2022 Spring Game?

[Jimdish255]

I think they may be prioritizing getting kids there over the smattering of die-hard adults.

I think that is the correct priority. It's just a Spring Game and doesn't need to be about a handful of diehards or big donors. Probably try to make it and hope they have something to attract more students.

 

[weyuo]

Jim Dish is correct on the difficulty of attending for those of us in Fairfield County. Not only would I need to take Thursday afternoon off in order to get there on time, as a night game, I likely would need Friday off as there is little chance that I could get home at any reasonable time.

That said, for a number of reasons I think on campus is the best move this year and I imagine Thursday does make the most sense at this point.

As we need to re-energize our fan base, I imagine that the cost of using the Rent for this event (if for example we were to have it on the following Saturday) would be senseless if 1,500 fans showed up.

On the point of energizing the fan base, improving student involvement is one (of a few) critical areas that require improvement. Making this event (considerably) easier for them to attend could well pay dividends in future fall home games. I'm guessing is that they chose Thursday as a number of students still normally depart campus for the weekend.

At the moment, this is a very good idea. If we are unable to hold out spring games at the Rent (due to lack of need of the seating capacity) then we can state that things went very wrong.

Get together with your Fairfield County crowd and charter a bus. Less stressful and if you get one of the casino bus drivers you'll probably get there in an hour.

 

[ktuck911]

I actually like on campus on a smaller field. Save a ton on logistics, and add some juice with students and a compact crowd. Much better option than a few hundred people in a 40k stadium…

And, heck...maybe (just maybe), if successful, it starts stoking fires on the potential of getting a stadium on campus (within the next decade...God willing, I hope to be here to witness that)

 

[History Geek]

And, heck...maybe (just maybe), if successful, it starts stoking fires on the potential of getting a stadium on campus (within the next decade...God willing, I hope to be here to witness that)

Would have to convince Tolland/Mansfield to let them extend turn 195 into an expressway with a direct route to this new stadium and Gampel. Highly unlikely, but you never know.

 

[ktuck911]

Would have to convince Tolland/Mansfield to let them extend turn 195 into an expressway with a direct route to this new stadium and Gampel. Highly unlikely, but you never know.

20 years ago, this was a Longshot brother... but with folks getting older, dying off, retiring and moving to warmer climates, things change.

 

[History Geek]

What's on the corner of 195 and 44 these days?

 

[LoyalFanCT]

Don't need to use 195. There is a new road heading to Route 44 from UConn's new research park. There is plenty of room for a football stadium on land there. Plus, if it has some skyboxes and rental rooms it could be used for conferences and trade shows connected to commercial research. Money maker for UConn!

 

[DoctorWho85]

Give them those XFL 1,2 and 3 point conversion rules for the spring game. I really liked that idea.

 

[Husky25]

I think this is key. They can make the spring game anything they want it to be. No kicking....50 yard field...etc..

I wouldn't get caught up in trying to fit a traditional football game on this field.

Remember when Former "Coach" Pasqualoni spend 45 riveting minutes on running plays inside the offenses own 5 yard line?

 

[LoyalFanCT]

Now "Coach" Pasqualoni is the new defensive line coach for the Carolina Panthers. Keep him down South!

 

[Waquoit]

Remember when Former "Coach" Pasqualoni spend 45 riveting minutes on running plays inside the offenses own 5 yard line?

Remember when we took a year off and the first thing we ran upon returning was a busted play?

 

[Husky25]

Remember when we took a year off and the first thing we ran upon returning was a busted play?

Price of tea remains unaffected.

 

[RSTuthill]

Remember when Former "Coach" Pasqualoni spend 45 riveting minutes on running plays inside the offenses own 5 yard line?

Pretty sure that was Disco. HCPP's first plays from scrimmage were throwing long weren't they?

 

[Husky25]

Pretty sure that was Disco. HCPP's first plays from scrimmage were throwing long weren't they?

I don't think so. After a quick search, I think the Spring "Game" I'm thinking of was 2013. The format (Controlled scrimmage) may have been because half the team was hurt, but I also remember the feeling that Pasqualoni was annoyed at being at Rentschler in front of a dwindling fans of his own doing.

UConn has been a run-run-pass team for about 15 years and in light of recent unfortunate events, I half regret having the feeling that when long pass plays fell incomplete in that era, it provided an, "I told you so," opportunity.

 

[paulmf]

Does anyone know if this is/will be a "first come, first serve" scenario or a ticketed event? I called the ticket office yesterday and the young lady I spoke to, while very nice, wasn't even aware of a spring football game.

 

[Exit 4]

Does anyone know if this is/will be a "first come, first serve" scenario or a ticketed event? I called the ticket office yesterday and the young lady I spoke to, while very nice, wasn't even aware of a spring football game.

The first rule of Spring Game Football Tickets is that you don't ask about Spring Game Football Tickets. Bummer you tripped up on the first rule, better luck next year.

PS - no one knows anything yet....

 

[paulmf]

The first rule of Spring Game Football Tickets is that you don't ask about Spring Game Football Tickets. Bummer you tripped up on the first rule, better luck next year.

PS - no one knows anything yet....

Such is the life of a casual fan.

PS-Thanks for the info......

 

[RSTuthill]

Sounds like no beer though. Is that correct?

 

[Jimdish255]

Sounds like no beer though. Is that correct?

At least we still have our priorities intact.

 

[huskymedic]

Sounds like no beer though. Is that correct?

Where are you seeing that?

 

[uconnric]

Don't need to use 195. There is a new road heading to Route 44 from UConn's new research park. There is plenty of room for a football stadium on land there. Plus, if it has some skyboxes and rental rooms it could be used for conferences and trade shows connected to commercial research. Money maker for UConn!

Please stop. I admire your determination, but trying to tell me that either Rt. 44 or RT. 195 are decent access roads for an event like a football game is absurd. There's no money or political push for a new stadium.

 

[DoctorWho85]

Please stop. I admire your determination, but trying to tell me that either Rt. 44 or RT. 195 are decent access roads for an event like a football game is absurd. There's no money or political push for a new stadium.

Seriously 195 can't even handle morning and afternoon school traffic or even traffic for Gampel. They expect it to handle 5 times as much traffic with an on campus stadium or 7-8 times as much if we were to ever get into say the Big 10 with minimum seating requirements?

 

[Husky25]

Seriously 195 can't even handle morning and afternoon school traffic or even traffic for Gampel. They expect it to handle 5 times as much traffic with an on campus stadium or 7-8 times as much if we were to ever get into say the Big 10 with minimum seating requirements?

Traffic on 32/44/195 is not the issue if the football team were to play on campus. That is why tailgating exists. The issue as I see it would be parking and proximity to the stadium. I used to meet my folks in D-Lot when they came up for Parent's Weekend, but that was before D-1a and the team played at Memorial.

Basketball games have the "benefit" of being played in the coldest months of the year, when there is very little tailgating in the traditional sense and commuters are more than able to utilize the parking garages. Anecdotally, I arrived on campus 2 1/2 hours before tip off for Georgetown, found a spot near the exit of the North garage, and walked into a nearly empty Ted's for a couple, a few with my friends, who were already there. There was no problem getting in or out.

2 1/2 hours prior to football kickoff is considered late.

 

[Waquoit]

Traffic on 32/44/195 is not the issue if the football team were to play on campus. That is why tailgating exists.

Nonsense. Back when the Rent sold out there was traffic on Silver Lane from the Manchester line constantly before the games and people whining about how long it takes to get off the property after. That new side road from campus to 44 is only the answer in someone's fever dream.

 

[Husky25]

Nonsense. Back when the Rent sold out there was traffic on Silver Lane from the Manchester line constantly before the games and people whining about how long it takes to get off the property after. That new side road from campus to 44 is only the answer in someone's fever dream.

I respectfully disagree.

People whine because that's what people do at the slightest inconvenience. If it wasn't that 30,000 others figured out someone's super-secret backdoor entrance onto the premises, it'd be something else.

I lived in Manchester back then and went Silver Lane numerous times, but 384->84 to exit 58 was generally quicker (especially if you were parking in the grassy area opposite the southmost corner, which was general $12/game parking at that point), if not for only that it wasn't a single lane or crossing over oncoming lanes.

People whining about traffic leaving the game are almost always those looking to beat the traffic and failing. In both instances, a case can be made that the gripes were largely the result of poor planning. The game might be 3 1/2 hours long, but football Saturday is basically an all day event. Plan accordingly.