Level-Headed Analysis - Stadium

[Chin Diesel]

Yeah...like the folks leaving won't hit the trees. Never mind the maintenance with leaves, the tree roots, etc. Trees in a tailgating parking lot? Those are called parks. This is a tailgating lot. And a damn fine one at that. This chucklehead wants to hang tarps that look like bricks and thinks our tailgating areas look like toxic waste areas? Buy a Blue pass, ya cheap bastahd lol. But planting trees in the tailgating lot???
We really need this season to start, if only to stop the insanity.

I guess you and I are two different parts of a venn diagram.
I'm in the group who has seen trees in parking lots without any issues. You're in the group that hasn't ever seen trees in parking lots, or had major issues dealing with it.

Make sure you send a strongly worded letter to Ole Miss to discuss their Grove tailgating.

 

[superjohn]

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?

I don't know how many billionaires graduated from or have ties to UConn.

Can you fill me in?

 

[superjohn]

Can't agree more with @Redding Husky

I feel like the same mason dixon line that separates Yankee and Sox fans across the state also represents our Hartford/Storrs issue here.

I get what UConn fans in the more Northern/Eastern parts of the state are saying. To you, everything should be in Storrs. And if I'm being honest, I totally agree with you.

But, that's not realistic. I'm in the Danbury area too and I am both a Football and Basketball season ticket holder. For MBB, only the XL games. I would love to get to every game in Gampel too but I just can't do it when most days I'm in the City for work and have to escape early just to get to my seats at XL or The Rent on time.

Bottom line is, you can say how easy it is to get to Storrs from South Western Connecticut when you live in Sox territory. But you have no clue what a commitment it takes in our neck of the woods. Hell, we don't even get CT cable channels in Fairfield County. NBC, CBS, FOX, ABC- all New York affiliates. When I turn on the news every morning to enjoy my first coffee, I don't see the same "local" news that those of you above maybe Oxford or so do.

Hartford games are imperative for both programs if you want to continue to nurture growth to the masses across all of our little state.

This is why big time college football might not be for us. Our little area wise state can't support a football team on
campus but all these much larger area wise states can.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

This is why big time college football might not be for us. Our little area wise state can't support a football team on
campus but all these much larger area wise states can.

Yale Bowl - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[HuskiesFan1014]

I guess you and I are two different parts of a venn diagram.
I'm in the group who has seen trees in parking lots without any issues. You're in the group that hasn't ever seen trees in parking lots, or had major issues dealing with it.

Make sure you send a strongly worded letter to Ole Miss to discuss their Grove tailgating.

I'm not gonna argue with you, since I've never been to the Grove. But I won't lie... years ago I would have been the one to hit the trees. We always work out a DD now. Yet, we have these things called "pop-up canopies" that provide shade. Google it. (Sorry....go to www.google.com and type in " pop-up gazebo.")

 

[Salty Dog]

You Storrs stadium nuts are insane. I've been going to UConn games for 60 years and the students have never given a about UConn football. There have never been more than 3 or 4 thousand students at any game when they played at Memorial. Now they really can't give a as they are focused on their cell phones and social media.
Stop with this insanity about a stadium in Storrs!

This is such an awful take. Hartford groupies are becoming increasingly unhinged lol.

 

[CL82]

You Storrs stadium nuts are insane. I've been going to UConn games for 60 years and the students have never given a about UConn football. There have never been more than 3 or 4 thousand students at any game when they played at Memorial. Now they really can't give a as they are focused on their cell phones and social media.
Stop with this insanity about a stadium in Storrs!

Yeah I'm gonna disagree with you there. Memorial held 16,000 and the vast majority of people there were students, with even more on the hill.

 

[zls44]

Example: To keep costs down, Baylor used a fake brick tarp to make the stadium look like it had real bricks vs exposed concrete.

FYI UConn did this for the baseball stadium in Storrs. Hate how cheap it looks but appreciate the effort. Beats staring at metal!

 

[zmart]

Yeah I'm gonna disagree with you there. Memorial held 16,000 and the vast majority of people there were students, with even more on the hill.

The two sections on the left side of Memorial were the student sections and were never totally full. The other 4 sections and the visitor's side were non-students. The people on the hill were there to drink. The fact that they were on the hill shows how much they cared about football.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Yeah I'm gonna disagree with you there. Memorial held 16,000 and the vast majority of people there were students, with even more on the hill.

Don't remember that break down but we had some weird swings of home attendance game by game. End of year you can get as little as 3-4k. Same with going to UMass and URI for a UConn game. Want to say the student attendance was more affected by weather conditions even though they lived there. This was before any upgrade announcement. I think there was more student passion for soccer over a long period of time than football.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

The two sections on the left side of Memorial were the student sections and were never totally full. The other 4 sections and the visitor's side were non-students. The people on the hill were there to drink. The fact that they were on the hill shows how much they cared about football.

Sections A and B. We held seats atop C. Section A was smaller and not usually well filled.

 

[Chin Diesel]

The two sections on the left side of Memorial were the student sections and were never totally full. The other 4 sections and the visitor's side were non-students. The people on the hill were there to drink. The fact that they were on the hill shows how much they cared about football.

Giving college students the choice of sitting on metal bleachers to watch a football game or sitting on a hill with a keg to watch a football game is an easy choice for many college students.

Heck, as an AARP eligible adult, I'd probably be on the hill, compared to sitting in bleachers watching at 1-AA UConn football game.

 

[CL82]

The two sections on the left side of Memorial were the student sections and were never totally full. The other 4 sections and the visitor's side were non-students. The people on the hill were there to drink. The fact that they were on the hill shows how much they cared about football.

Yeah, I was there and went to those games. You are wrong, at least in the late 70s early 80s. The team wasn't particularly good, but the turnout was. The stadium was full and so was the hill. The hill was effectively a third side to the stadium. You could see the game well from there.

Now, note that I've said full and not sold out, but no section of the stadium was empty. It was very much part of the college scene to go to the games and it started me on a lifelong fandom.

 

[CL82]

Don't remember that break down but we had some weird swings of home attendance game by game. End of year you can get as little as 3-4k. Same with going to UMass and URI for a UConn game. Want to say the student attendance was more affected by weather conditions even though they lived there. This was before any upgrade announcement. I think there was more student passion for soccer over a long period of time than football.

Just curious, what years are you talking about?

 

[jdb50]

A stadium could be built on Campus. Most likely behind Mansfield Supply. A big issue to me is parking for tailgating for 30,000 people. Fans are not going to want to tailgate in parking garages. Depending on stadium location open areas to park could be a good walk, uphill! And with students on campus their parking lots are already very full.

 

[businesslawyer]

Then we might be able to put the travel time discussion to bed for good because it is just so lame. If the extra distance is in fact a concern, we don't deserve big time football.

Ever try to run a business? Generally, it’s a good strategy to figure out how you work with your customers to produce good results for you and them, rather than just blame them for not seeing the world through your eyes.

 

[businesslawyer]

I don't know how many billionaires graduated from or have ties to UConn.

Can you fill me in?

What’s wrong with you? You think people should actually have facts available to make what is meant to seem like a factual statement? Do you not watch the news in 2023?

People don’t seem capable of distinguishing between the legal right to say whatever they want with the responsibility to speak responsible as a matter of respect for your listeners. (And, to be clear John, NOT YOU).

 

[businesslawyer]

This is why big time college football might not be for us. Our little area wise state can't support a football team on
campus but all these much larger area wise states can.

For that to be true, you would have to set forth a reason why big time football can’t be for us UNLESS we play on campus. And then please tell the Big Ten they obviously goofed in inviting UCLA.

 

[Kolumbo]

Ever try to run a business? Generally, it’s a good strategy to figure out how you work with your customers to produce good results for you and them, rather than just blame them for not seeing the world through your eyes.

It's probably not a good idea to try to be a 5 star steak house if your target customers are only willing to buy drive-through cheeseburgers.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Just curious, what years are you talking about?

From 1972 to the upgrade announcement

 

[zmart]

Yeah, I was there and went to those games. You are wrong, at least in the late 70s early 80s. The team wasn't particularly good, but the turnout was. The stadium was full and so was the hill. The hill was effectively a third side to the stadium. You could see the game well from there.

Now, note that I've said full and not sold out, but no section of the stadium was empty. It was very much part of the college scene to go to the games and it started me on a lifelong fandom.

You obviously spent way too much time on the hill.
I went to every home game in the 70's and 80's. Very often the soccer team outdrew football.
Many games with 4 to 6 thousand.

 

[CL82]

You obviously spent way too much time on the hill.
I went to every home game in the 70's and 80's. Very often the soccer team outdrew football.
Many games with 4 to 6 thousand.

Actually, my group sat right on the 50 yard line, and, yes, we did have a keg up there with us.

No doubt there were many games with 4000 to 6000 people. There were also many games with many more, including rivalry games like UMass. Again, I'm not saying we were selling out the stadium, but suggesting that it was empty just isn't accurate.

 

[CL82]

Ever try to run a business? Generally, it’s a good strategy to figure out how you work with your customers to produce good results for you and them, rather than just blame them for not seeing the world through your eyes.

Likewise, it's wise not to base your strategy on an outspoken and virulent minority. As a rule of thumb, following the established practices of successful competitors is a useful strategy.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Actually, my group sat right on the 50 yard line, and, yes, we did have a keg up there with us.

No doubt there were many games with 4000 to 6000 people. There were also many games with many more, including rivalry games like UMass. Again, I'm not saying we were selling out the stadium, but suggesting that it was empty just isn't accurate.

Having games on campus against Northeastern or Richmond versus a P5 is very different circumstance but yeah, I remember games 11-13k and then 4k at the end of a same 8-3 year, it was just weird. UMass was a good football program for that level, seemed to draw pretty well too. Think the biggest crowd I remember was when Navy came in for the first time? For the record, I would love a stadium on campus. I very much enjoyed going to games there.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Yeah, I was there and went to those games. You are wrong, at least in the late 70s early 80s. The team wasn't particularly good, but the turnout was. The stadium was full and so was the hill. The hill was effectively a third side to the stadium. You could see the game well from there.

Now, note that I've said full and not sold out, but no section of the stadium was empty. It was very much part of the college scene to go to the games and it started me on a lifelong fandom.

I'm not sure how much wiggle room you believe exists between the terms full and sold out but my first interpretation (when you initially posted) was that you were claiming all games in Memorial for a stretch ~40-45 years ago had 15k-16 people in the seats (and on the hill). I'm not sure if I would view attendance of 12k in Memorial as being full, but even if it would qualify as full, I'm very confident that you can count on one hand the number of games that had 12k or more during the time frame in question.

Actually, my group sat right on the 50 yard line, and, yes, we did have a keg up there with us.

No doubt there were many games with 4000 to 6000 people. There were also many games with many more, including rivalry games like UMass. Again, I'm not saying we were selling out the stadium, but suggesting that it was empty just isn't accurate.

There were some games where 4,000 would have been a pretty generous assessment and sadly, 25% capacity (which 4k would be) pretty much qualifies as empty.

I understand how obsessed you are with our having an on campus stadium. I personally would love that myself but for us to have an on campus stadium that would be sufficient for what we want our football program to be is a bridge too far at the moment due to many reasons, the most important being that we will need success for a sustained period of time to rebuild the dedication of our fan base (hell, I just responded on the men's hoops board about the incessant complaining about the cupcake home games).

We will need patience (and sadly, as I'm pretty confident that you are in your early 60's as I am, it may take until we are both too old to appreciate it) for the things to fall into place before there would be sufficient movement among people in the fan base, the state and the state's government to want something like an on campus football stadium.