This is the story of everyday people. Good people. People who graduated, but then never really graduated at all. People whose love for their school trumpets an engagement level well beyond dispassionate check writing, rather all the way to what UConn superfan Tim White calls the mission “to spread the gospel of UConn football.”

It is a gospel in need of more authors than DeGennaro, Shenkman, Richmond and Dorsey, the program’s primary Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. And so this group of UConn football fans, the gospel writers, have reached into their own wallets to purchase tickets for fans with more limited resources.

To be clear: They ask for nothing in return, except the desire to see butts in all the seats at Rentschler Field.

“Spectacular,” UConn coach Bob Diaco said last week when alerted to the largesse. “What a great story. The kind of people we need and I know we have.”

And so from the rubble of Randy Edsall’s departure — 15-33 since, with declining attendance — comes this beacon from the beacons.

It began with a thread on “The Boneyard,” an Internet enclave of passionate UConn fans. Author: gospel spreader Jon Pedersen, class of 1993.

“Some interesting points of view have arisen since the program went backwards,” Pedersen said. “1. We need to support the team no matter what because we are alums and that’s our job (this is where I fall). 2. We need to support the team because if we don't we have no chance at a (Power Five) invite. 3. The team sucks and therefore I refuse to waste my money because the product sucks. 4. This used to be fun and it isn't anymore, and the people that I used to come with were more interested in the tailgating and they just don't care anymore. 5. I have limited funds and when we were winning I could justify the expense, but not if we are going to be 2-10 or whatever.

“Amongst all of the sniping,” Pedersen said, “we had some folks that said that they could not legitimately afford to go to the games. I'll be honest, I am not sure that I really buy that. I'm sure that most of the folks that say they can't afford to go have blown more money than a season ticket on a single night at the bar. But it gave me a thought.”

His post to the Boneyard: “If a young alum wants to go and finds a friend, I will spring for one of the season tickets,” he wrote.

Pedersen is not the first to buy tickets for others, although the movement appears more popular and united this summer.

“Small amount of money for me, but great for fan unity and puts more fannies in the seats,” Pedersen said. “I had extras for a couple of games which I transferred to Butch (a friend of his who is disabled and on a fixed income). The conversation kicked up again this February and this year I pledged to buy a pair. Butch reached out to me and I said I'd cover him. I'm fortunate that I'm in the position to do something like that, and I know he really appreciates it.”

And what if everyone reading this, with the means to do so, bought one ticket for one other person, for each home game? Single game tickets to home games start at $15. Season tickets start at $96. Given the fun — tailgating, atmosphere — is it really that much to ask?

“I have always purchased a few additional seats in my package to allow me to invite friends or co-workers to games,” said Tom Guarnieri, who has a Master’s degree from UConn. “I've felt from the beginning (even when we were filling the stadium regularly) that an effort to expand the fan base was necessary. I knew my efforts wouldn't accomplish much, but at least it was a start. I always viewed the cost of the additional season tickets as, at worst, an extra few hundred dollars I was giving to the school.”

Dave Marinaccio, who lives in Washington, D.C. and flies to Storrs for games, said, “None of this is formal. It just happens. I have done it for a number of years. I don’t see this as any big deal. It’s just a way to support the football program and share that with folks who might not otherwise have a chance to go. It’s just passing on something I enjoy and hoping others find the same enjoyment.”

Yet filling the Rent, in spite of playing in what amounts to college football witness protection — the American Athletic Conference — might send the message somewhere that after the struggles and the doubts, the renaissance is about to happen.

“I want to introduce UConn football to as many fans as possible. I would love word to spread with as many people as possible to go check out a game,” said Adam Cowles, who has been thanked on the Boneyard for his generosity. “For my money, there is no better entertainment value in the state. Where else can you spend 20-something dollars for four hours of tailgating with good friends and take in top college football? The school needs its fans right now. The state has made huge investments in UConn, both athletically and academically, to try to promote its ‘power’ conference profile.”

Again: what if something like this actually worked? Would it change the perception of UConn?

“In New England and New York, you have 37 million people and not one public university that is in this cartel of 65 (the Power Five),” White said. “You have four or five in Texas, only two in populous California and a big zero in many fast growing areas of the country. In our region, we have two private schools with modest football fanbases (Boston College and Syracuse.) UConn, New England, New York City and the greater northeast is severely underrepresented in the college football world. You have two narrow silo programs and nothing that really captures the disparate interests of the normal college fans.

“So,” White said, “we proselytize. Grab our neighbors, family and our fellow alums and encourage folks to come along. Is this different than Rutgers, Syracuse, BC and all of our Yankee Conference heritage? Absolutely. We are trying to build the state and northeast, with modest UConn marketing influence, I might add.”

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro.

Twitter: @BCgenius