3,808

[whaler11]

"Barely any stay in state"? Care to share your source?

You know what I see when I turn on the TV to watch college sports?

On campus stadiums, with full student sections ringing the court or from the 30 yard line to the end zone.

That is what people tune into see.

That is why it's a billion dollar business.

People do not tune into watch games in a half empty, quiet arena in Hartford.

Yes, the two biggest college sports properties that drive rights fees are the college footbal playoff and the NCAA tournament. All played at neutral sites with barely a student to be seen. Stop trying to project what you want as some type of reality.

UConn has for years been admitting more out-of-state students. If any in-state or out-of-state graduates are staying and buying tickets to anything they must be invisible. Since they graduate thousands of kids a year and attendance for everything falls every single year. Mix in a game sometime and you'd see that.

You are so close to your dream coming true. They are going to be able to walk away from XL in a couple of seasons and can play 18 games at Gampel. The student subsidy can continue to grow and 3,800 will be an above average attendance.

 

[huskymedic]

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

Where there is a will, there is a way FREE option (or already paid for option):

Not sure of the duration of ride - but another non-car/no parking student option for bsktball/hockey :

Bus ridership linking UConn's Storrs campus to Hartford's grows

>>In addition, more than half of the passengers on the route took advantage of the state's new U-Pass CT program, which provides students with unlimited use of all buses and trains within the state (the cost is included in student university fees).<<

Buses run from 5:45 a.m. to midnight on weekdays, 6:30 a.m. to midnight on Saturdays and 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Sundays.

 

[Bonehead]

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.

Where were the coaches families last night? PTA?



Not according to T Money.

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

 

[Sky ball]

Remember when students used to camp out for games? (Not blaming the students, just reminiscing on better days)

Yea I remember them camping g out for games against the like of Columbia?

 

[Guapo]

You truly have the worst gimmick on this board.

To be fair to @whaler11 I don't think it's a gimmick.

I think he truly believes what he says and clearly nothing I say is going to change his mind so sometimes you just have to tip your hat and say "you do you."

I think what @whaler11 suffers from is Whalers nostalgia syndrome and honestly I think everyone from greater Hartford of a certain age has it, including myself.

The sight of 10's of thousands of people in the Civic Center gives him tingly feelings about seeing Kevin Dineen out there and gives him a data point to show people that Hartford could support a pro team.

I get it.

Furthermore, I don't hate the idea of some games being played in Hartford. I think all games during break should be played there and I am happy that the Witchita State game is there.

I'm sure it will be a great environment.

I am not going to discredit or begrudge anyone's UConn fandom (lord knows we need all the help we can get) so @whaler11 I'm sorry if I've come across that way.

I think my thoughts on the Hartford vs. Storrs debate have been pretty clearly stated across many many threads here so going forward I will be abstaining from any future in-season Storrs/Hartford debate (unless someone says something truly egregious).

Not every game is a referendum on the issue.

Frankly, we have much bigger issues facing this program and to me this debate is simply making excuses for our abysmal performance as of late.

There is no excuse for needing OT to be Columbia.

So, go Huskies and beat Monmouth (preferably not in OT).

 

[Hamms30]

I remember camping out for season tickets. I never camped out or remember classmates camping out for a game. That would be silly in Dec/Jan/Feb. Tix went to a lottery system after I left, is that still the case? I remember waiting outside 4 hours for a Syracuse game and Calhoun's 700th win over G'Town. But that's the earliest I ever showed up for a game.

Ticket campout was a huge party though.

 

[RipCity]

@whaler11 is there anything you like about UConn other than the basketball team?

I've noticed you've liked every anti-student comment here.

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

Not the entertainment for the citizens of greater Hartford.

I’ve been taking a boneyard hiatus because I expected early season struggles and the inevitable *show here, but I’ll say this...

It’s completely fair to be annoyed with students who basically quit on the team when everything isn’t going perfect for them. I live in WeHa and still go to the games, and it’s a struggle to get my friends from UConn to go with me, and a few of them literally live in the same house as me. Our fanbase has become very fickle since we were spoiled by Calhoun.

As for @whaler11, that guy probably cares more about UConn athletics than most people here, which says a lot. He helped me get my first job out of college without even knowing me, and I’m willing to bet this is the case for others too. It’s not like he hates students, in fact he helps them. He just doesn’t want to hear them complain when they can’t even be bothered enough to leave their dorm for a couple hours and support their team.

 

[Guapo]

I’ve been taking a boneyard hiatus because I expected early season struggles and the inevitable *show here, but I’ll say this...

It’s completely fair to be annoyed with students who basically quit on the team when everything isn’t going perfect for them. I live in WeHa and still go to the games, and it’s a struggle to get my friends from UConn to go with me, and a few of them literally live in the same house as me. Our fanbase has become very fickle since we were spoiled by Calhoun.

As for @whaler11, that guy probably cares more about UConn athletics than most people here, which says a lot. He helped me get my first job out of college without even knowing me, and I’m willing to bet this is the case for others too. It’s not like he hates students, in fact he helps them. He just doesn’t want to hear them complain when they can’t even be bothered enough to leave their dorm for a couple hours and support their team.

I understand.

Please see my last post.

 

[methodology]

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 are the athletic department for ex players, visiting recruits/parents, people associated with the athletic department

 

[polycom]

@whaler11 Good job, you got people on the basketball board to celebrate you. Scal would be proud.

 

[methodology]

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

Except they're not facts. Anyone can have a car. You can pay for farmers brown lot or play the system and get a waiver as an undergrad to get a car on campus. Or park it at friends off campus. Must be Millennials just expecting to get everything.

Also it's 25 min to Hartford from campus (I made the drive every game for 4 years). It comes down to being lazy or not knowing how to network or just not wanting to go.

 

[whaler11]

I have zero beef with the students.

I think they are getting beyond screwed with the fees like ZLS points out.

I think it’s disgusting that students are saddled with bigger loans post-graduation because they are proping up an Athletic Department that completely botched cashing in on the school’s success. I can’t believe they haven’t revolted yet.

I just disagree with the posters who don’t get the value of the support of the whole state. As UConn has gotten better academically and has moved away from just educating our hometown kids the rest of the state is more important than ever.

I’d rather have more students at the Rent and XL for sure and I don’t really blame those who choose to stay home because there are way more options than when UConn blew up in Calhoun’s early days.

Locking the basketball program up in Storrs just speeds up the demise. You need revenue? You need interest? Moving away from the population and the money might be a bit short-sighted.

 

[uconnphil2016]

Yeah actually . Give me a few . I’m still on way home . I live 70 min from Gampel. Don’t want to type a book with my dad driving.

Was 3 yards from him all night and paid attention

So what were your observations, Mr. West?!? You left us hangin

 

[whaler11]

To be fair to @whaler11 I don't think it's a gimmick.

I think he truly believes what he says and clearly nothing I say is going to change his mind so sometimes you just have to tip your hat and say "you do you."

I think what @whaler11 suffers from is Whalers nostalgia syndrome and honestly I think everyone from greater Hartford of a certain age has it, including myself.

The sight of 10's of thousands of people in the Civic Center gives him tingly feelings about seeing Kevin Dineen out there and gives him a data point to show people that Hartford could support a pro team.

I get it.

Furthermore, I don't hate the idea of some games being played in Hartford. I think all games during break should be played there and I am happy that the Witchita State game is there.

I'm sure it will be a great environment.

I am not going to discredit or begrudge anyone's UConn fandom (lord knows we need all the help we can get) so @whaler11 I'm sorry if I've come across that way.

I think my thoughts on the Hartford vs. Storrs debate have been pretty clearly stated across many many threads here so going forward I will be abstaining from any future in-season Storrs/Hartford debate (unless someone says something truly egregious).

Not every game is a referendum on the issue.

Frankly, we have much bigger issues facing this program and to me this debate is simply making excuses for our abysmal performance as of late.

There is no excuse for needing OT to be Columbia.

So, go Huskies and beat Monmouth (preferably not in OT).

I’m long over the Whalers.

If everyone who now claims they were a big Whaler fan actually was - they never would have moved.

I’m not arguing that the XL center is good, although it’s not as bad as it’s made out to be. I’m arguing that playing there has been an overall positive for the program.

This is going to solve itself because the state is done with the building and UConn will able to walk away soon.

 

[Guapo]

I’m long over the Whalers.

If everyone who now claims they were a big Whaler fan actually was - they never would have moved.

I’m not arguing that the XL center is good, although it’s not as bad as it’s made out to be. I’m arguing that playing there has been an overall positive for the program.

This is going to solve itself because the state is done with the building and UConn will able to walk away soon.

That's fair.

Looking back on some of my responses to you, they are meaner than they should've been and I sincerely apologize.

 

[Exit 4]

Three ugly facts are converging and I fear there is no fix. i) weak CT economy/negative population trends; ii) millennial & gen x indifference - cultural indifference (why is it only old people and students are at games?) and iii) and the obvious - ct fans strongly prefer seeing their old big east rivals.

 

[Guapo]

Three ugly facts are converging and I fear there is no fix. i) weak CT economy/negative population trends; ii) millennial & gen x indifference - cultural indifference (why is it only old people and students are at games?) and iii) and the obvious - ct fans strongly prefer seeing their old big east rivals.

I think the population excuse is a bit over played.

There are 3 million people in CT, you should be able to get 10k of them to want to go to a basketball game.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

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

I didn't see an answer to my question, or a question in your statement.
Nevertheless, why would I not follow the team?
Watching the product that's out on the floor is excruciating at times, and I may time-shift to make better use of life energies, but I'm still on board.
I just try not to be a dick about it.

 

[Exit 4]

I think the population excuse is a bit over played.

There are 3 million people in CT, you should be able to get 10k of them to want to go to a basketball game.

People aren't driving up from FF County. I've tried for years, can't get a soul to do it. So you really are looking at a market more like 2MM.

 

[Guapo]

People aren't driving up from FF County. I've tried for years, can't get a soul to do it. So you really are looking at a market more like 2MM.

I mean, still.

In the grand scheme of the population within reasonable driving distance of either Hartford or Storrs, 10k is a relatively small number

 

[Exit 4]

I mean, still.

In the grand scheme of the population within reasonable driving distance of either Hartford or Storrs, 10k is a relatively small number

So my point about UConn games being largely attended by aging boomers is really a point about the fact its the millennials and gen xers that have moved out of state, particularly the ones that are proactive with their careers and the kind of people with disposable income to attend regularly. When I watch these games I am surprised just how senior the crowd can be outside of the student section. Where are the 30 year olds? Even the 40s year olds are missing. Moved to NYC, to Boston, to FF County, to Atlanta, to Colorado, to TX, etc.

I don't mean to take the conversation sideways - so I'll stop after this post.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

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.

Quite the contrary; I'm calling MYSELF the old man and putting forth an idea that would require those who 'won't give up their seats' to see things differently and recognize that two layers of student passion (though to "excellence" currently) could be laid out before them. Even if that became policy for Gampel games only, it'd be a differentiator for a team with a state-wide fanbase and two arenas. To me, it's a brand-builder.

 

[whaler11]

I didn't see an answer to my question, or a question in your statement.
Nevertheless, why would I not follow the team?
Watching the product that's out on the floor is excruciating at times, and I may time-shift to make better use of life energies, but I'm still on board.
I just try not to be a dick about it.

You were the one who said you didn’t think it was worth your time to follow a team that wasn’t good enough.

Personally I don’t like when long time fans lose interest - we need everyone we can get.

The answer to your question is who cares:

Some people deal with frustration by swearing off the team every 3rd night like superjohn. BigErn swore off watching the game in the first half and then posted while watching the second half.

Shizzle got funny last night. Some people like me get sarcastic.

Some people just disappear.

Some people like to spend time on message board psychology. It’s not really my bag.

It’s probably going to get worse before it gets better. The drop football crowd is going to get loud and they have some legitimate arguments.

If Ollie doesn’t get the ship turned around there is no escape from his contract. It’s going to be a never ending parade of nights like last night.

The football fans have experience with this - the basketball only crowd is in for a treat.

 

[UCDaveD]

Yea I remember them camping g out for games against the like of Columbia?

I'm sorry that you missed the point. It's not about the opponent, but rather overall enthusiasm for the program and how it's understandably not what it used to be.

 

[Bonehead]

Those are the athletic department for ex players, visiting recruits/parents, people associated with the athletic department

Where do you think all the ex players, visiting recruits/parents, people associated with the athletic department were last night?