Letter to Jeff Jacobs after Twitter

[CL82]

Well you got me on the grammatical semantics. You are implying, I am inferring. That is correct.

Actually, you are just inferring. I'm a pretty straight forward guy. If I want to make a point, I will. You don't need to guess.

 

[SubbaBub]

Can we please stop with other schools and what happens there.

At no time in the foreseeable future are UConn fans going to line up in traffic to go to football games.

They are not buying RVs and travelling around the country.

There is no pent up demand for endless tailgating outside of a few hundred people.

It drives some people crazy but UConn is a rare school who has a huge fanbase of non-alumni.

It takes generations to build what a Nebraska or Penn State have. It's 2014 and the world moves much more quickly than when Penn State and Nebraska fans built those traditions.

I don't know who people thinks are going to these games but people work so hard at getting in and out of them in a timely fashion because they have a ton of to do. Work, home, youth sports, boats, vacation properties, Giants/Pats, Yankees/Red Sox.

I had kids a bit late, but seemingly 90% of my peer group spends their entire weekend running between games and tournaments.

Nebraska has tens of thousands of people who plan their lives around the games. If you haven't built that by now - I don't see how any school anywhere can - there is just way too much competition for people's time.

It's a nice vision this concept of people wondering around campus checking out buildings or wondering around some co-op. It's not something 99% of people have time for or interest in.

Yes, we should by all means try to reinvent the wheel.

PSU as a campus/college town/football venue is exactly what UCONN desires to be and is also a former land grant cow college in the middle of nowhere. Why wouldn't we try to learn from them? They had their entire existence questioned and their FB program gutted and still had 95k people show up on game day.

What else are we talking about?

 

[CL82]

The stress of realignment is getting to you guys?

lol ...maybe. It's just pet peeve of mine when people create BS arguments and then attribute them to others so that they can shoot them down. It just craps up threads. But it's not like these posts are great reading so I'll let it go.

 

[SubbaBub]

OK, I can't resist commenting on this any more. I wonder how many on this board have actually been to Penn State football? The Rent is a far better place to watch a game. It is not the alumni that fill the place. PSU is Pennsylvania's team, not unlike Notre Dame in the midwest. Grads of many schools that don't have big time football adopt the PSU football. Also please stop talking about those who walk out of UCONN games early as an exception. I'd guess 25% leave Penn State games at half and another 25% at the fourth quarter except for the one or two real big games.
Next, I am so tired of hearing about a stadium in Storr's. Give it up and get behind
an effort to expand the Rent. It[s not going to move in our lifetime. Anyone who has really been to Storr's for a sold out BB game knows its much more than traffic management that would be needed to move 60,000 fans in and out of therein a day.
Instead of Malloy's last superjohn of a busway from Hartford to NB, why not run light rail from Storr's and Hartford to the Rent? Why not run a UCONN Express from NYC through Stamford to Hartford for football games? Then let's put a new BB/Hockey arena out at the Rent--much cheaper than in Hartford [besides by that time Hartford will have its own baseball team and will not be able to aford a new arena--almost forgot, Hartford cant' afford the baseball stadium either].
Let's think out of the box instead of running around bemoaning what isn't going to be changed.

Dude, it's exactly alumni that fill the place, generations of them. The State College area also provides a good number, but if you think unaffiliated people from Philly or Harrisburg are showing up in large numbers you're nuts.

What is needed, not only for FB but to connect Storrs to Hartford is a rail line. Stops in Storrs, Coventry, Manchester, Rent, Downtown.

 

[whaler11]

Yes, we should by all means try to reinvent the wheel.

PSU as a campus/college town/football venue is exactly what UCONN desires to be and is also a former land grant cow college in the middle of nowhere. Why wouldn't we try to learn from them? They had their entire existence questioned and their FB program gutted and still had 95k people show up on game day.

What else are we talking about?

If you try and emulate Penn State and Michigan by attempting to do what they did over the last hundred years you'll be wasting your time.

What built the Big 10 programs over the decades is not repeatable today.

The audience is no longer captive, people are more mobile, there is greater income disparity between classes - hell as the concussion science evolves the game might not even be recognizable by the next generation.

The numbers are clear around the country that the students are turning away from much larger programs - why would you want to copy what has already peaked and is on it's downside.

This isn't Field of Dreams. You can't just build a stadium in a field in the middle of nowhere and expect people to build their autums around it.

If you really feel the need to try and copy someone at least find someone on the upswing like Oregon or Baylor.

 

[Excalibur]

Well infrastructure improvements is one way to handle game day traffic, but other schools have decided to forgo that expensive option and merely use traffic management to move people out of the stadium. Rutgers and Michie Stadium are two examples that I have given in the past. I can't see why that could not be done in Storrs.

Michie Stadium is a really bad example. It takes forever to get out, and that's with only 30,000 people and a good portion hanging around to tour the campus after the game.

 

[Fishy]

Michie Stadium is a really bad example. It takes forever to get out, and that's with only 30,000 people and a good portion hanging around to tour the campus after the game.

It's a terrible example.

It takes 20 minutes to get off that campus after their Armed Forces Day 10k and there might only be 1,500 extra people there - they're socked in by a mountain range and a river.

It made a great fort back in the day because it was freaking hard to get to.

 

[The Funster]

Isn't game site attendance down all over? Here's how UConn beats that: holographic images of 60 to 100k fans with canned sound.

 

[Ha Who]

lol ...maybe. It's just pet peeve of mine when people create BS arguments and then attribute them to others so that they can shoot them down. It just craps up threads. But it's not like these posts are great reading so I'll let it go.

That's ok. Keep it going. The stress of life is getting to me today and I just wanted a laugh

 

[Husky25]

A large college campus is a destination in and of itself. The Rent is located on a former airstrip with no other reason for being there other than the game. My point was, friends, family and alumni would have an interest in being on campus after a game for hundreds of reasons, including visiting people they know attending the school, going to the bookstore, checking out the many new buildings, Ted's, etc. If you go to a Penn State game, you will find the fraternity houses packed with students and alumni. No hurry to leave campus. The Rent, people just want to get out of there fast.

So you're saying that 25,000 people will descend on the bookstore and tour the Chem building after every game?

I spent the better part of four years in Storrs and, not counting Christmas gifts for my parents during my freshman year, the amount of apparel I purchased at the Co-op amounted to exactly one polo shirt, a sweat shirt and two T-shirts. Whatever apparel I've purchased since '99 has been either on-line, Bobs' Store, or Bed, Bath & Beyond, where the price is dramatically reduced from the Co-op. I will give credence to this idea for one game day, probably every two years, but your idea of 25,000 alumni moseying about Crystal Lake 6-7 weekends in the fall, feeding the Canada geese is ludicrous. I'm 37 years old. Who the hell want's to see me in X-lot or at Teds?

People leave the parking lot at Rentschler for a number of reasons and none of them change with an on-campus stadium.
1) First and foremost is that security does not adhere to their own rules. They start kicking fans out before the 2 hour timeline.
2) It's not difficult to get out of the parking lot.
3) People don't necessarily plan for the after game tailgate.
4) Because of reason 2 and 3, it's easy to grab a table at Margarita's for a bite to eat and watch whatever big game is on at 3:30.
5) Finally, I for one would like to see my kid(s) before they go to bed and help out my wife after leaving them all home all day.

Putting a stadium on campus won't change that desire (or order) any and only serves to add another 1/2 hour to both commutes. If anything needs to change, it's student transportation. They need to add buses and give students more options for arrival and departure.

 

[BlueMAB]

I'm 37 years old. Who the hell want's to see me in X-lot or at Teds?


If anything needs to change, it's student transportation. They need to add buses and give students more options for arrival and departure.

Great line.


I've been called a liar for this in the past, but I trust my eyes over some anonymous poster on the internet. The students are no different than other fans in the stadium and routinely leave near the end of the third quarter, even in close games, except for big games. The difference is most of them are bussed in, so the school has some control over when they leave.

The school needs to find a way to keep the students there.

1) Get the state to put pressure on the wireless carriers to upgrade the service in the stadium. Most people under 50 are connected. Most under 40 are connected all the time. Most under 30 don't want to spend 30 minutes without their phone and social networks. 18-22 year-olds do not want to spend 3 hours with very limited service.

2) Give out freebies at the end of the game. Want a free burrito at Moe's? Free 6" from Subway? Or something else, get creative. Not drawings at a chance to win, but something guaranteed. Give them out after the final whistle at the gates. Give the students wristbands when they get on the bus at school, on the way out everyone with a wristband gets their "prize".

3) Start featuring students at the game on their Instagram/Facebook pages. Pictures of kids at the games posted, not just the athletes.

 

[Kolumbo]

So you're saying that 25,000 people will descend on the bookstore and tour the Chem building after every game?

I spent the better part of four years in Storrs and, not counting Christmas gifts for my parents during my freshman year, the amount of apparel I purchased at the Co-op amounted to exactly one polo shirt, a sweat shirt and two T-shirts. Whatever apparel I've purchased since '99 has been either on-line, Bobs' Store, or Bed, Bath & Beyond, where the price is dramatically reduced from the Co-op. I will give credence to this idea for one game day, probably every two years, but your idea of 25,000 alumni moseying about Crystal Lake 6-7 weekends in the fall, feeding the Canada geese is ludicrous. I'm 37 years old. Who the hell want's to see me in X-lot or at Teds?

People leave the parking lot at Rentschler for a number of reasons and none of them change with an on-campus stadium.
1) First and foremost is that security does not adhere to their own rules. They start kicking fans out before the 2 hour timeline.
2) It's not difficult to get out of the parking lot.
3) People don't necessarily plan for the after game tailgate.
4) Because of reason 2 and 3, it's easy to grab a table at Margarita's for a bite to eat and watch whatever big game is on at 3:30.
5) Finally, I for one would like to see my kid(s) before they go to bed and help out my wife after leaving them all home all day.

Putting a stadium on campus won't change that desire (or order) any and only serves to add another 1/2 hour to both commutes. If anything needs to change, it's student transportation. They need to add buses and give students more options for arrival and departure.

1. I don't think a campus closes so people can hang around as long as they'd like.
3. Some people do. Celebrating a win is a great reason to tailgate!
4. A great reason to avoid Margarita's
6. Remember, it is also subtracting a 1/2 hour commute (given upgrades on 195) for people north of campus. Are you forgetting UCONN is NE's school?

 

[Kolumbo]

Great line.


I've been called a liar for this in the past, but I trust my eyes over some anonymous poster on the internet. The students are no different than other fans in the stadium and routinely leave near the end of the third quarter, even in close games, except for big games. The difference is most of them are bussed in, so the school has some control over when they leave.

The school needs to find a way to keep the students there.

1) Get the state to put pressure on the wireless carriers to upgrade the service in the stadium. Most people under 50 are connected. Most under 40 are connected all the time. Most under 30 don't want to spend 30 minutes without their phone and social networks. 18-22 year-olds do not want to spend 3 hours with very limited service.

2) Give out freebies at the end of the game. Want a free burrito at Moe's? Free 6" from Subway? Or something else, get creative. Not drawings at a chance to win, but something guaranteed. Give them out after the final whistle at the gates. Give the students wristbands when they get on the bus at school, on the way out everyone with a wristband gets their "prize".

3) Start featuring students at the game on their Instagram/Facebook pages. Pictures of kids at the games posted, not just the athletes.

"Get creative." Bob Diaco seems to have a great plan. Perhaps a new tradition where the team hangs with the student section for a few minutes after the game and free t-shirts are involved.

 

[BlueMAB]

"Get creative." Bob Diaco seems to have a great plan. Perhaps a new tradition where the team hangs with the student section for a few minutes after the game and free t-shirts are involved.

HCBD understands the problem and is trying to address it. That's the good news.

The bad news is, if I understood him correctly, his idea to get the players involved with the student section was to have them enter through the student section. Not immediately before the game, but 1 hour before, when they start their warmups.

If I'm wrong, good. If that's his plan, it's not going to work. The students aren't in the stadium an hour before kickoff. Most aren't in the stadium 5 minutes before kickoff.

 

[Kolumbo]

The students aren't in the stadium an hour before kickoff. Most aren't in the stadium 5 minutes before kickoff.

Especially when you can get tickets at the last minute cheaper than you can get a beer inside the stadium.

 

[BlueMAB]

6. Remember, it is also subtracting a 1/2 hour commute (given upgrades on 195) for people north of campus. Are you forgetting UCONN is NE's school?

I don't think you can make that argument for several reasons.

1) Even with upgrades, traffic would likely be worse in and out of campus. I don't think people really understand how convenient the Rent is. Not one, but two major Interstates literally within 3 miles. You can head west, take 291 to 91, or 384 to points west. You can head east and take Route 2 east to 91 north or Route 2 west to 91 south. Or you can take the Route 15 connector to 91. 84 East and West are easily accessible. And 84 East to 91 North is easy to get to. No matter what you do at or near campus, you'll never re-create that. Once you're out of the parking lot at the Rent (and 1/2 - 1 mile away from the rent), relatively speaking, traffic is a breeze.

2) You're only reducing time for people west of East Hartford. People in Enfield and Longmeadow area, would still take 91-291-84, and you'd add time. And the potential growth of the fanbase in Fairfield County far exceeds RI, North Attleboro, Foxboro, etc.

 

[Husky25]

1. I don't think a campus closes so people can hang around as long as they'd like.
3. Some people do. Celebrating a win is a great reason to tailgate!
4. A great reason to avoid Margarita's
6. Remember, it is also subtracting a 1/2 hour commute (given upgrades on 195) for people north of campus. Are you forgetting UCONN is NE's school?

So you think widening 195 cures all? What about 275 or 44 (both of which lead directly too the most populous part of the state via 384)? How about North Eagleville, Gurlyville, Separatist, or every other alternative surface street around campus? Is your solution really to cater to the limited number of patrons in Willington and Ashford by only focusing on 195 How about 320. Whenever I went home to MA or back to campus from home, I never too exit 68, when exit 71 shaved ten minutes off the trip.?

Your solution is akin to producing enough gridlock to force people into an unguided tour of campus as a basis for an argument that people want to tour campus.

 

[Husky25]

I don't think you can make that argument for several reasons.

1) Even with upgrades, traffic would likely be worse in and out of campus. I don't think people really understand how convenient the Rent is. Not one, but two major Interstates literally within 3 miles. You can head west, take 291 to 91, or 384 to points west. You can head east and take Route 2 east to 91 north or Route 2 west to 91 south. Or you can take the Route 15 connector to 91. 84 East and West are easily accessible. And 84 East to 91 North is easy to get to. No matter what you do at or near campus, you'll never re-create that. Once you're out of the parking lot at the Rent (and 1/2 - 1 mile away from the rent), relatively speaking, traffic is a breeze.

2) You're only reducing time for people west of East Hartford. People in Enfield and Longmeadow area, would still take 91-291-84, and you'd add time. And the potential growth of the fanbase in Fairfield County far exceeds RI, North Attleboro, Foxboro, etc.

And Route 2. Don't forget us down in Middlesex Country.

 

[Padutch5]

I've been to a lot of Michigan games myself (I lived in Ann Arbor for 2 years, 2001-2003) and also PSU games, and 1/4 of these stadiums were filled with students, from field level to the last row. Both stadiums are 110,000 seats so... 25% is 27,500 students.

You guys spent too much time tailgating. No way 25% students at PSU. Maybe they say that was what was sold, but a surprising number of those tickets were resold.

 

[Kolumbo]

And Route 2. Don't forget us down in Middles e x Country.

My main point is that regardless of traffic, just about every major college football program has an on-campus stadium. It's a proven recipe. I know E. Hartford is the most convenient and a new on-campus stadium is not coming any time soon. But this fact is one of the drawbacks for UCONN.

 

[CL82]

Michie Stadium is a really bad example. It takes forever to get out, and that's with only 30,000 people and a good portion hanging around to tour the campus after the game.

My main point is that regardless of traffic, just about every major college football program has an on-campus stadium. It's a proven recipe. I know E. Hartford is the most convenient and a new on-campus stadium is not coming any time soon. But this fact is one of the drawbacks for UCONN.

I've never had a problem leaving but I do hang around for a while. 60-90 minutes after a game getting out isn't an issue, at least when I've been there and driving. Coming in I got caught once but I had a conflict so I was coming around kick off and it was a slog. Keep in mind though that they don't do much if any traffic management outside of West Point, so there crowds are entirely managed by the natural feathering of traffic caused by tailgating and walking around the campus. Rutgers is just the opposite. There is no tailgating to speak of, but there is excellent traffic management that empties the stadium pretty efficiently. That's why I use those two examples to show that it can be done. It won't happen in the foreseeable future and the Rent is good place to see a game and decent tailgating experience.

 

[upstater]

You guys spent too much time tailgating. No way 25% students at PSU. Maybe they say that was what was sold, but a surprising number of those tickets were resold.

The picture I linked was a mirage I guess.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

A campus stadium is one of the dumbest ideas that gets brought up all the time on the Boneyard.

We have an attendance problem with UConn sports.

We have an infrastructure problem in Storrs for basketball games.

We have a football stadium centrally located and accessible by most highways in the state.

We'd be adding an extra 2-3 hours on to people's drives.

Again, I'd love someone to dispute any of the above and then say how moving to an on campus stadium helps attendance.

I have a group of 12 or so season ticket holders that would decrease to maybe 2 if the stadium was on campus.

The average UConn fan goes for the tailgate party that's easy to get to and stays if it's a name opponent or a good game.

You guys are absolutely lost by even suggesting that an on campus stadium would be successful whatsoever.

 

[Kolumbo]

A campus stadium is one of the dumbest ideas that gets brought up all the time on the Boneyard.

We have an attendance problem with UConn sports.

We have an infrastructure problem in Storrs for basketball games.

We have a football stadium centrally located and accessible by most highways in the state.

We'd be adding an extra 2-3 hours on to people's drives.

Again, I'd love someone to dispute any of the above and then say how moving to an on campus stadium helps attendance.

I have a group of 12 or so season ticket holders that would decrease to maybe 2 if the stadium was on campus.

The average UConn fan goes for the tailgate party that's easy to get to and stays if it's a name opponent or a good game.

You guys are absolutely lost by even suggesting that an on campus stadium would be successful whatsoever.

If your points are valid, then the program and the fans have no business being in a power conference.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Evolution is never as fast as many would like it to be.

 

[Husky25]

If your points are valid, then the program and the fans have no business being in a power conference.

I guess UCLA and The "U" don't either. Boston College has the worst parking system I've ever experienced, but Alumni Stadium and Conte Forum are on campus. Therefore they belong.

Why doesn't the school and state kill two birds with one stone? Move the West Hartford Branch to Rentschler Field and build from scratch residence halls, dining halls, and classroom buildings. How do you pay for it? UTC gets naming rights. Where do they get the money? One defense contract pays for it all. Bingo. On-campus stadium. Almost nobody loses...Well Hartford's does, but at least all needed infrastructure is in place.

Pratt - Residence
Whitney - Unused (Whitney is already a dorm and dining hall in Storrs)
Carrier - Dining Hall
United - Library
Technologies - Computer lab
Corporation - Business School
Sikosky - Skywalk between Pratt and Carrier
Otis - Engineering Building

 

[Fishy]

Why doesn't the school and state kill two birds with one stone? Move the West Hartford Branch to Rentschler Field and build from scratch residence halls, dining halls, and classroom buildings. How do you pay for it? UTC gets naming rights. Where do they get the money? One defense contract pays for it all. Bingo. On-campus stadium. Almost nobody loses...Well Hartford's does, but at least all needed infrastructure is in place.

Are you joking?

 

[Husky25]

Are you joking?

Is it not obvious? You tell me.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

If your points are valid, then the program and the fans have no business being in a power conference.

So, in your estimation because UConn won't make a move that would cut into attendance we don't deserve to be P5?

Attendance is an issue even with the legendary programs, that's not specific to UConn.

I mean, I made my case why it won't work, what's yours why it will?

 

[Kolumbo]

So, in your estimation because UConn won't make a move that would cut into attendance we don't deserve to be P5?

Attendance is an issue even with the legendary programs, that's not specific to UConn.

I mean, I made my case why it won't work, what's yours why it will?

Fans who want to be in a P5 conference should want football enough to make the drive, stay for the game, and support the team no matter where it plays. If fans are not dedicated to the team and the sport, they are not, by definition, P5-worthy. That is a clear problem in CT.