UConn interested in managing the Rent?

[SubbaBub]

Signs of life from the AD?

http://courantblogs.com/ct-real-estate/uconn-enters-rentschler-field-management-contest/

 

[WestHartHusk]

You gotta wonder what this is about...

UConn is planning to expand the rent as part of a deal to get into a B1Gger, better conference. This will be funded, in small part, by the fees that would otherwise go to AEG, et al. A

 

[uconNYC]

Urelated related news

Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN
Cincinnati will hold Tuesday press conference to share conceptional plans for proposed renovations to Nippert Stadium

 

[Dann]

this would be gold

 

[Dooley]

I sure hope so. My list of immediate Rentschler Field improvements:

1. Paint the seating Husky blue
2. Allow RV parking 24-36 hours before kickoff to allow for traveling fans to have travel flexibility
3. Open tailgates 6 hours before kickoff
4. Keep lots open 2 hours after kickoff
5. UCMB Band bleachers constructed on the field near the student section (immediately increases our stadium capacity)
6. Remove outdated billboard advertising on second deck facing and install electronic scrolling signage to cover second deck facing (great way to communicate to fans to get loud, be quiet, organize blue/white chants and U-C-O-N-N chants, game clock and scoreboard, and allows for expanded advertising opportunities...the lighting, of course, should be tinted Husky blue)
7. Install a Dairy Bar vendor stand(s) to connect/re-connect fans and alumni to campus fiber
8. Allow season ticket holders to leave chairback seating at their seats (can be rented/purchased through university) during the season
9. Install vintage photographs of UConn in the concourse areas
10. Allow a husky dog on the field on gamedays

I won't go into stadium expansion or installation of HD scoreboard rants...for now.

 

[BlueDogs]

Strange article. There is a bid deadline and UConn decides to put in a letter to bid maybe later? Talk about litigation city if UConn ever gets an award. Once again, it appears to be a hack effort by folks fumbling around with no serious plan. Lets hope this foray is not as feeble and last minute as it appears in the article.

The other aspect which drives me nuts is the sister agency bs. Last time I checked there was one state government serving the citizenry. The shell games and interdepartmental charges and offsets, etc. are joke, because it all comes from our pockets at the end of the day. These bureaucrats are more concerned about protecting "their" money (which is our money) than doing the right thing.

 

[Fishy]

Strange article. There is a bid deadline and UConn decides to put in a letter to bid maybe later? Talk about litigation city if UConn ever gets an award. Once again, it appears to be a hack effort by folks fumbling around with no serious plan. Lets hope this foray is not as feeble and last minute as it appears in the article.

You didn't read the article. Or, you read it and didn't understand it.

 

[CTMike]

I sure hope so. My list of immediate Rentschler Field improvements:

1. Paint the seating Husky blue
2. Allow RV parking 24-36 hours before kickoff to allow for traveling fans to have travel flexibility
3. Open tailgates 6 hours before kickoff
4. Keep lots open 2 hours after kickoff
5. UCMB Band bleachers constructed on the field near the student section (immediately increases our stadium capacity)
6. Remove outdated billboard advertising on second deck facing and install electronic scrolling signage to cover second deck facing (great way to communicate to fans to get loud, be quiet, organize blue/white chants and U-C-O-N-N chants, game clock and scoreboard, and allows for expanded advertising opportunities...the lighting, of course, should be tinted Husky blue)
7. Install a Dairy Bar vendor stand(s) to connect/re-connect fans and alumni to campus fiber
8. Allow season ticket holders to leave chairback seating at their seats (can be rented/purchased through university) during the season
9. Install vintage photographs of UConn in the concourse areas
10. Allow a husky dog on the field on gamedays

I won't go into stadium expansion or installation of HD scoreboard rants...for now.

Sigh. You get it. Wish folks who make these decisions did.

Your proposals would cost money. It's the first thing they would balk at. But damn, these are such low hanging fruit, bang-for-the-buck items... you could knock em all out (along with some others) with a small sum and make a big difference in the game day experience.

 

[Dooley]

Sigh. You get it. Wish folks who make these decisions did.

Your proposals would cost money. It's the first thing they would balk at. But damn, these are such low hanging fruit, bang-for-the-buck items... you could knock em all out (along with some others) with a small sum and make a big difference in the game day experience.

Yes, they'd cost money but like you said, it would enhance the game day experience and I think, through advertising on the new scrolling electronic facing scoreboard, they can make it back over time. Not to mention, I would likely dole out $10,000 a game at the Dairy Bar stand...even in November/December games!

 

[CTMike]

Yes, they'd cost money but like you said, it would enhance the game day experience and I think, through advertising on the new scrolling electronic facing scoreboard, they can make it back over time. Not to mention, I would likely dole out $10,000 a game at the Dairy Bar stand...even in November/December games!

While we are at it, it's mind boggling that DP Dough can't man an outpost for game day. I'd drop 10k on some tasty calzones!

 

[Dooley]

While we are at it, it's mind boggling that DP Dough can't man an outpost for game day. I'd drop 10k on some tasty calzones!

Oh man, now you're talking! I'll gain 100 lbs by the end of football season.

 

[CTMike]

We may be two fools on an internet message board, but look how nostalgic we just got over the Dairy Bar and DP Dough... things like this should be no-brainers....

 

[Waquoit]

UConn has enough on their plate to take on screwing up The Rent.

 

[BlueDogs]

You didn't read the article. Or, you read it and didn't understand it.

"The letter came today on the deadline for submitting bids to the CRDA for managing Rentschler and the XL Center in downtown Hartford. It is not a formal bid, but reserving the right to further explore the issue, guaranteed to them under the terms of their lease."

Public contract bidding 101 is there must be a fair and open process. The reservation of rights under the lease might be a basis for the submission, but the question is whether the reservation renders the process moot from a perspective of fairness. The two are not necessarily compatible. And the private contract term may violate public contract laws. In any event, the article further states they need time to gather facts, which means they made a last minute decision as opposed to undertaking consideration of these matters in a timely fashion consistent with invitation to bid. I suppose the invitation may have been subject to the private contracted right, but it still begs the question.

I did understand and read it. I just happened to understand the words and their implications. It may very well be why others did not bid. The process is untenable and inconsistent with a fair and open public contract bidding process.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

So let's get this straight. . . UConn does not have an on-campus stadium (like most of the big boys in football do). And they don't even own the off campus stadium where they play football. Anyone else see that the Huskies are just so much different that the big time programs. Maybe Connecticut should have joined the conference with Trinity and Amherst. Talk about small time vision, aspirations and commitment.

 

[Pudge]

So let's get this straight. . . UConn does not have an on-campus stadium (like most of the big boys in football do). And they don't even own the off campus stadium where they play football. Anyone else see that the Huskies are just so much different that the big time programs. Maybe Connecticut should have joined the conference with Trinity and Amherst. Talk about small time vision, aspirations and commitment.

You are an idiot.

This is an ASSET ... not a LIABILITY. The fact is: we don't use it as an ASSET as much as we could. LEVERAGE is important in Bigtime Sports & Business. I'm going to tell you (*and all others reading) that the Structure of that Stadium gives us (i.) huge flexibility to increase/grow to a far bigger facility (that is in terms of Land; infrastructure; financing capacity; State assistance); (ii.) On campus? We have been through this 100 times. The cost to get 50,000 people to Storrs is prohibitively expensive & totally infeasible. (iii.) The LOCATION of the Stadium can be the ASSET of bringing the whole State of Connecticut as your market. This is exactly what you want. Unfortunately, Hathaway never could figure out how to do this. Now, we seem to have a comparable in Warde Manual.

Here's a suggestion: Hire a Ski Resort company. Ski Resorts make it because of the ambience ... not always having the best Ski Hill. (think Tremblant or Whistler or Aspen) Create an environment that people want to go regularly because it is such a draw. When you aren't using it 6 days a year, find lots of other uses. What does Tremblant do in the Summer? Better Attendance. How? Lots of ways. How about a Blues Festival. etc etc.

I simply don't understand what the Plan was for Rentschler. It has been poorly implemented.

(zls? The Capitalization has been done to annoy you.)

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

Sounds like a good transition job for GDL...he can run The Rent.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

You are an idiot.

This is an ASSET ... not a LIABILITY. The fact is: we don't use it as an ASSET as much as we could. LEVERAGE is important in Bigtime Sports & Business. I'm going to tell you (*and all others reading) that the Structure of that Stadium gives us (i.) huge flexibility to increase/grow to a far bigger facility (that is in terms of Land; infrastructure; financing capacity; State assistance); (ii.) On campus? We have been through this 100 times. The cost to get 50,000 people to Storrs is prohibitively expensive & totally infeasible. (iii.) The LOCATION of the Stadium can be the ASSET of bringing the whole State of Connecticut as your market. This is exactly what you want. Unfortunately, Hathaway never could figure out how to do this. Now, we seem to have a comparable in Warde Manual.

Here's a suggestion: Hire a Ski Resort company. Ski Resorts make it because of the ambience ... not always having the best Ski Hill. (think Tremblant or Whistler or Aspen) Create an environment that people want to go regularly because it is such a draw. When you aren't using it 6 days a year, find lots of other uses. What does Tremblant do in the Summer? Better Attendance. How? Lots of ways. How about a Blues Festival. etc etc.

I simply don't understand what the Plan was for Rentschler. It has been poorly implemented.

(zls? The Capitalization has been done to annoy you.)

Careful with the name calling dumbazzzzzz. Having gotten that out of my system, if its such an asset, providing so much leverage, then why to all the big time programs (or most) have their own on campus stadiums. LSU (on campus), South Carolina (on campus), Illinois - to get a less elite program (on campus). Penn State (on campus), Virginia (on campus), Indiana (on campus). Come on, even you must get the picture now.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Sounds like a good transition job for GDL...he can run The Rent.

Only if it can run between the tackles (or as a wildcat QB after a big gain).

 

[huskysupporter]

Careful with the name calling dumbazzzzzz. Having gotten that out of my system, if its such an asset, providing so much leverage, then why to all the big time programs (or most) have their own on campus stadiums. LSU (on campus), South Carolina (on campus), Illinois - to get a less elite program (on campus). Penn State (on campus), Virginia (on campus), Indiana (on campus). Come on, even you must get the picture now.

I thought South Carolina was off campus? Off the top of my head, Oregon, Miami, UCLA, and Washington have off campus stadiums.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[NHUConnfan]

Careful with the name calling dumbazzzzzz. Having gotten that out of my system, if its such an asset, providing so much leverage, then why to all the big time programs (or most) have their own on campus stadiums. LSU (on campus), South Carolina (on campus), Illinois - to get a less elite program (on campus). Penn State (on campus), Virginia (on campus), Indiana (on campus). Come on, even you must get the picture now.

Yeah, and unless you've got a 6 lane road leading to your stadium with ample tailgating space, you're not gonna get an on-campus stadium like Indiana has.

 

[UC990411]

6. Remove outdated billboard advertising on second deck facing and install electronic scrolling signage to cover second deck facing (great way to communicate to fans to get loud, be quiet, organize blue/white chants and U-C-O-N-N chants, game clock and scoreboard, and allows for expanded advertising opportunities...the lighting, of course, should be tinted Husky blue)

Agree with a lot of this but the blue white chant should be forever banned and Big Red is the only person who should ever lead a U-C-O-N-N chant

 

[WestHartHusk]

I thought South Carolina was off campus? Off the top of my head, Oregon, Miami, UCLA, and Washington have off campus stadiums.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Washington is right in the middle of campus. Beautiful part of Seattle.

 

[uconnfan68]

Careful with the name calling dumbazzzzzz. Having gotten that out of my system, if its such an asset, providing so much leverage, then why to all the big time programs (or most) have their own on campus stadiums. LSU (on campus), South Carolina (on campus), Illinois - to get a less elite program (on campus). Penn State (on campus), Virginia (on campus), Indiana (on campus). Come on, even you must get the picture now.

We also had an ON-CAMPUS stadium, in case you forgot Memorial Stadium. Wasn't capable of being expanded. The choices were few. The surrounding towns balked at the infrastructure upgrades they would need to undertake to allow big-time football at UConn. The compromise was the Rent. If it was accessible by a light rail from compass points (N, E, S, W), it would be a terrific place.