Trampling All Over Tramel
You’ve drawn our wrath, Berry Tramel. And now it’s time for us to fight back.
Down in Oklahoma, they might settle disputes with fists, but here in Connecticut – especially at The UConn Appeal – we never condone violence. Instead, when disagreements arise, we prefer to explain why you're mistaken with our words.
And we have an issue to address with a certain Oklahoman, one who likely has never set foot in Connecticut (let alone north of the Mason-Dixon Line) and therefore, has never been to the UConn campus. Nonetheless, this individual decided that his decades of experience as a sports writer entitled him to pen an article highly critical of UConn. When they tell you not to believe everything you read on the internet, the column titled “Connecticut not the best idea for Big 12 expansion” (we’re not linking to it intentionally, as we don’t want to increase the click count), is precisely the kind of nonsense you should take with a grain of salt.
This particular column was written by Berry Tramel, a sports columnist at The Oklahoman, a publication he has been employed by since 1991. We’re not here to attack Tramel’s character. In fact, we admire that he’s unafraid to express his opinions – though incorrect – in a public manner. And let’s face it, he must be skilled at what he does to have lasted as long as he has at a local paper.
Ironically, however, Tramel is learning the hard way what happens when you criticize UConn. Call it coincidence, but less than two weeks after he published his article on UConn, it was reported that Tramel was leaving Oklahoma’s most widely circulated newspaper to start his own sports media startup. Internet sleuths will point out that Tramel often acted as a mouthpiece for Oklahoma University, Oklahoma State University, or the Big 12 Conference, so it’s hardly surprising to see him go now that all three institutions are on solid ground.
Tramel’s article takes numerous potshots at UConn – and Connecticut – ranging from criticizing the university for leaving the American Athletic Conference (AAC; The American) and transitioning its football program to an independent status, to canceling its football season during one of the most severe global pandemics on record, to questioning the commitment of those in power to ensuring football’s success. Keep in mind, this is the same reporter who endorsed UConn’s football program in 2016.
First, Tramel asserts, “Connecticut football has cratered since [his] 2016 endorsement. Cratered worse than Kansas.” We’re not arguing that UConn football hasn’t hit a rough patch since Randy Edsall’s departure the first time around. Make no mistake though, Kansas has been just as bad. The Jayhawks won exactly one more game (17) than UConn (16) between 2016 and 2022. Yes, the Jayhawks had a stronger strength of schedule than the Huskies during that period, but that is only because they played in a Power 5 Conference while the Huskies toiled in the AAC.
Let’s dive even deeper. Kansas’s football history dates back to 1901. Throughout its 121-years as a program, Kansas has never been relevant, let alone a powerhouse, with a historical winning percentage of a mere 43%. So, if UConn’s last decade of football struggles should disqualify them from the Big 12, as Tramel suggests, then why shouldn’t Kansas be disqualified too? After all, the Jayhawks have had merely three double-digit win seasons since Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in as the 26th President of the United States. UConn managed to find success within eight years of becoming a Football Bowl Subdivision program and a member of the BIG EAST Conference. As for Kanas? We’re still waiting.
Tramel proceeds to question the UConn administration’s overall commitment to football, due to its decision to forgo the 2020 season and become an independent football program. He even praises The American – the conference UConn left to join the BIG EAST in all sports sans football and hockey – as a solid football conference. He cites the inclusion of the Big 12’s newest members Houston, Cincinnati and Central Florida as evidence (we’re sure that made the higher ups at the Big 12 happy), and wonders how a school like UConn could ever enhance the Big 12’s football profile.
First, to cast UConn’s dedication to the well-being of its student athletes in a negative light is simply absurd. Yes, college football is a lucrative business, but even the most successful businesses in the world prioritized the health and safety of their employees during the pandemic. Many of them closed their own physical offices and shifted to remote work, yet their integrity and commitment to growing shareholder value were never questioned. So, while a state like Oklahoma might have chosen to press forward despite healthcare professionals’ pleas to stay indoors, we can’t fault the University of Connecticut for prioritizing safety.
Regarding The American, few things rile up a Nutmegger more than defending this mishmash of a conference. Look, UConn never truly fit into this conference, which resulted in recruiting and travel challenges across all sports. UConn saw a chance to safeguard the value of its crown jewels – its men’s and women’s basketball programs – and seized it. It was the right call. In fact, basketball’s unparalleled success is reportedly why Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark supposedly coveted the Huskies.
Was UConn’s first choice to transition its football program to independence? Definitely not, but they had no other viable option. The AAC wouldn’t permit the Huskies to be a football-only member. Could the university have explored a football-only membership with the Mid-American Conference (MAC)? It’s possible, but would that have genuinely elevated the program’s stature had it dominated the competition?
By going independent, UConn has been able to schedule more games against Power 5 opponents than they could have if they remained part of The American or joined the MAC. In just two years since leaving the AAC, UConn has faced seven Power 5 opponents with four more on the schedule this upcoming season (note this excludes Houston and Central Florida, who were part of The American in 2021). Meanwhile, during the seven years spent in what could be called conference purgatory, the number of Power 5 programs UConn competed against was 12. Thus, it’s hard to argue that UConn poured dirt on its football program by choosing independence, as this route offers a greater opportunity to schedule higher quality opponents. We're not implying that our preference is indefinite independence; we're merely illustrating that the move to the BIG EAST allowed the basketball programs to rebound while enabling football to face more formidable opponents.
Tramel also highlights UConn’s modest attendance figures over the past few seasons. There’s a straightforward explanation for that. Fairfield County is largely the most populous county in Connecticut. Furthermore, many of its residents commute an hour to-and-from New York City each weekday. In simple terms, it’s not all that enticing for them to willingly sit in traffic on a Saturday just to watch a noncompetitive football game. Connecticut is accustomed to winning, and if the team performs well, it'll garner the full support of the state. This isn't hearsay; it's a verified fact.
Another of Tramel’s arguments – one we hear quite often around here – is that college football simply doesn’t matter in Connecticut. Is it as popular here as it is in the South or Midwest? Definitely not. However, that’s only because UConn is still a very young program, having only been competing at the Football Bowl Subdivision level for 19 years (excluding the 2020 season). On top of that, Connecticut is situated between arguably the top two professional sports cities in the country. Yet, these reasons shouldn’t disqualify UConn from receiving a coveted Power Conference invite, just like Oklahoma’s status as a college football hotbed didn’t disqualify it from luring the Sonics from Seattle.
Perhaps, most glaringly, in his column, Tramel states, “Make no mistake, all of Connecticut’s potential value to the Big 12 resides in college hoops.” Is that so? We guess the Big 12 isn’t all that enticed by the massive exposure that comes with playing in the Northeast. With over 25 million people aged 12-and older living in New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia combined (these markets are also three of the top media markets in the entire country), along with the opportunity to play at MetLife Stadium or Gillette Stadium (we’re sure there are a decent number of alumni of Big 12 schools who live in these areas as well), and the chance to be the first major conference to establish its presence in the area, Tramel is flat out wrong. It doesn’t take a Mensa brain to understand the value that UConn football would bring to a Power Conference.
Tramel also notes that the Big 12 is concerned about the significant subsidies UConn provides its athletic department. This confuses us. He essentially questioned UConn’s commitment to football in the first place, but doesn’t this actually counter that point? What business – and we are using that terminology because that’s how Tramel described college football – would invest upwards of $50 million in a venture they weren’t 100% behind? If UConn had its choice, the subsidies would be much lower. However, due to a misguided narrative suggesting that UConn’s administration is not as committed to football’s success as it is to basketball’s, we keep getting denied a seat at the table.
Perhaps the one positive aspect of Tramel’s hit piece is that it’s behind a paywall, thereby limiting the number of readers exposed to his misinformation. Nevertheless, we don’t wish ill will on anyone, even those who provoke us by being critical of UConn and Connecticut. So, we do wish Tramel the best of luck with his new media company. Hopefully, this one also puts its content behind a paywall as well.