"New England's Team?" How much weight does UConn carry in the region?

[pj]

I'm pretty sure we won New York in that ESPN poll. Here's another view:

http://www.courier-journal.com/stor...ing-kickoff-nation-rooting-wisconsin/7197277/

 

[BoatShow]

I'm pretty sure we won New York in that ESPN poll. Here's another view:

http://www.courier-journal.com/stor...ing-kickoff-nation-rooting-wisconsin/7197277/

People from Delaware love those Gators!

 

[SAMCRO]

Gentlemanly wager: if UCONN doesn't beat at least half of these attendance figures (I included your MetLife game too because I was feeling generous), then I will change my avatar pic to something Rutgers (you post the pic, I will replace Obama holding a UCONN jersey) for a week following our game against Army. If we do, then your name becomes JayUCONN09 for a week.

We haven't had a chance to take over Yankee Stadium yet because we have never played there. That ends this season when we play Army. UCONN will move 40K tickets. I am 100% confident that we will beat most of these attendance figures below.

Regular Season:
54,251 - Notre Dame @ Army (Yankee Stadium - 2010)
41,292 - Rutgers vs Army (MetLife Stadium "New Meadowlands Stadium" - 2010)
30,028 - Rutgers @ Army (Yankee Stadium - 2012)

Bowl games:
47,122 - Notre Dame vs Rutgers (Pinstripe Bowl Yankee Stadium - 2013)
39,098 - Syracuse vs WVU (Pinstripe Bowl Yankee Stadium - 2012)
38,328 - Rutgers vs Iowa State (Pinstripe Bowl Yankee Stadium - 2011)
38,274 - Syracuse vs Kansas State (Pinstripe Bowl Yankee Stadium - 2010)

Dooley, 30,028 should be your benchmark for the bet.... Rutgers v Army regular season game. The only apples 2 apples comparison.

 

[UConnDan97]

I like the picture that was posted. I liked the graph that the link brought me to even more.

Just for the sake of clarity :

http://espn.go.com/espn/fp/flashPollResultsState?sportIndex=sportsnation&pollId=4267753

 

[pj]

Just for the sake of clarity :

http://espn.go.com/espn/fp/flashPollResultsState?sportIndex=sportsnation&pollId=4267753

View attachment 6399

Yeah, funny thing -- people in Florida were among the happiest for UConn's win. Must be a lot of anti-Kentucky animus in the SEC. Note that every SEC state except Kentucky was rooting for Florida before the Final Four started.

 

[JayRU09]

He can't 'like' my post and then change the rules of the bet, that's a legally binding handshake like agreement right there.

 

[noeynox]

See that, we made almost the whole world Happy except the state of Kentucky. UConn brings happiness.

 

[JayRU09]

And seriously, who the frick cares about Kentucky? I mean honestly.

 

[pj]

Unfortunately CommonCensus does not have a college basketball fan map, if it did it would show UConn dominating New England and New York. But they do have a football map. It dates from 2010, and here it is:

http://commoncensus.org/sports_map.php?sport=5


UConn is the dominant college football rooting interest in Connecticut but its football fan base doesn't extend much beyond state borders as of yet. However, UConn's fan base in this algorithm comes out bigger than those of Pitt, West Virginia, NC State, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Duke, South Carolina, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Iowa State, Purdue, Indiana, Louisville, UCLA, Stanford, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington State, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, and many other G5 teams.

In the AAC, the ranking is:
UConn 347
East Carolina 313
UCF 148
Cincy 137
Navy 97
USF 92
Memphis 69
SMU 42
Houston 37
Tulsa 25
Temple N/A
Tulane N/A

Other top non-P5 teams:
BYU 373
Boise St 241
Wyoming 183
Buffalo 129
San Diego St 106
Nevada 91
Army 84
Air Force 79
Fresno St 62

B1G does really well by this algorithm. Top teams nationally include:
Penn State 1397
Ohio State 1136
Michigan 1019
Notre Dame 994
Texas 873
Texas A&M 849
Wisconsin 751
Illinois 750

You can see on this algorithm that a school like Illinois really benefits from being the "favorite team" of a lot of residents of a populous state, even though there is very little passion for them, while Alabama (202) suffers from splitting a small state with Auburn (288) and doesn't get a lot of credit for the many out-of-staters who follow them and watch their games, but don't name them as their favorite team.

I think this illustrates the value of the B1G strategy. Rutgers (517) and Maryland (607) score very well, despite little history of football success. So do Minnesota (498), Iowa (483), Indiana (305), and state flagships generally. Syracuse and BC come out with big followings in this method thanks to a lack of northeastern competition. If UConn joined the B1G, it could steal most of their fans and get into the 600-700 range fairly quickly I believe.

 

[outsidethebox]

Yeah, funny thing -- people in Florida were among the happiest for UConn's win. Must be a lot of anti-Kentucky animus in the SEC. Note that every SEC state except Kentucky was rooting for Florida before the Final Four started.

All the Florida fans in my section just wanted us to beat them. We were only fans from ct that high up and there was that much dislike from the two of them. After this final four there is not to like about the Kentucky fanbase.

 

[Dooley]

He can't 'like' my post and then change the rules of the bet, that's a legally binding handshake like agreement right there.

Not changing the terms. My Boneyard honour is only as strong as my word. 41,183 1/2 it is.

 

[BigRonBuckeye]

http://espn.go.com/espn/fp/flashPollResultsState?sportIndex=sportsnation&pollId=4267753

Well done.

 

[BigRonBuckeye]

Well, you guys added Maryland and Rutgers. So there is no way football figured in the decision process.

Touché. Moves based on markets and long potential imho.

They are trying to turn hockey into a profitable venture on BTN but there would be massive pushback from Minnesota to adding schools just for hockey. They, moreso than any of the other teams, lost a lot when they left the wcha. The powers that be in Minnesota want to play as many of the Minnesota schools as well as North Dakota as possible every year. They are able to do that now because the conference is small. Every school we add means (given current structure) removing 4 non conference games which would squeeze their scheduling abilities.

I agree that BC is a monster in Hockey and Hockey East is as solid a league in the country in hockey, but if/when UConn joins the B1G i see you all doing the same thing Minnesota is doing by playing tons of non conf against local/regional schools and a "National" Conference schedule. I just don't see more than one from New England, especially for hockey.

 

[ZooCougar]

Touché. Moves based on markets and long potential imho.

They are trying to turn hockey into a profitable venture on BTN but there would be massive pushback from Minnesota to adding schools just for hockey. They, moreso than any of the other teams, lost a lot when they left the wcha. The powers that be in Minnesota want to play as many of the Minnesota schools as well as North Dakota as possible every year. They are able to do that now because the conference is small. Every school we add means (given current structure) removing 4 non conference games which would squeeze their scheduling abilities.

I agree that BC is a monster in Hockey and Hockey East is as solid a league in the country in hockey, but if/when UConn joins the B1G i see you all doing the same thing Minnesota is doing by playing tons of non conf against local/regional schools and a "National" Conference schedule. I just don't see more than one from New England, especially for hockey.

They play so many games in hockey, you could add two more hockey schools and still play Mankato State to you heart's content.

 

[BoatShow]

Honestly I find it hard to conceive rooting for another state's flagship university. Then again, I'm a UConn fan it is pretty hard for me to conceive rooting for anyone else period.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

If UNH or Maine were playing for an FCS National championship against a school from an other area.
90% of hardcore Conn football fans would be routing for them.
There is a natural regional pride.
If UConn is in the B1G it will be a source of regional pride for all New England football fans.Remember the bar is set pretty low ,all were asking is for them to tune in to watch a game. For instance you have Texas Tech playing Baylor or UConn vs Mich State. I would guess the rating for the later game will be 5 times the former.

 

[woomba]

I think this is the real answer - New England will support whichever team is hot at the moment so theoretically both BC and UConn can 'carry' New England when they are doing well...and not carry them at all when they're not.

BC doesn't really fit institutionally with the Big Ten though, so if the Big Ten ever wanted to take a stab at the NE market I see UConn being more likely of the two.

 

[BigRonBuckeye]

If UNH or Maine were playing for an FCS National championship against a school from an other area.
90% of hardcore Conn football fans would be routing for them.
There is a natural regional pride.
If UConn is in the B1G it will be a source of regional pride for all New England football fans.Remember the bar is set pretty low ,all were asking is for them to tune in to watch a game. For instance you have Texas Tech playing Baylor or UConn vs Mich State. I would guess the rating for the later game will be 5 times the former.

Is there enough regional pride and demand generated to consider all of New England "In-State" for cable distribution purposes? 14 Million people looks and sounds better than 3.5 ish Million for Connecticut alone. Similar to proximity and culture playing a factor of getting RU and B1G into basic cable in NYC, I feel like the same logic should hold in getting UConn & B1G into New England.

 

[pj]

Is there enough regional pride and demand generated to consider all of New England "In-State" for cable distribution purposes? 14 Million people looks and sounds better than 3.5 ish Million for Connecticut alone. Similar to proximity and culture playing a factor of getting RU and B1G into basic cable in NYC, I feel like the same logic should hold in getting UConn & B1G into New England.

The B1G I've read gets $0.90 per month per subscriber in-state and $0.10 out of state in the Midwest. In Connecticut with UConn they could get $2.40 and in Massachusetts maybe $0.40 and the rest of New England $0.25. New York City might be raised from $0.15 with Rutgers to $0.30. It would be incremental money but in a lot of homes. I'm not worried about UConn meeting B1G revenue requirements. The problem is more a partner, AAU status, those kinds of criteria.

The B1G is so rich, it's impossible to bring in enough money to match average per team revenue plus an extra $28 million/year revenue to provide each team with a $2 mn sweetener. So any additions are financially marginal for the B1G. This means you really have to win on non-financial criteria.

 

[BoatShow]

If UNH or Maine were playing for an FCS National championship against a school from an other area.
90% of hardcore Conn football fans would be routing for them.
There is a natural regional pride.
If UConn is in the B1G it will be a source of regional pride for all New England football fans.Remember the bar is set pretty low ,all were asking is for them to tune in to watch a game. For instance you have Texas Tech playing Baylor or UConn vs Mich State. I would guess the rating for the later game will be 5 times the former.

Definitely, but I'm talking about straight up taking allegiance.

 

[woomba]

The B1G I've read gets $0.90 per month per subscriber in-state and $0.10 out of state in the Midwest. In Connecticut with UConn they could get $2.40 and in Massachusetts maybe $0.40 and the rest of New England $0.25. New York City might be raised from $0.15 with Rutgers to $0.30. It would be incremental money but in a lot of homes. I'm not worried about UConn meeting B1G revenue requirements. The problem is more a partner, AAU status, those kinds of criteria.

The B1G is so rich, it's impossible to bring in enough money to match average per team revenue plus an extra $28 million/year revenue to provide each team with a $2 mn sweetener. So any additions are financially marginal for the B1G. This means you really have to win on non-financial criteria.

Those carriage rates are generally accurate - but it's mostly due to the fact that the Big Ten signed those deals back in 2008. When the time comes to renegotiate, I expect those numbers to go up.

 

[BoatShow]

Interest in UConn pretty much ends at the CT state border. There is no one New England college team and there never will be. New England is too provincial and very fractured (too many colleges in such a small region) for this to ever occur.

The only reason UConn was on tv in VT was for CT residents vacationing there to watch. Any assertion that UConn could become New England's team is absurd. CT is the least New England state in all of New England.

 

[Hoophound]

Interest in UConn pretty much ends at the CT state border. There is no one New England college team and there never will be. New England is too provincial and very fractured (too many colleges in such a small region) for this to ever occur. The only reason UConn was on tv in VT was for CT residents vacationing there to watch. Any assertion that UConn could become New England's team is absurd. CT is the least New England state in all of New England.

New England was totally behind Doug Flutie and BC back in the day. New England is begging for a winner in football. The idea that UConn is only on in Vermont for CT residents visiting is ludicrous. The guy who built my house up there has three daughters that played basketball. Every time I saw them at least one of them had UConn gear on. They made the trip to several women's games each year and at least one men's game. My neighbor on the street is big hoops fan and when I was there in March he invited over to watch a game. He became a UConn fan because his son went to basketball camp there as a kid. He also went to several other camps but every summer, UConn camp was his "big treat". So basically, the two locals I talk to most are UConn fans. Coincidence? Maybe.

They are also huge Red Sox fans up there. The obnoxious passion for the Sox in Vermont among locals rivals any I've seen in South Boston or Revere. New England is up for grabs. I wear my UConn gear in VT and people talk to me about UConn everywhere I go. Northern New Eglanders have to watch a lot of tv in the winter months and UConn helps pass the time. The polls prove that New Englanders pull for UConn, even people in Massachusetts, which is almost surprising.

 

[NickyNewark]

All the vitriol and hatred for BC aside.....here is my take.

As others have mentioned, college sports is just not as big of a deal in the Northeast as it is in the rest of the nation. But where some see a place that is essentially a wasteland for college sports (only really one successful program in the region being UConn M/W Basketball) I see an opportunity.

In New England, I really don't think most people see BC and UConn Football as "bigtime". BC gets some name programs in town, and they have produced some fine NFL QBs but they have never really been an "elite" program. It's also clear that getting into the ACC never gave them a big push in that direction, in fact they have basically regressed for a ton of different reasons and so has UConn for that matter.

So all you have is BC and UConn. Whether one or the other can deliver the whole region is debateable.

UConn has indisputably has the strongest Hoops program in the nation. It's completing a $40 Million basketball facility with private funding.. It's upgrading hockey and is Hockey East. Football is floundering but it can only improve from where it is now.

BC has the best Hockey in the nation. Tasted success in basketball, tasted greater success in football but has a small fanbase regardless.

What happens if the B1G decides to really shake things up and invites both UConn and BC? Their 6 team Hockey conference is instantly bolstered, to say the least. But what it really gets is the chance to integrate the last major market in the US that really doesn't care college sports at the moment.

The thing of it is, people in the northeast generally think that elite college football happens somewhere south and west of it in some flyover state or Florida, California or even Oregon. But if you could possibly bring an entire region into that fold by adding two schools then goodness, why wouldn't you explore that?

I don't consider Oregon or Washington states as areas where HSFB is as revered as it is even here in Connecticut just that their able to cash in on the Cali overflow of athletes and lure them there....in fact I'd almost think of the Pacific northwest as a wasteland w/o the imports ala Montana,Wyoming and the Dakotas..CFB has gone the way of the manufacturing jobs in the NE and midwest snowbirds...to the warmer weather climates bolstered by the relative newcomers..Reconstruction again in the south CFB style and this time the rebs are happy about carpetbagging(but wont admit it) yankee style lol!!

 

[billybud]

I have always thought that the ACC made a mistake taking BC and then Syracuse....Moving into the northeast was their Remagen bridge...a bridge too far. They should have left the northeast for the B1G.

The ACC, before these moves, was a southern-mid Atlantic conference with most of the teams coming out of the old southern conference.

It is difficult to build border rivalries when you have BC and Cuse in a division with FSU, Virginia and Clemson...and it added more geographic diversity to a conference already too diverse (basketball first schools and football first....private schools and public....large schools and very small schools....)

I do understand that in the Darwinesque feeling of the times that it was either adapt or die....but the conference has become so disparate that natural rivalries have been diluted and there are few match ups of national interest.

It would make much more sense to have Cuse, BC, UConn, Rutgers all playing one another.