Interesting Nugget Mora Leaving for Co State
Mora has done wonderful at UCONN while being an independent. Colorado State next year going to the new PAC 12.
Be interesting what happens at UCONN
41 Replies
J
JM397
8mo
** Edited by JM397 at 11/29/2025, 9:00:18 PM
(In response to this post by 1947Sunbowl)
8mo
Also very pleased to get Frankiln. Great job to the search committee.
(In response to this post by 1947Sunbowl)
8mo
football. Remaining Independent while holding out hope for an ACC or Big Ten invite isn't the answer.
(In response to this post by 1947Sunbowl)
S
Stech
8mo
even if some fans don't care. Our recent ~$230 million in sports is a pretty good example of a President caring more about sports than in the past. It's seen as a way to market the school to big donors, companies and students etc. That's a big part of how they bring in the big money they need to run a University.
The old thinking of the two being separate is pretty much dead and gone for many schools.
** Edited by Stech at 12/1/2025, 11:35:27 AM
(In response to this post by RandomAsianGuy)
8mo
Particularly if UNC leaves.
(In response to this post by Stech)
8mo
(In response to this post by RandomAsianGuy)
8mo
(In response to this post by VTHokie2000)
8mo
interested in UConn football. They are interested in adding UConn basketball and they are willing to take football in order to get it. However, since UConn has currently taken that option off the table, then there is no reason to have UConn on their radar. Mora saw the writing on the wall, so he jumped shipped as soon as he could to a school with a much higher ceiling. If he is able to turn Colorado State into what Pat Hill did for Fresno State, then it could mean bigger and better things for both him and the program.
(In response to this post by RandomAsianGuy)
8mo
(In response to this post by VTHokie2000)
8mo
(In response to this post by RandomAsianGuy)
8mo
Independent. Also, the MAC has bowl tie-ins which UConn doesn't have as an Independent. Now UConn has to wait for a conference to not be able to fill its bowl bids before it has a chance to secure an at-large bid. Right there are 2 ways the MAC would put more money in UConn's pocket.
(In response to this post by RandomAsianGuy)
8mo
I bet the UConn admin reckons the same.
(In response to this post by VTHokie2000)
8mo
bid to the FBS Playoffs. Can UConn say the same thing as an Independent? As the FBS Playoffs continues to expand the number of teams in the field, there should be a push for every FBS conference to receive an automatic bid to it. The P2s may have to go along with it to avoid any antitrust issues.
(In response to this post by RandomAsianGuy)
8mo
Their goal is to land in a P4 league, and how would becoming a MAC member move them closer to that?
If anything, joining the MAC would make it even harder to achieve. The perception would be terrible.
As an independent, at least UConn retains maximum flexibility to schedule P4 schools. They played three ACC teams this year.
(In response to this post by VTHokie2000)
8mo
left the AAC when they did. Since they shot themselves in the foot by making that mistake, they are currently in the valley and they are staring straight at K2 in the distance. Basically, UConn will have to make the long trek if they want a place at the P4 table and that trek begins with a perceived lower FBS conference (i.e. MAC, Sun Belt, and now maybe C-USA). If UConn can show it can be a dominating force in that conference, then it will grab the attention of bigger named FBS conferences minus probably the AAC given their history. Depending on what happens to the ACC in 2030, the ACC (as a G conference) could even be interested in UConn as it looks to reform. There will be no shortcuts on this trek because that option left with the bullet that ended up in their foot.
Now if UConn isn't "serious" about wanting a place at the P4 table, then they can continue floundering as a FBS Independent. There is a reason Notre Dame and UConn are the only remaining FBS Independents. The sooner UConn figures out that Notre Dame is the only school that can survive as an Independent, then the sooner they have a chance to salvage whatever is left of their football program. It is that simple.
(In response to this post by RandomAsianGuy)
8mo
(In response to this post by VTHokie2000)
8mo
Navy, and Liberty. They were all FBS Independents at one time and they all reached the same conclusion; there is no future as an Independent. If they want to remain in DI-FBS, then they need to join a conference either as a football-only member or a full member. UMass originally was a football-only member in the MAC, but left when it refused to join the conference as a full member. A few years later UMass had a change of heart because it agreed to join the MAC as a full member. New Mexico State found itself without a home when the WAC disbanded as a FBS conference. It temporarily found a home as a football-only member in the Sun Belt before finding a permanent home in C-USA in 2023. Army temporarily joined C-USA as a football-only member, but eventually left for competitive reasons. Army later joined the AAC as a football-only member after it saw the success Navy was able to have in the conference. Navy joined the AAC as a football-only member and it was a big factor to get Army to join the conference a few years later. Liberty started out as an Independent after receiving an hardship waiver from the NCAA to make the transition from DI-FCS. It quickly joined C-USA as a football-only member in 2023.
UConn football is not more valuable than any of those programs. If they all reached the same conclusion, then what makes you or anyone else think that UConn's outcome will somehow be any different?
(In response to this post by RandomAsianGuy)
8mo
a perceived lower FBS conference like the MAC.
That doesn’t make sense to me. If I were them, I would rather stay independent and play more ACC/B12 schools.
But again you are entitled to your opinion.
(In response to this post by VTHokie2000)
8mo
they aren't able to more ACC and Big XII teams going forward because their conference schedules prevent them from scheduling OOC games in late October and early November? Here's the P4 teams they are scheduled to play in 2026 and 2027 according to fbsschedules.com.
2026
MD (9/12), UNC (9/19), Syracuse (10/3), and at Duke (11/7)
2027
at Duke (9/11), at UNC (9/18), at Pitt (10/30), and Syracuse (11/6)
As you can see most of the games are played in the first half of the season. It isn't until 2028 when you see UConn play the most games in the second half of the season and even then it is only 4 teams (at Wake, Duke, Pitt, and at Syracuse). My point is you will be hard pressed to find a schedule (as an Independent) where at least 6-8 of the games were against P4 opponents. If you do find an example, then it will be a once in a blue moon type event. If history has shown that they rarely have a schedule with at least half of the opponents are from a P4 conference, then why do you think it will somehow change going forward? If it isn't going to change going forward, then what is there to gain remaining an Independent and playing 7-9 games against G5 and DI-FCS opponents? Especially when they don't have any realistic avenue to secure an at-large bid to the FBS Playoffs because they aren't Notre Dame.
Link:
Click Here
(In response to this post by RandomAsianGuy)
8mo
(In response to this post by VTHokie2000)
8mo
a $10M++ media dollar hit, plus all of the other revenue that basketball brings. Will never happen. UMass did it because their basketball conference has been decimated, and is now a 1 bid league.
Football only for the PAC may be an option though.
(In response to this post by VTHokie2000)
8mo
Notre Dame's value. So the Pac won't make the same mistake the ACC did by offering a unique arrangement.
(In response to this post by Big12 guy)
8mo
so this idea of a ND arrangement is silly. They make that much in the Big East. I was referring to "football only". Like Northern Illinois just did with the Mountain West.
No one, and no one would get a deal like ND.
(In response to this post by VTHokie2000)
8mo
Notre Dame football is valuable. If a conference wants UConn for a member, then it will be because their basketball programs are valuable and right now UConn has no interest in leaving the Big East again. If UConn football was viewed as having any "value," then we should be hearing rumblings about Conference X is interested in adding UConn as a football-only member. So far it has been radio silence and there is a reason for it.
The reason the MWC was willing to add No. Illinois as a football-only member is because the program adds value and it gives the conference a foothold to the Chicago media market (and maybe surrounding markets). Also, it wouldn't surprise me if the addition was the first step at potentially luring more schools from that region (think the 4 Dakota schools, maybe Northern Iowa, or Missouri St which has already made the switch to DI-FBS this season). If more schools from that part of the country are willing to join the MWC, then it wouldn't surprise me if those football-only memberships turned into full memberships. Particularly if other MWC schools end up leaving for another conference.
(In response to this post by Big12 guy)
8mo
remember VT's invite to the Big East? Were they clamoring for the basketball and non revs?
No one thinks that UConn is valuable like ND. However, when were they ever given a chance to recruit at the power level? Is the ACC afraid of UConn?
(In response to this post by VTHokie2000)
8mo
recommitting to the Big East Football Conference, VT leveraged the possibility of leaving for the SEC in the late '90s to gain full membership in the Big East. I was a student at VT when all of this went down.
Why do you assume the ACC is afraid of UConn just because no one wants them in the conference? The ACC already have enough beggars in the conference, so why would anyone in their right mind want to add another beggar's mouth to the conference? Unfortunately, the state of Connecticut is not valuable when it comes to football because the northeast part of the US is pro football territory. That is the primary reason why UConn isn't getting a second look from anyone even if its football team was consistently good. The stadium issue may be another factor that isn't helping UConn's cause because it makes it more difficult for UConn to generate any buzz among its fan base.
(In response to this post by Big12 guy)
8mo
After they left for the american, their basketball brand suffered alot. They returned for the Big east for all and football independent. and UCONN has boomed back in basketball. THey are so happy that the Big east took them back.
They are in a dilemma. No confernce wants them for football unless they bring in their basketball brand. and no way UCONN will lose the branding that the Big east gives them. .
(In response to this post by VTHokie2000)
E
EDGEMAN
8mo
UCONN should have upgraded above PeeWee league football, but they wanted to hang with the basketball only members. HUGE MISTAKE! They would probably have BC's place in the ACC now if they only had the foresight.
(In response to this post by 1947Sunbowl)
8mo
Tried to get into big east football and when they got their stadium and finances workong the conference collapsed. They were in the american a little and left the big east and saw they basketball program collapse. Getting back to the big east was everything - but football left as an independent
(In response to this post by EDGEMAN)
8mo
had a small capacity and it was basically pinned in by other existing facilities. Upgrading it may not have been an option even if they had the foresight at the time. The state wasn't interested in building a new stadium for them because I believe they were dealing with budgetary issues at the time. The only reason the current off campus stadium was built was because the state was hoping to lure the Patriots from Foxboro. When that failed they quickly discovered Plan B, the current situation, was really no plan after all because UConn really needs a stadium closer to campus to generate (and maintain) any real buzz for the program.
(In response to this post by EDGEMAN)
8mo
Demamded stadium nearer fo hartford
(In response to this post by VTHokie2000)
8mo
(In response to this post by 1947Sunbowl)
8mo
basketball-first school, then playing FCS football in the CAA may be the only option left.
(In response to this post by 1947Sunbowl)
8mo
in any of the G5 conferences. Times are changing. It's entirely possible they could get a football only invite to an existing conference. Just not the AAC because of their history.
(In response to this post by VTHokie2000)
8mo
all other sports a bad take? The AAC and MAC aren't interested in football-only members. Also you can eliminate the Big Ten and SEC for obvious reasons. That leaves the ACC, Big XII, C-USA, MWC, Pac-12, and Sun Belt as the only potential FBS conferences left. You can probably eliminate the ACC because UConn wouldn't get enough votes which would reduce the possible candidates down to 5.
(In response to this post by Big12 guy)
8mo
last i checked, FCS schools are scrambling to be FBS schools. Would you want VT to join the CAA?
(In response to this post by VTHokie2000)
8mo
purgatory. Plus, there is always the possibility that the FBS and FCS re-combine under the new NCAA org design. Yes, if VT was committed to doing what is "required" to play power conference football. The CAA is still one of the better conferences and give VT the best shot at winning a national championship.
(In response to this post by Big12 guy)
T
Truthahn
8mo
A good reason to beat UVA.
(In response to this post by 1947Sunbowl)