Hey UConn: time to change the paradigm...

[whaler11]

It's simple: fans need to buy stuff. Tickets and merchandise. Alumni join the Alumni Association. Donate some loot if you have it. With demand comes demand. UCONN can demand top merchandising contracts. Buying tickets helps scheduling and creates more of a P5 demand.

Beyond giant donations, the best thing people can do is go to games and watch on TV.

Marketing it like a charity won't work though. They have to somehow improve the experience to make it an event.

The kid's sports issue is the biggest problem. Mine are finally getting there and I'm begging my way into a more favorable time slot. Tailgating is shot even if I get it - but at least the games are still in play.

 

[Dooley]

Beyond giant donations, the best thing people can do is go to games and watch on TV.

Marketing it like a charity won't work though. They have to somehow improve the experience to make it an event.

The kid's sports issue is the biggest problem. Mine are finally getting there and I'm begging my way into a more favorable time slot. Tailgating is shot even if I get it - but at least the games are still in play.

Agree about the marketing. But at some point, alumni and fans who care about continuing to make great athletic memories will have to feel a sense of giving back. UCONN needs its fans and alumni more than ever right now. I have no idea how to stress this without coming across like a Sally Struthers commercial, but it's true. We only have a few more years that we'll be able to pay our coaches what we pay and market our programs how we market them. The cash pool will dry up at some point and the onus will be on us fans/alumni to keep it going.

 

[TerryD]

I agree with all of this. If independence is a potential plan for some, I would strongly suggest they consider a return to FCS Status for football instead. It will save them a lot of heartache. The AAC Schedule isn't great, but what you would cobble together as an independent would make it look like The NFL. The days of independence are over. Even ND isn't fooling anyone. They have essentially created a conference schedule with 5 ACC Games, USC, and Navy every season. The ND Brand still carries weight so they can arrange a few additional P5 Games each year. UCONN would get the BYU Treatment or worse.

IMO you have 3 options:

1)Raise money like gangbusters to improve facilities, maintain coaches, and build programs, all the while working behind the scenes with The B1G, ACC, and (gag) Big 12 to try to be the next school on deck.

2)Evaluate whatever nonsense the P5 Schools come up with to segregate themselves from The G5 Schools, match it, and then find 11-15 other like minded schools who feel the same to start a new "P6" Conference after The AAC's Contract expires. I suggested a combo of the best of The MWC and AAC earlier.

3)Drop down to FCS in football and join The Big East in all sports. Pour your money into basketball and Olympic sports remaining at the top. Whatever you do don't even entertain the notion of independence, because it will be a living death penalty for UCONN Football.

Even as a complete football independent, with no ACC games, ND had a pretty set group of schools it played pretty regularly the last couple of decades:

Michigan
Michigan State
Purdue
Southern Cal
Navy
Stanford
Pitt
BC

That did not mean that ND was "fooling anyone" from 1978 until 2012 about being an independent. It just meant that ND had more flexibility as an independent to play teams from a number of different conferences (Big Ten, Pac 10, Big East, etc..) and geographic locations than conference teams with a 8 or 9 game conference schedule.

All the move to the five ACC games really means, schedule wise, is that ND dumped the Big Ten teams from their annual schedule and exchanged them for ACC teams. Pitt and BC are now in the ACC.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Did we need another thread on this? It's beyond tiresome at this point. All this "We are the University of Connecticut and nobody else is" nonsense is meaningless and arrogant. The sky isn't falling and nor are these the days of wine and roses. The athletic department has some opportunities and some major challenges. The University on the other hand, is in better shape than it ever has been. UConn isn't going anywhere, even if its dream of becoming a school that succeeds in big time football dies.

The situation is anything but static, and we could wind up in many different situations, from the B1G, ACC, Big XII, AAC, a new hybrid between the AAC and MWC, independent, or out of D1 football. All of these are possible. The folks running the show know this and I trust that they will do what they can to secure a positive result.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

Could the University sell online subscriptions to the sports that aren't currently on TV? I would buy a subscription for a year if I could see the soccer and baseball games. I might even watch the field hockey, though I have no idea how it's played. I assume men's hockey rights are already sold, no? I see a fair amount of Hockey East on NESN. Maybe the games not televised could also be added to this ticket. Bottom line is we do have other world class sports that folks would be interested in seeing. It might also help recruiting if prospective student athletes knew that their family could see almost every game through the internet. Just an idea.

 

[pj]

Could the University sell online subscriptions to the sports that aren't currently on TV? I would buy a subscription for a year if I could see the soccer and baseball games. I might even watch the field hockey, though I have no idea how it's played. I assume men's hockey rights are already sold, no? I see a fair amount of Hockey East on NESN. Maybe the games not televised could also be added to this ticket. Bottom line is we do have other world class sports that folks would be interested in seeing. It might also help recruiting if prospective student athletes knew that their family could see almost every game through the internet. Just an idea.

It could, but then it would have to produce the television. If you charge $20 a year and video production costs $200k, marketing $100k, then you need 15,000 subscribers to break even. Not sure they could easily get that. Much easier to sell to cable companies than to consumers.

Also, they would have to acquire the rights from the AAC/ESPN.

 

[UConn Dan]

Could the University sell online subscriptions to the sports that aren't currently on TV? I would buy a subscription for a year if I could see the soccer and baseball games. I might even watch the field hockey, though I have no idea how it's played. I assume men's hockey rights are already sold, no? I see a fair amount of Hockey East on NESN. Maybe the games not televised could also be added to this ticket. Bottom line is we do have other world class sports that folks would be interested in seeing. It might also help recruiting if prospective student athletes knew that their family could see almost every game through the internet. Just an idea.

This is essentially what the UConn gameday app does. It's an annual subscription and features live audio and video (when available) for all games and at the very least it features a game tracker when not available.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

This is essentially what the UConn gameday app does.

When you say app it makes me think of using a smart phone. Is that the only way this is viewed or can the internet be used as well?

Also, they would have to acquire the rights from the AAC/ESPN.

Since those sports are never on TV, I didn't know they were included in the rights that we already sell.

I tried, albeit going down in a ball of flames.
Can we get the dairy barn to expand? My stomach says yes, yes, yes!!! My Dr says no, no, no!!!!

 

[Dooley]

Soccer, baseball, hockey...UCONN has its fair share of top level programs in its AD repertoire. If they moved WBB from CPTV to this GameDay Live app, I'm sure a few of the WBB fans will migrate over too. I have no idea how much UCONN generates from WBB TV content but if the games are all on CPTV, I'm guessing not much. Could be a way to make WBB a serious revenue stream.

Again, I'm talking out of my . I tend to do that.

 

[UConn Dan]

Soccer, baseball, hockey...UCONN has its fair share of top level programs in its AD repertoire. If they moved WBB from CPTV to this GameDay Live app, I'm sure a few of the WBB fans will migrate over too. I have no idea how much UCONN generates from WBB TV content but if the games are all on CPTV, I'm guessing not much. Could be a way to make WBB a serious revenue stream.

Again, I'm talking out of my a . I tend to do that.

WBB has a deal with SNY (for games not picked up by ESPN). Not sure how the money is restructured (if at all) with the AAC ESPN TV deal.

 

[UConn Dan]

When you say app it makes me think of using a smart phone. Is that the only way this is viewed or can the internet be used as well?


Since those sports are never on TV, I didn't know they were included in the rights that we already sell.

I tried, albeit going down in a ball of flames.
Can we get the dairy barn to expand? My stomach says yes, yes, yes!!! My Dr says no, no, no!!!!

I believe you can watch and listen on your computer as well and mirror from your iPhone / iPad to Apple TV (I believe I did this for the Bob diaco introductory presser). There's def content out there to be consumed that doesn't fall under the ESPN TV deal. The "game day" app is powered by CBS sports though (ie it's not independent) so not sure how much of a cut UConn gets but at least it doesn't have to pay the operating costs.

 

[Dooley]

WBB has a deal with SNY (for games not picked up by ESPN). Not sure how the money is restructured (if at all) with the AAC ESPN TV deal.

Thanks UCONN Dan. I wonder if SNY feeds can be used for mobile? I have no idea if what I'm about to propose is legal/ethical, but in addition to watching WBB on SNY TV, could UCONN also charge a subscription fee for this GameDay Live app and show SNY games on it? I know it would need to be cleared with SNY first. I also have no idea if SNY already has an app of their own that would allow for this.

I'm glad that their games aren't on CPTV anymore. It used to drive me nuts to see their telethons asking for money that went to the station, not UCONN. It would drive me even more nuts if that was still the case today, given our revenue shortage compared to our fortunate regional r1vals.

 

[TerryD]

Soccer, baseball, hockey...UCONN has its fair share of top level programs in its AD repertoire. If they moved WBB from CPTV to this GameDay Live app, I'm sure a few of the WBB fans will migrate over too. I have no idea how much UCONN generates from WBB TV content but if the games are all on CPTV, I'm guessing not much. Could be a way to make WBB a serious revenue stream.

Again, I'm talking out of my a . I tend to do that.

I am not sure if soccer and baseball are tied up in the AAC TV deal, but Hockey East has a deal with NESN, I believe.

Notre Dame was able to negotiate its own separate home game hockey TV deal with NBC Sports as part of its move into Hockey East. Perhaps UConn could try to market its hockey rights outside of Hockey East. I am not sure if they assigned those rights to the conference yet, or not.

 

[FDNY99]

Beyond giant donations, the best thing people can do is go to games and watch on TV.

Marketing it like a charity won't work though. They have to somehow improve the experience to make it an event.

The kid's sports issue is the biggest problem. Mine are finally getting there and I'm begging my way into a more favorable time slot. Tailgating is shot even if I get it - but at least the games are still in play.

This is a HUGE issue in my eyes Whaler. My tailgate group dwindled from about 20 (kids included) every week to a 6-8 avg per game in the last few years. And it isn't like the guys lost interest (they are all former team alumni), it is youth sports schedules that are the issue..specifically youth football. I always wondered if there was a way for UCONN to reach out to the youth leagues around the state and work to schedule games so that kids can attend (maybe even do some ticket specials for a few games) games. Grass roots at it's best for cultivating a fan base

 

[FDNY99]

I am not sure if soccer and baseball are tied up in the AAC TV deal, but Hockey East has a deal with NESN, I believe.

Notre Dame was able to negotiate its own separate home game hockey TV deal with NBC Sports as part of its move into Hockey East. Perhaps UConn could try to market its hockey rights outside of Hockey East. I am not sure if they assigned those rights to the conference yet, or not.

Terry Hockey East also has a tv deal with NCB Sports where one league game a week is televised Friday night.

 

[freescooter]

Terry Hockey East also has a tv deal with NCB Sports where one league game a week is televised Friday night.

I think it also has a smaller deal with NESN to televise some games at other times. The NBCSports deal is national. NESN obviously is more regional. It would be great if SNY snagged a couple of UConn hockey games this year, too.

 

[whaler11]

This is a HUGE issue in my eyes Whaler. My tailgate group dwindled from about 20 (kids included) every week to a 6-8 avg per game in the last few years. And it isn't like the guys lost interest (they are all former team alumni), it is youth sports schedules that are the issue..specifically youth football. I always wondered if there was a way for UCONN to reach out to the youth leagues around the state and work to schedule games so that kids can attend (maybe even do some ticket specials for a few games) games. Grass roots at it's best for cultivating a fan base

UConn has almost zero control of the schedule.

I wish whoever tries working with youth sports leagues luck. Those maniacs all think they are Adam Silver or Paul Tagliabue.

There is less pregame nonsense before an NFL game than most of the youth football games around here.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

You'd have to buy back the tier 3 games since they are already sold. The games are already streamed so you'd also have to sell people on paying more for something they already have. Good luck with that.

Selling their rights on their own sounds great: Only one way to do that (outside of the entire league having tramatic brain injuries and agreeing to that scenario) and that is independence.

This stuff sounds great on message boards. It won't work in real life.

Can you even imagine what it would look like with most of the teams in this league trying to sell their rights independently? You want to try and recruit when your home games are on regionally and your road games are televised on a mismash of 6th rate networks that no one gets?

You want to talk about Google or Netflix or some other alternate distibution for the league? Sure chase everything, but if you aren't in a league you can't make a schedule. If you don't have a schedule you don't have anything to sell.

As bad as the AAC/ESPN deal is - it's still better than any current alternative.

This league, at $2MM per year in total TV revenue, is a death sentence. If that is your answer, then you are in favor of a slow, very expensive death that will result in UConn being essentially a Yankee level athletic program. Either the league needs to get more money, or UConn needs to get another league.

 

[whaler11]

This league, at $2MM per year in total TV revenue, is a death sentence. If that is your answer, then you are in favor of a slow, very expensive death that will result in UConn being essentially a Yankee level athletic program. Either the league needs to get more money, or UConn needs to get another league.

Well when you come up with a plausible solution you let us know.

 

[Gampeltiles]

@Pudge Oh wait my bad. Rah, rah! We're UConn! Everything is fine! That better for ya?

A huge financial disparity is upcoming. Whether people want to address it or not is on them.

I'll be buying my season tickets as I have every fall since I was a freshman in 2005, go to the bowls, go to MSG etc.

Pointing out that puffing our chest on a message board and ignoring the situation doesn't make me a downer, but a realist.

How many "realists" had a #7 seed winning the National Championship?

 

[Gampeltiles]

You can't just blow away the football program and join the New Big East. The NBE was exposed last year in the NCAA Tourny. The AAC was a better basketball conference than the NBE was last year and most likely the AAC will be at least be on par with the NBE this year.

The NBE has a better TV contract I get that.

BUT the notion that we should jump ship on FBS football shows how weak the support for the football program actually is. Maybe THAT lack of support and loyalty to the sport that drives the P5 programs is the defining reason why we are in purgatory now.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

How many "realists" had a #7 seed winning the National Championship?

I could show you my Yahoo bracket