Football Options

[ConnHuskBask]

We're counting UMASS as one game every year but one has to wonder how much longer they stay at FBS level. That home schedule is putrid. Why bother?

No idea if this is even feasible but the UConn Blog put together this schedule based on openings/availabilities.

What UConn Football’s Schedule Could Look Like in 2020 as Independent

Team	Date	Location
UMass	September 3	Rentschler Field
Illinois	September 12	Champaign, IL
Maine	September 19	Rentschler Field
Indiana	September 26	Rentschler Field
TCU	October 3	Fort Worth, TX
UAB	October 17	Rentschler Field
Louisiana Tech	October 24	Ruston, LA
Army	October 31	West Point, NY
UL Monroe	November 7	Rentschler Field
Southern Miss	November 14	Hattiesburg, MS
Virginia Tech	November 21	Blacksburg, VA
Florida International	November 28	Rentschler Field

Now, obviously TCU and VT wouldn't be making return dates to The Rent, but I'd sign up for that in a heartbeat.

 

[WrenchFan69]

No idea if this is even feasible but the UConn Blog put together this schedule based on openings/availabilities.

What UConn Football’s Schedule Could Look Like in 2020 as Independent

Team	Date	Location
UMass	September 3	Rentschler Field
Illinois	September 12	Champaign, IL
Maine	September 19	Rentschler Field
Indiana	September 26	Rentschler Field
TCU	October 3	Fort Worth, TX
UAB	October 17	Rentschler Field
Louisiana Tech	October 24	Ruston, LA
Army	October 31	West Point, NY
UL Monroe	November 7	Rentschler Field
Southern Miss	November 14	Hattiesburg, MS
Virginia Tech	November 21	Blacksburg, VA
Florida International	November 28	Rentschler Field

Now, obviously TCU and VT wouldn't be making return dates to The Rent, but I'd sign up for that in a heartbeat.

I could see us getting a 2-for-1 with TCU. They have a ton of open dates in the coming years and there's the Fox element. I also think it's more likely we end up with a second local FCS team rather than a final Sun Belt/C-USA team but either works for me just fine. Getting LA Tech at the Rent would be cool. Bring back Bobby.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I think independence can work. Of the independent schools, we have the best brand aside from BYU. We also have basketball and women’s basketball to offer in trade. That can earn us some home and homes. I expect Fox to try to help us here, and push some of their schools to schedule us. A formal scheduling deal with the B1G would be ideal, say 3 games a year. Then play a payday game like our Clemson game once a year.

Tulsa just signed an 8 year home and home with Ok State. We need to do that with Penn State and include basketball. Rutgers too. Indiana. Kansas. There are schools that will play us, especially if we become competitive. Winning as an independent is sexier than winning in a meh conference. Not saying the American was meh. Benedict is going to have to be aggressive, but this can work. It’s a bridge to whatever comes next, but losing in the AAC wasn’t helping our brand. Going 6-5 Indy looks better.

 

[LoyalFanCT]

Are there enough regional teams that would join to start like a 8 team Big East branded football conference?

Umass, Liberty, Army, maybe Georgetown and Nova can go fbs?

If you need eight teams -- to be like Ivy League -- UConn, Buffalo, Army, Navy, Villanova, Gtown, UMass and if they improve their program maybe William & Mary. Far from perfect

 

[Point6]

I would much rather be independent than join another conference. The B1G is not going to recognize us as a P5 scheduling opponent in CUSA or the MAC. If we can turn the ship around as an independent, we can be a Notre Dame lite. This is a better back door to the P5 club than the AAC imo. If the fans don't believe we can be a Notre Dame lite, why are we complaining about being left out of the P5?

Look at the quality of our football conference mates as an independent. They are all national brand, state flagship universities with high caliber academics. Okay, so its a football conference of one, but it is a P5 quality football conference (albeit with football down at the moment), not a P6, P7 or P8.

 

[Point6]

And lets let Benedict earn his money and worry about FB scheduling. I have confidence that he will get a better schedule for us than some of the worst case examples I am seeing on this board.

 

[Portico]

Uconn will not be able to play in Bowl games without a conference unless they can get a Bowl to do an independent tie in for them.

 

[tzznandrew]

And lets let Benedict earn his money and worry about FB scheduling. I have confidence that he will get a better schedule for us than some of the worst case examples I am seeing on this board.

Between Edsall's gif and the new locker rooms and commits, you would think they have some actual plan here.

 

[zmart]

If you need eight teams -- to be like Ivy League -- UConn, Buffalo, Army, Navy, Villanova, Gtown, UMass and if they improve their program maybe William & Mary. Far from perfect

The following schools could be interested in joining a league in the next few years:

UConn
UMASS
Temple
Army
Buffalo
Cincinnati
Navy
Marshall
Liberty
Old Dominion
East Carolina
Coastal Carolina

 

[ToolzieFan]

Between Edsall's gif and the new locker rooms and commits, you would think they have some actual plan here.

Let’s hope those are indications that a plan is in place. At the very least, there are no current plans to kill football or to let it die.

 

[Portico]

How do you sell football with no bowl tie in?

 

[WrenchFan69]

How do you sell football with no bowl tie in?

Same way we sold football with no chance at a bowl - not very well lol

 

[Adios]

Our football program could play in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MSCAC) with Bridgewater State, Fitchburg State, Westfield State, etc. They would struggle for a couple years but they’d be the kings of that conference in three years.

You're lucky people here didn't take your UConn to D3 post seriously.

 

[Point6]

C'mon people, are we a P5 level school or are we the dregs of the G5???? We will get opponents and I bet even a bowl tie in or two. If we ever get in the playoff conversation, it will mean we have gone undefeated/top 5 for multiple years. We will get a P5 invite before that happens. Maybe we take it or maybe we just decide to roll with it like Notre Dame.

 

[Rico444]

C'mon people, are we a P5 level school or are we the dregs of the G5???? We will get opponents and I bet even a bowl tie in or two. If we ever get in the playoff conversation, it will mean we have gone undefeated/top 5 for multiple years. We will get a P5 invite before that happens. Maybe we take it or maybe we just decide to roll with it like Notre Dame.

 

[That Guy]

C'mon people, are we a P5 level school or are we the dregs of the G5???? We will get opponents and I bet even a bowl tie in or two. If we ever get in the playoff conversation, it will mean we have gone undefeated/top 5 for multiple years. We will get a P5 invite before that happens. Maybe we take it or maybe we just decide to roll with it like Notre Dame.

And then you woke up...

 

[HuskyHawk]

Uconn will not be able to play in Bowl games without a conference unless they can get a Bowl to do an independent tie in for them.

In recent years they let sub .500 teams play because there were not enough bowl eligible teams. Win and that won’t be a problem.

 

[Caronimo]

Can Indiana, Illinois, Clemson, etc. walk away from these games if and when we leave the AAC?

 

[tcf15]

 

[WrenchFan69]

Can Indiana, Illinois, Clemson, etc. walk away from these games if and when we leave the AAC?

After paying a nice sum to buy out the contract, probably yes

 

[Excalibur]

They're aren't entirely killing football, one way or another. So until we know what is happening with football, we can't entirely assess this move.

1) Complete Kill --> already been said not an option.
2) Back to FCS --> highly unlikely
3) Independent --> we've kicked this around, and if this is the case we're in trouble football-wise
4) MAC --> if they let us in, I guess that can work, though they'd have to take another team (UMass?) to make it even. Not a great crop of opponents, but more winnable games and less travel. Pretty much the same history as with AAC. Maybe they can get wins and turn this around.
5) AAC --> has been nixed. UConn basketball is valuable enough, though, that I wonder if we couldn't negotiate playing some of these teams in basketball a certain number of games a year (4?) in an effort to stay in the league? Probably not an option, but just kicking it around. Obviously a very good football conference and the best of the option on the table. Would also mean they could just target a basketball only.

Where do we land?

Completely kill is “not an option”, but it is where things will end up. It’s the only logical conclusion, as the program will lose more money than it does currently once we exercise any of the other so-called options.

 

[pj]

The AAC is delusional, not UConn.

The AAC thinks BYU might join on the same terms as other schools? The new media deal will cut their revenue by a factor of 3 and decrease visibility, and the extra travel will increase expenses. They they will have to pay $10 million and give 27 months notice to leave. No way BYU would consent to that. "They had too many demands and wanted to be treated differently on TV rights than other members” -- yeah, guess what, you've lost both UConn and BYU by not giving that deal.

Army would be a coup for the AAC, we'll see if they can get it. "It’s quite possible neither school wants to join" -- Army previously decided that competing in a major conference is incompatible with its military mission.

Beyond Army, every alternative is inferior to UConn. If the AAC is smart, if they fail to get Army they should come beg for UConn as football only.

 

[WrenchFan69]

The AAC is delusional, not UConn.

The AAC thinks BYU might join on the same terms as other schools? The new media deal will cut their revenue by a factor of 3 and decrease visibility, and the extra travel will increase expenses. They they will have to pay $10 million and give 27 months notice to leave. No way BYU would consent to that. "They had too many demands and wanted to be treated differently on TV rights than other members” -- yeah, guess what, you've lost both UConn and BYU by not giving that deal.

Army would be a coup for the AAC, we'll see if they can get it. "It’s quite possible neither school wants to join" -- Army previously decided that competing in a major conference is incompatible with its military mission.

Beyond Army, every alternative is inferior to UConn. If the AAC is smart, if they fail to get Army they should come beg for UConn as football only.

They'll just stay with 11 when they can't get Army/Boise/BYU

 

[StunningSteve]

I think we thrive as an Independent.

We could crush it if we adopted a gimmick offense like the triple option or just balls to the wall offense laterals fakes.

I'm 100% serious. This is entertainment. We need a gimmick.

Hiring Art Briles will be next.

 

[pj]

They'll just stay with 11 when they can't get Army/Boise/BYU

Probably.