CT’s marquee stadium needs $63M in repairs. Why increased attendance is making a difference.

[HuskiesFan1014]

This is literally a microcosm for everything that’s wrong with Connecticut government.

Why keep dumping money into this place instead of just building a brand new one campus stadium which literally every school but 3 have? And btw, UCLA and Miami despise it too.

In no world whatsoever is a football stadium 30 minutes from campus a good idea. Not ever. UConn plays for the school not the state and we need to stop treating it like the latter.

You already know the answer to this. And if you don't, you should. I think you do. Just stop, please.

 

[Alum86]

My biggest wish for them to replace all the bleachers with actual chair backs. I'm sure it would be dreadfully expensive though.

There are plenty available, you just need to pony up.

 

[UConnDan97]

Look. If i ever win the Powerball or Megamillions no one will ever know. But there would be signs.
View attachment 105178

... and then I run up to the board and spray paint "97" on it, and walk to the concession stands for a beer while laughing...

 

[JohnFSilver]

"the CDRA has a history of cost overruns. In all likelihood, it will top that $100 million figure."

That doesn't mean anything crda has history of overruns on construction?

Or, maybe they don't know how to estimate?

Where are we getting history of cost overruns?

 

[JohnFSilver]

That doesn't mean anything crda has history of overruns on construction?

Or, maybe they don't know how to estimate?

Where are we getting history of cost overruns?

Secondly, as someone with PMP education…

That number of $63 million should be a Rough Order of Magnitude.

That is +\- 50%.

Unless they had a study, which probably brings it to within 10-15% +\-

 

[Ha Who]

Bonding, backed by the state, most likely. The operating expenses would come from the same place that they come from now, UConn first then the state. That is exactly the situation with the Rent.

Fully agree with you that an on-campus stadium is fairly unlikely, at least in the near term, unless we joined a P4 conference.

CT’s $8K per person in bonded debt leads the nation, report finds

Though Connecticut’s massive pension debt dominates the headlines, its tab for school construction, transportation work and other bonded initiatives also ranks among the heaviest burdens in the nation. Connecticut’s bonded debt in 2022 ranked first among states at $7,988 per person – more than...

www.hartfordbusiness.com

CT reports progress on underfunded state employee pension funds

Gov. Ned Lamont and the state’s two elected fiscal officers, the treasurer and comptroller, reported Monday that Connecticut’s once-neglected state-employee pension system is now 55% funded — up from 38% eight years ago, but still a national laggard. Additional contributions and better...

www.hartfordbusiness.com

 

[CL82]

CT’s $8K per person in bonded debt leads the nation, report finds

Though Connecticut’s massive pension debt dominates the headlines, its tab for school construction, transportation work and other bonded initiatives also ranks among the heaviest burdens in the nation. Connecticut’s bonded debt in 2022 ranked first among states at $7,988 per person – more than...

www.hartfordbusiness.com

CT reports progress on underfunded state employee pension funds

Gov. Ned Lamont and the state’s two elected fiscal officers, the treasurer and comptroller, reported Monday that Connecticut’s once-neglected state-employee pension system is now 55% funded — up from 38% eight years ago, but still a national laggard. Additional contributions and better...

www.hartfordbusiness.com

Since I am not a Connecticut resident, I find neither of those factoids, particularly daunting.

 

[Chin Diesel]

What if they just moved the college campus to East Hartford!!!!

Open up a branch, damn it!

Uconn-Hartford East Hartford Campus

 

[Kolumbo]

For everyone worrying about bleacher seating vs seatbacks, forgetaboutit. It's 2024. We have much better solutions. And they come heated!!

 

[Alum86]

For everyone worrying about bleacher seating vs seatbacks, forgetaboutit. It's 2024. We have much better solutions. And they come heated!!

View attachment 105193

I trust folks Who are doing this and are buying 5$ single game tickets are making it up by paying NIL $? Asking for a fan base…….

 

[JohnFSilver]

Uconn-Hartford East Hartford Campus

Hartford brand is about 2 miles from rent. Enough with the location. Its a 22 year old whine. People been whining about 84 since the 60s.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

So, if UConn announces its intention to build an on-campus stadium where does the $300-$400M come from? Not from the state. And, UConn owns all the operating expenses associated with an on campus stadium. Where does that money come from? That only works if were in a P4 conference.

Wealthy donors, and there are a lot of them. Wealthy alumni, and there are a lot of them too. Bond offerings, donate more than $10k and get free season tickets for the first 2 seasons, Corporate sponsorships, etc. Those are some of the ideas I’ve heard thrown around, and what’s interesting is who is doing the exploratory “throwing around “.

 

[temery]

Wealthy donors, and there are a lot of them. Wealthy alumni, and there are a lot of them too. Bond offerings, donate more than $10k and get free season tickets for the first 2 seasons, Corporate sponsorships, etc. Those are some of the ideas I’ve heard thrown around, and what’s interesting is who is doing the exploratory “throwing around “.

$10k for free tickets for two years is a Div III incentive.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

I am sure all of these repairs will cost well over $100 million. If that is the case, we need to be committed to staying in East Hartford and keep investing in the stadium. The report seemed to indicate the stadium was maintained well. It's only 20 years old. But I do agree about the CDRA in general.

probably posted before but a good video

VIDEO: Rentschler Field renovation project

Rentschler Field renovation project

www.wfsb.com

McGuirk is a dump, but at least it's on campus and UMass could decide to expand or start from scratch. Whatever it does, it is an investment to its campus.

If they expand the on campus stadium to 40 or 50 thousand and make other improvements to parking and support facilities. Then UMass gets better players (recruits and the portal) and the Big 12 invite and UConn is relegated to purgatory and a ball & chain called Rentschler Field.

 

[huskymedic]

If they expand the on campus stadium to 40 or 50 thousand and make other improvements to parking and support facilities. Then UMass gets better players (recruits and the portal) and the Big 12 invite and UConn is relegated to purgatory and a ball & chain called Rentschler Field.

UMass just hired a new coach is headed to the MAC and they are gonna expand McGuirk to 40-50k capacity?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

UMass just hired a new coach is headed to the MAC and they are gonna expand McGuirk to 40-50k capacity?

I could be wrong (it's been my years since I've looked these things up) but I believe the bill of the football stadiums in the MAC are 25k-30k capacity and seldom are more than 2/3 full.

If UMass can add another 12,000 seats their stadium will be sufficient in terms of capacity.

 

[freescooter]

This work is a mixture of modernization (I had a blackberry the first time I went to a game at the Rent. My internet was aol dial-up). It was built before current technology which has been jury rigged over time and needs to be rationalized, deferred maintenance, replacement of equipment and facilities which have reached their useful life. Anyone who owns a home, or even a car, understands that things wear out. Anyone who owns a home, have you gone through 2 decades without a roof, furnace, kitchen appliance? In theory you would budget for at least replacement but that is not how government typically works anywhere because taxpayers generally won’t stand for putting away money for future expenses. If you aren’t going to spend it then they want it in their pocket, not the gobmint’s. Had the state said let’s put away $2.5 million annually so in 25 years we’ll have funds to upgrade/repair the Rent, taxpayers would scream bloody murder. If you don’t do that, then look for $60 million every 25 years, taxpayers scream bloody murder. Nature of the beast.

But here’s the dirty little secret. Private real estate companies don’t do this either.

 

[DoctorWho85]

Connecticut is still one of the wealthiest states in America. How does every one else do it ? States like Kansas - Iowa - Oklahoma - Virginia to name a few have 2 BCS teams with better / upgraded stadiums.

We don't have billionaire sugar daddies like those schools.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

UMass just hired a new coach is headed to the MAC and they are gonna expand McGuirk to 40-50k capacity?

Um…. I think UConn once hired a new coach, and shortly after opened up a brand spanking new stadium, only mistake was it wasn’t on campus.

 

[LoyalFanCT]

We don't have billionaire sugar daddies like those schools.

If UConn got into a power conference, they may come out of the woodwork.

 

[UC70]

Wealthy donors, and there are a lot of them. Wealthy alumni, and there are a lot of them too. Bond offerings, donate more than $10k and get free season tickets for the first 2 seasons, Corporate sponsorships, etc. Those are some of the ideas I’ve heard thrown around, and what’s interesting is who is doing the exploratory “throwing around “.

Who are our wealthy donors who would pay for an on-campus? Name 3.

 

[UC70]

Um…. I think UConn once hired a new coach, and shortly after opened up a brand spanking new stadium, only mistake was it wasn’t on campus.

You’re wrong. UConn didn’t open a new stadium. The state of CT did.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

You’re wrong. UConn didn’t open a new stadium. The state of CT did.

…..and I supposed they opened it for Women’s Pro Soccer.

 

[DoctorWho85]

If UConn got into a power conference, they may come out of the woodwork.

We might even catch someone's eye if we keep winning like we did this year.

 

[Kolumbo]

You’re wrong. UConn didn’t open a new stadium. The state of CT did.

Same thing, really. UConn is a Public University. The state bilks UConn out of huge $$$$ every year by charging UConn to play at XL and The Rent. It's just journal entries, debits and credits.