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Post by rf1 on Feb 28, 2019 11:15:20 GMT -5
Interesting read on the $92M publicly funded Rentschler Field in East Hartford, CT. The stadium, home to UConn football, is struggling. Very few large scale events outside the seven or so Husky football dates. Has not hosted a concert in over a decade. Expected nearby development has never really materialized in the fifteen years since it was built.
Empty promises and empty seats: After 15 years, Rentschler Field struggles to match expectations Hartford Courant
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Post by rickii on Feb 28, 2019 11:49:38 GMT -5
Sad but interesting story....
Odd that there's no direct reference to not getting invited to join the ACC and the rather nasty legal battles that followed....which wound up giving UConn and the state lousy PR nationally.
BC, Syracuse, Pitt, Miami and Virginia Tech all got invites while UConn was left without a chair when the music stopped.
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Post by A Clock Tower Purple on Feb 28, 2019 12:04:39 GMT -5
When you are a "basketball school" with the worst 1A FB team in the country this is what happens. And it's not like Hartford is a destination hot spot.
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Post by sader1970 on Feb 28, 2019 14:31:16 GMT -5
Perhaps the most relevant part of the story for Holy Cross fans:
Some fans believe football is
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Post by rf1 on Feb 28, 2019 19:47:15 GMT -5
The relevancy of the article is that taxpayers should be wary of politicians proposing the spending of nearly $100M public dollars for non major league sports stadiums on the premise that it will spur much new development and pay for itself.
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Post by sader1970 on Feb 28, 2019 20:49:49 GMT -5
At least it has nothing to do with the Pawsox moving to Worcester.
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Post by longsuffering on Feb 28, 2019 22:58:00 GMT -5
Substitute Polar Park for Rentschler Field then hold onto your wallet local denizens. Actually, Polar will only be a 10,000 seat Park and minor league baseball teams are experts at marketing and promotions. The WooSox plan concerts, hockey games, weddings or whatever the public wants at the field.
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Post by hcgrad94 on Mar 1, 2019 19:40:25 GMT -5
At least it has nothing to do with the Pawsox moving to Worcester. 71 games in an AAA season.
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Post by Tom on Mar 2, 2019 8:46:17 GMT -5
The relevancy of the article is that taxpayers should be wary of politicians proposing the spending of nearly $100M public dollars for non major league sports stadiums on the premise that it will spur much new development and pay for itself. Are major league sports better?
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Post by gks on Mar 2, 2019 11:07:40 GMT -5
Rentschler Field is a great facility.
IMO it has two issues...it's not on campus and UConn absolutely stinks.
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Post by sader1970 on Mar 2, 2019 11:09:10 GMT -5
It's not only "not on campus," it isn't even close by. Though I suspect the 2nd reason is the larger issue.
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Post by HC92 on Mar 2, 2019 22:57:54 GMT -5
Rentschler Field is a great facility. IMO it has two issues...it's not on campus and UConn absolutely stinks. In my opinion, not a “great” facility. Decent facility. Not much character but it’s big and has lots of parking around it. UConn being awful definitely a much bigger problem than the facility.
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Post by timholycross on Mar 3, 2019 15:10:14 GMT -5
...but would UConn being good and drawing 40-50K for 6 or maybe 7 dates do that much to make the place solvent? I got a laugh out of something in the article that mentioned "Rentschler Field Renovations". Geez, do you renovate something's that not that old when you don't have any promise of more bookings? A couple of real embarrassing events that probably sealed UConn's fate as far as never getting in the ACC: First, they sued BC, led by DaNang Dick Blumenthal. Second, they played BC in football there and the fans behaved terribly towards the visitors.
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Post by HC92 on Mar 3, 2019 18:24:05 GMT -5
The entire state is going in the tank. Rentschler Field is just one of many examples of comprehensive ineptitude. But we’re getting tolls so that should take care of things.
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Post by alum on Mar 4, 2019 10:32:00 GMT -5
Rentschler Field is a great facility. IMO it has two issues...it's not on campus and UConn absolutely stinks. In my opinion, not a “great” facility. Decent facility. Not much character but it’s big and has lots of parking around it. UConn being awful definitely a much bigger problem than the facility. I agree. It's "fine." There are no bells and whistles but it is a comfortable place to watch a game. I live twenty five minutes away and know where to park off-site to get in and out quickly but I have probably been to five UConn football games over the years because when my kids were younger they had youth and high school sports. Now when I have the time, I really don't care that much. They also play at constantly changing strange times to accommodate television. I have also been to a half dozen international soccer matches, Springsteen, and the Stones there and will go to the lax quarterfinals there this year and the lax final four in 2021 and 2022. For selfish reasons, I am glad it is there, but it certainly can't be justified. As an East Hartford native, I don't think that the town has benefited at all. People drive off of 84 or Route 2 and right into the stadium without stopping. I don't know anyone who wouldn't give up BCS football for a return to the Big East.
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Post by timholycross on Mar 4, 2019 12:21:35 GMT -5
In my opinion, not a “great” facility. Decent facility. Not much character but it’s big and has lots of parking around it. UConn being awful definitely a much bigger problem than the facility. I agree. It's "fine." There are no bells and whistles but it is a comfortable place to watch a game. I live twenty five minutes away and know where to park off-site to get in and out quickly but I have probably been to five UConn football games over the years because when my kids were younger they had youth and high school sports. Now when I have the time, I really don't care that much. They also play at constantly changing strange times to accommodate television. I have also been to a half dozen international soccer matches, Springsteen, and the Stones there and will go to the lax quarterfinals there this year and the lax final four in 2021 and 2022. For selfish reasons, I am glad it is there, but it certainly can't be justified. As an East Hartford native, I don't think that the town has benefited at all. People drive off of 84 or Route 2 and right into the stadium without stopping. I don't know anyone who wouldn't give up BCS football for a return to the Big East. I guess too if they looked at the balance sheet would they be worse off being like UMass (FBS Independent) if the rest of their programs were Big East? They might be able to secure some good (money wise, not competition wise) games from Power 5 schools in exchange for basketball dates.
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Post by gks on Mar 4, 2019 12:31:33 GMT -5
I agree. It's "fine." There are no bells and whistles but it is a comfortable place to watch a game. I live twenty five minutes away and know where to park off-site to get in and out quickly but I have probably been to five UConn football games over the years because when my kids were younger they had youth and high school sports. Now when I have the time, I really don't care that much. They also play at constantly changing strange times to accommodate television. I have also been to a half dozen international soccer matches, Springsteen, and the Stones there and will go to the lax quarterfinals there this year and the lax final four in 2021 and 2022. For selfish reasons, I am glad it is there, but it certainly can't be justified. As an East Hartford native, I don't think that the town has benefited at all. People drive off of 84 or Route 2 and right into the stadium without stopping. I don't know anyone who wouldn't give up BCS football for a return to the Big East. I guess too if they looked at the balance sheet would they be worse off being like UMass (FBS Independent) if the rest of their programs were Big East? They might be able to secure some good (money wise, not competition wise) games from Power 5 schools in exchange for basketball dates. I think UConn would do this set up in a heartbeat. New Big East doesn't want them.
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Post by alum on Mar 4, 2019 13:32:19 GMT -5
I guess too if they looked at the balance sheet would they be worse off being like UMass (FBS Independent) if the rest of their programs were Big East? They might be able to secure some good (money wise, not competition wise) games from Power 5 schools in exchange for basketball dates. I think UConn would do this set up in a heartbeat. New Big East doesn't want them.Really, I don't know that I agree with this. UConn would bring the most important women's athletic program in the country to the BE along with a storied men's basketball program (admittedly down right now.) Add to that a successful men's soccer program that draws among the most fans in the country. Their men's track team just won the IC4A's, although Nova did not compete. They have a larger, stronger fan base than most of the teams in that league. Everyone else in that league, other than PC, is playing second fiddle in its market to professional or other college programs. UConn, despite being down, remains important in Connecticut. I think that the BE would welcome UCONN back with open arms.
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Post by HC92 on Mar 4, 2019 18:39:48 GMT -5
I think UConn is still holding onto the dream that they will one day get into the ACC or B1G.
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Post by A Clock Tower Purple on Mar 4, 2019 20:05:29 GMT -5
I think UConn would do this set up in a heartbeat. New Big East doesn't want them.Really, I don't know that I agree with this. UConn would bring the most important women's athletic program in the country to the BE along with a storied men's basketball program (admittedly down right now.) Add to that a successful men's soccer program that draws among the most fans in the country. Their men's track team just won the IC4A's, although Nova did not compete. They have a larger, stronger fan base than most of the teams in that league. Everyone else in that league, other than PC, is playing second fiddle in its market to professional or other college programs. UConn, despite being down, remains important in Connecticut. I think that the BE would welcome UCONN back with open arms. Disagree. In no way, shape, ot form does Conn fit the current BE mold.
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Post by longsuffering on Mar 4, 2019 20:43:23 GMT -5
I can't figure out how UCONN could box itself into a corner and have no chair when the music stopped. I thought UConn should have been head and shoulders more attractive than BC to the ACC. BC hasn't come close to a national championship and UConn has a ton of M+W trophies. BC is an afterthought to the pros in the Boston Market and UCONN is the 600 pound guerilla in it's market. BC had the edge in football but UConn had the facility to grow into power conference football if they were in a power conference.
Unfortunate because Calhoun and Geno built their programs from regional teams to national powers and now they are in a second tier league while some schools with second tier programs are in first tier conferences.
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Post by Tom on Mar 4, 2019 21:34:27 GMT -5
I thought UConn should have been head and shoulders more attractive than BC to the ACC. BC hasn't come close to a national championship and UConn has a ton of M+W trophies. BC is an afterthought to the pros in the Boston Market and UCONN is the 600 pound guerilla in it's market. BC had the edge in football but UConn had the facility to grow into power conference football if they were in a power conference. UConn was in its I-A infancy when BC was making its move. The ACC expansion was about football. UConn didn't have a facility. They were about to get one. They hadn't played a game in Rentschler when ACC was voting on their new members. BC was head and shoulders above UConn in football. In hoops, UConn didn't have a ton of trophies. The guys had one and the girls 2 or 3. The girls were a national power, but there's no money in womens sports. The guys were a program on the rise, but not a national power yet. You have to remember that BC made the jump about 8 years before Syracuse and Pitt
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Post by longsuffering on Mar 4, 2019 22:24:07 GMT -5
I Didn't remember how long ago it was. I think the ACC was also attracted to the Boston TV market, but our region doesn't respond to college sports like the traditional ACC and SEC regions do. Who could compete with TB12 and Big Papi?
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Post by A Clock Tower Purple on Mar 4, 2019 22:29:22 GMT -5
I can't figure out how UCONN could box itself into a corner and have no chair when the music stopped. I thought UConn should have been head and shoulders more attractive than BC to the ACC. BC hasn't come close to a national championship and UConn has a ton of M+W trophies. BC is an afterthought to the pros in the Boston Market and UCONN is the 600 pound guerilla in it's market. BC had the edge in football but UConn had the facility to grow into power conference football if they were in a power conference. Unfortunate because Calhoun and Geno built their programs from regional teams to national powers and now they are in a second tier league while some schools with second tier programs are in first tier conferences. Boston is the 9th ranked DMA (TV market) in the country. Hartford/New Haven is 33rd. That's what matters most to large conferences, and reason #1 that the B1G took in total stiff Rutgers: to expose it's member schools to the largest DMA in the country.
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Post by HC92 on Mar 5, 2019 6:49:37 GMT -5
I can't figure out how UCONN could box itself into a corner and have no chair when the music stopped. I thought UConn should have been head and shoulders more attractive than BC to the ACC. BC hasn't come close to a national championship and UConn has a ton of M+W trophies. BC is an afterthought to the pros in the Boston Market and UCONN is the 600 pound guerilla in it's market. BC had the edge in football but UConn had the facility to grow into power conference football if they were in a power conference. Unfortunate because Calhoun and Geno built their programs from regional teams to national powers and now they are in a second tier league while some schools with second tier programs are in first tier conferences. Boston is the 9th ranked DMA (TV market) in the country. Hartford/New Haven is 30th. That's what matters most to large conferences, and reason #1 that the B1G took in total stiff Rutgers: to expose it's member schools to the largest DMA in the country. Didn’t realize the Piscataway/New Brunswick DMA had grown that much.
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