Dibbs w UConn AD David Benedict Feb 3

·12 min·1 clip

UConn's athletic director explains why his team dropped in the rankings after winning both games, including a road victory over Creighton.

Rob Dibble hosts UConn Athletic Director David Benedict for a wide-ranging interview on the Rob Dibble Show. The episode opens with a discussion of UConn men's basketball, which is 21-1 but saw its ranking drop, which Benedict calls disappointing and unusual. He attributes part of this to perceptions of the Big East conference's strength but remains confident in the team's trajectory. The conversation shifts to the undefeated UConn women's basketball team, which recently beat Tennessee and Notre Dame by large margins. Benedict forcefully defends their schedule, suggesting other major conferences invite UConn if they want more competition and stating the team deserves its number one ranking until beaten. Benedict then addresses the football program's transition under new head coach Jim Mora, noting the recruitment of over 66 new players and the intense, immediate effort required. He explains a scheduling change where UConn lost a football game against Duke due to the ACC moving to nine conference games, but secured a home-and-home series with Southern Miss as a replacement. Benedict discusses the strategic advantage of UConn's independent football scheduling, particularly if College Football Playoff rules change to allow non-conference champions, positioning UConn favorably. The interview concludes with brief mentions of upcoming softball and baseball schedules, impacted by weather, and well-wishes for the upcoming Xavier basketball game. The tone is conversational and focused on athletic department operations and challenges.

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