You guys need to wake up

[cliptide]

This isn't going to go over well, but it needs to be said.

I get that moving to the ACC or the BigXII is the best move for us in the long term, especially in basketball. The question that needs to be stated though, is what makes all of you think we're entitled to an automatic BCS bid? We went to the fiesta bowl last year, played the #1 team in the country and got our butts handed to us, and were then sent home with our tails between our legs, and on the flight home we our owner decided a turtle was better than a beaten dog with no bite.

We've shown over the past few years that we can hang with the big boys, but not for an extended period of time. We haven't finished a year in the top 25 ever, we've won one outright conference championship in a down league. Mind you, I do think it was our destiny to win last year, we haven't won a title while the Pitts, wvu, and Ville's of the world are on down swings/rebuilding eras.

Our body of work doesn't entitle us to much. Our basketball programs are our cash cow until we can put together a winning tradition. This leaves us in a place where it almost benefits us to either a) stay in the big easy and dominate for a few years in a down conference (and play one hell of an OOC) or b) go independent in football, play who we want, and latch on to a bcs conference and take their bowl bids like ND has done to us for so many years. Then have the provision that if we finish in the top 10 we get a bcs bid.

This would actually help recruiting. A guaranteed game vs. Miami every year or a guaranteed game against UCF? Temple or Penn St? It just makes sense.

Feel free to agree or disagree. But since all of you seem to already know what's best for the program, I wanted to add my two cents

 

[IMind]

1. Staying in the Big East is our only option for now. Dominating would probably be a good idea.... when do you start as our recruiting director?

2. You dog UConn football, then say we should go independent. Good move. If we went independent we'd have a schedule with 8 away games and zero TV revenue...it's impossible. No one is paying for UConn football on it's own.

 

[BlueMAB]

You spent half the post crapping on the program, then came to the conclusion that the same program you just shat on is going to get a deal like the one ND got.

Did I miss the announcement about the contest to see which post can be the most ridiculous?

 

[Excalibur]

It's not a question of entitlement. We will not compete as a complete athletic department without BCS conference revenue.

If basketball is our cash cow, the entire athletic department is in trouble. Basketball doesn't generate enough.

 

[Huskies320]

Lol lets go indy and get a 100 year television deal from NBC

 

[cliptide]

I'm just stating the obvious that our football program isn't something a potential conference suitor is going to get excited about. Our basketball program is going to get us places. Until football can put together a string of notable accomplishments, we're going to be playing second fiddle to basketball. And until we stop playing second fiddle to basketball, we're going to be getting 2 and 3 star recruits that we have to hope pan out

 

[Excalibur]

I'm just stating the obvious that our football program isn't something a potential conference suitor is going to get excited about.

So stop trying and be minor league in all sports? Because that's the alternative.

 

[CTMike]

a) may be our only choice and b) is a complete non starter. We did a year independent, went 9-3, and got snubbed for a bowl. Why is that a better alternative?

UConn football is, essentially, less than 10 years young. I said it before, but it's worth repeating- thank god that folks had the foresight to make the leap to D1 in the face of doubters, because we would be in a LOT worse position now than if we didn't have the courage to make that leap. That said, there really isn't much we can do about the fact that we are a young program. I would say that no program has ever risen faster, and again, thank god for that. Are we entitled to an automatic BCS bid? Damn right we are. We didn't come all this way to back off the throttle now.

 

[jpm25]

I'm just stating the obvious that our football program isn't something a potential conference suitor is going to get excited about. Our basketball program is going to get us places. Until football can put together a string of notable accomplishments, we're going to be playing second fiddle to basketball. And until we stop playing second fiddle to basketball, we're going to be getting 2 and 3 star recruits that we have to hope pan out

aren't you late for class?

 

[gioff23]

you need to go back to sleep.

 

[UConn76]

A string of recent notable accomplishments isn't what got Pitt and SU into the ACC. SU has been a bottom feeder for the past 6-7 years. Pitt has been a chronic underperformer. They both were, unfortunately for UConn, one step ahead of us in garnering an ACC invite.

 

[cliptide]

It's not a question of entitlement. We will not compete as a complete athletic department without BCS conference revenue.

If basketball is our cash cow, the entire athletic department is in trouble. Basketball doesn't generate enough.

Ok, you aren't from Connecticut. Someone says uconn to you. Do you think football or basketball? Is pasqualloni a more recognizable name out of state than Calhoun or auriemma?

We're a basketball school with a football problem. The program is on the upswing, and we don't quite have a place on the map yet. And if we do, our place on the map is about as big as storrs.

 

[uc1974]

The ACC move was strategic, not quality based per se. It did not have anything to do with whether Pitt or SU football was better than ours. No one in the BE has the type of FB program you think we should have other than WVU. We're entitled to an automatic FCS conference bid just as Vandy, Duke, NW, KSU, Wash. State, Miss. State, Baylor, ISU, Wake Forest, UVA, Boston College and others are. You seem to be one of those that require that FB be a top 25 program to be relevant. Unless we move the school to Alabama and start fudging on academics a lot it's just not going to happen the way you want it to.

 

[UCDaveD]

So being the 2nd fastest team to ever crack a top-20 ranking and reaching a BCS bowl after only about a decade of D-1A football doesn't count as 'notable accomplishments'?

 

[Excalibur]

O

We're a basketball school with a football problem. The program is on the upswing, and we don't quite have a place on the map yet. And if we do, our place on the map is about as big as storrs.

And? What's your point? If that's the case (which I agree with 100%) what do we do about it? Abandon football, or at least stop trying? That seems to be what you're advocating. Even Jim Calhoun realizes what you don't seem to.

 

[Excalibur]

aren't you late for class?

I doubt he's a kid. He seems more like a middle-aged hoops fan who doesn't much care for football and thinks we can just retreat to the way things were in 1992 and be OK.

 

[UCDaveD]

I doubt he's a kid. He seems more like a middle-aged hoops fan who doesn't much care for football and thinks we can just retreat to the way things were in 1992 and be OK.

Middle aged woman's hoops fan* (Not that there's anything wrong with that)

 

[Excalibur]

I can understand why someone who is exclusively a women's hoops fan would feel that way.

 

[pepband99]

This isn't going to go over well, but it needs to be said.

I get that moving to the ACC or the BigXII is the best move for us in the long term, especially in basketball. The question that needs to be stated though, is what makes all of you think we're entitled to an automatic BCS bid? We went to the fiesta bowl last year, played the #1 team in the country and got our butts handed to us, and were then sent home with our tails between our legs, and on the flight home we our owner decided a turtle was better than a beaten dog with no bite.

We've shown over the past few years that we can hang with the big boys, but not for an extended period of time. We haven't finished a year in the top 25 ever, we've won one outright conference championship in a down league. Mind you, I do think it was our destiny to win last year, we haven't won a title while the Pitts, wvu, and Ville's of the world are on down swings/rebuilding eras.

Our body of work doesn't entitle us to much. Our basketball programs are our cash cow until we can put together a winning tradition. This leaves us in a place where it almost benefits us to either a) stay in the big easy and dominate for a few years in a down conference (and play one hell of an OOC) or b) go independent in football, play who we want, and latch on to a bcs conference and take their bowl bids like ND has done to us for so many years. Then have the provision that if we finish in the top 10 we get a bcs bid.

This would actually help recruiting. A guaranteed game vs. Miami every year or a guaranteed game against UCF? Temple or Penn St? It just makes sense.

Feel free to agree or disagree. But since all of you seem to already know what's best for the program, I wanted to add my two cents

Totally irrelevant. What has Indiana done in football? Kansas? Kentucky? This isn't a question of "our body of work" in football.

 

[Scalito]

It is not a question of entitlement. Fans want and hope to find a home in a viable BCS conference. And there is no on-the-field reason to believe UCONN isn't good enough to hold such a spot, unless you apply a performance standard that only a handful of the historically top teams can meet.

 

[BlueMAB]

IIRC, cliptide is one of the students the boneyard sent to the BCS game this year.

I want a refund.

 

[mattp]

does the idiot that started this thread know we've only been 1A for a decade? in the last ten years we've gone from 1AA to making 5 bowl games, including a BCS. we've done worlds better than either of the schools that the ACC just took, and we did it giving them a ridiculous head start. the Big Ten would be smart to take us. we'd be a great fit both athletically and academically. if the BigTen wants to move east we're clearly the best product available, including SU and Pitt.

 

[huskymedic]

"We have a lot of options because we are UConn"

 

[cliptide]

Someone do me a favor and please re-read the last sentence of my original post? This wasn't meant to be taken seriously. It was me making fun of all of you for saying why don't we do xy and z and someone else saying ab and c and a third person saying why not abc and xyz.

The chips are going to fall where they may, and there's nothing we can do about it. Unless your last name is herbst. Or the university is paying you a massive consultant fee.

All this stuff is fun to talk about, but let's keep it realistic. There's more talk about realignment on the board than substantive football talk.

And to answe the other outlying questions, no, I'm not late for class, yes, I'm a football fan. I'm a men's and woman's hoop fan, but in general a fan of UC athletics.

Also, I'm 24, and yes you did send me to the fiesta bowl. Yes I cheered my ass off. I went from the upper corner of our endzone to the sideline 3 rows off the field. Don't bring my fanhood into question.

 

[BlueMAB]

Nobody questioned your fanhood, just your sanity.