Rentschler Field Expansion- How Would It Compare?

The Hartford Business Journal reported today that UConn Athletic Director Warde Manuel wants to add 10,000 seats to Rentschler Field within the next decade which would increase the stadium’s capacity from 40,000 to 50,000 seats.  With UConn hoping to get into either the ACC or Big Ten, how would a 50,000 seat stadium compare to current ACC and Big Ten stadiums?

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ACC
Florida State: 82,300
Clemson: 81,500
Miami: 75,504
Virginia Tech: 66,233
Pittsburgh: 65,050
North Carolina: 62,980
Virginia: 61,500
North Carolina State: 57,583
Louisville: 56,000
Georgia Tech: 55,000
(UConn after stadium expansion: 50,000)
Syracuse: 49,250
Boston College: 44,500
(UConn current capacity: 40,000)
Duke: 33,941
Wake Forest: 31,500

ACC Average: 58,774
ACC Median: 59,542

If UConn were to join the ACC, it would be 13th in stadium capacity before Rentschler’s expansion. With the addition of 10,000 seats they would move up to 11th place but would still be almost 9,000 under the ACC’s average.

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Big Ten
Michigan: 109,901
Penn State: 106,572
Ohio State: 102,329
Nebraska: 87,091
Wisconsin: 80,321
Michigan State: 75,005
Iowa: 70,585
Purdue: 62,500
Illinois: 60,670
Indiana: 52,959
Rutgers: 52,454
Maryland: 51,802
Minnesota: 50,805
(UConn after stadium expansion: 50,000)
Northwestern: 47,130
(UConn current capacity: 40,000)

Big Ten Average: 72,152
Big Ten Median: 66,543
If UConn were to join the Big Ten, it would be last in stadium capacity before Rentschler’s expansion and next-to-last after the expansion. The stadium would still be over 22,000 short of the Big Ten’s average.[/col]

[/row]Looking at the numbers, there is no doubt that UConn needs to expand its stadium. The only question is how many seats should be added. 10,000 additional seats will be nice, but it might be worth exploring the possibility and feasibility of expanding Rentschler Field even further. The more seats in the stadium, the likelier UConn is to get invited into a power conference. On top of that, it would make UConn more attractive as a non-conference opponent for teams who might currently balk at a series because of Rentschler Field’s low capacity.