U-M alum Warde Manual named AD at UConn
Congrats to former U-M football player and associate AD for being named AD at UConn.
http://www.uconnhuskies.com/genrel/021212aad.html
Since Warde is a UConn outsider, he may be more amenable to moving the 2013 UConn game vs U-M to Yankee Stadium or Foxboro for greater regional exposure.
Also, it could mean more basketball games between U-M and UConn.
Taking it a step further, good turnouts and TV ratings for U-M vs UConn could make UConn a candidate to join the B1G in future conference realignments. It is located between the Boston and NYC TV markets.
February 13th, 2012 at 6:40 PM ^
I'm pretty sure we scheduled the ole' Home-and-Buyout with UConn.
February 13th, 2012 at 6:57 PM ^
No offense to UConn, but having a glorified MAC football program in the big ten would suck.
February 13th, 2012 at 7:20 PM ^
Granted we've yet to see what sustainable production a post-Edsall era UConn is capable of, but they most assuredly would be in the low to mid range of B1G in football. I'd put them in the Illinois/Iowa/Purdue tier, and well above the the perennial basement dwellers Indiana and Minnesota.
And even though you didn't bring it up, as far as basketball is concerned, it's quite simple: UConn men's bball is consistently > Any one team in the B1G. As for the women, I'm not much of a fan, but having them would single handedly make the us the unquestioned power conference and money maker in the nation. Star recruits would be flocking to other B1G teams just to get a shot at playing against the Lady Huskies. Pretty damn handy school to have around in your conference, I'd say.
But it's a moot point, of course. We're a conference that prides ourselves on educational and institutional standards, and UConn...well, you know.
February 13th, 2012 at 9:14 PM ^
Their football team did well under Edsall but it's still the big east. Their talent level is at or below the Purdue's and Illinois' of the B1G
And I don't think that's how recruiting normally works. Otherwise you'd see Indiana and Northwestern get a ton of talent just so they can play against Michigan and Ohio.
I think Uconn would be a net minus for the conference unless all we care about is basketball, which has been left in the dust in all the expansion biz
February 13th, 2012 at 9:46 PM ^
Women's Basketball recruiting is much different than football recruiting, and yes, from what I've experienced, that is how it works...in a sense. My sister was recruited by UConn, yet her and another girl, who was recruited by most of the same schools, choose ND (I know, gross) in large part to go up against the Huskies. And this isn't a one off thing from what I've heard. Something about Geno Auriemma just rubs a lot of recruits the wrong way and the chance to go up against him on a regular basis can be that extra little incentive for some recruits to choose one school over another.
That and the overwhelming prestige, of course. To compare UConn in women's bball to OSU and U of M in football shows a lack of knowledge about that sport. They're more equivalent to if UofM, OSU, Alabama, Texas and USC combined to create a super team (with Tennessee being a combination of some of the other more prestigous schools).
February 14th, 2012 at 9:36 AM ^
And more like if you had U of M and OSU (or Bama and LSU, or any two good teams) and everyone else in college football was MAC level.
February 14th, 2012 at 12:49 PM ^
I like your analogy much better.
February 13th, 2012 at 11:45 PM ^
UConn is ranked #58 by USNWR. It's just behind OSU (#55) and higher than Purdue (#62), Minnesota (#68), MSU (#71 tie), Iowa (#71 tie), Indiana (#75), and Nebraska (#101).
It's a land grant university with over 22,000 students on the Storrs campus.
The football stadium has a capacity of 38,000, which is definitely at the low end, but Storrs' proximity to large east cost population centers would give Big Ten alums in the northeast a opportunity to see their teams play within a few hours driving distance from home.
If UConn is admitted to the B1G, it could raise the quality of its football program and expand the football stadium's capacity.
Overall, UConn is on the low end sizewise, but would fit the overall B1G school profile.
February 14th, 2012 at 11:06 AM ^
The "school profile" of the Big Ten can basically be boiled down to research spending. UConn spends about $105m per year, which is far below the Big Ten average per year of about $465m; the lowest spending Big Ten school outspends UConn at a rate of almost 6.5:1. UConn would be a terrible academic fit, IMO.
February 13th, 2012 at 7:34 PM ^
The B1G added an elite team in Nebraska. I wouldn't mind seeing another tomato can in UConn. It's great for fans to have every game against tough teams, but it's difficult for the players and, under the current system or even a four team playoff, two losses pretty much eliminate a team from a chance to play for the National Championship.
I like the thought of UConn joining the B1G in a few years. It would be nice to have a school to open up the East Coast market.
February 14th, 2012 at 12:56 PM ^
Uconn (and/or Rutgers) could be a great addition for the B1G should it make another expansion.
And the weak football resumes are not necessarily a bad thing. Just think of how popular a weekend trip to Chicago (with what used to be an automatic win against a crummy wildcats team) is and you'll quickly realize the potential of NYC roadtrips.
I have no idea what the numbers are but it wouldn't schock me in the least if the B1G collectively had a million alumni & fans within a 3 hour driving radius of New York. It might seem funny to see a stadium like Uconn's overwhelmed with a Maize out, for example, but I don't think that it's totally crazy either.
February 14th, 2012 at 1:13 PM ^
Storrs is 150 miles from Manhattan, though. It'd be more like tacking on a Chicago trip when we play in Urbana-Champaign, Madison or West Lafayette, which isn't very practical at all.
February 13th, 2012 at 8:34 PM ^
Glorified MAC Team: Hello Sparty
February 13th, 2012 at 6:53 PM ^
Warde Manuel was.
February 13th, 2012 at 6:55 PM ^
So after years of Calhoun bending the rules, UConn has decided to do things by the book. Er, Manual.
I apologize for that. Really. . .
February 14th, 2012 at 11:12 AM ^
This was funny. Deserves some kind of a Warde.
February 13th, 2012 at 7:00 PM ^
UConn is not a candidate to join the Big Ten for various reasons - stadium size, football tradition, and media exposure to name a few.
With that said, I had an opportunity to meet Mr. Manuel - genuinely a very nice guy. The one thing I do remember about him was his irritation with Bill Martin for refusing to schedule Buffalo in non-conference for football.
February 13th, 2012 at 7:02 PM ^
If we're going to expand it should be Notre Dame, Oklahoma, or Texas.
February 13th, 2012 at 7:26 PM ^
I really want the UConn game to be played somewhere other than the Uconn stadium. After having a game in Texas in 2012, would be cool to have a game in the New York area. Hope they don't do something like Yankee stadium since it only holds 55,000 people.
February 13th, 2012 at 7:28 PM ^
is a TRUE BLUE Michigan man...great guy, had the opportunity to run track with him after his neck injury limited his football career...great to hear his progress from Buffalo U. to UCONN...that's awesome and thanks for the update. Would have missed this otherwise.
February 13th, 2012 at 8:34 PM ^
Yeah, but we already have Indiana, Minnesota, Purdue, and Illinois to kick around. Why would we need another?
February 13th, 2012 at 9:08 PM ^
Warde and his whole family are really fantastic people. I wish them all the success in the world, and I expect to see Evan in maize and blue some day soon.
February 14th, 2012 at 9:38 AM ^
Are they even going to have a basketball program in a few years? Good luck Warde, between that and losing your football coach, that's a mess to clean up.
February 14th, 2012 at 11:21 AM ^
In one year, what's the over/under on utterings of the phrase "we've got a bit of a mess on our hands"?
February 14th, 2012 at 3:24 PM ^
Playing at Uconn would be about the same as playing at EMU
EMU stadium capacity=30K
Uconn Stadium capacity=40K
and just because they have more people out east doesn't mean they care more about college football.