3,808

[NielsisGood]

UConn has one of the highest percentages of students living on campus in the country at around 67%. For simplicity's sake, we'll say 50% don't have a car on campus as only juniors and above can have them and many not needing one . So about 33% of UConn's student body don't even have a car to get to XL Center, let alone to drive the 45 minutes there, pay to park, the 45 minutes back, on a weeknight during one of the most challenging parts of the semester

Don't let facts get in the way of a couple entitled douches pushing their narrative.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Here is a reason why I am tired of the Boneyard student arguments:

You are in Washington DC lecturing me about where the games are played.

I've spent ~4k attending football and basketball games this calendar year. I sat through 10 AAC tournament games in March.

I've been doing that since before the current students were born.

Every year I go to the games and guess who is there - the same people who are always there. We graduate thousands of kids every year but SPOILER ALERT: barely any stay in Connecticut and only a fraction of them keep going to games.

So yeah, I like posts that mock the constant whining of the students. You'd think the bus was to Shawshank and not a football or basketball game.

All true enough, and I genuinely appreciate the opportunity to get to know your situation better. I can see how what you observe would be aggravating from your perspective.
To switch gears, though, what do you get out of projecting such a sour presence onto something you seem to love? At least that's how I interpret your "like to mock" behaviors.

 

[lange10]

Current students are future season ticket holders. But yes, continue to blame students for attendance issues and move games as far away as possible. Boooooo students!!!

 

[August_West]

He was there and we all stared at his shaggy mug a good chunk of the night. It was actually the highlight of the game for me.

Glad to serve my state university in adding to your entertainment quotient.

 

[Waquoit]

@whaler11 You realize college sports are primarily for the students, right?

College sports are primarily for the alumni.

 

[huskymedic]

DiMauro @ The Day: Oh, for the days when UConn fans cared

>>Ollie can say he's "not in charge of sales," but he needs to be more of a salesman. He also needs to recruit better players. But in the meantime, he's in charge of a product that needs to be sold. UConn basketball isn't UConn basketball right now. Exactly 6,359 empty seats proved as much Wednesday night.<<

 

[RJScootin]

Look no further than KO for the attendance issues. Poor product = poor attendance. No need to point the blame at anyone else.

That being said I'll be at the game Saturday but I don't expect most, especially "causal" fans to want to spend their time and money watching this team.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

If students don't want to go to Hartford's that's fine. As long as they can own up to the fact that they just don't care about the program that much.

Unless things have changed, when I was there you could buy a bus ticket to XL for $2. You go to the games with your buddies and the bus drops you off and picks you up right next to the arena.

Sure instead of a 6:45 to 9:15 commitment it was more like 6-10, but don't act like it's some egregious request to go 30 minutes for $2 to watch a program that even though we suck now, has won 4 national titles.

 

[Waquoit]

Any fan that has actually attended games knows that mid-week games at Gampel are an attendance disaster and have been for years. Whoever made the decision to play that game Gampel last night wasn't paying attention. Playing games in Hartford is what's best for the program, not just a matter of charity for the city.

 

[GoUconn7961]

Gampel is a 2-hour hike each way for me. The only games I go to are at the XL Center - that's only an hour each way.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

If you’re going to go to a few games a year no one is picking Tuesday night in Storrs vs Columbia. I guess literally no one picked that.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[Wordbomar]

who has those 30 tix/seats behind the UConn bench that were empty last night??

will buy a few of them at face value for remainder of season if interested.

Lol seriously me too

 

[8893]

Fair take.

All it took was the entire fan base turning on Ollie to make Jacobs write something positive.

 

[temery]

who has those 30 tix/seats behind the UConn bench that were empty last night??

will buy a few of them at face value for remainder of season if interested.

I have a friend who has four of those seats. I went to most games until a few years ago.

 

[temery]

Very nice article.

 

[Bonehead]

I have a friend who has four of those seats. I went to most games until a few years ago.

PM me and I will give you my cell number.

I will use those seats with HS kids and their friends and not resell.

 

[Guapo]

College sports are primarily for the alumni.

Fair.

I'd say more specifically they are for turning students into "generous" alumni

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

How can anybody be surprised? This program has been in a downward slide since they won the title in 2014.

• One tournament appearance since 2014, where they won a single game
• Recruiting has been marginal at best
• Many of our best recruits left before this season even started
• We play a terrible conference schedule
• We get no conference money
• There seems little chance we'll be picked in the next round of conference realignment
• The fan base has lost faith in Ollie
• We just got smoked by Arkansa
• WE JUST GOT SMOKED BY ARKANSAS
• It's Columbia on a Wednesday night in Storrs

What kind of delusional maniac would think this program is headed in the right direction? I'm supposed to drive 90 minutes each way to Gampel to support a team that could so easily lose to Columbia? Meh.

I guess I'm not loyal. But the thing is, people don't want to stay in bad relationships. And this is a bad relationship. We get our hopes up, they get shoved back down. And there's very little reason to think the glory days are coming back anytime soon.

This entire state is in a state of despair. People feel negatively about the entire state, never mind UConn. People are fearful for the future. Are college graduates even staying in CT? Cause those are our fans.

There will be hard times ahead. I'd love to believe it will get better, that we'll return to our past glories.

But deep down, I'm not sure I believe it. Do you?

 

[whaler11]

All true enough, and I genuinely appreciate the opportunity to get to know your situation better. I can see how what you observe would be aggravating from your perspective.
To switch gears, though, what do you get out of projecting such a sour presence onto something you seem to love? At least that's how I interpret your "like to mock" behaviors.

I thought you gave up following the team because they weren't good?

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

Look no further than KO for the attendance issues. Poor product = poor attendance. No need to point the blame at anyone else.

That being said I'll be at the game Saturday but I don't expect most, especially "causal" fans to want to spend their time and money watching this team.

ill be there, my real debate is to pay $70 to see uconn play lackadaisical against Syracuse

 

[polycom]

who has those 30 tix/seats behind the UConn bench that were empty last night??

will buy a few of them at face value for remainder of season if interested.

Those seats are for the coaches families and recruits, you can't get them. The player family tickets are on the exact opposite side in the same section of the court.

 

[polycom]

Current students are future season ticket holders. But yes, continue to blame students for attendance issues and move games as far away as possible. Boooooo students!!!

Are you sure about this? What % of UConn students are staying in CT now...? I'd love to see data on this. Or are future season ticket holders children of current season ticket holders?

 

[J187Money]

My 4 seats were used. Not by me, but still.

 

[gampelcrazies]

Unrealistic old man: if only the donors would realize that the synergy of passionate student athletes and passionate student fans makes for an entertainment product that is great to attend, looks great on TV, and makes a great recruiting and media story.
Make UConn Men's Basketball Great Again.

Are you calling me an old man? I'm just telling its never going to happen. Donors have given at least $100,000 to get some of those seats. Theres only a hand full of schools that have students in those seats.