UConn Looking To Boost Spring Game Experience

[HuskyFan16]

I think they should promote with like a Beginning of Football Carnival/Festival.

Bring the students in the evening before, have like a stage set out in blue lot where the Captains and Players can speak to the masses and have a sort of pep rally (Imagine Bob Diaco speaking to thousands of students and fans), when the players leave for the hotel or wherever they stay before a game, have a concert where the pep rally was held. Contact a tent rental company, and let people rent tents and camp out at the stadium until the game the next day. Maybe have a specific parking lot or part of a parking lot that is Students only to be safe.

I think a UConn Football Festival would be something that would engender a lot of camaraderie and would be a unique way to get people to buy into what the college football experience can be. Especially students who, lets face it, really don't seem to have that connection to the team as evidenced by their turnout of late. If you can't bring the gameday experience to Storrs, let Storrs come to the gameday experience.

 

[CodyJ.]

With the movement toward protecting players (as it should be), Spring games will become more and more like the NFL pro bowl and like the pro bowl they should probably be eliminated. Even spring practice itself will probably be scaled back at some point, these kids should have at least one semester where they can focus on the school work.

These kids get all the help they need to be successful in the classroom. Go play football

 

[tduconn]

I had a horrible thought.

Glad its not competing with fishing season and derby's.

But........this isn't on Easter weekend is it? That could throw a bigger wrench into the best of plans. A number of families MAY leave for distant venues for 3 day weekend family gatherings associated with the holiday.

 

[Husky25]

Easter is April 20th this year. So no.

 

[Fishy]

1) Free tee shirts. Americans will walk across glass for a free tee shirt.

2) Combat the fishing derbies by giving away a free live trout with each admission.

3) Allow fans to set up their own grills on the sidelines. And in the stands.

4) Pasqualoni dunk tank.

5) Make the game late in the day and promise a fireworks show afterwards. Americans will walk across glass for fireworks.

6) Cheap beer. Americans love cheap beer, especially when they're wearing their free tee shirts and watching fireworks.

 

[John]

1) Free tee shirts. Americans will walk across glass for a free tee shirt.

2) Combat the fishing derbies by giving away a free live trout with each admission.

3) Allow fans to set up their own grills on the sidelines. And in the stands.

4) Pasqualoni dunk tank.

5) Make the game late in the day and promise a fireworks show afterwards. Americans will walk across glass for fireworks.

6) Cheap beer. Americans love cheap beer, especially when they're wearing their free tee shirts and watching fireworks.

Cheerleaders.

Dance Team.

 

[CL82]

You had me at #4

 

[Chin Diesel]

I've always wondered how a Uconn spring game compares to that of an SEC program.

It depends. Last year the Florida spring game wasn't even a full scrimmage. They were decimated by injuries.

That's why the on-field product is the least of my concerns for a spring game. Selfishly I'd love to see 1's v. 1's and stuff but you can't predict weather or injuries.

And that's why to me the part that the school can control is the gameday experience.

 

[jreider]

FWIW, UCONN still has band day at The Rent during the season. Whether that translates to the spring game may be different, but specifically inviting Pop Warner, middle schools, and high school football teams and high school bands it might not hurt. Making it a broader experience may attract more CT high school parents, siblings, grandparents, etc. who otherwise might not know about or participate in the overall experience.

High school band day does not exist at the Rent anymore. Only lasted a few years before the team got pretty good and athletics got rid of it in order to sell more season tickets.

 

[jreider]

Band day.

Invite high school bands from all over the state.

Let them on the field along side of the UConn MB for a giant National Anthem before the game.

That would pretty much double attendance.

High school band students are invited to join the UCMB at the spring game each year. In fact, it's a big recruiting event for the band.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

High school band day does not exist at the Rent anymore. Only lasted a few years before the team got pretty good and athletics got rid of it in order to sell more season tickets.

Appreciate the correction (missed that being 18 hours away), but all else in the message applies. If the in-season band day is no longer, all the more reason to add it as a complement to the spring game.

 

[NavinRJohnson]

TheJerk and I tend to only go to the Spring game when the weather is awful. I think my golfing habit has something to do with it. Or the P years. One of the two.

Think I will attend this year so I can see my man crush BD.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

TheJerk and I tend to only go to the Spring game when the weather is awful.

What if they had cat juggling?

 

[hthusky74]

What if they had cat juggling?

They need to have that Asian chick they have at the basketball games who rides a tall unicycle and flips bowls onto her head. She's been doing it for years and i've never seen her drop one. I don't know how the unicycle would function on sod though.

 

[NavinRJohnson]

What if they had cat juggling?

I could pass up a round of golf for some cat juggling. You ever see cat juggling live?

 

[ASweet3781]

UConn needs to boost a couple of things about both the home and road game experience.

#1 The UConn Marching Band needs to play the full fight song after every touchdown. All across the country when a team scores a touchdown their fight song is blaring right afterward by that schools band. Our band plays what I call the 10 second "fart version" of UConn Husky after a touchdown. They don't play the full song until after the extra point, when TV goes to commercial and you don't hear it. Instead they play "Uconnnnn Huskkkyyy..." The end. Silence. It sounds like the band farted. It's terrible on TV. Play the FULL song right away band. I can literally hum some schools fights songs because I hear them all the time after they score.

#2 Increase the road game experience. You get 5 road games a year. You don't have half it. If you want more fans to travel to road games you want to A. win B. Increase the experience of following the team on the road. Bring Jonathan, bring the hottest members of the spirit squad or dance team, bring the band. To every game. Not just the close road games. Not just when we are winning. But every game. Every other school does it. The last road game the marching band went to was at Michigan in 2010.. There is no excuse for them not to be at Yankee Stadium for the Army game. The cheerleaders started going to road games a couple years ago but then stopped when the team started losing again. Great precedent to show guys!

 

[NavinRJohnson]

How about bringing back the male cheerleader who did the BLUE/WHITE before each game...oh wait.

 

[Nostical]

Bring the band. To every away game. Every other school does it

You're right to lobby for a better game experience and I absolutely love the band, but very few schools bring their band to every away game. It's enormously expensive---transportation, food and lodging alone can add up to a huge number--and logistically difficult. You didn't see NC State, Louisville, Michigan, or any other school send its band to the Rent when they visited us. Only WVU brought their band a few years ago and Navy brought a small contingent.
Our band usually goes to one drivable away game per season. I wouldn't be surprised to see the band appear this year at Yankee Stadium and, of course, they would be at any Bowl games. Other than that, don't look for the band on the road except for very special events, like our games in South Bend and Ann Arbor. It's far more important for our fans to travel. If the band outnumbers our fans in the away stadium, it's a real bummer!

 

[FfldCntyFan]

They need to have that Asian chick they have at the basketball games who rides a tall unicycle and flips bowls onto her head. She's been doing it for years and i've never seen her drop one. I don't know how the unicycle would function on sod though.

Apparently you missed the joke.