Arms Race

[CL82]

I haven’t been to Gampel in awhile but recall a major traffic backup getting to 84. If those roads couldn’t handle 10k people, how is 30k a feasible idea?

Reread my post and see if you can figure out the answer.

 

[CL82]

Yeah, the stadium is in East Hartford because the Storrs and Mansfield locals had no juice.

As has been discussed many times on this site, the reason why the stadiums in East Hartford is because of the patriots dalliance with moving to Hartford. Mansfield residence had nothing to do with it.

 

[Hamms30]

I haven’t been to Gampel in awhile but recall a major traffic backup getting to 84. If those roads couldn’t handle 10k people, how is 30k a feasible idea?

30k? If the goal is a power conference, at least double that.

 

[Vowelguy]

Reread my post and see if you can figure out the answer.

Yeah 20000 people are going to stay for hours postgame.

If we are going to engage in hyperbole, then why aren’t we discussing building a bullet train from Storrs to Hartford?

 

[CL82]

Yeah 20000 people are going to stay for hours postgame.

If we are going to engage in hyperbole, then why aren’t we discussing building a bullet train from Storrs to Hartford?

I agree, the notion that we have to spend millions of dollars building a super highway up to the front gate of a stadium on campus for six weekends a year is equivalently silly to the notion spending millions of dollars building a bullet train to Hartford.

On the other hand, solving the problem the way virtually every other college that plays football on campus does probably is a little more sensible.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

CL, I like you a lot but I believe you are wrong with some of your assessments here.

When the Rent first opened, we played to packed houses at more than double the capacity of any game we had hosted prior to the Rent being our home. The largest factor for this was location. The proximity of the stadium to highway access and to the intersection of 91 & 84 played a tremendous role in people from our geographically small but extremely congested state being willing to check out games. If we had built an on campus stadium, we likely would have had very few games 20 years ago (when there was a tremendous amount of excitement behind the program) where the crowd reached 30k.

Yes, there are schools that have on campus stadiums where fans/alumni endure far longer road trips to get there and need to deal with extreme traffic congestion for much longer than the stretch from 84 to the Storrs campus, but this has evolved over many decades (or longer). Our basketball fans aren't willing to stay for the entire game in seasons where we win national titles. There is no way football fans would endure something far worse (it would be far worse) unless it was something they have been doing for an extended time supporting a successful program.

Additionally, comparing the traffic impact 40k plus football fans would have to vs 10k basketball fans should need no explanation, even if you could (not as feasible as you are implying) stagger the arrivals and departures over a number of hours. I'm curious as to when you last attended a packed house at Gampel as anyone who has any recollection of arrival/departure would laugh at the idea of four times as much traffic, even if it were to be spread on a coordinated basis (really can't be done) over four to six hours (that much time isn't something anyone would be willing to consider).

Fortunately the idea (for now) is more of a dream than the football program winning consecutive titles.

 

[pj]

This is Rutgers or Pitt type talk. They use it as a go to insult when their sub-par fandom is called into question. Not sure why UConn Fans would buy into that losing mentality as you seem to parallel Penn State in many ways as a strong public school with a diverse and successful AD. Both schools have strong Ag backgrounds as well.

Their fans don't understand what it means to be passionate about sports because they have nothing to be passionate about. They are bad to middling at just about everything. Only a few of them truly care, and even that group may be more passionate about their "rival" losing than their teams winning.

Being cultists ourselves, we have a lot of respect for the Penn State cult.

 

[AllHusky]

I had to laugh when I read the "dominated the surrounding landscape" line. 100,000 seat football stadiums aren't exactly subtle. It is in the middle of their athletic campus and it is surrounded by parking. It's not like it's located on their equivalent of Horsebarn Hill.

Kind of a weird take in my view.

Would love kind of ugly!!

 

[LoyalFanCT]

The students got their butts on busses and filled their section of the stadium when we were good. Ask RG3.
It ain’t that big an ask. The Rent is easy for us Not living out in East Bumf…(most alumni) and is not obsolete and has not outlived its usefulness.

Busses means kisses. Buses is the plural of bus. Maybe you also could tell us how many FBS football programs play in a non-pro stadium that is a 40-minute drive from campus.

 

[CL82]

CL, I like you a lot

Back at you!

When the Rent first opened, we played to packed houses at more than double the capacity of any game we had hosted prior to the Rent being our home. The largest factor for this was location.

Well, respectfully, I would say the largest factor was actually stadium capacity. Memorial Stadium was what like 16,000? So if you fill the rent to 80% capacity that's going to be double the maximum amount that you could've done in Memorial Stadium. That has nothing to do with limited access highways and everything to do with math.

Additionally, comparing the traffic impact 40k plus football fans would have to vs 10k basketball fans should need no explanation, even if you could (not as feasible as you are implying) stagger the arrivals and departures over a number of hours

People complain about traffic leaving Renschler field as well, but as you know well, that's a bigger problem for people rushing out at the end of the third quarter than it is for people who leave after having a beer and a sandwich after the game. People complain about leaving games at Michie stadium at West Point. I've never had an issue, Because I don't struggle to rush out. Instead I'll walk down to the monuments, or often join at y tailgate as a guest of West Point fans. it really doesn't take much time to avoid traffic.

Again, I think the comparison to gamble isn't apples to apples because everyone arrives at practically the same time and everyone leaves at practically the same time.

I can't believe that Storrs CT Is the only place in the world that can't host football games without a limited access highway leading up to the front gate. West Point leverages tailgating, Rutgers leverages smart traffic management techniques, dedicated one direction roads etc. It's eminently "doable" without investing millions in infrastructure for six games a year.

The better question is should we do it, to which my answer is no while Rentschler Field remains a viable alternative and does not need substantial additional investment. That should be true for at least the next 10 years.

 

[Alum86]

Your last paragraph CL82 Epitomizes it. Rent is fine, we are turning the corner. Just have to rationalize pulling the grill and tailgate stuff outta the SUV each week or leave it in the car for the 6 game homestand.

 

[CL82]

Your last paragraph CL82 Epitomizes it. Rent is fine, we are turning the corner. Just have to rationalize pulling the grill and tailgate stuff outta the SUV each week or leave it in the car for the 6 game homestand.

The Rent is more than fine. It is a terrific place to see a game with great tailgating and not a bad seat in the stadium. I wish it was 30 miles east, and I wish, like the vast majority of college teams, we were allowed to fully profit from it instead of subsidizing a famously poorly run quasi public agency like the CDRA. but those are tiny things compared to having a place to play.

At some point in the future, a decision will have to be made about reinvesting in the Rent or building on campus. In the near term, I'm looking forward to watching the games. Time will tell, but this season seems like it the team will finally have a passing game. There are a lot of new pieces but it feels as if we've upgraded talent across-the-board. I'm excited to see what that looks like on the field.

 

[cohenzone]

I had to laugh when I read the "dominated the surrounding landscape" line. 100,000 seat football stadiums aren't exactly subtle. It is in the middle of their athletic campus and it is surrounded by parking. It's not like it's located on their equivalent of Horsebarn Hill.

Kind of a weird take in my view.

Why so defensive? It’s out in the countryside and isn’t all that attractive.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

I haven’t been to Gampel in awhile but recall a major traffic backup getting to 84. If those roads couldn’t handle 10k people, how is 30k a feasible idea?

It must of been a night game at Gampel during the week, mix that with evening rush and you will get a major backup. Four or five Saturday mornings during the Fall will not be a big deal, traffic will be heavy for sure but not especially bad when you consider that upwards of 10 to 15,000 will already be on campus.

 

[CL82]

Why so defensive? It’s out in the countryside and isn’t all that attractive.

Lol, and how was I defensive exactly?

It's on their campus, and surrounded by blacktop. It's not as if it's in pristine countryside. Here's the thing, when you build a building to house 100,000 fans, it is tough to make it unobtrusive.

I actually like Penn State athletic campus quite a bit. Putting all the buildings together allows those parking lots which surround the stadium to support the other areas. It's smart planning. Our athletic campus seems to take a page out of the same book.

 

[CL82]

I think you can keep the area rural and built a stadium. What is required is building into the earth instead of up and adding a classic coliseum design with brick, ivy, proper landscape it with trees instead of stripping everything for ease. You get buy-in from many.

195 doesn’t need to widened. It’s just needs a better traffic flow. Many stadiums are a pain to get to.

If they built it right it could be a real iconic jewel that people would love to play at.

I agree with you conceptionally. I suspect, though, that creating a bowl is probably more expensive. If I remember correctly from the Toscano environmental impact stuff, one side of a proposed site in the athletic campus is rock ledge which either could facilitate this, or makes it way more expensive.

 

[cohenzone]

Lol, and how was I defensive exactly?

It's on their campus, and surrounded by blacktop. It's not as if it's in pristine countryside. Here's the thing, when you build a building to house 100,000 fans, it is tough to make it unobtrusive.

I actually like Penn State athletic campus quite a bit. Putting all the buildings together allows those parking lots which surround the stadium to support the other areas. It's smart planning. Our athletic campus seems to take a page out of the same book.

What ever. All I said is that it dominates the landscape. It does A bowl doesn’t. It has nothing to do with the arrangement of their athletic facilities and I’m sure is fun on game day.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Just curious if the NBD people have been on campus for a 16k football event pre-Rentschler?

 

[CL82]

What ever. All I said is that it dominates the landscape. It does A bowl doesn’t. It has nothing to do with the arrangement of their athletic facilities and I’m sure is fun on game day.

Yeah, well it kind of does because suggesting that a football stadium in the middle of a paved parking lot for 100,000 patrons surrounded by other buildings, is somehow violating the "natural surroundings" of a parking lot and other buildings just doesn't make any sense.

That said, I replied to a different poster and you asked me a question about that reply, which I've answered. You seem to be taking that personally... to which I offer my relatively unenthusiastic shrug.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Busses means kisses. Buses is the plural of bus. Maybe you also could tell us how many FBS football programs play in a non-pro stadium that is a 40-minute drive from campus.

You have to think that coaches, players, and freshman recruits wouldn’t mind just walking to practice or to a game instead of a bumpy 40 min bus ride to Pratt & Whitney Field.

 

[AllHusky]

Why so defensive? It’s out in the countryside and isn’t all that attractive.

It's a beautiful thing. Wish we had one, especially full of fans chanting "We are......UConn!) Yes, a Bowl would be prettier though. Have you been to Athens GA? You drive though campus and all of a sudden you see a stadium down there, complete with hedges.

I'm sure long range planners already have a number of sites where a stadium could go either on campus or at Depot Campus. Are those train tracks still active and where do they go? I've heard of stories of students getting on a train to New Haven for a trip to Yale Bowl, way back when.

 

[baggerbob]

Yeah, but, the state doesn't exact;y have a track record stepping in to favor increasing revenue activities in Storrs over what could be revenue activities elsewhere in the state (primarily Hartford).

Nothing have ever been stated on this but I would need to see some serious eveidence to the contrary before I will believe that state politicians/CRDA didn't force the school to keep capacity at Toscano at such a small level, as they want the school to be basically required to play a number of hockey games in Hartford. The school has also been basically required (for more than half a century) to play a number of premium basketball games in Hartford.

The city of Hartford views the school as a driver of the entertainment economy. That may never change as the city will need to find some way to build a sustainable encomy outside of UConn sports (it doesn't look like they're even trying) before the school would be free from this obligation.

This is not even taking into account that many in the state (including politicians) aren't fully vested in the idea of UConn having a major football program. For enough movement from state politicians to put a sufficient (~40k seat) stadium on campus (along with the necessary infrastructure upgrades), they would all need a) to be in full support of our football program attempting to compete at the highest level and b) supporting the premise that the only way we truly could is with an on campus stadium and c) believe that an on campus stadium would be a long term economic positive for the state as a whole. It would be an enormous lift. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see it, but I'm not holding my breath.

If Uconn is to build a stadium in the Northeast make it a domed stadium, and use it as a multi-purpose facility.
Graduations, Concerts, other sports, etc.
That way you can satisfy the Polititions, because it can be used year round for many things.
Can you imagine 40,000 to watch Geno and the women's team?

 

[cohenzone]

It's a beautiful thing. Wish we had one, especially full of fans chanting "We are......UConn!) Yes, a Bowl would be prettier though. Have you been to Athens GA? You drive though campus and all of a sudden you see a stadium down there, complete with hedges.

I'm sure long range planners already have a number of sites where a stadium could go either on campus or at Depot Campus. Are those train tracks still active and where do they go? I've heard of stories of students getting on a train to New Haven for a trip to Yale Bowl, way back when.

Been to the Big House in Ann Arbor 3 times and being a bowl, you really can’t see it until you get pretty close. VTech stadium doesn’t really stick out either. Yale Bowl originally built for 77000 also doesn’t stick out. My comment had nothing to do with game day atmosphere. I’ve had UConn season’s tickets from when they were still in Storrs and suffered through the last decade plus. Lots of room to spread out.

 

[DMTCYNAW]

with all these NFL stadium re-development announcements (just saw carolina panthers today), i wouldn't be totally against seeing a mockup of an expanded and TRULY modernized Rent, along with commitments to get the funding to do so, obviously. It would be a beautiful facility, and we have so much Pratt & Whitney land to do it on. The site is really really not bad.

so imagine it with the proper landscaping, exterior design covering the soviet concrete, lighting/entertainment package, party/happy hour decks, diverse dining options, updated pressbox, glass-enclosed player entry tunnel with access to the glass to see them walking out to the field, massively upgraded & larger mitsubishi scoreboard, 360 ribbon LED displays around the whole mezzanine, not just the visitor side, etc. etc. etc....

I'm thinking of Ryan Field, for northwestern, as inspiration, but to a lesser degree, to justify the savings compared to building in storrs.
I know lots of people will disagree with me and let me be clear that i would NOT object to a statdium in storrs obviously.

but i sense that we're sick of the rent because we're sick of the team that plays inside it lolol. If UConn was winning and CT made the decision to invest in the rent the way Penn State is investing in beaver stadium, I think there'd be fewer naysayers to the idea of staying in East Hartford, close to 91/84.

 

[CL82]

If Uconn is to build a stadium in the Northeast make it a domed stadium, and use it as a multi-purpose facility.
Graduations, Concerts, other sports, etc.
That way you can satisfy the Polititions, because it can be used year round for many things.
Can you imagine 40,000 to watch Geno and the women's team?

I suspect that the potential competition for concerts and events with the XL center might make that unattractive to the state legislature.