UConn Football Schedule

[SU68]

UConn is putting together a decent schedule as an independent in 2020. Harford Courant article: Mike Anthony: The 2020 UConn football schedule is interesting, and the program needs interest more than ever

What bothers me about the article is the comment "UConn’s guarantee games in the future will come mostly against top teams from the SEC and Big Ten. It will be balanced with home-and-home series with mid-level Power 5 teams and regionalized with expected annual games against Boston College, UMass, Syracuse and Army. BYU is expected to be a regular opponent."

I don't want us to schedule UConn in any sport if we can avoid it. I don't want to give them any legitimacy. Put a stake in their hearts.

 

[Eric15]

I don't want us to schedule UConn in any sport if we can avoid it. I don't want to give them any legitimacy. Put a stake in their hearts.

Getting UConn in the schedule rotation a few times per decade isn't a big deal. It's a winnable non-conference game and an easy road trip for a lot of our fans. Beating them down in the Dome last year was delightful.

 

[HRE Otto IV]

If they don’t give us a 2 for 1 there is no reason to play them.

 

[All4SU]

If they don’t give us a 2 for 1 there is no reason to play them.

I like the idea of giving them a 2 for 1 - with the two being in the Dome, and the one being in the Dome but we give them free parking.

 

[dasher]

I like the idea of giving them a 2 for 1 - with the two being in the Dome, and the one being in the Dome but we give them free parking.

Come on. stop with the snark. There is no way we can give them free parking

 

[KaiserUEO]

Never, ever play them.


NEVER


EVER

 

[HRE Otto IV]

G5 teams we should be playing over UConn:

Temple because we don’t play in Eastern PA for recruiting, it is close to Southern Jersey for recruiting, it is an easy trip for fans, it is a non hostile environment.

Navy because we don’t play in MD for recruiting, it is an easy trip for fans, it is in a non hostile environment. Although does the ACC allow Navy to count as P5?

Tulane since Louisiana has some recruits, it is a fun trip for fans, it is a non hostile environment. Also FSU every other year is drivable for a recruits family. If they care about academics, we could be enticing.

FAU or FIU since we play in South Florida only once every 12 years for recruiting. Nice weather trip for fans. If the ACC realigns so we play Miami more often or the ACC gets rid of divisions, then I would put UConn ahead of these two.

ODU or Liberty since we play in Virginia once every 6 years for recruits. It is also an easy trip for fans. If we play UVA or VA Tech more often, I would put UConn ahead.

Army although are the P5 in ACC’s view?

UMass since their fans are not ass hats.

Ohio or Kent State or Miami Ohio or Akron or Toledo for recruiting and an not so hard trip. Having either Louisville or Pitt every year within driving distance for recruits will help. If the ACC every had the need to add Cincy, I would put UConn ahead of these teams.

Buffalo since their school is not full of ass hats.

UNLV since it would be a fun trip for fans.

GA State or GA Southern since we play in Georgia once every 12 years. If we play GA Tech more often then UConn is ahead.

All other G5 teams UConn beats out. If UConn is added to the schedule, SU should explain why over the above 18 teams.

 

[Chip]

UMass since their fans are not ass hats.

Typo?

 

[OrangeTarheel]

Why would BYU be a regular for UConn? Is the intent to lose in every state?

 

[orangehomer]

maybe they can piece together "decent" schedules, but they are staring at perpetual 3-4 win seasons with no bowl tie-ins even if they can get to 6.

 

[sufandu]

If that article has any accuracy, our presence or absence on their schedule will have no bearing on whether they are viewed as relevant. I am as apathetic as can be about whether we ever schedule them. If we need an easy win and they're available, it's fine with me. If the AD decides to go elsewhere, that's cool too.

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

Road FBS game you can win easily in a down year with a weaker team. Why not. I’d rather wait a few years and give Umass a call first though the two are mirror images at this point.

Could they turn down 3 for 2 over a decade? They need dates badly.

 

[Hokie Mark]

Why would BYU be a regular for UConn? Is the intent to lose in every state?

An ambitious goal, to be sure, but I think the Huskies can achieve it.

 

[Shrmdougluvr]

G5 teams we should be playing over UConn:

Temple because we don’t play in Eastern PA for recruiting, it is close to Southern Jersey for recruiting, it is an easy trip for fans, it is a non hostile environment.

Navy because we don’t play in MD for recruiting, it is an easy trip for fans, it is in a non hostile environment. Although does the ACC allow Navy to count as P5?

Tulane since Louisiana has some recruits, it is a fun trip for fans, it is a non hostile environment. Also FSU every other year is drivable for a recruits family. If they care about academics, we could be enticing.

FAU or FIU since we play in South Florida only once every 12 years for recruiting. Nice weather trip for fans. If the ACC realigns so we play Miami more often or the ACC gets rid of divisions, then I would put UConn ahead of these two.

ODU or Liberty since we play in Virginia once every 6 years for recruits. It is also an easy trip for fans. If we play UVA or VA Tech more often, I would put UConn ahead.

Army although are the P5 in ACC’s view?

UMass since their fans are not ass hats.

Ohio or Kent State or Miami Ohio or Akron or Toledo for recruiting and an not so hard trip. Having either Louisville or Pitt every year within driving distance for recruits will help. If the ACC every had the need to add Cincy, I would put UConn ahead of these teams.

Buffalo since their school is not full of ass hats.

UNLV since it would be a fun trip for fans.

GA State or GA Southern since we play in Georgia once every 12 years. If we play GA Tech more often then UConn is ahead.

All other G5 teams UConn beats out. If UConn is added to the schedule, SU should explain why over the above 18 teams.

Playing UConn from this point forward is no different then playing UMass of Buffalo, teams folks here have been clamoring to get on the schedule. No recruit from eastern PA, South Jersey, or Ohio, is picking us simply because we might play a one-off against one of their second tier programs once during their 4-5 years at SU (particularly since So. Jersey and Eastern PA is a pretty easy day trip). We seem to be recruiting the New England Prep schools more heavily that those areas now anyway, and with more success.

There is no fear of legitimizing UConn at this point. They got left at the curb when we we caught the bus to the ACC with BC, and after the Rutgers debacle (they got what they wanted, really) there is no way the Big Ten comes further east.

A game against UConn is exactly what SU needs. A winnable game against a former regional rival, that plays in an area we actively recruit, and is a decent roady on the rare occasion we have to play there. (Leveraging a two for one is probably the right thing to do, but that's what we should be doing with all mid majors to maximize home games).

 

[All4SU]

They were never a “regional Rival” long enough to be legitimate. They were a blip in SU football history.

 

[721Comstock]

Why would BYU be a regular for UConn? Is the intent to lose in every state?

or, to lose to every type of religious zealot?

Liberty, BYU, who’s next? ISIS U?

 

[Shrmdougluvr]

They were never a “regional Rival” long enough to be legitimate. They were a blip in SU football history.

Fine. But we've played them 11 times in the last 15 years and they have a winning record. Couple that with the fact that for the majority of fans, SU's sporting history begins with membership in the Big East (if not later), and that we played UConn across nearly all sports. Our schools have athletic history.

 

[Eric15]

Can we all agree that SU can't "legitimize" or "delegitimize" a school by playing them or not playing them? Like we aren't Harvey Weinstein in the 90s where we can just unilaterally blacklist someone we don't like. If a school doesn't play SU, they'll just play someone else and the world will keep spinning.

 

[sutomcat]

With the 20 game ACC schedule, I think it is extremely unlikely we will ever schedule UConn in a regular season game basketball again. If we ever play them again, it will be in a preseason tournament setting or in the post season.

I think it is unlikely we will schedule them in football, especially in a long term series. What if they drop football or drop to the FCS level? That could really screw up our schedule.

That said, we recruit Connecticut more than we recruit a state like Illinois, Ohio or even Michigan. It is far easier for our fans to go to a game in East Hartford than someplace out in the middle of nowhere in the Midwest. Schools playing at the UConn level are of use to us if they are willing to play 2 for 1 series with us.

An added benefit is that they are going to have a lot of open dates and schedule flexibility no other school in the country has. With the advent of the ACC network and the likelyhood that renovations with the dome are going to continue for at least the next 5 years, probably significantly longer, potential opponents with a lot of flexibility are valuable.

 

[Hoo's That]

I posted this previously in the Boneyard thread on the b-ball board.

There's a rumor on our football board that we're in the process of pushing our 2020 game with Liberty back to 2023 and picking up a game in C'ville w/UConn on Nov 7, 2020.

 

[OrangeMojo]

Why would BYU be a regular for UConn? Is the intent to lose in every state?

BYU is also an independent - easy for them to schedule each other every year since they don’t have conference games.

Don’t see UConn ever beating them. If they ever do, we’ll see another one of Randy’s skipping happy dances while shoving his lowly players out of his way.

 

[cuseguy]

I’m not sure about playing UMass. There couldn’t be a 2 for 1 unless we play them in Foxboro. UMass’ stadium isn’t suitable for a program like SU.

 

[sufandu]

Fine. But we've played them 11 times in the last 15 years and they have a winning record. Couple that with the fact that for the majority of fans, SU's sporting history begins with membership in the Big East (if not later), and that we played UConn across nearly all sports. Our schools have athletic history.

We were irrelevant in football at that point as was that version of the Big East. Our rivalries with them in other sports has absolutely no bearing on football.

 

[SU in Hershey]

Why would BYU be a regular for UConn? Is the intent to lose in every state?

Big...and I mean HUGE bonus for Edsall if he accomplishes this! I mean, without notoriety, there is no reasonably attainable press coverage for them.

 

[UpstateSM]

I’m not sure about playing UMass. There couldn’t be a 2 for 1 unless we play them in Foxboro. UMass’ stadium isn’t suitable for a program like SU.

UMass’ stadium is awful, for sure, but BC is coming to Amherst in 2021 and they landed a home and home with Missouri so it’s not far-fetched. Especially if there’s some basketball involved.