Where is the UConn Admin?

[yuckformak]

Once the dust settles they will respond. I mean, it would be pretty stupid, to not issue a statement. With so many reporters why can't someone just ask for an official comment and see what they say. If I had to guess there is still something happening behind the scenes.

 

[Khal Drogo]

I agree I feel ACC in the future. No facts to support however.

I’m thinking Big 10. They just locked up the west coast. They only have Maryland and Rutgers on East Coast. The ACC gor seems to be solid and most of the desirable ACC schools want to join SEC. Big 10 states they are willing to go to 20. Why hold out for ACC teams which may not happen. Big ten also is Hockey conference. One more sport UConn can offer.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I think I speak for a lot of people when I say that I just need the “We’re committed to our partners in the Big East…..” white-flag message so that I can resume my normal life.

Why?

Our commitment is to what's best for UConn overall with the specifics here being UConn athletics. Everyone knows this and all parties involved are fully aware that the BE is a marriage of convenience. We're using them and they're using us. At the moment it's benefiting both sides overall. When this is no longer the case, or when a better situation arises this marriage will end. Anyone who is not aware of this is either intentionally ignoring all signs or unable to grasp reality.

We will continue to attempt to build football to a level where it can help us get to where we want to be. We will do what we've been doing in our other sports (well, hopefully men's soccer will do what it used to do, not what it had recently done).

 

[Waquoit]

Does anyone whining besides Skibs in this thread buy tickets?

 

[brihman]

It will be just like when UConn joined the BE for football. We’ll get in and everyone will be scrambling for a lifeboat off the sinking ship known as the ACC.

That’s fair…if the ACC is going to get gobbled up like PAC-MAN then it’s NBE until The Big 2 come knocking.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I’m thinking Big 10. They just locked up the west coast. They only have Maryland and Rutgers on East Coast. The ACC gor seems to be solid and most of the desirable ACC schools want to join SEC. Big 10 states they are willing to go to 20. Why hold out for ACC teams which may not happen. Big ten also is Hockey conference. One more sport UConn can offer.

We have a ton of work to do (on many levels, both athletic and academic) but this should be (should have been for decades) the ultimate goal. I'm not sure it's possibly but it doesn't mean we should aspire to it, as long as we're willing to put the legimate work in to attempting to achieve it.

I've felt for more than a decade and a half that the B1G's ultimate goal was to (among other things) lock up the DC to Boston corridor and became more convinced when they added Maryland and Rutgers. To complete this they would need to add us and UVA (but we would need to be a competent addition), which among other things is evidence that the ACC was never thinking on a high enough level when realignment began.

I don't know if it can be achieved but I would much rather fall short of B1G membership while having built a B1G capable athletic/academic product than facing that we are lesser on both levels and never tried because we felt we could never get the invitation.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Does anyone whining besides Skibs in this thread buy tickets?

Everyone complaining should do their part and attend some football games. I'll provide tickets to their first, it will only cost them their time. They will need to be willing to start attending on their own dime after that if they enjoy the product.

 

[UCONNRPh]

Not sure what you say at this point. Maybe they can’t say anything. But the fan base is confused. What’s the game plan folks.

But damn, we’ve heard nothing at this point. Not a peep. Proof of life people!

Possibly there are more what-ifs and it's not truly over and that is why the silence exists. Please help me out with other thoughts besides what we hoped for and so wanted.

Just an idea here.....

Hear is an idea about a BB and other non FB husky but all other school teams transfer along with a guaranteed 4-5 games vs. BIG 12. Some games on road and some games at home. Maybe a contingency to bring FB at next realignment. Similar to ND. This would be a chance to prove ourselves and become more appealing.

I'm sure we'll hear from Benedict once the doors are 100% closed for this round.

Just so many ideas. Unable to keep consistent attention to what I am writing. Sorry about the lack of proper grammar.

Please help me out with other thoughts besides what we wanted. The reason has to be more than the obvious.....

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

The administration should be reaching out to Stanford, Cal, Oregon State, and Wazzu to offer empathy for their situation, possibility to schedule games to fill in their schedules, and perhaps most importantly to see if there are any potential ways for UConn to collaborate on research projects. Build some alliances when they're most in need.

 

[hoopsfan22]

We have a ton of work to do (on many levels, both athletic and academic) but this should be (should have been for decades) the ultimate goal. I'm not sure it's possibly but it doesn't mean we should aspire to it, as long as we're willing to put the legimate work in to attempting to achieve it.

I've felt for more than a decade and a half that the B1G's ultimate goal was to (among other things) lock up the DC to Boston corridor and became more convinced when they added Maryland and Rutgers. To complete this they would need to add us and UVA (but we would need to be a competent addition), which among other things is evidence that the ACC was never thinking on a high enough level when realignment began.

I don't know if it can be achieved but I would much rather fall short of B1G membership while having built a B1G capable athletic/academic product than facing that we are lesser on both levels and never tried because we felt we could never get the invitation.

What do you mean we have a ton of work to do? Athletically we are far more successful than any B1G school. Academically we'd be in the middle. Like seriously WTF else do we have to do? At this point I feel like we could win the football national championship and there would be some other criteria that we don't meet to keep us out like not enough students wearing striped shirts on Tuesdays. Through this whole realignment game it's becoming clear that it's about consolidating money and power (how American) and killing off any competitors (also very American). We are a threat to the old boys club so they are going to do every last thing they can to kill us on the vine. Most of the power schools are just like small market pro sports teams collecting that luxury tax money and just stuffing it into their pocket rather than their teams.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Would be nice to hear something. Not sure what the message should be but nature abhors a (communication) vacuum. Right now UConn once again has a passionate fan base wondering what it’s going to take and wtf does it keep happening?

They’re waiting to bump into you playing cornhole to divulge all their secrets.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

What do you mean we have a ton of work to do? Athletically we are far more successful than any B1G school. Academically we'd be in the middle. Like seriously WTF else do we have to do? At this point I feel like we could win the football national championship and there would be some other criteria that we don't meet to keep us out like not enough students wearing striped shirts on Tuesdays. Through this whole realignment game it's becoming clear that it's about consolidating money and power (how American) and killing off any competitors (also very American). We are a threat to the old boys club so they are going to do every last thing they can to kill us on the vine. Most of the power schools are just like small market pro sports teams collecting that luxury tax money and just stuffing it into their pocket rather than their teams.

You are absolutely correct. That is why we are contemplating which power conference offer to accept at this very moment.

For the record, I didn't just start complaining about what it is we should do recently. I had discussions/complaints with administrators a quarter century ago about how we should try to prioritize gaining membership in the AAU (look at some of the schools that have recently been added). I complained for more than three decades that we needed to capitalize 9and advertise) our location (proximity to both NYC & Boston), which we didn't do until Herbst started NYC a few years before she resigned. We still haven;t made a real effort with Boston.

I had a very long discussion not quite 20 years ago with Hathaway about the importance of engaging lower Fairfield county in the athletic programs (and suggested he shake every tree possible to try to add men's lacrosse (as it would engage every wealthy community in the NYC metro area) only to have that idea dismissed.

I've complained about the importance of football going back to when Toner was AD and mentioned to Hathaway that his company line (that the football program was there to protect the basketball programs, not that there was any desire to be competitive at a high level) was hurting the school on many levels, only to be told he knew what he was doing.

If you believe that (outside of conference affiliation) we are where we need to be I don't know what to tell you.

 

[Husker Husky]

I’m thinking Big 10. They just locked up the west coast. They only have Maryland and Rutgers on East Coast. The ACC gor seems to be solid and most of the desirable ACC schools want to join SEC. Big 10 states they are willing to go to 20. Why hold out for ACC teams which may not happen. Big ten also is Hockey conference. One more sport UConn can offer.

The Big 10 is also a competent baseball conference that wants to be better. Its a perfect landing spot for all UConn sports. But, football is the bugaboo. Football rules the sport page. The Big 10 will be laughed at for bringing in UConn football right now.

 

[Khal Drogo]

The Big 10 is also a competent baseball conference that wants to be better. Its a perfect landing spot for all UConn sports. But, football is the bugaboo. Football rules the sport page. The Big 10 will be laughed at for bringing in UConn football right now.

Save face with 3 year delay for Football

 

[Waquoit]

Everyone complaining should do their part and attend some football games. I'll provide tickets to their first, it will only cost them their time. They will need to be willing to start attending on their own dime after that if they enjoy the product.

I'm sorry FCF but this is nuts. Make the whiners buy their own tickets. Your giving them away doesn't help UConn. And if they don't enjoy the product already, what are they doing on this board?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I'm sorry FCF but this is nuts. Make the whiners buy their own tickets. Your giving them away doesn't help UConn. And if they don't enjoy the product already, what are they doing on this board?

It may be frivolous hope but the hope is that once they see the product they'll actually appreciate it.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

I’m thinking Big 10. They just locked up the west coast. They only have Maryland and Rutgers on East Coast. The ACC gor seems to be solid and most of the desirable ACC schools want to join SEC. Big 10 states they are willing to go to 20. Why hold out for ACC teams which may not happen. Big ten also is Hockey conference. One more sport UConn can offer.

Did you go to the west coast and do peyote with Bill Walton? The Big 10 has 18 schools and we’re not one of them

 

[Khal Drogo]

Relax Francis. There is an article that they were talking about going to 20.

Did you go to the west coast and do peyote with Bill Walton? The Big 10 has 18 schools and we’re not one of them

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Relax Francis. There is an article that they were talking about going to 20.

With Cal and Stanford. Notice how there hasn’t been a peep from them?

 

[DblCrossbar]

I’m thinking Big 10. They just locked up the west coast. They only have Maryland and Rutgers on East Coast. The ACC gor seems to be solid and most of the desirable ACC schools want to join SEC. Big 10 states they are willing to go to 20. Why hold out for ACC teams which may not happen. Big ten also is Hockey conference. One more sport UConn can offer.

The Big 10 is also a competent baseball conference that wants to be better. Its a perfect landing spot for all UConn sports. But, football is the bugaboo. Football rules the sport page. The Big 10 will be laughed at for bringing in UConn football right now.

One of the few figures in B10 that could vouch for UCONN is Warde Manuel. His tenure with UCONN was just after the Fiesta Bowl appearance, and he's fully aware of the ceiling that CT football has, and it's at least as good as Rutgers, Maryland, and Northwestern, and Indiana for starters. Along with the push from Dan Malloy, Warde also ushered in the UCONN Hockey program into Hockey East, and knows that it would be tough, but they would be competitive in that league too. Both women's and men's basketball would be Crown Jewels in the B10. Academically and research wise with Radenka Maria at the helm, UConn is respected but AAU status needs to be a goal - or at least heavy pursuit of it.

Longshot as it is, UCONN isn't inherently unqualified to receive an invite, but G5 status is a tough barrier to crack with this conference. Benedict is financially compensated roughly equivalent to those in P3/4 and is paid to understand UCONN's position well and improve it by finding a path to conference ascension, but can only do so much to receive those invites as the landscape has shifted quickly after the rapid implosion and collapse of the PACkitup 12 conference demonstrated. I'm hoping their silence means they have realignment cards to play within this academic year or next, but due to past frustration being teased and hosed in this match of musical chairs, members of this board are squeamish and skeptical at best.

 

[DblCrossbar]

I had a very long discussion not quite 20 years ago with Hathaway about the importance of engaging lower Fairfield county in the athletic programs (and suggested he shake every tree possible to try to add men's lacrosse (as it would engage every wealthy community in the NYC metro area) only to have that idea dismissed.

The upgrade of the Ice Hockey program to the Hockey East conference is essentially the equivalent of this move to appeal to Fairfield County. Dan Toscano, who donated significant funds to make the new on campus rink a reality lives in Fairfield County and is the UConn Chairman. So there has been some push to appeal to the Gold Coast for sure. The thing is that Sacred Heart and Quinnipiac are also poised to capitalize on investments in hockey and are even closer, but that benefits the state overall with four competitive D1 teams (just not all at the same time apparently ).

 

[HuskyinWRNY]

Not sure what you say at this point. Maybe they can’t say anything. But the fan base is confused. What’s the game plan folks.

But damn, we’ve heard nothing at this point. Not a peep. Proof of life people!

What would you want them to say? We never had any control in the process. As always, our inclusion is decided by other people who have no connection with UConn. It will always be that way.

 

[Sea Goat]

On a holiday in Monaco monitoring the situation. Where else would they be?

I think they are very engaged from the top down. We don't have a Herbst "rockstar" sitting on his ass monitoring the situation... DB gets it and is working every day on this issue.

 

[WNConn]

Trying to get spot 17/18, while also lobbying the ACC. Say what you will, but you can't criticize the job that Dave Benedict has done since arriving in Storrs.

 

[LIUCHusky]

By the way, I’m also going to use this when they alumni association comes calling. If they owe me nothing, I also owe them nothing. Thanks Patman!

What a great attitude. Feel good?