Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field

Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field
The Rent
Former names Rentschler Field (2003–2015)
Location 615 Silver Lane, East Hartford, CT 06118
Coordinates 41°45′35″N 72°37′8″W / 41.75972°N 72.61889°W / 41.75972; -72.61889Coordinates: 41°45′35″N 72°37′8″W / 41.75972°N 72.61889°W / 41.75972; -72.61889
Owner State of Connecticut
Operator Global Spectrum[1]
Capacity 40,642
Record attendance 42,704 (Sept. 2013)
Surface Kentucky Bluegrass
Construction
Broke ground October 21, 2000[2]
Opened August 30, 2003
Construction cost $91.2 million
($117 million in 2016 dollars[3])
Architect Ellerbe Becket
Structural engineer BVH Integrated Services[4]
Services engineer Diversified Technology Consultants[5]
General contractor Hunt-Gilbane Joint Venture[6]
Tenants
Connecticut Huskies football (NCAA) (2003–present)
Hartford Colonials (UFL) (2009–2010)

Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field is a stadium in East Hartford, Connecticut. It is primarily used for football and soccer, and is the home field of the University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies. In the fall of 2010, it was home to the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League. The stadium, which opened in 2003, was the first stadium used primarily by an NCAA Division I-A (now FBS) team to open in the 21st century. The permanent stadium capacity is 40,642 consisting of 38,110 permanent seats with an additional 2,532 standing room in the scoreboard plaza. It also has a game day capability to add approximately 2,000 temporary seats as it did for UConn football vs. Michigan in 2013. Connecticut played on campus at Memorial Stadium in Storrs, before 2003.

Rentschler Field was originally the name of the company airfield for Pratt & Whitney that formerly occupied the site. The airfield, which began operations in 1931, was named after Frederick Brant Rentschler, who founded the aircraft arm of Pratt & Whitney and later founded its current parent company, United Technologies. It was originally used for test flights and maintenance operations, and later for corporate aviation. The 75-acre (30 ha) site was decommissioned as an airport in the 1990s, and donated to the state of Connecticut by United Technologies in 1999. A subsequent 65-acre donation by United Technologies in 2009 allowed for the construction of additional grass parking lots adjacent to the Stadium.

Pursuant to a lease agreement with the State, UConn plays all its home football games at Rentschler Field.

History

The New England Patriots considered moving to Connecticut and sharing a stadium with the UConn football team, in the mid-1990s. The new stadium was supposed to be built on the Connecticut Convention Center site in downtown Hartford. However, when the Patriots completed the deal for Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, the Hartford stadium plan was scaled down and the location was moved to East Hartford. The current capacity of 40,642 was designed with structure in place to expand to a 50,000-seat stadium or more, with limited rehabilitation.

Rentschler Field is owned by the State of Connecticut, Office of Policy and Management, while operations are overseen by the quasi-public Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA). Global Spectrum, L.P. has managed the building on behalf of CRDA since 2013. Previously, the Stadium was managed by Bushnell Management Services (2011-2013), Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG)(2007-2011) and Madison Square Garden L.P. (2003-2007).

In 2006, the Bollywood movie Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna used the field as the location of the soccer game in the opening scene of the movie.

The stadium has hosted a number of major concerts, including Bruce Springsteen (the first artist to play the stadium, in 2003), The Rolling Stones (2005) and The Police (2007).

On July 16, 2015, it was announced that Rentschler Field had been renamed Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in a deal between Pratt & Whitney and UConn.[7] In return, Pratt and Whitney donated additional land that will be used for game day parking.

Connecticut Huskies

The Huskies have an all time 54–30 home field advantage at Rentschler Field.

Year Record
2003 5–1
2004 6–1
2005 4–2
2006 3–4
2007 7–0
2008 4–2
2009 4–2
2010 6–0
2011 4–3
2012 3–3
2013 2–5
2014 2–5
2015 4–2

US Men's National Soccer Team

Rentschler Field has hosted several United States men's national soccer team's home games, including Landon Donovan's last game for the National Team on October 10, 2014.[8]

Date Teams Competition Attendance
August 18, 2005 United States  1–0  Trinidad and Tobago Friendly 25,488
May 30, 2006 United States  1–0  Latvia Friendly 22,455
May 25, 2010 United States  2–4  Czech Republic Friendly 36,000
July 16, 2013 United States  1–0  Costa Rica 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup 25,432
October 10, 2014 United States  1–1  Ecuador Friendly 36,265

US Women's National Soccer Team

Rentschler Field has hosted several United States women's national soccer team's home games.

Date Teams Competition Attendance
July 14, 2007 United States  1–0  Norway Friendly 9,957
July 17, 2010 United States  3–0  Sweden Friendly 5,570
October 23, 2012 United States  2–2  Germany Friendly 18,870
June 19, 2014 United States  2–2  France Friendly 14,695

Hartford Colonials

2008
2008
Rentschler Field scoreboard in 2010

The Hartford Colonials were a United Football League team that played their home games at Rentschler Field. During their (2010 UFL season), the Colonials played all four home games at Rentschler, after having played one there the previous season while they were known as the New York Sentinels. Attendance at Colonials games averaged a consistent 15,000 people, third place in the five-team league behind Omaha and Sacramento. The UFL suspended the Colonials franchise in 2011 and the franchise was officially terminated when the team's former owner (Bill Mayer) was named as the new owner of a different franchise.

Whalers Hockey Fest

From February 11–20, 2011, the stadium hosted the Whalers Hockey Fest 2011. A hockey rink was constructed on the field much like is done for the annual NHL Winter Classic. Events included a Hartford Whalers Alumni vs. Boston Bruins Alumni game, a double-header featuring both UConn men's and women's hockey teams, a Hockey Legends team faced off against the Mystery, Alaska Hollywood team,[9] and the second edition of the American Hockey League Outdoor Classic between the host Connecticut Whale and the Providence Bruins. Over 15,000 fans came out to watch the so-called "Whale Bowl", while over 1,700 attended the UConn men's game.

References

  1. ↑ Doyle, Paul (July 17, 2013). "Global Spectrum Pleased With Its First Event At Rentschler". Hartford Courant. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  2. ↑ Associated Press (October 21, 2000). "Ground Broken on UConn Stadium". Record-Journal (Meriden, CT). Retrieved October 1, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Rentschler Field Division I Football Stadium". BVH Integrated Services. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Rentschler Stadium". Diversified Technology Consultants. Archived from the original on September 5, 2004. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  6. ↑ Sedlak, Melissa (September 1, 2003). "Sales Records Fall at UConn Stadium". SportsBusiness Journal. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
  7. ↑ Rent Being Renamed Pratt & Whitney Stadium At Rentschler Field
  8. ↑ Drehs, Wayne (December 22, 2014). "The Bitter End". ESPN The Magazine (Boone, Iowa: ESPN The Magazine).
  9. ↑ http://www.salon.com/wires/sports/06/02/D9G3C6TO0_hkn_hartford_hockey/index.html

External links

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