It's not exactly a stunning upset that the following sentence is written: Attempts to reach UConn athletic director Warde Manuel this week have been unsuccessful.

The guy's probably not in the mood to sing spirituals, not with a football coach the fan base wants ousted, a football program that's a week removed from a loss to Towson and a crowd of assorted friends and relatives at Rentschler Field.

It is not, however, unreasonable to suggest Manuel should address his fan base, awash in anger and apathy. This just in: They want to hear from him. He should respect how much some of these people care, even if they might want to dabble in some decaf.

That's part of his job as the athletic department's leader. His voice needs to be heard. And while he may believe that bold pronouncements are inappropriate after one game, he should be reminded that the program's warts were in plain view long before the home opener.

Some questions Manuel needs to consider:

• Is football coach Paul Pasqualoni absolutely, positively guaranteed to be here for the entire season? If you lose to Towson, you can lose to anybody else on the schedule, too. And the more this program loses, the more Rentschler Field goes from rows of empty seats to entire sections.

Moreover, some fans are pondering whether they should wear "Fire Pasqualoni" T-shirts to next week's game with Maryland. Dismiss them as loons if you'd like. But their passion is admirable. And they shouldn't be ignored.

• What is Manuel's opinion of the dismal crowd for the Towson game? The announced gathering of 30,689 reflected tickets sold. Sources at UConn and the state Office of Policy and Management said the turnstile number was around 20,000.

That's a problem, no? OK, so we're not Baton Rouge or Tuscaloosa here. But UConn fans have traveled well to bowl games in the past. If they're staying away for the home opener, before anything bad had happened, doesn't that indicate an existing perception problem?

• Is UConn football marketed as well as it should be? Hate to bring this up, but the few, the proud, who go to BC football games are raining hosannas on new athletic director Brad Bates, who solicited fans' opinions all offseason on enhancing the game day experience. Bates was shaking hands and kissing babies at various tailgates last Saturday for the home opener. Would Manuel consider doing the same, if only to form a connection with the fans who still care enough to come?

• Manuel might offer a relevant opinion on the discussion topic between Sirius-XM host Tim Brando and ESPN's Brett McMurphy from earlier this week.

McMurphy said it could be "10-12 years," or around the time when the ACC's Grant of Rights expires, that the five power leagues consider expansion again. McMurphy said there could be movement within the five if schools want to challenge the Grant of Rights (relinquish all television money to leave the league) in court. But, he said, expansion is doubtful in the foreseeable future because no schools outside the five leagues piques anyone's interest.

Could UConn be stuck in the American Athletic Conference for 10-12 years?

I understand that's one man's opinion and perhaps too fatalistic. But Manuel might have an interesting reaction.

I get why he's not talking. I just don't agree with it. That doesn't make him a bad person or a bad athletic director. Just one that needs to perhaps bond with his constituency in a time of distress.

Some in the constituency want Manuel on the same bus out of town as Pasqualoni. Notez bien: Manuel is a better answer here than Jeff Hathaway. Lest we forget Mr. Hathaway hired Pasqualoni and nearly lost Robert Burton's estimable bank account in the process.

Warde Manuel didn't create this.

But he's got to fix it. And establishing a connection with the paying customers wouldn't be a bad start.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro.