If we don't get close to a full house we got a problem

[blue93]

Most UConn basketball fans know full well that the future of UConn hoops is linked to the football team. I confess that I didn't go to every football game from 84-88 while a student, although I missed close to zero home basketball games. It's not a majority. There are a few UConn basketball fans, a minority, that don't support the football team. But most fans of both types have lives that lead them toward watching on TV. Remember, even if every fan who goes to the XL goes to the Rent, you are less than 50% capacity.

You think it's the same fans at every game at XL? Tens of thousands (maybe even hundreds of thousands) of different people go to see our basketball teams play each year, mens and womens. If a bigger portion of them supported the football team by just going to a game or two per year, we'd be in much better shape than we are attendance wise.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Can we just let this argument die?

Here - for the last time:

The last sell out that happened because of a winning football team was the final home game of the 2010 season. We had just under 38,000 for opening night against UMASS in 2011 if I remember correctly. That's 4 seasons ago, and after Edsall had already skipped town after the Fiesta Bowl. As the draw of our regular conference opponents went away from 2011-2013, with the changing conferences thereafter combined with our tailspin downward and failure to maintain winning at home - attendance fell off the charts.

Shortly after the start of 2011 season, if memory serves - that was the fall that Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and West Virginia followed Miami's, Boston College's and Virginia Tech's footsteps out the Big East door after Villanova - the same Villanova we see in 48 hours - punted the upgrade offer to join the big east pathetically in the spring, after drawing out the deadline and upgrade offer for nearly 2 years or something since 2009-2010 when we nearly had TCU as aconference partner in addition to the Big East. The garbage that Villanova brought to the table that was supposed to make the Big East a 10 program league, with TCU as well, but was inexcusable, and the final straw, nail, whatever you want to call it. Syracuse and Pitt were in the ACC less than 4 months after Villanova brought that proposal.

We are 5-19 in the past 2 seasons.

If we have 15,000 people in the stadium for Thursday night, that's realistic for where we're at. If we can get 20,000+ through the gates (50% capacity) after the fall of the apst 4 seasons, that would be remarkable. There is absolutely no reason to be concerned about attendance, until we are back to where we were at in 2010 as a relevant competitive program. If we get back to that level of football, and the stadium is empty? That's just not going to happen. We aren't Boston College, or Syracuse. We are UCONN. The concern, is that if we continue to the bed, by October, Nov of every year - the stadium will be populated by friends and family and that's it. That's the culture we live in. Win, and you will be loved and followed. Lose, and it's good your mom and dad love you.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Just for kicks - I don't know if the number is accurate, but espn.com box score from the final game of 2012, a 34-17 sleepwalk of a game vs. Cincy when bowl eligibility was still on the line.

Attendanc efor that game was 33,112. Up until that time, I think we were still announcing actual gate counts. That changed for certain by the end of 2013. We had a number of 37,861 published for USF game in Oct of 2013, which might just be the last time they used actual gate counts. that's just a guess, but that was a beautiful day. We had a walk on senior TE drop a sure TD in the endzone. Ugg. Thinking of that is going to get me started again on Edsall and recruiting. Ick. We need to start winning games again.

BYU was well attended last year.

This season's ticket sales and attendance are simply going to be a reflection of the decision by the program coaches and athletic department administrators to treat last season as a throwaway season.

 

[Carl Spackler]

we had 22,000 and change for the Rutgers game in Nov. 2013, and 17,000 for the finale against Memphis. 2-9 team at the time on an interim head coach.

We legitimately have an issue here where we will draw the same, or less for the opener in 2015 than we had for the final in 2013.

If you want throw attendance problems around as an issue - it's not UCONN fans that are to blame. Something happened in 2014, that really turned off the fan base.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

...then you're the problem. You can join nelson with the "drop the football" brigade, and watch UConn basketball turn into PC. Support in all sports will benefit basketball. It's really not that hard.

That's right. The bad fans are the ones going to the games. Got it.

By the way, this year's "dream" home schedule is courtesy of the AAC proponents like you. We really need to be in a conference to get a schedule like this one?

 

[NYUConn]

Something happened in 2014, that really turned off the fan base.

2-10 record with a loss to Army in early November was the nail in the coffin. Diaco came in with a lot of hype and the team got worst. That's enough to turn casual fans off.

 

[sdhusky]

We really need to be in a conference to get a schedule like this one?

If you live in the real world? Yes.

If you think Stanley Robinson wasn't athletic enough for the BE, who knows???

 

[pepband99]

That's right. The bad fans are the ones going to the games. Got it.

By the way, this year's "dream" home schedule is courtesy of the AAC proponents like you. We really need to be in a conference to get a schedule like this one?

Not what I said, nor what I implied. Par for course with you.

I've been to ask many football games as just about anybody here, so you can park your high horse somewhere else.

Want to blame the game quality for someone not coming? Somewhat excuseable. Team quality moreso. But, the AD? Again, they've been just as inept everywhere else.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I didn't go to the SMU game last year, and I'm not alone among UCONN season ticket holders. Those that were there will tell you how many showed, and it wasn't much better than a high school football game. The performance on the field against Cincinnati last year was disgusting. The team struggled for life for 2 month, but as soon as the bowl game was gone after the Army game, it all went to , and for the first time in a long, long time that I can remember, we clearly regressed as a program, from beginning of season to end.

That's where we are coming from folks.

That's all in the past though, we got a new season and new team and a game to play. We'll see. I just get tired of these discussions about attendance. Attendance is going to reflect the quality of the product on the field - that's the way it works in CT.

 

[Waquoit]

What I am taking issue with is this part of what @Waquoit 's initial post said:

UConn football was sold as being part of the bigtime, not this joke of a home schedule. UConn screwed the pooch for football from Day 1.

This is just not only factually incorrect, but it would have been an even bigger mistake by the school to not sell fans on the program being bigtime. I mean who wants to see "second rate" football?

I was trying to figure out what your heartburn was and this post explains it. I combined two issues in my post. First, UConn sold big-time football upfront and now that it is no longer big-time it has lost the casual fan. Now this may not have been so bad if UConn had nurtured the growing fanbase from the start. Instead, UConn got piggy and wildly overcharged for the good seats. They didn't sell. Meanwhile, the preferred seats sold out in one day. The program started their D-1 journey in the hole. Having said that, it will come back if we get into a P-5 league. Nothing else will do. Not even winning the AAC. No one gives a crap about the AAC.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

I was trying to figure out what your heartburn was and this post explains it. I combined two issues in my post. First, UConn sold big-time football upfront and now that it is no longer big-time it has lost the casual fan. Now this may not have been so bad if UConn had nurtured the growing fanbase from the start. Instead, UConn got piggy and wildly overcharged for the good seats. They didn't sell. Meanwhile, the preferred seats sold out in one day. The program started their D-1 journey in the hole. Having said that, it will come back if we get into a P-5 league. Nothing else will do. Not even winning the AAC. No one gives a crap about the AAC.

Yep, the AAC was a step up for everybody but us and USF.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I was trying to figure out what your heartburn was and this post explains it. I combined two issues in my post. First, UConn sold big-time football upfront and now that it is no longer big-time it has lost the casual fan. Now this may not have been so bad if UConn had nurtured the growing fanbase from the start. Instead, UConn got piggy and wildly overcharged for the good seats. They didn't sell. Meanwhile, the preferred seats sold out in one day. The program started their D-1 journey in the hole. Having said that, it will come back if we get into a P-5 league. Nothing else will do. Not even winning the AAC. No one gives a crap about the AAC.

I disagree with one thing, I think that there enough people that care about a winning UCONN football team to sell out a 40,000 seat stadium, regardless of the conference opponents. We can control that, and I'm not going to conclude anything else about that, until it actually happens, that we have a winning team regularly, competiting for those spots in the top 25 nationally - and we DON"T have the attendance for a 40k stadium. I don't think that will happen. THe proof will be in the pudding. Gotta win and get there first.

The concept of expanding the stadium though? That's a tough one, and goes hand in hand with concept of being in a different conference, when it comes to things we can control. It's tough to justify the expenses to do that, when we're in the AAC, but if we had a 55,000 seat capacity? Maybe......IDK.

Catch-22. makes my head hurt.

I just want to beat Villanova. That's all.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Yep, the AAC was a step up for everybody but us and USF.

That team from ohio too.

 

[pepband99]

I was trying to figure out what your heartburn was and this post explains it. I combined two issues in my post. First, UConn sold big-time football upfront and now that it is no longer big-time it has lost the casual fan. Now this may not have been so bad if UConn had nurtured the growing fanbase from the start. Instead, UConn got piggy and wildly overcharged for the good seats. They didn't sell. Meanwhile, the preferred seats sold out in one day. The program started their D-1 journey in the hole. Having said that, it will come back if we get into a P-5 league. Nothing else will do. Not even winning the AAC. No one gives a crap about the AAC.

Agree with all this. Sorry if i jumped on your earlier post too, but the partisanship we see between the fanbase factions drives me nuts.

 

[WhiteDressWes]

I knew this board was filled with social misfits, but there are three posters in this thread admitting to going to football games by themselves. Good lord.

Make that 3+

 

[John]

I disagree with one thing, I think that there enough people that care about a winning UCONN football team to sell out a 40,000 seat stadium, regardless of the conference opponents. We can control that, and I'm not going to conclude anything else about that, until it actually happens, that we have a winning team regularly, competiting for those spots in the top 25 nationally - and we DON"T have the attendance for a 40k stadium. I don't think that will happen. THe proof will be in the pudding. Gotta win and get there first.

The concept of expanding the stadium though? That's a tough one, and goes hand in hand with concept of being in a different conference, when it comes to things we can control. It's tough to justify the expenses to do that, when we're in the AAC, but if we had a 55,000 seat capacity? Maybe.IDK.

Catch-22. makes my head hurt.

I just want to beat Villanova. That's all.

going to 55K will either be a genius masterstroke or a complete boondoggle. Not sure that there's a middle ground.

 

[Carl Spackler]

going to 55K will either be a genius masterstroke or a complete boondoggle. Not sure that there's a middle ground.

Going from 40,000 to at least 52,000 is a matter of securing financing and making the executive decision to go. FOr the newbies around here - the stadium was built originally with design specs in the ground to go to 50,000 with a third tier to go opposite the tower lengthwise. It just needs to be built from the ground up, the plans are drawn up, and necessary foundation in place. For Maryland and Michigan in 2013, there was extra seating erected that I think was 2,000 capacity at the scoreboard endzone. Clearly - there are plans that can be repeated to do that. So - that's 52,000 that would require again, nothing more than securing the appropriate financing for construction, and then the getting the executive go ahead call.

My salary won't cover it. Sorry to say.

 

[businesslawyer]

I knew this board was filled with social misfits, but there are three posters in this thread admitting to going to football games by themselves. Good lord.

I have done so once or twice. And while I don't deny being a social misfit, it would be hard to overstate how little interest there is in Fairfield County about UConn football.

 

[NYUConn]

I was trying to figure out what your heartburn was and this post explains it. I combined two issues in my post. First, UConn sold big-time football upfront and now that it is no longer big-time it has lost the casual fan. Now this may not have been so bad if UConn had nurtured the growing fanbase from the start. Instead, UConn got piggy and wildly overcharged for the good seats. They didn't sell. Meanwhile, the preferred seats sold out in one day. The program started their D-1 journey in the hole. Having said that, it will come back if we get into a P-5 league. Nothing else will do. Not even winning the AAC. No one gives a crap about the AAC.

Thanks for this. As someone who grew up following Big East football and entered UConn as we were poised to make the jump, I have no problem with the way it was framed from a marketing and promotional standpoint.

That being said you guys are absolutely right and I think we got a little too big too fast and took the days of 35K + at the Rent for granted.

 

[businesslawyer]

NYC after a full day and coming to the Rent? Hardcore. Hope no accidents on the hwy. great effort.
I am leaving early from Htfd and going home first. No way all in our group can get to a tailgate for 4 hours before. Though I guess conceivably I am due a 5 hr tailgate, and a hat and cup.

Seriously? is Trump giving you a ride in his helicopter?

Even being satisfied with getting there 90 minutes before kickoff (on Saturdays I shoot for 120), I figure I have to leave my office in Stamford no later than 3:30 to have any chance to get home, change and put the food in the car, meet my friend and get to the Rent by 6. And given what the traffic is normally like when we've opened the Thursday before Labor Day, I won't make it by 6.

 

[John]

Going from 40,000 to at least 52,000 is a matter of securing financing and making the executive decision to go. FOr the newbies around here - the stadium was built originally with design specs in the ground to go to 50,000 with a third tier to go opposite the tower lengthwise. It just needs to be built from the ground up, the plans are drawn up, and necessary foundation in place. For Maryland and Michigan in 2013, there was extra seating erected that I think was 2,000 capacity at the scoreboard endzone. Clearly - there are plans that can be repeated to do that. So - that's 52,000 that would require again, nothing more than securing the appropriate financing for construction, and then the getting the executive go ahead call.

My salary won't cover it. Sorry to say.

I'm not saying it'd be genius vs boondoggle construction wise. I'm saying it's a dicey proposition filling it with fans wise.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I'm not saying it'd be genius vs boondoggle construction wise. I'm saying it's a dicey proposition filling it with fans wise.

If you're going to do something like this, you do it. The concept of waiting for demand or anything else, except actually securing the money to pay for it, and then doing it - is what stopped the stadium from being expanded in the past, when it made the most sense to do it.

Hopefully the decision makers in Storrs have learned from that and won't repeat it. The stadium needs to be larger, and it's a matter of getting money financed properly to do it, and then doing it. Attendance and the quality of the program at the given time, is irrelevant.

You'd hope that there is a plan in place, such that when the current broadcasting and media contracts run out that are carried over from the Big East contract negotiation position that gave espn first refusal and match rights ( you Mike Tranghese) that in the next media contract, that UCONN will somehow be getting the kind of money that reflects actual value and at that point, we'll be able to go ahead and green light expansion. It makes no sense fiscally and financially to do it now. The only thing that would change the financial situation to do it now, would be an invite to the Big 10.

There are hoops and hurdles involved, in that UCONN is a tenant and not an owner of the facility, but hoops and hurdles are made to be jumped through and over.

 

[sanchez42885]

For all those that don't already use it download the app Waze. It's a great traffic app with real time information from other drivers using the app. Also gives you the heads up on cops, road hazards etc. It has saved me from major traffic many times.

 

[SonsOfNutmeg]

Here's what I don't get... Has anyone seen ANYTHING out there on this game, TV, Radio, or Bilboards? I've seen multiple billboards for UConn Basketball season ticket sales, but virtually nothing for Football, and not one promoting the fact that in 48 hours our boys will take the field to start the season at The Rent. WTF is with their -backwards marketing?

Im sure a lot of you also expirenced this, they gave my wife and I 3 free tickets when we left the season ticket holder summer bbq thing at the Burton in June. It was nice, but I can' t find anyone to take them. All my buddies have excuses why they can't come, or have to work. Thursday night starts to the season kill our attendance, espcially coming off a 2-10 season and playing a FCS school no one knows or cares about when it comes to football.

I'm hoping to get 3 of my friends to come out Thursday night, so we'll see. The team needs us all to pack the Rent in 2 days.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Can we PLEASE stop with this crap?

5-19 in 2 years, with finishing 2014 regressing badly. Look no further as to why the stadium isn't full. Gotta stop blaming fans that choose to spend their time and money on something else.