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UConn is committed to football, according to UConn...and also the Governor of Connecticut
Matt Brown
October 15, 2021
Good morning, and thanks for your continued support of Extra Points.
It's been a tough week for UConn football.
On Saturday, UConn lost to UMass, and with it, their best chance at an FBS victory this season.
On Wednesday, The Athletic interviewed dozens of current football coaches, asking them what they thought the actual hardest jobs in the country were. The toughest job at the G5/Independent level? UConn, and it wasn't particularly close. From the story:
A Power 5 assistant toldThe Athletiche sees an administration that “clearly doesn’t care” about the program.
“UConn guys talk about how that school really doesn’t do much for that football program. Well, if you’re not gonna support the program, it’s not gonna become what it ultimately could become. It’s crazy that they were in the Fiesta Bowl just 10 years ago,” another Power 5 assistant said.
This mindset is not unique to this particular assistant coach. I've heard it from fans, from other reporters, even agents and industry professionals.
Is UConn actually committed to college football?
“I’m all in,” Lamont told Yahoo Sports in a phone interview. “Look, we have a national university. People identify universities with the academics, the beauty of the campus and the high quality of sports you put on a national platform. People pay attention. They know our basketball far and wide. Football is the national sport, in many ways. We’ve got to compete.”
UConn AD David Benedict agreed, telling Yahoo:
“All they have to do is come on our campus,” Benedict said recently in his office. “If you come on our campus, the question is going to be, ‘Why aren’t they winning?’ Not, ‘Can I win here?’”
So why the disconnect in the industry? Why would a sitting governor feel the need to defend the commitment to a school's college football program?
I called David Benedict to ask.
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