Rentschler Field facing its largest loss since opening as UConn football attendance plummets

[TheDoggPound]

Not to get into the whole UConn-CRDA-XLC arrangement but I'm pretty sure the Wolf Pack's affiliation fee is part of the building's losses.. last I checked the fee is around 1.5m annually.

 

[Uconnalliance]

Maybe Uncle Ned could put a toll up in the parking lot

 

[freescooter]

Sure, make more difficult for most of the fans to attend games.

A. If they start winning big again it won’t matter if they play in Nutly N J. People will get there

B. The days of sell outs for NJIT and the other dreck games are long gone no matter how good they are. Gampel is the right size for the modern era. And maybe they can get a few students to show up too

 

[JohnFSilver]

This is a ridiculous angle. UConn is a customer of Rentschler Field. UConn is not in control of Rentschler Field's finances.

Because of that, this is not a UConn football problem. UConn gets enough flack for their athletic department performance, they shouldn't get flack for an area they don't control, nor are they responsible for. They are merely a tenant and have no control or financial stake in any other events house at Rentschler Field. The state built the field, it is the state that runs it independent of UConn.

 

[Husky25]

This is a ridiculous angle. UConn is a customer of Rentschler Field. UConn is not in control of Rentschler Field's finances.

Because of that, this is not a UConn football problem. UConn gets enough flack for their athletic department performance, they shouldn't get flack for an area they don't control, nor are they responsible for. They are merely a tenant and have no control or financial stake in any other events house at Rentschler Field. The state built the field, it is the state that runs it independent of UConn.

UConn subsidizing CDRA for a $1/4M, but only if all other events make money is a ridiculous provision. Either increase the rent, or operate as if that provision doesn't exist. As is, CDRA is perpetuating a Welfare stereotype.

 

[outlaw]

You want to continue to support football?
FINE.
YOU PAY FOR IT.

ok, boomer

 

[uconnbill]

Sure, make more difficult for most of the fans to attend games.

That's how it is done on most college campuses.

 

[John]

That's how it is done on most college campuses.

Serious question because I'm truly not sure: what other State university subsidizes a failing urban arena? Is this common?

 

[PackTheRent]

When the next recession hits this will be meaningful. Until then, it's just another negative data point for a program in decline. If the team is posting 3-9 or 4-8 over the next two years and then the budget deficit explodes due to economy, it's lights out. Otherwise, we will gather with our "first-tier" friends on September 3rd to watch the #109-ranked FBS team take on #115 Zoo-Mass. But the clock is ticking, and taxpayers are digusted.

 

[Hoophound]

Serious question: I don’t know the specifics of the UConn/Rent deal, but wouldn’t dropping UConn football to FCS and playing on campus in a small venue or dropping football all together make the Rent deficit way worse?

It seems like people complain about things when the alternative is even worse. That’s just a negative mindset controlling opinion rather than common sense.

My wife often does it, she complains about things that frustrate her but when I point out the alternative (which is far worse), rather than be happy and move on, she’ll complain about how upset she is that her options aren’t appealing. I will then proceed to explain how to “change her options”, which always involves effort. In the case of UConn football, UConn paying to use the Rent is far better than the Rent having no tenant. The way to make this situation better is to win football games. The way to win football games is to make an effort/invest in it. That won’t appeal to some people right now but that’s the big boy way to solve the problem.

 

[John]

UConn: the only state school where the fans of one sport actively root for the failure of another sport from the same university.

 

[Yup!]

Why didn’t we just build a stadium on campus? Around $172,000 a game since 2003 is a lot of money. That’s stadium money.

 

[Irishfan]

Why didn’t we just build a stadium on campus? Around $172,000 a game since 2003 is a lot of money. That’s stadium money.

$18,000,000 is not stadium money.

 

[hardcorehusky]

Why didn’t we just build a stadium on campus? Around $172,000 a game since 2003 is a lot of money. That’s stadium money.

TOWN OF MANSFIELD was against it

 

[JohnFSilver]

UConn: the only state school where the fans of one sport actively root for the failure of another sport from the same university.

This is the exact problem with UConn athletics and the fan base.

 

[History Geek]

This is the exact problem with UConn athletics and the fan base.

It really is strange, annoying, and embarrassing.

 

[freescooter]

This is the exact problem with UConn athletics and the fan base.

It is a huge problem and one really that the basketball groupies both inside and outside the Athletic Department have a hand in. When the football upgrade was first being considered there were folks within the AD actively lobbying against it. Still are. It is unreal. Geno actually cultivated his own fan base largely because some tried to undermine his program too. Until he won title after title. I’ve heard there is some of the same nonsense going on around the hockey program now too and went into the decision to build a small on campus arena. We wouldn’t want those pesky hockey fans showing up and taking parking from basketball fans on a Saturday after all.

 

[UCFBfan]

This is the exact problem with UConn athletics and the fan base.

It is something I've never seen or heard of at any other major university. Does anyone know of a school where fans refer to themselves as basketball or football fans and not (Insert School name) fans? I fight this all the time with my friends who grew up here and are die hard bball fans. They support the football program but hated it from the second it left us in the AAC and was over the moon when it may have gone away or did whatever to get the bball team back to the Big East. Unreal.

 

[CL82]

Not to get into the whole UConn-CRDA-XLC arrangement but I'm pretty sure the Wolf Pack's affiliation fee is part of the building's losses.. last I checked the fee is around 1.5m annually.

wow

 

[TMB4405]

I am an alum and a massive sports fan. Rooting for EVERY Uconn sport is natural to me. I am checking up on golf, women’s hockey, softball and any other sport all the time! Not to mention being totally all in on hoops, hockey, baseball and football.

So I certainly don’t understand the mentalityof not rooting for the school in everything but there is no denying it happens with Uconn and quite frankly it sucks. Also, the constant negativity when we are doing poorly. It never stops.

 

[CL82]

TOWN OF MANSFIELD was against it

Not so much. UConn's on campus proposal included the state paying for the equivalent of Shenkman and Burton and the legislature rejected it. Then Kraft's dalliance with playing in Hartford suddenly made an off campus arena an option. When Pratt and Whitney offer the state land, there was a push to take advantage of it... even though UConn already owned suitable and on and around campus. The last kicker was the notion that an East Hartford stadium would enhance the economic fortunes of East Hartford. I'm not sure that really worked out for them.

I say this with prospective of distance, but the Connecticut legislature are idiots. It was a crappy idea that isn't getting better with age. That said, it's not changing any time in the near future. And despite its quirky location the Rent is a great place to see a game, and tailgating on the runway is a blast.

 

[Robo03]

is the CRDA a state agency? if the state tax dollars are going to upgrade these facilities, then i think of it as a state building. anyone else think it is stupid that a STATE schools pays to play in a STATE stadium and arena! its like a school system paying rent to the town to use the school building, just stupid!

 

[raf46]

They'd have to build a new stadium first (old Memorial Stadium is gone). How much would that cost? And if they did would it be big enough to get FBS schools to come to Storrs to play UConn?

I love the timing of this story. UConn's been in the process recently of filling out their indy schedule for the next few upcoming years with several P5 schools, but the Courant posts this today and now we should just pull the plug on everything. Great.

Drop d1 football. Play on campus on the soccer field.

 

[John]

Drop d1 football. Play on campus on the soccer field.

move back to the leaky field house for basketball too. Big rivalry game against URI this week!!

 

[outlaw]

Drop d1 football. Play on campus on the soccer field.

no

 

[husky8273]

Why didn’t we just build a stadium on campus?

They tried numerous times. The state legislators would not approve the funding for an on campus stadium.

 

[Husky25]

Why didn’t we just build a stadium on campus? Around $172,000 a game since 2003 is a lot of money. That’s stadium money.

Congratulations on your release.

 

[MustangMan]

Stupid Questions from a recent CT Taxpayer:
- Why doesn’t Uconn own the stadium if it is the only viable tenant? I don’t understand why one state institution is paying “rent” to another and subsidizing “losses.”

 

[glastonbury50]

At least Rentschler has the potential to be a money maker. You can't say that about most of the things the state throws money at.

We should immediately sell all state and municipal parks using the logic of the original poster.

1 million is really nothing in the grand scheme of things you're correct. And really seeing that this is ROCK bottom, just goes to show that we can turn this thing around in a few years

 

[glastonbury50]

I think it's time for UConn to stop subsidizing the XL Center and have all basketball games on campus.

Also will be a bigger problem next year when tickets will most definitely be harder to come by. Not against this for fiscal or locational reasons just simply going to be much more demand for tickets.