Stadium on campus?

[Duncan Idaho]

I never really thought about that, is there enough room?

I would guess CL, it was my recollection that it was the chosen site after the Memorial Stadium site was deemed inadequate. Way back in the day I was able to see a wooden model of the master plan that had campus expansion heading south on 195 toward Willi. Filled with many buildings on both sides of the road. Any future stadium would be in the northern part of campus to prevent having traffic thru campus on game day as most of the off-campus fans would be coming from I-84.

 

[huskymedic]

Not behind Mansfield Supply? Thought that was the original spot.

I never really thought about that, is there enough room?

From a previous thread:

University of Connecticut property:



For reference - the notch off Rt195 on right side is the Mansfield Supply property (9.23.13 & 9.23.14)

 

[Patman]

Look everything begins and ends with a state taking of property and telling Mansfield to shove it. They weren't willing to do it in 2000 and the state still had their dream of a Hartford stadium to have something going for them.

What that has to do with now, I have no idea anymore. Uconn wouldn't be the cluster..... of a state U without the state's incomplete commitment to the unversity.

 

[CL82]

I would guess CL, it was my recollection that it was the chosen site after the Memorial Stadium site was deemed inadequate. Way back in the day I was able to see a wooden model of the master plan that had campus expansion heading south on 195 toward Willi. Filled with many buildings on both sides of the road. Any future stadium would be in the northern part of campus to prevent having traffic thru campus on game day as most of the off-campus fans would be coming from I-84.

I never heard about any of this or at least I don't remember it?

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Uhart what? They're athletics are absolute crap now.

UHart quarterback Rico Brogna

 

[Buffett10]

Crap team in a crap stadium

it'll be the nicest D3 stadium in the country. all 10 fans will be thrilled

 

[Jetskies]

As great as this would be -- and there is nothing better than walking through a college campus to the stadium on gameday -- it's not happening. Too many cranky Mansfield/Willington/Coventry/etc. Yankees. Rent expansion more realistic. If UCLA can suck it up to get to Pasadena .... you get the point

agree, but the only difference being that UCLA commutes to the... Rose Bowl. A historic venue like that is worth the commute. Gold and Blue on a fall saturday in pasadena is stamped in college football lore. They are an exception for those reasons. We commute to... the Rent.

 

[Stinger92860]

As great as this would be -- and there is nothing better than walking through a college campus to the stadium on gameday -- it's not happening. Too many cranky Mansfield/Willington/Coventry/etc. Yankees. Rent expansion more realistic. If UCLA can suck it up to get to Pasadena .... you get the point

If the Gov supports this and the state legislature approves, it won’t matter what the cranky Yankees think. Since 2003 (and starting earlier) the campus has been beautifully transformed. The transformation is not going to stop. They need to build whatever the minimum requirement is for seating with future expansion possibilities. If the B12 is good with the Rent then an on-campus stadium if a future possibility.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

agree, but the only difference being that UCLA commutes to the... Rose Bowl. A historic venue like that is worth the commute. Gold and Blue on a fall saturday in pasadena is stamped in college football lore. They are an exception for those reasons. We commute to... the Rent.

You forgot the most important reason, the 17 P5 Conference Championships UCLA has in football. They can play anywhere they want. Uconn has zero, so for the program to even get started an on campus stadium helps a lot in the eyes of the B12.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

I never heard about any of this or at least I don't remember it?

It's my memory. I'll look some things up to confirm and pass along any sources.

 

[pepband99]

From a previous thread:

As a '99 grad who followed this, my memory says:
The stadium was due to go where Discovery Dr is now - there was a fairly long dead end built ~95 that eventually turned into Discovery Dr, and the stadium site was originally up there.

As a band alumnus, i can can tell anyone that there is an F-ton of university-owned space behind Mansfield Supply - only things up there are W Lot, the band practice area, and a ton of corn. Easilly enough space.

 

[Platt81]

You forgot the most important reason, the 17 P5 Conference Championships UCLA has in football. They can play anywhere they want. Uconn has zero, so for the program to even get started an on campus stadium helps a lot in the eyes of the B12.

UConn has two….

 

[Waquoit]

You forgot the most important reason, the 17 P5 Conference Championships UCLA has in football. They can play anywhere they want.

I thought that the big deal was that students had to take the bus to games. You say that doesn't matter because reasons?

 

[CL82]

I admire the unbridled enthusiasm here for a campus stadium project but you guys are really dreaming.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

UConn has two….

I did reference 17 P5 conference championships for UCLA and UConn never played in a P5 conference. The Big East was NOT a P5 conference in 2007 or 2010, Team members in those years were Syracuse, Pitt, West Virginia, Rutgers, Cincinnati, South Florida, and Louisville. Hardly a P5 group. They were P4 at best. The Big East’s only “claim” to P5 stature ended when Miami left the Big East way back in 2003, when UConn football was just getting started. Furthermore in 2007 UConn was 9-4 and not even ranked in the Top 25 final AP poll. They were tied in conference wins and losses 5-2 with West Virginia which finished at 11-2, and ranked #7 in the final AP poll but if you want to claim they shared a conference championship, be my guest. Same in 2010 UConn was not even ranked in the final top 25.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

I thought that the big deal was that students had to take the bus to games. You say that doesn't matter because reasons?

Not sure what your question is. Where did I say WHAT doesn’t matter?

 

[Duncan Idaho]

I never heard about any of this or at least I don't remember it?

UCONN SITE FAVORED FOR STADIUM

A 100-acre site on the north end of the University of Connecticut campus is emerging as the preferred location to build a stadium for the UConn football program. The north campus site, with a price…

www.courant.com

This maybe a piece... would have been nice.

 

[huskymedic]

I did reference 17 P5 conference championships for UCLA and UConn never played in a P5 conference. The Big East was NOT a P5 conference in 2007 or 2010,

Before there was the P-whatever there was the BCS till 2014 (which @ the time was top 6 Football conferences and included the Big East)

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

As a '99 grad who followed this, my memory says:
The stadium was due to go where Discovery Dr is now - there was a fairly long dead end built ~95 that eventually turned into Discovery Dr, and the stadium site was originally up there.

As a band alumnus, i can can tell anyone that there is an F-ton of university-owned space behind Mansfield Supply - only things up there are W Lot, the band practice area, and a ton of corn. Easilly enough space.

View attachment 103118

Did it piss anyone else off there was a store called Pittsburgh Paint so close to campus or am I overly sensitive?

 

[CL82]

UCONN SITE FAVORED FOR STADIUM

A 100-acre site on the north end of the University of Connecticut campus is emerging as the preferred location to build a stadium for the UConn football program. The north campus site, with a price…

www.courant.com

This maybe a piece... would have been nice.

Interesting article from 1997.

The favored north campus site, on North Hillside road just off North Eagleville Road, is priced at $500,000 for 100 acres.

 

[Dove]

I'd list that as the number two choice behind the athletics campus but before Horse Barn Hill. The downside is the distance from Burton and Shenkman and the fact that building on Discovery Drive would require approvals from the town of Mansfield. Given their history, I think we could expect a concerted effort to slow down the project by NIMBYism. To the best of my belief, no approval by Mansfield is necessary to build in the athletic campus.

The Town doesn't get a sniff of UConn growth. State land. State control. Public hearings allow for comment.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Before there was the P-whatever there was the BCS till 2014 (which @ the time was top 6 Football conferences and included the Big East)

…….even under BCS, the Big East was at the very bottom of the conference ladder especially after Miami left the Big East. It was just not a strong conference. As follows, the Rose Bowl always had the Big 10 champ playing the PAC 10 champ, the Orange Bowl always had the ACC champ, Sugar Bowl always had the SEC champ, and the Fiesta Bowl almost always got the Big 12 champ. The Big East champ was just there to fill in the weak spots, along with Notre Dame filling in the strong spots. The Bowl Championship Series had other flaws, and it was done away with after the controversial decisions to not include undefeated Boise State in 2009 and undefeated TCU the following year.

 

[Platt81]

I did reference 17 P5 conference championships for UCLA and UConn never played in a P5 conference. The Big East was NOT a P5 conference in 2007 or 2010, Team members in those years were Syracuse, Pitt, West Virginia, Rutgers, Cincinnati, South Florida, and Louisville. Hardly a P5 group. They were P4 at best. The Big East’s only “claim” to P5 stature ended when Miami left the Big East way back in 2003, when UConn football was just getting started. Furthermore in 2007 UConn was 9-4 and not even ranked in the Top 25 final AP poll. They were tied in conference wins and losses 5-2 with West Virginia which finished at 11-2, and ranked #7 in the final AP poll but if you want to claim they shared a conference championship, be my guest. Same in 2010 UConn was not even ranked in the final top 25.

If we want to play semantics, the “P5” designation began in 2015, if BCS era doesn’t count and you want an asterisk, then UCLA has ZERO P5 conference titles in football. But you’ll just move the goal posts again bc you’re insufferable and think you’re the smartest person on the internet.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

If we want to play semantics, the “P5” designation began in 2015, if BCS era doesn’t count and you want an asterisk, then UCLA has ZERO P5 conference titles in football. But you’ll just move the goal posts again bc you’re insufferable and think you’re the smartest person on the internet.

Lol ….. let’s just say smarter than a few.

 

[TMB4405]

I do not understand our own fans always downplaying our success. We were on a great trajectory. Our story was pretty damn good for those first 8-10 years. We could never have the history in major college football that UCLA has but that does not mean we cant compete at that level and be successful. We have already done it.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

I do not understand our own fans always downplaying our success. We were on a great trajectory. Our story was pretty damn good for those first 8-10 years. We could never have the history in major college football that UCLA has but that does not mean we cant compete at that level and be successful. We have already done it.

Happened after the 2010 football regular season.

 

[Nostical]

There's no way we're getting into the B12 (even with football's 2031 entry date) without committing to a much higher spending level and an on-campus stadium. Football will be the driving element that keeps us viable from a revenue and competitive standpoint. We have no choice if we want to continue being the flagship University we claim to be.
Experiencing college football on a spectacular autumn Saturday in New England--while showing off our quintessential campus with it's major league athletic facilities would do more to attract out of state students than any other form of advertising. The State spent $5B over the past 30 years on our campus.

This decision in 2024 is for the next 100 years. Fixing PAWSARF so students can continue getting bussed back and forth is the most short sighted solution you could ever come up with. That's not the way Bret Yormark thinks. Or Marc D'Amelio, or the Governor, or me!

 

[Rocktheworld]

Potential stadium sites on campus:

View attachment 103073

Lmaooooo imagine a football stadium behind Carriage

 

[AllHusky]

I never really thought about that, is there enough room?

Yes, now with Discovery Dr, parking lots might be messed up for tailgate parties

 

[TH1]

My first post on the Boneyard! Long-time lurker and UConn alum. Student during the "ugrade era" and remember all of the discussion about building a stadium on campus. Wishful thinking, but I always wanted to propose the site where the parking lot (D-lot I think) and and practice fields are slightly up the hill from where Memorial Stadium used to be next to Hilltop dorms.

Pros
1. Right in the center of campus and next to Gampel and would maximize student interest.
2. Pays homage to Memorial Stadium
2. Adjacent to the existing practice facility and in the athletic district
3. Great views of campus which would look great on TV

Cons/Suggestions:
1. Possibly difficult construction, because its on the top of a hill, but it could lead to some nice architecture
2. Parking would be needed, suggest to demolish the Hilltop apartments for a large parking area, and rebuild new apartments/housing in an expanded Downtown Storrs (which should be expanded across the street and EO Smith needs to relocate)
3. Traffic: obviously a problem with any site on campus, no solution
4. Practice fields can replace the parking lot (Y-lot) the practice facility
5. More parking can built near W lot to make up for any lost parking

I even moved the Rent there (~ to scale) for you all to see: