UM AD on Mich vs Uconn at Rent

[kjk9183]

AD Brandon had a talk to today and basically said the game will be at the Rent. Michigan will not buy out game and Uconn is pigeoned hole into the Rent by the State Legislature. Meadowlands wanted game. This comes from the Detroit news beat writer @chengelis

 

[gimber]

link

http://www.freep.com/article/201208...ve-Brandon-sticks-up-Oklahoma-kid-U-M-T-shirt

 

[B1GEast]

Nice info kjk

 

[uc1974]

Nice to know that Michigan has a sense of honor, a rare thing these days. I am looking forward to the game. There should be some way to add a few thousand seats in the open end of the stadium and I would trust that individual game tickets would be suitably priced. The demand should be great and there is profit to be made.

 

[Dann]

we must be doing another bball match up or something for them to be so "ok" and toss out quotes like "thats not michigan bs" about the game at the rent.

 

[Fishy]

I don't think a basketball game means anything either way to Michigan - my guess is that they are just living up to their contract.

 

[Dann]

I don't think a basketball game means anything either way to Michigan - my guess is that they are just living up to their contract.

i think the men and women visiting mean some $ to them and some national tv time.

 

[Excalibur]

It simply means that the buyout was large enough to keep them from canceling.

 

[freescooter]

I think it was probably a combination of Excalibur's and fishy's ideas. Michigan made a deal and will honor it, but the fact that it will be very costly to walk away makes that decision much easier.

 

[Kgun7]

Nice to know that Michigan has a sense of honor, a rare thing these days. I am looking forward to the game. There should be some way to add a few thousand seats in the open end of the stadium and I would trust that individual game tickets would be suitably priced. The demand should be great and there is profit to be made.

"The net of it is we'd like to be playing that game in a big stadium, and we think we could fill that stadium. We think we could generate a significant amount of money that could help UConn, but right now, they're in a position where they can't consider it," he said

Help UCONN?

Do you think if Brandon offered the state something to exceed the lost rent and revenue, the game would still be at Rentshler?

Brandon couldn't buy it out because UM would lose face. He couldn't move it to Metlife because he couldn't offer the state and UCONN enough cash.

That's not honor ... that's being "pidgeoned hole" ...

 

[freescooter]

Well, you know he was speaking for local Michigan consumption...And he wasn't trying to move the game to New Jersey to "help" UConn. He was doing it because he thought it would benefit Michigan.

 

[Santini35]

Well, you know he was speaking for local Michigan consumption...And he wasn't trying to move the game to New Jersey to "help" UConn. He was doing it because he thought it would benefit Michigan.

"We've made specific proposals that I would consider more than compelling financial incentives to move the game, but life is politics,"

Compelling to who?

 

[Palatine]

I wouldn't mind a future game at the Meadowlands....

But the season ticket holders deserve this game at the Rent.

 

[freescooter]

I wouldn't mind a future game at the Meadowlands....

But the season ticket holders deserve this game at the Rent.

I agree on both counts. These neutral site games seem to be the current in thing, and I wouldn't mind doing one now and again. Just don't want to do it as our half of a home and home series. they want to play us in 2014 at the meadowlands or Yankee Stadium or Wrigley Field or somewhere, I'll fine with that.

 

[jackl]

Way back when I believe DC said it was a 2 million dollar buy out not to come to the RENT

 

[ruskin]

Glad they're coming. wouldn't have minded trip to Meadowlands, won't mind forking over extra $20 per ticket for this game only (keep in mind UConn has signaled its going to 'dynamic pricing').

 

[coachcap]

Nice to know that Michigan has a sense of honor, a rare thing these days. I am looking forward to the game. There should be some way to add a few thousand seats in the open end of the stadium and I would trust that individual game tickets would be suitably priced. The demand should be great and there is profit to be made.

Look at the endzones at the Rent. The railings have swinggates on the aisles. It was meant to accomodate temporary bleachers in the area where the pep squad hangs out. They've NEVER been installed. The Michigan game would be a perfect opportunity. I'd pay extra to sit there, but imagine having the student section expanded practically onto the field.

 

[huskymedic]

Glad they're coming. wouldn't have minded trip to Meadowlands, won't mind forking over extra $20 per ticket for this game only (keep in mind UConn has signaled its going to 'dynamic pricing').

Don't care where the game is played as long as we...

 

[Dann]

Look at the endzones at the Rent. The railings have swinggates on the aisles. It was meant to accomodate temporary bleachers in the area where the pep squad hangs out. They've NEVER been installed. The Michigan game would be a perfect opportunity. I'd pay extra to sit there, but imagine having the student section expanded practically onto the field.

this, maybe band on the field opens up seats and put temp bleachers where the score board is. get it to 45k and make it some record special day.

 

[whaler11]

Simple math shows it's not the buyout compelling them to do anything.

They easily gross 5 million plus for a MAC school.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

This is purely a gut feeling but I believe it is respect for our new AD (who happens to be a Michigan alum) that is keeping the Woverines from buying out the game.

I also believe that it is the myopic viewpoint of many in our legislature (as well as a portion of our fan base) that is preventing us from using this to our advantage. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to believe that we could convince UM to extend this series if within this extension we would play in Foxboro and the Meadowlands. It also could easily be argued that a couple of future home games (UConn's conference holding television rights) against Michigan would be quite valuable to whoever has our television rights when those games come around (also quite a bargaining chip for soon to arrive negotiations).

Michigan may have had a few down years but the fact is they are still Michigan. A scheduling relationship with them is invaluable to a school in our situation.

 

[weyuo]

Why would anyone want a UConn game in NJ when Gillette stadium is so much closer to the Storrs campus? It's time for the Fairfield County crowd to realize Storrs isn't anywhere near the NY or NJ borders. Come on up to the North End of CT sometime. The people are friendly and the traffic is a heck of a lot better.

 

[Dann]

Why would anyone want a UConn game in NJ when Gillette stadium is so much closer to the Storrs campus? It's time for the Fairfield County crowd to realize Storrs isn't anywhere near the NY or NJ borders. Come on up to the North End of CT sometime. The people are friendly and the traffic is a heck of a lot better.

michigan alum are in nyc not boston.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Why would anyone want a UConn game in NJ when Gillette stadium is so much closer to the Storrs campus? It's time for the Fairfield County crowd to realize Storrs isn't anywhere near the NY or NJ borders. Come on up to the North End of CT sometime. The people are friendly and the traffic is a heck of a lot better.

I personally believe that it is time for those in the middle of the state to realize that there are quite a few people with more than merely a little disposable income in this part of the state. Whether you are of the opinion that it is the fault of the school or the fault of the residents of Fairfield County that Fairfield County is not as connected to UConn as other parts of the state is unimportant. What is important is that there is a very valuable market here and the school would be insane if they did not make a serious effort to cultivate it. I will add in Westchester County (NY) as an area that is there for the taking if we can reach them with very similar demographics to Farifield County.

I am not talking about moving all of our football games to somewhere more convenient for those down here. I am talking about one game every other year, to introduce people to something they may want to consider becoming a part of in East Hartford. I absolutely believe that this part of the state could easily increase the season ticket base by 20k seats. I also firmly believe that the more of a presence we have in the NYC television market (through fans who live down here) the more immune we become to the pitfalls of conference realignment.

I have said for a decade now that we should plant a stake in NYC, another in Boston and devise a plan to make everything between the two our target market (for all of our athletic programs). I defy anyone to try to convince me that this would be a bad idea.

 

[Dann]

100% on board with ^^^^^been talking about it for a while. it starts with something simple like a bill board in stamford where thousands sit in rush hour traffic every freaking day.