ok give it to me straight - why didn't we get in (again)

[DMTCYNAW]

try, as best as you can, to give a simple, sober-minded, non-emotional answer as to why we failed to get in again, and if you still believe we can, what are your top 3-5 things we must do to get into the p4/ p3 party ASAP.

 

[mikeinmanila]

1. Win on the gridiron
2. Increase football attendance 50%+
3. Aggressively market UConn (to change the current narrative, build our football brand)

 

[mikeinmanila]

4. Pursue AAU
5. Focus on endowment (e g., build relationships with heavy hitters in Fairfield County)

 

[mikeinmanila]

We failed to get an invite because the Big 12 took advantage of the opportunity to kill off a competitor and at the same time take a "wait and see" approach to UConn football and potential ACC options.

 

[willie99]

Football
Paul Pasqualoni
Football
Bob Diaco
Football
Randy Edsal x 2
Football Football
Paul Pasqualoni
Football
Jim Calhoun retirement
And Paul Pasqualoni

 

[Hoophound]

It’s football. However, I won’t be surprised if we find our football team in the top 25 at some point this season. There is the potential for an 8+ win team. (there’s also potential for a 5 win team). If ever we should be praying, willing and trying to manifest a surprisingly good football season from our guys, this is it. We have got to step up as a team and as a fan base and get a bright and positive light shown on the program.

 

[CL82]

Football
Paul Pasqualoni
Football
Bob Diaco
Football
Randy Edsal version 2
Football Football
Paul Pasqualoni
Football
Jim Calhoun retirement
And Paul Pasqualoni

HCRE1 was fine, it was version two that was an abomination.

Surprisingly, Jim Calhoun's retirement actually helps our narrative. Having win national championships under three different coaches helps our institutional brand. Oh and while Dan Hurley isn't Jim Calhoun, he's a very, very good coach who has adapted amazingly well to the current changing, and in my view, difficult of college basketball. We are lucky to have him.

(We did not get the big 12 because their PAC 12 was not given a viable media deal and blew up, making every school in that conference immediately available. The Big 12 presidents valued existing P5 schools in their region more than Connecticut.)

 

[willie99]

Jim Mora can change everything. If he elevates football, and he's off to a good start, we're going to be adopted

 

[willie99]

it's when and how Edsel I ended, followed by the hiring of a man that robbed the State, the university and the fans

 

[aburks41]

It starts and ends with football. If we had been to like 5 bowl games in a row with a sold out Rent, we’d be in a power conference right now

 

[UConnJim]

My thoughts on why we didn't get a Big 12 invite:

1) Better options arose for the Big 12 as the Pac 12 collapsed. The 4 corner schools have athletic history with many of the Big 12 schools.
2) Geography. As much as Yormack wants a NY presence, the 4 corner schools are a more natural fir for the Big 12.
3) Lack of recent football success for UConn and not much history of playing FBS football.
4) Perception that UConn doesn't value football. UConn was one of 2 schools that cancelled the football season in 2020.
5) The lack of measurable TV ratings for football to help determine UConn's football value. Being on CBSSN is great, but the channel ratings are not measured by Nielsen.

I'm not advocating this, but look at what Cincinnati did during COVID. They shut down men's soccer to save ~$750k and invested the savings into paying Luke Fickell more money. Look at UConn. Mora is paid ~$1.5 million (slightly less than what PP earned back in 2011!), Hurley is going to be paid $5 million plus, and Geno makes ~$3 million. Granted, Hurley and Geno have accomplished a lot, but at no P5 school is the football coach paid less than both the men's and women's basketball coach. It's pretty clear that basketball is more important than football.

People say that UConn WILL invest more in football if we get a P5 invite. That is not how it works when a G5 team wants to move up. They invest in football BEFORE getting the P5 invite.

What should UConn do right now? Announce an increase in the investment in football. Increase salaries for coaches, etc. How to fund it? Since we have an athletic department deficit, the athletic department has to raise the money from donors and through ticket sales. And, we need to pack the Rent. The athletic department needs to go to every company in Connecticut and push ticket sales. The athletic department needs to call every alumnus in the Northeast and ask them to buy football tickets and explain why football is important to the athletic department. Give free tickets to Connecticut state workers,... Finally, win games!

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Surprisingly, Jim Calhoun's retirement actually helps our narrative. Having win national championships under three different coaches helps our institutional brand. Oh and while Dan Hurley isn't Jim Calhoun, he's a very, very good coach who has adapted amazingly well to the current changing, and in my view, difficult of college basketball. We are lucky to have him.

With what we've accomplished after JC's retirement we do have a narrative that helps us. That there was no such narrative when the ACC picked Louisville was used against us, especially as for nearly a decade a lot of the better basketball programs in both the BE and ACC were selling the narrative that JC was going to retire soon, our program was really JC so once he retires we will no longer be much of a program.

 

[Exit 4]

When it became decision time - the Presidents in the B12 went for the P12 kill shot and familiarity; they feel they know the four corner schools better and UConn isn’t going anywhere. UConn is the flower that doesn’t need to be harvested yet.

I think the only voice in the room that might get us into the B12 would be the media companies. If the tv folks dictate that UConn adds superior value to the other candidates then maybe they will be persuaded. If we are equal value, they will keep voting for western options to save their old friends.

 

[UCTitleTown]

We need to pitch our athletic department on "Shark Tank".

 

[Rufus]

The CFP money will be huge going forward. Being able to deliver a knockout blow to one of the P5 conferences that will guarantee that conference loses P5 status will guarantee that all other P4 conferences will receive higher payouts in CFP money distributions. The pie isn't split so many ways when the PAC-12 no longer has a seat at the big boy table.

 

[Waquoit]

Location

 

[ConnHuskBask]

The perception (reality?) that our fans don't care about football and like women's basketball more.

Hard to argue when half the Boneyard preferred to stay in the Big East.

 

[superjohn]

The perception (reality?) that our fans don't care about football and like women's basketball more.

Hard to argue when half the Boneyard preferred to stay in the Big East.

The perception (reality) is that our football sucks.

Hard to argue when our football sucks.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

The perception (reality) is that our football sucks.

Hard to argue when our football sucks.

Colorado has been bowl eligible twice in the 17 years. Does their football not suck?

What part of my comment did you disagree with?

 

[BlueandOG]

1. The Big XII was able to kill the PAC by adding 4 corners.
2. The historically terrible football play over the past 10 years.
3. The self-inflicted mistakes that made UCONN look like football goofs, like the Civil Conflict and being the first (and almost only) school not to play football during COVID.
4. The perception that UCONN going independent in football means devaluing football (the opposite is true).
5. The perception that we are not a power schools since we are not in a power conference.

 

[superjohn]

Colorado has been bowl eligible twice in the 17 years. Does their football not suck?

What part of my comment did you disagree with?

Which part of my comment did you disagree with?

 

[Viet Vet]

My thoughts on why we didn't get a Big 12 invite:

1) Better options arose for the Big 12 as the Pac 12 collapsed. The 4 corner schools have athletic history with many of the Big 12 schools.
2) Geography. As much as Yormack wants a NY presence, the 4 corner schools are a more natural fir for the Big 12.
3) Lack of recent football success for UConn and not much history of playing FBS football.
4) Perception that UConn doesn't value football. UConn was one of 2 schools that cancelled the football season in 2020.
5) The lack of measurable TV ratings for football to help determine UConn's football value. Being on CBSSN is great, but the channel ratings are not measured by Nielsen.

I'm not advocating this, but look at what Cincinnati did during COVID. They shut down men's soccer to save ~$750k and invested the savings into paying Luke Fickell more money. Look at UConn. Mora is paid ~$1.5 million (slightly less than what PP earned back in 2011!), Hurley is going to be paid $5 million plus, and Geno makes ~$3 million. Granted, Hurley and Geno have accomplished a lot, but at no P5 school is the football coach paid less than both the men's and women's basketball coach. It's pretty clear that basketball is more important than football.

People say that UConn WILL invest more in football if we get a P5 invite. That is not how it works when a G5 team wants to move up. They invest in football BEFORE getting the P5 invite.

What should UConn do right now? Announce an increase in the investment in football. Increase salaries for coaches, etc. How to fund it? Since we have an athletic department deficit, the athletic department has to raise the money from donors and through ticket sales. And, we need to pack the Rent. The athletic department needs to go to every company in Connecticut and push ticket sales. The athletic department needs to call every alumnus in the Northeast and ask them to buy football tickets and explain why football is important to the athletic department. Give free tickets to Connecticut state workers,... Finally, win games!

Free football tickets to CT state workers?

 

[WestCoastHusky]

Free football tickets to CT state workers?

One of the bad perceptions is we don't have fans. Schools need to do stuff like this or create more exciting events for fans to get them to games.

Of course, the best way to get more people to go is just win more.

 

[billybud]

Colorado has been bowl eligible twice in the 17 years. Does their football not suck?

What part of my comment did you disagree with?

I like Prime's attitude.

“I don't care what conference, who we're playing against, we're trying to win.” Sanders added that when it came down to it, money was at the root of all the movement.

 

[NH Husky]

This:

The U.S. State Everyone Forgets When Listing All 50

Nope, it's not North or South Dakota. Would you remember the most often forgotten state if you tried to list all 50 in one sitting?

www.rd.com