Renovations at Rentschler Field

[jostar1]

The start of roof improvements at East Hartford’s Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field are on tap for early 2025, Freimuth said. Once a construction manager is chosen, work on the stadium’s roof could start as soon as February.

Future work is needed on Rentschler Field’s IT infrastructure, metal detectors and sound system, Freimuth said. The state’s bond commission is expected to consider more money for the project. A 2023 study found that the East Hartford stadium needed at least $63 million in renovations to upgrade its antiquated systems.

https://www.ctinsider.com/business/article/ct-hartford-xl-center-renovations-uconn-games-19879966.php

 

[Chin Diesel]

Ummmm, who's gonna tell him?

 

[Alum86]

Paywall block to an article on XL, not the Rent.

 

[hardcorehusky]

Ummmm, who's gonna tell him?

Those new metal detectors have been there the last 2 weeks.

If they really want to upgrade the fan experience, invest in really good wife(I did type wifi), a Rentschler Field app that shows all different angles of plays and seat delivery for food and beverages.

 

[jostar1]

Paywall block to an article on XL, not the Rent.

huskymedic posted the article on the basketball board. I was able to read it. I posted the part about the Rent. The important part to me is "The state’s bond commission is expected to consider more money for the project".

 

[noeynox]

Those new metal detectors have been there the last 2 weeks.

If they really want to upgrade the fan experience, invest in really good wife, a Rentschler Field app that shows all different angles of plays and seat delivery for food and beverages.

A good wife is crucial. As mine has been asking for years why I watch UConn football.

 

[ScottVib]

The sound system for the on field stuff was inaudible Friday night for much of the game. Definitely showing its age in a time where the games need to be turned into an event.

 

[Eastwood]

Agree about a good wife. If you have a really good wife she might deliver the food to your seat.

 

[PopcornHatKid]

The sound system for the on field stuff was inaudible Friday night for much of the game. Definitely showing its age in a time where the games need to be turned into an event.

Most notably during the pre game hype video with Andre Dixon. You can't understand a word that is said. Its horrible.

 

[huskymedic]

The sound system for the on field stuff was inaudible Friday night for much of the game. Definitely showing its age in a time where the games need to be turned into an event.

Most notably during the pre game hype video with Andre Dixon. You can't understand a word that is said. Its horrible.

On the list…

Nothing a few bucks can’t resolve (Populous Comprehensive Building Assessment from 2 years ago - pgs 55>59):

Sound - Noted Defects & Issues: The bowl loudspeakers are original to the venue according to the operator. Many seasons of freezing and heating are taking their toll on the internal components of the speakers, including possible crossover network failures, high frequency and low frequency driver failures to material and adhesive issues. For high frequency failures, this significantly compromises speech intelligibility, which is obviously desirable for entertainment events but critically important during emergency and inclement weather for providing direction to patrons seated in the bowl

Recommendations 1. Repair defective existing bowl loudspeakers until full replacement can be done. a. If the fidelity and performance of the current bowl loudspeakers (in good repair) are adequate to stakeholders and patrons, then new, updated versions of the loudspeaker product would be a cost effective solution.... 4. Replace the aging, partially defective Yamaha M7 bowl sound mixer with a more cost effective model; Yamaha CL series, A&H QU or SQ series

 

[Diehard Fan]

A good wife is crucial. As mine has been asking for years why I watch UConn football.

My good wife has approved of my going to 11 of the 12 regular season games this year. Hard to top that!

 

[tiger paw]

How about a power washing of the seats ? They have never been cleaned + are covered with bird droppings. Row numbers on the end seats are gone + peeled away. Most palaces paint the row number on each concrete step. Overall the Rent looks tired, old and dirty.

 

[tiger8mush]

There were two games at the beginning of last season (think it was last season, or was it this season? I forget, I'm getting old) but the bass in the sound system was actually hitting hard, you could feel it, like in an NFL stadium or a concert. It was obvious. The bass overpowered the rest of the audio (mids/highs) that wasn't upgraded. Then the rest of the season was back to normal - very little bass, just the crappy muffled mids/highs.

 

[LoyalFanCT]

I bet the final price tag to renovate the Rent will be closer to $200M or higher.

 

[Windham4th]

The sound system for the on field stuff was inaudible Friday night for much of the game. Definitely showing its age in a time where the games need to be turned into an event.

Well at least there are no more home games

 

[Kolumbo]

I bet the final price tag to renovate the Rent will be closer to $200M or higher.

If that is the case

 

[Jetskies]

How about a power washing of the seats ? They have never been cleaned + are covered with bird droppings. Row numbers on the end seats are gone + peeled away. Most palaces paint the row number on each concrete step. Overall the Rent looks tired, old and dirty.

Agreed that the Rent needs some TLC - but tbh I always hated how it has always looked incomplete. I know it was made to be expandable, but alllllll of that exposed concrete holding up the stands, and then the drab metal railings throughout, and the lack of ribbon display boards acround the entire circumference and an undersized main display for the size of the facility ... it just looks... incomplete. the gorgeous grass deserves a nicer surrounding worthy of the hard work of the players entering it. And i don't think it requires a full renovation or $200M to get the rent looking like a respectable (not elite, but respectable) FBS home field in 2024.

For those of you about to shoot me, I am not saying the Rent is an embarrassment. But it still looks like it was built for a 2003 college football experience, age/wear aside.

Liberty is a good example of scaling nicely while acknowledging you are never going to bring 60K people to your games. Williams is only built for 25,000 fans but it looks like a palace.

my hopeful inner self is wondering if the lack of investment in the Rent is because they have already decided on another place for future of the team, or maybe just waiting for the conference invite to negotiate funding the Rent's renovation up to that conference's standards.

Williams Stadium - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[UCONNRPh]

A good wife is crucial. As mine has been asking for years why I watch UConn football.

Am with you there. My whole family questions me weekly. They are basketball only and give an ugh about FB.

 

[CL82]

A good wife is crucial. As mine has been asking for years why I watch UConn football.

It's like she doesn't understand you at all

 

[jdb50]

I'd be happy starting with a PA announcer who can correctly identify who the UConn ballcarrier is.

 

[Kolumbo]

Agreed that the Rent needs some TLC - but tbh I always hated how it has always looked incomplete. I know it was made to be expandable, but alllllll of that exposed concrete holding up the stands, and then the drab metal railings throughout, and the lack of ribbon display boards acround the entire circumference and an undersized main display for the size of the facility ... it just looks... incomplete. the gorgeous grass deserves a nicer surrounding worthy of the hard work of the players entering it. And i don't think it requires a full renovation or $200M to get the rent looking like a respectable (not elite, but respectable) FBS home field in 2024.

For those of you about to shoot me, I am not saying the Rent is an embarrassment. But it still looks like it was built for a 2003 college football experience, age/wear aside.

Liberty is a good example of scaling nicely while acknowledging you are never going to bring 60K people to your games. Williams is only built for 25,000 fans but it looks like a palace.

my hopeful inner self is wondering if the lack of investment in the Rent is because they have already decided on another place for future of the team, or maybe just waiting for the conference invite to negotiate funding the Rent's renovation up to that conference's standards.

Williams Stadium - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I would say the biggest reason for the bare-bones stadium is because it is off campus. It is more of a shell stadium because there is no need for all of the upscale amenities that are incorporated into an on-campus stadium. Offices, workout facilities, architecture, classrooms, etc. It's a field with stands and is used 7 times a year, that's it. It is not a complete facility which is an integral part of campus. I consider it like an Intex pool at your summer rental cottage. You aren't going to build an elaborate inground pool and jacuzzi with a pool house if it's not at your main home.

Williams Stadium is very nice and is located in the center of Liberty's campus.

"Phase two has added a second deck to the student side, which has increased capacity to 25,000, beginning with the 2018 football season. The estimated cost for the second phase of the project was $40 million. Phase three will complete a "horseshoe" around the south end zone, bringing the total capacity to 30,000.[4] Williams Stadium has the potential to be expanded past 60,000 in the future.

 

[CL82]

I would say the biggest reason for the bare-bones stadium is because it is off campus. It is more of a shell stadium because there is no need for all of the upscale amenities that are incorporated into an on-campus stadium. Offices, workout facilities, architecture, classrooms, etc. It's a field with stands and is used 7 times a year, that's it. It is not a complete facility which is an integral part of campus. I consider it like an Intex pool at your summer rental cottage. You aren't going to build an elaborate inground pool and jacuzzi with a pool house if it's not at your main home.

Williams Stadium is very nice and is located in the center of Liberty's campus.

"Phase two has added a second deck to the student side, which has increased capacity to 25,000, beginning with the 2018 football season. The estimated cost for the second phase of the project was $40 million. Phase three will complete a "horseshoe" around the south end zone, bringing the total capacity to 30,000.[4] Williams Stadium has the potential to be expanded past 60,000 in the future.

If we ever were to build a stadium on campus much of the things that are normally incorporated into a stadium already exist inside the Burton facility and would not need to be replicated. That would make it a more cost-effective build. Not that building a stadium is ever going to be inexpensive.

 

[Jetskies]

I would say the biggest reason for the bare-bones stadium is because it is off campus. It is more of a shell stadium because there is no need for all of the upscale amenities that are incorporated into an on-campus stadium. Offices, workout facilities, architecture, classrooms, etc. It's a field with stands and is used 7 times a year, that's it. It is not a complete facility which is an integral part of campus. I consider it like an Intex pool at your summer rental cottage. You aren't going to build an elaborate inground pool and jacuzzi with a pool house if it's not at your main home.

totally get this.... Except it IS our home - on campus or not, it's not a rental in the sense that we DO live there, we're the only occupant, and we have never had plans to leave. We ARE the owner of this "rental cottage" (de facto - i don't mean legally) for 20+ years.

I am not trying to crap on UConn admin but one thing podcast/B12 UConn haters do have a point on, is that if UConn was in fact serious about the program, they would have seen the trends in college football stadiums/amenities arms race and done something to keep up, or at least try.

21 years is a long time, and I would doubt the university has ever SERIOUSLY considered bringing the stadium to Storrs in that timeframe. Therefore, if you're not gonna build a true home in Storrs, at some point you needed to treat the Rent as more than a one-night stand. That's your wife, on-campus or not.

 

[Kolumbo]

totally get this.... Except it IS our home - on campus or not, it's not a rental in the sense that we DO live there, we're the only occupant, and we have never had plans to leave. We ARE the owner of this "rental cottage" (de facto - i don't mean legally) for 20+ years.

I am not trying to crap on UConn admin but one thing podcast/B12 UConn haters do have a point on, is that if UConn was in fact serious about the program, they would have seen the trends in college football stadiums/amenities arms race and done something to keep up, or at least try.

21 years is a long time, and I would doubt the university has ever SERIOUSLY considered bringing the stadium to Storrs in that timeframe. Therefore, if you're not gonna build a true home in Storrs, at some point you needed to treat the Rent as more than a one-night stand. That's your wife, on-campus or not.

I think that would make sense if the stadium were used weekly for something. I don't think making major capital investments into a structure rarely used makes financial sense. That's the problem with the stadium being where it is, and it is a rental. It doesn't enhance the Storrs campus and it has very limited use so spending big bucks for all the bells and whistles just does not make sense. I like it for tailgating and watching football, it serves the purpose well. But that is all it is.

I spent some time in Athens, GA for work so I would jog around the campus. One day I ran across the Sanford Dr bridge which overlooks the end zone and there was a small ceremony of some sort in the middle of the football field. A great setting. Sanford Stadium is pretty much Athens, GA. It is squeezed right in the middle of campus. That is how serious football programs do it, like it or not. I hope UConn gets to that point.

 

[gampelcrazies]

The Rent is starting to look really tired. The bleachers, concourse need a decent amount of work. The field however looks fantastic. Really wish they would chairback it with UConn colors and use it for other things besides football in the offseason. But that will never happen.

 

[Palatine]

The Rent is starting to look really tired. The bleachers, concourse need a decent amount of work. The field however looks fantastic. Really wish they would chairback it with UConn colors and use it for other things besides football in the offseason. But that will never happen.

At the very least they should alternate Blue and White seats which would look much better on TV.

 

[UCFBfan]

Wasn't there also talk of updating all of the wiring inside as TV had to run ridiculous cables all over bc the system is as old as the stadium?

 

[Jetskies]

I think that would make sense if the stadium were used weekly for something. I don't think making major capital investments into a structure rarely used makes financial sense. That's the problem with the stadium being where it is, and it is a rental. It doesn't enhance the Storrs campus and it has very limited use so spending big bucks for all the bells and whistles just does not make sense. I like it for tailgating and watching football, it serves the purpose well. But that is all it is.

I spent some time in Athens, GA for work so I would jog around the campus. One day I ran across the Sanford Dr bridge which overlooks the end zone and there was a small ceremony of some sort in the middle of the football field. A great setting. Sanford Stadium is pretty much Athens, GA. It is squeezed right in the middle of campus. That is how serious football programs do it, like it or not. I hope UConn gets to that point.

i don't think you're wrong. It would be a 'waste'.

TBH no modern football stadium is worth the money the universities spend on creating them. When does Michgan need to put 100,000 people together, besides 6 times a year? Tennessee? Penn State? etc. etc.

It's kind of like that picture i saw once on IG about LSU's new stadium upgrades and locker room upgrades, but they had a leaky ceiling in their library that was being dealt with, with garbage bins catching the water.


But unfortunately, this stadium discussion isn't about money spent being "worth" it, in the way you're outlining above.

so, assuming that spending your money on football stadiums is a waste of money (in the grand scheme of life, it is 100%), UConn either wants to be relevant in FBS Football or not. In addition to wasting money on players, they need to waste some money on playing in a home worthy of a power conference badge (BTW The Rent was worthy... 17 years ago).

there are counter examples to this (power schools with not amazing stadiums) but those are fewer and fewer as the years go on, and they're legacy programs who were lucky enough to be grandfathered into the power status (northwestern, Vandy) - but see, even those schools are choosing to "waste" their money on keeping up with their peers and making modern gameday experiences.

If we behave like a Big East school in 2024 we're gonna get treated like a Big East school.
If we behave like a Big 12 school.... etc.

 

[gioff2323]

Most palaces paint the row number on each concrete step. Overall the Rent looks tired

Well there’s your problem. No self respecting palace owner would have concrete steps, let alone paint numbers on them.

 

[JohnFSilver]

The start of roof improvements at East Hartford’s Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field are on tap for early 2025, Freimuth said. Once a construction manager is chosen, work on the stadium’s roof could start as soon as February.

Future work is needed on Rentschler Field’s IT infrastructure, metal detectors and sound system, Freimuth said. The state’s bond commission is expected to consider more money for the project. A 2023 study found that the East Hartford stadium needed at least $63 million in renovations to upgrade its antiquated systems.

https://www.ctinsider.com/business/article/ct-hartford-xl-center-renovations-uconn-games-19879966.php

Metal detectors. Hate going through those.