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

[UConnDad]

I don't know enough - rather anything - about the relationships between state governments and their public state universities, but I would imagine it would be something similar to UConn and Connecticut in which a state subsidizes some of said university's budget. Do you think any of those states require the university to pay to play at an arena in the "center" of the state? It's so annoying that people moan and groan over an extra 25 minutes in the third-smallest state by land area in the country.

UConn is a brand in which folks shouldn't be complaining over an extra few minutes to travel to see. Show some appreciation that a school that has no business being good at anything has built one of the most flagship brand in all of sports. That in-and-of itself should be worthy of 25 extra minutes - and the fact that you don't have to travel more than 2 hours no matter where in the state you live to see championship level basketball.

Seems that all the complaining comes from those that want all or most games on campus. I have no problem with that. Let’s do it and see how it works out.

 

[zls44]

UConn is probably the only athletic department with national aspirations where a significant part of the fan base considers traffic to be a deal-breaker for their support.

You would think that ten years after being left behind in realignment in part due to ‘game day atmosphere’ these folks would have realized that their desire to avoid a few extra exits on 84 and the state’s desire for the school to prop up a dead city has been ruinous.

But go on, tell me about your commute.

It is important to note that Connecticut is the only place in America with traffic. No place else has these issues. Only here.

Their suffering is incredible. Truly. Such bravery!

 

[upstater]

The state pays for the deficit, so in reality the state pays to play in Hartford. Why is this so hard to understand?

I don't know how you can state this.

The state only pays for a fraction of it.

You take UConn's total budget and figure out where the revenue comes from. Research grants (the university takes 60% of every grant and dumps it into the general budget), endowment, tuition, fees and state subsidy.

Any deficit is defrayed by money from these 5 sources.

 

[upstater]

The state doesn't cut a check for the deficit?

No, in fact, the state is slashing funding.

 

[John]

Seems that all the complaining comes from those that want all or most games on campus. I have no problem with that. Let’s do it and see how it works out.

If we do it like other Big East schools, the best marquee games go to the city arena. That would turn a profit for UConn since those marquee games would assuredly be sell-outs and would generate the attendance numbers needed per UConn's agreement to make it worth it for UConn to play in Hartford.

 

[August_West]

It is important to note that Connecticut is the only place in America with traffic. No place else has these issues. Only here.

Their suffering is incredible. Truly. Such bravery!

My favorite is the Rose Bowl is off UCLA campus. LA has no traffic!

 

[pepband99]

The Rent and our Football support. It was on the list of reasons why they took Louisville over us.

BS. Not in 2011. We averaged 36k at the rent that year. Our “atmosphere” was just fine.

Unless anyone wants to show me stadium plans for a 50k on campus stadium, any of this left at the foot of Hartford vs Storrs is just revisionist nonsense.

 

[John]

BS. Not in 2011. We averaged 36k at the rent that year. Our “atmosphere” was just fine.

Unless anyone wants to show me stadium plans for a 50k on campus stadium, any of this left at the foot of Hartford vs Storrs is just revisionist nonsense.

we had a substantial season ticket base during that time frame too, I recall it was well north of 20k.

 

[August_West]

If we do it like other Big East schools, the best marquee games go to the city arena. That would turn a profit for UConn since those marquee games would assuredly be sell-outs and would generate the attendance numbers needed per UConn's agreement to make it worth it for UConn to play in Hartford.

That amounts to a couple games a year, Im fine with a couple games a year in Hartford.

But know that Hurley (and Calhoun before him) have a say in where they want to play teams. And funnily enough they pick Gampel for high pressure matchups.

 

[UConnDad]

If we do it like other Big East schools, the best marquee games go to the city arena. That would turn a profit for UConn since those marquee games would assuredly be sell-outs and would generate the attendance numbers needed per UConn's agreement to make it worth it for UConn to play in Hartford.

Logically that works. Probably won’t happen.

 

[August_West]

BS. Not in 2011. We averaged 36k at the rent that year. Our “atmosphere” was just fine.

Unless anyone wants to show me stadium plans for a 50k on campus stadium, any of this left at the foot of Hartford vs Storrs is just revisionist nonsense.

Yeah, they went off one year.

 

[John]

That amounts to a couple games a year, Im fine with a couple games a year in Hartford.

But know that Hurley (and Calhoun before him) have a say in where they want to play teams. And funnily enough they pick Gampel for high pressure matchups.

so last year Hurley chose XL to play Villanova, the best team in the conference?

 

[ConnHuskBask]

It is important to note that Connecticut is the only place in America with traffic. No place else has these issues. Only here.

Their suffering is incredible. Truly. Such bravery!

Well, not the only place, but actually the worst.

Both Directions Of I-95 Stretch In Fairfield County First, Third Most Congested In US: Report

 

[pepband99]

It is important to note that Connecticut is the only place in America with traffic. No place else has these issues. Only here.

Their suffering is incredible. Truly. Such bravery!

Says the townie. The people’s republic of Mansfield is 1000x more culpable in any of this than any other state region or entity. You guys want bucolic and shut down progress. Then, you make fun of nobody wanting to come to a place where a tome was just written how you couldn’t even get a decent dinner there.

Listen, I love coming to campus. Do it whenever I can. But to have you laughing at people when they’re not thrilled to head up there on a weeknight is a little rich.

 

[August_West]

so last year Hurley chose XL to play Villanova, the best team in the conference?

They can't choose them all but they do choose.

 

[prankster]

I’m not the one charging exuberant student fees for athletics. UConn got themself into the deficit with reckless spending and failed opportunities.

UConn plays in Hartford because they get funding from the state and they want to increase their fan base. You want to pivot to playing all the games on campus? Bye bye money. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

IMHO, UConn screwed the pooch when they built Gampel on campus. If it were at 84/195 it would hit that sweet spot between students bussing there from campus and the alums/rest of the fan base, who drive to the games.

But if competition is in the wind, playing in Bridgeport satisfies the down state fan base, and Mohegan sun satisfies folks from New Haven, throughout the SE corner.

Toss in a handful of games at Hartford to placate the central portion of the State fans, everything else on campus.

 

[August_West]

IMHO, UConn screwed the pooch when they built Gampel on campus. If it were at 84/195 it would hit that sweet spot between students bussing there from campus and the alums/rest of the fan base, who drive to the games.

But if competition is in the wind, playing in Bridgeport satisfies the down state fan base, and Mohegan sun satisfies folks from New Haven, throughout the SE corner.

Toss in a handful of games at Hartford to placate the central portion of the State fans, everything else on campus.

New Haven closer to Bridgeport than Mohegan.

 

[CTBasketball]

Fans that buy tickets at face value, pay seat donations in the hundreds of dollars and go to games have already voted with their wallet. The chat room commandos are the ones that would vote against it.

Why do you think they made the Ice Forum so small? They did that and anticipated losing a lot of season ticket holders.

 

[CTBasketball]

IMHO, UConn screwed the pooch when they built Gampel on campus. If it were at 84/195 it would hit that sweet spot between students bussing there from campus and the alums/rest of the fan base, who drive to the games.

But if competition is in the wind, playing in Bridgeport satisfies the down state fan base, and Mohegan sun satisfies folks from New Haven, throughout the SE corner.

Toss in a handful of games at Hartford to placate the central portion of the State fans, everything else on campus.

No Gampel should be on campus.

 

[huskymedic]

The biggest issue with private investment is going to be their terms which will essentially be “give this thing to us and we will spend money on it.” And then they will want some sort of guarantee where UConn even plays football games inside of XL.

Oak View is a serious outfit - what they would want is something like a 30-year lease and management agreement where they would pay for the renovations and reap the rewards. It seems to be going well in Baltimore where the Baltimore Arena is getting ready to reopen after their renovation.

They already manage XL after buying Spectre and what they would want is extended operational control. However, the CRDA is going to want to justify its own existence by remaining a ’partner’ in the deal….as they say, they want to partner to “share in the upside and minimize their downside.” (Translation: we live on that sweet, sweet parking revenue.)

That’s not workable. XL lost $3.295M in its last budget here. That was “within budget” so almost viewed as a win by those folks. They need to 1) get out of the way or 2) let the building crumble and also 3) whatever deal happens, let UConn cut their own deal without having to bow to whoever.

CRDA’s management contract w/ Oak View runs through ?November 2025… I don’t remember if the City of Hartford’s management agreement for XL Center w/ CRDA runs concurrently. UConn’s lease renewal on the table is for one year… all gotta start to shake out soon.

 

[giddyup]

There is no chance Hartford ever gets a major league franchise again. John Rowland blew it with The Whalers by playing hardball with the Karmanos and his delirious fantasy of getting the Patriots. Don't know how many here remember but Hartford was alive in the 80's and 90's until the politicians got involved. I will be ticked for the rest of my life they let The Whale leave town.

Things that aren’t mutually exclusive: It was a terrible mistake letting them go and Karmonos was a scumbag extraordinaire.

 

[CL82]

Except the students. They lose. They get that nice little surcharge on their fee bill ya know. How many other schools do that?

Well, that surcharge would be reduced if UConn was not outlaying $4 million a year to the CDRA

 

[CL82]

BS. Not in 2011. We averaged 36k at the rent that year. Our “atmosphere” was just fine.

Unless anyone wants to show me stadium plans for a 50k on campus stadium, any of this left at the foot of Hartford vs Storrs is just revisionist nonsense.

Because if football is played in East Hartford than basketball must be played in Hartford?

 

[CL82]

Why do you think they made the Ice Forum so small? They did that and anticipated losing a lot of season ticket holders.

Lol no. They did that because the Connecticut state legislature mandates the university pay a premium for labor. They built the best facility they could with in the budget they had. Look for it to be expanded within the next few years.

 

[CTBasketball]

Lol no. They did that because the Connecticut state legislature mandates the university pay a premium for labor. They built the best facility they could with in the budget they had. Look for it to be expanded within the next few years.

I’ve heard that before