Rentschler Stadium expansion

[Dooley]

If we take a constant beating from B1G teams the novelty will wear off. Unfortunately we've learned CT fans are fair weather and after a while they'd be at home watching games on the BTN and the 60k seat stadium would have 30k.

With that said if we were to be competitive and beat a few of the big boys we could keep it around 50k plus

NO it won't! See, the northeast is home to several B1G alumni bases. At the very least, they'd bring 10-15,000 with them every game. If UConn draws 30,000 season tickets plus 10,000 student tickets/band/player family tickets, you'd have your packed stadium each and every Saturday.

 

[uconNYC]

Herbst on many occasions has mentioned that the Rent can be expanded to 55,000+. It's clearly part of her talking points and I think she understands the the role a stadium plays in marketing our program. I'm pretty confident she has given assurances to prospective conferences that we will expand the Rent if need be.

In the current economic climate, however, and with the basketball facility a priority - stadium expansion is simply not on the table. That however does not preclude the university from doing some PR by saying that stadium expansion is in our medium term plans and releasing some artist renderings of an expanded Rent. I believe they did that with baseball. Again it highlights lack of creativity in our marketing and PR.

 

[Bootsthemonkey]

You need private donors. Malloy just announced cutting the budget by approx $170 million to deal with the deficit. Programs are being cut and people losing jobs. Asking for $ to expand a football stadium would get you laughed out of the building.

 

[Uconnalliance]

Amazes me that we can't put 25k in the stands for a bowl crucial game but everybody wants a major stadium expansion Wtf! Are some of you people thinking? I was embarrassed at the turnout, build it and they will come my !king ass some people on this board are dope users! Get a !king grip,wake up and show up!!!!

 

[FfldCntyFan]

If I were in charge the first thing I would do is put a wall up behind the end zone opposite the student section and walls throughout the stadium between decks 1 & 2. If people don't want to sit in their seats during the game, we can't prevent this but we can make it nearly impossible for them to see the game if they aren't in their seats.

 

[Dooley]

Amazes me that we can't put 25k in the stands for a bowl crucial game but everybody wants a major stadium expansion Wtf! Are some of you people thinking? I was embarrassed at the turnout, build it and they will come my !king ass some people on this board are dope users! Get a !king grip,wake up and show up!!!!

Tonight's attendance was putrid. Seeing 11 rows of students in our peak quarter (mid-2nd) is embarrassing. I actually saw fans leaving the stadium before halftime (I assume they left because they packed up their blankets and chairbacks).

 

[Dooley]

If I were in charge the first thing I would do is put a wall up behind the end zone opposite the student section and walls throughout the stadium between decks 1 & 2. If people don't want to sit in their seats during the game, we can't prevent this but we can make it nearly impossible for them to see the game if they aren't in their seats.

I'm in the last row of section 139 and can hear the socialites behind us giggling and carrying on while paying absolutely zero attention to the game. I imagine that most people milling around the beer stands and the scoreboard area pay little attention to the game. I'm with you. I want to break up these socialites in the worst way. Close up the scoreboard side of the stadium with temporary bleacher seating and close up every other opening under the second deck to diminish standing areas. And for the love of all this Husky, lock the students in so they can't leave the game to go back out to the lots and drink more. Everytime I looked around the stadium and thought "this game is on ABC", I hoped that the smoke from the grills and the fog would smother the look of our pathetic stadium on TV.

 

[Uconnalliance]

Tonight's attendance was putrid. Seeing 11 rows of students in our peak quarter (mid-2nd) is embarrassing. I actually saw fans leaving the stadium before halftime (I assume they left because they packed up their blankets and chairbacks).

We are done, national TV and no shows, done fuck!ng done,say no more bye bye!

 

[Uconnalliance]

If I were in charge the first thing I would do is put a wall up behind the end zone opposite the student section and walls throughout the stadium between decks 1 & 2. If people don't want to sit in their seats during the game, we can't prevent this but we can make it nearly impossible for them to see the game if they aren't in their seats.

Are own fans won't come see us what's next?

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Are own fans won't come see us what's next?

Shouldn't it be Our own fans?

By the way, what happened to you after the first quarter today? Did you become one of the so many you were complaining about?

 

[Uconnalliance]

Shouldn't it be Our own fans?

By the way, what happened to you after the first quarter today? Did you become one of the so many you were complaining about?

Exactly fans behind us right? Sick over turnout,no more bitching! Bullish!t!

 

[Rumrunner]

Just speculating, but if UConn had an on-campus stadium, student turnout would not be an issue.

 

[uconNYC]

Saw the highlights of the TCU and KState games. TCU's capacity is 46,000 and KState's 50,000. Neither are much bigger than the Rent. The difference is all their fans are sitting in their seats and wearing the school colors. Maybe that is what we need to focus on.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Just speculating, but if UConn had an on-campus stadium, student turnout would not be an issue.

ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ding

 

[zls44]

Saw the highlights of the TCU and KState games. TCU's capacity is 46,000 and KState's 50,000. Neither are much bigger than the Rent. The difference is all their fans are sitting in their seats and wearing the school colors. Maybe that is what we need to focus on.

For starters, you print 'Wear Blue!' on the tickets. Every one of them. Season tickets AND the ones sold through the UConn ticket office. Work with TicketMaster to get printable tickets for all UConn events on their site- this allows fans to easily exchange tickets, print them at home, but for this discussion...it also allows UConn to design the ticket style that's printed (including a Wear Blue reminder).

Simple, isn't it? That won't solve the problem- but wasn't it an easy idea that just might help?

 

[RS9999X]

If I were in charge the first thing I would do is put a wall up behind the end zone opposite the student section and walls throughout the stadium between decks 1 & 2. If people don't want to sit in their seats during the game, we can't prevent this but we can make it nearly impossible for them to see the game if they aren't in their seats.

I'm thinking we can line them up and shoot them for God Sakes. What the hell do they think they are doing?

....for the love of all this Husky, lock the students in so they can't leave the game to go back out to the lots and drink more. Everytime I looked around the stadium and thought "this game is on ABC", I hoped that the smoke from the grills and the fog would smother the look of our pathetic stadium on TV.

I agree. Let's handcuff them to the seats. Maybe start trolling the homeless shelters for warm bodies to shackle to seats. Perhaps the AD could consider paying people $10 an hour as part of their workfare. If that doesn't work then build a season ticket priced into their fees like other programs do.

 

[Dann]

For starters, you print 'Wear Blue!' on the tickets. Every one of them. Season tickets AND the ones sold through the UConn ticket office. Work with TicketMaster to get printable tickets for all UConn events on their site- this allows fans to easily exchange tickets, print them at home, but for this discussion...it also allows UConn to design the ticket style that's printed (including a Wear Blue reminder).

Simple, isn't it? That won't solve the problem- but wasn't it an easy idea that just might help?

and there are 100 other ideas this simple that all together can mold a culture but no one in the ad can figure it out.

u make the blue out the 1st game next year vs rhode island state for all i care, u get a sponsor and print 50k tshirts and give everyone and there mothers shirts. now we have set the blue tone for the year and theres no excuse. now push the blue...

 

[Rumrunner]

uconn marketing should do a ct high school senior night on one of the thurs nite games. you've got dozens and dozens of high schools within an hour of the rent.

print up some tshirts, set aside tailgating area, get a twitter/facebook page dedicated to it, let high school seniors know this will be the biggest party of their senior year. get a liaison for each school from the deca club or glee club or whatever. heck, if teens can self-organize a skip day and head to the beach, uconn marketing can even get this done.

if it goes well, make it an annual affair. but it's kind of pathetic that we're having to even suggest these ideas.

 

[FAIRTIDES]

I'm in the last row of section 139 and can hear the socialites behind us giggling and carrying on while paying absolutely zero attention to the game. I imagine that most people milling around the beer stands and the scoreboard area pay little attention to the game. I'm with you. I want to break up these socialites in the worst way. Close up the scoreboard side of the stadium with temporary bleacher seating and close up every other opening under the second deck to diminish standing areas. And for the love of all this Husky, lock the students in so they can't leave the game to go back out to the lots and drink more. Everytime I looked around the stadium and thought "this game is on ABC", I hoped that the smoke from the grills and the fog would smother the look of our pathetic stadium on TV.

One question. Did they pay for the tickets? I thought anger was being directed at people that don't show at all. It seems there is a new category; those that purchase tickets but don't follow certain "fan rules." For my money, they can do whatever they want, within the bounds of common game etiquette, if they purchase a ticket.

 

[Bootsthemonkey]

That's very true. But the frustration is also understandable. I'd say the core UConn crowd is around 5,000-8,000. Usually what you see early in the first quarter or late in the 4th. The rest seems to be made up of either the party crowd or those looking for a cheap alternative to seeing a pro game - almost like a minor league crowd.
People who buy tix can show as much or as little attention as they like - but it can still be frustrating to watch.

 

[Dann]

the next time i go to a fball game(post p and d), i'm dragging my lawn chair into the stadium with me and when they try to stop me i am going to throw it over the gate and yell and scream at the top of my lungs "look uconn is expanding the rent" and just get ppl all fired the fuck up.

 

[uconNYC]

If I were in charge the first thing I would do is put a wall up behind the end zone opposite the student section and walls throughout the stadium between decks 1 & 2. If people don't want to sit in their seats during the game, we can't prevent this but we can make it nearly impossible for them to see the game if they aren't in their seats.

Watching the Redskins game last night - I noticed that the Redskins actually got rid of a bunch of their seats in the upperdeck to create a "Party Deck" where fans can stand, socialize and watch the game. Supposedly they got the idea from Cowboys stadium. So these open spaces are actually becoming the trend for stadiums. Our problem is that people who actually have seats choose to stand in these areas while at FedEx Field and Cowboys Stadium it is people without seats that stand.