Okay, you're UConn's new head of athletic marketing - aaand, GO!...

[SubbaBub]

Take up a collection for Big Red and video tape him doing the U C O N N cheer. Every time there is a big play show him on the video screen. The cheer needs to be spontaneous, it has lost that at the football games. Hell you could even video tape Calhoun, Geno or even Herbst I think the fans would get a kick out of it, however, they have to remeber it must be spontaneous so get somebody that understands the flow of the game, not the idiots they have up there now.

I have delusions of JC, Geno, Herbst, Kemba, Okafor, etc. up on the big board one at a time, looking into the camera saying, I am Maker's Muppet."

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[Bezzz]

The first thing I would do if I were calling the shots would be to implement what I like to call my "Stadium of Babel" plan.

I have posted about this on here before. Basically, this involves stadium expansion. But we don't just add a few seats and be done with it. We just keep on adding through the years.

We should be able to add 25,000 seats a year, if we can actually get Malloy and the state legislators to get off their keisters and take some action and get us some funding.

Okay, so here are my calculations. We have 40,000 seats now. We add 25,000 per year for 15 years. That would give us 415,000 after 15 years. That would dwarf the second biggest stadium (Michigan's) which only has 109,901. This thing is going to be immense. It will have its own zip code.

When opposing fans come by at the beginning, they will say "Oh, isn't that cute, they're adding a few seats to their little stadium". And we will give each other winks and nods, thinking "Little do they realize what we have in store". Each year, it will be bigger! More and more seats! More, I say, more! Bigger and bigger! To the heavens! Construction going on 365 days a year! The stadium will be so big that its supremacy will never be challenged. God himself could not sink this stadium!

I gotta admit, more is better than less.

 

[Thirdelement]

Agree with the poster above who suggested UConn: New England's Team

UConn is New England's home for Division I sports. I get that the South is growing and all, but how can the Big 5 ignore an entire region? BC and UMass don't count. I'm not saying this as a UConn alum (cause I'm not one), but as someone with a small measure of common sense.

 

[SO#1]

UCONN – Your New England Tri-State Huskies

 

[DOZE860]

for basketball, move the student section behind the bench, cause at least the students get to the game before they start..

 

[FluxTZ]

Well, I will say they are starting to put out some decent videos on youtube

The quality of the videos they have been putting out lately have been light years beyond the "Great Pick" days and I love it.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

I thought the video at the Blue/White Game was the highlight of the day.

 

[beerfan]

Our tailgating atmosphere is almost too good. It is too easy to have just one more cheaper beer with good snacks than go into the stadium. Perhaps they could hand out half price beer coupons going into the stadium until 15 minutes before game time, or buy a beer up to 15 minutes before game time you get a half price coupon.

 

[upstater]

Our tailgating atmosphere is almost too good. It is too easy to have just one more cheaper beer with good snacks than go into the stadium. Perhaps they could hand out half price beer coupons going into the stadium until 15 minutes before game time, or buy a beer up to 15 minutes before game time you get a half price coupon.

This is clearly a situation where the state is screwing up, and points to the problems with building a stadium run by a professional concessioneer. They make the university look like crap charging pro coin for a college event. Then the university bleeds money because of it, and the state has to fund the university more. Insane. The opportunity lost is worth $18m a year. How much in beer are they making?

 

[Dooley]

No. More. DJ.

 

[Srqhusky]

Just a thought promote the football team more in the elementary schools. Maybe do more signs or coupons to the concessions at the game. Family deals?? Got to start with the young o Ed to build the culture.

 

[whaler11]

It's almost never mentioned... But UConn's PA (public address) guy is beyond awful. It's John Tuite who I imagine got involved from his relationship with Wayne Norman.

Tuite is awful. In the history of sports in the state of Connecticut only Tony Terzi is worse. And if you think Terzi was awful for the Whalers go to a Sacred Heart basketball game and you'll consider harikari.

 

[Fishy]

Okay, so here are my calculations. We have 40,000 seats now. We add 25,000 per year for 15 years. That would give us 415,000 after 15 years. That would dwarf the second biggest stadium (Michigan's) which only has 109,901. This thing is going to be immense. It will have its own zip code.

When opposing fans come by at the beginning, they will say "Oh, isn't that cute, they're adding a few seats to their little stadium". And we will give each other winks and nods, thinking "Little do they realize what we have in store". Each year, it will be bigger! More and more seats! More, I say, more! Bigger and bigger! To the heavens! Construction going on 365 days a year! The stadium will be so big that its supremacy will never be challenged. God himself could not sink this stadium!

Honestly, this has the stench of genius about it.

Every year, we're announcing stadium expansion until finally, we announce that the Rent is the first athletic stadium visible from space.

And then we start adding space seats.

This is PR gold.

 

[UCDaveD]

The first thing I would do if I were calling the shots would be to implement what I like to call my "Stadium of Babel" plan.

I have posted about this on here before. Basically, this involves stadium expansion. But we don't just add a few seats and be done with it. We just keep on adding through the years.

We should be able to add 25,000 seats a year, if we can actually get Malloy and the state legislators to get off their keisters and take some action and get us some funding.

Okay, so here are my calculations. We have 40,000 seats now. We add 25,000 per year for 15 years. That would give us 415,000 after 15 years. That would dwarf the second biggest stadium (Michigan's) which only has 109,901. This thing is going to be immense. It will have its own zip code.

When opposing fans come by at the beginning, they will say "Oh, isn't that cute, they're adding a few seats to their little stadium". And we will give each other winks and nods, thinking "Little do they realize what we have in store". Each year, it will be bigger! More and more seats! More, I say, more! Bigger and bigger! To the heavens! Construction going on 365 days a year! The stadium will be so big that its supremacy will never be challenged. God himself could not sink this stadium!

This seriously had me laughing out loud. A+

 

[microfich]

It's almost never mentioned... But UConn's PA (public address) guy is beyond awful. It's John Tuite who I imagine got involved from his relationship with Wayne Norman.

Tuite is awful. In the history of sports in the state of Connecticut only Tony Terzi is worse. And if you think Terzi was awful for the Whalers go to a Sacred Heart basketball game and you'll consider harikari.

Tuite did play by play for several sports at WHUS while a student at UConn, so I doubt his involvement is due to some Wayne Norman relationship. Don't know how you can call him beyond awful. I think he has the right voice and does a fine job. If you need a PA guy to rev you up, you're not paying attention to the game.

 

[thatguyed]

Cohesive marketing plan to every HS in CT and within 50 miles in MA containing incentives, some kind of on field walk, scoreboard recognition, free parking for the bus, designated cheerleader to welcome them (nothing over the top), whatever. Besides everything else this would be to 1) market to groups not just people and 2) try to create some buzz that could help get these kids thinking as UCONN fans even if they go to school somewhere else.

Then do the same thing to every HS band director in the same footprint.

Then do the same thing to every HS cheerleader and dance team director in the same footprint.

 

[pj]

Honestly, this has the stench of genius about it.

Every year, we're announcing stadium expansion until finally, we announce that the Rent is the first athletic stadium visible from space.

And then we start adding space seats.

This is PR gold.

We don't need space seats, just Bronx seats, Manhattan seats, Queens seats, and Brooklyn seats. Then we'll really deliver NYC.

 

[noeynox]

A huge sign @ Bradley as you exit the secured area of the terminal near the Black Bear Saloon that screams "Welcome to UConn Country!

Make it seasonal... Football, Basketball, Baseball, Hockey, Soccer, etc...

Ha! Years ago I posted that we should have had billboards up when you came into stamford informing that BCS football was up ahead and the like. I remember others shooting it down as tacky and meaningless. Times have certainly changed. I like your idea.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

I actually heard an advertisement for UConn Football tickets on Pandora yesterday. Have to say, I like that they're targeting a more tech-savvy crowd using popular applications like that. Plus, I suspect Pandora is a cheaper platform than traditional media outlets.

I've really been enjoying the marketing videos as well. Way better than the old stuff.

Unfortunately I think a lot of these suggestions are sort of pie in the sky stuff. It's a good idea to get everyone in their seats by kickoff, but logistically quite difficult to make drunk students do much of anything.

Overall I think we're moving in the right direction, though I do wonder why we still have the DJ. Was this focus grouped? I mean, who thought this was a good idea?

 

[Fairfield_1st]

I actually reached out to UConn with ideas including the elimination of the DJ and Welcome to the Jungle. I gave them specific songs and when they could be used as well as an idea for the players coming onto the field to Flight of the Valkyries after Robert Duvall says "I Love the Smell of napalm in the morning". I thought it would set a nice battle tone. I just never got the feel that they gave a crap what I had to say about the staleness of the gameday experience.

 

[geordi]

I love the smell of dog scat in the morning.

 

[huskymedic]

I love the UCMB but maybe we can jazz up halftime a bit with Bear versus Monkey Bike Races (second lap is where it gets interesting). Sorry PETA.

 

[UCFBfan]

Well, I will say they are starting to put out some decent videos on youtube

Just watchd this and I was impressed. However, while there might not be tons, couldn't they have included game footage to excite fans? Practice doesn't quite do it.

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[UCFBfan]

Well, I will say they are starting to put out some decent videos on youtube

Just watchd this and I was impressed. However, while there might not be tons, couldn't they have included game footage to excite fans? Practice doesn't quite do it.

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[Husky25]

Really agree on the concessions point. Everything non alcoholic should be flat out affordable. If they want to continue to gouge people on booze to discourage heavy drinking... I don't really agree but I get it.

Ticket prices too. It's time to take a step back and figure the price that will actually fill seats.

I agree but UConn does not own Rentschler, so ticket margin needs to go a long way to cover renting the Rent for 6-9 events per year (some which, such as the NLI Day and Spring Game, are free to the public). I dont think UConn gets any parking revenue at the Rent either (I know they don't at the Civic Center.). I believe the owners of the Rock Cats do own NB Stadium, so they can contract with concessionaires as a compliment to ticket sales and parking. Ergo, a pint of Sam Adams in the Beer Garten is $5.50.

Concession prices are largely controlled by the concessionaire in order to cover their contracted costs and are a direct result of selling opportunity. Hopefully, Spectrum Global can procure more high-demand events at both venues as well as renegotiate their contracted costs.

Its ridiculous to pay professional prices for college and minor league events. Both the Civic Center and Rent have been horribly mismanaged by AEG and Bushnell, respectively. $9.00 for a draft beer, when the cost doesn't go to player salaries is insane, especially when said beer is a macro-brew draughted from the Civic Center pipes. Has anyone else tasted that extra "flavor" in their Miller Lite?