UCONN vs UMASS @ Gillette Stadium 2016

[J187Money]

Buffalo, UMass, I don't much care. That's what kind of game this is. This is an opener at home and I'm fine with it. But playing them on the road in that venue is going to be dreadful. Dead, empty. It isn't going to garner lots of Boston coverage as pal and some others think. Nobody cares about UMass football. It gets reported on the College Results page of the Sunday Globe, right next to the Harvard results. Probably beats out Tufts, though. Maybe if we have just come off an upset of Alabama in the Sugar Bowl in January, there's a decent crowd. Otherwise, not so much. If they fixed up McGirk and expanded it to some reasonable size, I'd much rather play there.

Fair. But a Buffalo game on the road on TV v. a game I can go to - I'll take a game at UMASS any day.

 

[Confident Carl]

Think about what you just said. If UConn stopped ignoring Boston, we could have a presence. This is a chicken and egg problem. The only way to solve it is to become relevant in the Boston market by playing there.

We should play in the Boston Garden every year. We should play at Gillette. We NEED TO MAKE AN EFFORT.

But I love your "let's just give up" attitude.

BTN had a replay of the UCF Baylor beat down. Thank God the Big East leaders did not give up after everything imploded.
Not saying the Baylor win solved all the American's problems but it gave the conference a kick start. It's going to be interesting seeing what happens in the next several years.

UCF andUSF are going to get better. Same with UCONN, Houston, East Carolina and SMU and others. Staying hopeful and optimistic makes good things happen. UCONN is a prime example. If BC and UCONN start playing and UMASS catches on, who knows maybe, just maybe we will have some local rivalries. That is until soccer takes over as the #1 sport in America - NOT!

http://www.nola.com/tulane/index.ssf/2014/06/close-up_on_athletic_strengths.html

http://theamerican.org/news/2014/6/26/FB_0626140833.aspx

 

[uconnric]

Think about what you just said. If UConn stopped ignoring Boston, we could have a presence. This is a chicken and egg problem. The only way to solve it is to become relevant in the Boston market by playing there.

We should play in the Boston Garden every year. We should play at Gillette. We. NEED TO MAKE AN EFFORT.

But I love your "let's just give up" attitude.

Like I said, this game won't prove a thing. Boston media has consistently avoided us. Their world ends at Rt. 128. This won't change that.

 

[freescooter]

Like I said, this game won't prove a thing. Boston media has consistently avoided us. Their world ends at Rt. 128. This won't change that.

There are 2 positives about this game and only 2. it is close and it is winnable. The rest of it is just stuff and nonsense. It isn't going to help recruiting, it isn't going to get us any more Boston coverage, it isn't going to cause BC any issues...and unless we sell 50,000 tickets, which we won't (my guess is 5000-7500which will be pretty good for an early season road game against a bad opponent) it won't impress anyone. Assuming UMass gets their typical 15,000 or so, the crowd will be around 23-25,00o. One of their better home crowds for sure, but it will look like nothing in that cavernous stadium. really if Umass wants to be even slightly successful they ought to move back to campus full time, maybe play a game a year in Foxborough, expand McGuirk to hold 21,000 or so and market to the student body and try and develop a fan base in western/central Mass. Temple ought to do the same thing For what its worth. figure out how to build a 30,000 seat facility on/near campus. Yulman at Tulane is the model. College teams playing in pro stadiums rarely works well. For programs with "modest" success it is a ticket to nowhere.

 

[Palatine]

Like I said, this game won't prove a thing. Boston media has consistently avoided us. Their world ends at Rt. 128. This won't change that.

It's not the game. It's the effort. It has to start somewhere.

We have avoided Boston as much as it has avoided us.

 

[ASweet3781]

Playing opponents we will actually be favored to beat like Army and UMass in Boston/NYC professional stadiums like Yankee Stadium and Gillette Stadium is 1000% better than playing a standard home and home with a Buffalo and Western Michigan who are capable of beating us and who don't help the UConn brand reach the 2 major northeast metropolises it's sandwiched between.

We haven't reached bowl eligibility since 2011. It's sort of important to get to 6 wins a season and soon before the perception of our program is set in stone negative. And contrary to all the AAC belly aching, it won't be easy to get to 4-5 wins against UCF, Houston, Cincy, ECU, etc at the moment.

 

[ASweet3781]

There are 2 positives about this game and only 2. it is close and it is winnable. The rest of it is just stuff and nonsense. It isn't going to help recruiting, it isn't going to get us any more Boston coverage, it isn't going to cause BC any issues...and unless we sell 50,000 tickets, which we won't (my guess is 5000-7500which will be pretty good for an early season road game against a bad opponent) it won't impress anyone. Assuming UMass gets their typical 15,000 or so, the crowd will be around 23-25,00o. One of their better home crowds for sure, but it will look like nothing in that cavernous stadium. really if Umass wants to be even slightly successful they ought to move back to campus full time, maybe play a game a year in Foxborough, expand McGuirk to hold 21,000 or so and market to the student body and try and develop a fan base in western/central Mass. Temple ought to do the same thing For what its worth. figure out how to build a 30,000 seat facility on/near campus. Yulman at Tulane is the model. College teams playing in pro stadiums rarely works well. For programs with "modest" success it is a ticket to nowhere.

You could have stopped at "it is close and winnable".

We won 3 games last year. If people want to ever leave the AAC someday we better start making bowl games and soon.

 

[freescooter]

You could have stopped at "it is close and winnable".

We won 3 games last year. If people want to ever leave the AAC someday we better start making bowl games and soon.

I don't disagree with the concept. I'm not opposed to playing MAC teams, I'd just like to play teams with a pulse in stadiums that draw more than flies. the Ohio game at their place a couple of years ago was not too bad. Pretty close to a full house. Small stadium seats about 25,000 but I'd much much much rather play in front of 22000 in a 25000-30,000 seat stadium than the same crowd in one of those mammoth NFL buildings. It just sucks the life out of the game, the crowd, everything. Almost impossible to generate any excitement no matter how the game is going. Hell, I would even make UMass an offer to let them be the home team for a game at the Rent. That's how bad I think this experience will be. Frankly it is why I'd much rather play at Yankee Stadium than MetLife if we ever have to play one of those horrible neutral site affairs. 54,000 is much better than 82,000 for a college game unless you're in Ann Arbor or Tuskaloosa or someplace like that. When Syracuse drew 32,000 for USC to that venue is was embarrassing but made even more so by the vastness of the empty seats.

 

[Husky25]

Gillette doesn't seat 75,000, it seats just under 69,000. My guess is they will tarp off at least the upper deck in the corners and fill in the lower bowl as much as possible just like they do with soccer. Unlike Soccer though, I think attendance will be in the 30-40K. Soccer attendance is capped at 20K.

 

[Husky25]

It's not the game. It's the effort. It has to start somewhere.

We have avoided Boston as much as it has avoided us.

That's not 100% true. Mike Mutnansky (UConn class of 2002) was pumping UConn's tires from the Sweet 16 onward, and he was demoted from the WEEI midday show. They don't talk about college sports in Boston.

Foxboro is on the 495 loop, not 128/95 and it is actually closer to Providence than it is Boston. Depending on when the game is played, how the Red Sox are doing, and if there is a Patriots game the next day, the game won't even register in Boston.

 

[FAIRTIDES]

Playing opponents we will actually be favored to beat like Army and UMass in Boston/NYC professional stadiums like Yankee Stadium and Gillette Stadium is 1000% better than playing a standard home and home with a Buffalo and Western Michigan who are capable of beating us and who don't help the UConn brand reach the 2 major northeast metropolises it's sandwiched between.

We haven't reached bowl eligibility since 2011. It's sort of important to get to 6 wins a season and soon before the perception of our program is set in stone negative. And contrary to all the AAC belly aching, it won't be easy to get to 4-5 wins against UCF, Houston, Cincy, ECU, etc at the moment.

Everything you say is true. Only one problem:

Yankee Stadium : Gillette = BMW : Yugo

 

[freescooter]

Gillette doesn't seat 75,000, it seats just under 69,000. My guess is they will tarp off at least the upper deck in the corners and fill in the lower bowl as much as possible just like they do with soccer. Unlike Soccer though, I think attendance will be in the 30-40K. Soccer attendance is capped at 20K.

There won't be 40,000 there even if they gave tickets away and kidnapped 20,000 people and dragged them kicking and screaming into the stadium and counted the people passed out in the Extra Point Lounge on Route 1. Umass draws 10-15000. UConn isn't sending 25,000. 10 will be a stretch. You're right on capacity , though. But at least form what I saw they don't tarp off any seating. Tehy don't open the upper level for seating. You're right about capacity, but I'm not sure the 6 000 makes that much difference. Still has the feel of an empty house.

 

[ASweet3781]

How many people were at the UConn-Buffalo game? UConn-Temple? It is what it is. A winnable game within driving distance at the home stadium of Tom Brady. The stadium might be half full but if it's a win that's all that matters.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

The stadium might be half full but if it's a win that's all that matters.

This is the point that you're missing. Badly.

 

[ASweet3781]

This is the point that you're missing. Badly.

UConn has played in some pretty terrible environments since being in D1. So what?

They had like 15,000 people out there when Western Michigan and Buffalo stomped all over us. Am I supposed to lose sleep that UMass-UConn won't be able to sell out Gillette Stadium?

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

UConn has played in some pretty terrible environments since being in D1. So what?

They had like 15,000 people out there when Western Michigan and Buffalo stomped all over us. Am I supposed to lose sleep that UMass-UConn won't be able to sell out Gillette Stadium?

King Strawman is going on ignore. First one ever.

 

[ASweet3781]

King Strawman is going on ignore. First one ever.

I'll wear it as a badge of honor.

 

[Husky25]

How many people were at the UConn-Buffalo game? UConn-Temple? It is what it is. A winnable game within driving distance at the home stadium of Tom Brady. The stadium might be half full but if it's a win that's all that matters.

There won't be 40,000 there even if they gave tickets away and kidnapped 20,000 people and dragged them kicking and screaming into the stadium and counted the people passed out in the Extra Point Lounge on Route 1. Umass draws 10-15000. UConn isn't sending 25,000. 10 will be a stretch. You're right on capacity , though. But at least form what I saw they don't tarp off any seating. Tehy don't open the upper level for seating. You're right about capacity, but I'm not sure the 6 000 makes that much difference. Still has the feel of an empty house.

There's a difference between winnable games in a season with no hope vs. a season with at least a glimmer. Also, while both Buffalo and Philadelphia are drivable, 3-5 hour trips (Gillette is an hour and a half from Hartford), UConn had not won a game up to either point and it wasn't looking good leading into Temple (or for the 1st half of Temple for that matter). You would have had to pay me a substantial amount of money (above and beyond the cost of a ticket and gas money) to make either one...especially where the environment/stadiums have no discernible quality to write home about (i.e. it's not Michie Stadium or even the Yale Bowl for that matter). Not when the alternative is my couch during a lost season. Home games are obviously different. I bought season tickets, I was going to use them.

With Gillette being so close to the footprint of Connecticut, I could see UConn matching or even outdrawing UMass. That is where my 30-40k number comes from, but honestly, there is really no use in predicting UConn representation at Gillette in 2016 until after Nov. 8. Presumably there will be something to play for going forward that was even remotely present in 2013.

 

[dsturdy5]

No doubt it is more appealing to play in recently revamped McGirk but from a travel perspective the game at Gillette is better for UCONN fan base. The attendance at Gillette has been horrible and the political climate in MA is not friendly towards the program. In spite of that, it sounds like the AD and University are still going forward on a 5-7 year plan. Right now, the program is on life support. This game is on and lets see what happens. In 2011 24,000 attendance for the UMASS - UNH game and lets hope for better than that.

As for that UNH game, both campuses ran a ton of busses to that game to get to that point. I would hope UConn does the same.

 

[Dooley]

As for that UNH game, both campuses ran a ton of busses to that game to get to that point. I would hope UConn does the same.

Agree. In the release of this game, there was a specific mention of just how close to campus Gillette is and they were excited to bring a road game to the students that they could realistically go to. I'd be shocked if 84-Mass Pike-490 wasn't a UCONN bus parade.

 

[Lethalinjection]

I don't know what the problem is. This is an away game at an NFL stadium within 2 1/2 hours of most UCONN fans. Plus we're going to win. 1 down, 5 wins to go.

 

[pepband99]

I don't disagree with the concept. I'm not opposed to playing MAC teams, I'd just like to play teams with a pulse in stadiums that draw more than flies. the Ohio game at their place a couple of years ago was not too bad. Pretty close to a full house. Small stadium seats about 25,000 but I'd much much much rather play in front of 22000 in a 25000-30,000 seat stadium than the same crowd in one of those mammoth NFL buildings. It just sucks the life out of the game, the crowd, everything. Almost impossible to generate any excitement no matter how the game is going. Hell, I would even make UMass an offer to let them be the home team for a game at the Rent. That's how bad I think this experience will be. Frankly it is why I'd much rather play at Yankee Stadium than MetLife if we ever have to play one of those horrible neutral site affairs. 54,000 is much better than 82,000 for a college game unless you're in Ann Arbor or Tuskaloosa or someplace like that. When Syracuse drew 32,000 for USC to that venue is was embarrassing but made even more so by the vastness of the empty seats.

I take the other route here - "big time" teams/fans would never "settle" for playing @ a place like Ohio, full house or not. "Neutral" site is the way this would work. The same yahoos wouldn't guess in a million years that UMass plays that far from campus.

 

[Confident Carl]

I take the other route here - "big time" teams/fans would never "settle" for playing @ a place like Ohio, full house or not. "Neutral" site is the way this would work. The same yahoos wouldn't guess in a million years that UMass plays that far from campus.

UCONN should seek to make the UMASS game part of their season ticket package.
Call it a 7+1 Package. Offer it as a bonus at a good price if you buy season tickets earlier. UCONN, UMASS and Gillette officials should huddle and come up with a big PR campaign to promote the game. Maybe we could hire PT Barnum to bring in some of his strange exhibits to promote the game.

 

[DrG]

UCONN, UMASS and Gillette officials should huddle and come up with a big PR campaign to promote the game.

Don't expect free beer from the Krafts.

 

[UMass]

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with those of you that don't like the idea of this game. You make very valid points and I completely understand. But I tend to agree with the folks that think it is better than you guys playing Buffalo or W. Michigan. I know from a UMass standpoint this will be a big game and I'm thinking (hoping) that UMass fans will surprise you guys with the turnout. We'll probably get a glimpse of this when we see the UMass turnout against BC this year. Last year we averaged about 15,600 (stop laughing!!!). That was under a coaching staff that no one liked or respected and there was some very negative vibes between the school and the alumni/ fans. I can tell you with certainty that all of that has changed. Whipple has brought some life and enthusiasm to what was a very apathetic and disgruntled fan base. Are we going to get 40,000 this year? Absolutely not! All I'm saying is that I wouldn't base all my expectations on attendance using the "Molnar era" figures