Brandon would prefer to play UConn game somewhere else (updated)
Per Angelique, who adds that Michigan has made proposals to move the game.
Does this mean New York City? It's hard to imagine a big stadium with a big draw near UConn other than it, or perhaps ... Boston?
EDIT: more tweets with more information:
On UConn game...Brandon says w state $$ to improve stadium politics are in play. Says would need waiver from state legislature
Brandon on UConn "my attitude - let's go to state legislature to move game". Realizes this is gonna be tough to accomplish
MORE UPDATES (per Angelique):
Brandon said Meadowlands was proposed venue for UM UConn. Meadowlands was very interested, he said
Brandon said "that's not Michigan" when asked if he considered buying out UConn game. "we did a contract, they control game"
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:59 PM ^
The idea of Michigan playing at the new Stagg Field... Giggles all around. Place is like a middle school field with nicer turf.
Gotta give UC credit where credit is due. They wanted to go in another direction with athletics, and they've stuck to their guns.
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:06 PM ^
...sight/site.
August 22nd, 2012 at 2:00 PM ^
No advertising. I like it.
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:04 PM ^
It's a good thought (although the Yale Bowl's pretty decrepit), but I doubt Yale would agree to the deal. Big disruption unrelated to the college and it's not like Yale needs the money.
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:21 PM ^
None of the Ivies would ever agree to play us, much less Yale. A) They don't need the money, and B) They steer their programs away from the concept of big-time football. Those schools are indisputable, undeniable examples of programs that put "student" before "athlete."
The Ivy teams are college football in its purest form.
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:25 PM ^
To be clear, the topic was holding the UConn game at the Yale Bowl, but "they don't need the money" still holds.
August 22nd, 2012 at 3:50 PM ^
Those schools are indisputable, undeniable examples of programs that put "student" before "athlete."
You might be surprised to find out just how much the Ivies lower their standards to admit athletes. If you're a talented athlete, you don't have to be anywhere near the academic profile of a typical Ivy student to get admitted.
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:08 PM ^
Seriously, this is an excellent idea. Seems like it would never happen, but here's hoping.
August 22nd, 2012 at 2:27 PM ^
I'd love to have it at the Yale Bowl -- and not only because I live in New Haven. It seats 24,000 more fans than Rentschler, and was named by sporting News as one of the iconic football venues in the country. It also has great access to NYC and Boston (and Hartford, for that matter), and the city here could use the cash infusion the game would bring. (In light of the later two points, both Michigan and the City of New Haven might have an interest in giving some financial support to a Yale Bowl game).
What's more, in 2014, the Bowl will be celebrating its centennial. Why not bring in some major college football to celebrate?
August 22nd, 2012 at 2:54 PM ^
This idea is pretty awesome. Turns out I'm not pro-Meadowlands, just anti-Rentschler.
August 22nd, 2012 at 3:41 PM ^
The Yale Bowl would be awesome. I think that'd be a pretty good compromise: it's larger than Rentschler field and still in the state of Connecticut.
August 22nd, 2012 at 4:17 PM ^
I believe the Yale Bowl was the inspiration for the Big House design.
August 22nd, 2012 at 12:42 PM ^
August 22nd, 2012 at 12:49 PM ^
why not Giants stadium? Right outside NYC.
August 22nd, 2012 at 2:09 PM ^
August 22nd, 2012 at 2:36 PM ^
Yeah, my comment looks pretty stupid now, but I swear it was in there before the update that specified the Meadowlands.
August 22nd, 2012 at 12:54 PM ^
Why sign a home and home with them then?
August 22nd, 2012 at 12:58 PM ^
Welcome to the wonderful world of Bill Martin.
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:03 PM ^
the gift that keeps on giving....in a bad way
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:19 PM ^
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:06 PM ^
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:53 PM ^
Well then that would make sense. New guy trying to get out of a bad contract.
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:14 PM ^
Dave Brandon: because nothing says class like sneering at the opposition's teeny stadium wherever it is located in football-palookaville and suggesting, openly or not, that UM is far too big and grand and old to play in your back yard.
Michigan is, what, one of the five wealthiest athletic departments in the country. It doesn't really need an extra couple of hundred thousand dollars.
Anyway: I'd rather play at UConn than host some of the non-conference games Brandon is scheduling.
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:05 PM ^
The deal was done by Martin, so Brandon apparently feels no allegience to the fact that we agreed to play in Storrs CT (or wherever their stadium is). I get asking about moving it, I get pushing back a little. But I'm with the "honor the deal" folks. I know it's about the brand and it's about the money, but the "Michigan Brand" more and more just means "money for Michigan". Show some respect for UConn and play at their place. DB, if you don't like the deal, be sure not to make one like it on your watch.
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:05 PM ^
I think they should play it on an aircraft carrier.
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:08 PM ^
We have Akron the week before and a bye the week following this game, which potentially allows us to do something really interesting like play in Wembley Stadium or Estadio Azteca some other cool international stadium.
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:12 PM ^
Screw everyone else. Keep college football where it belongs, in the US.
The last thing I want is for College Football to become some international traveling circus like the NFL is trying to be.
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:14 PM ^
Wembley and the Azteca are small time. Inventing the future demands the biggest stadium in the world.
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:17 PM ^
I once heard that Kim Jong-il scored 22 touchdowns in one game. At least that's what the north koreans tell me.
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:38 PM ^
and kicked all the extra points as well.
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:40 PM ^
August 22nd, 2012 at 5:00 PM ^
Well, that was only because Kim heroically continued to play after being struck by lightning, but he just wasn't himself after that.
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:40 PM ^
Was this before or after he shot 10 hole in ones on a 9 hole course?
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:44 PM ^
After his 5th hole in one, he took a break and went and played a football game, then returned to make 5 more hole in ones.
August 22nd, 2012 at 2:31 PM ^
http://www.solidverbal.com/2011/04/12/north-koreas-first-cfb-broadcast/
Great Leader taught America's coaches everything they know!
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:25 PM ^
I can get behind the Yale Bowl idea. Seems like it has the right sort college atmosphere to promote the pageantry. It also seats 22,000 more than Rentschler field... Which honestly looks smaller than some Texas high school football stadiums, and doesn't exactly ooz fall tradition.
I agree that if it comes down to it, just honor the contract, but if we can tweek it in some way that all parties can agree upon I don't see how that makes us the bad guys.
And the obligatory "Silly Bill Martin, home-and-homes are for traditional football powers!"
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:27 PM ^
I went to UCONN's stadium for a USA v. Czech Republic soccer game in 2010. The stadium was bad and the parking was awful. I drove up from NJ for the game and it took us 3 hours to get from the highway to a parking spot. It was so bad that we decided to just hang out in the stadium for the post game show (got Alexi Lalas' autograph) and to hang out around the team buses after that (got a picture with Clint Dempsey) (I know cool story bro).
Anyway, the stadium is small and not a good place to watch a game, and the gameday staff for parking was horrendous, a lot of the parking was in a neighboring Cabela's parking lot and the rest was on a big field that had one single lane running through it that they would let cars on. My advice is get there ridiculously early (7 hours before kickoff) tailgate and get a great spot and leave right afterwards, otherwise plan on staying there for 3 hours after the game's over.
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:31 PM ^
Brandon just said he wants one game a year starting next year with notre dame as the likely opponent per Angelis on twitter.
Brandon wants one night game a year at home starting next year. Irish seem likely opponent
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:32 PM ^
I get Brandon's resistance to playing at UConn. He didn't agree to the series, and its not like playing at UConn is playing at USC. If Brandon got the game put in the Meadowlands, I wouldn't complain. I live in Manhattan so it'd be pretty easy for me to see the game.
Still, I think at this point he should just suck it up and let UConn have the home game. They obviously don't want to budge on it, and whether Brandon signed off on it or not, a deal's a deal. This is clearly a big deal to UConn to have this game. Honor the commitment your school has made, and in the future, if you don't want to schedule a home-and-home with a mediocre Big East team, its in your right to not do so.
Besides, that game will, in all likelihood, be a repeat of Michigan at Northwestern this past year. There will be a nice showing from the UConn student section, but a hefty showing from the NYC and Boston UMich alumni will drown out any hostile crowd noise. The student section will be gone by the half, and it will have essentially become a UMich home game on a smaller scale.
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:39 PM ^
It'll be interesting to see what this game does for UConn season ticket sales, if it remains in Hartford. I just checked and UConn season tickets range from $100 to $300 for the season. It wouldn't surprise me if this game got similar prices on the secondary market, given the huge amount of Michigan alumni in a three hour proximity (when was the last time we played a game in the Northeast? Syracuse in 1999? And that's a lot further away than Hartford is from NYC and Boston). I wouldn't be surprised to see Michigan fans just buying season tix and putting all of them except for the Michigan game up on stubhub.
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:39 PM ^
but what does the contract say. If it has a clause -- and I've heard it does -- that gives Michigan the right to pay a sum and not play at UCONN, then Michigan can do so without "breaching the contract". Then the question would be, what would UCONN do -- say fine and agree to play somewhere else or say fine and tell us to take a hike while they schedule ____ . If they choose the latter course, then Michigan can schedule whomever they want -- of course, 12 monhts out the options might be slim and lead to a Delaware State option rather than a school at the MAC or equivalent level (or better).
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:56 PM ^
Beyond that, part of Brandon's job is to look out for Michigan's best interests. I'd argue that playing in Storrs in a subpar stadium that seats 40k is not in our best interests. I'd pay 2 million and whatever Delware State wants to replace 'Storrs' with 'Ann Arbor'. If UConn doesn't want to talk Meadowlands, that is their problem.
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:47 PM ^
I'm not a huge fan of Brandon, but I don't blame him for trying to get this game moved. And if UConn gets a bigger payday out of it, then I don't get how this is a slight to them. Rentschler Field seats, what, 40,000? And they still can't sell it out?
It's their home game so they have the ultimate say over where it gets played. Any plan to move the game would have to be approved by them. If Brandon can can sell UConn's AD on playing the game in front of a larger crowd and guarantee everyone a larger payout, then why shouldn't the game be moved?
August 22nd, 2012 at 2:06 PM ^
I'd bet that UConn's AD would be all for moving the game to the Meadowlands. It would garner exposure for UConn football in the New York market, something it doesn't really get, and would raise the profile of the game. But the state legislature seems to hold veto on moving any games away from Rentschler that were already contracted there as a terms of the bond funding used to build the stadium (which is owned by the state rather than the university).
The real question is not what's in it for UConn to move the game elsewhere, but what's in it for the State of Connecticut?
August 22nd, 2012 at 2:11 PM ^
True. If it's the state's call and not the university's, then yeah, I don't see this happening. We'll just have to suck it up and play in front of a tiny-yet-half-empty stadium on the East Coast.
August 22nd, 2012 at 2:26 PM ^
Well, it certainly won't be half empty for this game. Hartford's 2 hour from New York and 2 from Boston. Plenty of UM alums to fill the stands.
With Hartford 2 hours away from NYC and State College 5 (with tickets likely easy to come by, stubhub currently has tickets under face value for every game at Penn State this year other than OSU), 2013 might be the best year ever for East Coast fans to see the team in person without a flight.
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:51 PM ^
August 22nd, 2012 at 1:58 PM ^
As a fan, I think it would be fun to see M play at such an "intimate" little stadium. Plus, given the proximity to NY and the host team's small fan-base, I'm guessing the crowd will be M-heavy, a la our games at NW. And, yes, a contract ought to be honored.
But there's nothing wrong with Brandon trying to work out a mutually beneficial alternate venue -- unless UConn is firmly against the idea. And I don't think it is. Otherwise, I doubt Brandon would be openly mulling the idea. That would just be incredibly obnoxious.
August 22nd, 2012 at 2:01 PM ^
They should play the game in Oklahoma...