Blaudschun: UConn Switching BC Home Game to Fenway?

[huskymedic]

Courant: Off The Wall? UConn-BC Football Game Scheduled For Nov. 18 At Fenway

 

[husky8273]

Tailgate?
We can just take over every one of the bars on Lansdowne St before and after the game.

The Fenway neighborhood bans pre-game tailgating in the parking lots near Fenway.

 

[hardcorehusky]

Why I have read each post prior to this shows I have a problem. That being said- people do realize to the rest of the world- UCONN has a home game just like Notre Dame against BC in their hometown? We get $1.125M - which we haven't done in years at the RENT plus we have 22k of the 35K TICKETS. BC gets 9k and will probably have to return a bunch!!

The PR for this is immense. Games at Fenway, at Yankee Stadium get more hype. If this is a good game, then we will see more games with BC and I am sure if Bob Kraft gives a better deal than Fenway, then the game will go there.

We are in a rebuild. On and off the field. I applaud AD DB for what he has done in a small time. Ask yourself, is UCONN football better today than right after the Tulane debacle. On and off the field.

Would I rather go to the Rent to see the game? Yes- I would do the same routine I have done for all these years. A game in Boston is different- and being a UCONN fan, I hope to see many of you there cheering on the Blue and White, Randy and Rhett and hopefully we can do the UCONN chant walking out of Fenway as was done at Notre Dame.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Why I have read each post prior to this shows I have a problem. That being said- people do realize to the rest of the world- UCONN has a home game just like Notre Dame against BC in their hometown? We get $1.125M - which we haven't done in years at the RENT plus we have 22k of the 35K TICKETS. BC gets 9k and will probably have to return a bunch!!

The PR for this is immense. Games at Fenway, at Yankee Stadium get more hype. If this is a good game, then we will see more games with BC and I am sure if Bob Kraft gives a better deal than Fenway, then the game will go there.

We are in a rebuild. On and off the field. I applaud AD DB for what he has done in a small time. Ask yourself, is UCONN football better today than right after the Tulane debacle. On and off the field.

Would I rather go to the Rent to see the game? Yes- I would do the same routine I have done for all these years. A game in Boston is different- and being a UCONN fan, I hope to see many of you there cheering on the Blue and White, Randy and Rhett and hopefully we can do the UCONN chant walking out of Fenway as was done at Notre Dame.

Fenway holds 38K, BC got 7K and will easily sell them out. The 10K Fenway/IMG got will unfortunately heavily go to BC folks since the Yawkeys/Red Sox have a relationship with BC.

 

[sportsart]

I'm sure the ACC won't laugh at us. Nice power 5 move UConn

Seriously. We get it. Go find another team. I'm on page 2 and I'm done with this thread. Sad.

 

[jimva]

Disturbing mindset on so many posts. You can't be big time and keep thinking/acting small time. So many comments remind me of what was said when we walked away from 6 yr home and away with ND because they didn't want to play in Rent as it was to small.

 

[jbdphi]

Is the revenue from the ticket allocation to UConn incremental revenue to UConn or is it like a Bowl Game where the school pays for the tickets and gets paid back from their sales to their fans?

 

[Alum86]

well played, AD Dave...well played.
I have Irish amnesia with BC. I stand with Calhoun. But, I see the need....

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Is the revenue from the ticket allocation to UConn incremental revenue to UConn or is it like a Bowl Game where the school pays for the tickets and gets paid back from their sales to their fans?

This is a very key factor. If we keep the revenue from those 22K tickets this is a financial situation we absolutely could not turn down. At best, UConn nets $1.125M from a home game that sells out. If we get that payout PLUS revenue from the tickets, we're in no position to turn down that kind of money. 22K X ~$40 a ticket = $2M payday.

 

[UConnNick]

Easy there hoss. First let me say that given your position as head of FCUCFAC (Fairfield County University of Connecticut Fan Advocacy Committee) I was surprised by your reaction to this. I think it is the right one, however. We are where we are and we need to accept the reality of it.

That said, how are the two deals similar? It's not hard Biz. We gave up a 10 game deal with a marquee program because we ("we" being the CT legislature in this instance) didn't want to play our home games out of the Rent. Now we are playing a home game out of the Rent for lowly Boston College? In Boston? When they have a hard enough time filling their stadium?

As to your "the exact financial repercussions of the never-happened ND deal versus the BC deal" statement, that's just silly. The better question is what exactly does UConn get for giving up a home game? I suppose we will hear what that is soon enough.

I'm happy with AD Dave, so far but this is a head scratcher.

[A somewhat related point, I've wondered if having a 10 game deal with ND in place at the time of last ACC expansion would have been enough to make us a more attractive target than Louisville.]

Exactly right. If we're now in a financial position where it has become necessary to whore ourselves out to the highest bidder, why on earth would we choose a game vs a turd program like BC to try and eek some extra revenue out of a game? Why don't we just do what all the mid majors and FCS schools do and play freakin' Alabama in Tuscaloosa for a mid six figure payday? No return game for a guaranteed payday that has to be far more than we get from a stinkin' 30,000 crowd in a Beantown mausoleum that's an atrocious place to watch a football game, and a nightmare to get to for UCONN fans.

Dial up Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Michigan, Ohio State and any number of other schools with 100,000+ stadiums. Why screw with BS College? I think whatever guaranteed payday this game represents would be dwarfed by a guaranteed sellout game vs the SEC or Big 10 at their place. Let's play in State College.

We've suddenly become Rice.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Exactly right. If we're now in a financial position where it has become necessary to whore ourselves out to the highest bidder, why on earth would we choose a game vs a turd program like BC to try and eek some extra revenue out of a game? Why don't we just do what all the mid majors and FCS schools do and play freakin' Alabama in Tuscaloosa for a mid six figure payday? No return game for a guaranteed payday that has to be far more than we get from a stinkin' 30,000 crowd in a Beantown mausoleum that's an atrocious place to watch a football game, and a nightmare to get to for UCONN fans.

Dial up Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Michigan, Ohio State and any number of other schools with 100,000+ stadiums. Why screw with BS College? I think whatever guaranteed payday this game represents would be dwarfed by a guaranteed sellout game vs the SEC or Big 10 at their place. Let's play in State College.

We've suddenly become Rice.

Because this game was proposed by Fenway Sports Group and the Red Sox. UConn did not go looking for this game, the Red Sox came to them and proposed it.

 

[UConnNick]

You're right this is football. I'm not sure what world you are living in where you think BC fans actually care about this game. IF we are able to receive the majority of seats and sell them to our fans then we will travel well. We are UConn and if the team is having a solid year then there is no chance BC fans come even close to outnumbering us.

Sure, in a perfect world. But what if we lose most of our games prior to the game in Boston? Some UCONN fans will bail on making the trip and they'll be plenty of ducats on the secondary market for BC fans to scarf up. We end up with a supposed "home" game in Boston with fans of the "visiting" team outnumbering us 2 or 3 to 1. Great PR there, boy.

If we were really serious about scoring major scratch, we'd be playing Auburn in Alabama. BC at Fenway is a joke, and it will do far more harm to the national perception of our program long term than whatever the short term financial benefits may or may not be.

 

[Samoo]

And you are speculating that it has something to do with other vague and non-specified decisions when you have no idea. Additionally, you're then drawing negative conclusions and making judgments of the department, football program, Benedict, etc. based on that speculation.

Why don't we all wait and see what the terms are when the move is announced publicly and someone inevitably FOIAs the contract. Hell, maybe Ken Krayeske has already submitted the FOIA request.

Occum has a razor

 

[RedStickHusky]

Dude, you are embarassing yourself. The article that this thread was about said it was done because of the economic offer that was made to us.

Does that bring us back to hearsay? BL, you're making a noble effort here but I think the h8r's are gonna h8.

 

[RedStickHusky]

I knew this thread was going to wake Yawkey Way from his long slumber... that's the real hidden cost of this deal. Otherwise, call it the 'Buy-out Bowl' and give out a free beer to everyone who shows up in red pants.

 

[31GuardTrap]

The Fenway neighborhood bans pre-game tailgating in the parking lots near Fenway.

I think you misunderstood. I meant the bars themselves,

 

[husky10]

Fenway to host two college football games in '17

Apologies if previously posted, UMass is playing UMaine at Fenway the week before the UConn-BC matchup.

 

[sdhusky]

Yes, yes they do. Most just live in SoCal and surf, always exceptions though.

Here is a pic of @businesslawyer surfing

 

[Kevin Caliendo]

Uconn is geting $1.15M to play this game and gets $3M from their TV contract? LOL

 

[Skiblets]

You've heard of the Bayou Classic? Ladies and gentlemen we give you The Buyout Bowl!

 

[HuskyHawk]

For perspective, BC just a few short years ago under the former BC AD, would not agree to play Uconn football ANYWHERE. For awhile there, it looked like BC and Uconn would not play football again for years.. if ever. Now, under the new BC AD, BC has worked out an arrangement to play Uconn, back to back. Now that the game is scheduled at legendary Fenway Park, some here don't like the SETTING now ? Good grief. Given Uconn football's current state of affairs, one would think Uconn would be happy to play BC in football again, no matter where the hell the game is played. I don't speak for other BC football fans, but if an arrangement could be made for BC and ND to play only against each other, and for 12 games each and every football season, with 8 games a season played in South Bend, and 4 games in Alumni.... sign me up. Even let ND get a better payday for the arrangements in all 12 games. I wouldn't care. Sign me up. I'd be on board. Seriously.

This is absurd. I'm not one of the BC haters here, but one short year ago, UConn went to a bowl game and BC was one of the worst teams in all of FBS. They set the bar for futility in conference games. UConn in 2015 would wipe the floor with the dirty dishrag that was BC football. So your "high horse" is about an inch off the ground. It might be time to step down. Next year, there is no reason to expect that BC will be any better than UConn. We do not acknowledge or accept in any way shape or form the "superiority" of BC football. I am glad to see us playing again because we should be regional rivals. But those games must be either all neutral site or home and home. I would never accept a skewed arrangement with BC, as I might with say, Alabama.

Now, my take on the game has changed. Given that it is clearly a UConn home game, and we get the money and BC gets nothing, and we get most of the tickets, my current take is that the state of BC football in Boston is so bad, that UConn can play a home game on their turf.

 

[J187Money]

I can't believe Benedict would take 1.25 mil guaranteed when there is a chance (a pretty small one based on the past few years) that there might, maybe, possibly, be 35k in the stands at the Rent so that he could make LESS money even if that improbable event happens. He is an idiot...fire him now.

35,000 * $25 average seat price = $875,000 less some expense I assume we have to "pay" to use the Rent on a per game basis. The math works on this.

Remember - the donations per seat are for the season, and aren't actually per game. So I pay $100/seat/season for my tickets no matter if there are 6 or 7 home games. So the only thing the school loses is the variable cost of the tickets, which they charge $25 for season ticket holders, but some tickets are less.

A sellout at $25/seat = $1M (again, less expenses).

So when people beg and scream for coaches to be bought out, that costs money. The school wins here.

AND, a UCONN game v BC at the Rent? NOBODY cares other than us and BC.

A UCONN game v. BC at Fenway? Will be all over ESPN, etc - as an "event"...so we get paid a bunch of money and get a bunch of free marketing for the program.

Oh, the horror!

 

[J187Money]

And don't forget another important equation:

# of BY members > # of donors to the athletic department = LOTS of people talking a whole lot of @#$@#$ here about how UCONN makes financial decisions while...

GEICO TV Commercial, 'Alligator Arms: It's What You Do'

 

[CL82]

A lot speculation both pro/con. I'll wait to hear the justification from AD Dave. Maybe I should wander over to the CR board to see if some toothless West Virginian takes this as a sign that we joining the Big 10.

 

[Jimdish255]

I haven't changed my underlying aversion to this but I understand the business end of the "Buyout Bowl". It may or may not not work out to our advantage as a lot of assumptions are baked in. And we still struggle with the level of attendance at home games and building our SW fan base, both of which will be sacrificed here for a short term financial benefit. But if I do attend it will be because of Yawkey.