new stadium-8 to 12 $mil needed

[Dann]

 

[UConn4ever]

 

[Yonick]

Is this part of the money being raised for the hoops facility?

 

[mets1090]

That has been my understanding the whole time Yonick but I wasn't expecting the price tag to be near $12 mil. Makes the $30 mil sound a little unrealistic to cover the baseball field, basketball practice facility and possibly new soccer/softball fields which I also thought were being rolled into the $30 million target.

 

[Yonick]

That has been my understanding the whole time Yonick but I wasn't expecting the price tag to be near $12 mil. Makes the $30 mil sound a little unrealistic to cover the baseball field, basketball practice facility and possibly new soccer/softball fields which I also thought were being rolled into the $30 million target.

I just read something in the Courant that Penders announced the start of this project after Bobby V's speech last nite. My guess is this 8-12 mil is very seperate from the hoops project. Perhaps 1-2 mil might come from the hoops project.
A couple of seasons like last and the interest will peak. Unfortunately, I don't believe this season will be a banner season. I hope I'm wrong, but it's tough to lose 3 players drafted in the 1st two rounds and return to the superregionals.
Judging from the freshmen, and the recruits coming in in Sept. we should maintain a very good program. We also have a transfer from UNC who was super in HS in NJ. I do believe he has to sit this season out even though he didn't play in his frosh season @ UNC.

 

[mets1090]

This season will probably have its share of bumps but those I have talked to about incoming talent say the future is bright. And despite the inevitable bumps in the road, the Big East isn't generally all that strong so it isn't out of the realm of possibility that we put together a decent season with all the young talent Penders has put together.

 

[Fishy]

Judging from the freshmen, and the recruits coming in in Sept. we should maintain a very good program. We also have a transfer from UNC who was super in HS in NJ. I do believe he has to sit this season out even though he didn't play in his frosh season @ UNC.

Yup - unfortunately, the NCAA added baseball to the 'year in residence' requirement for transfers.

Really excited about the new facility's potential.

 

[johnhuskies95]

Penders is starting to really lockdown Jersey in recruiting. I think that could be big for us.

 

[Dann]

Penders is starting to really lockdown Jersey in recruiting. I think that could be big for us.

the recruiting has been on a different level the past 3 years, its easy to see. as a program in any year if you can land 5 of the top 25 in new england and 5 of the top 40 in ny/nj/pa then your doing just fine. sooner than later with a couple more ncaas and that stadium, were going to lockdown new england kids that acc/sec schools eat up every year. then watch out!

 

[uconnsouth]

This is fantastic news... just saw Mazzilli here at IMG recently, looking for big things out of him!

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Anyone know the seating capacity? Enough to host a regional or will they have to go down to Norwich?

Donations:
http://www.uconnhuskies.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/013112aaa.html

 

[Yonick]

I've seen 3 different drawings of the baseball stadium. None of these drawings seem to include lights. I would imagine in order to host a regional the stadium should have lights. Anyone know if lighting is included?

 

[zls44]

Not sure about lights, but it'd be a real disappointment not to have them. I suppose the argument is that April & May nights might still be cool enough to kill attendance, but I'd disagree. Imagine a nice night in April, nothing else going on on campus, get a good OOC team in (that might be the hardest part), you'd pack the place, maybe SNY on a Mets off-night (or on-night, they're brutal).

This will be interesting. I'd wager the soccer facility gets done first just because there is a booster base there that is deep AND has brought the dough time after time for the program. The baseball booster base is probably deeper, but they haven't been asked to come to bat with cash in a long time. I'd imagine they do softball/baseball together, but that's going to be tough, because I just don't know where the softball money is coming from. But you never know with these thing, all it takes is one former player who's been anonymously doing well on Wall Street for 10 years to give them a check.

It amazes me that UConn is on the precipice of being able to conceivably generate revenue in an SEVENTH sport. That's unheard of.

-Football (slight profit but should increase)
-Men's Basketball
-Women's Basketball
-Men's Soccer
-Women's Soccer
-Men's Ice Hockey (no schollies+paid for facility+paid admission=$$$)
-Baseball (once they start charging for tickets, that should help them get there)

 

[uconnbaseball]

Thrilled to hear about this. I wonder if the likes of Charles Nagy or George Springer would be willing to help us out here???

 

[UCONNJACK]

Thrilled to hear about this. I wonder if the likes of Charles Nagy or George Springer would be willing to help us out here???

Nagy made a sizeable donation several years ago. I think there an endowed scholarship in his name.

 

[uconnbaseball]

Nice!

 

[Gregory Koch]

Not sure about lights, but it'd be a real disappointment not to have them. I suppose the argument is that April & May nights might still be cool enough to kill attendance, but I'd disagree. Imagine a nice night in April, nothing else going on on campus, get a good OOC team in (that might be the hardest part), you'd pack the place, maybe SNY on a Mets off-night (or on-night, they're brutal).

This will be interesting. I'd wager the soccer facility gets done first just because there is a booster base there that is deep AND has brought the dough time after time for the program. The baseball booster base is probably deeper, but they haven't been asked to come to bat with cash in a long time. I'd imagine they do softball/baseball together, but that's going to be tough, because I just don't know where the softball money is coming from. But you never know with these thing, all it takes is one former player who's been anonymously doing well on Wall Street for 10 years to give them a check.

It amazes me that UConn is on the precipice of being able to conceivably generate revenue in an SEVENTH sport. That's unheard of.

-Football (slight profit but should increase)
-Men's Basketball
-Women's Basketball
-Men's Soccer
-Women's Soccer
-Men's Ice Hockey (no schollies+paid for facility+paid admission=$$$)
-Baseball (once they start charging for tickets, that should help them get there)

Considering SNY produces the Mets games even when they're on WPIX/whatever the Connecticut version is, they're not putting anything good opposite it. Certainly not baseball. But they could do it on an off night, or on a Saturday afternoon/night when the Mets are on Fox (not that that will happen. And if they announce they're doing baseball and softball together, then wealthy donors will still give. We'll just need more of them.

 

[Dann]

i will say this: you don't put $$ into a new stadium at uconn unless you can seat 5k and have lights for regionals. otherwise u invest in a nice bus for the team to ride to nwich. doesn't make any sense. and you should have another 2kish in temp bleachers for the outfield for when you do host a regional one day on campus. kids will flock to a winnig team and big names if its across the quad. uconn baseball on the rise!

 

[mets1090]

i will say this: you don't put $$ into a new stadium at uconn unless you can seat 5k and have lights for regionals. otherwise u invest in a nice bus for the team to ride to nwich. doesn't make any sense. and you should have another 2kish in temp bleachers for the outfield for when you do host a regional one day on campus. kids will flock to a winnig team and big names if its across the quad. uconn baseball on the rise!

It's too bad regionals take place about a month after school ends so no students will be on campus. That probably sounds sarcastic but it's not meant to be. It really is a shame that the baseball post season is after school ends. With a good team hosting regionals though I'm sure plenty of kids would go to campus to see games.

 

[Dann]

thats what i ment, just didn't think it thru correctly.

whats the most misquoted baseball quote ever?

"if you build it, they will come"

 

[mets1090]

If you build it, he will come

Pretty sure we want more than one guy to come to a 10 million dollar stadium though. Maybe if Kevin Costner made a few appearances we could draw more than one guy.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

http://www.uconnhuskies.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/013112aaa.html

From Duncan's link to the UConn site:

"The University of Connecticut Division of Athletics has established 'Stadium Enhancement/ Construction' funds in the sports of soccer, baseball and softball. The purpose of the funds are to upgrade or build new facilities for those sports. The projects are all still in the early planning stages and the full scope of these projects have yet to be determined. The projects will be funded entirely through private donations.

UConn is currently raising funds for the building of a new Basketball Development Center on the Storrs campus, which will be located on the current site of Memorial Stadium. Approximately $16 million has been fundraised to this project to date.

'As we continue to aggressively raise funds for our Basketball Development Center, we are also doing the same to support our men's and women soccer, baseball and softball programs," said Interim Director of Athletics Paul Pendergast. "All four of these programs have enjoyed national success over the years, but our on-campus playing venues have fallen behind that of our peer institutions. In order to maintain and enhance the excellence we desire in these sports, we have to make sure these teams have modern, outstanding facilities.'

For information on contributing to any of these funds, please contact the UConn Athletic Development Office at 860-486-3863."

 

[UConnHusky2012]

i will say this: you don't put $$ into a new stadium at uconn unless you can seat 5k and have lights for regionals. otherwise u invest in a nice bus for the team to ride to nwich. doesn't make any sense. and you should have another 2kish in temp bleachers for the outfield for when you do host a regional one day on campus. kids will flock to a winnig team and big names if its across the quad. uconn baseball on the rise!

I was with someone on a recruiting trip over the winter break and had the coach tell us that the reason his school had a 3k person stadium was so that they could host regionals. So I really don't think that we need a huge (5k) stadium to host. Just get us some lights and a legitimate stadium and we will be fine... Oh and this was some exciting news to find after not checking on here for a few months

 

[Dann]

i realize were not a southern sunny weather baseball team and fanbase
http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2011/01/06/2010-ncaa-baseball-attendance-leaders/
http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2011/06/14/2011-division-1-college-baseball-attendance-report/


lights are a must, its not even a question. wneu didn't do the lights and its hurt them ever since and thats d3. they have to travel to eastern for the new england regional every year which stinks not to be able to host. we beat the crap outa everyone in the region(cept eastern who were even with the past 7 years) but always have to travel and can't have night games etc...a night game on campus for a tuesday night with nothing else going on will draw a crowd, kids look for things to do and enjoy. anyway im ok if its 3k behind home plate. but come regionals there better be 1-2k+bleachers showing up. didn't norwhich have 3k+ 2 years ago? so that crowd doesn't care if its on campus or down the street, but add the campus in and it will give a good amount of students to head up there for a day or weekend and party and route the team on. not to mention even though spring semester is over i bet alot of ppl on campus will be looking for something to do. i bet you can get a nice crowd come that time.
build it once for the future, not build it and then look to expand again. its not football. either we want to be a player in the cb world or not. any conf change from the BE we make or if we are in a league with a lville/tcu/ecu/ucf/usf etc our program will continue to rise.

 

[UConnHusky2012]

Let put it this way the school I was talking about was Georgia Southern, they are #36 on the attendance list that you posted averaging 1600 a game. They are just about the same size school as UConn population wise and have a much much better reputation historically than we do in baseball. For them to only have a 3k person stadium says a lot. Also Coastal Carolina just finalized plans for a new 2,500 person $10+ million stadium that would have the ability to add seats to get up to 5-6k for a regional but they also have much more history behind their program. What Im trying to get at is we at the very most need a stadium with 3k permanent seats and then we could have the capacity to add some for regionals. Anymore I feel would be a waste of time and money though because except for the really big games UConn doesn't market the team enough to draw more than 300 ppl for most games