Level-Headed Analysis - Stadium

[CL82]

They were invited because of the NYC market and recruiting grounds, that is it

Pretty much just the NYCDMA, but the 9 million people in New Jersey certainly didn't hurt either.

 

[Bongo Fury]

Why not??? Aren’t tax payers by and large paying for running the University system now? Aren’t they paying for Mora, Hurley and Geno’s salaries now? Recruiting trips, plane tickets, and god knows what? The state IS wasting taxpayer money IF they don’t build an on campus stadium, it’s money well spent. Besides a lot of money generated for an on campus stadium would be generated from wealthy benefactors and alumni. Do you know how many billionaires graduated from or have ties to UConn?

Not really. Universities generate revenue by other means. Government will invest and supplement to keep tuition lower than private.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Not really. Universities generate revenue by other means. Government will invest and supplement to keep tuition lower than private.

So who funded the original building of Rentschler Field? Who would fund the $300 Million for a renovation and expansion of Rentschler?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Sigh, again, no one tailgates for basketball games. Everyone comes at the same time, everyone leaves at the same time (though if you hang out for a little bit after the game you can avoid all the traffic.)

Football games use tailgating to spread out the arrival and departure times. So it isn't 40,000 people trying to arrive at the same time. It's 40,000 people arriving at varying times over a four hour window (five hours if you count the people who turn up late.)

This isn't really hard and you can find hundreds of examples of other schools managing it every Saturday in the fall all across the country.

Man, it's so tiring to hear people say "but, but, but one time I went to a basketball game and it was really crowded." That statement has almost 0 relevancy.

I'm very curious (considering your apparent expertise of tailgating habits of the UConn fanbase), how many games at the Rent have you attended? How many of those did you tailgate?

 

[CL82]

I'm very curious (considering your apparent expertise of tailgating habits of the UConn fanbase), how many games at the Rent have you attended? How many of those did you tailgate?

Come on FCF, I haven't professed any "expertise as to the tailgating habits of the UConn fanbase", but I've been to quite a few college football games over the years, including at the Rent. The vast majority of them require you to drive down two lane highways. Somehow, that happens at hundreds of games across the country, six weekends a year every year and the world has a collapsed from it. There's not a reason in the world why that would be any different in Storrs, Connecticut.

(FWIW, I plan to take you up on your kind offer to join you one of the games this year. I haven't figured out which one yet.)

 

[Bongo Fury]

So who funded the original building of Rentschler Field? Who would fund the $300 Million for a renovation and expansion of Rentschler?

I would imagine it is a combination like the XL center. There are taxes collected from employees and services that support. Is it profitable in the end for the state? Doubt it. I was recently at Oregon State and their new on campus stadium. There is concern there about making payments with a possible reduced media revenue.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Come on FCF, I haven't professed any "expertise as to the tailgating habits of the UConn fanbase", but I've been to quite a few college football games over the years, including at the Rent. The vast majority of them require you to drive down two lane highways. Somehow, that happens at hundreds of games across the country, six weekends a year every year and the world has a collapsed from it. There's not a reason in the world why that would be any different in Storrs, Connecticut.

(FWIW, I plan to take you up on your kind offer to join you one of the games this year. I haven't figured out which one yet.)

82, any game will work. Would love to have you.

It's one thing being stuck in traffic for w few hours as part of a decades or generations long ritual going to see Penn St, Alabama, Texas A&M or even Va Tech or Mississippi St. It's another entirely when a school is trying to build (to some extent rebuild) its fan base and claim the difficulty navigating their vehicles to the tailgate lots would detract a number of potential season ticket buyers. Your point on the staggered arrivals and departures would work if our fan base was already used to having a window for parking similar to what some of the schools we want to be peers with in terms of our football program, where there are RV lots, overnight lots and gameday lots. The only thing our current fan base knows (and this is from 20 years of observation as one of them) is the windows that you can arrive in and depart from the parling lots at the Rent. There will be at most. targeted arrival windows (if we were to have an on campus stadium) within an hour to and hour and fifteen minutes for 90% of the tailgaters. Viewing the near nightmare that basketball games at Gampel pose, the additional traffic for football games would be borderline impossible.

Yes, I want an on campus football stadium (ideally from day one with the capacity of the Rent, with the capability of expanding an additional 50%) in my lifetime (I believe you and I are of a very similar age). I believe the only feasible way of accomplishing this would be to continue for the time being at the Rent, until we build a substantial, dedicated fan base (proper administration of the athletic department over the past twenty years would have accomplished this by now but unfortunately we are back at square one today) then we work on building the on campus stadium, improving the infrastructure to access the school (to benefit not only athletic events but the school as a whole) and maybe even build/build up a couple of actual towns in the vicinity to benefit the school, the tech park, and businesses that could enter a symbiotic relationship with the school.

 

[Devland]

So who funded the original building of Rentschler Field? Who would fund the $300 Million for a renovation and expansion of Rentschler?

The state payed for it as part of the Adrian's landing project (Convention center) . It is a state facility. Not a University facility. The university leases it for games. Because Adrian's landing was a downtown Hartford project, Rentschler Field was angled slightly northwest to southeast to frame downtown Hartford in the open end of the stadium. This was how the legislature was able to connect the stadium project to a downtown Hartford project.

 

[CL82]

82, any game will work. Would love to have you.

It's one thing being stuck in traffic for w few hours as part of a decades or generations long ritual going to see Penn St, Alabama, Texas A&M or even Va Tech or Mississippi St. It's another entirely when a school is trying to build (to some extent rebuild) its fan base and claim the difficulty navigating their vehicles to the tailgate lots would detract a number of potential season ticket buyers. Your point on the staggered arrivals and departures would work if our fan base was already used to having a window for parking similar to what some of the schools we want to be peers with in terms of our football program, where there are RV lots, overnight lots and gameday lots. The only thing our current fan base knows (and this is from 20 years of observation as one of them) is the windows that you can arrive in and depart from the parling lots at the Rent. There will be at most. targeted arrival windows (if we were to have an on campus stadium) within an hour to and hour and fifteen minutes for 90% of the tailgaters. Viewing the near nightmare that basketball games at Gampel pose, the additional traffic for football games would be borderline impossible.

Yes, I want an on campus football stadium (ideally from day one with the capacity of the Rent, with the capability of expanding an additional 50%) in my lifetime (I believe you and I are of a very similar age). I believe the only feasible way of accomplishing this would be to continue for the time being at the Rent, until we build a substantial, dedicated fan base (proper administration of the athletic department over the past twenty years would have accomplished this by now but unfortunately we are back at square one today) then we work on building the on campus stadium, improving the infrastructure to access the school (to benefit not only athletic events but the school as a whole) and maybe even build/build up a couple of actual towns in the vicinity to benefit the school, the tech park, and businesses that could enter a symbiotic relationship with the school.

I agree with all of this. Filling the Rent is the critical next step before either expanding it, or building on campus.

I'll PM you about the game. Thanks again for the invite!

 

[CONN78SEJ]

The state payed for it as part of the Adrian's landing project (Convention center) . It is a state facility. Not a University facility. The university leases it for games. Because Adrian's landing was a downtown Hartford project, Rentschler Field was angled slightly northwest to southeast to frame downtown Hartford in the open end of the stadium. This was how the legislature was able to connect the stadium project to a downtown Hartford project.

Thanks for the info. How much does the school pay per year or per game if that’s what they do?

 

[Devland]

Thanks for the info. How much does the school pay per year or per game if that’s what they do?

If you google "rentschler field uconn lease" there is a copy of the original Stadium lease. This was a 20 year lease which expired this past June, but automatically renews in one year leases. It is impossible to give an number because there are too many moving pieces. Base rent was $185000 if 5 games were played 170000 if 6 games were played... Also the state received a per ticket fee. That increased every year and was $3.00 for 2009 and negotiated every year after. If there were less than 10 NCAA sanctioned events UConn owed the state $10000 per event not held. E.X. 7 home games UConn owes state $30000. UConn is responsible for security, police and fire. I know because of union contracts this is a big number. State police contract requires x number of cops. Regardless of crowd size. It is a big document. I just skimmed through.

 

[huskymedic]

If you google "rentschler field uconn lease" there is a copy of the original Stadium lease. This was a 20 year lease which expired this past June, but automatically renews in one year leases.

Updated: UConn Board of Trustees approves Rentschler Field 5-year lease extension

-> The extension will run from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2028 at an annual cost of $2.7 million. The amendment approved Wednesday is for the "continued use of Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT for University athletic and other events." <-

-> UConn has paid $172,000 in rent per game along with a $3 surcharge per ticket and is obliged to pay the first $250,000 of operating losses each year. The remainder of losses are covered by the state’s general fund. <-

 

[LoyalFanCT]

What I find funny is that the same people who say the stadium needs to be on campus because it is too far off campus, also are making the argument that it is a short drive from East Hartford to Storrs. Whatever fits your argument at the time.

you forget that many students do not have cars to get to east hartford

 

[Duncan Idaho]

you forget that many students do not have cars to get to east hartford

You forget that when they were playing well, they had to expand student seating by a number of sections.

 

[cullaville]

40,000 fans with 40,000 paid for tickets converging on Storrs??? Are you sure about that? Wouldn’t around half the people going to the game already be there, or in the general area?

point being there will be traffic and it is going to take longer than one hr 38 mins

 

[Duncan Idaho]

You forget that when they were playing well, they had to expand student seating by a number of sections.

you forget that many students do not have cars to get to east hartford

The student section was sold out for NCST, five more sections were designated student sections for the game.

 

[Kolumbo]

On Campus is the only long term solution. It makes no sense to have to duplicate amenities like state of the art locker rooms.

UConn eventually joins a power conference and averages over 40k per game. The on campus stadium is a must.

UConn remains among the likes of the MAC conference and only averages under 30k per game. Build a smaller stadium on campus.

Ideally the new stadium would be built next to the Burton Center to take advantage of facilities already on campus. Also include more offices and player amenities which are used every day. The Rent is a standalone facility used for UConn football 6 times a year. It is not worth making the stadium more than just a shell stadium. An on campus stadium is worth making the crown jewel of the campus. Other programs are going bigger and better with their stadiums and a stand alone stadium in East Hartford will never match them.

If it has to remain in East Hartford, it has to be expanded to be much more than football like the Foxboro facilities. Check out Snapdragon Stadium and all of their events.

Snapdragon Stadium

www.snapdragonstadium.com

 

[LoyalFanCT]

The student section was sold out for NCST, five more sections were designated student sections for the game.

what about for most of the other games?

 

[Kolumbo]

I've been to stadiums around the country and even the world. Tailgating is a pretty US thing, and we are spoiled for it by the rent. Great, spread out area and simple access roads. Also, great acoustics and good sight lines/ view from every single seat.

My only thought is we need a designated tailgate area for students. When I was a student, we always crashed my friend's parents' tailgate, and the students who had no one to visit sat in the stadium before the game and got stuck in traffic on the buses leaving. Give them a cool place with Cornhole, beer with wrist bands for 21+, and you'll have way better student attendance.

Rutgers has the boardwalk. They could definitely bring in food trucks and bands on game day. I get that the land was donated by UTC but if the stadium had to be in East Hartford, it was another missed opportunity to take advantage of the river front area.

 

[Devland]

The student section was sold out for NCST, five more sections were designated student sections for the game.

Also some of those sections above the student sections are reserved for "Young Alumni" and "Husky Value" season tickets.

 

[RC111]

Rutgers has the boardwalk. They could definitely bring in food trucks and bands on game day. I get that the land was donated by UTC but if the stadium had to be in East Hartford, it was another missed opportunity to take advantage of the river front area.

Absolutely. Riverfront would have been best, but even so there's so much space that could be used to better effect. I'm not big on all the attractions in the video, but it's not about me, and I think they'd be a big draw for families. Could definitely get behind a space for food trucks outside, to draw people to the game sooner.

When we tailgate it really becomes an all-day affair, and that's what kept me going even in the lean years.

 

[Jimdish255]

Maybe I missed this but is there a plan to upgrade wifi around the stadium? These guys do some interesting videos on both tech and implementation and it got me thinking this is not an impossible task.

 

[huskymedic]

Maybe I missed this but is there a plan to upgrade wifi around the stadium? These guys do some interesting videos on both tech and implementation and it got me thinking this is not an impossible task.

Planned for in the Stadium Technology update:

 

[Jimdish255]

Planned for in the Stadium Technology update:
View attachment 91047

Thanks for this.
These solutions appear to not cover the parking lots and strangely talk about cat6 cable upgrades when it would be only 10% of a cat7 which is still a gen behind. A little confusing but that could easily be changed. In it's present form seems like a half way solution prioritizing getting people in the building and ignoring the 4 hours before the game. They need some new consultants.

 

[huskymedic]

Thanks for this.
These solutions appear to not cover the parking lots and strangely talk about cat6 cable upgrades when it would be only 10% of a cat7 which is still a gen behind. A little confusing but that could easily be changed. In it's present form seems like a half way solution prioritizing getting people in the building and ignoring the 4 hours before the game. They need some new consultants.

I’m not gonna talk about the specific technology (no clue) but #9 talks about adding coverage for the lots?