UCONN Student Section

[amory]

UConn football is painful to watch. Watching our offense over the last few years has been like watching paint dry.

You're never going to get the students (or the crowd at large, for that matter) to stay until the end of the game if we're getting beat like a drum with no chance of mounting a comeback. You can get mad about it if you want to, but there's a certain point everyone gets to where "hey let's beat the traffic" becomes a more fun alternative to watching the game.

 

[amory]

Can we please change the G-damn bus schedule so that busses don't leave the stadium until 45 minutes AFTER the game ends?

Yeah! Let's trap em there like it's a prison, that'll teach them to LOVE UCONN FOOTBALL!

Actually it'll probably just prevent them from coming at all.

 

[BoatShow]

I don't fully get the "blah blah bus blah blah 1/2 hour blah blah" argument. If you buy the tickets, buy the bus ticket, get on the bus why the hell are you only staying for a quarter or two and bailing? Get the pictures on your instagram feed and bail?

More of a commentary on the student situation at The Rent at large than last night. Sitting up in the young alumni section I'd say both students and young alums were very engaged (despite Young Alums forever being the drunkest section). You can't expect these kids to stick around for a game like last night. I saw "Neon Lumberjack" or w/e the Yard nicknamed the dude with big beard and neon knit hat who leads cheers at hoops games leaving after BYU scored their 5th TD and just about everyone followed him.

 

[Milo65]

I don't fully get the "blah blah bus blah blah 1/2 hour blah blah" argument. If you buy the tickets, buy the bus ticket, get on the bus why the hell are you only staying for a quarter or two and bailing? Get the pictures on your instagram feed and bail?

More of a commentary on the student situation at The Rent at large than last night. Sitting up in the young alumni section I'd say both students and young alums were very engaged (despite Young Alums forever being the drunkest section). You can't expect these kids to stick around for a game like last night. I saw "Neon Lumberjack" or w/e the Yard nicknamed the dude with big beard and neon knit hat who leads cheers at hoops games leaving after BYU scored their 5th TD and just about everyone followed him.

You are 100% right, but I've also seen the student section walk out during some very close games. 2012 Temple game that went into OT. No excuse to not stick around for that one.

 

[CTBasketball]

Does anyone know when the first bus back to campus leaves the Rent?

 

[BoatShow]

Does anyone know when the first bus back to campus leaves the Rent?

I think the deal is they just sit in the parking lot and leave once they're filled up whenever that may be.

 

[RedSoloCup]

Students are loud and enthusiastic for sure. They (and the band and cheerleaders) need to pay attention and make sure they aren't loud when UCONN's at the line of scrimmage. There was an offensive series in front of the student section with a loud "lets go Huskies" chant while we were on the line. Just takes some time to know when to crank it up.

Can we borrow/shamelessly steal the way BYU greeted their fans after the game? The fans went to the first row rail and the players high fived them as the left the field. I'd really like to see this at our away games. Singing the fight song with the fans after the Maryland game is the exception rather than the rule. I went to the UCF game last year; we got barely a wave or a raised helmet. My only away game this year will be Army. Curious to see how it goes.

The team sang with the band after the game, I was there. There were still a few fans, so I guess you can say they sang with the fans.

 

[uconnkelly]

RedSoloCup, I was there for the end of the BYU game too. My suggestion was for away games. The way the BYU team greeted and appeared to thank their fans at an away game was impressive.

 

[thatguyed]

A big part of the problem is the bus service arranged by UConn and the AD. I don't recall exact specifics but busses start to leave, I'm pretty sure, right after halftime. Stop that and don't start them until the start of the 4th quarter and it'll get better.

 

[whaler11]

How about if they take everyone's keys as they enter the stadium and you get them back after the game?

Turning people into psuedo-prisioners is only going to make them stay home all together.

 

[Milo65]

A big part of the problem is the bus service arranged by UConn and the AD. I don't recall exact specifics but busses start to leave, I'm pretty sure, right after halftime. Stop that and don't start them until the start of the 4th quarter and it'll get better.

This is a good idea. If you take the train (Metro North-New Haven Line) into Yankee Stadium, the train leaves 25-45 minutes after the game.

 

[uconnell]

The gripe I have about the student section is the shaking of car keys instead of cheering/yelling. I remember when they were the noisiest section, banging on the padding, stomping on the metal bleachers,and now we get tinkle, tinkle, tinkle. That is some harassment right there. Shame on them.

I complained about this a year ago and was told at least they are there, well so are the old people,most of them sit on their butts, don't cheer, but they tinkle too.

 

[BoatShow]

It's all about tinkle tinkle anddd yell yell!

 

[uconnell]

It's all about tinkle tinkle anddd yell yell!

Sorry, if you watch the replay all I could hear was tinkle, tinkle no yelling.

 

[junglehusky]

How about if they take everyone's keys as they enter the stadium and you get them back after the game?

Turning people into psuedo-prisioners is only going to make them stay home all together.

<please turn on your irony detectors>

Just saying.... seems to work pretty well for North Korea.

 

[Dooley]

You are 100% right, but I've also seen the student section walk out during some very close games. 2012 Temple game that went into OT. No excuse to not stick around for that one.

Me too, hence this thread. Temple chose to go INTO the student section of OT in that game...which they won. In 99% of NCAAF stadiums across the country, the away team will choose to go AWAY from the student section and towards their own visitors sections. Granted, Temple didn't have many fans at that game but we had 2 rows of students left IN A TIE GAME. And this was in 2012, not last year, a year that we finished 5-7. One more win, we could have gone to a bowl game.

It's nigh time the student section is called out and I'm going to do it. It's been 10 years now at the Rent and we still haven't figured out how to keep students at the game, in any game - blowout or close. I have no idea if it's the bus schedule, the tailgating, the style of play, the weather, the lack of wi-fi, or general student apathy...but it needs to change and it needs to change ASAP.

I hope my picture taking challenge will either 1) prove me wrong or 2) the fact that they're being called out will motivate students to go and stay at the friggin' games. Again, the support for hoops is GREAT. I'm an ardent advocate for playing all home basketball games at Gampel completely because of the atmosphere at Gampel is 1000x better than XL thanks to the students. Gampel is a GREAT home-court advantage and one of the most feared gyms to play in the country. My hope is that the same student support will find its way to the Rent. We need to figure this out.

 

[UConnDan97]

The gripe I have about the student section is the shaking of car keys instead of cheering/yelling. I remember when they were the noisiest section, banging on the padding, stomping on the metal bleachers,and now we get tinkle, tinkle, tinkle. That is some harassment right there. Shame on them.

I complained about this a year ago and was told at least they are there, well so are the old people,most of them sit on their butts, don't cheer, but they tinkle too.

No doubt about it. The keys thing has to go. It creates less decibels than a mouse fart. Get those big Husky paws together and clap the hell out of the opposition!!!

 

[Fishy]

I don't care about turning students into hostages.

Start running the buses halfway through the fourth quarter.

 

[Milo65]

Student section with 12 minutes left in the 4th.

 

[uconnell]

If they don't want to stay at the game they will probably go to the parking lot and party till the buses arrive. I don't see that as being held hostage.

The other gripe I have is that a lot of the 25 to 45 age fans treat this as a social gathering at the game. Even sitting in the stands they yak instead of watching the game. For cryin out loud socialize at the tailgate, watch the game and cheer.

 

[Milo65]

With about 7 min left in the 4th quarter...

 

[Ha Who]

This stuff about the students won't come if you make them stay brings to mind one thought: Scott Haney is predicting half an inch of snow, so I can't drive to the basketball game

 

[ConnHuskBask]

This thread is ridiculous on a lot of different levels. Not even sure where to begin.

I'll just say this. Going to a game is supposed to be fun, not some sort of duty or obligation.

The last few seasons it hasn't been fun to be a UConn football fan.

I've had tickets for ten years now, stay till the end of every game but I'd be lying if I said the tailgate isn't the most enjoyable part of the games lately.

 

[Hoophound]

Crowds are loud for competitive games. If that was a competitive, down to the wire game, the stadium would have been electric. We got our asses kicked.

Had we won, things would improve. With each win and the exciting atmosphere that comes with it, more people will get in their seats earlier next game. It's the simple premise that if you enjoy something, you'll want to do it more often and for longer periods of time. Until we start winning games, fans are being trained to look forward to the tailgate and loathe the game.

 

[Ha Who]

This thread is ridiculous on a lot of different levels. Not even sure where to begin.

I'll just say this. Going to a game is supposed to be fun, not some sort of duty or obligation.

The last few seasons it hasn't been fun to be a UConn football fan.

I've had tickets for ten years now, stay till the end of every game but I'd be lying if I said the tailgate isn't the most enjoyable part of the games lately.

I agree with what you are saying, but try thinking in these terms. My immigrant grandparents worked lousy jobs and lived in a small apartment so their son could go to college and have a better life. You are sacrificing to change the perception of UCONN and get us in the P5. You could take the generations of welfare route and stay outside and tailgate all game ensuring a lifetime in the "American". Kudos for staying, I know how hard it is.

 

[businesslawyer]

People want to talk about the damn crowd? Unreal. A few thoughts.

1. It took me two hours and fifteen minutes from Fairfield. I make it on 65 for a Saturday game. I took the day off and was there by 5:30 anyway, but not every fan is going to take a day off from work or school to ensure that they will be there on time no matter what the traffic. It's not the fans fault that you can't drive anywhere in this damn State without being caught in traffic.

2. If you want to complain about something we can control through complaints, complain about the fact that there is always a ten minute delay getting into the stadium. As if I'm any safer because of the cursory search they do of people.

3. I hate to tell you this Dooley, but you have no more control of when a student or any other fan chooses to get to a game than you do about play calling. Probably less, actually, because if a coach blows you can pressure the school to fire him.

4. Given what our program has been through with incompetence and the situation deteriorating around us, I was not disappointed with the crowd last night. It will not be a long way back if we start winning again. But to blame those who are showing up for their conduct rather than those who don't show up makes no sense. Until we have a waiting list of people wanting to get tickets, anyone who shells out their hard earned cash to come can do what they please and I'm happy they are supporting the program.

 

[Waquoit]

The only problem is that this is how our student section looks at EVERY 3rd quarter except for 2-3 games since the Rent opened.

Not even close to being true.

 

[Drew]

With about 7 min left in the 4th quarter...

If you look close you can see me standing on the bleachers in the left side! Blue gameday polo and blue bucket hat with khakis

 

[uconnell]

Walking thru the blue lot to get into the stadium, I noticed that more people were packing up than normally happened. The walk from the red lots is quite long which cuts down on tailgating time. I think the lots should open 6 hours before the game to give people a chance to tailgate, pack up and walk in.

We even got there late and we only have to drive from the eastern shoreline,by the time we set up, cooked and ate it was time to pack up.

When the Rent first opened shuttle buses ran from the red lots, what happened to them?

The Husky walk should go back to where it originally was.

 

[kemba]

Not even close to being true.

Yup.

It empties out for blowouts, and yea, you can pick out a couple of examples like the DJ Hernandez Pitt game where the students left way to early, but in general they stay and are loud when games are competitive. And comparing this student section to Gampel is apples and oranges.

Bottom line is if we win games people will want to be in on time and stay till the end. Forcing people to packup tailgates early isn't the answer, and neither is making it so students aren't able to leave until after the game. It's not supposed to be an obligation.