Good point. The students are still coming to games. So why do want to spend $500M to make it more of a hassle to for non-students to show up?
No student comes to UConn looking forward to a 30 min bus trip to watch football and have to jockey to fill a bus to return to campus. It just so happens that UConn's campus is the furthest of any college in the nation from its stadium. Even assuming an improving version of UConn football, this isn't the 2003-2010 version of students. Put the stadium on campus and you'll get many more students and yes--non students to games. Students would have a reason to stay later in the stadium (they don't need to return to campus-they're already there) and non student visitors have an alternative to heading into traffic. They can enjoy the campus setting while waiting for traffic to subside. Imagine that. Spending time post- game on a beautiful New England college campus among the fall colors--or sitting in monotonous traffic in uninspiring East Hartford.
Remember, UConn pays the State to use The Rent but
does not share in concession or parking revenue from its football games--or any non-football events like concerts etc. These revenues are controlled by the stadium’s managing body (currently Oak View Group) and the state of Connecticut. UConn’s only income from its football games comes from ticket sales. This insane arrangement where the university is still responsible for costs associated with playing there while not benefiting from additional revenue streams like other teams might at their own venues, limits UConn’s ability to fully capitalize on its football program’s financial potential. And that's what the BIG 12 and others see when they start digging into the details.
It's beyond time to raise the $500M (hello Pequot and Mohegan nations) and get the residents of Mansfield on our side. Let's get after it!
