The University of Connecticut this week accepted a bid to its first bowl game as a Division I-A team. The Huskies will play in Detroit’s Motor City Bowl Dec. 27 against the winner of the Mid-American Conference title game (between Toledo and Miami of Ohio).
Known more in recent years as a basketball school (the Huskies are defending national champions in both men’s and women’s hoops), the UConn is building excitement for its football program with a winning team and a new Ellerbe Becket-designed stadium.
Diehards already refer to the 40,000-seat Rentschler Field as the “Rent.” And packed houses have been credited with helping the Huskies win.
Earlier this season, UConn faced a late-game charge by ACC foe Duke University. The Blue Devils, unable to hear over the sound of 40,000 screaming Huskies fans, were flagged for consecutive delay-of-game and false start penalties. Pushed back 10 yards, Duke’s game-winning field goal attempt sailed wide left with six seconds remaining, preserving a two-point UConn win.
“The fans won the game for us today,” Huskies quarterback Dan Orlovsky said afterward.
The Huskies finished 7-4 this season, an impressive feat when you consider the school made the leap to Division I-A only two years ago.
So what is it about Rentschler Field that has helped launch UConn’s football fortunes? Modern football program…modern look. New collegiate stadiums are rare, and Rentschler breaks the traditional Gothic architecture mold that dominates collegiate campuses. The design integrates itself with its industrial surroundings. Located on a 72-acre parcel that was the birthplace of U.S. jet aviation (Pratt & Whitney test grounds), Ellerbe Becket designers took the site’s aviation background and created a look that has a contextual, industrial feel.
The architects incorporated a “stealth concept” inspired by the aerospace industry and the famous undetectable jet aircraft. In the same way the stealth accepts and redirects, or absorbs signal detection, the stadium form uses these simple principles to reflect magnificent views of the Hartford skyline. A view to downtown from the multi-story club lounge is just one amenity at Rentschler Field.
But make no mistake; this is UConn’s stadium. Blue is everywhere. “New Dog in the Show” has become the rallying cry. It’s not just a basketball school anymore. The new $90 million stadium is helping put football on the map.
An innovator since its founding in 1909, Ellerbe Becket is a leader in architecture, engineering and the construction industry with office locations worldwide.
Contact: news@ellerbebecket.com
