UConn Athletic Facility Funding Coming Soon

[ConnHuskBask]

The ratings are higher than many men's sports games in bball and fball. So if the money is piddling, then why pay for football or bball?

Not all the women's games, but the top games against top ranked teams can do a 1.5 rating nationally. Looks small. Until you realize the vast majority of men's games do a .5

So if I'm to ignore the 1.5 as immaterial (your words), then why should I value the .5 at all?

I'm strictly talking about the sport as it pertains to CR.

If we are hands down the top brand, the top draw and always in the hunt, then how come it hasn't been a factor at all?

If we were similar to Pitt, in that decision or close to Louisville,etc. Or now with the Big12, if it mattered at all, we may have gotten a bump.

It's football, cable boxes, football recruiting and then to a lesser extent men's hoops.

Not sure why you and others are trying to say otherwise. Give me one example where a AD as a whole has impacted any decision. It simply doesn't matter.

 

[upstater]

Good point.

What are the NCAA tournament economics for the women?

Not nearly in the same stratosphere as the men. The men of course is one of the highlights for TV in the entire year.

But the UConn women's championship had more people watching in NYC than people in Kentucky watched the Louisville championship.

 

[upstater]

I'm strictly talking about the sport as it pertains to CR.

If we are hands down the top brand, the top draw and always in the hunt, then how come it hasn't been a factor at all?

If we were similar to Pitt, in that decision or close to Louisville,etc. Or now with the Big12, if it mattered at all, we may have gotten a bump.

It's football, cable boxes, football recruiting and then to a lesser extent men's hoops.

Not sure why you and others are trying to say otherwise. Give me one example where a AD as a whole has impacted any decision. It simply doesn't matter.

I mean, do we really need to recount the history of CR here?

Everything that's happened?

BC's blackball, etc.?

 

[Carl Spackler]

This kind of stuff is what drives me nuts about this stuff.

If the Big10 network (FOX) television wants real market share with widespread programming in the NYC area - its frigging UCONN. Women's and men's basketball - all winter. Add hockey in too.

We also sell tickets to events too. At a decent price. In Storrs, n Hartford, and in New York City.

If they want to schedule at least 6 more games with UCONN, than the 6 they get with Rutgers for football, that's 6 more games on TV in the market.

As for baseball, a big10 schedule might be enough to fix the disaster that the Hartford minorvleague stadium and franchise is now.

Is our Hartford elected officials on this?

 

[DarthGrumpy]

That's interesting. I wonder if UConn would consider letting another team use our new stadium? I doubt one would be interested. There's a team in Norwich right?

State College's team is in the New York-Penn League, a short-season A level team that plays from June to early September, which is perfect as it does not overlap with Penn St football (or other fall sports) nor Penn St's own baseball team, which would only be playing baseball in June if they were in the playoffs. State College is also in the middle of nowhere with the largest city with pro-sports, Pittsbugh, being a 2 1/2 hour ride away and the nearest minor league teams in Williamsport (also NY Penn) 90 minutes away and Altoona 45 minutes away.

Storrs has two baseball teams within 30 minutes - 1) CT (Norwich Tigers) NY Penn A and 2) Hartford Yard Goats (hopefully) a Eastern League AA team while Pawtucket with it's Red Sox affiliated AA team is 75 minutes away and Fenway Park itself is 90 minutes away. That's too much competition.

What's really sad is that ECSU, a DIII school just down the street from UConn, has a nicer baseball field than UConn and ist in Mansfield.

http://gowarriorathletics.com/facility_photos/baseball_stadium_3623.JPG

UConn can't support a stadium like Penn St's; but, it needs to be at a certain level if UConn is going to be a serious baseball team down the road whether they are in the American, ACC or B1G. I woudl be happy with what Michigan St has.

PS - West Virginia's baseball stadium is also used by a NY Penn team.

 

[dbmill]

State College's team is in the New York-Penn League, a short-season A level team that plays from June to early September, which is perfect as it does not overlap with Penn St football (or other fall sports) nor Penn St's own baseball team, which would only be playing baseball in June if they were in the playoffs. State College is also in the middle of nowhere with the largest city with pro-sports, Pittsbugh, being a 2 1/2 hour ride away and the nearest minor league teams in Williamsport (also NY Penn) 90 minutes away and Altoona 45 minutes away.

Storrs has two baseball teams within 30 minutes - 1) CT (Norwich Tigers) NY Penn A and 2) Hartford Yard Goats (hopefully) a Eastern League AA team while Pawtucket with it's Red Sox affiliated AA team is 75 minutes away and Fenway Park itself is 90 minutes away. That's too much competition.

What's really sad is that ECSU, a DIII school just down the street from UConn, has a nicer baseball field than UConn and ist in Mansfield.

http://gowarriorathletics.com/facility_photos/baseball_stadium_3623.JPG

UConn can't support a stadium like Penn St's; but, it needs to be at a certain level if UConn is going to be a serious baseball team down the road whether they are in the American, ACC or B1G. I woudl be happy with what Michigan St has.

View attachment 11867


PS - West Virginia's baseball stadium is also used by a NY Penn team.

For a minor league team to move into Storrs, I would think they would need the approval of both the Hartford and Norwich teams, as both clubs would probably have territorial rights to that area. I would be very surprised if that would happen.

 

[ZOOCONN]

Football cannot fill 100% of a TV Channel's programming slate and still be successful. Just take a look at the Longhorn Network which has approximately 10 million subscribes (Verizon Fios & , most of whom are in Texas, from the data I could find.

The B1G Network has over 50 million subscribers (2013) and has programming slots dedicated to basketball, hockey, etc. because not everyone want to watch college football 24/7/365. UConn offers a range of sports to fill those slots, especially in comparison to Kansas and to provide successful programs, must offer a competitive and attractive product. What is an attractive product - just look at UConn's baseball field versus Penn St's.


View attachment 11860

The ACC does not have a network and was more interested in saving itself from 'potentially' losing FSU and Clemson to the XII and dealing with internal politics, both of which are short-term issues, than what is best for the conference over the long term. Thus, Louisville was picked.

loooong whistle, that rivals most minor league facilities.

 

[CTMike]

Football drives the CR bus, men's hoops ride shotgun, women's hoops are at least on the bus... Our women's hoops will be a nice ancillary benefit for anyone that takes us but it's not the primary driver.

And really, for UConn, since football isn't really why someone will pick us - it's about showing why our entire portfolio is strong.

 

[IMind]

The whole argument is silly. We've got a boatload of money from a donor for a soccer field... so instead of doing that we should spend $250,000 more on some unnamed OC who probably only exists in ConnHuskBask's mind? When has Diaco come out and said he couldn't get the coordinator he wanted because we didn't pay enough? Our football and basketball facilities are just about the best in the country. We' have spent and continue to spend a huge amount of money on football... Basically the argument boils down to we can't spend any money anything other than football because Conference Realignment.

I can understand the angst, but I think it's misdirected here. We've never been based over because we don't spend enough on football.

 

[FDNY99]

Facility upgrades are extremely important...like Herbst says athletics are the front porch for UConn...facilities are the front porch to each sport at UConn. It's time to do what Hathaway didn't do and that's invest in facilities. It's LONG over due IMHO! There are 4 projects that need to be completed and that is the Morrone upgrade, J.O. Christian upgrade, CT Softball Complex upgrade, and a hockey facility (Freitas upgrade or new facility). After that it will be time to look at the George Sherman Family Sports Complex, the Fieldhouse and possibly the Wolf-Zackin natatorium.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Facility upgrades are extremely important...like Herbst says athletics are the front porch for UConn...facilities are the front porch to each sport at UConn. It's time to do what Hathaway didn't do and that's invest in facilities. It's LONG over due IMHO! There are 4 projects that need to be completed and that is the Morrone upgrade, J.O. Christian upgrade, CT Softball Complex upgrade, and a hockey facility (Freitas upgrade or new facility). After that it will be time to look at the George Sherman Family Sports Complex, the Fieldhouse and possibly the Wolf-Zackin natatorium.

FYI - Swimming will likely have to be addressed when the proposed Gampel renovation begins because on the latest campus master plan that I saw, Wolf-Zackin disappears.

 

[dwalks93]

Athletics facilities are extremely important. A large part of Louisville's successful bid into the ACC was predicated on its vast investment in new infrastructure. If you are a P5 conference looking for new members you want members who have shown a willingness to spend on athletics. It basically says to a conference "athletics are important to us. We want to win and we are willing to spend the money required to do it. If the conference invests in UConn we will continue to improve our athletic program." Sure, football may the primary priority but it needs to extend to all of athletics. That is part of a school's brand. Sadly some of UConn's facilities are well behind the times but it seems like the current athletic department is committed to remedying this situation.

There is no one solution to get UConn into the P5. In fact, UConn has been very smart to pursue multiple approaches: improving the entire athletics facilities, continuing the academic improvement, lobbying the important decision makers and university presidents, and most important of all, improve the UConn football product. Too many P5 conferences are still thinking of the PP UConn football years and the season 2 years ago when we were 2 and 10. But this year UConn football rebounded, we were 6 and 6 and played in a bowl. If next year UConn football can go 8 and 4 and win a bowl we may turn the corner.

UConn should be in the P5 but sadly, we are still auditioning. Part of that audition includes looking like we belong in the P5 and that extends to all sports. Some posters say things like women's basketball and hockey do not matter and we should only focus on football. I do not agree. Right now UConn is suffering due to an inaccurate and historically incorrect perception our football program is perennially doomed. The irony is UConn football under Edsall was very competitive and Diaco seems to be moving UConn football in that direction. UConn had one disaster coach but we are quickly rebuilding. When UConn football finally "meets the P5 grade" we will be taken above other G5 programs (and probably placed ahead of several current P5 programs) due to the totality of our sports program and academics and that includes women's BB and hockey and baseball, etc...

Football may be keeping UConn out of the P5 right now but focusing purely on football and neglecting our other athletic programs would be a mistake. UConn needs to continue to build symmetrically.