This deal is beneficial for UConn right now because it is more important to get exposure on NATIONAL NETWORK TV than to have a home game with ND. After this series runs out in a decade, then things will be different, but this gives UConn an awesome opening to the National TV market on NBC plus the press of playing in big time NFL stadiums against the Irish. For UConn, a young I-A program, this is a good deal because it will do wonders for them in recruiting.

I do not have a problem with Notre Dame not visiting Rentschler Field. My issue is that the Fighting Irish should not require Connecticut to travel to South Bend either. It would be a win-win situation for both schools to simply alternate games between Gillette Stadium and the Meadowlands for the six years of the contract. That gives Notre Dame the frequent Northeast exposure they want and makes the Huskies look like partners rather than lackeys. I despise the audacity that the Fighting Irish display in offering equitable neutral site deals to Southwest teams like Arizona State and Baylor but not to fellow Big East members.

Krocker Krapp Wrote:I do not have a problem with Notre Dame not visiting Rentschler Field. My issue is that the Fighting Irish should not require Connecticut to travel to South Bend either. It would be a win-win situation for both schools to simply alternate games between Gillette Stadium and the Meadowlands for the six years of the contract. That gives Notre Dame the frequent Northeast exposure they want and makes the Huskies look like partners rather than lackeys. I despise the audacity that the Fighting Irish display in offering equitable neutral site deals to Southwest teams like Arizona State and Baylor but not to fellow Big East members.

Agreed!! Unfortunately that is an equitable & fair proposition. ND is opposed to such constraints when dealing with only some of their BE partners & this feeds their fan's ego.

agree with the premise, but 'making them travel to southbend' isn't like going to boise st or something either. Its 80k on mid sat afternoon on national tv. Also, ND seems determined to do this so it couldn't be ruled out they could find some other eastern non BE team.
Playing BC or navy or whoever at raymond james while uconn has a home game would be less than favorable.

The ironic part is Conn Basketball men & women basketball throw there wieght around & nobody has promblem with it

I am happy with the series because as a CA UCONN alum I get to watch UCONN on TV at least once a year.

TIGER-PAUL Wrote:agree with the premise, but 'making them travel to southbend' isn't like going to boise st or something either. Its 80k on mid sat afternoon on national tv. Also, ND seems determined to do this so it couldn't be ruled out they could find some other eastern non BE team.
Playing BC or navy or whoever at raymond james while uconn has a home game would be less than favorable.

Agreed many Syracuse fans are looking forward to seeing a game in South Bend this fall.

I have no issues with the deal UConn struck...for them it is part of their maturation.

If Syracuse is the other team I hope it could be structured: 2 @SB, 1@Meadowlands, 1@Dome or something similiar

The Dome seating only 49k is an issue.

BullsFanInTX Wrote:I undertand why UConn did it, I just wish they would have held out longer. ND had already agreed to play 3 BE teams. Back them into a corner and force them to play at BE stadiums. UConn should not have signed this deal, imo.

They could have negotiated 1 game at the Rent and ND exploited this and it shows. UConn appears to be desperate.

Any games between Connecticut and Notre Dame would be on national television no matter what. An all-neutral series like I prefer could still be part of the NBC contract so that should not be an issue. Do not forget, also, that the Huskies have a one-and-done in South Bend in 2009, which I have no problem with, so it is not like they would never go there.

My point is that I wanted to see a win-win situation instead of the Fighting Irish are gods but everyone else is nothing mentality that we ended up with and people continue to perpetuate. Negotiations with one's supposed longtime partners should be done in good faith rather than trying to fleece the other side and inflicting damage upon their public image.

Krocker Krapp Wrote:An all-neutral series like I prefer could still be part of the NBC contract so that should not be an issue.

Why would ND sign an all-neutral series...when ND holds ALL the cards? (i.e. TV exposure, even POWER over a fellow conference member, etc...)

ND wants to have 7 home games per year...plus...another game at a neutral site...which will mostly be another "ND" home game...especially with their nationwide fan base.

ND wants 8 "favorable" games (i.e. HOME) every year...and only 4 true "road games"...and some of those against not so great teams (Stanford/Navy).

ND will most likely NEVER sign an all-neutral series...because they don't HAVE to.

It's sad though that ND couldn't even give a fellow conference member a HOME GAME...not even ONE...as maybe the State would have kicked in a few $$$$$ for more improvements/expansion to the RENT if ND was coming to East Hartford.

Notre Dame traveled to Ga Tech, Boston College...plus regular visits to the Air Force Academy...somewhat smaller stadiums...yet ND couldn't even give another Big East Member a real HOME game in a long-contract series?

Why is ND a member of the Big East?

ND just laughs all the way to the bank...as they get all the BENEFITS of the Big East Football (i.e. access to BOWLS) yet ND gets to keep: 100% of all their TV Contract...and a huge majority of all their BOWL $$$$$$.

I don't see the Big East Football Schools having much to do with ND Football after the split.

KnightLight Wrote:

Krocker Krapp Wrote:An all-neutral series like I prefer could still be part of the NBC contract so that should not be an issue.

Why would ND sign an all-neutral series...when ND holds ALL the cards? (i.e. TV exposure, even POWER over a fellow conference member, etc...)

ND wants to have 7 home games per year...plus...another game at a neutral site...which will mostly be another "ND" home game...especially with their nationwide fan base.

ND wants 8 "favorable" games (i.e. HOME) every year...and only 4 true "road games"...and some of those against not so great teams (Stanford/Navy).

ND will most likely NEVER sign an all-neutral series...because they don't HAVE to.

It's sad though that ND couldn't even give a fellow conference member a HOME GAME...not even ONE...as maybe the State would have kicked in a few $$$$$ for more improvements/expansion to the RENT if ND was coming to East Hartford.

Notre Dame traveled to Ga Tech, Boston College...plus regular visits to the Air Force Academy...somewhat smaller stadiums...yet ND couldn't even give another Big East Member a real HOME game in a long-contract series?

Why is ND a member of the Big East?

ND just laughs all the way to the bank...as they get all the BENEFITS of the Big East Football (i.e. access to BOWLS) yet ND gets to keep: 100% of all their TV Contract...and a huge majority of all their BOWL $$$$$$.

I don't see the Big East Football Schools having much to do with ND Football after the split.

It wasn't very nice so I had to delete it.

1. Nobody made UCONN do this.
2. Playing ND is always a national game on NBC......I'd take it.
3. You can beat them....they suck right now.

Amazing. Someone can admit, on one hand, that Notre Dame wants a neutral game every year but then claim, on the other hand, that it makes no sense to sign an all-neutral series against a school with which it competes in basketball and minor sports in the Big East on an annual basis. Whatever.