(07-27-2019 08:49 AM)The Cutter of Bish Wrote:  

(07-27-2019 05:14 AM)AuzGrams Wrote:  Wouldn't shock me if they have to do 2 FCS home games. For a struggling program, it might not be bad to get a couple easy victories (most likely).

I don't disagree, and there's plenty of schools in CAAF, Patriot, Big South, and MEAC that will take the game, but, if that's what it comes to, this program is toast. It enters independence guaranteeing virtually no chance of bowl considerations. They'll be fine with the variety of P5 buy games in 2021 (2020 is limited, but there's still the likes of VT), but, those are pretty much guaranteed losses in the record. It's a question of whether the AAC decides to take on an associate member for 2020, or how the schools with UConn on the schedule decide to treat those games. I do think some schools will keep the game(s), like Temple (who would get UConn back at Philly in 2021). And the game against Navy in 2020 is in Annapolis...

They'll probably call upon the MAC, getting some arrangements with future weeknight return games. CUSA and Sun Belt, too (ODU, FIU, and LaTech, for example, don't have full schedules for 2020 yet). 2-1's maybe?

According to FBSchedules, earliest access to some of the eastern programs looks to be, assuming no late changes:
Buffalo: 2022
BYU (not eastern, but a reference as how they would automatically just get onto the schedule now): 2022
Duke: 2022
Kent State: 2022 (one non-conf. game locked...I expect UConn will get onto that schedule)
Louisville: 2023
Maryland: 2021
UMFL: 2021
Michigan: 2022
Michigan State: 2023
Notre Dame: 2022
Ohio State: 2022
Penn State: 2024
Pitt: 2021
Rutgers: 2021
Syracuse: 2022
Tennessee: 2021
Virginia: 2022
Wake Forest: 2021
West Virginia: 2025 (pretty much Armageddon at that point anyway)

Any chance Kentucky dumps one of its early 2020 home games in exchange for UConn?

Kentucky's 2020 OOC home schedule has to be the weakest in the P5: Eastern Michigan, Eastern Illinois, and Kent State. If they do any trade-offs, it needs to be for a stronger team than UConn (1-11 last season). At least schools in Michigan, Illinois & Ohio are close enough to sell a few tickets to out-of-towners.

Rutgers has openings in 2020 and 2021, but we need home games for both of those openings.

(07-27-2019 09:59 AM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(07-27-2019 07:52 AM)panite Wrote:  9-3 - UMASS
9-12 - at Illinois
9-19 - Maine
9-26 - Indiana

UCF has an open date if the AAC schedules a conference game in September so one game at UCF if the AAC works with them.

Why would UCF or any other AAC team be willing to schedule them in football next year?

UCF has an opened date. UCF needs an easy victory. UCF can use another home game for the revenue. Problem solved for UCF if they want to go this route. Its not about helping UConn. Its about UCF finding an easy game at home for the additional revenue.

(07-27-2019 06:44 PM)RutgersMike Wrote:  Rutgers has openings in 2020 and 2021, but we need home games for both of those openings.

Rutgers has no openings in in either of those years. They have 3 OOC games and 9 conference games for both of those years. They don't have an opening until 2022 then 2024 going forward. The OOC schedule for 2023 is full too.

(07-27-2019 10:42 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  Right. I’m saying they could end up with a lot more FCS games and possibly not enough FBS home games. I think a waiver would probably be granted given the circumstances, ...

I dunno, it'd be interesting to see if it is so automatic when you are the instigator of the realignment ...

... but 5:0 (H:A) FCS games and 4:3 (H:A) FBS games, with one of the FCS games a game against an FBS counter, will do it.

If it is assumed they will reschedule or buy out the game against Maine, and replace it with an away body bag game against a P5 school and a November FCS game against an FCS counter, then they would already have 1*:0 FCS, 2:2 FBS.

If they can buy their way into a contract between two schools where one of the schools has a late open date that works, that takes them to 1*:0 FCS, 3:3 FBS.

Then one "pro forma home game" neutral site game against an FBS opponent, they are at 1*:0 FCS, 4:3 FBS and can fill out the rest of the schedule with FCS opponents without a waiver, 5(1*):0 FCS, 4:3 FBS

Indeed, if they wanted to cut down on the cost of the guarantees, they could play two of the FCS schools with 2-1's, and have their FCS opponents "paid for" for 2021-2024. Maybe they could talk Maine into doing that with a rescheduled game later in the season and save the cost of buying out the Maine contract. They might get an Ivy League school that is too snobby to take a buy game from UConn. They would still have 7 home games in 2020: 3(1*):2 FCS, 4:3 FBS.

And by 2021, their FCS games would be tapering down and by 2022 they'd be in a regular schedule, with a heavy dose of NMSU, UMass, Liberty and the occasional BYU and Army in November.

(07-28-2019 06:26 AM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(07-27-2019 10:42 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  Right. I’m saying they could end up with a lot more FCS games and possibly not enough FBS home games. I think a waiver would probably be granted given the circumstances, ...

I dunno, it'd be interesting to see if it is so automatic when you are the instigator of the realignment ...

... but 5:0 (H:A) FCS games and 4:3 (H:A) FBS games, with one of the FCS games a game against an FBS counter, will do it.

If it is assumed they will reschedule or buy out the game against Maine, and replace it with an away body bag game against a P5 school and a November FCS game against an FCS counter, then they would already have 1*:0 FCS, 2:2 FBS.

If they can buy their way into a contract between two schools where one of the schools has a late open date that works, that takes them to 1*:0 FCS, 3:3 FBS.

Then one "pro forma home game" neutral site game against an FBS opponent, they are at 1*:0 FCS, 4:3 FBS and can fill out the rest of the schedule with FCS opponents without a waiver, 5(1*):0 FCS, 4:3 FBS

Indeed, if they wanted to cut down on the cost of the guarantees, they could play two of the FCS schools with 2-1's, and have their FCS opponents "paid for" for 2021-2024. Maybe they could talk Maine into doing that with a rescheduled game later in the season and save the cost of buying out the Maine contract. They might get an Ivy League school that is too snobby to take a buy game from UConn. They would still have 7 home games in 2020: 3(1*):2 FCS, 4:3 FBS.

And by 2021, their FCS games would be tapering down and by 2022 they'd be in a regular schedule, with a heavy dose of NMSU, UMass, Liberty and the occasional BYU and Army in November.

Maybe. Its also true they did ask to stay longer in football. However, the key to me is---this is likely a very temporary 1 year issue for UConn. I dont think the future UConn schedules as an indy are going to knock anyones socks off---but I have zero reason to believe they cant be at least as successful at putting together an indy schedule as schools like NM St and UMass. So---I think most everyone would feel like the 2020 schedule is indicative of a one time issue and not a harbinger of a school that cant consistently assemble a qualifying FBS schedule. On that basis--I think they could probably win a one year waiver if needed....but thats just my opinion.

UConn fb schedules will far better for them and their attendance if they can get annual H&H games with the following regional opponents:
Doable:
Army
UMASS
Buffalo
Liberty
FCS like Maine
Harder but if possible way better than their AAC schedule:
Syracuse
Boston College
Pitt
Rutgers
Virginia Tech

Then schedule BYU and an away money game vs Notre Dame/Penn St
Perfect 12 game regional schedule with 1 far away game (BYU) every other year.
6 home, 6 away.
Doubt a bowl eligible season is impossible with this schedule.

When I looked at the future sch
Louisiana, NMST, SMU, Ark, So Car all need home game
UNLV, Army, Villanova have room for @ Conn

Note: I read no TCU-SMU (not competive)

(07-28-2019 03:45 PM)templefootballfan Wrote:  When I looked at the future sch
Louisiana, NMST, SMU, Ark, So Car all need home game
UNLV, Army, Villanova have room for @ Conn

Note: I read no TCU-SMU (not competive)

What about the 4 MWC teams plus Hawai’i who can schedule a 13th game? There are more options than people think for 2020.

(07-28-2019 03:20 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(07-28-2019 06:26 AM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(07-27-2019 10:42 AM)Attackcoog Wrote:  Right. I’m saying they could end up with a lot more FCS games and possibly not enough FBS home games. I think a waiver would probably be granted given the circumstances, ...

I dunno, it'd be interesting to see if it is so automatic when you are the instigator of the realignment ...

... but 5:0 (H:A) FCS games and 4:3 (H:A) FBS games, with one of the FCS games a game against an FBS counter, will do it.

If it is assumed they will reschedule or buy out the game against Maine, and replace it with an away body bag game against a P5 school and a November FCS game against an FCS counter, then they would already have 1*:0 FCS, 2:2 FBS.

If they can buy their way into a contract between two schools where one of the schools has a late open date that works, that takes them to 1*:0 FCS, 3:3 FBS.

Then one "pro forma home game" neutral site game against an FBS opponent, they are at 1*:0 FCS, 4:3 FBS and can fill out the rest of the schedule with FCS opponents without a waiver, 5(1*):0 FCS, 4:3 FBS

Indeed, if they wanted to cut down on the cost of the guarantees, they could play two of the FCS schools with 2-1's, and have their FCS opponents "paid for" for 2021-2024. Maybe they could talk Maine into doing that with a rescheduled game later in the season and save the cost of buying out the Maine contract. They might get an Ivy League school that is too snobby to take a buy game from UConn. They would still have 7 home games in 2020: 3(1*):2 FCS, 4:3 FBS.

And by 2021, their FCS games would be tapering down and by 2022 they'd be in a regular schedule, with a heavy dose of NMSU, UMass, Liberty and the occasional BYU and Army in November.

Maybe. Its also true they did ask to stay longer in football. However, the key to me is---this is likely a very temporary 1 year issue for UConn. I dont think the future UConn schedules as an indy are going to knock anyones socks off---but I have zero reason to believe they cant be at least as successful at putting together an indy schedule as schools like NM St and UMass. So---I think most everyone would feel like the 2020 schedule is indicative of a one time issue and not a harbinger of a school that cant consistently assemble a qualifying FBS schedule. On that basis--I think they could probably win a one year waiver if needed....but thats just my opinion.

Yea. Long-term they'll be relatively fine in terms of finding schools to play. 2020 very well may be an issue because of the sheer suddenness of it, but long term the other non-Notre-Dame independents and an FCS team fill up half the schedule by themselves. That being said, the fan base being hollowed out over the last several years due to the 1- to 3-win seasons has put the school in a place where, for one year, playing two or three FCS opponents out of necessity wouldn't even be a bad thing. The program being suddenly shifted into independence even gives you a bit of cover to do such a thing when you may not have gotten away with it otherwise.

(07-27-2019 11:51 AM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(07-27-2019 09:59 AM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(07-27-2019 07:52 AM)panite Wrote:  9-3 - UMASS
9-12 - at Illinois
9-19 - Maine
9-26 - Indiana

UCF has an open date if the AAC schedules a conference game in September so one game at UCF if the AAC works with them.

Why would UCF or any other AAC team be willing to schedule them in football next year?

Handshake agreement as part of the exit fee agreement. Plus UCF needs to play *somebody* OOC.

Well, UCF and FIU sign home and home, @UCF 2020 @FIU 2022, so much for that.

So that's one less path to getting UConn 4 FBS home games in 2020.

Quote:It's going to be brutal, but highly paid AD staff think they can get this done, so....

Just got a very little bit more brutal.

(07-28-2019 07:12 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(07-27-2019 11:51 AM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(07-27-2019 09:59 AM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(07-27-2019 07:52 AM)panite Wrote:  9-3 - UMASS
9-12 - at Illinois
9-19 - Maine
9-26 - Indiana

UCF has an open date if the AAC schedules a conference game in September so one game at UCF if the AAC works with them.

Why would UCF or any other AAC team be willing to schedule them in football next year?

Handshake agreement as part of the exit fee agreement. Plus UCF needs to play *somebody* OOC.

Well, UCF and FIU sign home and home, @UCF 2020 @FIU 2022, so much for that.

So that's one less path to getting UConn 4 FBS home games in 2020.

Actually that is just a 3rd game for each. FIU needs a home game still and UCF needs a road game to get to 12 in 2020. So neither is off the table, especially not UCF.

(07-28-2019 07:28 PM)Stugray2 Wrote:  

(07-28-2019 07:12 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(07-27-2019 11:51 AM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(07-27-2019 09:59 AM)DoubleRSU Wrote:  

(07-27-2019 07:52 AM)panite Wrote:  9-3 - UMASS
9-12 - at Illinois
9-19 - Maine
9-26 - Indiana

UCF has an open date if the AAC schedules a conference game in September so one game at UCF if the AAC works with them.

Why would UCF or any other AAC team be willing to schedule them in football next year?

Handshake agreement as part of the exit fee agreement. Plus UCF needs to play *somebody* OOC.

Well, UCF and FIU sign home and home, @UCF 2020 @FIU 2022, so much for that.

So that's one less path to getting UConn 4 FBS home games in 2020.

Actually that is just a 3rd game for each. FIU needs a home game still and UCF needs a road game to get to 12 in 2020. So neither is off the table, especially not UCF.

I think the 12th game for UCF is going to be an FCS home game. And I think FIU would rather have an FCS guaranteed win than UConn (an only mostly guaranteed win) for their 5th home game.

(07-28-2019 03:20 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(07-28-2019 06:26 AM)BruceMcF Wrote:  ... If it is assumed they will reschedule or buy out the game against Maine, and replace it with an away body bag game against a P5 school and a November FCS game against an FCS counter, then they would already have 1*:0 FCS, 2:2 FBS.

If they can buy their way into a contract between two schools where one of the schools has a late open date that works, that takes them to 1*:0 FCS, 3:3 FBS.

Then one "pro forma home game" neutral site game against an FBS opponent, they are at 1*:0 FCS, 4:3 FBS and can fill out the rest of the schedule with FCS opponents without a waiver, 5(1*):0 FCS, 4:3 FBS ...

Maybe. Its also true they did ask to stay longer in football. However, the key to me is---this is likely a very temporary 1 year issue for UConn.

Yeah, it's a temporary issue ... but that temporary issue is the topic of the current thread.

The four genuine FBS home games are the challenge, since getting to the minimum required total FBS games is not hard once that is accomplished. Indeed, they can cut the minimum total FBS games required to one more away game, just by cutting their season back to 11 games.

So two FBS schools already signed to travel to CT in 2020 does make it that one bit easier.

I think they buy out Maine or offer them a 2-1 over the next five years with the current year the Away, take a body bag game in September (because all of the other parts are going to cost money), and look to buy into both the home and away side of one or two games already agreed to by two other teams.

They buy their way into two already-signed games like that, and they won't need a waiver.

(07-28-2019 06:16 AM)panite Wrote:  

(07-27-2019 06:44 PM)RutgersMike Wrote:  Rutgers has openings in 2020 and 2021, but we need home games for both of those openings.

Rutgers has no openings in in either of those years. They have 3 OOC games and 9 conference games for both of those years. They don't have an opening until 2022 then 2024 going forward. The OOC schedule for 2023 is full too.

Also 2022 already has Temple and Cuse so they are more likely to look for a FCS team. 2024 only has VT which is on the road so probably they will look for a FCS at home and thats when they could fit in UConn at home that season. First road game Rutgers could play vs UConn would be 2025.

(07-28-2019 08:29 PM)RutgersGuy Wrote:  Also 2022 already has Temple and Cuse so they are more likely to look for a FCS team. 2024 only has VT which is on the road so probably they will look for a FCS at home and thats when they could fit in UConn at home that season. First road game Rutgers could play vs UConn would be 2025.

So, that's a long winded way of saying, with respect to the topic of this thread, Rutgers has no relevance whatsover?

(07-27-2019 08:08 AM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(07-27-2019 07:31 AM)BruceMcF Wrote:  

(07-26-2019 07:40 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  I have no idea---but dont be surprised if they get a 1-year waiver for 2020 and have 2 or more FCS games.

AFAIU, you don't need a waiver to have 2 FCS games, it's just that one of them won't count toward bowl eligibility. Also, 12 is a ceiling, not a requirement ... AFAIR, 10 FBS games, 5 at home, one FCS game against school with a high enough percentage of maximum scholarship gets to count as FBS ... so 9 actual FBS games, 4 actual ones at home.

They presently have 2 actual FBS games at home, 3 actual FBS games scheduled, as well as their FCS counter, so they need 2 more FBS home games, and beyond that 5 more FBS away or home games.

All they need, by the NCAA rulebook, is 60% of their games against FBS opponents. 60% of 12 is 7.2, 60% of 11 is 6.6.

They might also be able to work some magic using a "neutral site game" that is really a home game for their opponent, but counts as a UConn home game for NCAA (and TV) purposes.

Arkansas has 2 non-con vacancies for 2020. UConn could play the Hogs in Little Rock and count it as a UConn home game, if needed.

(07-29-2019 12:16 AM)Wedge Wrote:  Arkansas has 2 non-con vacancies for 2020. UConn could play the Hogs in Little Rock and count it as a UConn home game, if needed.

What makes that even more interesting is that the SEC typically schedules FCS dates for a semi-bye-week (that counts toward bowl eligibility) during the conference season ... using one of those dates for a according-to-the-rules-home-game for UConn would be even better for UConn, leaving the current Maine date open for a buy game.

UConn might look for the next to last week in the season in November for a body bag money game with the ACC or SEC. That's when those conferences also schedule low level in state FCS teams prior to their season ending rivalry games. But why would they do that when UConn will be asking for a million dollars when the in state FCS teams will be getting about a third of that and the money stays in state to fund a local school. Oh wait UConn FB will be FCS if it survives at all by the time they start looking for those "BUY" games. If they do survive as an independent they will have that wonderful independent schedule of Liberty, UMASS, New Mexico ST, and an FCS school to finish the year.

(07-29-2019 10:01 AM)panite Wrote:  ... Oh wait UConn FB will be FCS if it survives at all by the time they start looking for those "BUY" games. ...

So ... wade through all of the smilies and verbiage, and what you are predicting is that UConn will FCS by 2020?

Yeah, no.