Blaudschun: UConn Switching BC Home Game to Fenway?

[businesslawyer]

So to recap, we gave up a 10 game series with Notre Dame because they wanted our home games played in NY and MA, but we are giving it to Boston College. Hang on, I have to puke in my waste basket.

I hate our current situation.

O.K., if you are going to make that comparison, please let us all know what the exact financial repercussions of the never-happened ND deal versus the BC deal. Because without knowing the financial details, how the heck can you make an analysis about whether the situations were actually similar?

 

[coachcap]

Would have preferred this game be at the RENT-I think that we ALL agree on that point. I understand the logic of needing to pay the piper on the Difiasco buyout. Will make do with this arrangement for this season. In the future, if this matchup is to be played offsite, let it be at the Razor with the home team getting a 60/40 split on tickets AND getting a good chunk of souvenir concession sales. Will now be having the wife call her cousin, who lives a stone throw from the U.S.S. Constitution, about accommodations for the weekend of the game. UConn season ticket holders who pay the seat donation MUST be given priority on tickets to the game to assuage the inconvenience of it not being played at the RENT. That is all. Count me in.

 

[businesslawyer]

From Blauds article:
What I don’t get is what UConn gets out of this. A guaranteed NESN spot?

How does this make us more money, unless they are anticipating a bad turnout at the rent?

From what Blauds said, we are not selling tickets to the game and keeping the proceeds after expenses. It sounds like the Red Sox are writing us a check, and then will keep the proceeds (or are writing us a smaller check and then giving us some share of the proceeds). This would not be a hard calculation for the AD to make actually knowing the details of the offer.

Assume whomever is writing the check is going to charge more per ticket than we would at the Rent. Just like MSG charged more per seat for the Syracuse game than we would have charged to play it at the Xl Center.

 

[Husky25]

So to recap, we gave up a 10 game series with Notre Dame because they wanted our home games played in NY and MA, but we are giving it to Boston College. Hang on, I have to puke in my waste basket.

I hate our current situation.

Not exactly. If memory serves, ND didn't really want a 10 year "home and home" series. They wanted a Home and Neutral site, where they could get a higher share of the gate in ND alumni dense locales.

Also, I believe it was in the lease that UConn had to play all of their home games at Rentschler until 2017. With the name change and donation a few years ago, that stipulation may have changed.

 

[huskymedic]

From Blauds article:
What I don’t get is what UConn gets out of this. A guaranteed NESN spot?

How does this make us more money, unless they are anticipating a bad turnout at the rent?

That was in the BC Interruption article - not the Blaud article

 

[31GuardTrap]

Just booked a room at The Verb right outside Fenway. Epic day it will be.

 

[businesslawyer]

That was in the BC Interruption article - not the Blaud article

For TV purposes, it's a UConn home game, which means ESPN would control the rights. Including the right to sell it to CBSSports or to not carry it and only sell rights regionally.

 

[Excalibur]

I think that this sucks, but it's what we are at this point . . .

 

[Husky25]

From Blauds article:
What I don’t get is what UConn gets out of this. A guaranteed NESN spot?

How does this make us more money, unless they are anticipating a bad turnout at the rent?

The game wouldn't be on NESN. NESN shows William and Mary vs. Tufts. The game would be shown at a minimum on ESPN2 within New England and New York and ESPNNews outside the region, IMO.

 

[RSTuthill]

Another factor in the season tix calculation. Not a positive one.

 

[EJHarrington]

We already have 6 home games on top of this game. I always wanted to go see UCONN football at Fenway Park. This is great news for the program, especially if we lump up BC.

 

[businesslawyer]

Another factor in the season tix calculation. Not a positive one.

Yes. That absolutely is a factor in the calculation. But there is no reason to think Benedict doesn't realize that and didn't take it into effect in making the decision (if he made the decision).

 

[PopcornHatKid]

From Blauds article:
What I don’t get is what UConn gets out of this. A guaranteed NESN spot?

How does this make us more money, unless they are anticipating a bad turnout at the rent?

This game is towards the end of the season. If we have another down year, people wouldn't show up and we'd be embarrassed attendance wise, losing out on a lot of potential ticket revenue. This is a foolproof plan. If we are bad, fans aren't expected to travel, we still make money. If we are good, people travel and we still make money.

TLDR: We need the money, and this is a way to guarantee it.

 

[CL82]

O.K., if you are going to make that comparison, please let us all know what the exact financial repercussions of the never-happened ND deal versus the BC deal. Because without knowing the financial details, how the heck can you make an analysis about whether the situations were actually similar?

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.]

 

[SubbaBub]

If UConn doesn't get a cut of the concessions at the rent, then that is where a place like Fenway can find extra money to pay us even if ticket sales are similar at the two venues.

 

[thatguyed]

Your season tickets will have one less game and you will be charged for one less game.

And since BC is so integral to the Boston sports scene, you'll find tickets on the open market for ten bucks.

 

[UCPusky]

I look forward to another Ryan Phalen-led bus trip where I get too drunk and piss off a players' parents by talking about crab rangoon the whole ride home.

So Irish Loop is the crab ragoon guy. LOL - I think I was sitting a few rows in front of you on that bus. Game sucked but the trip was fun.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

If UConn doesn't get a cut of the concessions at the rent, then that is where a place like Fenway can find extra money to pay us even if ticket sales are similar at the two venues.

That actually is a great bargaining tactic when you think about it.

 

[CL82]

@PopcornHatKid @Husky25 @huskymedic

The point of the quote isn't whether NESN would carry the game, it is the "what does UConn get out of it" portion.

I suspect @PopcornHatKid may be right as to the reason, although that would be a very pessimistic position from AD Dave.

On edit:

Perhaps Subba is right as well:

If UConn doesn't get a cut of the concessions at the rent, then that is where a place like Fenway can find extra money to pay us even if ticket sales are similar at the two venues.

 

[Skiblets]

I just moved back to Boston. Tailgate at Skibs!!!!!

 

[Skiblets]

Dumbest decision since the civil conflict. Worse than the civil conflict

Wrong

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

From Blauds article:
What I don’t get is what UConn gets out of this. A guaranteed NESN spot?

How does this make us more money, unless they are anticipating a bad turnout at the rent?

Fenway/IMG is paying UConn in some regard to hold the game there. Unclear what the amount is, but it might be FOIA-able at some point. I'm sure UConn will get some level of the gate as well in addition to merchandise sales. Like the ND-BC game last year, the game will be a UConn home game with UConn painted on the field and probably banners on the Green Monster, etc.

 

[CL82]

Fenway/IMG is paying UConn in some regard to hold the game there. Unclear what the amount is, but it might be FOIA-able at some point. I'm sure UConn will get some level of the gate as well in addition to merchandise sales. Like the ND-BC game last year, the game will be a UConn home game with UConn painted on the field and probably banners on the Green Monster, etc.

If all correct that would be great, depending on amount.

 

[firstnline]

I'm going to try for GREEN MONSTER seats if they are for sale.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

If all correct that would be great, depending on amount.

It would be, but at this point we of course don't know. I do know that as part of the ND-BC matchup, ND controlled the VAST majority of the ticket sales. I don't know the exact number, but BC only received the proportion of tickets an away team usually gets for an away game. There were many BC fans complaining they couldn't get a ticket because there were so few available. Now, of course that was a Shamrock Series game and it's ND so they have a lot more pull. But hopefull AD Dave negotiated a deal on this so that UConn gets to control 75%+ of the tickets and gets the revenue after Fenway takes their cut.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

I'm going to try for GREEN MONSTER seats if they are for sale.

Have fun with that, those tickets will be the best view in the whole place and will go for $250+ apiece most likely. There's also only about 250 seats up there.

 

[businesslawyer]

It would be, but at this point we of course don't know. I do know that as part of the ND-BC matchup, ND controlled the VAST majority of the ticket sales. I don't know the exact number, but BC only received the proportion of tickets an away team usually gets for an away game. There were many BC fans complaining they couldn't get a ticket because there were so few available. Now, of course that was a Shamrock Series game and it's ND so they have a lot more pull. But hopefull AD Dave negotiated a deal on this so that UConn gets to control 75%+ of the tickets and gets the revenue after Fenway takes their cut.

Just to be clear, I doubt BC has anything to say about the terms of the contract between UConn and Fenway. BC has its rights (including as to ticket allocation) in its contract with UConn. What is painted on the field -- what the ticket prices are -- how Fenway markets them -- who gets concession royalties -- are all matters that will be set forth in the contract.

And yes, the contract will be discoverable under FOIA and yes, you can bet the Courant will in due course let us know what they are.

 

[pepband99]

This only makes sense if it greases the wheels for a longer-term plan.

 

[zls44]

We're a poor. It sucks.

Other than getting a fat check, there is zero reason to be happy or ok with this. Zero.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Just to be clear, I doubt BC has anything to say about the terms of the contract between UConn and Fenway. BC has its rights (including as to ticket allocation) in its contract with UConn. What is painted on the field -- what the ticket prices are -- how Fenway markets them -- who gets concession royalties -- are all matters that will be set forth in the contract.

And yes, the contract will be discoverable under FOIA and yes, you can bet the Courant will in due course let us know what they are.

Right, this is a deal between UConn and Fenway. BC is likely not more than a peripheral participant in what went into making this happen.