Connecticut governor declares UConn is 'all in' on big-time college football despite its current spot at bottom (Yahoo Thamel)

[Banta55]

I am 100% in favor of an on-campus stadium - but I understand that will not be happening anytime soon.

I believe the State should have initially invested in an on-campus stadium but I’m assuming they did not go in that direction due to opposition from Mansfield. Is that accurate?

It's never going to happen

 

[jdb50]

I am 100% in favor of an on-campus stadium - but I understand that will not be happening anytime soon.

I believe the State should have initially invested in an on-campus stadium but I’m assuming they did not go in that direction due to opposition from Mansfield. Is that accurate?

It was part of it. The road net was part and then the Patriots coming to Hartford took over until we were left at the alter. P@W stepped forward with the land offer which sealed the deal. Mansfield has had too much of a say in UConn building on it's own land. That's why the brown house is still on Gilbert Rd when the rest were torn down. It serves as a woodchuck refuge and the old professors that once lived there can hold there heads up high. Tut tut. The new park in the center of campus is really nice where the rest of the craphouse brown houses were.

 

[DoctorWho85]

I love The Rent. I have so many good memories there as an alumn of the UCMB. It's a great stadium with good sight lines no matter where you sit. Would I go to games if an on campus stadium was built? Of course I would, but I know getting to and out of a stadium (assuming roughly the same size as the Rent) would be a friggin' nightmare. I sat in traffic on a normal friday on campus on 195. No way that area can handle that much traffic without a severe backup without serious infrastructure improvement.

 

[CL82]

Better to fix the football program and get back to making Rentschler profitable for the one entity in the state that can do so. The Storrs football stadium ship sailed decades ago... even when Kraft was stroking Rowland's ego the thought was an upgraded UConn would join the Patriots there. When reality set in... well they downsized the stadium, took off the dome and moved it to cheaper land.

The land was donated correct?

 

[billybud]

Current cost of the Rent:

Per game at the stadium, UConn pays $172,000 in rent plus a $3-a-ticket surcharge, the Hartford Courant reported. The university is responsible for paying the first $250,000 of overall operating losses at the stadium, and the state pays for the rest of the money lost. It is predicted that the state will have to pay $762,000 to cover the balance of the deficit from this fiscal year.

 

[billybud]

The decline in attendance at the Rent is increasiing bottom line cost to the state/university. If attendance will increase to what it has been in the past, it would alleviate some of the red ink.

Since 2014, UConn football game attendance has decreased by 100,000 to almost 59,000, according to the Hartford Courant.

According to Michael W. Freimuth, the executive director of the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA), typical game attendance should average between 20,000 and 25,000, but last season the field saw an average of 9,675 attendees.

The AAC effect?

 

[HuskiesFan1014]

The decline in attendance at the Rent is increasiing bottom line cost to the state/university. If attendance will increase to what it has been in the past, it would alleviate some of the red ink.

Since 2014, UConn football game attendance has decreased by 100,000 to almost 59,000, according to the Hartford Courant.

According to Michael W. Freimuth, the executive director of the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA), typical game attendance should average between 20,000 and 25,000, but last season the field saw an average of 9,675 attendees.

The AAC effect?

Probably the 18-63 effect. Since 2014.

 

[BigTenFan]

Current cost of the Rent:

Per game at the stadium, UConn pays $172,000 in rent plus a $3-a-ticket surcharge, the Hartford Courant reported. The university is responsible for paying the first $250,000 of overall operating losses at the stadium, and the state pays for the rest of the money lost. It is predicted that the state will have to pay $762,000 to cover the balance of the deficit from this fiscal year.

Isn't the state and the University one in the same? Just two different checkbooks coming from the same source

 

[billybud]

Isn't the state and the University one in the same? Just two different checkbooks coming from the same source

Maybe...but the university has access to student fees. $447 of which are directed to the athletics.

 

[LBird33]

Oh yeah totally. Bobby D could have saved his job if he had accepted the help. Really stupid, career altering mistake.

I think he wanted out at that point and did it on purpose. Just a theory. Took his payouts and went searching for greener pastures

 

[billybud]

Isn't the state and the University one in the same? Just two different checkbooks coming from the same source

University of Connecticut students pay over $2,000 each year solely for the privilege of having intercollegiate sports on campus. Unfortunately, these students do not realize any educational benefits for this high-cost penalty. Students, trustees, and UConn’s president need to consider the cost-benefit issue, particularly in the context of graduates’ long-term debt.

From an article that seems anti UConn sports...

Cut NCAA sports, reduce student debt and enhance the value of UConn degrees

University of Connecticut students pay over $2,000 each year solely for the privilege of having intercollegiate sports on campus. Unfortunately, these students do not realize any educational benefits for this high-cost penalty. Students, trustees, and UConn’s president need to consider the...

ctmirror.org

 

[HuskyAlum012]

University of Connecticut students pay over $2,000 each year solely for the privilege of having intercollegiate sports on campus. Unfortunately, these students do not realize any educational benefits for this high-cost penalty. Students, trustees, and UConn’s president need to consider the cost-benefit issue, particularly in the context of graduates’ long-term debt.

From an article that seems anti UConn sports...

Cut NCAA sports, reduce student debt and enhance the value of UConn degrees

University of Connecticut students pay over $2,000 each year solely for the privilege of having intercollegiate sports on campus. Unfortunately, these students do not realize any educational benefits for this high-cost penalty. Students, trustees, and UConn’s president need to consider the...

ctmirror.org

What a horrible take. Does this author actually think that UConn would be a desirable Top-20 Public University without the benefits the sports teams success provided in the 90s-00s. Try to think a little abstract here. Athletic departments should be considered part of the marketing expense for any university which actually has a fan following of UConns.

 

[huskymedic]

University of Connecticut students pay over $2,000 each year solely for the privilege of having intercollegiate sports on campus. Unfortunately, these students do not realize any educational benefits for this high-cost penalty. Students, trustees, and UConn’s president need to consider the cost-benefit issue, particularly in the context of graduates’ long-term debt.

From an article that seems anti UConn sports...

Cut NCAA sports, reduce student debt and enhance the value of UConn degrees

University of Connecticut students pay over $2,000 each year solely for the privilege of having intercollegiate sports on campus. Unfortunately, these students do not realize any educational benefits for this high-cost penalty. Students, trustees, and UConn’s president need to consider the...

ctmirror.org

-> Laurence I. Peterson is Dean Emeritus, College of Science & Mathematics, Kennesaw State University, and former Vice President of Research with BASF Corporation and Celanese Corporation. He received his Ph.D. in chemistry from Yale University. He recently authored two articles on higher education titled “Is College Football an Expensive Luxury for Many Universities” and “To Close the Skills Gap, Create Industry-Vetted Certificate Programs for Students.” This article represents his views and not those of the university. <-

 

[billybud]

Yes...some academicians see varsity sports as an unneeded distraction from the education focus.....

 

[giddyup]

I’ll say this. An all out healthy uconn team this year would’ve been umass Wyoming and Vanderbilt. It was a terrible bad luck year. Uconn has the facilities to succeed and the governor being on board is excellent news.

You are right. Yet, it seems we have terrible luck every year, which makes you wonder whether it’s not random, but a terrible combination of coaching, conditioning, recruiting, and underfunding producing consistent bad luck. Looking forward to the next phase. I think we will get this one right.

 

[PackTheRent]

The real test will be when the economy turns down and football is still awful. Then the governor will not be so optimistic.

 

[Chin Diesel]

You are right. Yet, it seems we have terrible luck every year, which makes you wonder whether it’s not random, but a terrible combination of coaching, conditioning, recruiting, and underfunding producing consistent bad luck. Looking forward to the next phase. I think we will get this one right.

Opponents have injuries too. Difference between a 6-6 team and a 2-10 team is often the depth of talent. It's very rare for a college team to go through a season unscathed on the two deep. Most schools lose at least a few starters on both sides of the ball during the season. Right now UConn has zero talent in the upperclassmen ranks to work their way on to the depth chart and play competently. Most of UConn's back ups and #3's are freshmen or RS freshmen.

 

[Redding Husky]

It would be great to be in a state where pronouncements like this (sincere or not) are completely unnecessary.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

It would be great to be in a state where pronouncements like this (sincere or not) are completely unnecessary.

I'm not sure that I agree.

While I'm sure that it is far more enjoyable as a college football fan following your state school if you are in Alabama, Arkansas or Oklahoma, the downside is that you would be living in Alabama, Arkansas or Oklahoma.

Personally I don't see how it would be worth it.

 

[Redding Husky]

I'm not sure that I agree.

While I'm sure that it is far more enjoyable as a college football fan following your state school if you are in Alabama, Arkansas or Oklahoma, the downside is that you would be living in Alabama, Arkansas or Oklahoma.

Personally I don't see how it would be worth it.

I’ve lived my entire 60 years in Westchester County, Fairfield County, and the suburbs of Chicago & Dallas. I’ve always vacationed on the Cape and at the lakes in Arkansas.

Metro NYC is not a magical place.

 

[CTFIRERETIRED]

2022 schedule: Syracuse, Michigan, NC State, Fresno, Boston College

my personal favorite game for 2022 is CCSU

we definitely can get really good games as an independent. Bowl games will come so we‘ll have something to play for.

Way better than the AAC especially now

Well, there's 5 losses right there. Regardless of who the new HC is, and what players are here, its a given that UC will not win any of these games.

 

[Chief00]

The decline in attendance at the Rent is increasiing bottom line cost to the state/university. If attendance will increase to what it has been in the past, it would alleviate some of the red ink.

Since 2014, UConn football game attendance has decreased by 100,000 to almost 59,000, according to the Hartford Courant.

According to Michael W. Freimuth, the executive director of the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA), typical game attendance should average between 20,000 and 25,000, but last season the field saw an average of 9,675 attendees.

The AAC effect?

Michael Freimuth that’s not how business works - you don’t dictate what attendance should be - you provide a great entertainment experience on and off the field to make it what the fans want it to be. That takes care of the problem.

 

[billybud]

Chief...a sort of chicken or egg thing...

Must win to bring attendance up, Must recruit to win. Must have game day experience and fans in the stands ro iimpress recruits.

 

[Waquoit]

It would be great to be in a state where pronouncements like this (sincere or not) are completely unnecessary.

Yeah, like Mississippi