USF…. (Merged threads)

[EdgewoodNHV]

Back in the day, we bought Schaefer Beer. It was cheap and we could get it in quart bottles to drink in the dorm rooms while we were "studying".

The beer to have when you're having more than one!

 

[CL82]

I remember getting a case of Schaefer bar bottles for $1.61 plus tax and deposit in the mid 1980s.

That's impressive. The least expensive I remember getting a case for is between five and six dollars.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

That's impressive. The least expensive I remember getting a case for is between five and six dollars.

I still think that was the six pack price and he mistakenly said case. Schaefer was a local beer when I was a kid and it was a preferred beer of a great uncle. It was miles ahead of RWB in terms of quality and i would have gladly paid $1 or so more a case back then for that instead of RWB.

 

[CL82]

I still think that was the six pack price and he mistakenly said case. Schaefer was a local beer when I was a kid and it was a preferred beer of a great uncle. It was miles ahead of RWB in terms of quality and i would have gladly paid $1 or so more a case back then for that instead of RWB.

RWBs were rough even as a broke 20 year-old.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

RWBs were rough even as a broke 20 year-old.

Yes they were.

That on its own is enough to motivate someone to do well enough in school that he could land a job so he could afford quality beer after graduation.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Rapp’s nickel beers happy hours: Was it Wednesday or Thursday afternoons?

Some quality options: Piels, Schmitz, Chance it with ‘gansett, Old Swilwaukee, Milwaukee’s Worst.

 

[History Geek]

That's impressive. The least expensive I remember getting a case for is between five and six dollars.

They were covered in dust. Might have been thete for a while 😳

 

[ZooCougar]

Back in the day, we bought Schaefer Beer. It was cheap and we could get it in quart bottles to drink in the dorm rooms while we were "studying".

We called it Shaefier, the premium French Beer.

 

[Sky ball]

If expansion ever gets rolling again….they’re gonna be an issue for us.

When they finish their On Campus Stadium they get the invite.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

When they finish their On Campus Stadium they get the invite.

Conference mates with us in a rebuilt ACC?

 

[Kolumbo]

GFed on site. at the 9 minute mark he visits the baseball stadium with a deck which overlooks both the baseball and softball fields

 

[Hoophound]

When they finish their On Campus Stadium they get the invite.

I think we’re both getting an invite in 2030. To where and what causes it is to TBD. I don’t think the B12 will be grabbing USF unless UCF steps back up. The B12 expansion with UCF, Cincy and Houston has been a big disappointment.

 

[UConnJim]

I didn't see it mentioned in this thread, so I'll add it.

One of the firms that is backing the $500 million private equity investment in the Big 12 is Weatherford Capital, founded by the 3 Weatherford brothers. (Drew Weatherford played QB for FSU back in the day.) The Managing Partner of Weatherford Capital is Will Weatherford who happens to be Chairman of the USF Board of Trustees.

 

[CL82]

I didn't see it mentioned in this thread, so I'll add it.

One of the firms that is backing the $500 million private equity investment in the Big 12 is Weatherford Capital, founded by the 3 Weatherford brothers. (Drew Weatherford played QB for FSU back in the day.) The Managing Partner of Weatherford Capital is Will Weatherford who happens to be Chairman of the USF Board of Trustees.

🤔

 

[jostar1]

 

[JVN]

I didn't see it mentioned in this thread, so I'll add it.

One of the firms that is backing the $500 million private equity investment in the Big 12 is Weatherford Capital, founded by the 3 Weatherford brothers. (Drew Weatherford played QB for FSU back in the day.) The Managing Partner of Weatherford Capital is Will Weatherford who happens to be Chairman of the USF Board of Trustees.

UCF has been an underwhelming addition to the B12, would they really want to invite another directional G5 Florida school? I don't know the answer to that.

 

[Forte]

UCF has been an underwhelming addition to the B12, would they really want to invite another directional G5 Florida school? I don't know the answer to that.

Advantages over UConn....hopefully we can tag along but ...

1. AAU status
2. Bigger TV market than CT Hartford
3. More fertile recruiting ground
4. Brand new on Campus Stadium
5. Regionally aligned

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I doubt that AAU status will make much difference to the B-12 but I am still furious that we (our school's administration) have been asleep at the wheel on this for as long as they have been. Thirty years ago the idea that a few schools (USF included) could gain AAU membership before us would have seemed mind boggling. We would have barely been on the radar then, but some other schools would have needed to move mountains just to get on the radar.

The biggest thing (USF specific) they have going for them for B-12 membership is the built in rivalry with UCF.

Something working against them is that a large part of where they draw their fan base (including student body) is fourth, fifth generation Gator or Noles family.

 

[CL82]

Advantages over UConn....hopefully we can tag along but ...

1. AAU status
2. Bigger TV market than CT Hartford
3. More fertile recruiting ground
4. Brand new on Campus Stadium
5. Regionally aligned

I'm not sure that AAU status matters particularly to the big 12. Regardless, Connecticut is classified as a Carnegie "R1" institution which is the highest classification for research activity, indicating strong federal funding and high levels of research output.

Regarding the fact that the Tampa Saint Petersburg DMA is bigger than the Hartford DMA, that disregard the fact that nearly 1/3 of Connecticut population is included in the NYCDMA. Ignoring that fact, underrepresents potential television viewers within the borders of Connecticut by about 1 million people. It also disregard the fact thatConnecticut, being within the footprint of the footprint of the NYCDMA is incredibly more valuable than the Tampa Saint Petersburg DMA.

In any event, DMA's are an antiquated concept that are based on the reach of broadcast television. Better factors now would be actual viewers, which, although I haven't looked, I am confident that Connecticut exceeds USF, and particularly Internet engagement, in which Connecticut dramatically exceeds USF.

Agree with you regarding the on campus stadium. The lack of it makes us look "small time" to traditional football programs. That said, if our admission to a before conference required us to build a stadium on campus, there's no doubt in my mind that we would get it done. The Rent, though admittedly a great place to see a game, is reaching the end of its useful life. If there was a reason to build a stadium on campus, particularly a reason that would mean a minimum of an additional $45 million a year being pumped into the Connecticut economy, I suspect we would find a way to make it happen.

I'm not sure that Florida is more "regionally aligned" with the big 12 than Connecticut. It may be more "culturally aligned" and certainly is a better recruiting ground though.

Brett Yormark understands the value of a New York City presence, which we inarguably have, and covets it. From his perspective at least, I think that gives us a significant advantage over USF.

 

[Hoophound]

We complain about the stadium location, yet Hartford is back again as the better venue for our basketball teams. So, I’m not sure in a tiny state like CT that the on campus stadium is too big a deal. More people go to our basketball games in Hartford than go to USF football games a large part of the time (actual butts in seats). Very different fan bases.

 

[CL82]

I’m not sure in a tiny state like CT that the on campus stadium is too big a deal

So, just to be clear, your position is that we need to have a stadium 30 minutes off campus because it's more convenient for people to get to, and, in any event, it doesn't matter that it's 30 minutes off campus because Connecticut is such a small state that travel times don't matter?

 

[Kolumbo]

So, just to be clear, your position is that we need to have a stadium 30 minutes off campus because it's more convenient for people to get to, and, in any event, it doesn't matter that it's 30 minutes off campus because Connecticut is such a small state that travel times don't matter?

I suggest the state of CT officially expand the Storrs campus so that it includes the areas in and surrounding portions of Route 32, Route 44, Route 384, Silver Lane, and the Founders Bridge. Then The Rent and the UConn Hartford building will officially be "on-campus." Problem solved.

 

[ScottVib]

Add Rte. 4 and then the Health Center shows up as on-campus.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Advantages over UConn....hopefully we can tag along but ...

1. AAU status
2. Bigger TV market than CT Hartford
3. More fertile recruiting ground
4. Brand new on Campus Stadium
5. Regionally aligned

I'm not sure that AAU status matters particularly to the big 12. Regardless, Connecticut is classified as a Carnegie "R1" institution which is the highest classification for research activity, indicating strong federal funding and high levels of research output.

Regarding the fact that the Tampa Saint Petersburg DMA is bigger than the Hartford DMA, that disregard the fact that nearly 1/3 of Connecticut population is included in the NYCDMA. Ignoring that fact, underrepresents potential television viewers within the borders of Connecticut by about 1 million people. It also disregard the fact thatConnecticut, being within the footprint of the footprint of the NYCDMA is incredibly more valuable than the Tampa Saint Petersburg DMA.

In any event, DMA's are an antiquated concept that are based on the reach of broadcast television. Better factors now would be actual viewers, which, although I haven't looked, I am confident that Connecticut exceeds USF, and particularly Internet engagement, in which Connecticut dramatically exceeds USF.

Agree with you regarding the on campus stadium. The lack of it makes us look "small time" to traditional football programs. That said, if our admission to a before conference required us to build a stadium on campus, there's no doubt in my mind that we would get it done. The Rent, though admittedly a great place to see a game, is reaching the end of its useful life. If there was a reason to build a stadium on campus, particularly a reason that would mean a minimum of an additional $45 million a year being pumped into the Connecticut economy, I suspect we would find a way to make it happen.

I'm not sure that Florida is more "regionally aligned" with the big 12 than Connecticut. It may be more "culturally aligned" and certainly is a better recruiting ground though.

Brett Yormark understands the value of a New York City presence, which we inarguably have, and covets it. From his perspective at least, I think that gives us a significant advantage over USF.

These two posts perfectly illustrate UConn's dilemma with conference expansion. USF can simply state some basic facts up front which make sense and are easily digestible. Everything UConn has is a "Yeah, but...." argument.

"We're not AAU but we're R1".
"Our DMA isn't great, but it doesn't inlcude Serah Williams CT"
"We don't have an on campus stadium, but it's a small state".
"We don't have any geographic rivals, but we compete"

 

[CL82]

These two posts perfectly illustrate UConn's dilemma with conference expansion. USF can simply state some basic facts up front which make sense and are easily digestible. Everything UConn has is a "Yeah, but...." argument.

"We're not AAU but we're R1".
"Our DMA isn't great, but it doesn't inlcude Serah Williams CT"
"We don't have an on campus stadium, but it's a small state".
"We don't have any geographic rivals, but we compete"

Sure if your presentation is reactive rather than proactive. The proactive version might be something like:

1. The University of Connecticut is rated as a Carnegie R1 institution which is the highest classification for research activity, indicating strong federal funding and high levels of research.
2. The state of Connecticut is located within both the New York DMA, the nations largest and most prestigious, media market, and the Hartford-New Haven DMA which is the nations 33rd largest medium market. Together that creates unparalleled access to New York and New England. The unrivaled access to these markets may be why the UConn consistently has among the most watched sports events in the nation.
3. UConn's Rentschler Field is conveniently located just 19 miles from Bradley International Airport, making it an easy commute for visiting teams. (All right that one's a bit of a hard sale, but that's the best I can do.)
4. The state of Connecticut has over 3 million residents. Unlike most states UConn does not share the state with any other FBS university. Even more impressive is that over 27 million people live within 125 miles of the university.