minnesota play for the bronze hog,funny hog,lmao!

 

[FAIRTIDES]

Who's to say we won't play P5 schools in the other games? Suggesting our entire OOC is against P5 teams is just dumb, who wants to have to win 5 or 6 games in conference to make a bowl?

I haven't heard a legit reason to why this is a bad idea other than there's "no national cache" but honestly since when has UConn football played a game with national cache besides the one BCS game we miraculously made? Not trying to be a hater since i'm a student and a huge UConn football fan but I'd love to hear actually why its a bad idea other than "we're too good to play them" when all we do is bash Rutgers and BC for not playing us because they're "too good to play UConn"

Try this.

From this point, on, everything UCONN does has to be analyzed from a Business and national/media perception standpoint. UCONN really is at a point where it can afford few, if any, missteps. Other than pissing off High School football (In the NEast, Thanksgiving is HS Football), I can't think of a positive for either school. I doubt it could get on TV.

 

[HawkHusky]

While I'd rather stick with all P5/better competition OOC games...

If we're going to schedule an FCS/Stony Brook type team every year, it might as well be UMASS instead.

 

[WestCoastHusky]

If ESPN is willing to write a big fat check for us to play UMASS at Thanksgiving, then do it. Otherwise, it should be a big fat NO. UCONN should be scheduling P5 type of rivalry. Like some said, it should be a conference game. We just need to be in a better conference.

 

[specialisthusky]

I would be a lot more exited than the trash we are playing in conference. maybe hold off making it a Thanksgiving rivalry and just play it in the beginning of the year instead of the annual fbs game. If we want a chance at the access bowl in our good years it will be important to have a good SOS. Replacing an fbs team with UMass pretty much accomplishes that and still would be a win most years for the foreseeable future.

Plus I complain all the time about lack of regional rivalries. I'm not going to pull a BC despite how far ahead of UMass Uconn is right now.

 

[SAMCRO]

I don't mind playing UMass from time to time if we are scheduling a MAC OOC. I do not want that to be an annual game or a Thanksgiving series

 

[Carl Spackler]

I've been waiting for the "The real reason why the idea made sense was because I was really high, but I'm down now and it doesn't make sense anymore."......post.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Not only do I not believe that there is any advantage in our playing UMass (even on a semi-regular basis), I also do not believe we should play any FCS schools once we complete those that are already scheduled.

I imagine that everyone remembers Cincinnati's 2009 season. If that occurred in 2015 or forward (with all other pieces to the puzzle, primarily very few unblemished teams anywhere) they very likely would have been in the conversation for the four team playoff for the title (they would have been handled by whoever they played similar to how Florida handled them but that is not the point), likely with strength of schedule being a major factor.

I may be a starry eyed dreamer but I believe that it is not out of the realm of possibility that Diaco can do here (in a few years) something very similar to Cincinnati's 2009 BE season. If that does happen I do not want the fact that we opened the season with Fordham, Stony Brook, Villanova or any other FCS school as ammunition to keep us out of the four school playoff if we are unbeaten and nearly every other school in the country has at least two losses.

 

[Drew]

I would much rather have a trophy game with umass than play against Stony Brook or create a trophy game with Tulsa

 

[SubbaBub]

No. No room on the schedule for OOC games against non-P5 outside targeted recruiting areas.

I could easily be talked into BC or RU on Thxgvg, but they would probably repeat that statement back to us, though they should welcome a theoretically winnable game close to home on that weekend.

Now, if we are in the P-5....