Michigan AD confirms they will honor 2013 game....

[Kgun7]

Why don't they just double sell the seats of the fans who don't get into the stadium by kickoff and those that never go to their seats and watch from behind the red line all game ...

 

[uconnell]

Why don't they just double sell the seats of the fans who don't get into the stadium by kickoff and those that never go to their seats and watch from behind the red line all game ...

+1

 

[freescooter]

While it would be nice to see a bigger stadium, it isn't happening, not is it in any way the reason that Michigan is whining about the UCONN game. That was made clear by their AD...they don't want to play a non-conference road game other than every other year at Notre Dame. That is it. Pure and simple. And make no mistake, they would play at Notre Dame if the game was being played in a parking lot...because its Notre Dame.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

I think there are reasonable points to be made on both sides.

For the pro-Rent crowd, a true home game certainly makes it easier to beat Michigan, and beating Michigan at home would perhaps be one of the best wins of our young program and would provide a memory for future generations of fans. Temporary seating could help, certainly. But we are in no position to expand the stadium at this time, sadly. Still, with this being after a year with no postseason in basketball (almost certainly true), the team may be ripe to have a great year, attendance-wise, depending on how this coming year goes.

For the pro-Yankee Stadium (or larger neutral site crowd), expanding our fan base into new cities is important, though I'm wary of just how much interest we'll really get from New Yorkers beyond watching a Michigan/UConn game. Perhaps if UConn were to win what would almost certainly be a neutral (at BEST) venue, some new fans could be gotten (rooting for the underdog is fun) but it's a pretty huge gamble. Fairfield County fans, however, would have an easier time, for once.

I think I'd prefer to stick it out for a true home game and see a marquee program come to East Hartford, but I could be sold either way.

 

[ZooCougar]

A game in NYC becomes a Michigan home game. A game anywhere but the Rent becomes a Michigan home game.

 

[Waquoit]

---------------------
Dan- what we see at The Rent currently is the completion of Phase II of the project. Phase III is the endzone additions for BOTH ends which will bring the Stadium to 64K. That will get us over the minimum attendance of 57k for the B1G which exists currently unless you were granfathered in. There is an additional phase that was also factored in, but there are structural changes needed to make that happen and will cost major $$$. I think we would need at least a BCS Bowl victory to get that approved through the state legislature!!

The number I heard for all additions is 55K. I have never seen 64K mentioned anywhere.

 

[Waquoit]

I think there are reasonable points to be made on both sides.

Maybe, but this thread really got me thinking. I state the following just to show where I am coming from: I haven't missed a home game in 10 years. I only missed the 1st bowl game, and that was because I was on the road. I pretty much make it to at least one away game a year, went to Vandy this season.

If UConn plays Michigan any place besides The Rent I'm not going. Screw it. I've already seen UConn-UM on the road. Caving here wouldn't help the program, it would hurt.

 

[WestHartHusk]

In other news, I confirm that I will pay the plumber who was just at my house and provided service and will also make May's mortgage payment to the lender who helped me get my home. That being said I will continue to evaluating making my June payment.

 

[freescooter]

In other news, I confirm that I will pay the plumber who was just at my house and provided service and will also make May's mortgage payment to the lender who helped me get my home. That being said I will continue to evaluating making my June payment.

I expect to make my June payment but will ask my lender to move my account to a bigger bank...it is his decison by I am urging him to do so...

 

[Uptop]

No way? Really?

What if the Big XII, SEC, Pac Ten and Big Ten announce that their champions will play in a 4 team tourney at the end of every year, and the NCAA can either sanction it or they'll leave?

There are lots of things that can force ND into a conference. It is only a question of whether any of them happen.

I can't keep track of the roman catholic denominations. I go to mass on sundays on holy days. My favorite church is St. Patricks cathedral. I'll go wherever there's a catholic mass though. I went to the church on the corner of N. Eaglevile and 195 at UConn - Assissi? A discussion on religion and college football is for another day and big bottle of Scotch. BC is Jesuit, and Notre Dame is whatever it is - they're both Catholics, and so are the rest of the non-secular schools in teh Big East.

Suffice to say that down the south in the bible belt, the protestant religion denominations are in charge, while up north is Roman Catholic territory.

Not that any of that should matter at state schools!!! LOL.

test

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I think people are over valuing playing one game in NYC. By a lot.

 

[mattp]

I think people are over valuing playing one game in NYC. By a lot.

i agree with you. anyone that thinks we're going to suddenly dominate, or even substantially penetrate the NY market with a couple games at Yankee stadium is crazy. i don't remember Maryland landing the NYC market when i saw them get creamed by ND in the Meadowlands a few years ago at the kickoff classic. if they won, they still wouldn't have won the market, and i doubt Cuse will win over many fans with the shellacking they'll take this year

 

[ConnHuskBask]

i agree with you. anyone that thinks we're going to suddenly dominate, or even substantially penetrate the NY market with a couple games at Yankee stadium is crazy. i don't remember Maryland landing the NYC market when i saw them get creamed by ND in the Meadowlands a few years ago at the kickoff classic. if they won, they still wouldn't have won the market, and i doubt Cuse will win over many fans with the shellacking they'll take this year

Syracuse always play hoops in the Garden 1-2 times a year and now they are starting to play football at Giants Stadium frequently.

You think their fans in CNY want to make the drive down to NJ? Probably not, and they have a farther drive than UConn fans would have. It's the sacrifices we're just going to have to make.

They promote the out of "Syracuse: New York's College Team". As ridiculous as we may find that notion to be, they are selling it and we need to start making inroads into NYC as it may be our only chance to get an invite to the ACC or the Big10 down the road.

It's not something we all probably want as fans, but I'd rather sacrifice 1 home game a year in order for someday to not have SMU, Central Florida and San Diego State on the schedule.

It's not an overnight thing, but if it becomes an annual thing with a big name program, it's get you into the conscience of the City. Look at the Big East basketball championship, it takes time, but NYC cares about that. The same could happen with football.

 

[huskypantz]

Future UConn Country........

 

[mattp]

It's not an overnight thing, but if it becomes an annual thing with a big name program, it's get you into the conscience of the City. Look at the Big East basketball championship, it takes time, but NYC cares about that. The same could happen with football.

that's just it, it would have to be an annual thing, and i don't know that the state politicians would want a game every year to be played outside of the state. i think by virtue of being a private university, syracuse probably has a little more leeway for that type of thing. i imagine the state of connecticut was sold on the upgrade partially based on the economic benefits of home games. it could be hairy for us to make this type of arrangement

 

[Chin Diesel]

Future UConn Country........

I always thought the layout of the Rent would look best if they kept the end zone view looking towards Hartford open and kept the standing room area open there. Starting with the side Uconn sits on, add another tier, wrap it around the student section and continue it until it butts up against the suites.

I don't know if that is what the expansion to 55K calls for, but I think aesthetically, that looks best. It adds a third deck on one side, closes off one end zone, keeps a good picture of the Hartford skyline and uses the already built barrier of the suite boxes.

 

[huskypantz]

I always thought the layout of the Rent would look best if they kept the end zone view looking towards Hartford open and kept the standing room area open there. Starting with the side Uconn sits on, add another tier, wrap it around the student section and continue it until it butts up against the suites.

I don't know if that is what the expansion to 55K calls for, but I think aesthetically, that looks best. It adds a third deck on one side, closes off one end zone, keeps a good picture of the Hartford skyline and uses the already built barrier of the suite boxes.

The only reason I would want to close the 2nd level of the bowl where the scoreboard is would be to reduce the wind factor. And I don't really know if that would help - but we have a very windy stadium.

 

[coachcap]

The only reason I would want to close the 2nd level of the bowl where the scoreboard is would be to reduce the wind factor. And I don't really know if that would help - but we have a very windy stadium.

To paraphrase Gordon Gekko: Wind is good! We live in the Northeast for Christsakes.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Weather and wind is a distinct home field advantage. There's a reason that piece of land in East Hartford was used as an aircraft take off and landing strip.

If I recall correctly, the blueprints to get to 50k involve the construction of third teir that would rise above the second tier, overhand the second tier a little big providing a bit of shade over there, opposite the tower and both endzones of the stadium would be unchanged.

THe sound on the field from a full house crowd would be incredibly loud.

 

[Waquoit]

I don't know if that is what the expansion to 55K calls for, but I think aesthetically, that looks best. It adds a third deck on one side, closes off one end zone, keeps a good picture of the Hartford skyline and uses the already built barrier of the suite boxes.

They get to 55K by adding a deck along the home sidelines and both endzones.

 

[Chin Diesel]

They get to 55K by adding a deck along the home sidelines and both endzones.

Sounds right. I'm just not a big fan of the symmetrical bowl all the way around. I'm sure there's wiggle room in the blueprints to adjust. Most obvious place to start is a third deck on the Uconn side. That's an easy 10K. Lots of options on how to fill out the rest.

 

[CTMike]

Not to get off track, but all this BCS playoff nonsense and conference realignment has direct impact on this. It's one thing to try and convince a legislature to help fund a stadium expansion when we don't sell out as is (ain't gonna happen)... but, with the right conference affiliation, TV money, BCS playoff money (however that will be split, and I'm very concerned that the Big East is going to be on the short end of the money split)... that could all go a long way towards self-funding things like this. Sigh. I'm just getting myself frustrated. All things out of my control.

 

[coachcap]

Sounds right. I'm just not a big fan of the symmetrical bowl all the way around. I'm sure there's wiggle room in the blueprints to adjust. Most obvious place to start is a third deck on the Uconn side. That's an easy 10K. Lots of options on how to fill out the rest.

Does anyone think that UConn would add temporary bleachers behind the endzones for next season to increase capacity for the Michigan game. There are gates already in place to allow access to that area of the field. The band could be relocated to in front of the Dog Pound. If those bleachers were added, UConn could easily shoehorn in an additional 5,000 fans.

 

[huskypantz]

Does anyone think that UConn would add temporary bleachers behind the endzones for next season to increase capacity for the Michigan game. There are gates already in place to allow access to that area of the field. The band could be relocated to in front of the Dog Pound. If those bleachers were added, UConn could easily shoehorn in an additional 5,000 fans.

I don't think you can fit 5k. Look at the photo of Rutgers temp bleachers on page 10 of this thread. That is 2,500 seats. I don't see how you can fit much more than that, especially with the scoreboard in the way. I guessed 3k with temp bleachers and the band on the field.

 

[rich1122]

The best thing that we can do is block off all standing room, especially at the end of the end zone near the scoreboard. Get people in their seats. Go to any other venue and they make it so that if you want to see the game you have to sit in your seat. If it looks full all of the time we can talk expansion. Standing room was a dumb idea.