Bob Diaco

pythagoras said:
UConn is going to go broke if they don't do something to change their sports programs. Begone to FCS IMO

https://www.courant.com/sports/hc-s...0190117-2wdp5gimnvhlliwykl6npcmy7u-story.html
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Wasn't UConn's foray into D-1A fairly recent? I thought that maybe 15 or 20 years ago they were 1AA. Aren't they also in that crappy AAC or whatever it is called now conference after the Big East folded? Without a major TV deal, I honestly don't think it makes sense for a state flagship school to try to run a top tier program. I get it for the MAC schools because they're all close, have a decent ESPN deal and can make good coin as rent a victims (except when they play Iowa) for Big Ten programs, but I just don't see how it is viable for UConn. The other thing is people in that corridor of the Northeast just aren't big college football fans.

That article says the students are subsidizing the athletic department to the tune of over $400 per student, which is just sickening given what college costs today. That is a program that absolutely needs to jettison football.
 
okeefe4prez said:
Wasn't UConn's foray into D-1A fairly recent? I thought that maybe 15 or 20 years ago they were 1AA. Aren't they also in that crappy AAC or whatever it is called now conference after the Big East folded? Without a major TV deal, I honestly don't think it makes sense for a state flagship school to try to run a top tier program. I get it for the MAC schools because they're all close, have a decent ESPN deal and can make good coin as rent a victims (except when they play Iowa) for Big Ten programs, but I just don't see how it is viable for UConn. The other thing is people in that corridor of the Northeast just aren't big college football fans.

That article says the students are subsidizing the athletic department to the tune of over $400 per student, which is just sickening given what college costs today. That is a program that absolutely needs to jettison football.
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They moved to former Big East in 2003 after a couple of transition years. They were in the a long time member of the Yankee Conference for almost 50 years. In the late 90's the Big East gave UConn and Villanova an ultimatum to either join now or be dropped from consideration. UConn took them up on the Big East membership offer, Villanova turned the offer down. Needless to say the transition to FCS division I football hasn't been successful.

The best fit for UConn is in the Big East Conference for most sports and the FCS Colonial Athletic Association for football. The current American Athletic Conference affiliation doesn't help them financially. It is a poor geographical fit, most of their competition being well outside the region. The fact that they are not competitive in AAC football might well be dragging the rest of the program down. Quite frankly they need to get back to being known as a basketball school with a strong showing in other sports.

In football UConn and UMass should go to the Colonial Athletic Association. The FCS playoff system might suit them well and make the Colonial Conference a challenger to the Missouri Valley in FCS football.
 
AreWeThereYet said:
They moved to former Big East in 2003 after a couple of transition years. They were in the a long time member of the Yankee Conference for almost 50 years. In the late 90's the Big East gave UConn and Villanova an ultimatum to either join now or be dropped from consideration. UConn took them up on the Big East membership offer, Villanova turned the offer down. Needless to say the transition to FCS division I football hasn't been successful.

The best fit for UConn is in the Big East Conference for most sports and the FCS Colonial Athletic Association for football. The current American Athletic Conference affiliation doesn't help them financially. It is a poor geographical fit, most of their competition being well outside the region. The fact that they are not competitive in AAC football might well be dragging the rest of the program down. Quite frankly they need to get back to being known as a basketball school with a strong showing in other sports.

In football UConn and UMass should go to the Colonial Athletic Association. The FCS playoff system might suit them well and make the Colonial Conference a challenger to the Missouri Valley in FCS football.
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I thought they were really good a few years after they moved up, went to a BCS game or something and were decent the next year, then tanked. I can see how one fluke year like that can create delusional institutional thinking. "Hey, we're only a few years in and going to BCS games - let's go all in on this."

From your post it sounds like they gotta move down.
 
If Brian Ferentz doesn’t get the head coaching job, then I’d rather see Brent Venables hired as HC. He’s a former Iowa player who is the DC for Clemson and has two national championships to show for it with prolly more to come. He is prolly a much better candidate that BF is at the moment.
 
ModebaSan said:
If Brian Ferentz doesn’t get the head coaching job, then I’d rather see Brent Venables hired as HC. He’s a former Iowa player who is the DC for Clemson and has two national championships to show for it with prolly more to come. He is prolly a much better candidate that BF is at the moment.
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Venables played for Kansas State. He has zero connection to Iowa. Not to mention he seems comfortable where he is. Lots of schools have tried to lure him away, including his alma mater, but he likes it at Clemson and is paid extremely well.
 
He wasn’t a DT for Iowa? Are you sure? He may have transferred, but I’m sure he was at Iowa at some point.
 
Thats possible, but I was sure there was Venables that played DT for Fry. I did look it up and sure enough you are right. I must be getting old and my memory isnt as good as it used to be. Lol. At least I can still remember how to tie my shoes.
 
okeefe4prez said:
I thought they were really good a few years after they moved up, went to a BCS game or something and were decent the next year, then tanked. I can see how one fluke year like that can create delusional institutional thinking. "Hey, we're only a few years in and going to BCS games - let's go all in on this."

From your post it sounds like they gotta move down.
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I didn't look back far enough. They had some decent years in the 00's under Randy Edsall in the old Big East Conference. The problem remains, the Big East has it's notoriety as a basketball conference. UConn is a basketball school, both women's and men's. If they rejoined the Big East they would be playing basketball in their recruiting territory once again. In the AAC even if Edsall manages to turn the football team around a couple years, they are still playing outside their recruiting base for both basketball and football. That puts the odds against them, long term. Right now their football team is losing to MAC teams pretty often. I would say do the basketball thing in the Big East and play some respectable football in the Colonial Athletic Association.
 
NCHawker said:
UConn Football Donor Wants His $3 Million Back Because AD Didn't "Value" His Opinion


Jan. 25, 2011, 11:50 AM

https://www.businessinsider.com/uconn-football-donor-wants-his-3-million-back-2011-1

I think this was the apex of their rise and fall
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Hate to say it but this is all big donors.

If you don’t think Paca, the Carver family, Uncle Bruce, Feller, and the rest of their ilk demand the exact same treatment you’re nuts.

Feller is a special case though because, while rich, he’s nowhere near philanthropist rich but thinks he is and wants everyone to think it too. He’s like the ISU little brother of Hawks donors.
 
BVHawk95 said:
He played LB under Snyder. Sure you're not getting him confused with Bielema?
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Evan "The Oven" Christensen also played DT or NT for Snyder at Kansas State, even though he was heavily recruited by Fry and Iowa. He was built like Mike Daniels, but more extreme. He was officially listed at 5'11 315 lbs. which was even less common in the late eighties than it is today.

What I remember about him is his official visit to Iowa City. He strutted into the Field House bar wearing a jacket that said "If you think I'm big you should see my momma".
 
I’ve been to Storrs. It’s in the middle of nowhere and the campus looks looks to be the size of Coe. Not an exaggeration, there was like a general store and a coffee shot in the town. That’s it. Calhoun cheated to get players there. I don’t know how a football team makes it.
 
RobHowe said:
I’ve been to Storrs. It’s in the middle of nowhere and the campus looks looks to be the size of Coe. Not an exaggeration, there was like a general store and a coffee shot in the town. That’s it. Calhoun cheated to get players there. I don’t know how a football team makes it.
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Geez, Rob, what a ghost town. Even Durango, Iowa at least has a saloon in it.:)
 
I am old so my memory is fading. Connecticut had a chance to escape to the ACC along with Syracuse and Pittsburgh and they chose not to. Miss out on musical chairs(realignment) and this is what you get.
 
RobHowe said:
I’ve been to Storrs. It’s in the middle of nowhere and the campus looks looks to be the size of Coe. Not an exaggeration, there was like a general store and a coffee shot in the town. That’s it. Calhoun cheated to get players there. I don’t know how a football team makes it.
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Yup he sure did for a long time. And they don't...
 
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