Hugh Bailey: What does UConn owe Hartford? Maybe nothing (Hearst Editorial)

[willie99]

Fake fans, LMFAO

Once again, such a juvenile discussion, beginning with Hugh Bailey and topped off by those who simply don't comprehend finances or life or fandom

Said in the most respectful way possible, even though a respectful response is really not warranted

Here's one clue, the school cannot forsake donors nor businesses nor ticket sales in exchange for more students. It's rather simple actually, everything else is hogwash

 

[CL82]

I’ve never done the latter. The former, I will happily debate the cap on SAlt deductions with you or anyone else, but what I won’t debate is that it is tolerable to change the federal tax code to disadvantage people who live in states that didn’t support you.

Is it tolerable to change the tax code to make it more progressive? If yes, does it really matter in what states those people live?

I can talk to you about your red state, blue state posts, but that would violate the by no politics rules. So if you want to pm me, or not. It doesn’t matter to me one way or the other.

 

[CL82]

Not a good business decision.

Or is it?

If the conditions necessary to secure those fans result in millions of dollars of loss to the University, maybe we’re OK without them?

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Or is it?

If the conditions necessary to secure those fans result in millions of dollars of loss to the University, maybe we’re OK without them?

Oh this again? Point me to the place again where UConn says it loses money in Hartford.

 

[Fishy]

Is that not a fact? If UConn doesn’t like the XL Center deal go play on campus, or renegotiate the deal.

They clearly don’t want to play all games on campus because they’ll alienate more than half their fans. Or else this would’ve been done already. Believe it or not, the casual fan is unlikely to drive the extra 30 minutes to Gampel.

So go renegotiate the deal. UConn holds the upper hand, without them the XL Center is dead.

Just renegotiate the deal, says the boy who has no idea what the deal is or why UConn signed such an awful deal at the point of a gun.

 

[John]

Just renegotiate the deal, says the boy who has no idea what the deal is or why UConn signed such an awful deal at the point of a gun.

And doesn't realize that the deal has been renewed over and over and over since the 1970s.

 

[Jbirdp5]

Is it asinine or is it just math? Because a $4 million unnecessary expense would seem to contribute to an annual deficit. Likewise, lost revenue opportunities in parking and concession would also seem to contribute to an annual deficit.

But what if the state says if you don’t play in Hartford we will cut 8 million from your budget. Isn’t that a possibility?

 

[CTBasketball]

Just renegotiate the deal, says the boy who has no idea what the deal is or why UConn signed such an awful deal at the point of a gun.

Yes it’s that simple.

 

[Bongo Fury]

Lawrence is close to Kansas City. And huge KU support there.

I used to live in KCK and always thought of it as one city but the states would be politically different. Not sure if their civic center is subsidized. KC is pretty vibrant especially the plaza area. They’d do fine without it. Hartford unfortunately not so much. Whether it is UConn or the state to subsidize, people are going to be unhappy. Does the tax revenue from establishments near the XL and the employment provided offset? Don’t know. Not fair to UConn though.

 

[CL82]

Oh this again? Point me to the place again where UConn says it loses money in Hartford.

Um, pretty much any of articles talk about it, but Maric says $4M out of pocket plus loss of parking a d concession revenue.

 

[Greg]

Is that not a fact? If UConn doesn’t like the XL Center deal go play on campus, or renegotiate the deal.

They clearly don’t want to play all games on campus because they’ll alienate more than half their fans. Or else this would’ve been done already. Believe it or not, the casual fan is unlikely to drive the extra 30 minutes to Gampel.

So go renegotiate the deal. UConn holds the upper hand, without them the XL Center is dead.

Fans in western CT will not buy week night tix at Gampel, at least those with careers or young teenagers. How much revenue is driven by donations from fans who may be alienated.

 

[Tuna]

No, I just drive from NY to Storrs when I go to games

And how often is that?

 

[CL82]

But what if the state says if you don’t play in Hartford we will cut 8 million from your budget. Isn’t that a possibility?

I doubt it personally. If there are any elected officials who actually make such an unvarnished threat, they would, and should, get destroyed by the press, and have virtually no shot at reelection.

 

[CL82]

Yes it’s that simple.

It could be, but step one is acknowledging the existing deal is unacceptable.

 

[CTBasketball]

It could be, but step one is acknowledging the existing deal is unacceptable.

“Don’t let that deal go down.”

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

Or is it?

If the conditions necessary to secure those fans result in millions of dollars of loss to the University, maybe we’re OK without them?

I think it ends up in less attendance and less donations (among other things). That's why I think it's a bad business decision.

 

[Kemba Time]

Um, pretty much any of articles talk about it, but Maric says $4M out of pocket plus loss of parking a d concession revenue.

UConn does not pay $4 million out of pocket to play basketball in Hartford. That number being used is for all off-campus facilities, so it includes football at The Rent, both men’s and women’s basketball and men’s and women’s hockey. We know that football in East Hartford is a very sizable chunk of that total and UConn carefully crafts this number as an amount “spent” without explaining if this number accounts for money in.

Specifically for men’s basketball, UConn pays 40k per game (320,000 per year) in rent + a $3 surcharge per ticket up to 12,500 for each game. So a maximum of just over $500,000 per season.

In a season like this one, where more than half the games are sellouts, the school makes that up by the $ brought in by having an extra 5,000 paying fans over a Gampel sellout. At this point, they simply are not losing money by playing in Hartford.

If you want to make it a straight cost analysis from there, it comes down to parking + concessions vs. the additional seat licenses and donations from XL-only fans.

Now, this is a case where two things can be true, and UConn does not have a favorable lease at the XL Center and they absolutely should be looking to cut down that rent and get a share of concessions — but the idea there is some multi-million $ loss by playing in Hartford is objectively false.

 

[whalerfan]

Don't know the cost but the mens and womens teams both stay in Hartford the night before a game. That's gotta be a cost that isn't necessary. I guess it's too much to ask them to come to Hartford and spend those 20 minutes driving instead of the fans that come up from Waterbury and west.

 

[The Viking]

You're the one who seems to be comfortable ripping off thousands of college kids, friend.

The 4 year college setup is a ripoff - has nothing to do with college games played in Hartford.
Is UConn a far worse deal in the state or New England than other states despite thei athletic deficit?

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Um, pretty much any of articles talk about it, but Maric says $4M out of pocket plus loss of parking a d concession revenue.

UConn does not pay $4 million out of pocket to play basketball in Hartford. That number being used is for all off-campus facilities, so it includes football at The Rent, both men’s and women’s basketball and men’s and women’s hockey. We know that football in East Hartford is a very sizable chunk of that total and UConn carefully crafts this number as an amount “spent” without explaining if this number accounts for money in.

Specifically for men’s basketball, UConn pays 40k per game (320,000 per year) in rent + a $3 surcharge per ticket up to 12,500 for each game. So a maximum of just over $500,000 per season.

In a season like this one, where more than half the games are sellouts, the school makes that up by the $ brought in by having an extra 5,000 paying fans over a Gampel sellout. At this point, they simply are not losing money by playing in Hartford.

If you want to make it a straight cost analysis from there, it comes down to parking + concessions vs. the additional seat licenses and donations from XL-only fans.

Now, this is a case where two things can be true, and UConn does not have a favorable lease at the XL Center and they absolutely should be looking to cut down that rent and get a share of concessions — but the idea there is some multi-million $ loss by playing in Hartford is objectively false.

Thank you @Kemba Time for saving me the trouble.

 

[Waquoit]

"Point of a gun"?

 

[CL82]

In a season like this one, where more than half the games are sellouts, the school makes that up by the $ brought in by having an extra 5,000 paying fans over a Gampel sellout. At this point, they simply are not losing money by playing in Hartford.

Largely agree. But 15k XL center doesn’t make more than 10k at Gampel due to the extra cost of playing there. Also, keep in mind that we don’t get parking or concession revenue in Hartford. money not earned his money lost.

Quick and dirty comp:

12500 x$3 = $37,500 + $40,000 = $77,500 per game.

11 x $77,500 = $852,500 x2 = $1,705,000

That would be the outlay for men’s and women’s basketball. Let’s call it half that for men’s and women’s hockey, so another $852,500. That makes the total out-of- costs for the XL $2,557,500.

Now that was, like I said, quick and dirty, if you want to refine that feel free.

 

[superjohn]

We should all take a moment to thank @Waquoit for carrying the UConn men's basketball program during the post-Bazz years.

Waquoit, thank you.

 

[Waquoit]

We should all take a moment to thank @Waquoit for carrying the UConn men's basketball program during the post-Bazz years.

Waquoit, thank you.

Not just me of course, I'm just a small part of the big group who put their money where their mouth is. Unlike you.

 

[superjohn]

Not just me of course, I'm just a small part of the big group who put their money where their mouth is. Unlike you.

Your service is noted, you saved the program.