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

[Waquoit]

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

Sounds like a man who wants a cookie.

 

[CTBasketball]

The only thing ridiculous here is the albatross hanging around UConn athletics' neck that is the XL Center.

4M is roughly 7.5% of the athletics deficit. The school could’ve saved 3 years of leasing fees at the XL Center if we didn’t drag Kevin Ollie to court and get embarrassed.

Do stupid stuff and get stupid results. We spend very haphazardly.

 

[shizzle787]

4M is roughly 7.5% of the athletics deficit. The school could’ve saved 3 years of leasing fees at the XL Center if we didn’t drag Kevin Ollie to court and get embarrassed.

Do stupid stuff and get stupid results. We spend very haphazardly.

The real issue is that we are not in a power conference. If we were getting 35 million a year like ACC schools and didn't have the Ollie thing over our head, our deficit would be about 5 million. We would be fine. That is the issue.

 

[zls44]

Having a large venue that is easily accessable to state residents is a common practice in college basketball. It gives many thousands of people the opportunity to connect in person with the university.

Which is why they play: at the university

 

[shizzle787]

Which is why they play: at the university

The university is in the woods in a lightly populated area of the state. Other Big East schools also play off campus (Villanova, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, Georgetown) so there is precedent.

 

[CTBasketball]

The real issue is that we are not in a power conference. If we were getting 35 million a year like ACC schools and didn't have the Ollie thing over our head, our deficit would be about 5 million. We would be fine. That is the issue.

Exactly. I referenced earlier about how we missed opportunities, was referring to conference realignment. Administration and athletics dropped the ball.

We spend like a P5 when we are not one. I get it - we need to spend to be competitive, but that comes with a large price tag.

 

[shizzle787]

Exactly. I referenced earlier about how we missed opportunities, was referring to conference realignment. Administration and athletics dropped the ball.

We spend like a P5 when we are not one. I get it - we need to spend to be competitive, but that comes with a large price tag.

It's worth it because we need to keep up for when the ACC has defections in the future.

 

[Billy Jack]

The university is in the woods in a lightly populated area of the state. Other Big East schools also play off campus (Villanova, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall, Georgetown) so there is precedent.

Add Xavier, DePaul, Marquette, and Creighton.

 

[CTBasketball]

It's worth it because we need to keep up for when the ACC has defections in the future.

Or Big Ten (fingers crossed).

 

[shizzle787]

Or Big Ten (fingers crossed).

Don't get carried away...

 

[August_West]

It's worth it because we need to keep up for when the ACC has defections in the future.

You poor bastard

 

[gioff2323]

I like how it’s the XL Center’s fault that the school is operating at a year to year 50M deficit.

Any freshman in accounting can tell you that is asinine.

Can we first get the freshman to show the actual accounting of the deficit?

 

[Billy Jack]

The real issue is that we are not in a power conference. If we were getting 35 million a year like ACC schools. We would be fine. That is the issue.

Yes, that is the issue and it’s also something we have no control over. The administration and the BOT accepted reality after the failed AAC experiment and the accompanying decline of football and came back to the Bug East with the accompanying resurgence of the basketball program. The current deficit is going to force more reality based cost cutting decisions. No business would maintain a division which lost money at this rate. Maybe they continue to spend in hopes of lightning striking with conference realignment, but if it doesn’t, there are going to be some hard choices after this latest round if TV contract renegotiations are done. The football deficits alone represent 25% of the problem. There is no way that increases in student tuition should make up this expenditure-revenue gap. It’s embarrassing to see what the cost of higher education is at a public college in the state with the highest per capital income in the country. Compare our tuition + R&B with costs at much poorer states. Embarrassing.

 

[August_West]

Unfortunately we are always going to split the games I’ve been told by someone who is in a position to know. At least for the immediate and a bit longer future. I’m against that. Totally. Have been for over 20 years. But it is what it is. The best we can hope for is a renegotiation. And that will be messed up I’m sure.

 

[shizzle787]

You poor bastard

I have a case of PRSD... post-realignment stress disorder.

 

[shizzle787]

Unfortunately we are always going to split the games I’ve been told by someone who is in a position to know. At least for the immediate and a bit longer future. I’m against that. Totally. Have been for over 20 years. But it is what it is. The best we can hope for is a renegotiation. And that will be messed up I’m sure.

I agree on a renegotiation to lower the cost, but it is all an accounting trick anyway.

 

[August_West]

I have a case of PRSD... post-realignment stress disorder.

Excellent. The first step to healing is admitting the problem.

 

[CTBasketball]

Unfortunately we are always going to split the games I’ve been told by someone who is in a position to know. At least for the immediate and a bit longer future. I’m against that. Totally. Have been for over 20 years. But it is what it is. The best we can hope for is a renegotiation. And that will be messed up I’m sure.

Need to send the right people to the table!

 

[August_West]

I agree on a renegotiation to lower the cost, but it is all an accounting trick anyway.

That is actually very true. State and university money flows both ways, they will just shift the columns on a spreadsheet.

 

[Hurleyman216]

Says somebody who doesn't know what it's like to drive from Fairfield County to Storrs.

Move closer to Storrs then. Why should UConn appease you just because you live far away?

 

[Billy Jack]

Or Big Ten (fingers crossed).

Reports are that the B1G will be adding Oregon & Washington. That will put them at 18. I doubt that they’re going beyond that. Especially since we’re unlikely to represent value added since value us all about football.

 

[Billy Jack]

That is actually very true. State and university money flows both ways, they will just shift the columns on a spreadsheet.

I think he’s talking about athletes’ scholarships being treated as added costs when putting an additional student it 2 in any given class is unlikely to cost them anything.

 

[Hurleyman216]

The solution is pretty easy. UConn should play 2 less games at XL every year until someone goes in and fixes that dumpster fire. That gives roughly 5 years for the state to figure out how to fix the XL. All those commenting about UConn “having their cake and eating it too” it’s the same for the state. You want UConn to keep playing in Hartford? Fix the damn stadium (ideally tear it down and build something state-of-the-art). There’s a ton of space there because the previous mall area is also sitting empty. Some smart developer can come in and create a great game day experience.

If ESPN weren’t anti-UConn it would also be a great opportunity for them to have their own sponsored stadium with a presence in Hartford where they can do College Gameday, host NCAA tournaments, etc. You could even go big and build something like the Carrier Dome that could also be used for Football. Unfortunately we have a bunch of small minded pea brain people in state offices that will never get this right.

 

[shizzle787]

Move closer to Storrs then. Why should UConn appease you just because you live far away?

Because UConn is a hobby, not my life.

 

[August_West]

Move closer to Storrs then. Why should UConn appease you just because you live far away?

Funny thing is only in CT would that drive be considered “ far”. That’s a trip to grocery store in Kansas