Of course it's amusing to read the comments that follow an article such as this and the one by Maisel on the end of realignment. Fans from various schools making their cases for P5 invites. One UCONN fan was trying to make a point for why they're a better choice than UC; among his proof statements, their beautiful campus. Obviously, he's never been to UC or read any of the half dozen national stories on UC being one of the most dynamic, beautiful campuses in the entire world.

I don't think the campus is the golden ticket to a P5 invitation but as others have said here UC has a vision for big-time athletics and is in the midst of executing that plan.

(02-17-2014 10:35 AM)bearcatlawjd Wrote:  Great post. I think UConn's issue is they miss longtime rivals in basketball. No Syracuse, Providence, Georgetown, Pitt, St. John's or Villanova. That is one reason I advocated for UMass because it would give UConn and Temple a regional rival.

UConn looks down their nose at UMass.

(02-17-2014 10:36 AM)CliftonAve Wrote:  

(02-17-2014 10:26 AM)Jchuges7 Wrote:  Interesting perspective here in Connecticut: most people here aren't depressed about the AAC, they're pissed. Didn't hear those rumblings during football season but now that hoops is going on it's changed. I find it humorous that if so many are genuinely upset you think they'd try and channel that into something positive to get them out of the conference sooner. Have a major fundraising campaign, improve facilities, or do something other than complain about the level of competition in the American.

It's not to say that people back home aren't upset, I know I'm wanting UC to move up in the world, but I think we're doing it the right way. Keep winning across the board in the situation that the Cats are in, the Nippert renovation, hopefully addressing the 5/3 Arena problem sometime soon, and just stay in a great position so that when the Power 5 do come calling we can step up seamlessly. Am I off base here?

I think a big reason for that is that UConn believes they have already have what is in place for the next step up in terms of athletic budget, facilities, etc. UC on the other hand recognizes its opportunity areas and is addressing it.

I am not suprised to see the rumblings in Connecticut grow louder during basketball. That is their #1 sport first of all and I have noticed their attendance has declined pretty significantly. They have been playing against regional foes in the Big East since 1979. Kinda hard to get the locals excited about playing schools in Texas and Florida. The interest will wane up there even more next year when Tulsa, Tulane and East Carolina are added to the mix.

UConn might have top notch facilities on campus but I can say that the XL Center where they play many basketball games and Rentschler Field for football are less than ideal. Both are serviceable, but nothing special to write home about. The XL Center is way past it's prime and building a new arena for UConn and possibly attracting a NHL or NBA team (not going to happen, too close to NYC and Boston) has been a debate here for quite some time. Not saying that 5/3 is the best thing ever but it doesn't have the same feeling of age and wear that the XL Center has in the concourses and certain areas of the seating bowl. Rentschler is one of the most bare bones stadiums I've ever been to. It's literally a playing surface, seating and a press box out in the middle of what's basically an empty field all around. Like I said, it gets the job done, but not exactly a crown jewel or anything with character at all.

Jchuges, thank you for stopping in

Just wondering, how do the people at ESPN view our recent efforts to improve our facilities (Nippert, etc.). Do they still kind of thumb their noses (like Gameday, etc.)?

(02-17-2014 02:31 PM)BJUnklFkr Wrote:  Jchuges, thank you for stopping in

Just wondering, how do the people at ESPN view our recent efforts to improve our facilities (Nippert, etc.). Do they still kind of thumb their noses (like Gameday, etc.)?

Doesn't really get talked about much. I'll let you in on a media secret that's not so secret, media people can be very lazy. They go on long-time perceptions and frankly in college sports just cannot follow every team the way they should. Granted things like facilities aren't really in the forefront of a discussion someone's going to have about a program so from my perspective it doesn't seem like it amounts to a whole hill of beans.

The biggest thing is to just keep winning, doing things the right way and force people to respect you. Then you'll see more coverage, hopefully in a positive light. Case and point: the basketball team has earned their top 10 ranking and now ESPN has used them and SK as a major selling point in promos for their CBB coverage. It can be just as simple as that.

Great insight--glad you're able to provide the perspective from Connecticut. I suspect the new Nippert won't really catch much attention nationally until UC plays there and a national TV audience gets a first look. Somewhat like Yum Center--people outside Louisville or the Big East really didn't know much when it was being built but we now get an eyeful during many telecasts and it's widely held to be one of the finest basketball venues in the country. Let's hope that's what we're hearing when Nippert reopens.