UConn created a rivalry with UCF and didn't even bother to tell anyone, including Central Florida. This is funny and pathetic on many levels. The best part is that Central Florida disowned the rivalry publicly. Even UConn's conference foes want nothing to do with them. Considering UConn's fans and leadership spent the past decade trashing and suing BC, this is fun for me. But even after all the ridicule and bad blood, BC should work to get UConn back on the football schedule.
Like the UMass game, the UConn game makes too much sense not to play. It is a relatively inexpensive game -- either as a road or home game. It will be winnable in most years. While it won't generate massive interest, there will be more local excitement than our varied games against mid-majors from the MAC.
I don't think BC should or even could make UConn an annual game. With the looming Power 5 mandate for at least one non-conference game and the annual FCS game, there isn't much room for another annual opponent. But over a ten year period BC should play UConn around four times.
Father Leahy is the last player from the lawsuits still in a power position at BC. As long as he's part of BC's leadership, playing UConn is probably a non-starter. Since Connecticut named him in one of the lawsuits, I don't blame him for wanting to avoid the Huskies. Yet once he retires or steps down from BC, it will be time to consider a series again. It will be good for BC, good for football in the region, and be fun to pound them again.
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I've heard that UConn fans are as bad as West Virginia fans (who throw half full beer cans at you, etc.).
Other than that problem, playing them makes more sense than a lot of the other OOC teams we play.
If I could disagree more, I would.
Is it all about the acrimony during our move to the ACC? That I understand.
Bring on Howard!
Annual or even close to that? Nope. Non starter. UConn? We need go get to power 5 OOC with one rotating Northeast small school. That can rotate between Stony Brook, UMass, Villanova, Maine, Temple etc... We need to act like a Power 5. The other games can rotate through Notre Dame, a power 5 and best available including Non power 5 teams that are fun places for Alumni to travel and do an 1 for 1, especially if the road games are near good recruiting territory. Tulane in New Orleans? Memphis? Cincinnati? San Diego State? Rice? I'd settle for BYU in Provo (people, stay in Salt Lake if you want to have fun), Army. Navy, Air Force. I know this seems to be a partial dream, but its what we need to do.
I live in CT and would like to see it. I don't think it should replace a power 5 game, but would create more juice than a game against ME. or UNH., or other such opponents that we play regularly. More importantly I'd like to see the ACC go to 9 leaugue games, and in so doing solve allot of these scheduling problems.
BJK
I don't think UCONN has anywhere near enough football fans to be put in a catagory w/ WVA.
I do not think we can play UCONN until they apologize for past behavior at the RENT and give some guarantee that our students and fans will be protected.
THE HEIGHTS September 13, 2003:
"...Upon entering East Hartford, Connecticut's Rentschler Field on Saturday, BC's three student buses were not accepted kindly to say the least. Rowdy UConn fans greeted their visitors by mooning them. I saw more pallid posteriors than UConn logos on my way in.
=— = Then, as a further friendly gesture, the inebriated Husky faithful ambushed the BC buses, throwing eggs, beer cans, and even harnburgers before the police had to break it up. One person even rushed up to a bus already covered in egg yoke and sprayed beer into an open Window. Believe me when I tell you, the UConn fans put on a scene which made a Nascar race look like an opera..."
I live in CT as well AND got my master's at UCONN and you will NEVER see me at a BC / UCONN football game.
They threw a temper tantrum and sued us. Their fans are on par with WVU fans. And most importantly, we have nothing to gain from a game with them and they have everything to gain.
This kind of animosity leads to a more Entertaining game. Let he who is w/o sin cast the first stone. I remember when we first played ND in Foxboro we set the record for drunken arrests that night. Go back over the schedules since we stopped playing them and tell me there isn't at least one game each year where you would have rather seen UCONN. Wouldn't you rather seem them instead of Howard?
No.
The Howard game is unfortunate, but so is the use of the "let he with no sin" trope. You can justify anything with that thinking.
It's not BC's responsibility to advance the cause of regional football, whatever that means. It doesn't sell more tickets, hardly anything does it seems including conference games.
CT
U don't live here. It definetly would sell more tickets than any othe regional game. UCONN people travel. The used to take over MSG in the old B.E. days, and did again last year when they played there in the NCAAs. I'm sure in your part of the world Tech people look down on Ga. fans, but they still play. It's the same w/ many regional games. Va Va Tech Mich Mich St. It gets the blood boiling and people interested. I don't care that UCONN sued us, that's just politics. When Calhoun beat our ass 19 in a row that bothered me allot. I'd like to return the favor in football!
Well, actually UGA fans are the ones who look down their noses at Tech fans. Those are rivalry games, some nearly a century old. UConn is not a rivalry game.
I was at BC in the early to mid 90s, I certainly remember the BE bball rivalries. And who cares if BC sells a few hundred extra tickets? There is a principle involved from a school who just decided to be the lone dissenting vote in the pay-for-play scam.
My point is that as long as there are other options, I would favor any of those over advancing the cause of northeastern college football (?) and the money to buy salt for the pretzels.
Though I might reconsider were they to promise to do that.
CT
I'm in CT, and feel it would add some juice. We don't have to call it a rivalry, but the incremental ticket sales would be in the tens of thousands, that's allot better than the boring crap we usually put out for most non league games. Agree to disagree.
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