UConn's Diaco defends Civil ConFLiCT rivalry amid poor reception

Being innovative and creative in college football is looked highly upon, except when it comes to manufacturing rivalries, as UConn head coach Bob Diaco has learned.

The Huskies bench boss birthed Civil ConFLiCT in 2015, pitting Central Florida and UConn against each other when neither share any tradition nor geographical similarities, other than state abbreviations for Florida and Connecticut located within the word "conflict."

Knights head coach Scott Frost took the diplomatic approach Monday, on why his team did not even pick up the trophy following their win over the Huskies on Saturday.

Diaco though, was more assertive Tuesday in his defense of creating the "rivalry."

"I don't know how many articles you've written on the topic, and I don't mean that in a negative way," Diaco said to Mike Anthony of the Hartford Courant. "I mean that in a good way. How many conversations, nationally, have been on this topic? Talking about two teams who would have no relevance, otherwise. That's a bad thing?

"Houston played Navy in the championship game a year ago. Was it covered, nationally, as widely as our rivalry and our trophy game? So I don't really understand why it was a bad idea, I really don't. I'm sorry to everyone. I had an idea. What's your idea?"

UConn won last year's game, while UCF left the trophy on the sideline before a Husky staffer picked it up and put it on the UConn bench and placed a towel over it.