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UConn's Rentschler Field, 16 years later (article from Feb. 2019)

For UConn, the state of Connecticut, the town of East Hartford and thousands of Huskies fans, Rentschler Field represented cause for optimism.

More than 15 years later, little of that optimism remains. UConn football’s attendance has dropped along with the program’s win totals, Rentschler hasn’t scheduled a concert in more than a decade, and the area surrounding the stadium lies nearly as empty as it did two decades ago. Rentschler hosted major events on only nine days during 2018 and required a subsidy from UConn to break even financially, as it has more often than not in recent years. East Hartford officials complain that the venue has become a financial burden, while the public agency that operates it finds event-booking increasingly complicated.

Link: Empty promises and empty seats: After 15 years, Rentschler Field struggles to ma

Posted: 01/23/2020 at 5:00PM

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UConn's Rentschler Field, 16 years later (article from Feb. 2019) -- Will Stewart

01/23/2020 5:00PM

Remember as well that that stadium was originally pitched to move the New -- Late 80s Hokie 01/27/2020 1:46PM

UConn's endowment is half of Tech's... -- Old Line Hokie 01/27/2020 3:48PM

P-5 dreams -- UCHusky90 01/28/2020 1:18PM

I wasn't thrilled with the addition of Louisville.. -- Old Line Hokie 01/28/2020 4:15PM

How do UConn's fans feel about the school's decision to tear down -- VTHokie2000 01/28/2020 2:04PM

Same way...sort of -- UCHusky90 01/28/2020 4:00PM

When the NCAA decided to split DI football into DI-A and DI-AA -- VTHokie2000 01/28/2020 4:24PM

I don't recall... -- UCHusky90 02/03/2020 09:39AM

Still curious why they didn't move up to Div-1A as soon as the BE... -- EDGEMAN 01/28/2020 09:17AM

Had they joined the BE when it was formed, VT would not have been invited. -- ChrisLords 01/30/2020 12:03AM

That's a win for us, and a loss for them. -- EDGEMAN 01/30/2020 10:46AM

To follow up, they didn't want VT to play "big boy" basketball. -- EDGEMAN 01/30/2020 10:49AM

But VT had to wait 7-10 years before receiving an invitation -- VTHokie2000 01/30/2020 12:32PM

Yep. Then after VT, BC & Miami left (followed by Pitt), the Big Least... -- EDGEMAN 01/30/2020 2:44PM

The AAC got more than the new Big East -- mrcaniac 01/30/2020 11:38PM

I'm not sure why you included the following -- VTHokie2000 01/31/2020 12:44PM

The Big East got an automatic bid later -- mrcaniac 02/01/2020 12:40AM

Everything I have read says the Big East 2.0 received an automatic bid -- VTHokie2000 02/03/2020 11:16AM

New Big East did get an auto bid -- mrcaniac 02/03/2020 2:25PM

Here are some NCAA bylaws which help define when a conference -- VTHokie2000 02/03/2020 3:06PM

I wonder if the bylaws were changed -- mrcaniac 02/03/2020 10:26PM

I don't know the details of the negotiation, but here is my speculation -- VTHokie2000 02/04/2020 12:31PM

Agreed -- mrcaniac 02/04/2020 4:56PM

I believe their AD at the time didn't see the "value" in sponsoring -- VTHokie2000 01/28/2020 09:48AM

Lew Perkins -- UCHusky90 01/28/2020 1:27PM

How do fans view Lew's tenure? ** -- VTHokie2000 01/28/2020 2:00PM

Mostly positive -- UCHusky90 01/28/2020 4:01PM

That was their loss. -- EDGEMAN 01/28/2020 09:59AM

From UConn's perspective they are still playing DI football -- VTHokie2000 01/28/2020 11:17AM

Exactly, they are where they really wanted to be... -- EDGEMAN 01/28/2020 12:15PM

What? -- UCHusky90 01/28/2020 1:35PM

It will be interesting to see how the Big East is viewed going forward -- VTHokie2000 01/28/2020 12:19PM

RPI says they are -- UCHusky90 01/28/2020 1:26PM

I don't think RPI is no longer the metric used by the Committee -- VTHokie2000 01/28/2020 2:00PM

Are people actually proposing VT build an off campus arena in Roanoke? ** -- Hokies4Life 01/27/2020 11:32AM

Absolutely not. ** -- VaTechHokiesACC 02/07/2020 3:34PM

Heck no!!!!! ** -- EDGEMAN 01/27/2020 11:38AM

It is a small world..... -- 2hhoop3 01/27/2020 10:34AM

Interesting quote from someone who appears to have a strong bias. -- PhotoHokieNC 01/26/2020 08:35AM

What the MCI/Verizon arena and Nats stadium did for those DC neighborhoods -- Lakeridgehokie 01/26/2020 7:24PM

Seems like football stadiums are the worst investment for urban renewal -- UpperQuad 01/26/2020 10:24PM

On top of that the footprint makes a big difference. -- jmanatVT 01/28/2020 10:48AM

Thing with those other sports is the volume of events. -- reestuart 01/28/2020 07:48AM

This. And location, location, location. D.C. did it right -- Femoyer Hokie 01/28/2020 08:27AM

I've not been to the baseball stadium, but the area around Verizon Center -- reestuart 01/28/2020 08:30AM

In reality, it isn't that way at all. ** -- PhotoHokieNC 01/27/2020 06:15AM

Anytime tax payers are on the hook for guaranteeing the cost for large ... -- Atlee Hokie 01/25/2020 04:29AM

Depends on so many factors. In large population centers if the need is -- PhotoHokieNC 01/25/2020 4:27PM

Off Campus stadiums usually equal poor attendance, Miami, UConn, Pitt etc. -- Stech 01/24/2020 12:03PM

Don't know about now, but the Rose Bowl used to have large UCLA crowds. -- Atlee Hokie 01/25/2020 04:18AM

The 2018 USC-UCLA game at the Rose Bowl had 30,000 empty seats -- UpperQuad 01/27/2020 09:23AM

Yes -- mrcaniac 01/25/2020 10:36PM

They are struggling now too. ** -- Stech 01/25/2020 2:08PM

Is that the stadium that's located nowhere near the university? -- EDGEMAN 01/24/2020 09:20AM

The OB was 7.4 miles from Miami’s campus. Joe Robbie is 21 miles. UM has -- GreencastleHokie 01/25/2020 07:46AM

I believe it's 20+ miles away from campus, yes. ** -- Will Stewart

01/24/2020 09:50AM

Wow! That does sound like Joe Robbie, without the FL weather. -- EDGEMAN 01/24/2020 09:57AM

Good for the state of Connecticut. Let the schools take care of their own -- IB4TECH 01/23/2020 7:55PM

But that is not what happens there. The school contributes an additional -- GreencastleHokie 01/25/2020 07:49AM

There was a little TIC in my post. : ) ** -- IB4TECH 01/25/2020 12:08PM

Gotcha. Sorry, I missed that. ** -- GreencastleHokie 01/25/2020 1:11PM

Understandable : ) ** -- IB4TECH 01/25/2020 2:22PM

You should post this over on the subscriber board for all those that think -- anotherdamnyankeehokie 01/23/2020 5:33PM

Sorry Vt is not going there -- Mercury 01/24/2020 12:23PM

I am not a proponent of replacing Cassell at all, I wanted Will to put this -- anotherdamnyankeehokie 01/24/2020 1:07PM

The UConn situation isn't relatable to VT. They built their football -- reestuart 01/25/2020 12:50PM

Cassell doesn't need to be replaced, just upgraded -- UpperQuad 01/26/2020 11:23AM

Depending on how what upgrades/renovations need to be done -- VTHokie2000 01/27/2020 2:42PM

Nah, it's better than the Civic Center ** -- VaTechHokiesACC 01/25/2020 9:37PM

Room right next to Hahn on tennis courts area to build a new best of -- 91HokieBob 01/24/2020 09:58AM

I love Cassell... -- Calamitous 01/23/2020 9:26PM

Cassell's floor and seating are fine. -- Will Stewart

01/24/2020 09:53AM

Needs to reduce seating by installing new seating, unless that's been done. ** -- Atlee Hokie 01/25/2020 04:08AM

I think the old seats are turrible. Rip all of those out and install new -- reestuart 01/24/2020 3:14PM

To piggie back off of this -- HartwoodHokie 01/25/2020 12:31PM

Wouldn't be surprised if that's in the long term plan. ** -- EDGEMAN 01/24/2020 4:04PM

Will the business model support keeping Cassell long term though? -- Marooned 01/24/2020 1:09PM

Can you put boxes where some of the concession stands are now? -- UpperQuad 01/26/2020 11:34AM

Seriously question: does any business model support long term? -- PhotoHokieNC 01/24/2020 4:08PM

The court side seats at Cassell bring in ~ $250k a year. ** -- RJHokie 01/24/2020 1:14PM

Doing a concourse expansion would also be a good way to -- Victor Tango 01/24/2020 11:46AM

Had thought that if I ever built a "dive bar"... -- EDGEMAN 01/24/2020 12:06PM

Sounds like a great idea! -- EDGEMAN 01/24/2020 10:09AM

When I have been at the Ted, I have to look around heads when seated. Not -- IB4TECH 01/24/2020 11:35AM

The steepness of Cassell seating prevents that issue. ** -- EDGEMAN 01/24/2020 11:58AM

UConn's Rentschler Field, 16 years later (article from Feb. 2019)

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