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

[Nostical]

Do you have a source for this? I haven’t heard anything that would lead me to believe they would support us joining the ACC.

Other than you no one, especially at BC, say they want to establish a regional rivalry with UConn. In most cases just the opposite.

Yes, a former BC Captain very much inside the program. He told me BC is now "strongly" in favor of adding UConn to an expanded ACC. In fact he said it's going to happen whenever the opportunity arises and I pressed him on that statement. BC supports regional rivalries for their students and fans (easier access to games) and the synergies created among "local rivals" rather than trying to form them with "the Georgia and Virginia Techs". As I said before, my conversation wasn't at a car wash, it was at dinner--- and like most of you I still have a "show me" attitude toward any pronouncements--- but I'm going with it for now.

Here's the more important issue. We need to build momentum now for a campus stadium study and a serious move to make it happen. Let me put it this way, if the B1G or ACC ever called and said 'you guys are in-- but we need you to have an on campus stadium for 45,000', would we say "no, never mind, we have traffic issues near the campus and we love our students bussing to East Hartford. Oh, and BTW, we can fix the leaks in our old stadium for only $63M"?
Let's prepare to meet the moment.

 

[ScottVib]

Yes I do, the guys who played only 1/4 of their games at the Civic Center. Lol

Fun fact.. the 99 National Champion team played 8 games at The Civic Center. They played 7 at Gampel, but don’t let facts get in the way of a good argument.

The 2004 national champions played 10 in Hartford, 8 in Gampel.

The 2011 champs 10 in Hartford, 7 in Gampel

 

[CL82]

Yes, a former BC Captain very much inside the program. He told me BC is now "strongly" in favor of adding UConn to an expanded ACC. In fact he said it's going to happen whenever the opportunity arises and I pressed him on that statement. BC supports regional rivalries for their students and fans (easier access to games) and the synergies created among "local rivals" rather than trying to form them with "the Georgia and Virginia Techs". As I said before, my conversation wasn't at a car wash, it was at dinner--- and like most of you I still have a "show me" attitude toward any pronouncements--- but I'm going with it for now.

This is actually a huge deal, if accurate. Like you, I have a healthy skepticism about the change in attitude, but the conversation seemed very unequivocal.

 

[Patman]

This is actually a huge deal, if accurate. Like you, I have a healthy skepticism about the change in attitude, but the conversation seemed very unequivocal.

Blowing up the big east was never long term wise for anybody but Miami and I predicted THAT way back when it happened still new to UConn as a graduate student. So far I've been more or less right that realignment has helped none of the northeast schools.

The Boston College people at the time were running off their own smug fumes that they thought that they were so special that they could thrive anywhere. NOPE!

 

[CL82]

realignment has helped none of the northeast schools.

You mean, other than financially.

 

[Patman]

You mean, other than financially.

how many wins did that buy them?

 

[CL82]

how many wins did that buy them?

I don’t disagree, but they’ve made literally hundreds of millions of dollars by virtue of making that jump

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Fun fact.. the 99 National Champion team played 8 games at The Civic Center. They played 7 at Gampel, but don’t let facts get in the way of a good argument.

The 2004 national champions played 10 in Hartford, 8 in Gampel.

The 2011 champs 10 in Hartford, 7 in Gampel

It must be the new math where 1/2 = 1/4.

 

[UCTitleTown]

Let it fall down. Build an on-campus stadium if the university really wants football. I was at UNC recently. While they are not a top ACC program (an occasional good year scattered amongst mostly mediocre ones), the stadium is literally next to dorms on the heart of the campus. I'd love something like that at UConn.

 

[buddy]

Yes, a former BC Captain very much inside the program. He told me BC is now "strongly" in favor of adding UConn to an expanded ACC. In fact he said it's going to happen whenever the opportunity arises and I pressed him on that statement. BC supports regional rivalries for their students and fans (easier access to games) and the synergies created among "local rivals" rather than trying to form them with "the Georgia and Virginia Techs". As I said before, my conversation wasn't at a car wash, it was at dinner--- and like most of you I still have a "show me" attitude toward any pronouncements--- but I'm going with it for now.

Here's the more important issue. We need to build momentum now for a campus stadium study and a serious move to make it happen. Let me put it this way, if the B1G or ACC ever called and said 'you guys are in-- but we need you to have an on campus stadium for 45,000', would we say "no, never mind, we have traffic issues near the campus and we love our students bussing to East Hartford. Oh, and BTW, we can fix the leaks in our old stadium for only $63M"?
Let's prepare to meet the moment.

I think BC needs to worry about their own membership in the ACC. If UConn is warming up to UConn it is likely because they recognize their geographic outlier status in the ACC. It is obvious that they do not bring the TV viewers to warrant their membership. I am not sure what sway that have any longer. Furthermore, any new additions would have to deal with the southern cartel, which may be reluctant to add more schools from the north.

 

[uconnric]

Yes, a former BC Captain very much inside the program. He told me BC is now "strongly" in favor of adding UConn to an expanded ACC. In fact he said it's going to happen whenever the opportunity arises and I pressed him on that statement. BC supports regional rivalries for their students and fans (easier access to games) and the synergies created among "local rivals" rather than trying to form them with "the Georgia and Virginia Techs". As I said before, my conversation wasn't at a car wash, it was at dinner--- and like most of you I still have a "show me" attitude toward any pronouncements--- but I'm going with it for now.

Here's the more important issue. We need to build momentum now for a campus stadium study and a serious move to make it happen. Let me put it this way, if the B1G or ACC ever called and said 'you guys are in-- but we need you to have an on campus stadium for 45,000', would we say "no, never mind, we have traffic issues near the campus and we love our students bussing to East Hartford. Oh, and BTW, we can fix the leaks in our old stadium for only $63M"?
Let's prepare to meet the moment.

The ACC wouldn’t care if the stadium was on campus or not. It’s the strength and added value of the program. The stadium would have to be in good repair. I haven’t even heard whispers of any public support for a new stadium anywhere.

 

[Waquoit]

Hartford Hank, the BC Crank. Again with his finger on the pulse.

 

[Waquoit]

Here's the more important issue. We need to build momentum now for a campus stadium study and a serious move to make it happen. Let me put it this way, if the B1G or ACC ever called and said 'you guys are in-- but we need you to have an on campus stadium for 45,000',

Then I can maybe see it happening. Until the call comes, let's fix The Rent.

 

[Bongo Fury]

And so tell me which of the items in the existing proposal extends its life beyond 30 years. The caulk? Because I don’t think it’s the caulk. The fiber optic system, which is the big ticket item? Because I don’t think that’s gonna do it either. The new elevator? I mean maybe you can make an argument for repairing the roofs.

if they only used that asbestos strengthened pcb caulk. That stuff lasts much longer.

 

[RSTuthill]

I don't know. Schools with far lower profile athletic departments are jumping into D1 football head first. Football will be needed to retain the school's national status and its basketball programs. The loss of big time football would result in us becoming UNH or URI.

UConn hasn't had big time football since 2010. I would agree that successful football enhances the brand. But the opposite is also true. Chronically poor football degrades it. Which is what we have seen in the last decade plus.

The point being that the situation has fundamentally changed in a profound manner. Instead of being given a wink and a nod and encouragement by a new power conference, UConn now finds itself without a home, having to take payday games in lieu of decent TV revenue, and geographically disadvantaged. It is a good thing that UConn got HCJM, because if anyone can make the program competitive, he would be the guy. But if he fails after four or five more seasons, unless UConn gets a P5 invite, there will have to be a decision made. And why would they continue with a program that is dragging down the brand with little chance of a turnaround?

 

[BigTenFan]

I think Mora was a great hire. The real question is- will he want to stay 4 or 5 years?
We probably really won't know his outlook until the end of 2023 season. I give him a lot of credit. He went from Hollywood to Green Acres

 

[Nostical]

Until the call comes, let's fix The Rent.

How about commission a study. Waiting implies a lack of confidence in our expectations. You tend to get what you expect. Let's expect to move to a P-5 and prepare for it with an on-campus stadium. Galvanize our donors and get them behind a "We're Coming Home" campaign. Do the work, raise the money, excite the fanbase and the students, make it a foregone conclusion. Get the train rolling down the track. (I can't think of any more clichés.) How about "Do it!"

 

[Waquoit]

How about commission a study. Waiting implies a lack of confidence in our expectations. You tend to get what you expect. Let's expect to move to a P-5 and prepare for it with an on-campus stadium. Galvanize our donors and get them behind a "We're Coming Home" campaign. Do the work, raise the money, excite the fanbase and the students, make it a foregone conclusion. Get the train rolling down the track. (I can't think of any more clichés.) How about "Do it!"

I remember when the "if you build it, the P-5 will come" mantra referred to another deck on The Rent. Good thing we didn't listen then either.

 

[hinson32]

Blowing up the big east was never long term wise for anybody but Miami and I predicted THAT way back when it happened still new to UConn as a graduate student. So far I've been more or less right that realignment has helped none of the northeast schools.

The Boston College people at the time were running off their own smug fumes that they thought that they were so special that they could thrive anywhere. NOPE!

The move the BIG has helped Rutgers a lot. If you are only talking football, you can argue the point. However, I would give Schiano 2-3 more years to see where the program is.

The rest of the Athletic Department is thriving. The school had its highest finish ever in the President's Cup (overall AD performance). Mens hoops (probably the worst P5 program of the last 30 years) has made back to back NCAA Tournaments and if not for Covid would be three straight. Women's Soccer and mens lacrosse made the FF last year. Field Hockey was the overall #1 seed for the NCAA, wrestling, women's lacrosse and crew were all top 15 programs. Baseball won a school record 45 games and "should" have made the NCAA. The BIG has been great for RU overall.

 

[buddy]

The move the BIG has helped Rutgers a lot. If you are only talking football, you can argue the point. However, I would give Schiano 2-3 more years to see where the program is.

The rest of the Athletic Department is thriving. The school had its highest finish ever in the President's Cup (overall AD performance). Women's Soccer and mens lacrosse made the FF last year. Field Hockey was the overall #1 seed for the NCAA, wrestling, women's lacrosse and crew were all top 15 programs. Baseball won a school record 45 games and "should" have made the NCAA. The BIG has been great for RU overall.

As I had previously stated, Rutgers has won the CR lottery, no doubt about it.

 

[superjohn]

There were several reasons originally against an on campus stadium, most of which still apply. The gift of the East Hartford site sealed the deal. One argument favoring East Hartford was that down staters were more likely to travel there than to Storrs. Probably true and for now at least definitely true due to how bad the teams have been. At the time The Rent was approved, UConn was already starting Big East membership and game day at Storrs was done pretty well. Would enough people travel to Storrs to a D1 stadium (a lot of formerly buildable land has now been used for other things including sports venues) if UConn were competitive? I visited VTech several times when my son was at grad school there and the big stadium was packed on game day. Blacksburg is way more isolated from population centers than Storrs.

Connecticut just isn't a football culture state like all these other states around the country. There would obviously be more fans and excitement if there was a winner but we're also culturally different than these other states when it comes to driving. Growing up in CT. people I knew people who thought a half hour drive was a lot and many people I knew rarely if ever made the trip 2 hours to NYC or Boston because it was too far. Living in the Midwest a 2 hour drive is nothing. People have no problem driving 6 hours to games.

 

[CL82]

I remember when the "if you build it, the P-5 will come" mantra referred to another deck on The Rent. Good thing we didn't listen then either.

Well there was an implied if you build it and you don’t suck, they will come. I’m not sure that would’ve end up being correct, but our trend line at the end of Randy Edsall‘s first tenure looked pretty damn good.

 

[CL82]

The move the BIG has helped Rutgers a lot. If you are only talking football, you can argue the point. However, I would give Schiano 2-3 more years to see where the program is.

The rest of the Athletic Department is thriving. The school had its highest finish ever in the President's Cup (overall AD performance). Mens hoops (probably the worst P5 program of the last 30 years) has made back to back NCAA Tournaments and if not for Covid would be three straight. Women's Soccer and mens lacrosse made the FF last year. Field Hockey was the overall #1 seed for the NCAA, wrestling, women's lacrosse and crew were all top 15 programs. Baseball won a school record 45 games and "should" have made the NCAA. The BIG has been great for RU overall.

I am inclined to agree. It also gave it a higher presence in New Jersey, although it’s nothing compared to the UConn fanaticism that you see in Connecticut.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

UConn should have moved the whole school to Hartford 30 years ago. UConn needed a huge overhaul in the early 90's and that was the time to write off Storrs and move the school to Hartford. It would have been expensive, but better for UConn and Hartford in the long run. They didn't do it, and now we have a big school in the middle of nowhere Connecticut that is not convenient to get to for 90% of the state and the locals hate that the school is there anyway.

Stuff like the XL Center and Rentschler are going to be problems for UConn as long as we are D1 in athletics because the school is in a remote section of the state that no one wants to go to. The stadium being in East Hartford hurts the football program because it is away from campus, but building a new stadium in Storrs is cost prohibitive for something that would be an hour and a half to two hours away from over half the population of the state (New Haven and Fairfield counties). All the choices are bad.

 

[cohenzone]

Connecticut just isn't a football culture state like all these other states around the country. There would obviously be more fans and excitement if there was a winner but we're also culturally different than these other states when it comes to driving. Growing up in CT. people I knew people who thought a half hour drive was a lot and many people I knew rarely if ever made the trip 2 hours to NYC or Boston because it was too far. Living in the Midwest a 2 hour drive is nothing. People have no problem driving 6 hours to games.

Agree on the drive culture. But in general UConn fans tend to be fair weather fans. While UConn is more of a hoops school, attendance dropped even during Calhoun years in seasons where expectations weren’t met. A product of being a big winner. Football the same, with, as you said, football not being the same attraction to begin with. But having great seats since day 1 of The Rent, I can testify there is nothing like a fall off from winning to get people unwilling to drive even a half hour.

 

[LoyalFanCT]

UConn should have moved the whole school to Hartford 30 years ago. UConn needed a huge overhaul in the early 90's and that was the time to write off Storrs and move the school to Hartford. It would have been expensive, but better for UConn and Hartford in the long run. They didn't do it, and now we have a big school in the middle of nowhere Connecticut that is not convenient to get to for 90% of the state and the locals hate that the school is there anyway.

Stuff like the XL Center and Rentschler are going to be problems for UConn as long as we are D1 in athletics because the school is in a remote section of the state that no one wants to go to. The stadium being in East Hartford hurts the football program because it is away from campus, but building a new stadium in Storrs is cost prohibitive for something that would be an hour and a half to two hours away from over half the population of the state (New Haven and Fairfield counties). All the choices are bad.

If you want a state university with more of a Hartford area presence adequately fund Central CT. There is nothing wrong with a major university being located in a rural region. Look at Dartmouth. UConn needs to make research and P5 sports priorities. That can happen where ever the campus is located.

 

[uconndennis]

UConn should have moved the whole school to Hartford 30 years ago. UConn needed a huge overhaul in the early 90's and that was the time to write off Storrs and move the school to Hartford. It would have been expensive, but better for UConn and Hartford in the long run. They didn't do it, and now we have a big school in the middle of nowhere Connecticut that is not convenient to get to for 90% of the state and the locals hate that the school is there anyway.

Stuff like the XL Center and Rentschler are going to be problems for UConn as long as we are D1 in athletics because the school is in a remote section of the state that no one wants to go to. The stadium being in East Hartford hurts the football program because it is away from campus, but building a new stadium in Storrs is cost prohibitive for something that would be an hour and a half to two hours away from over half the population of the state (New Haven and Fairfield counties). All the choices are bad.

If we're playing this imaginary game... UConn should be in Stamford

 

[huskymedic]

More spitballing… (and I think the “cost is not an issue”/cost projection is very understated IMO) but a good recap here:




-> … Additionally, finding a site on or near campus to build the stadium will be hard. The campus is pretty crowded as it is and would likely require either conservation land, which is tricky to re-zone, or creative use of certain spaces. Here are some options:

Depot Campus

While not perfect, Depot Campus is two miles from the rest of the main campus, most of the buildings are uninhabited and with nearly 250 acres in space, building a large facility with ample parking makes this the most realistic on-campus option. UConn shuttle buses already run there regularly, which would make student travel much easier than the 35-minute bus drive and rental that they currently undertake. However, part of the campus is on the National Register of Historic Places, which limits and complicates the development of the site.

Industrial Tract

Using a portion of Industrial Tract on the west side of Discovery Drive between the Industrial Partnership Building and US 44 is probably the most geographically ideal location, but it also comes with issues. As conservation land, it would likely require approval from the town of Mansfield, a legislative jurisdiction that is famously unwilling to make anything regarding UConn expansion easy. It comes with lots of parking nearby, including C, J, and K lots, and easy access to US 44, but the size of the space and distance from homes on Grandview Cr. could also pose an issue.

Other sites where a stadium could possibly work include the former Mansfield Apartments and Moss Sanctuary on S. Eagleville Rd. <-

 

[HuskyAlum012]

The students are the only ones showing up to the games in East Hartford this year. Sure it would build better traditions to be on campus, but stop acting like students wont show up cuz they need to get on a bus, its just plain false.

 

[Patman]

I mean this as a very legitimate question:

What part of the Depot Campus and why the depot campus is considered to be on the National Register of Historical Places?