UConn to schedule former Big East foes

[Bill Marsh]

Something I speculated on a while ago appears to be coming to fruition. A couple of reports in the Hartford Courant this week have quoted UConn AD David Benedict as saying that UConn will be taking a more regional approach to its OOC scheduling. This year they will be playing Villanova in the Y2K games at the Garden and are lined up to play Syracuse in those same games. Benedict indicated that UConn would like to schedule more games against such former BE rivals, specifically mentioning St. John’s, Providence, and BC as likely. He said that he and new coach Danny Hurley have already had discussions about the new scheduling direction.

The big news is that UConn is negotiating to schedule an annual game against Providence at Mohegan Sun. The plan is that the games would count as a neutral site game for both teams to have greater RPI benefits and that the schools would split the proceeds.

[GoldenWarrior11]

This is an effective way to maintain and keep relationships intact, while ensuring ongoing dialogue with the Big East membership. When attendance and fan interest for these games show strong numbers, it will only be another reason to support UConn's return to the Big East. UConn would not be doing this for programs like Houston, SMU, UCF, USF, Tulsa or Tulane.

From UConn's perspective, it also gives them leverage to get special consideration from the American in their next TV deal. No other program in the conference can make such demands.

[MADXSTER]

It cuts down on their travel cost which they need to do.

[DudeAnon]

This can actually be seen as a bad sign with regards to their returning to the conference. If they knew they were coming back they wouldn't be setting up OOC games.

[gtmoBlue]

It's the same stuff S'cuse pulled. Hey, let's schedule some old BE rivals to improve our OOC. Big East teams should not be so willing to help bail out UConn.
UConn is not coming back, let them sink on their ship. There is no other reason to schedule games with them and there are enough other teams to schedule
without sinking to the level of helping UConn for "old times sake". Our teams get no boost in RPI or any other benefits from scheduling a weak ass UConn.

Please don't do this.

[Bill Marsh]

It's the same stuff S'cuse pulled. Hey, let's schedule some old BE rivals to improve our OOC. Big East teams should not be so willing to help bail out UConn.
UConn is not coming back, let them sink on their ship. There is no other reason to schedule games with them and there are enough other teams to schedule
without sinking to the level of helping UConn for "old times sake". Our teams get no boost in RPI or any other benefits from scheduling a weak ass UConn.

Please don't do this.

I’m opposed to bringing UConn back into the BE, but with all due respect, I disagree with the rest of your remark.

A PC-UConn game would be huge and at Mohegan Sun, it would be easily accessible for fans from both schools. It would also give PC an annual game in southeastern CT, an area that they have always recruited well, Kris Dunn being only the most recent example.

A UConn-St. John’s game in The Garden would also be huge and would be a nice opportunity for weak ass St. John’s. I don’t get your attitude. Should Creighton not schedule Nebraska simply because they’re from another conference and are a football school with a weak ass basketball program? Why help them?

I think it’s healthy for all schools to have local rivalries OOC. It’s especially meaningful in the Northeast where there was never an important basketball conference before 1979. The Eastern independents gave the region its basketball identity. Fans in the region still value these matchups and will turn out to see them. Anything that boosts fan interest in college basketball is a good thing IMO.

[gtmoBlue]

Good points irt regional basketball and garnering fan interest.

However, What Syracuse did and UConn will try to emulate, is to try and get BE games to aid them in remaining relevant to NE Recruits. Playing high visibility games
versus BE teams keeps a bit of luster on their name and gives them a bit more press publicity to cushion their downyard spiral. I for one, do not begrudge the NE for wanting
more fan interest, but by giving games to the Syracuses, UConns, and BC's only serves to elevate their status when it comes to recruiting against our teams.

Perhaps you are correct and fan interest outweighs other concerns, but it seems that Syracuse and UConn gain the most out of these arrangements while the BE teams get an
"old times sake" game with a former rival.

I think UNL is thinking of discontinuing the rival games with Creighton, as the Corn cannot win one.

[mel ott]

Good points irt regional basketball and garnering fan interest.

However, What Syracuse did and UConn will try to emulate, is to try and get BE games to aid them in remaining relevant to NE Recruits. Playing high visibility games
versus BE teams keeps a bit of luster on their name and gives them a bit more press publicity to cushion their downyard spiral. I for one, do not begrudge the NE for wanting
more fan interest, but by giving games to the Syracuses, UConns, and BC's only serves to elevate their status when it comes to recruiting against our teams.

Perhaps you are correct and fan interest outweighs other concerns, but it seems that Syracuse and UConn gain the most out of these arrangements while the BE teams get an
"old times sake" game with a former rival.

I think UNL is thinking of discontinuing the rival games with Creighton, as the Corn cannot win one.

Agree with Gitmo. I don't see why Big East schools should help bolster two programs that left them and also are on their way down. Let em go. Forgive, but don't forget.

[ecasadoSBU]

It's the same stuff S'cuse pulled. Hey, let's schedule some old BE rivals to improve our OOC. Big East teams should not be so willing to help bail out UConn.
UConn is not coming back, let them sink on their ship. There is no other reason to schedule games with them and there are enough other teams to schedule
without sinking to the level of helping UConn for "old times sake". Our teams get no boost in RPI or any other benefits from scheduling a weak ass UConn.

Please don't do this.

I’m opposed to bringing UConn back into the BE, but with all due respect, I disagree with the rest of your remark.

A PC-UConn game would be huge and at Mohegan Sun, it would be easily accessible for fans from both schools. It would also give PC an annual game in southeastern CT, an area that they have always recruited well, Kris Dunn being only the most recent example.

A UConn-St. John’s game in The Garden would also be huge and would be a nice opportunity for weak ass St. John’s. I don’t get your attitude. Should Creighton not schedule Nebraska simply because they’re from another conference and are a football school with a weak ass basketball program? Why help them?

I think it’s healthy for all schools to have local rivalries OOC. It’s especially meaningful in the Northeast where there was never an important basketball conference before 1979. The Eastern independents gave the region its basketball identity. Fans in the region still value these matchups and will turn out to see them. Anything that boosts fan interest in college basketball is a good thing IMO.

The Midwestern folks may not understand the dynamics of college basketball in the northeast... where pro-sports abound and there is so much entertainment that College Basketball can easily get lost in obscurity.

Rivalries and success keeps College Basketball relevant. These teams should always play each other, it's a win win for everyone. If the college basketball teams in the Northeast stay relevant and fans buy tickets and watch games, everyone wins!

[ecasadoSBU]

Good points irt regional basketball and garnering fan interest.

However, What Syracuse did and UConn will try to emulate, is to try and get BE games to aid them in remaining relevant to NE Recruits. Playing high visibility games
versus BE teams keeps a bit of luster on their name and gives them a bit more press publicity to cushion their downyard spiral. I for one, do not begrudge the NE for wanting
more fan interest, but by giving games to the Syracuses, UConns, and BC's only serves to elevate their status when it comes to recruiting against our teams.

Perhaps you are correct and fan interest outweighs other concerns, but it seems that Syracuse and UConn gain the most out of these arrangements while the BE teams get an
"old times sake" game with a former rival.

I think UNL is thinking of discontinuing the rival games with Creighton, as the Corn cannot win one.

Agree with Gitmo. I don't see why Big East schools should help bolster two programs that left them and also are on their way down. Let em go. Forgive, but don't forget.

It's worth noting that UConn and Cincy, at least, did not leave the Big East. They may have wanted to and were probably intending to leave eventually... but in reality they actually were left behind by the 7 Big East basketball playing schools