UConn's future?

I had a nice conversation at work with the JI UConn women's hoops writer Carl Adamec about the fate of the Big East, UConn football and the future. It's a topic these days that I think can't be ignored.

I wonder if Randy Edsall floating fan support and Rentschler expansion was in regards to the expansion plans of the Big 10. He knows the rumors flying perhaps he was thinking out loud. Edsall knows that if another shakeup of the Big East happens the school is going to need to land somewhere, and the MAC or A-10 isn't where they want to be. UConn needs to find itself in a BCS conference, that's certain.


There is one thing Adamec and I both agreed about while talking,  and it's a quote that sticks with me that I think I read almost 15 years ago. Lew Perkins was still AD here and I know I am paraphrasing, but when asked why UConn should invest money in football Perkins talked about how in essence it really is to protect the basketball programs.

Of course, us New Englanders laughed at the idea, but it's 2010 and how right has Perkins been? UConn could easily be Holy Cross or UMass if it didn't go to big time football. What if the Big East dissolves? Where would UConn hoops go?

It's a pertinent question because I know all of you here are keeping up tabs with the Big 10 and expansion. The Big 10 wants a championship game and to break into the Northeast market --  something the ACC has tried to do unsuccessfully with the addition of Boston College. CBS' Dennis Dodd has written a ton on this topic and here is a scenario from today. There is talk that the expansion plans are accelerating and Dodd writes about UConn and the Big 10. (Note: this is most likely on background, despite what you guys think, most sports writers don't make scenarios up, rather it's grounded in some off the record conversations and pulled from various sources including what other people have written).

Here's what Dodd says about UConn and the Big 10.

2. Connecticut: A UConn/Syracuse/Rutgers triumvirate maybe makes New York care enough about the Big Ten for the region's big cable carriers to start putting the Big Ten Network on the basic tier. Theoretically, you get New Jersey, New England and, maybe, New York. Taking UConn would be a big of a departure for the Big Ten because it is not an AAU school.

Obviously, this is all get to Notre Dame, and Notre Dame has said there are scenarios where they will be forced to join a conference. The above one I think would resonate. The Big 10 wants to do something big, and short of adding only Notre Dame (which won't happen) they may just blow up college athletics.

The ACC raid was supposed to get the Northeast market and a conference championship game, but that was successfully defended against by the Big East and politics kicked Syracuse out and put Va. Tech in. BC went in later, but the lack of another Northeast team has really hurt that expansion and I don't think its worked for BC. They gave up all their regional rivalries for what?

The Big 10 won't make the same mistake. Let's play with Dodd's scenario. If the Big 10 wants to grab that New York market and also force Notre Dame's hands they can't just do it by taking Rutgers. The market in NYC is shared by all three of those teams as well as Penn St. and Notre Dame. I thought once I read that the Big 10 wants to go to 14 and even 16 teams that this was going to be not a raid of the Big East, rather an annexation of the conference. 

NYC is so huge and untapped, but adding all three Big East teams to the conference, plus Pittsburgh and ultimately Notre Dame, that would lock down the Northeast for the Big 10. That famous Eastern Football conference that Joe Paterno wanted in the early 1980s would come to fruition. A Big 10 East could look something like this.

1. Penn St
2. Notre Dame
3. Pittsburgh
4. Rutgers
5. Syracuse
6. UConn
7. Indiana
8. Purdue 

Of course the Midwest would be anchored by Michigan and Ohio State. Can a 16 team conference work? In football it would be easy. 7 divisional games and you play 2 or 3 crossover games based on previous years record.  The Big East showed that 16 works in the Big East for other sports, and that would be one hell of a hoops conference. This would also make a difficult run to the BCS. I would imagine they would have to change some BCS rules, notably allowing a third team from a conference to get a BCS bid.

Now, the ACC has said no more expansion, but if the Big 10 blows up the Big East then what's the ACC going to do? UConn would be a perfect fit with Syracuse to go to the ACC if the Big 10 only goes for 14 teams. That would be ironic.

I don't know what the Big 10 is going to do and everyone up here is in the dark. I do know Bill Stewart talked a couple of weeks ago about WVu getting into the SEC and when I asked Edsall about it he said those decisions aren't in his hands. It's going to be a chaotic time in college football and make no mistake, something big is coming.

Will UConn be a part of it? Or, will they have to struggle to find a hoops and football home that isn't a BCS league such as the MAC, CUSA or the A-10? I don't know the answers to those questions, and the uncertainty certainly isn't comforting. I can see all those scenarios plausibly.


I do know one thing is certain, if Perkins never pushed UConn to go I-A, and that stadium in East Hartford was never built, in five years we would be gearing up for that big season opener in hoops against Rhode Island. Essentially, the Huskies would be back in the Yankee Conference playing UMass, New Hampshire and Vermont.

Edit: Just doing basic research. Why is the Big 10 accelerating the time table? Big East has 27 month escape loyalty clause as well as $5 million buyout for teams. If a Big East team leaves May 1st, they can join Big 10 August 1, 2013 2012.

This is happening soon. Just a matter of who and how. Worst part is, no one in the Big East knows.  It's like waiting for your execution date.

UConn-Michigan football deal official

It's official, 2010 in Ann Arbor and 2013 in the Rent. Busy day today, thought it would be a nice easy day to work on previews and write more stories off of yesterday's overflow of info.

STORRS, Conn. (August 18, 2009) – The University of Connecticut has finalized an agreement with the University of Michigan for a home-and-home football series in the 2010 and 2013 seasons. UConn will travel to Ann Arbor on Sept. 4, 2010 to play in Michigan Stadium while the Wolverines will come to Rentschler Field on Sept. 21, 2013 to take on the Huskies.

Michigan is one of the nation’s most storied programs as the Wolverines have won 11 national championships and 42 different conference titles. The Wolverines enter the 2009 season with 872 wins in program history and a .740 winning percentage – both of which are the highest marks in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision history.

“We are very excited about having a football series with the University of Michigan,” says UConn Director of Athletics Jeffrey Hathaway. “This football series will provide two outstanding games for both programs and their respective fans. We are happy to bring this premier intersectional matchup to our dedicated football fans who fill Rentschler Field.”

“It is very exciting for our football program to have a series with Michigan,” says UConn head coach Randy Edsall. “We want to challenge our team by playing a strong non-conference schedule in addition to the BIG EAST slate we face every year. Michigan is a nationally-prominent program and we are happy to have them on our future schedule.”

The contest at Michigan next season will serve as the rededication game of the historic stadium after a large-scale renovation. Connecticut ’s home game with Northeastern in 2010, originally scheduled on Sept. 2, will now be played on Oct. 9.

“The Michigan game in 2013 will be another outstanding non-conference match-up that will be played at Rentschler Field,” says Hathaway. “We annually play a demanding BIG EAST slate at home and Michigan adds to an impressive list of Bowl Championship Series opponents that are on our future schedules at Rentschler Field. The best way for Husky fans to ensure they will be at Rentschler Field for all of these great games is by being a season ticket holder.”

UConn will also play a home-and-home series with Tennessee beginning in 2015 with the Volunteers coming to Rentschler Field on Sept. 26 with a return trip to Knoxville on Sept. 3, 2016.

Other upcoming non-conference opponents coming to Rentschler Field include Vanderbilt (2010), Iowa State (2011), North Carolina State (2012) and Maryland (2013). By the conclusion of the 2010 season, UConn will have played host to non-conference opponents from the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big 10, Big XII and Southeastern conference at Rentschler Field.

5 Huskies to play in postseason game

UConn Athletic Communications --- January 13, 2009 – Five UConn Football Players Headed To All-Star Games

STORRS, Conn. (January 13, 2009) -- The University of Connecticut football team will have five players take part in upcoming all-star games in January.

Defensive end Cody Brown (Coral Springs, Fla.), cornerback and wide receiver Darius Butler (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and offensive tackle Will Beatty (York, Pa.) will all take part in the Senior Bowl, which takes place on Saturday, January 24 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala. The game will be televised by the NFL Network and the three Huskies will play for the North squad. That team will be coached by Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis and his staff.

All three of these Huskies were first team All-BIG EAST picks following the 2008 season.

UConn strong safety Dahna Deleston (East Hartford, Conn.) and defensive end Julius Williams (Decatur, Ga.) will both take part in the Texas Vs. The Nation All-Star Game on Saturday, January 31 at the Sun Bowl in El Paso. Texas. That game will be televised by CBS College Sports and the “Nation” team will be coached by the legendary Howard Schnellenberger, now of Florida Atlantic.

Beatty helped anchor a UConn offensive line that allowed junior Donald Brown (Atlantic Highlands, N.J.) to be the leading rusher in the country as the Huskies ranked first in the BIG EAST, and 13th nationally, in rushing yards per game at 216.38 yards per game.

Cody Brown was second in the BIG EAST in sacks per game at 0.77 per contest and was also second in the league in tackles for a loss. He made a total of 56 tackles on the season.

Butler made 40 tackles on the season with four pass break-ups and also saw time on the other side of the ball as a receiver for the Huskies with receptions for 123 yards.

Deleston had 60 tackles on the year for UConn with three for a loss and two interceptions, including one that he returned for 100 yards in the Huskies’ 38-20 win over Buffalo in the International Bowl.

Williams had 41 tackles on the season with 11 of them for a loss and six sacks.

Black Friday

The one common in a sportswriters home on Thanksgiving is that he is almost assuredly working.

I have been in the business 8 years and have not had a Thanksgiving off. It's just assumed you're working it. Ever wonder where your Black Friday paper comes from?

I went non-stop from Wednesday morning through Thursday afternoon working. I covered Windsor-Bloomfield on Wednesday night. It's refreshing not to have 50 different media people intruding on interviews. It rejuvenated me. I was kind of sick of just writing UConn football. It happens when your a beat guy. I needed some fresh faces. I am sure UConn players are sick of talking to the same guys every week too. Case in point is Donald Brown. Great guy to talk too, except when UConn loses. The best juke he made last Sunday was the quick right he took out of the locker room in Tampa. He nearly made it home free before he was called back for interviews.

Back to football. The Warriors, who clinched a Class L berth and will play Masuk on Tuesday, destroyed Bloomfield. We had early deadlines on Wednesday night and I was under the gun. So what did I do? I didn't wait to interview guys. 41-7 game? With two minutes to go I talked to a couple of the guys on the sidelines. Then I went and got Windsor coach Mark Welch before he even shook hands with Bloomfield coach Roy Roberts. I was in my car headed back to the paper before the handshakes were done.

Did I need to be that quick? I finished everything at 10:00 p.m. Deadline was 10:10.That 's not copy deadline, that's page deadline. You make the call. We were two minutes late.

Never did interview a football player while the game was going on before. That was a first.

Thursday was spent at the Manchester Road Race. It was my first time on the media truck watching the race. We spend the entire race 20 yards ahead of the lead runner watching what's going on. I waved to at least 20 people during the race. The scene is nuts. You got people playing in bands, dancing, and tailgating almost the entire course.

The bagpipes are sounding and I am not sure anyone actually notices the race going on. If you haven't done it before, it's certainly a terrific way to spend Thanksgiving Day.

Let's get back to UConn football. I have no idea what's going to happen with the Bowl lineup except that Cincinnati is going to the BCS and South Florida to St. Pete.

Pittsburgh's win over West Virginia today in the Backyard Brawl certainly muddies things. The Sun Bowl is in play now for Pitt, UConn, WVU and Rutgers. If Rutgers loses it's going to be Notre Dame.

I doubt they would go back to USF for a second year in a row. Especially after the debacle last year.

Could the Pitt-UConn winner be Sun bound? That's not a far-fetched possibility. They may just take the highest ranked team in the Big East, and it figures to be the winner of that game. If USF beats WVU, then that's a strong possibility.

I would say Pitt goes to the Sun if they beat UConn next week. If UConn wins, all bets are off on who goes anywhere.

Let me make some calls this week.

Butler full-time wideout?

Count me as stunned when I read the Register story about Butler being a full-time wideout on Saturday.

Count me as skeptical that we will be seeing Butler significantly less on defense. I don't care what Butler or Edsall says. He will be on defense.

But, considering the ability of West Virginia on offense, they got to be nuts to take Darius Butler off the field. Butler is fantastic tackling the run and is a playmaker at corner.

Here is the Butler quote according to the Register:

“I always want to be out there [on defense], but this week we need to score a lot of points,” said Butler, a 5-foot-11, 195-pound senior co-captain. “Whatever Coach tells me to do, I do. I just want to go out there and help the team the best way I can, and if this week that’s by playing mostly on offense, then that’s what it will be.”

Here is a link.

What's going on here? The scoop would seem to be that Butler is going to have an increased role on Saturday.

I am not sure I see anywhere where Butler is going to have a major relaxation of duties defensively. That part makes little sense to me.

West Virginia doesn't pass the ball well, and McClain is excellent as a physical defender, but why would you take Butler off the field for any length of time? It's about athleticism.

They only have 3 corner backs. Terry Baltimore is more a special teams guru. I wouldn't doubt Butler is going to see a lot of time on Saturday on offense. But, I would be stunned if he actually wasn't out there for a majority of plays defensively.

Could they sneak him out for a rest on defense now and then?

Yes.

Randy Edsall benched Robert Vaughn last year at WVU and moved Tyvon Branch to safety to get more speed on the field. Why, a year later, would you take your best athlete off your defense.

To take away one of the top and most athletic corners in the country and play him on offense, is cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Butler can do both.

I would have to see this to believe it.

Greetings from Plymouth, Mass.

Sorry for the lack of updates. The Atlantic Beach Hotel in Newport has had internet trouble and I couldn't' get on late afternoon. I had to send my stories to the JI running across the street to the comfort inn.

UGHH.

Now I am on vacation and in Plymouth, Mass. at a relatives wedding. The cottage I am in has no net access and no dial up (digital phone line). I am using an air card that works semi well. Borrowed it, so it's not going to be mine for the duration of the week. This is going to be it until next week. We have Sherman Cain pinch hitting for me on Friday for opening practice.

Anyhow, the big news, Jarrell Miller has left the team. Buried as the last bullet in a UConn release.

Not surprised. There was something fishy about how he got this far anyway. Goes to UNC, leaves under a cloud, goes to Fork Union, UNC doesn't want to grant release. Then, he had nowhere to go (was talking I-AA) before UConn came in late.

His status as a Parade All-America has always preceded him. The switch to defensive tackle wasn't going to be a big-time move for the Huskies. At 260, he would have great size as a MLB. But, as a DT? Nothing special.

He was always under a cloud, and UConn took a risk and got burned. You have to do that sometimes, and I can't fault the staff.

It does bring up a good lesson. You want to recruit guys who are likely to stay here. You can take risks some times, though they are called risks for a reason. Jarrel Miller was a risk who went bust.

Brandon Dillon is going to help on the defensive line. At safety, Aaron Bagsby is out for awhile. I don't know how he injured it. Mike Cox even practicing a little is a shock. Reports in the spring said he could miss the year. It was a bad knee injury.

That's about it from here.