Location of new Hockey arena

[Fishy]

The area near Mansfield Apartments works well for all parties.

It also helps the town's stated goal of increasing foot traffic in Downtown.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

The area near Mansfield Apartments works well for all parties. It also helps the town's stated goal of increasing foot traffic in Downtown.

Plus, it's a helpful reminder the University of Connecticut Huskies' team should play most games in Storrs and the Huskies are not some desperate political or sentimental ploy for those believing a minor league, economically unstable, smaller capital city deserves or will support an NHL team.
UCONN + Huskies + students = Storrs!

 

[IceBus]

Maybe it should go next to Rentschler Field. The students ignored the program for years, it took a move to Hartford to ignite it. There's no going back now.

 

[Palatine]

The university needs to ignore the Town of Mansfield.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Maybe it should go next to Rentschler Field. The students ignored the program for years, it took a move to Hartford to ignite it. There's no going back now.

Prior to the late 1980's, everyone ignored UConn for the most part on the field and int eh classroom. It was a commuter school, it was a back-up choice, etc. Why would UConn football, which was at the time a I-AA team with sub-par facilities that was never on TV and who 'big' game was the annual game against Yale at the Bowl because it was a raging drunk fest, be any different? Jumping to I-A to play the big boys built on the interest that had been growing since the basketball teams burst on to the national stage. I actually remember during the transition period going to see UConn play Georgia tech in Storrs and it was packed.

As for the Rent, UConn is there because of accident and politics. The first football stadium plan was for a joint UConn/Patriots stadium in downtown Hartford where the convention center current is. Kraft tricked Rowland on that one to gain more leverage with Beacon Hill. Then, the next proposal was for a stadium on campus behind the Jungle; but, legitimate traffic concerns and Mansfield's chronic NIMBY attitude killed that idea. The final and current idea came about when Pratt & Whitney decided to close their private airfield in East Hartford and donated the land to CT for a football stadium, hence the name Rentschler Field, which was the name of the airport that was in turn named after one of the founders of Pratt & Whitney. Was it the best choice and location. Heck no. But, it is what is is now.

 

[huskymedic]

The students ignored the program for years, it took a move to Hartford to ignite it.

No - it took a move to Hockey East to ignite it.

 

[CL82]

Prior to the late 1980's, everyone ignored UConn for the most part on the field and int eh classroom. It was a commuter school, it was a back-up choice, etc. Why would UConn football, which was at the time a I-AA team with sub-par facilities that was never on TV and who 'big' game was the annual game against Yale at the Bowl because it was a raging drunk fest, be any different? Jumping to I-A to play the big boys built on the interest that had been growing since the basketball teams burst on to the national stage. I actually remember during the transition period going to see UConn play Georgia tech in Storrs and it was packed.

As for the Rent, UConn is there because of accident and politics. The first football stadium plan was for a joint UConn/Patriots stadium in downtown Hartford where the convention center current is. Kraft tricked Rowland on that one to gain more leverage with Beacon Hill. Then, the next proposal was for a stadium on campus behind the Jungle; but, legitimate traffic concerns and Mansfield's chronic NIMBY attitude killed that idea. The final and current idea came about when Pratt & Whitney decided to close their private airfield in East Hartford and donated the land to CT for a football stadium, hence the name Rentschler Field, which was the name of the airport that was in turn named after one of the founders of Pratt & Whitney. Was it the best choice and location. Heck no. But, it is what is is now.

No it wasn't a commuter school prior to the 1980's. Our rise has been successful enough that we don't need to revise our history.

UConn 1980>>>Lousiville 2014.

 

[HuskyHawk]

No it wasn't a commuter school prior to the 1980's. Our rise has been successful enough that we don't need to revise our history.

UConn 1980>>>Lousiville 2014.

Agreed. I was at UConn 84-88. It wasn't a commuter school, and in fact, had the highest percentage of students in on-campus housing of any major public university in the United States. Part of that is that it was in the boonies and there were few off campus housing options. Certainly it was not a commuter school, like Houston or USF.

Because the state is small, and even those from MA or RI lived close, many students did choose to go home on weekends for jobs or other things. It was certainly not the majority however. The meal plan in the "small dorms" didn't cover weekend meals either, which meant Ted's grinders, Ramen, Pizza, or chili dogs at Wawa/Store 24.

Was football popular, no more or less than at other 1-AA programs. It drew fans, but basketball and soccer ruled. Weekend soccer matches were packed. It was the highlight of most Sundays in the fall.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Agreed. I was at UConn 84-88. It wasn't a commuter school, and in fact, had the highest percentage of students in on-campus housing of any major public university in the United States. Part of that is that it was in the boonies and there were few off campus housing options. Certainly it was not a commuter school, like Houston or USF.

Because the state is small, and even those from MA or RI lived close, many students did choose to go home on weekends for jobs or other things. It was certainly not the majority however. The meal plan in the "small dorms" didn't cover weekend meals either, which meant Ted's grinders, Ramen, Pizza, or chili dogs at Wawa/Store 24.

Was football popular, no more or less than at other 1-AA programs. It drew fans, but basketball and soccer ruled. Weekend soccer matches were packed. It was the highlight of most Sundays in the fall.

OK, maybe 'commuter' was wrong. Call it a 'suitcase' school as I know a lot of folks who went over to CT (mostly) just about every weekend in part due to a lack of activities on campus. I myself went home one day a month to do laundry and stuff and went on lot of road trips to schools (UNH, BC, UMass, NYU, Syracuse, Ithaca, Hartwick, etc.) to get away from Storrs, especially in the spring after basketball ended. Soccer games were a lot of fun, too. Even hockey in the old 'barn' was fund if one was smart enough to indulge in some liquid warmth beforehand.

 

[dbmill]

Maybe it should go next to Rentschler Field. The students ignored the program for years, it took a move to Hartford to ignite it. There's no going back now.

Actually, it took a move to Hockey East to ignite interest in the program. Before this season, UConn played a few games in Hartford while a part of Atlantic Hockey the last couple of years, and I don't believe those games were well attended. Moving to Hockey East, along with UConn athletics starting to take the men's ice hockey program seriously, has made the big difference.

 

[Palatine]

Back in the 70s, most of lived in Connecticut going home for laundry was quite common. Heck, I could go home to watch the Giants on Sunday. Back then there were few TVs in dorms and a one grainy public color TV in the student union. But almost everyone lived on campus or in a nearby apartment complex like Willington Oaks or Barbara Manor. Those apartment complexes were where the really good week end parties were held.

The hockey arena had open sides so you were sitting outdoors but there was a roof over your head. To go to a game you had to be hard core.

 

[CL82]

I guess going home was popular. I went home for summer, Thanksgiving and winter breaks. Spring break, after fresman year we went somewhere. Unless we were doing a road trip, I was campus on the weekend as were the guys/girls I hung out with and most of my dorm.

I think I was there for Spring Weekend, although I really have only very sketchy memories of it.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I guess going home was popular. I went home for summer, Thanksgiving and winter breaks. Spring break, after fresman year we went somewhere. Unless we were doing a road trip, I was campus on the weekend as were the guys/girls I hung out with and most of my dorm.

I think I was there for Spring Weekend, although I really have only very sketchy memories of it.

I never understood the people who went home...mostly freshmen who were homesick I suppose. Campus was a blast every weekend. Only real downside was the lack of good food options.

I remember MTV coming to spring weekend two years in a row. That was fantastic. It was in the wake of Playboy magazine naming UConn the #6 party school. I still remember standing about six feet away from some very odd looking guys while watching Joan Jett. Thought they were art school folks we rarely saw on the north side of campus. Fifteen minutes later they were on stage...Modern English.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

I never understood the people who went home...mostly freshmen who were homesick I suppose. Campus was a blast every weekend. Only real downside was the lack of good food options.

Never understood the weekend runaways either, but some of my best meals and best college-year partying both occurred on weekends. Living in small dorms with a kitchen, rooming with a dorm steward (kitchen access), French Hall breakfasts, putting limited dollars from summer and part-time jobs to work with a Habachi grill, single burner electric grill, toaster oven, etc, and early culinary experiments added up to some pretty good college student eating versus the less imaginative bologna sandwich, mac'n'cheese crowd.

 

[UConn98]

If I remember my meetings at the Mansfield Town Hall (had to go for Journalism 201 classes and cover town meetings, which is how I realized I only was meant to be a sportswriter), there was talk (this was around 1996-97) of a new stadium going up behind Frats/Northwest (there are new apartments/dorms there now). Would have gone on or near the cornfield, I believe, west of the marching band practice field off W lot. They also had looked into expanding Memorial Stadium by closing off the road between Gampel and what is now the Co-op/parking garage and adding bleachers off the end zones.

I actually am surprised the Storrs Center was ever built. My recollections of most (not all) Mansfield residents was to keep the town in that bucolic setting -- with a major university in the middle. I can remember the townspeople and leaders discussing for over an hour about adding a sidewalk on a cul-de-sac! It was mind-numbing. Lest you forget the uproar when Pfizer, or some company, wanted to put a facility off Horsebarn Hill Road, but the way it was portrayed, one would think it was going right on top of the hill.

Back to the hockey arena. I really do hope it is on campus. Some may lament the Guyer Gym going, but remember that the gym (and the entire Field House, for that matter) looks nothing on the inside like it did 20 years ago. The 1997-98 renovation really took out everything, and if I recall, you wouldn't have even known today that it once hosted basketball games. It would seem that I-lot would be the best place for a hockey arena, unless they are thinking of doing something really radical for the baseball/softball fields there. Still seems like yesterday we had the open-air arena, for that matter.

 

[UConn98]

Also, in regard to Mansfield Apartments, I would laugh if it went there since they were completely renovated a mere 10-15 years ago. As an undergrad, I remember those were the dumpiest apartments around campus (and this includes such gems as Knollwood and Cardboard Manor).

 

[CL82]

I actually am surprised the Storrs Center was ever built. My recollections of most (not all) Mansfield residents was to keep the town in that bucolic setting -- with a major university in the middle. I can remember the townspeople and leaders discussing for over an hour about adding a sidewalk on a cul-de-sac! It was mind-numbing. Lest you forget the uproar when Pfizer, or some company, wanted to put a facility off Horsebarn Hill Road, but the way it was portrayed, one would think it was going right on top of the hill.

.

I remember that as well. They made a historic presevation arguement regarding the barns. The only thing was the barns were historic or unique. They ended up saying that it had a unique cornice or molding or something and that was a the big part of the basis for fighting the Pfizer project. Think our AAU/STEM quest might be a bit further along if that research partnership had taken place?

I've served on planning boards. It doesn't take much to cause them to lose focus, but it ussually is just a device to defeat something that is being opposed in the margins.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

some of my best meals and best college-year partying both occurred on weekends.

Only some of your best college partying was on weekends?

 

[HuskyHawk]

Only some of your best college partying was on weekends?

Did you go to UConn? A lot of the best partying was Thursday night.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

No it wasn't a commuter school prior to the 1980's. Our rise has been successful enough that we don't need to revise our history.

UConn 1980>>>Lousiville 2014.

True, it never was a commuter school (shy of the regional branches). Even in the dark days of the mid 1970's to mid 1980's the percentage of full time students who lived on campus was considerably higher than a lot of what our current peers can boast.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Only some of your best college partying was on weekends?

Absolutely, yet some great partying also occurred in Storrs on Wednesdays at the Anonymous Pub or with 1/4 or 1/2 room barrels and other complementary resources, on Thursday nights before the weekenders took off so Mommy could wash their laundry, and Mondays and Tuesdays as appropriate. Yes, I actually studied and had a good CPA with one sophomore year semester being a wake up, manage my schedule better exception. Fun times!

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Never understood the weekend runaways either, but some of my best meals and best college-year partying both occurred on weekends. Living in small dorms with a kitchen, rooming with a dorm steward (kitchen access), French Hall breakfasts, putting limited dollars from summer and part-time jobs to work with a Habachi grill, single burner electric grill, toaster oven, etc, and early culinary experiments added up to some pretty good college student eating versus the less imaginative bologna sandwich, mac'n'cheese crowd.

I used row on the club rowing team and was thus up at 5 AM most weekdays to row or run. After practice ended, I worked n the café in Alumni and later Hilltop for the breakfast shift. Before the crowds hit around 8 AM, used to come-up with some amazing omelets pulling whatever we could find from the fridge. Then, in line, I used to play head games with my dorm mates as I was wide awake and they were not. They would ask for bacon, eggs, and toast, and I would respond back, toast, bacon and eggs and they would flip out.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

If I remember my meetings at the Mansfield Town Hall (had to go for Journalism 201 classes and cover town meetings, which is how I realized I only was meant to be a sportswriter), there was talk (this was around 1996-97) of a new stadium going up behind Frats/Northwest (there are new apartments/dorms there now). Would have gone on or near the cornfield, I believe, west of the marching band practice field off W lot. They also had looked into expanding Memorial Stadium by closing off the road between Gampel and what is now the Co-op/parking garage and adding bleachers off the end zones.

I actually am surprised the Storrs Center was ever built. My recollections of most (not all) Mansfield residents was to keep the town in that bucolic setting -- with a major university in the middle. I can remember the townspeople and leaders discussing for over an hour about adding a sidewalk on a cul-de-sac! It was mind-numbing. Lest you forget the uproar when Pfizer, or some company, wanted to put a facility off Horsebarn Hill Road, but the way it was portrayed, one would think it was going right on top of the hill.

Back to the hockey arena. I really do hope it is on campus. Some may lament the Guyer Gym going, but remember that the gym (and the entire Field House, for that matter) looks nothing on the inside like it did 20 years ago. The 1997-98 renovation really took out everything, and if I recall, you wouldn't have even known today that it once hosted basketball games. It would seem that I-lot would be the best place for a hockey arena, unless they are thinking of doing something really radical for the baseball/softball fields there. Still seems like yesterday we had the open-air arena, for that matter.

I remember most of that. The Fieldhouse was closed for that big renovation the Spring semester of my senior year. Still have memories of running the old basketball bleachers in the winter and using the non-varsity athlete weight room located under the north side bleachers that looked and smelled like they had not been updated since the 1970's. The old racquetball courts under the Fieldhouse on the west side were also creepy. Also remember the 'save Horsebarn Hill' signed and the anti football stadium signed around town.