They may try to go independent, but that's very difficult to do and survive unless you have a religion behind you. You tend to get choked out of bowl games. Even Notre Dame has to partner with the ACC to get good bowl access.

Moving to the Big East is a pretty clear waving of the white flag that they cannot compete in football, and they've already attacked that problem with so much money as to risk killing the golden goose (hoops) in the athletic department. That means cutting expenditures. That means cutting costs. That means reducing scholarships. That means playing in a conference where your geographic affiliation is regionally restricted to keep travel costs sane. And all of these first step measures sound a lot like FCS to me.

Maybe the MAC would take UMass and UConn as a pair of football-only members

(06-22-2019 04:58 PM)Chappy Wrote:  Maybe the MAC would take UMass and UConn as a pair of football-only members

Didn't the MAC use to have UMass and Temple? Don't think the MAC would do that again.

Something something Great Northern Conference

(06-22-2019 05:05 PM)SMUfan Wrote:  

(06-22-2019 04:58 PM)Chappy Wrote:  Maybe the MAC would take UMass and UConn as a pair of football-only members

Didn't the MAC use to have UMass and Temple? Don't think the MAC would do that again.

They had that all set to go but Temple left for the Big East/American before UMass began playing in the MAC, so they didn't let UMass stay unless they agreed to bring other sports. If Temple were still there they'd probably both still be football only members.

I think they will start on the independence route and try to schedule home and homes with old conference mates (Syracuse, Pitt, Rutgers) and 2-for-1s with regional powers (Penn St, Michigan, Ohio St). They are unlikely to make a major bowl, but should be able to recruit and make money on such a schedule, maybe even as much as they did in the AAC, and with less travel expense.

If that doesn't work, they will try to form an independent coalition or a rebirth of the Yankee Conference, trying to convince UMass and Liberty as well as FCS teams such as New Hampshire, Maine, Villanova, and Richmond to form an 8 team FBS conference. It will be by far the weakest and least supported conference in the FBS, but it will assure stability and may get a piece of the G5 playoff money when the contract is renegotiated.

The worst case scenario is that they can't get home games with regional P5s, regional FCS teams have zero desire to move to FBS, and they have to struggle to cobble together a schedule (something like a home schedule of five featuring such teams as UMass, Liberty, New Hampshire, Army, Coastal Carolina, and seven away games). The program continues to bleed money, and the school drops football as soon as it is politically feasible.

(06-22-2019 03:54 PM)Nerdlinger Wrote:  

(06-22-2019 03:22 PM)chess Wrote:  For a few years, Connecticut schedules Idaho, New Mexico State, BYU, Massachusetts, and Liberty.

Idaho is no longer FBS...

And good luck getting BYU to schedule you.

Independent.

2020 will be a ***** to schedule. Army still have 10/10 open, FIU can slot anywhere. They can probably negotiate a split of a couple games. One I suggest is NMSU @ UMass on 11/7, where they could get them to push that game back a few years, and UConn could sign a longer running series with both, starting with hosting NMSU 10/31 and going to UMass on 11/7. I'm sure there are a couple P5 schools looking to buy a FCS opponent, and UConn could get one of those and host an FCS opponent on their own, even two for this one year. Presto you have 6 or 7 of your 8 games scheduled. ("presto" involves a lot of working and contract writing). I'd probably look for a school with the Hawai'i exception to get a 12th game.

It get's easier after that. You have your NMSU and UMass series going late year, and you can probably sign Army to a series, and a few G5 schools. I would try to set up a neutral site annual game in NYC in early October to face a B1G or ACC or even American opponent.

The MAC has all the same issues as the American for UConn with respect to SNY and ESPN, but it's worse opponents and a horrible late night mid week game schedule.

CUSA and worse the SBC are not desirable destinations.Sure UConn will pick and choose a few opponents from them but not join.

The American doesn't really care to have UConn without Basketball. The only compromise I could see is letting them stay, but not be eligible for the CCG in 2020, to allow both sides to hammer out the schedules in 2021 onward. But even that is iffy because of the new TV package and the conflict there.

That leaves Indy. Is FCS inevitable? I'm not sure. BYU, NMSU, Liberty and UMass all became Independents this decade, and Army still is. So there are now enough that these schools can comfortably schedule late October and November games with each other and fill the schedule, even if Army and BYU with more specialized schedules tailored to their needs are less available. Indy for the next decade I'd think.

(06-22-2019 02:00 PM)debragga Wrote:  

(06-22-2019 01:50 PM)TDenverFan Wrote:  

(06-22-2019 01:43 PM)ken d Wrote:  You're assuming that doesn't change when they leave the AAC. I don't think that's a realistic assumption. Those exceptions are largely intended to allow B1G bottom feeders a way to avoid a likely OOC loss without saying so publicly. They aren't in any way meant to be a judgment about the quality of the opponent.

How is it not a realistic assumption? Other independents are also granted the exception. Not like UConn was ever even a good football program in the AAC.

And my point was just that it makes scheduling for UConn easier if they can get games against P5 opponents this way.

UMass is independent and they don't get the exception. UConn only got it before because they were in the AAC, which has good teams at the very top. No way an independent UConn is considered a power team.

It's actually easier to "justify" the exception as an independent, than it is when they are in a conference specifically characterized as not a power conference.

ULM has 2 open slots for non-conference games in 2020, maybe a one year home and home could happen?

(06-22-2019 03:13 PM)BearcatJerry Wrote:  The "Reason" behind this move is that UConn athletics is hemorrhaging $$$.

The ONLY logical answer then is to follow the example of the majority of the BE member schools and discontinue FB operations. Only two BE members sponsor FB at a varsity level: Villanova, which is established at the FCS level, and Georgetown, which plays non-scholarship FCS football. All the other BE programs have no varsity FB.

As for "keeping" football in the AAC? Nope. Don't see it happening. We don't need UConn more than UConn "needs" the AAC.

'Bye Felicia.

I have a problem making sense of UConn's athletics reporting when it comes to finances. I'm skeptical that an athletic department that's only losing $8.7 million on football can have a $41 million annual deficit. If those numbers are legit, dropping football may not help all that much.

UConn is not going to drop football, they have a stadium owned by the state. If worst comes to worst, they could have a successful CAA team.

The UConn/UMass MAC deal could work, but I imagine the MAC being hesitant because UMass is trying to follow Temple's footsteps to the AAC. I guarantee you the UMass AD has been on the horn with AAC people like crazy. The head honchos up in Amherst are very vocal about their designs to be an all-sport member in the American.

It would be poetic justice for UConn to inadvertently help UMass after years of avoiding them on the court/field.

(06-22-2019 06:21 PM)esayem Wrote:  UConn is not going to drop football, they have a stadium owned by the state. If worst comes to worst, they could have a successful CAA team.

The UConn/UMass MAC deal could work, but I imagine the MAC being hesitant because UMass is trying to follow Temple's footsteps to the AAC. I guarantee you the UMass AD has been on the horn with AAC people like crazy. The head honchos up in Amherst are very vocal about their designs to be an all-sport member in the American.

It would be poetic justice for UConn to inadvertently help UMass after years of avoiding them on the court/field.

Southern teams don’t want another northeastern outlier

(06-22-2019 06:25 PM)Pony94 Wrote:  

(06-22-2019 06:21 PM)esayem Wrote:  UConn is not going to drop football, they have a stadium owned by the state. If worst comes to worst, they could have a successful CAA team.

The UConn/UMass MAC deal could work, but I imagine the MAC being hesitant because UMass is trying to follow Temple's footsteps to the AAC. I guarantee you the UMass AD has been on the horn with AAC people like crazy. The head honchos up in Amherst are very vocal about their designs to be an all-sport member in the American.

It would be poetic justice for UConn to inadvertently help UMass after years of avoiding them on the court/field.

Southern teams don’t want another northeastern outlier

I tend to agree with you, but UMass has been where most of the institutional chatter has come from.

I think maybe UNCC has talked about it from the AD or something, could be wrong.

There is a better chance UMass is an AAC member than Army, Air Force, BYU, Colorado State, Boise, SDSU, etc. People may not want to admit it, but losing UConn IS a hit as they are a national brand.

UMass, Old Dominion, UNCC, Marshall, UAB, Southern Miss, Rice...these are the realistic options if the conference replaces UConn. Maybe UTSA. Maybe Wichita starts football.

All are more likely than Army, BYU, or Air Force. I don't think I need to go into detail why.

(06-22-2019 06:05 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  Independent.

2020 will be a ***** to schedule. Army still have 10/10 open, FIU can slot anywhere. They can probably negotiate a split of a couple games. One I suggest is NMSU @ UMass on 11/7, where they could get them to push that game back a few years, and UConn could sign a longer running series with both, starting with hosting NMSU 10/31 and going to UMass on 11/7. I'm sure there are a couple P5 schools looking to buy a FCS opponent, and UConn could get one of those and host an FCS opponent on their own, even two for this one year. Presto you have 6 or 7 of your 8 games scheduled. ("presto" involves a lot of working and contract writing). I'd probably look for a school with the Hawai'i exception to get a 12th game.

It get's easier after that. You have your NMSU and UMass series going late year, and you can probably sign Army to a series, and a few G5 schools. I would try to set up a neutral site annual game in NYC in early October to face a B1G or ACC or even American opponent.

The MAC has all the same issues as the American for UConn with respect to SNY and ESPN, but it's worse opponents and a horrible late night mid week game schedule.

CUSA and worse the SBC are not desirable destinations.Sure UConn will pick and choose a few opponents from them but not join.

The American doesn't really care to have UConn without Basketball. The only compromise I could see is letting them stay, but not be eligible for the CCG in 2020, to allow both sides to hammer out the schedules in 2021 onward. But even that is iffy because of the new TV package and the conflict there.

That leaves Indy. Is FCS inevitable? I'm not sure. BYU, NMSU, Liberty and UMass all became Independents this decade, and Army still is. So there are now enough that these schools can comfortably schedule late October and November games with each other and fill the schedule, even if Army and BYU with more specialized schedules tailored to their needs are less available. Indy for the next decade I'd think.

They may have more FCS games than normal that year to get through it.

(06-22-2019 06:32 PM)esayem Wrote:  

(06-22-2019 06:25 PM)Pony94 Wrote:  

(06-22-2019 06:21 PM)esayem Wrote:  UConn is not going to drop football, they have a stadium owned by the state. If worst comes to worst, they could have a successful CAA team.

The UConn/UMass MAC deal could work, but I imagine the MAC being hesitant because UMass is trying to follow Temple's footsteps to the AAC. I guarantee you the UMass AD has been on the horn with AAC people like crazy. The head honchos up in Amherst are very vocal about their designs to be an all-sport member in the American.

It would be poetic justice for UConn to inadvertently help UMass after years of avoiding them on the court/field.

Southern teams don’t want another northeastern outlier

I tend to agree with you, but UMass has been where most of the institutional chatter has come from.

I think maybe UNCC has talked about it from the AD or something, could be wrong.

There is a better chance UMass is an AAC member than Army, Air Force, BYU, Colorado State, Boise, SDSU, etc. People may not want to admit it, but losing UConn IS a hit as they are a national brand.

UMass, Old Dominion, UNCC, Marshall, UAB, Southern Miss, Rice...these are the realistic options if the conference replaces UConn. Maybe UTSA. Maybe Wichita starts football.

All are more likely than Army, BYU, or Air Force. I don't think I need to go into detail why.

Then we aren’t adding anyone (my vote) if you think UMASS is the only taker.

(06-22-2019 06:35 PM)Pony94 Wrote:  

(06-22-2019 06:32 PM)esayem Wrote:  

(06-22-2019 06:25 PM)Pony94 Wrote:  

(06-22-2019 06:21 PM)esayem Wrote:  UConn is not going to drop football, they have a stadium owned by the state. If worst comes to worst, they could have a successful CAA team.

The UConn/UMass MAC deal could work, but I imagine the MAC being hesitant because UMass is trying to follow Temple's footsteps to the AAC. I guarantee you the UMass AD has been on the horn with AAC people like crazy. The head honchos up in Amherst are very vocal about their designs to be an all-sport member in the American.

It would be poetic justice for UConn to inadvertently help UMass after years of avoiding them on the court/field.

Southern teams don’t want another northeastern outlier

I tend to agree with you, but UMass has been where most of the institutional chatter has come from.

I think maybe UNCC has talked about it from the AD or something, could be wrong.

There is a better chance UMass is an AAC member than Army, Air Force, BYU, Colorado State, Boise, SDSU, etc. People may not want to admit it, but losing UConn IS a hit as they are a national brand.

UMass, Old Dominion, UNCC, Marshall, UAB, Southern Miss, Rice...these are the realistic options if the conference replaces UConn. Maybe UTSA. Maybe Wichita starts football.

All are more likely than Army, BYU, or Air Force. I don't think I need to go into detail why.

Then we aren’t adding anyone (my vote) if you think UMASS is the only taker.

I would love it if the AAC doesn't add a school and breaks down the CCG rules to allow no divisions. Great success!

(06-22-2019 06:15 PM)ken d Wrote:  I have a problem making sense of UConn's athletics reporting when it comes to finances. I'm skeptical that an athletic department that's only losing $8.7 million on football can have a $41 million annual deficit. If those numbers are legit, dropping football may not help all that much.

The problem is that UConn's operating expenses of $79 million is much too large for a G6 school and aren't being supported by revenues from tickets, TV, or NCAA credits.

Ironically, if UMass were to replace UConn in the AAC it would solve UConn's scheduling problem. Just take over all the games UMass has to drop to take on a conference schedule.

BTW, we should all be thanking the Huskies for finally giving us something real to talk about on a realignment board.