There is going to be a retention problem.... | Page 3 | The Boneyard

There is going to be a retention problem....

Dream Jobbed 2.0 said:
We move 20,000 kids in/out 4 times a year, we can’t bring 15000 cars on campus 6 times a year?
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Yah you can but until someone solves the other problems by throwing money at it it’s all wasted electrons. State is broke.
 
CTMike said:
Until the on campus stadium folks set up a gofundme for $100 million+, purchase a few road graders and a paving company, and get elected to run Mansfield…. It’s a pipe dream.
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WHAT HAPPENS IF I DO THAT THOUGH MIKE?!
 
How about giving long time season ticket holders a couple of tickets to another sport like men or women's basketball or hockey?

I went to a Giant's game and they do a fifty-fifty and make money for one person and a charity and that could go to UConn in scholarships. Just a thought
 
Ottomatic said:
That's not what I am saying. Moving to the Big East was the best option we had. But it was clearly done at the expense of the football program. The administration knew that. I just don't see the football program making it as an FBS independent. I hope I am proven wrong. Or better yet, I hope the football program finds its way to a respectable conference. I'm just not seeing any indications that is going to happen anytime soon.
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As of this writing, it looks a heckuva lot like it was done to save the FB program. AAC, MAC, CUSA, Sunbelt? These were the options. Think Temple is thinking there FB program is in a good spot?

We were 10 years late in starting 1A and didn't commit fully. We are not in an attractive recruiting area and the cable box benefits were overstated before they became irrelevant. Absent a winning program, we are in the best spot we could possibly be in after the Big East dissolved. That includes the off-campus stadium. Yeah, it would be great if 5,000 students showed up every game but the other 80% of ticket buyers are not students and they (we) are the ones supporting this program and nearly all of them (us) are closer to East Hartford.
 
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Dream Jobbed 2.0 said:
Invest in today’s students as they are the people who you hope spend the next 50 years buying season tickets for themselves and their family. Consider the cost of leasing the Rent when you talk about to expenses. Looking around the Rent on game day, how many fans do you think are graduates of the last 5 years? How many current students do you think will be buying tickets in the next 5 years?

Make going to the game more nostalgic and connected to the university. This will help the businesses and development of Storrs Center as well.

Not going to open the Pandora box of infrastructure blah blah blah but I think this fits.
Storrs is more remote obviously but it’s freaking 6 days a year. If it is going to back to your old college stomping grounds for the day it’s more of a draw than parking in a field in East Hartford.

I think it will help with recruiting. Do the kids even visit the Rent on visits? If they do, how impactful is it to be like “here is our awesome training facility and practice field! Now let’s get in a car drive 20 miles to game day!”



We have been passed over 40 billion times
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I live out of state and am ambivalent about the Rent, even during our winning days. I graduated in 2000, moved away from CT, and have not been back on campus in 21 years. I went to a few games at the Rent 2007- 09, but it did not offer a nostalgic feeling. If the stadium was on campus, I would get on a plane in a heartbeat to spend a day in Storrs. I would probably make this an annual trip. You can't underestimate the draw an on-campus stadium has for alumni and donors.
 
ChampHusky said:
I live out of state and am ambivalent about the Rent, even during our winning days. I graduated in 2000, moved away from CT, and have not been back on campus in 21 years. I went to a few games at the Rent 2007- 09, but it did not offer a nostalgic feeling. If the stadium was on campus, I would get on a plane in a heartbeat to spend a day in Storrs. I would probably make this an annual trip. You can't underestimate the draw an on-campus stadium has for alumni and donors.
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I can see your argument as a non alum. It makes sense for a bunch of schools.

However in the good old days when we filled the stadium we had a ginormous tailgate scene. So good that people never got insure the stadium on time.

So what is more likely?

We improve our competitiveness and start attracting fans back to the Rent?

Or build a stadium on campus?

We have to work with what we have. There isn’t a magic elixir that can be drunk that is going to turn every headwind into a tailwind. It’s going to take hard work and probably a little bit of cheating to fix this.
 
How do you explain student attendance at Gampel in the Ollie years?

If the product is good, the opponent is compelling, and the environment is fun, people will show up regardless of the location.
 
The stadium debate now is a non-starter, there’s no money and no will.

the frustrating thing about the stadium is it signaled a fundamental misunderstanding of what the sport is about by the powers that be in the state and school. They tried to microwave a big time program off campus and that wasn’t ever going to be possible. Attendance was good when the team was good and it was the new fun thing to do. It is what it is but at least they could stop making the same mistake again and again (see: the hockey arena)
 
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Student attendance is the least of the concerns. They just got to get bodies in the seats. The school has done a terrible job selling tickets.

How the heck students supposed to tailgate at Rentschler? They live on campus and the bus isn't convenient. They probably can't stock alcohol on the bus down and there are likely so many rules it isn't worth the hassle. Can someone just think about the different customer journey's here? Or do they need another consultant white label marketing plan?

I know the biggest thing I noticed going from journalist to spectator is the heavy handed approach at getting into the building. I can't stand all the security, parking and that cost. Connecticut people hate paying for parking.

The games won't get students there in any kind of regularity until it becomes an event.

I think they should just relax rules. Security is a drag. Traffic a hassle, and nothing to do there after. They need more things to do down there like bars, restaurants, clubs and maybe some shops. It is mind-boggling to me that after 15 years all they have is a Cabelas? Pop-u clubs! Who the hell is running these places? Have tents with temporary clubs with bands there for before and after games. This is all post Covid, but make the place alive before AND AFTER the game.

I go to Patriot place, how much fun is the beer and food tents? Let alone the bars. I just had enough of the milk and cookies of Connecticut. Everything is so corny here.

Families don't go to games anymore. That is across the board. Soccer, football, swimming, dance etc. Yes, family friendly if you are catering to families on the weekend in New England in the fall, you have the wrong strategy.

Last rant, the other thing is the partners have to buy in. East Hartford should have a block party day of game. Instead, I just feel like it is a hassle for everyone involved. Classic Connecticut, going to the game is hassle.
 
JohnFSilver said:
Student attendance is the least of the concerns. They just got to get bodies in the seats. The school has done a terrible job selling tickets.

How the heck students supposed to tailgate at Rentschler? They live on campus and the bus isn't convenient. They probably can't stock alcohol on the bus down and there are likely so many rules it isn't worth the hassle. Can someone just think about the different customer journey's here? Or do they need another consultant white label marketing plan?

I know the biggest thing I noticed going from journalist to spectator is the heavy handed approach at getting into the building. I can't stand all the security, parking and that cost. Connecticut people hate paying for parking.

The games won't get students there in any kind of regularity until it becomes an event.

I think they should just relax rules. Security is a drag. Traffic a hassle, and nothing to do there after. They need more things to do down there like bars, restaurants, clubs and maybe some shops. It is mind-boggling to me that after 15 years all they have is a Cabelas? Pop-u clubs! Who the hell is running these places? Have tents with temporary clubs with bands there for before and after games. This is all post Covid, but make the place alive before AND AFTER the game.

I go to Patriot place, how much fun is the beer and food tents? Let alone the bars. I just had enough of the milk and cookies of Connecticut. Everything is so corny here.

Families don't go to games anymore. That is across the board. Soccer, football, swimming, dance etc. Yes, family friendly if you are catering to families on the weekend in New England in the fall, you have the wrong strategy.

Last rant, the other thing is the partners have to buy in. East Hartford should have a block party day of game. Instead, I just feel like it is a hassle for everyone involved. Classic Connecticut, going to the game is hassle.
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You asked who is running the place? Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA). That fact should answer the other questions as well. It explains a lot. We need professional management people running the place, not former political types with no particular expertise. This is the same management that made fans miss a half of basketball in the NCAA Tournament at Hartford’s XL, because they had no workable plan to process people into XL by game time. Image following your team across the country and missing the first half?
 
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It doesn't matter what other schools do or did, UConn Football is where it is now because it was this or nothing. The Rent is a plus, not a minus to the program. The tailgating was unsurpassed. I say that from experience. You folks that think there is an untapped FB market just waiting to support an on-campus stadium are literally delusional. An on-campus stadium wouldn't sell one more ticket.
 
Waquoit said:
It doesn't matter what other schools do or did, UConn Football is where it is now because it was this or nothing. The Rent is a plus, not a minus to the program. The tailgating was unsurpassed. I say that from experience. You folks that think there is an untapped FB market just waiting to support an on-campus stadium are literally delusional. An on-campus stadium wouldn't sell one more ticket.
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Totally agree. If there is a winning team in the Rent, the students will find a way to get there. Just like they find ways to do whatever they want to do, if you catch my drift. The people that buy the expensive tickets and give the money are geographically located in the suburbs centered around Hartford. The Rent is pretty much easy in easy out. And it has huge tailgating expanses. The Rent can also be expanded pretty easily. The Rent is not a problem. Lack of winning is the problem. Lack of competitiveness.
 
Waquoit said:
It doesn't matter what other schools do or did, UConn Football is where it is now because it was this or nothing. The Rent is a plus, not a minus to the program. The tailgating was unsurpassed. I say that from experience. You folks that think there is an untapped FB market just waiting to support an on-campus stadium are literally delusional. An on-campus stadium wouldn't sell one more ticket.
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Tailgating???? Yeah, I see tons of students bringing coolers and grills, and they even post the menu’s. Lol. The problem is you pompous fat cats treat UConn football like it’s a pro team, it is not, you fail to see the reality of a college team with it’s stadium 25 miles away, as the cow walks. It’s just as bad for the football program as it would be for men’s basketball to play all their home games at the Civic Center if Gampel being built never happened. You think Hurley would have come here to play all his home games in the Civic Center or the field house? Lol
 
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CONN78SEJ said:
Tailgating???? Yeah, I see tons of students bringing coolers and grills, and they even post the menu’s. Lol. The problem is you pompous fat cats treat UConn football like it’s a pro team, it is not, you fail to see the reality of a college team with it’s stadium 25 miles away, as the cow walks. It’s just as bad for the football program as it would be for men’s basketball to play all their home games at the Civic Center if Gampel being built never happened. You think Hurley would have come here to play all his home games in the Civic Center or the field house? Lol
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You sir just seem to want to argue for argument's sake.
Waquoit's comment about tailgating was directed at the average paying fan. When games were at Memorial, tailgating was constrained in the parking lot near the old ROTC hanger as the former field across the street from Memorial was being developed.
Prior to Gampel being built, games were played in the Field House, the Civic Center & the New Haven Coliseum. (I witnessed UConn's first EVER Big East basketball tilt against Syracuse in New Haven). Likewise, prior to moving up to Division 1-A in football, UConn's biggest game of the season was against Yale annually at The Bowl.
Students never seemed to have any problem back then on making their way to any of these venues. Times have changed, & not necessarily for the better, Today's students suffer from "Everyone gets a participation trophy" entitlement syndrome. Back in the day, students found a solution. Today's student wants the solution handed to him on a silver platter.
 
CONN78SEJ said:
Tailgating???? Yeah, I see tons of students bringing coolers and grills, and they even post the menu’s. Lol. The problem is you pompous fat cats treat UConn football like it’s a pro team, it is not, you fail to see the reality of a college team with it’s stadium 25 miles away, as the cow walks. It’s just as bad for the football program as it would be for men’s basketball to play all their home games at the Civic Center if Gampel being built never happened. You think Hurley would have come here to play all his home games in the Civic Center or the field house? Lol
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Student attendance at the Rent was never a problem in the days of winning.
 
CONN78SEJ said:
Would have to be bigger than that. 50,000 minimum if you want an invite to the Big Ten or ACC. Average size in the Big Ten is 70 to 80,000.
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25k is plenty for an FBS Indy who will be an FBS Indy forever particularly when 20k is considered a decent crowd.
 
Would love to see some type of analytical survey asking current students, faculty and administration if they have interest in UConn Football. Hopefully- there would be some base level of support. If the data shows otherwise- Hard decisions need to be made about the future of the program.
 
coachcap said:
Times have changed, & not necessarily for the better, Today's students suffer from "Everyone gets a participation trophy" entitlement syndrome. Back in the day, students found a solution. Today's student wants the solution handed to him on a silver platter.
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lol
 
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Waquoit said:
It doesn't matter what other schools do or did, UConn Football is where it is now because it was this or nothing. The Rent is a plus, not a minus to the program. The tailgating was unsurpassed. I say that from experience. You folks that think there is an untapped FB market just waiting to support an on-campus stadium are literally delusional. An on-campus stadium wouldn't sell one more ticket.
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This type of “this is fine” thinking is the reason we are in the situation we are. They built the stadium, built the training facilities and said “well we’re all set with football forever.” Well talk to UCF who was playing in an off campus stadium middling around before they built their on campus place. Talk to Cincinnati and Houston who poured millions and millions and millions into updating their football and basketball venues.

This “the Rent is great and it’s the students fault for not coming” or “it’s not UConn’s fault we don’t have a conference, they’ll just fighting each other over who will invite us” is LOSER TALK.

You all miss the article talking about the 10s of millions of updates needed at The Rent? More prudent to invest in an on campus stadium.
 
BigTenFan said:
Would love to see some type of analytical survey asking current students, faculty and administration if they have interest in UConn Football. Hopefully- there would be some base level of support. If the data shows otherwise- Hard decisions need to be made about the future of the program.
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Don't need to. We were all there - we saw it. It wasn't so long ago that we can't get it back - just have to be competitive.

The crowds this year - as bad as we are - haven't been bad. Not saying the crowd for Houston will be good, but it isn't like we are playing in front of 4,000 people.
 
Waquoit said:
I'm blushing. I think a bigger problem is "fans" that don't buy season tickets insulting the real fans that do. An on-campus stadium will not sell one more ticket. Those not buying now will find a new excuse.
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so would you not come to an on campus stadium?
 
I think most of us would have preferred an on-campus stadium. But that ship has sailed. Unless UCONN ends up with some crypto billionaire benefactor that will pony up the $ for it - it won't even be discussed.

Let's focus on winning - that's something we can control.
 
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