UConn athletic director David Benedict searching for next football coach: "We need some charisma"

[Pudge]

True, 26 miles off campus. This is not some new thing in CFB, another one is Miami, that I mentioned above, around the same distance as Uconn. Then you have schools like USF , Pitt, etc, off campus too, just not as far.

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I can tell you that it might be 26 miles ... but on the 10 Freeway, that is at least twice the minutes as Rentschler. I bet you can get to the Rent faster than a kid from Temple can get to Lincoln Financial.

I am not going to even think about addressing debate on whether your market is the State of Connecticut v just students. WE have a amazing Brand and a Buzz. It is because this University caught the eyeballs of our state residents. And each team finds a slightly different fanbase. Rentschler can be so much better than it has been; the fact is WE have seen that over time.

 

[Blades]

I can tell you that it might be 26 miles ... but on the 10 Freeway, that is at least twice the minutes as Rentschler. I bet you can get to the Rent faster than a kid from Temple can get to Lincoln Financial.

I hear ya, regarding the LA and Miami drives alot of times, like I mentioned a few posts back. Then when you add in more than 3K new Uconn students a few miles away in Hartford, who pay the same tuition, how "off-campus" is it really to them ? .........

 

[HardFacts]

Why we continue to consider the town of Mansfield when making any decisions is beyond me. They suck and we should just start ignoring them.

The biggest reason the Stadium is not on campus is the same reason Gampel is the size it is. The Legislature wanted to keep games at Xl center and wanted Stadium infrastructure closer to Hartford! Ever wonder why there are no concerts at Gampel?

 

[Jimdish255]

The biggest reason the Stadium is not on campus is the same
reason Gampel is the size it is. The Legislature wanted to keep
games at Xl center and wanted Stadium infrastructure closer to Hartford! Ever wonder why there are no concerts at Gampel?

I have no idea bro.

 

[How Sway?!]

I hear ya, regarding the LA and Miami drives alot of times, like I mentioned a few posts back. Then when you add in more than 3K new Uconn students a few miles away in Hartford, who pay the same tuition, how "off-campus" is it really to them ? .........

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For which school is that?

 

[noeynox]

Last week- and a number of times in previous years.
Granted, winning will help enhance the experience but it needs something more to keep the fanbase engaged

Looking last week - the student section was almost non- existent and looking at the boxes below the press box were almost entirely empty. There does not seem to be much corporate support.

It does need something. A competent home team.

 

[Blades]

For which school is that?

The pic ? ...that's the new Uconn Hartford campus (3,000+ students) about 3 or 4 miles from the Rent.

 

[Blades]

The pic ? ...that's the new Uconn Hartford campus (3,000+ students) about 3 or 4 miles from the Rent.

 

[Pudge]

I had never seen the UCONN Hartford building ... it is gorgeous. Well done

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

My grad program started out in the new Hartford building before COVID pushed us remote the last year and half. It is very nice and the Front St district is pretty nice too.

 

[Blades]

I had never seen the UCONN Hartford building ... it is gorgeous. Well done

Yeah it's nice combination of old and new construction. The centerpiece being the old Hartford Times building they added around, but they also bought a few other buildings in the area if I recall. Plus leased part of the Hartford public library.

Most of the area was slated back in the day for the Patriots Stadium, that fell through. Which was a downer for me personally, since I owned a bar/ restaurant and music venue in the area at the time.

 

[How Sway?!]

Looks like a quality campus. Hopefully it keeps growing and becomes a big part of Hartford

 

[WrenchFan69]

UConn Hartford is awesome. The School of Social Work is in a nice little building right around the corner and the MBA programs are based right next to Constitution Plaza in downtown. Nice little setup in the capitol

 

[Pudge]

NEWS to my greater Hartford friends ... and the Ex Governor: You were never going to get the New England Patriots. Let me amend that ... when the Sullivan's owned it and would play anywhere that would take a personal check from Billy Sullivan, they would play Fenway or Nickerson Field or any damn place. Calhoun's backyard in Dedham. so ... like the Green Bay Packers or something out of Buffalo, there was a chance in the 60s. But not in the Pete Rozelle age.

 

[Blades]

NEWS to ... and the Ex Governor: You were never going to get the New England Patriots.

Correction....it was a no-brainer to everyone except Rowland, that he was being used for a negotiating ploy until the Pats got the stadium in MA that they wanted. Your never annouce a deal like that until it's finished business. But Rowland was so full of himself that he had a distraction for losing the Whalers, he let the cart get ahead of the horse. The guy was a serious ham & egger.

 

[Sportsfan71]

There is literally NO WAY the Rent will be abandoned for an on-campus stadium. Not one iota of a chance of that happening. It's here....it's a better stadium than a lot of FBS schools play in, and it's not going anywhere for a long time. It's up to the program to live up to the expectations when that stadium was built and get it filled up again. A stadium on campus is a dream on a ship that sailed long ago. Blaming the location of the stadium for the current status of the football program is a red herring.

Fix the program, fill the Rent.

Nobody is blaming the stadium for the state of the program, I’m simply saying it would have a better feel and if you or anyone else can’t admit that, then that’s an entire different issue. Nothing beats an on campus feel and vibe and there’s no denying that.

 

[huskysupporter]

Nobody is blaming the stadium for the state of the program, I’m simply saying it would have a better feel and if you or anyone else can’t admit that, then that’s an entire different issue. Nothing beats an on campus feel and vibe and there’s no denying that.

You ever watch a game at BC?

 

[BlueandOG]

You ever watch a game at BC?

Exactly! BC games are on campus. I work there and go to a couple of games a year. I’ve also go to a few UCONN games each year too. There is no comparison. The UConn experience at the rent is much better

 

[Irvine]

Do students at the regional campuses identify with the UConn athletics program? i.e. is their buzz on the UConn Stamford campus after a big win by one of the basketball teams for example?

 

[superjohn]

Exactly! BC games are on campus. I work there and go to a couple of games a year. I’ve also go to a few UCONN games each year too. There is no comparison. The UConn experience at the rent is much better

BC is probably the worst Gameday experience in the country and the worst party school in the country.

 

[DCT]

Nobody is blaming the stadium for the state of the program, I’m simply saying it would have a better feel and if you or anyone else can’t admit that, then that’s an entire different issue. Nothing beats an on campus feel and vibe and there’s no denying that.

Yes it would be great but even with an on campus location (there isn't one) major upgrades to state roads, taking private property, and a limited water supply makes an on campus stadium impossible.

 

[Spsone07]

I grew up hanging pictures of UConn winning Basketball (womens and men) national championships in my bedroom. Coming from New Haven and having my classmates, top instate talents, strongly considering UConn has always given me pride. Hoping to see Travis Jones graduate and go onto greener pastures like Donald Thomas. I remember how my teammates were happy to just get offered to represent CT. I would like to see CT kids wanting to play for UConn and WIN. Danny O was onto something when he became the image of UConn football 20 years ago.

Seeing Spanos having a positive impact on growing men makes me wonder if we can have someone with as much passion to lead UConn out of the cellars.

If we can continue to retain the top CT talent, like Phommachanh and J. Rose and PRODUCE, then I think we can start having pride in our state flagship program. I live in Los Angeles now, going to USC tailgates and beating UCLA have always made Thanksgiving a little bit better (sorry Pudge). I still go around LA bars wearing my UConn navy blue polo with immense pride.

IMO, I rather go to a UConn v UMass game than watch BC play any ACC game.

 

[ktuck911]

And a stadium. Here's a nice spot on Discovery Drive. 195 is on the other side of the field towards the left.

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Preach brother!

 

[Sportsfan71]

Yes it would be great but even with an on campus location (there isn't one) major upgrades to state roads, taking private property, and a limited water supply makes an on campus stadium impossible.

You’re literally talking about 6 weekends a year. I think the town would be just fine and so will the water supply. C’mon man….

 

[Sportsfan71]

You ever watch a game at BC?

Shame on you for comparing our beautiful campus to that campus..