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Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field

Coordinates: 41°45′35″N 72°37′8″W / 41.75972°N 72.61889°W / 41.75972; -72.61889
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Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field
The Rent
File:Rentschler Field logo.jpg
Map
Former namesRentschler Field (2003–2015)
Location615 Silver Lane, East Hartford, CT 06118
Coordinates41°45′35″N 72°37′8″W / 41.75972°N 72.61889°W / 41.75972; -72.61889
OwnerState of Connecticut
OperatorGlobal Spectrum[3]
Capacity40,642
Record attendance42,704 (Sept. 2013)
SurfaceKentucky Bluegrass
Construction
Broke groundOctober 21, 2000[1]
OpenedAugust 30, 2003[2]
Construction cost$91.2 million
($151 million in 2024 dollars[4])
ArchitectEllerbe Becket
Structural engineerBVH Integrated Services[5]
Services engineerDiversified Technology Consultants[6]
General contractorHunt-Gilbane Joint Venture[7]
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 can expand to 50,000 with limited rehabilitation and has the layout and design for expansion of up to 60,000 seats in the future.[8]

The stadium 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).

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.[9] In return, Pratt and Whitney donated additional land that will be used for game day parking.

Connecticut Huskies

The Connecticut Huskies football team has 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

Sellouts

Date Opponent Result Seats
September 13, 2003 Boston College L 14-24 40,000
November 8, 2003 Rutgers W 38-31 40,000
September 11, 2004 Duke W 22-20 40,000
September 25, 2004 Army W 40-3 40,000
September 30, 2004 Pittsburgh W 29-17 40,000
October 13, 2004 #17 West Virginia L 19-31 40,000
October 23, 2004 Temple W 45-31 40,000
November 20, 2004 Buffalo W 29-0 40,000
September 1, 2005 Buffalo W 38-0 40,000
September 10, 2005 Liberty W 59-0 40,000
October 7, 2005 Syracuse W 26-7 40,000
October 22, 2005 Rutgers L 24-26 40,000
November 26, 2005 South Florida W 15-10 40,000
December 3, 2005 #16 Louisville L 20-30 40,000
September 16, 2006 Wake Forest L 13-24 40,000
September 30, 2006 Navy L 17-41 40,000
October 20, 2006 #4 West Virginia L 11-37 40,000
November 11, 2006 Pittsburgh W 46-453OT 40,000
October 19, 2007 Louisville W 21-17 40,000
October 27, 2007 #11 South Florida W 22-15 40,000
November 3, 2007 Rutgers W 38-19 40,000
November 17, 2007 Syracuse W 30-7 40,000
September 13, 2008 Virginia W 45-10 40,000
October 25, 2008 Cincinnati W 40-16 40,000
November 1, 2008 West Virginia L 35-13 40,000
October 17, 2009 Louisville W 38-25 40,000
November 28, 2009 Syracuse W 56-31 40,000
October 2, 2010 Vanderbilt W 40-21 40,000
October 29, 2010 West Virginia W 16-13OT 40,000
November 27, 2010 Cincinnati W 38-17 40,000
September 21, 2013 #15 Michigan L 24-21 42,704

[10]

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.[11]

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
April 6, 2016 United States  7-0  Colombia Friendly 21,792

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,[12] 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. ^ Associated Press (October 21, 2000). "Ground Broken on UConn Stadium". Record-Journal. Meriden, CT. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
  2. ^ http://www.worldofstadiums.com/north-america/united-states/connecticut/pratt-whitney-stadium/
  3. ^ Doyle, Paul (July 17, 2013). "Global Spectrum Pleased With Its First Event At Rentschler". Hartford Courant. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  4. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  5. ^ "Rentschler Field Division I Football Stadium". BVH Integrated Services. Retrieved August 25, 2013.
  6. ^ "Rentschler Stadium". Diversified Technology Consultants. Archived from the original on September 5, 2004. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  7. ^ Sedlak, Melissa (September 1, 2003). "Sales Records Fall at UConn Stadium". SportsBusiness Journal. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
  8. ^ [1] |Blakeslee Building Solutions
  9. ^ Rent Being Renamed Pratt & Whitney Stadium At Rentschler Field
  10. ^ 2015 UConn Football Media Guide (PDF). UConn Huskies. p. 121. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  11. ^ Drehs, Wayne (December 22, 2014). "The Bitter End". ESPN The Magazine. Boone, Iowa: ESPN The Magazine.
  12. ^ http://www.salon.com/wires/sports/06/02/D9G3C6TO0_hkn_hartford_hockey/index.html
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