UConn Soccer Getting $8M Gift; Hoop Facility Next In Line

[huskymedic]

http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn...-soccer-gift-1014-20141013-column.html#page=1

>>There were 17 words that Rizza spoke at the microphone that Herbst especially wanted to emphasize. He said, "People get the idea that the state is going to cover all the cost, so why bother?"

She said, "That point is critical. In Connecticut — and it's true for all states — we cannot fully support the flagship university to the level of excellence that people, the faculty and I expect without private philanthropy.

Private philanthropy is the future. The state has been incredibly generous on all kinds of levels, but this is where it's at, athletics for sure, but also on the academic side. We just had a $12 million gift to the UConn Health Center. There are more gifts coming. It sets the bar high. It shows other donors that public universities need this level of support. We need an endowment in the billions, the size of a Wisconsin or a UCLA."<<

 

[noeynox]

Sounds like that Emory Fundraiser guy is paying off in spades.

 

[Kolumbo]

This is awesome and it affects the entire university. Understand, we need to think B1G even if we end up having to settle for ACC.

 

[jostar1]

Short video:
http://www.uconnhuskies.com/collegesportslive/?media=468016

 

[Dooley]

Then why are you here?

This is exactly what we need - UConn telling people that we're still moving ahead and that we're doubling down on ourselves.

We have three reigning national champions on campus, a world-class basketball facility is named Friday, we've just made a massive leap and commitment in hockey and we're going to build a world-class soccer complex.

This is exactly what you want to see if alignment restarts.

Please God, let Diaco straighten out the football team, but when he does, UConn is the only P5-level athletic department not currently in one of the five conferences - broadly ambitious, broadly successful with the facilities and donors to keep moving forward.

That is what will help us, not sorority-girl s--- like posters in trains and ads on taxi cabs.

Ladies and gentlemen, forget about the fact that Mr Rizzo has donated $8M of his personal funds to UCONN (and tried to remain anonymous doing it). Forget the fact that the Jackson Lab just opened and is already looking to expand. Forget that a UCONN scholar has just been awarded a NIH research grant (important metric for AAU). Forget that UCONN is, indeed, doubling down on itself in the way that a smart CEO doubles down on his company by buying back shares when they are dirt cheap. Forget that UCONN just made a huge leap in hockey and is about to play in front of a crowd against BC that will dwarf any single game attendance figure announced by the Florida Panthers this season. Forget that we are the Capital of College Basketball.

Mark down this date as the one we Boneyarders should all circle back to once UCONN accepts its invitation to the B1G. For the first time that I can recall (and please correct me if I'm wrong), Fishy has actually taken a positive outlook on UCONN's CR efforts and potential chances. Posts like this sure beat the ever-living out of the normal, drab IQ-questioning cold buckets of water you usually throw on anyone who wants to actually think positively about State U. Welcome to the pro-UCONN Club, my friend!

Now get over here and get your Dooley hug, you Big Lug!

 

[MASSconn]

What will improve first? Our 1-5 Football Team or our below mediocre endowment?

Mr. Rizza is a legend and I hope he encourages other alumni in illustrious careers to give back to our future. Need the $ more than ever to get us into the P-5

Also hope Ray Reid can take our team to another title soon. Big week for the program.

 

[Dooley]

What will improve first? Our 1-5 Football Team or our below mediocre endowment?

Mr. Rizza is a legend and I hope he encourages other alumni in illustrious careers to give back to our future. Need the $ more than ever to get us into the P-5

Also hope Ray Reid can take our team to another title soon. Big week for the program.

I would hope that our 1-5 football team will improve first, considering it could take several years to raise the endowment from $330M to $1B range (it took Emory a little over 7 years to raise theirs over $1B as reference). If we're still sporting 1-11 records in 2021, then we are firmly locked into our AAC affiliation.

Agree re: Reid and Rizza. UCONN has strung together some difficult postseason exits of late and it would be nice to get back over the hump. And yes, seeing him step up with such a generous donation should (I hope) encourage other alums to make the same commitment.

On an entirely different financial level, the least every alum should do is join the Alumni Association. It took me far too long to realize this as I just joined a few months ago.

 

[hexlub]

We could do worse than having "The Ray Allen Center."

Shuttlesworth Family Complex

 

[ZooCougar]

Is Soccer a revenue sport for UConn? Louisville's new stadium is a beaut. They must be making money of their games since the place is filled. With interest in the game reaching a critical mass, I wonder if Warde can sell our home games to SNY. With the sport likely moving to Fall/Spring schedule I bet this could be a winner for us. Live sports are the little black dress of programming and there is always a demand.

 

[Fishy]

I don't know if it's a revenue sport, but it is clearly a leg of UConn's athletic stool.

We're routinely second in attendance per game - Cal-Santa Barbara usually averages about 5,000, followed by UConn at about 4,300.

The gap to third place is usually 1,000+.

If just Reid would start winning overtime games on a more regular basis....

Speaking of which, he donated $100,000 yesterday. Wow.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Ladies and gentlemen, forget about the fact that Mr Rizzo has donated $8M of his personal funds to UCONN (and tried to remain anonymous doing it). Forget the fact that the Jackson Lab just opened and is already looking to expand. Forget that a UCONN scholar has just been awarded a NIH research grant (important metric for AAU). Forget that UCONN is, indeed, doubling down on itself in the way that a smart CEO doubles down on his company by buying back shares when they are dirt cheap. Forget that UCONN just made a huge leap in hockey and is about to play in front of a crowd against BC that will dwarf any single game attendance figure announced by the Florida Panthers this season. Forget that we are the Capital of College Basketball.

Mark down this date as the one we Boneyarders should all circle back to once UCONN accepts its invitation to the B1G. For the first time that I can recall (and please correct me if I'm wrong), Fishy has actually taken a positive outlook on UCONN's CR efforts and potential chances. Posts like this sure beat the ever-living out of the normal, drab IQ-questioning cold buckets of water you usually throw on anyone who wants to actually think positively about State U. Welcome to the pro-UCONN Club, my friend!

Now get over here and get your Dooley hug, you Big Lug!

Did someone Hack Fishy's account?

 

[ZooCougar]

I don't know if it's a revenue sport, but it is clearly a leg of UConn's athletic stool.

We're routinely second in attendance per game - Cal-Santa Barbara usually averages about 5,000, followed by UConn at about 4,300.

The gap to third place is usually 1,000+.

If just Reid would start winning overtime games on a more regular basis....

Speaking of which, he donated $100,000 yesterday. Wow.

Sort of like Ollie making a donation to the hoop center.

 

[UConn Dan]

Sort of like Ollie making a donation to the hoop center.

But Ollie has NBA money and a very nice salary at UConn. I'm sure Ray has a commensurate salary and has done well for himself too - I attended one of his soccer camps when I was in high school and he was coach at southern - I think they made a killing with those camps. But KO and Ray Reid are on two different planes.

I commend them both for their generosity. It's not their job to do so and they both went above and beyond.

 

[Rumrunner]

I would hope that our 1-5 football team will improve first, considering it could take several years to raise the endowment from $330M to $1B range (it took Emory a little over 7 years to raise theirs over $1B as reference). If we're still sporting 1-11 records in 2021, then we are firmly locked into our AAC affiliation.

UCONN's endowment has surpassed $400 million. At some point, the Matthew effect will kick in, but not quite there yet.

 

[ZooCougar]

But Ollie has NBA money and a very nice salary at UConn. I'm sure Ray has a commensurate salary and has done well for himself too - I attended one of his soccer camps when I was in high school and he was coach at southern - I think they made a killing with those camps. But KO and Ray Reid are on two different planes.

I commend them both for their generosity. It's not their job to do so and they both went above and beyond.

Agree completely. Just shows the level of passion Reid has. I heard something on the radio a while back. Southern was so good as a DII soccer program that they would beat DI teams and depending on the severity of the loss, the DI teams sometimes improved in the rankings.

 

[jostar1]

Jeff Jacobs' story:
http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn...-soccer-gift-1014-20141013-column.html#page=1

 

[zls44]

Agree completely. Just shows the level of passion Reid has. I heard something on the radio a while back. Southern was so good as a DII soccer program that they would beat DI teams and depending on the severity of the loss, the DI teams sometimes improved in the rankings.

Wish he could go back to being that coach.

 

[Kolumbo]

UCONN's endowment has surpassed $400 million. At some point, the Matthew effect will kick in, but not quite there yet.

We'll get there with hard work: "The richest one percent of this country owns half our country's wealth, five trillion dollars. One third of that comes from hard work, two thirds comes from inheritance, interest on interest accumulating to widows and idiot sons and what I do, stock and real estate speculation. It's bull sheet."

 

[ThetaZoo]

I don't know if it's a revenue sport, but it is clearly a leg of UConn's athletic stool.

We're routinely second in attendance per game - Cal-Santa Barbara usually averages about 5,000, followed by UConn at about 4,300.

The gap to third place is usually 1,000+.

If just Reid would start winning overtime games on a more regular basis....

Speaking of which, he donated $100,000 yesterday. Wow.

UConn inflates their attendance figures. There are nights when only a few hundred fans are in the stands and yet the announced attendance is over 1,000. I think they count the hundreds of comp tickets that are issued to youth teams and others each game.

 

[TRest]

On a somewhat related note, is there any pressure on the women's soccer coach (Tsantires I think) to perform? That was one of the more successful programs in the country at one time, but seems to have fallen off the face of the earth.

 

[Ha Who]

UConn inflates their attendance figures. There are nights when only a few hundred fans are in the stands and yet the announced attendance is over 1,000. I think they count the hundreds of comp tickets that are issued to youth teams and others each game.

Football should take note of this

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Is Soccer a revenue sport for UConn? Louisville's new stadium is a beaut. They must be making money of their games since the place is filled. With interest in the game reaching a critical mass, I wonder if Warde can sell our home games to SNY. With the sport likely moving to Fall/Spring schedule I bet this could be a winner for us. Live sports are the little black dress of programming and there is always a demand.

Louisville may have stretched itself on that one unless their Lynn Soccer stadium is also aimed at attracting a pro (second tier) team as it holds 5K for soccer and no NCAA team currently averages 5K a game with even the top team, including UConn, averaging in the mid 3K range.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

On a somewhat related note, is there any pressure on the women's soccer coach (Tsantires I think) to perform? That was one of the more successful programs in the country at one time, but seems to have fallen off the face of the earth.

I asked a friend of mine who played for Len and the response was that 1) the increase of money into women's soccer due to offset Title IX issues, primarily football, has dramatically shifted the talent around and 2) UConn has had injury issues over the last several years. That said, I agree that the drop from a team that usually made it to the NCAA semi-finals or finals before losing to UNC or ND to a team that can barely make the NCAA ornament is a concern.

 

[dbmill]

On a somewhat related note, is there any pressure on the women's soccer coach (Tsantires I think) to perform? That was one of the more successful programs in the country at one time, but seems to have fallen off the face of the earth.

The women's program has indeed fallen on hard times. This is due in part to the need for a new and improved soccer stadium. Many programs have built or improved greatly on their soccer facilities in recent years, and until now UConn hasn't done much to improve Morrone over that time. That sort of thing does make an impression on recruits. Go visit Morrone some time and see for yourself, it really looks old, rusty, and antiquated, despite how well the UConn men's program draws.

 

[huskymedic]

TheTempleNews Oct 14, 8:00pm via TweetDeck
Soccer teams to relocate closer to Main Campus. Post original url/1w5PN5s