East Hartford’s Rentschler Field needs $63 million upgrade, new study says. ‘like walking into a time capsule’

[Kolumbo]

This is really a serious matter though. $63 million in renovations vs building new. Sure, the location is good for commuting times but that's about it. Look at Georgia. The stadium is the centerpiece of the campus, as it is on many campuses. Bring a recruit to UCONN and there is no stadium to be seen. That's just not a serious football school. Many campuses barely have room but they squeeze the stadium in there. No excuse for UCONN to not have an on-campus stadium if it is serious about football.

20 years? Really? They make it sound like it's the Yale Bowl or something.

"Some of the building mechanical systems are so old that replacement parts for repairs are no longer manufactured." What?!!

 

[huskymedic]

No excuse for UCONN to not have an on-campus stadium if it is serious about football.

Well, other than not having a spare quarter of a billion dollars +/- just lying around.

 

[metsfan2323]

The stadium does its job. You sit your butt in the seat and watch a game on a field. There is no need to spend that kind of money. Fix basic structural items to manage its life and let it be. The media infrastructure costs and other keep up with Jones expenses are an absolute joke. Until this program produces. They need to sit tight.

I agree, nobody is making their decision to go or not go to these games based on bells and whistles in the stadium. Just keep the stadium clean and safe and start winning games.

I was at Yale versus Army in 2014 and they had over 30K in the stadium and that stadium actually is a time machine. It's part of it's charm. They drew a good crown because Yale had a good team.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Unfortunately, we don’t have the football mindset of many places where people drive 3 hours to attend games in places like State College.

Three hours? That gets you the last four miles of the trip to State College on game day.

 

[DogPoundSr]

For those of you too young to know why UConn ended up at the Rent in East Hartford, this is a good history of it.:

Hartford, Connecticut Breaking News, Sports & Entertainment - Hartford Courant

Hartford Courant: Your source for Connecticut breaking news, UConn sports, business, entertainment, weather and traffic

www.courant.com

I recall Mansfield year-round residents hated the ideal of the stadium and opposed it at the legislature. Traffic. Weekend crowds. Rt 195 would have needed a big upgrade to support the traffic.

The Rent location was hard to oppose. It got us into The Big East. Yes, we wanted it on campus. But East Hartford was better than nothing.

 

[jdb50]

Do not have the list of specific repairs needed and the cost but many of these studies pad the numbers when the report comes out. They are paid to do a study and it is not their money so everything gets thrown in. Anything safety related/ structural needs to have priority. The sound system seems fine if they would turn down the volume. Yeah I am older. UConn being hooked up to Shenipsit Lake through the Connecticut Water Company makes the possibility of a campus stadium much more viable. With the drought we had this summer having a home game would have been a huge issue with the old system relying on the Fenton and Willimantic River wells. Get into the ACC and then you have the $ to consider an on campus stadium.

 

[ZooCougar]

Alright you dum dums who are against this; what should we do? Wait 20 more years so that it costs $120M?

 

[ZooCougar]

The stadium does its job. You sit your butt in the seat and watch a game on a field. There is no need to spend that kind of money. Fix basic structural items to manage its life and let it be. The media infrastructure costs and other keep up with Jones expenses are an absolute joke. Until this program produces. They need to sit tight.

Dumbest post of the year. Congrats.

 

[KembaKek]

Alright you dum dums who are against this; what should we do? Wait 20 more years so that it costs $120M?

how about abandoning the POS and going back to Storrs where UConn athletics actually belongs

 

[ZooCougar]

how about abandoning the POS and going back to Storrs where UConn athletics actually belongs

That’s a brilliant take.

Do you have any idea how lame an on campus stadium would be with anything less than $200M?

Of course you don’t. Because if you did you wouldn’t make such a stupid comment.

When someone can show that the state has the appetite to spend something like that on an on campus stadium and spend what it takes to maintain it and keep it up to date then let me know.

 

[giddyup]

Dumbest post of the year. Congrats.

Thank you. In case you weren’t aware, we are one of the worst programs in FBS, have an average actual attendance of 15k per game for 6 times a year, and no major conference membership in the face of ongoing power conference consolidation. An idiot invests 70 Million in upgrades. You do basic maintenance and see what the future holds. As long as the core infrastructure elements are in good condition, it is possible to expand and invest in luxuries when a power conference comes calling. But, I guess that just moronic.

 

[metsfan2323]

Alright you dum dums who are against this; what should we do? Wait 20 more years so that it costs $120M?

Nobody is arguing against routine maintenance for cleanliness, safety or stadium longevity, but this specifically mentions "keeping up with the rest of Division 1 stadiums" which implies a bunch of non-football nonsense. It's not like people in this state are deciding between going to the Rent on Saturday or going to a game in another state with a better stadium.

The "keeping up with the rest of D1" money would be better spent on the coaching staff because the only thing that will turn attendance around is winning games.

 

[KembaKek]

That’s a brilliant take.

Do you have any idea how lame an on campus stadium would be with anything less than $200M?

Of course you don’t. Because if you did you wouldn’t make such a stupid comment.

When someone can show that the state has the appetite to spend something like that on an on campus stadium and spend what it takes to maintain it and keep it up to date then let me know.

I never put a $200 million cap on it. What's lame is students having to take a bus or drive far off campus. Campus culture needs a football stadium, I'm not really concerned with the state's ideas or how likely it is to happen. There's nothing dumber than investing in a stadium that exists to accommodate a bunch of Avon dads over the students who pay obnoxiously more than most other state schools.

I really don't understand at all how you think there's any benefit to playing in East Hartford. They take parking, concessions, and part of the ticket money.

 

[ZooCougar]

Nobody is arguing against routine maintenance for cleanliness, safety or stadium longevity, but this specifically mentions "keeping up with the rest of Division 1 stadiums" which implies a bunch of non-football nonsense. It's not like people in this state are deciding between going to the Rent on Saturday or going to a game in another state with a better stadium.

The "keeping up with the rest of D1" money would be better spent on the coaching staff because the only thing that will turn attendance around is winning games.

We literally truck in chic Fil a from Glastonbury and run out of hot cocoa. They literally can’t make hot water and mix it with cocoa powder on site.

There are so many basic things that the place lacks that it’s embarrassing.

Maybe $63M is an upsell but it’s long overdue some fixing. It’s not like they are calling for a retractable roof.

 

[LoyalFanCT]

For those of you too young to know why UConn ended up at the Rent in East Hartford, this is a good history of it.:

Hartford, Connecticut Breaking News, Sports & Entertainment - Hartford Courant

Hartford Courant: Your source for Connecticut breaking news, UConn sports, business, entertainment, weather and traffic

www.courant.com

I recall Mansfield year-round residents hated the ideal of the stadium and opposed it at the legislature. Traffic. Weekend crowds. Rt 195 would have needed a big upgrade to support the traffic.

The Rent location was hard to oppose. It got us into The Big East. Yes, we wanted it on campus. But East Hartford was better than nothing.

The Mansfield residents once were opposed to the downtown Storrs development, Now, they are all going there to shop and eat. If they put the stadium near the research industrial park, traffic can come and go via Route 44. It is only six times a year.

 

[Woof 101]

(The Rent is a great place to see a game without a bad seat in the house and the tailgating is tremendous. I love the place. I would just love it more if it were located on campus.)

Not attacking anyone here but love the football field where it is. Further explanation below.

. It’s a dump. Not a bad place to watch a game but it’s a complete eyesore that lacks sooo much.

What make's it a dump? The grounds and stadium are clean as are the rest rooms. What makes a sporting location that one only spends a half a day such an eyesore???

Here we go again. I really wish they would just build on campus. And why are nutmeggers the only college fans in the country concerned about distance to the campus.

No attack @Kolumbo but it is not always distance. First one has to find a place on campus to locate a stadium. Then find acreage for parking. Again a state road study to possibly get the amount of cars and parking needed.

Not sure if those who have not been to the campus lately realize just what a football game traffic would be. Campus access roads are still 1960's and upgrades on campus for those lost, will be encountering roundabouts at each turn they are lost at.

While the new baseball, softball and soccer facilities are absolutely wonderful, parking is still a good walk from the venue.
I attend sporting games on campus but glad football is where it is. Just my opinion.

 

[UCHuskies08]

Have any of the people who want an on-campus football stadium ever driven into and out of Storrs on 195/44 in traffic? There's literally 2 one lane roads into campus. And football would be 2.5x the capacity of Gampel? Heh, okay.

 

[Exit 4]

Of course I suspect they have not spent money on regular maintenance as they should have. Part of this is the setup. The owner is one state agency, the operator is a different one who subs out part of the management to a private corporation ( private sector blah blah blah, it means you pay retail for everything) and maintenance is the prerogative of yet another agency. Plus it is 20 years old so likely there are systems that are in need of replacement and repair. Oh, and nobody involved in the operation has the authority to borrow to pay for upgrades. It is guaranteed to be a mess…

Yes, just like pretty much every public asset that doesnt have a legit business model. Revenues here never been close to paying for things and so maintenance was sacrificed. Completely predictable.

If I was the Governor I would commission a study for an on campus stadium and push for the land to set aside accordingly - preserved for the future! Maybe the stadium is on campus or maybe its immediately adjacent or a mile down the road - which ever site is best. At the Rent I would do the renovations to extend the life of the facilities another 15 years. I would publicly state that the goal should be to build an on campus stadium on a timeline to replace the Rent by year 15 from today. Its a goal. As time might prove - it may not be feasible or wise - we shall see.

If we ever do move on from the Rent I'm not sure what could be done with it. Maybe it becomes another outdoor concert facility like what Bport did with the Bluefish stadium.

 

[KembaKek]

If I was the Governor I would commission a study for an on campus stadium and push for the land to set aside accordingly - preserved for the future! Maybe the stadium is on campus or maybe its immediately adjacent or a mile down the road - which ever site is best. At the Rent I would do the renovations to extend the life of the facilities another 15 years. I would publicly state that the goal should be to build an on campus stadium on a timeline to replace the Rent by year 15 from today. Its a goal. As time might prove - it may not be feasible or wise - we shall see.

If I was the Governor Storrs would be a neo-city of 100k

 

[NCHusky91]

The typical CT way of building a minimum viable product loses again. Let’s make sure the program survives in FBS first.

 

[husky8273]

Should CT spend hundreds of millions for an on campus stadium before or after the XL Center is replaced?

 

[LoyalFanCT]

Should CT spend hundreds of millions for an on campus stadium before or after the XL Center is replaced?

Maybe a private company should take over the XL Center and fix it up.

 

[pepband99]

1) you guys have waaaay too inflated senses of college stadiums. Most are dumps, some are outright embarrassing. The Rent is fine.
2) Perhaps if CRDA hadn't spent so much money on El Al levels of security, they might have been able to keep up with maintenance.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Well, other than not having a spare quarter of a billion dollars +/- just lying around.

That’s a brilliant take.

Do you have any idea how lame an on campus stadium would be with anything less than $200M?

Of course you don’t. Because if you did you wouldn’t make such a stupid comment.

When someone can show that the state has the appetite to spend something like that on an on campus stadium and spend what it takes to maintain it and keep it up to date then let me know.

$200m-$250m for an on campus stadium??? Lol. I want some of what you are drinking.

UConn just spent $70m for a 2500 sest hockey arena.

A 40k seat stadium similar in size and amenities to the Rent would be at least $400m, probably closer to $500m.

And that wouldn't include other state funding for infrastructure needed for area roads.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Alright you dum dums who are against this; what should we do? Wait 20 more years so that it costs $120M?

The HCC/XL Center conundrum.

Each year the facility depreciates more, cost of labor and cost of material go up.

 

[BPT2Storrs]

I honestly have no idea on how to proceed. Who’s to say that the $63M doesn’t balloon into a larger dollar amount? Has everything been accounted for in the study or is there a chance that in a couple of years additional money is needed for other improvements?

If you keep the Rent it’s just going to become a money pit. If you build new, it’s likely three quarters of a billion by the time everything is done (design, permitting, engineering, construction, soft costs, and don’t forget infrastructure).

In my mind it’s not feasible to build new now, although my dream is to see an on campus stadium. That being said, I don’t want the Rent to turn into the XL and every other year a multimillion dollar renovation is needed.

At the end of the day, we need more success on the field which in turn should generate more revenue. Might be an easier to sell to construct a new stadium at that point.

 

[ZooCougar]

The HCC/XL Center conundrum.

Each year the facility depreciates more, cost of labor and cost of material go up.

Can you imagine the cost if we built something like that on campus?

 

[Kolumbo]

Not attacking anyone here but love the football field where it is. Further explanation below.


What make's it a dump? The grounds and stadium are clean as are the rest rooms. What makes a sporting location that one only spends a half a day such an eyesore???

No attack @Kolumbo but it is not always distance. First one has to find a place on campus to locate a stadium. Then find acreage for parking. Again a state road study to possibly get the amount of cars and parking needed.

Not sure if those who have not been to the campus lately realize just what a football game traffic would be. Campus access roads are still 1960's and upgrades on campus for those lost, will be encountering roundabouts at each turn they are lost at.

While the new baseball, softball and soccer facilities are absolutely wonderful, parking is still a good walk from the venue.
I attend sporting games on campus but glad football is where it is. Just my opinion.

It's a fair criticism but we seem to find excuses while just about every other college finds a way. There is plenty of land for the stadium. Parking and travel is what it is, but it's 6 saturdays a year. Perhaps a program struggling this badly and having an off-campus stadium isn't the secret recipe for success which other programs are missing.

 

[Kolumbo]

I honestly have no idea on how to proceed. Who’s to say that the $63M doesn’t balloon into a larger dollar amount? Has everything been accounted for in the study or is there a chance that in a couple of years additional money is needed for other improvements?

If you keep the Rent it’s just going to become a money pit. If you build new, it’s likely three quarters of a billion by the time everything is done (design, permitting, engineering, construction, soft costs, and don’t forget infrastructure).

In my mind it’s not feasible to build new now, although my dream is to see an on campus stadium. That being said, I don’t want the Rent to turn into the XL and every other year a multimillion dollar renovation is needed.

At the end of the day, we need more success on the field which in turn should generate more revenue. Might be an easier to sell to construct a new stadium at that point.

I agree. It's a very difficult choice. The current cheapest route is probably to stay at Renschler which has the wide open tailgating. The Rent is a basic mostly concrete structure so it seems maintenance should be manageable without at $63 million price tag ONLY 20 YEARS IN! It's not like these old historic on-campus stadiums that other programs keep renovating. It also hosts other soccer and lacrosse events and concerts so it does need to be maintained. I'm 98% certain that's the most feasible route right now. A P5 conference invite might slightly change the options.

 

[Patman]

I agree. It's a very difficult choice. The current cheapest route is probably to stay at Renschler which has the wide open tailgating. The Rent is a basic mostly concrete structure so it seems maintenance should be manageable without at $63 million price tag ONLY 20 YEARS IN! It's not like these old historic on-campus stadiums that other programs keep renovating. It also hosts other soccer and lacrosse events and concerts so it does need to be maintained. I'm 98% certain that's the most feasible route right now. A P5 conference invite might slightly change the options.

this is the key part, this is about the future of a venue this size in Connecticut. Do you want to keep hosting important events or not for the people of central connecticut?