UConn Hires Consulting Firm

[TigerFan86-87]

Re: UConn Hires Consulting Firm

But Union now gives scholarships in the form of loans to foreign students (including Canadians) that do not have to be repaid and that program has been on the rise ever since they started doing that. And RIT is practically in Canada and can give need based aid to Canadians based on American need definitions.

Giving scholarships to international students is not unique to RIT and Union, and is by no means new. Many D-III schools have been doing that for years. That being said however, that is not a replacement for offering athletic scholarships. They still have to follow the same rules as they would with any other form of financial aid. If athletes are awarded any form of scholarships at an inordinately higher rate than the rest of the student population, the school would be in violation of D-III rules. Hence SUNY Geneseo's semi-recent troubles. Of course none of those regulations affect UConn in any way. They are a D-I institution and are allowed a full (full by AHA rules, at least) allotment of scholarships for their hockey team if they choose to use them. If they wanted to give them out, they wouldn't need any "back-handed" way to do so. To this point, they have just not chosen to prioritize hockey enough. So they're unlikely to divert some other financial aid avenue for the hockey players as it would be somewhat unnecessary.

[kingdobbs]

Re: UConn Hires Consulting Firm

Re: the announcement - Unsurprising, as it was leaked out into the press a while back that UConn had spoken with Atlantic Hockey about the possibility of exiting the conference.

Re: the arena - UConn has to do it on campus. The XL, renovated or not, should be at best a temporary solution (and/or a staging ground for bigger games). Gampel would be too difficult to retrofit, as far as I know, and the will definitely won't be there. Pat brought up Rentschler, and I've long been saying that it could be a great idea to build a UConn arena on the spot as well; there's already enough parking to handle the crowds, and traffic would be immeasurably easier even compared to XL downtown. But it's not a great idea for college hockey, especially not at UConn where there isn't a 'traditional history' of a successful and supported program.

There's enough space to squeeze in a HEA-sized arena on the current plot, if they manage it something like Northeastern's arena where there's an overlapping upper deck of seating, or recenter the ice sheet (possibly even dropping it down below ground level to minimize the amount of upward growth).

RE: fan growth - The bar does not have to be set at a Whalers-level of support, and I think trying to be "CT's team" is probably a folly. There's a built-in fan base with students and youth/community programs, who do show decent if not committed levels of support; a strong outreach into youth programs in the Hartford area could yield strong dividends as well, and the UConn brand is significant enough across the state to attract non-local support. I think a reasonable upper bound would be about 3,000, and I think that with an appropriately sized arena, an HEA schedule and some marketing muscle (seriously, post ads on the video board at Rentschler and Gampel, already), that's easily reachable.

The end goal ought not to be profitability, but self-sustenance.

Re: Football and its aftereffects - I still think we're far from out of the water yet, and it will have everything to do with whether the "Lemonade League" that is the 2013-onward Big East can manage a sizeable media contract for football. Obviously, a shift upwards to a conference looking to go 16 will be preferable, but if the Increasingly Misnamed Big East can keep on par with the other leagues percentage wise, then I'd expect the board to be amenable to a good plan. I also expect that the consulting firm will tell them "Donor outreach, NOW!" even before their first report goes through.

[RSTuthill]

Re: UConn Hires Consulting Firm

They are a D-I institution and are allowed a full (full by AHA rules, at least) allotment of scholarships for their hockey team if they choose to use them. If they wanted to give them out, they wouldn't need any "back-handed" way to do so. To this point, they have just not chosen to prioritize hockey enough. So they're unlikely to divert some other financial aid avenue for the hockey players as it would be somewhat unnecessary.

Problem is they are in full Title 9 compliance and have to stay that way. Eighteen rides for men's hockey means 18 more rides in women's sports. Thirty six scholarships is a huge cost. Don't forget, they could just decide to eliminate men's hockey as economically unfeasible too.

[RSTuthill]

Re: UConn Hires Consulting Firm

Re: the announcement - Unsurprising, as it was leaked out into the press a while back that UConn had spoken with Atlantic Hockey about the possibility of exiting the conference.

Incorrect. What was just announced was not leaked to the press awhile ago. What was leaked to the press several weeks ago was that they told the AHA they are talking to HE. This is different and is a step that costs a fair amount of money and will be used to justify a decision one way or another. It is also an indication that the trustees will be formally involved when the AD brings the issue to them and makes a recommendation for action.

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: UConn Hires Consulting Firm

Don't forget, they could just decide to eliminate men's hockey as economically unfeasible too.

That's probably the best solution right there.

[brassbonanza]

Re: UConn Hires Consulting Firm

That's probably the best solution right there.

They're not in bad financial straights, in fact, they're good. The department is 100% self-sustaining, with a surplus actually.

[kingdobbs]

Re: UConn Hires Consulting Firm

Incorrect. What was just announced was not leaked to the press awhile ago. What was leaked to the press several weeks ago was that they told the AHA they are talking to HE. This is different and is a step that costs a fair amount of money and will be used to justify a decision one way or another. It is also an indication that the trustees will be formally involved when the AD brings the issue to them and makes a recommendation for action.

Then may I offer an edited statement to clarify?

It is unsurprising, based on the prior announcement, that UConn is taking this further step.

[LTsatch]

Re: UConn Hires Consulting Firm

Concerning the crowd/rink size issue, 4,000 seats would be a feasable number for college hockey in that area. Yale and Quinnipiac (when playing well) have no trouble attracting 3,000 plus to games. There is a difference though, UCONN is a longer drive and is in a less population dense area. If I lived in Avon or Simsbury, I would probably think twice about making the drive to Storrs twelve times a year. Average attendance at Ct Whale this year is 6,750 so there is surely an audience in the area, but that audience would also have to choose between the two teams unless they do some creative scheduling. I hope UCONN makes the jump.

[RSTuthill]

Re: UConn Hires Consulting Firm

Then may I offer an edited statement to clarify?

It is unsurprising, based on the prior announcement, that UConn is taking this further step.

Yeah, agree entirely. It means that their first internal look concluded it was encouraging enough to take to the next level and get an independent assessment from a respected authority. This is what they did with football a decade or so ago. Personally, I think it is an obvious decision to make. Go all in or get out entirely. All in makes the most sense to me, but then I am prejudiced. I credit Pendergast and Herbst, btw. Kudos to them if it happens.

[AspyDad]

Re: UConn Hires Consulting Firm

Marshall playing it close in the campus newspaper.
http://www.dailycampus.com/news/ice-...ment-1.2731441

[kingdobbs]

Re: UConn Hires Consulting Firm

Yeah, agree entirely. It means that their first internal look concluded it was encouraging enough to take to the next level and get an independent assessment from a respected authority. This is what they did with football a decade or so ago. Personally, I think it is an obvious decision to make. Go all in or get out entirely. All in makes the most sense to me, but then I am prejudiced. I credit Pendergast and Herbst, btw. Kudos to them if it happens.

Certainly. I do think it had to have been raised as a possibility when ESPN and the Big East were discussing their pre-defection contract earlier this year (the one that the Big East turned down); there's only so many basketball practice facilities one school can build, after all. According to the last set of OPE data, men's hockey was only spending about $330K a year; even with an $11 mil low-ball offer from ESPN, there's enough money to triple that, put some players on scholarship for once, find a women's sport to counterbalance, and start talking about a facility upgrade.

[mookie1995]

Re: UConn Hires Consulting Firm

"SUE!" (that'll be $75,000. thanks)

[critsports]

Re: UConn Hires Consulting Firm

Just some random thoughts on all the posts:

-Many of the Hockey East arenas are very modest in size. Granted there are some large one's but 3,000 to 5,000 would be more than adequate. -Agganis for BU seats 6,200 and that is in a metro area in the mecca of Eastern Hockey.
-Matthews is 4,500, Schneider at PC is only 3,030, Lawler at Merrimack only holds 2,489 so there are plenty of arenas on the smallish side.
-Putting UConn (even in the Hockey East) in an arena bigger than say 5,000 people would likely be a waste of space.
-The crowds to a Whale game in Hartford can't be compared as others have pointed out that Hartford is in a metro area and traveling to UConn is a bird of a different feather.
-Last, while Gampel is way too big for UConn hockey, hasn't there been noise that the Basketball team has outgrown Gampel and needs a new area?

[Patman]

Re: UConn Hires Consulting Firm

Just some random thoughts on all the posts:

-Many of the Hockey East arenas are very modest in size. Granted there are some large one's but 3,000 to 5,000 would be more than adequate. -Agganis for BU seats 6,200 and that is in a metro area in the mecca of Eastern Hockey.
-Matthews is 4,500, Schneider at PC is only 3,030, Lawler at Merrimack only holds 2,489 so there are plenty of arenas on the smallish side.
-Putting UConn (even in the Hockey East) in an arena bigger than say 5,000 people would likely be a waste of space.
-The crowds to a Whale game in Hartford can't be compared as others have pointed out that Hartford is in a metro area and traveling to UConn is a bird of a different feather.
-Last, while Gampel is way too big for UConn hockey, hasn't there been noise that the Basketball team has outgrown Gampel and needs a new area?

Considering Gampel is physically too small for hockey...

[brassbonanza]

Re: UConn Hires Consulting Firm

-Last, while Gampel is way too big for UConn hockey, hasn't there been noise that the Basketball team has outgrown Gampel and needs a new area?

Not at all, quite the opposite. Geno has griped for the last few years about not being able to sell out Gampel for home games. When the men's team had a couple of years they werent doing well, they didnt sell out either. There's a better chance BU and BC disband their program than Gampel having a hockey rink.

Hockey East also has a rule that all new members must have an arena that seats 5,000 (I'm pretty sure) at the least.