BCS leagues expanding - yeah?

Yeah, but UConn only played in that because the Big East was a "power" conference in football at the time and automatically got in based on the rules. That team wouldn't even sniff a NY6 bowl now. They were 8-4 in a pretty average Big East that year and got crushed by Oklahoma in the Fiesta. The fact that they didn't gain in momentum from that experience probably shows they weren't ever really cut out for football on a bigger stage. They actually haven't had a winning season since.

 

That would make some sense on the football side, but for everything else the travel costs of a footprint that size would be a killer. I don't see how you schedule one division only and get away with it, and there is no possible way that the Olympic sports can pay the freight for those costs.

The other wild card would be for the AAC to let UConn leave and stand pat. I don't think it would affect their TV contract, so everyone just splits the extra share and rolls on as is.

Everyone in C-USA wants out and up. AAC could require a five year conference transition where they pay the newcomer less than a full share, and most/all would bite the bullet and take it if they were invited.

UAB will face some resistance from former C-USA colleagues who remember how bad things were there prior to the football shutdown. Most of the programs are in new facilities since then, which those schools have never seen. Football building is brand new and compares favorably with P5, with a new, state of the art football stadium under construction. New basketball practice facility under construction. Fundraising to update the basketball arena is underway. Excellent new soccer, softball, track and field are open. Baseball field on campus is bad but with a new fieldhouse for baseball/softball coming soon. Baseball currently plays about half its home games at Regions Field, the minor league home of the AA Birmingham Barons, and it's a lovely facility. That is why baseball was down the list a bit.

On the academic and research side, UAB is as good or better a fit than most candidates.

We'll see how it breaks.

 

They also had their coach leave right after that Fiesta Bowl and replaced him with....Paul Pasqualoni.

 

I’m sure no one in Storrs is crying about making the Fiesta Bowl. Sure they were outclassed and sure UConn lost $$$, but that’s three and a half hours of free advertising that didn’t go away. Their slide since then had more to do with hiring a retread (albeit one with some state ties) than anything else. They’ve gotten the last two coaching hires wrong... and there’s a good chance they got this one (Edsall II) wrong, too.

 

Has UConn figured out what to do with the football program given the move of the basketball peogram to the Big East?

 

They’re going independent

 

They should go to FCS, but like everybody else, they'll spit on that idea and claim that independence at the FBS level is better.

 

UMass and UConn should play each other 10 times a year and schedule FCS schools for the other two games. There’s a chance one of them might be bowl eligible.

Also not sure who these teams think will want to televise their home games. I doubt NESN8 would be interested.

 

UConn already had to work a weird three-way deal with Ole Miss and Middle Tennessee State. They're playing at Ole Miss next season for no money, just so they can have a game.

Oh, and they are playing UMass next season, but only once.

Game contracts reveal details about UConn football scheduling in 2020 and beyond

 

Zombie football.

 

Rule No. 2: Double tap.

 

A non-P5 playing a P5 without a payday has to be a first, right?