Why football might actually be the biggest winner.

[Wildgopher]

I love it, and BC has to stand by and watch UMass play UConn right in their back yard every year.

You think BC really gives a crap about that?

 

[huskyrob1]

You think BC really gives a crap about that?

Oh yes, most definitely.

 

[Adios]

Hey, I mentioned Fenway because it has a similar capacity to the Rent... And yes, it's fancier than McGuirk, no matter how you break it down.

UMass would need a new stadium of 30K to look as if they are on equal footing as us, facilities-wise. Otherwise, if things become heated enough again, might have to pay above face value to get in at McGuirk. Maybe one day.

 

[UConnNick]

God please no Fenway. Why does everyone want a game there??? Keep it it at each team's home field. Ugh

With some seats a mile away from the field, and almost no seats along one entire sideline. We need to create rivalry games that fans from both schools will attend, not give them reasons to stay home.

 

[UConnNick]

You just don't understand, man! It'll get people's attention, or something.

It sure will get the attention of those who attend the first game there. It will convince them never to return for a football game. If you want to kill future attendance, play a game at Fenway.

 

[billybud]

You can scroll down the weekly "watched numbers" for 2018 and look at the conferences that had games that drew around one million viewers for that week (skip the bowls and look at regulat season).

It illustrates why the SEC and B1G get the paychecks and also the gap between the ACC and the AAC.

College Football TV Ratings

College football TV ratings for the 2024 regular season, bowls, College Football Playoff and National Championship.

www.sportsmediawatch.com

 

[UConnFranklin]

Here are a few of my thoughts on why UConn going Independent is actually a good thing.

1. UConn would always be a bottom 5 school while in the AAC because we won’t be able to recruit the talent needed to compete with basically a southern league. What’s the reason a top recruit would come to a losing program in the north to play against winning programs in their backyard?

Staying in the AAC will eventually hurt our women’s basketball program too. As long as Geno remains the coach we have no issues. But what happens when he retires. The program will take a nosedive while in this league. AAC women’s basketball ranked 9th last year. And that’s with the top 5 rating of UConn in the league. Big East is ranked 5th.

2. In 5-7 years another realignment in conferences is going to take place. Houston, Memphis, Cincinnati and UCF will likely get a bid to join a P5. This would again leave UConn out in the cold in a league it never did fit but now left with teams it doesn’t fit with even more.

3. By joining the Big East we take back our future!!! Improve basketball to national relevance again and we are no worse then we were before the split.

4. When Randy initially built football into a respectable program with some degree of national relevance he started building the program by playing independent for 3 years and starting a winning/respectable tradition. Recruits don’t like to go to losing programs. By going Indy he can pick and chose his opponents and win a few games. The wins will get us better recruits and more winning. (As I said this would not happen in the AAC) Hence, the program eventually returns back to respectability.

5. With a nationally relevant basketball program and a much improved football program it becomes more possible that we get picked up in the next round of conference realignment.

I admit this is all speculation but if it doesn’t come true we are no worse of then in 2010. And it’s our only hope of being a national player on something.

 

[huskyrob1]

Here are a few of my thoughts on why UConn going Independent is actually a good thing.

1. UConn would always be a bottom 5 school while in the AAC because we won’t be able to recruit the talent needed to compete with basically a southern league. What’s the reason a top recruit would come to a losing program in the north to play against winning programs in their backyard?

Staying in the AAC will eventually hurt our women’s basketball program too. As long as Geno remains the coach we have no issues. But what happens when he retires. The program will take a nosedive while in this league. AAC women’s basketball ranked 9th last year. And that’s with the top 5 rating of UConn in the league. Big East is ranked 5th.

2. In 5-7 years another realignment in conferences is going to take place. Houston, Memphis, Cincinnati and UCF will likely get a bid to join a P5. This would again leave UConn out in the cold in a league it never did fit but now left with teams it doesn’t fit with even more.

3. By joining the Big East we take back our future!!! Improve basketball to national relevance again and we are no worse then we were before the split.

4. When Randy initially built football into a respectable program with some degree of national relevance he started building the program by playing independent for 3 years and starting a winning/respectable tradition. Recruits don’t like to go to losing programs. By going Indy he can pick and chose his opponents and win a few games. The wins will get us better recruits and more winning. (As I said this would not happen in the AAC) Hence, the program eventually returns back to respectability.

5. With a nationally relevant basketball program and a much improved football program it becomes more possible that we get picked up in the next round of conference realignment.

I admit this is all speculation but if it doesn’t come true we are no worse of then in 2010. And it’s our only hope of being a national player on something.

I'm not so sure Memphis gets a P5 bid, their academics are on par with PS 23 in the Bronx.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

I'm not so sure Memphis gets a P5 bid, their academics are on par with PS 23 in the Bronx.

Didn't stop Louisville.

 

[huskyrob1]

Didn't stop Louisville.

But the regrets of the ACC at choosing a commuter school like Louisville will give other P5's pause for thought about ignoring academics, and inviting a school based solely on football and basketball.

 

[billybud]

I really think that any "regrets of the ACC" about adding Louisville are usually framed by fans of other conferences. Thinking..."I bet that they regret adding these jokers.."

Louisville picked preseason basketball....

...#4 by SI, #4 by CBS, #5 by CBS, #6 by NBC, #6 by SBnation...

...Can they challenge the dookies and heels this year? More likely to be relevant than Louisville academics in a sports league.

 

[CL82]

I really think that any "regrets of the ACC" about adding Louisville are usually framed by fans of other conferences. Thinking..."I bet that they regret adding these jokers.."

Louisville picked preseason basketball....

...#4 by SI, #4 by CBS, #5 by CBS, #6 by NBC, #6 by SBnation...

...Can they challenge the dookies and heels this year? More likely to be relevant than Louisville academics in a sports league.

I guess. There was a time when the ACC purported to be more than just athletic conference. When it was a group of like minded institutions who put importance on academics and integrity. But those values got diluted when they added institutions who didn't share those views. Louisville is the most recent of such additions, but certainly not the only one.

 

[huskyrob1]

I guess. There was a time when the ACC purported to be more than just athletic conference. When it was a group of like minded institutions who put importance on academics and integrity. But those values got diluted when they added institutions who didn't share those views. Louisville is the most recent of such additions, but certainly not the only one.

That's exactly right. The Big Ten, SEC and PAC 12 are big on a academic cooperation on research projects, and they stress that when looking for new members. The ACC has really lost it's way last few years. Dilly Dud doesn't know what she's talking about.

 

[FroginCT]

That's exactly right. The Big Ten, SEC and PAC 12 are big on a academic cooperation on research projects, and they stress that when looking for new members. The ACC has really lost it's way last few years. Dilly Dud doesn't know what she's talking about.

Correct. If you want to understand the B1G, you have to start with graduate level academic research -- cooperation, funding, endowments, publishing, etc. The B1G Presidents do not see themselves as an athletic conference. They see athletics as another extension of money and branding.

 

[billybud]

The ACC sits atop 'Best Colleges' rankings with Big 12 at bottom

U.S. News & World Report recently released their annual “Best Colleges” rankings, which, much like any poll or ranking involving colleges, is up for constant debate. Those who rank highly are happy, those who don’t rank as high as they hoped are mad, and everyone just wants to know that they...

thecomeback.com

I know...not the narrative...so insults and umbrage will follow....

 

[Kolumbo]

It's absolutely maddening. UConn comes in at #63 and if you look at the institutions ahead of UConn, those are extremely high quality studs. #63!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The ACC, the conference of Duke, UVA, Wake Forest, chose ducking Louisville at # 171 over UConn. Insanity.

Sports programs rise and drop and sometimes drastically. On the education side, reputations must be earned over decades and decades of sustained performance. I still think the ACC could right its wrong by inviting UConn and lifting the conference profile. Or it has given up on pretending to be a conference of prestigious academics.

 

[CL82]

The ACC sits atop 'Best Colleges' rankings with Big 12 at bottom

U.S. News & World Report recently released their annual “Best Colleges” rankings, which, much like any poll or ranking involving colleges, is up for constant debate. Those who rank highly are happy, those who don’t rank as high as they hoped are mad, and everyone just wants to know that they...

thecomeback.com

I know...not the narrative...so insults and umbrage will follow....

The ACC university benefits from some good universities at the top pull up the bottom. There are clear divisions in the quality of the universities. And of course an outlier in located in Kentucky.

 

[UConnNick]

Here are a few of my thoughts on why UConn going Independent is actually a good thing.

1. UConn would always be a bottom 5 school while in the AAC because we won’t be able to recruit the talent needed to compete with basically a southern league. What’s the reason a top recruit would come to a losing program in the north to play against winning programs in their backyard?

Staying in the AAC will eventually hurt our women’s basketball program too. As long as Geno remains the coach we have no issues. But what happens when he retires. The program will take a nosedive while in this league. AAC women’s basketball ranked 9th last year. And that’s with the top 5 rating of UConn in the league. Big East is ranked 5th.

2. In 5-7 years another realignment in conferences is going to take place. Houston, Memphis, Cincinnati and UCF will likely get a bid to join a P5. This would again leave UConn out in the cold in a league it never did fit but now left with teams it doesn’t fit with even more.

3. By joining the Big East we take back our future!!! Improve basketball to national relevance again and we are no worse then we were before the split.

4. When Randy initially built football into a respectable program with some degree of national relevance he started building the program by playing independent for 3 years and starting a winning/respectable tradition. Recruits don’t like to go to losing programs. By going Indy he can pick and chose his opponents and win a few games. The wins will get us better recruits and more winning. (As I said this would not happen in the AAC) Hence, the program eventually returns back to respectability.

5. With a nationally relevant basketball program and a much improved football program it becomes more possible that we get picked up in the next round of conference realignment.

I admit this is all speculation but if it doesn’t come true we are no worse of then in 2010. And it’s our only hope of being a national player on something.

Regarding No. 1, take a look at Temple. They had the same horrible record we've had for the past several years, only they had it for decades. They were so bad the old Big East threw them out, which is ironic since that's the same league that let them back in.

They're a NE school in essentially the same recruiting area as us. They figured out a way to turn football around in the AAC, after a brief stint in the MAC. They not only turned everything around, they won the AAC title.

The difference? Our current administration never gave a damn about football. They hired awful coaches and when they stunk they didn't get rid of them soon enough. They also gave Disastro a ridiculous contract ext. after accomplishing NOTHING. They also refused to fund the program adequately.

Unless our new president is committed to keeping a program alive that's been there since 1896, it's over.

BTW, football was Independent in the first few years during the transition from I-AA out of necessity, not by choice. We were waiting for 2005, as the old Big East dictated. They moved it up to 2004 when Miami and VA Tech left, and Temple got thrown out.

 

[06029]

Hey, I mentioned Fenway because it has a similar capacity to the Rent... And yes, it's fancier than McGuirk, no matter how you break it down.

UMass would need a new stadium of 30K to look as if they are on equal footing as us, facilities-wise. Otherwise, if things become heated enough again, might have to pay above face value to get in at McGuirk. Maybe one day.

Who pays to rent Fenway for the game? Umass? The state of MA or do the powers that be just give the stadium to Umass for free? Uconn is just as close. Should they give up the benefits and revenue of a home game to play an annual game at Fenway?

 

[HuskyDogArt]

I think an average schedule would look more like this:

• @ any higher level B1G, ACC, PAC12 or SEC payday game
• lower level B1G or ACC team H/H or FCS team
• @ any AAC team. They have us pegged as a easy W so we can probably expect a game a year
• @ any MAC team H/H
• any CUSA team H/H
• @ any Mountain West team H/H)
• any Sun Belt team H/H) or FCS
• @ any Independent(H/H)
• any independent(H/H)
• any independent(H/H)
• @UMass(H/H during Thanksgiving week yearly rivalry)
• @Notre Dame or SEC late season cupcake game(payday game)

Like the schedule, but do you think a MW or a Pac12 would visit PAWS-ARF? I'd love to see Hawaii have a late season game at PAWS-ARF!!

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Like the schedule, but do you think a MW or a Pac12 would visit PAWS-ARF? I'd love to see Hawaii have a late season game at PAWS-ARF!!

On the surface, a Pac12 or MW visit may not make much sense. Peel back the onion, find schools with the largest Tristate/New England alumni bases and pitch relationship building/ fundraising potential and Pac12 Fox contract.

Hawaii: wouldnt come remotely close to the farthest I traveled for a UConn game (Rent, Fiesta, ND). All sarcasm appreciated, fuhgetabout for a late season UConn home game. Some of us wouldn’t mind traveling to cheer on our the Huskies. Do it soon before UConn’s bowl eligible some years

 

[Adios]

Regarding No. 1, take a look at Temple. They had the same horrible record we've had for the past several years, only they had it for decades. They were so bad the old Big East threw them out, which is ironic since that's the same league that let them back in.

They're a NE school in essentially the same recruiting area as us. They figured out a way to turn football around in the AAC, after a brief stint in the MAC. They not only turned everything around, they won the AAC title.

The difference? Our current administration never gave a damn about football. They hired awful coaches and when they stunk they didn't get rid of them soon enough. They also gave Disastro a ridiculous contract ext. after accomplishing NOTHING. They also refused to fund the program adequately.

Unless our new president is committed to keeping a program alive that's been there since 1896, it's over.

BTW, football was Independent in the first few years during the transition from I-AA out of necessity, not by choice. We were waiting for 2005, as the old Big East dictated. They moved it up to 2004 when Miami and VA Tech left, and Temple got thrown out.

Our admin gave a damn, just messed up with hires and contracts. Diablo made out like a bandit. I doubt his conscience even bothers him, other than his run here hurts his ego.

 

[Adios]

Who pays to rent Fenway for the game? Umass? The state of MA or do the powers that be just give the stadium to Umass for free? Uconn is just as close. Should they give up the benefits and revenue of a home game to play an annual game at Fenway?

UMass can figure that out, but I am not the AD, so I'll leave my thoughts out about scheduling hoping we hired some true professionals to handle that.

 

[buddy]

I really think that any "regrets of the ACC" about adding Louisville are usually framed by fans of other conferences. Thinking..."I bet that they regret adding these jokers.."

Louisville picked preseason basketball....

...#4 by SI, #4 by CBS, #5 by CBS, #6 by NBC, #6 by SBnation...

...Can they challenge the dookies and heels this year? More likely to be relevant than Louisville academics in a sports league.

I am back after a long hiatus. I see nothing has really changed. Sadly, Billy, you are correct. I hate to agree with you but you are correct on this matter. I wish people would drop this Louisville business here. They are in, and they will stay in. They bring competitive athletics to the ACC and that is what really matters to the ACC as far as Louisville is concerned. UConn can produce Nobel prize winners and it won't make a difference in conference athletics or realignment.

 

[d1reality]

It's absolutely maddening. UConn comes in at #63 and if you look at the institutions ahead of UConn, those are extremely high quality studs. #63!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The ACC, the conference of Duke, UVA, Wake Forest, chose ducking Louisville at # 171 over UConn. Insanity.

Sports programs rise and drop and sometimes drastically. On the education side, reputations must be earned over decades and decades of sustained performance. I still think the ACC could right its wrong by inviting UConn and lifting the conference profile. Or it has given up on pretending to be a conference of prestigious academics.

So reading this article, the ACC wins the academic conference profile, even with Louisville. We are to be led to believe we have a chance at power 5 - let alone the ACC - with possibly the worst D1 football program (at least defensively), barely any wins in the last 3 years (thank you Rhode Island), and I can't even find us listed in the recruiting figures for the 2020 class on the 247 site (did they think we abandoned the sport already!!)

With the ACC going big with a full blown sports network next month, I do not think that the ACC has any concerns about pretending to be a conference of prestige. This US News article and the launch of the ACC network eliminates any chance of that. Doubt they will be knocking on the doors of any Big East Schools during our lifetime.