With ND withdrawing and Louisville stepping in, should UConn move on from ND when contract expires?

[MooseJaw]

You guys know they canceled because of Covid, not because they're afraid to play a loaded Uconn team.

Not so fast, I believe ND has used covid as an excuse, they could have easily fit the game in if they wanted to. Do I know the reason why, nope but I look at the game last year and feel strongly that there is no way ND wanted to put their team and new coach through what could be a beat down.
I always looked forward to the ND game I would record it and watch it a number of times. My final thought, I think ND has made a big mistake, the game has national implications being a showcase for WCBB. Life goes on and for this season ND will be no more than an after thought.

 

[DefenseBB]

As I was reading Dillon's comments, and what my feedback to Orangutan was for creating this thread, no where did I suggest that ND was a "has been power" or going to be lacking in talent along without a Top 5, Top 10 ranking. We will see it play out if Niele can't keep them relevant (my beat is she's Top 10) but let's face it, part of the allure was the MM vs. Geno dynamic. Does the allure stay with Niele? No, Niele is not that type of polarizing personality. We have Chicago area recruiting covered with DePaul. We no longer have Texas or Carolina on the schedule, plus as noted, we are missing the west coast.

Both schools have the ability to schedule anyone they want but there is no allegiance to have to schedule each other. But with the way the poll looks now with 23 more people wanting to keep ND, the fuss is moot.

My last comment to @Geew1992 is Covid was the excuse to cancel the ND game AT ND this year, not the reason. Like I said earlier in this thread, ND football scrambled to get the ACC to throw it a lifeline to aid their schedule when the Big10 and PAC12 DID cancel due to Covid. That is a heck of lot more people being exposed than the 14 member team plus coaching and limited support staff that WCBB has, especially for a home game without travel. I hate to throw shade at @Dillon77 but come on, to wash your hands of why Niele cancelled a home game this year and forego 9,000+ fans and revenue as you weren't sure? I guess you're a republican...

 

[Dillon77]

As I was reading Dillon's comments, and what my feedback to Orangutan was for creating this thread, no where did I suggest that ND was a "has been power" or going to be lacking in talent along without a Top 5, Top 10 ranking. We will see it play out if Niele can't keep them relevant (my beat is she's Top 10) but let's face it, part of the allure was the MM vs. Geno dynamic. Does the allure stay with Niele? No, Niele is not that type of polarizing personality. We have Chicago area recruiting covered with DePaul. We no longer have Texas or Carolina on the schedule, plus as noted, we are missing the west coast.

Both schools have the ability to schedule anyone they want but there is no allegiance to have to schedule each other. But with the way the poll looks now with 23 more people wanting to keep ND, the fuss is moot.

My last comment to @Geew1992 is Covid was the excuse to cancel the ND game AT ND this year, not the reason. Like I said earlier in this thread, ND football scrambled to get the ACC to throw it a lifeline to aid their schedule when the Big10 and PAC12 DID cancel due to Covid. That is a heck of lot more people being exposed than the 14 member team plus coaching and limited support staff that WCBB has, especially for a home game without travel. I hate to throw shade at @Dillon77 but come on, to wash your hands of why Niele cancelled a home game this year and forego 9,000+ fans and revenue as you weren't sure? I guess you're a republican...

Ha! I must not have communicated that well....the 9,000 fans were needed for, hmmm, moral support. Never even thought of the gate totals. (the NBC contract, which many people love to attack, does cover many other considerations.)

I'm not saying you wrote that ND is a "has been" power, but this was after a review of the entire thread.
Celebrate at one's own risk. Niele, after all, was largely responsible for recruiting most of the players that have caused some degree of havoc. Yes, MM's special relationship with her Philly buddy made it interesting, but the rivalry has long been fueled by wing-women (hello, Chris!).

BTW, last point, the Irish have always played DePaul and Marquette. If they continue to play them -- and UConn -- it will be a mid-season four in its own right.

 

[Alydar]

I see Geno playing in Europe in two years with games in Poland and Croatia instead of playing in Italy.

How about in the summer of 2023 UConn travels to Europe and plays a couple of national teams.

 

[hoopsfan22]

The premise of this thread is silly. We're not going to stop playing ND until they are consistently unranked, and I have a feeling we'll be the ones unranked more often than they are in the long term.

 

[Watchdog]

You guys know they canceled because of Covid, not because they're afraid to play a loaded Uconn team.

Was that the reason given? It may be true, but I'd bet it's more to preserve the aura of a winning program so the new coach doesn't get embarrassed at home in an early season game in her first year and have people start to question whether she's up to the job.
Football didn't cancel the Clemson game and those players, especially linemen, are right up in each others' faces the whole game huffing and puffing. Aren't they concerned about the football players?
What about the men's team? Have they cancelled any tough games yet?
I admit I'm a major cynic, but it's hard not to be unless they've decided to cancel the entire season.