Expand the Rent.

[Adios]

Not exactly something to brag about. It just means everyone else found a home.

Imagine if Syracuse, Pitt and BC went to the Metro Conference in 1990. We have a lot to be grateful for.

 

[hthusky74]

What don't you get? UConn has maybe $6 mill per year for 5 years from BE settlement. It has potential for $1 million+ per year in naming rights. It has revenue potential from extra seats for concerts, soccer, UConn football. Debt service costs of $2 million/year with interest rates at historical lows. This is a no brainer.

When Louisville expanded their stadium and Kragthorpe tanked the program, they fired him and brought in a new dynamic coach to rebuild as the pressure was on to perform. UConn needs the pressure to perform and improve so that we are attractive as an expansion candidate. We don't have football history to fall back on.

What don't you get? That windfall will be used to offset the shortfall we will have in our not so lucrative new tv contract. We are going to be in deep poop once that windfall runs out in 5 years. Remember too that if we leave the conference, we have to pony up for that. Financially speaking the wallet is thin. By the way, did you notice that all of your arguments include the word potential? Potential doesn't put the pork chops on the plate.

 

[RS9999X]

The only way 15,000 adds would work is to include season tix in all student fees a la Miami. This would kill season ticket sales. Game day tickets would sell for a couple buds and include a free lapdance in downtown Hartford at the Russian Lady or Rocking Horse on a Friday Night.

 

[UConnJim]

What don't you get? That windfall will be used to offset the shortfall we will have in our not so lucrative new tv contract. We are going to be in deep poop once that windfall runs out in 5 years. Remember too that if we leave the conference, we have to pony up for that. Financially speaking the wallet is thin. By the way, did you notice that all of your arguments include the word potential? Potential doesn't put the pork chops on the plate.

We are talking $2 million per year to expand the Rent. $2 million! If UConn and the state is not willing to take that kind of risk, considering they will get at least $1 million per year in naming rights plus revenues from potential additional ticket sales, then UConn should just give up. Hopefully, we have people with more foresight and business savvy to push forward to expand the stadium.

 

[SubbaBub]

7-5! He can't stay with 7-5. 8-4, better, or out.

8 would need a win better than MD. Which means UM or a decent bowl win. 7 doesn't get it done. 9 in any way shape or form does.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

 

[uconNYC]

I actually think we lose some of the soccer games if we expand the Rent. The appeal of the Rent is its central location (between Boston and NYC) and medium sized capacity. Gillette and MetLife are too big and RedBull Arena is too small for the USSF.

Anyway - UConn football comes first and I'm hoping the bleachers for the Michigan game are a big success and maybe the AD will think about some temporary ways to expand capacity to maybe 45,000 or so. Just from a PR perspective it sounds good to say that we've already expanded the stadium by 5,000...

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I think we may be losing the soccer games anyway. Supposedly there will be a new ~25k seat (expandable to ~35k) soccer stadium built in Queens for a new NYC MLS club (won't be the Cosmos).

While these matches are a nice ancillary attraction for the Rent, they cannot be something that moves the needle one way or the other as they don't occur all that often and if they become somewhat successful here, there will be more competition from other potential venues for these events.

As far as expanding the Rent, from what I have heard (from a few different sources), there are considerable private donations that were ready to step forward not long after the Fiesta Bowl but due to the lack of success since, are holding off. If we can somehow (new HC is the logical route) build some excitement around the program, expansion may not be as difficult as some believe.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

Srqhusky points out in another thread that Maryland got into the Big 10 with a crappy football product. Worse than ours. BUT, they have a stadium that seats 54,000. And had an average attendance that was comparable to what we had this past season under PP.

We're not 8 miles up Rhode Island Ave. from the D.C. border. We can't drive 31 miles up the Balt-DC Parkway and be in Baltimore.

 

[SubbaBub]

CR has made expanding the Rent on the come a fool's errand. What is needed is a legit commitment to expanding the Rent to 60,000 upon an invite from the B1G. And really, only the B1G needs to be convinced of its legitimacy. If the ACC comes calling, it will be because they need us, not because they want us. Stadium size wouldn't be an issue for them.

 

[Waquoit]

I think we may be losing the soccer games anyway. Supposedly there will be a new ~25k seat (expandable to ~35k) soccer stadium built in Queens for a new NYC MLS club (won't be the Cosmos).

I can't see that place affecting anything. The Rent never drew less than 25K. Also, whenever the USMNT comes to town they seem to spend the next day at ESPN. That will always be a point in our favor.

 

[Rumrunner]

Since the useful economic life of a football stadium is around 30 years, if the state does nothing with respect to expansion/improvements in the next five years, then all attention should be focused on building an on-campus stadium.

The state will have no cause to complain. UConn signed a 20 year lease. It will have fulfilled that before an on-campus stadium is built

As far as the naming rights windfall, the state I thought can't do anything for another five years. That was part of the pratt agreement. Besides, the state will get at least half of the revenue. UConn is the tenant, after all.

As for making UConn attractive to the big ten? An on-campus stadium is darn important. Ask minnesota, the last big ten team to have had an off-campus stadium. The big ten forced them to build one on campus for the college game day experience.

As an interesting aside, the proposed gym at UConn will cost more than the Rent, just food for thought for those who in the end would like to see a 50k stadium in Storrs.

 

[BoatShow]

So sick of the "traffic" argument against a Storrs stadium. Oh, 6-7 Saturdays a year there will be about 25k cars using 195, 32, 44 and it's the end of the world.

 

[ruskin]

Only way I'd be in favor of expanding stadium is it is announced the same day as accepting an invite to Big 10. Not for ACC (think Duke, Wake stadiums).

 

[Rumrunner]

More like 10k cars. 50k stadium. 15k will come from storrs/mansfield residents/students (after all enrollment is going to 25k).

35,000 people. Average of at least 3 people per car. But only in connecticut is driving in a car on a paved road a human impossibility.

So sick of the "traffic" argument against a Storrs stadium. Oh, 6-7 Saturdays a year there will be about 25k cars using 195, 32, 44 and it's the end of the world.

 

[uconnfan68]

More like 10k cars. 50k stadium. 15k will come from storrs/mansfield residents/students (after all enrollment is going to 25k).

35,000 people. Average of at least 3 people per car. But only in connecticut is driving in a car on a paved road a human impossibility.

Because we've seen how well those 3k cars are handled for Gampel? Backups out into I-84?

 

[CL82]

I've posted about this frequently. Managing the traffic is "doable." There is a lot of mythology that gets thrown out there to make it sound impossible.... one person, one car...everyone arrives and leaves at the same moment, etc. Other schools seem to manage it perfectly well - Rutgers and Army are two examples that I've used. There is no reason to believe that we wouldn’t be able to handle it. That said, a Storrs stadium is not going to happen in the foreseeable future.

 

[UConnJim]

I can't understand the naysayers on expanding the Rent. It is not that costly and would not need state money. Also, probably the biggest reason we didn't get an invite to the ACC is that people perceive our football program to be small time. Small stadium, short history, small fanbase. It is up to UConn to prove otherwise that we can build a fan base and act big time. Over the next ten years, do you think other schools are going to wait for an invite to expand or improve their stadiums or continue to expand their fan bases? Of course not. Can they pass us by during the next expansion round? Yes.

Bottom line is we can't wait for an invite and we can't promise what we will do if we get an invite. We have to prove to everyone that we are big time and we are the most attractive expansion candidate.

 

[Dooley]

More like 10k cars. 50k stadium. 15k will come from storrs/mansfield residents/students (after all enrollment is going to 25k).

35,000 people. Average of at least 3 people per car. But only in connecticut is driving in a car on a paved road a human impossibility.

And if UConn/Mansfield area were to also construct several hotel chains for traveling visitor fan bases, there will be even less traffic. Take out another 5K for fans of Michigan, OSU, Nebraska, etc who will already be in the area at the area hotels.

Sadly, I agree with CL82 though. An on-campus stadium will not be built for a long, long time. It's too bad because there is a ton of land out there and I would LOVE an opportunity to go back to campus 6-7 times a year. Going to Gampel is a tad different...it's usually too cold to walk around campus and go down Memory Lane. But 4+ hours of tailgating in Storrs would be AWESOME!

 

[Dooley]

Boise is talking expansion and they're not in a big conference and, let's not forget, they are in Idaho:
http://www.idahostatesman.com/2013/...NewsUpdates+(IdahoStatesman.com+News+Updates)

Progressive thinkers and planners (ex- RU, Louisville) are rewarded. Not the wait-and-see monitors.

 

[RS9999X]

Expansion won't happen until UConn sells out two seasons and raises ticket prices at least once if not twice.

Then there's a solid market. More likely attendance dips this season

 

[UConnJim]

Expansion won't happen until UConn sells out two seasons and raises ticket prices at least once if not twice.

Then there's a solid market. More likely attendance dips this season

If football attendance dips this season with a home schedule including Michigan, Maryland, Rutgers, and Louisville, then the athletic department marketing arm needs to be replaced and we probably do not deserve an invite to another conference.

 

[Dooley]

If football attendance dips this season with a home schedule including Michigan, Maryland, Rutgers, and Louisville, then the athletic department marketing arm needs to be replaced and we probably do not deserve an invite to another conference.

I was about to type the exact same thing. There is no chance that attendance dips with the best home schedule UConn has ever had. It *might* in 2014 because of our fanbase apathy for our new conference schedule, but the out of conference schedule is good with BYU and Boise. Plus, it's a Cincinnati home year so those are 3 good games on the home schedule.

If attendance dips in 2013, I agree with you UConnJim. Might as well shut down the program, ala Nelson's wishes.

 

[Fishy]

1) We would need state money to expand a stadium that the state owns.

2) Naming rights can be sold after 2018, but it's the state that would sell them - UConn would have to get a cut and the state would also have to make sure that the naming rights deal squares with the tax-exempt status of the bonds.

3) It is worth expanding the stadium? Unless we think that the Big 12 is going to call, conference realignment is over for the foreseeable future and likely will not need an extra 10,000 seats for Tulane and SMU.

I'd rather let the Rent be and look into the (probably unlikely) possibility of building something on campus down the road.

 

[Pudge]

Wrong.

A simple refinance of the original Bond would yield plenty of money at acceptable Debt Service Coverage Ratios to expand the 10-15,000 seats we had planned. We are far beyond the original projections of revenue & interest rates are signicantly lower. A large amount of proceeds have been available for several years.

Second, the Louisville & Rutgers expanding stadiums was a red light for us. We had a far better financial structure - we did nothing. We looked Small. They didn't.

So ... The PR issue is the primary impediment. Hard to sell the expansion Today when we are out of the BCS conference. Hard to have traction as the AAC member.

Campus? I just don't see it. I know enought about the Storrs Center project to understand that you just aren't going to get far.

 

[CL82]

. An on-campus stadium will not be built for a long, long time. It's too bad because there is a ton of land out there and I would LOVE an opportunity to go back to campus 6-7 times a year!

Horsebarn Hill:

 

[hthusky74]

I can't understand the naysayers on expanding the Rent. It is not that costly and would not need state money. Also, probably the biggest reason we didn't get an invite to the ACC is that people perceive our football program to be small time. Small stadium, short history, small fanbase. It is up to UConn to prove otherwise that we can build a fan base and act big time. Over the next ten years, do you think other schools are going to wait for an invite to expand or improve their stadiums or continue to expand their fan bases? Of course not. Can they pass us by during the next expansion round? Yes.

Bottom line is we can't wait for an invite and we can't promise what we will do if we get an invite. We have to prove to everyone that we are big time and we are the most attractive expansion candidate.

Let's get to the bottom line. What would adding 15-20,000 seats to the Rent cost? You keep talking about the financing, yada, yada, yada, but what would it actually cost. I'm not interested in potential offsets, etc. What is the cost? By the way, we have no way of knowing since it hasn't gone out for bid. However, I thought since you have done a cba on this project you would at least have some pie in the sky estimate fromsomeone on what the cost might be. Well?

 

[John Greene]

1) We would need state money to expand a stadium that the state owns.

2) Naming rights can be sold after 2018, but it's the state that would sell them - UConn would have to get a cut and the state would also have to make sure that the naming rights deal squares with the tax-exempt status of the bonds.

3) It is worth expanding the stadium? Unless we think that the Big 12 is going to call, conference realignment is over for the foreseeable future and likely will not need an extra 10,000 seats for Tulane and SMU.


I'd rather let the Rent be and look into the (probably unlikely) possibility of building something on campus down the road.

There you go again trying to be reasonable. Don't you understand that a good portion of the base is delusional? The BY relies on them for it's existence. Comic relief and unreasonable hope, that's what we need at this juncture.

 

[UConnJim]

Let's get to the bottom line. What would adding 15-20,000 seats to the Rent cost? You keep talking about the financing, yada, yada, yada, but what would it actually cost. I'm not interested in potential offsets, etc. What is the cost? By the way, we have no way of knowing since it hasn't gone out for bid. However, I thought since you have done a cba on this project you would at least have some pie in the sky estimate fromsomeone on what the cost might be. Well?

My estimate? Since the Rent cost $91 million to build (includes 40k seats, the parking lots, press boxes, luxury boxes, club seats, the bathrooms... and it was designed for the future expansion, I'm estimating ~$30 mill to add 10k seats in an upper deck. I think that is a good ballpark estimate.

 

[hthusky74]

My estimate? Since the Rent cost $91 million to build (includes 40k seats, the parking lots, press boxes, luxury boxes, club seats, the bathrooms... and it was designed for the future expansion, I'm estimating ~$30 mill to add 10k seats in an upper deck. I think that is a good ballpark estimate.

But the question was what would it cost to add 15-20,000 seats. Why bother with 10,000. On one hand, using the original cost as a base isn't a bad idea, however, construction costs tend to go up over time. That said, as we still are still mired in a recession regardless what lies Obama tells us, construction costs may be cheaper than they would normally be right now. However, once again, the only way we know for sure is to put it out for bids. We all know that isn't happening unless we are added to a major conference with the stipulation that we expand the stadium. By then we may be in a recovery and construction costs will be going up. Who knows.

 

[UConnJim]

But the question was what would it cost to add 15-20,000 seats. Why bother with 10,000. On one hand, using the original cost as a base isn't a bad idea, however, construction costs tend to go up over time. That said, as we still are still mired in a recession regardless what lies Obama tells us, construction costs may be cheaper than they would normally be right now. However, once again, the only way we know for sure is to put it out for bids. We all know that isn't happening unless we are added to a major conference with the stipulation that we expand the stadium. By then we may be in a recovery and construction costs will be going up. Who knows.

I think $30 million is a reasonable estimate especially since the Rent was designed and built for easy expansion. Why 10k seats? It seems like 50k is the minimum size to be considered adequate for big time football. Both Rutgers and Louisville expanded from the 40s to above 50k.

As for attendance, I don't think being in the AAC should influence our need to build the fan base. We have to get more fans to the games. I also think we could have gotten close to 50k for Michigan and would do the same for Tennessee. Maybe Boise if they are top 10.